Ripitup's Powerlifting Training - USPF Nationals June 28/29 (RESULTS/VIDS p. 11)

[ripitupbaby]

Nos. sound good. How much do you weigh these days?

Thanks... I am SORE. 

Not sure what I weigh exactly, but it's right around where I've been for the last several months.  I'd prefer not to step on the scale until I get going on my diet in a couple of weeks.  I have a good 25 pounds to lose to get myself back into BB shape as a lightweight (less than 115).

[ripitupbaby]

Squat Workout Tonight - Moderate weight.

SQUATS - Ass to Calves on all of them!
Bar x 15
95 x 15
155 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5

Leg Extensions - 4 sets x 6 heavy

Standing Calf Raises - 4 sets x 15 or failure or whatever


Coupla things about the squatting --- What started out as a moderate weight got pretty fkn heavy by the last few sets!

The cage was being used, so I used a squat rack (sort of like the one below) and turned around facing away from the mirror.  It was a total pain in the ass to walk the weight out far enough to clear the rack completely and then try to back it up when finished.  I won't be doing it this way again.
Third set was kind of a mess.  I had a hard time unracking the weight, then I totally stumbled walking it out of the rack and almost fell on my face, and then didn't get a very comfortable stance.  On the way back to the rack after a semi-sloppy set (walking backwards), I stepped on my husband's foot and almost fell again.   

Also, my right knee is bothering me.  I added a bunch of cardio in the last two weeks, and I think it's from that more than anything.  It didn't bother me till the end of the workout, but it's a bit of a concern.  I'm hoping it's just a little problem from being out of practice with the cardio.

[Geo]

it should slide up your shins and quads as you pull

interesting

[ripitupbaby]

I just wanted to add a couple things...

- I also did 45 mins of AM cardio yesterday.  I've been managing 5 cardio sessions/week for the last couple of weeks, trying to get back into the swing of it for contest prep.

-Any girl around my size who claims to be able to squat 315 for deep reps is completely full of shit. 

[The Squadfather]

I just wanted to add a couple things...

- I also did 45 mins of AM cardio yesterday.  I've been managing 5 cardio sessions/week for the last couple of weeks, trying to get back into the swing of it for contest prep.

-Any girl around my size who claims to be able to squat 315 for deep reps is completely full of shit. 

i think that what "the Beast" claimed, oh well .....anyway you should never use a rack like that, the most steps you want to take to clear a rack is two, one with each foot, enough to clear the rack so you don't hit it on the way down or up, i've never understood these clowns who take 5 steps with each foot to clear a squat rack.

[thewickedtruth]

Squat Workout Tonight - Moderate weight.

SQUATS - Ass to Calves on all of them!
Bar x 15
95 x 15
155 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5

Leg Extensions - 4 sets x 6 heavy

Standing Calf Raises - 4 sets x 15 or failure or whatever


Coupla things about the squatting --- What started out as a moderate weight got pretty fkn heavy by the last few sets!

The cage was being used, so I used a squat rack (sort of like the one below) and turned around facing away from the mirror.  It was a total pain in the ass to walk the weight out far enough to clear the rack completely and then try to back it up when finished.  I won't be doing it this way again.
Third set was kind of a mess.  I had a hard time unracking the weight, then I totally stumbled walking it out of the rack and almost fell on my face, and then didn't get a very comfortable stance.  On the way back to the rack after a semi-sloppy set (walking backwards), I stepped on my husband's foot and almost fell again.   

Also, my right knee is bothering me.  I added a bunch of cardio in the last two weeks, and I think it's from that more than anything.  It didn't bother me till the end of the workout, but it's a bit of a concern.  I'm hoping it's just a little problem from being out of practice with the cardio.

too much work..i'd cut your sets down to the 175x5 and then do doubles with say 225 or so or do singles just to get used to using heavier weight.. that many sets of five is nutz.

[calmus]

Squat Workout Tonight - Moderate weight.

SQUATS - Ass to Calves on all of them!
Bar x 15
95 x 15
155 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5

Leg Extensions - 4 sets x 6 heavy

Standing Calf Raises - 4 sets x 15 or failure or whatever


Coupla things about the squatting --- What started out as a moderate weight got pretty fkn heavy by the last few sets!

The cage was being used, so I used a squat rack (sort of like the one below) and turned around facing away from the mirror.  It was a total pain in the ass to walk the weight out far enough to clear the rack completely and then try to back it up when finished.  I won't be doing it this way again.
Third set was kind of a mess.  I had a hard time unracking the weight, then I totally stumbled walking it out of the rack and almost fell on my face, and then didn't get a very comfortable stance.  On the way back to the rack after a semi-sloppy set (walking backwards), I stepped on my husband's foot and almost fell again.   

Also, my right knee is bothering me.  I added a bunch of cardio in the last two weeks, and I think it's from that more than anything.  It didn't bother me till the end of the workout, but it's a bit of a concern.  I'm hoping it's just a little problem from being out of practice with the cardio.

Why ass to calves? Why not parallel?

[thewickedtruth]

Why ass to calves? Why not parallel?

just like box pulling.. when you're used to going way deeper... when you get in a comp and only have to go to parallel or pull off the floor it makes things MUCH easier..

plus your body is designed to work full range..why not work it full range? What happens if you misjudge your own squat and get too deep. Don't want to have that range of motion WEAKER than the rest.

[calmus]

just like box pulling.. when you're used to going way deeper... when you get in a comp and only have to go to parallel or pull off the floor it makes things MUCH easier..

plus your body is designed to work full range..why not work it full range? What happens if you misjudge your own squat and get too deep. Don't want to have that range of motion WEAKER than the rest.

That part of your range of motion is going to be weaker just because of biomechanics, and the risk of incurring some kind of chronic injury is pretty high.  Maybe it makes sense for her, but for me it doesn't as I'm over a foot taller. I suppose I do break parallel every once in a while, but after doing squats for years, I hardly ever. 

[The Squadfather]

too much work..i'd cut your sets down to the 175x5 and then do doubles with say 225 or so or do singles just to get used to using heavier weight.. that many sets of five is nutz.

i agree to a certain extent but what she could do is the old Bill Starr 5x5 program where you are doing 5x5 but the first 2 sets are warm ups and then 3 all out sets of 5, this was the cornerstone of Ed Coan's program for years, so she could do 95x5, 135x5 and then the 3 sets of 5 with 165-185, as the meet gets closer she could progress down to triples and doubles and then come into the meet off her best double in training.

[ripitupbaby]

wickedtruth is totally right...I shouldn't have done that many sets of 175.  I am still learning how to structure these workouts, and I kinda screwed that one up.  My plan is to be doing something similar to what was described above... working up to a max set and then back it down for a few sets.

I am going ass to calves right now on the squats to build up some good strength and to work the full ROM like he said... squatting deep is totally new to me, so I have never worked the bottom part like that before... like never ever.  I am also using a relatively narrow stance right now to build up some extra quad strength.  I can't even believe I can squat 175 ass to calves! 
Good news is that my hip flexors are starting to feel stronger (i.e. they are not burnt to a crisp after I squat).

Tonight was SPEED BENCH work.
Bar x 15
95 x 10
5 sets 120 x 3

DB lateral raises 3 sets x 12
Rotator cuffs 3 sets x 12
Leg lifts 3 sets x 15

I'm hoping to do a full ab workout tomorrow morning with cardio.  Then no lifting tomorrow, and then I gotta cram deadlifts and heavy benching in Thursday and Friday because I am tied up with a BB show and a motorcycle race all weekend. 

[Geo]

I am going ass to calves

this post is useless without vids and grunting sounds

[ripitupbaby]

this post is useless without vids and grunting sounds

Patience!!   

[thewickedtruth]

i agree to a certain extent but what she could do is the old Bill Starr 5x5 program where you are doing 5x5 but the first 2 sets are warm ups and then 3 all out sets of 5, this was the cornerstone of Ed Coan's program for years, so she could do 95x5, 135x5 and then the 3 sets of 5 with 165-185, as the meet gets closer she could progress down to triples and doubles and then come into the meet off her best double in training.

that too

[Jbird]

I have been lifting more like a bodybuilder then a power lifter for two years now. After reading this page and lot of what Rip has posted I have changed the way I look at lifting and now what I am doing at the gym. Plans are to hit it hard this year and maybe do a meet next year. I have learned a lot. Thanks Rip and everyone else's in put.

[The Squadfather]

Lori aka Ripitup is gonna do fantastic at her meet, she's a very hard worker.

[Stubborn]

Looking good Rip!


We need some squat and DL vids when you get them.

[ripitupbaby]

I have been lifting more like a bodybuilder then a power lifter for two years now. After reading this page and lot of what Rip has posted I have changed the way I look at lifting and now what I am doing at the gym. Plans are to hit it hard this year and maybe do a meet next year. I have learned a lot. Thanks Rip and everyone else's in put.

Wow, that's awesome to hear... thank you.


Thanks to all of you guys on this board, seriously...


I'll definitely post some videos... once I get the hang of what I am doing a little more.  Grunting sounds will be included!! 

[calmus]

I am going ass to calves right now on the squats to build up some good strength and to work the full ROM like he said... squatting deep is totally new to me, so I have never worked the bottom part like that before... like never ever.  I am also using a relatively narrow stance right now to build up some extra quad strength.  I can't even believe I can squat 175 ass to calves! 
Good news is that my hip flexors are starting to feel stronger (i.e. they are not burnt to a crisp after I squat).

Are your knees in pretty good shape?

[ripitupbaby]

Are your knees in pretty good shape?

Well, they always have been in good shape (knock on wood!!).  Coincidentally, I am dealing with a sore right knee this week...but it's purely coincidence!!!!   If anything, it might be a little sore from going so deep and then doing leg extensions.  It's not an injury, just some soreness. 

[thewickedtruth]

do i need to tell you to put on wraps here too? or are we square on that topic?! 

[ripitupbaby]

LOL wraps will come with time...I kinda feel like I need to get a little stronger first before I put the wraps on.

Let's see if I can remember last night's deadlift workout.  It was a LIGHT DL workout. 
After I finished, I felt like I went a little TOO light, but oh well.  I probably could have increased the weight on all of my DLs by 10-20 pounds.  I suppose that'll just give me more gas to go heavier next week.  I feel significantly stronger in the DL department already.

DEADS
warmup - bar x 15, 95 x 12
135 x 5
155 x 5
165 x 5
145 x 5
145 x 5
145 x 5

SUMO DEADS
145 x 3
145 x 3
145 x 3

SLDLs
slow, with a lot of stretch
100 x 5
100 x 5
100 x 5

Wide grip lat pulldowns
light set x 12
3 heavy sets x 8
light set x 12

[Geo]

rip is a powerful female that should be fighting crime in america's inner cities !

[ripitupbaby]

A good spotter is worth his weight in gold.

This is a pretty funny workout story.   

Last night, I did a HEAVY BENCH workout, RAW, with chains.  And I trained alone.  And it was really really tough to train alone bc I need a spotter on every set.  I went to the gym where I thought there would be more people who know what they are doing, but I was wrong. 

BENCH W/CHAINS
Chains weigh 73 pounds.  Weight is at the top of the lift, including the chains.
118 x 10 (just the chains)
188 x 5
198 x 5
208 x 5 
208 x 5  got a little help on the last one
188 x 5
188 x 5
188 x5

I did the math wrong and thought I was lifting 10 pounds less the whole time. 
The sets at 208 were EXTREMELY heavy, I was pretty much maxed right out there, and they weren't all that pretty.  I was suprised at how heavy it felt when I thought it was 198!

NEGATIVES
Not good.  I asked a decent-sized kid who spotted me on a couple sets w/chains to help me with the negs.  After I explained what negs are , I put 225 on the bar, told him he would have to basically row it off of me, and asked him if he could handle 225... he said he could but he couldn't. 
225 x 3 --- The kid pulled it back towards him on the first one, so I knew we had a problem.  By the third one, I was out of gas and useless, and he couldn't get the weight off me.  He pulled it back to the rack UNDER the rack .  I had to help him set it on the lower pins just above my head and get out and help him rerack it.  He hurt his wrist too and was bitching.  He then disappeared to the other side of the gym and refused to make eye contact with me for the rest of the workout. 

I was gonna do two sets, but I didn't go for the second one.  LOL

Close Grips
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5

I tried a few squats with just the bar and wasn't liking the way those were feeling, so no squats.
After that workout, I am just thankful that I am not injured, and I really appreciate my husband as a training partner and a spotter.

[Bast000]

benching with chains haha,  you're a powerlifting dork.