DJ's Powerlifting Journey

[Donnajo]

Hi! I am Donna. I will be deadlifting in my first powerlifting meet on Sept. 13.

My training partner is Lones and he suggested it would be good for me to post a log here. Since I will be doing my first meet I can use any and all suggestions, comments and advice.

I have a log on another board so I am going to repost here all my workouts since I started training for this meet. So here goes.

[Donnajo]

7/2/08 Wednesday

Deadlift - Going for 1 rep max
5/bar
2/135
2/155
2/185
2/205
1/215
1/225
1/245
1/255

Reverse Hyper
3x10@10

Seated band pulls to open up the hips

3x10 with band

Incline weighted situp

3x10@25


Cardio: 30 minutes SS Treadmill inline walk


sunday 7/6/08


ME bench press
warm up to single
5/bar
3/85
2/95
2/105
2/115
1/125
1/135
1/145


Rolling db extensions
3x8-10@20


Db Rows
20/32.5
20/35

Face Pulls
2x20@ 30


Cardio
35 minutes mix of intervals and SS




Monday 7/7/08

DE Box Squat

10x2@115

DE deadlift alt. conventional and sumo

10x2@ 135

Reverse Hyper machine
3x15@10

Band Abduction
3x20

Heavy db side bends
20/35
15/40


Cardio:
speed intervals on stepmill 2:2



Tuesday 7/8/08

Lifting: Off
Cardio: some light SS
__________________

[Donnajo]

wednesday 7/9/08

DE Bench press

8x3@95

Rope Pressdowns

3x15@70

Cable Rows

3x10@120


Db side raises

3x8@20

Hanging Leg Raises

2x10-15@BW


Cardio: taught spin endurance class
__________________

[Donnajo]

Thursday 7/10/08


Box Squats

warm up 2 mini bands and bar only x5
95 +2 mini bands x 3
8 sets of 2 @ 115 +2 mini bands

Good mornings
5/95
3x5@115

Reverse Hypers

5x10@20

Incline Sit Ups
3x10-15@25

[Donnajo]

7/12/08 Saturday

Cardio workout:

HIIT in the pool
10 x 25 yrds ( alternating each one butterfly and freetyle) w/ 1 minute rest

20 minutes SS on elliptical

10 minutes shooting hoops and some Bball drills for fun.

[Donnajo]

7/13/08

ME BB Bench

bar x 5
85 x3
95x2
115 x 1
125x1
135x1
145x1
160 x 1 ( needed some help. Went for it but not quite. Will try again next week)

Tate presses
3x10-12@17.5

Db rows one arm

3x20@40

Bb shrugs
3x10 @ 95

Band pullups
2x10

Cardio: 30 mins step mill light intervals


7/14/08

DE Box squats with bands

9x2@ 95 + bands

DE deadlifts
6x2@135

GHR
3x8-10@BW

Band Good Mornings
3x20

Cable Crunches
3x10@80

Db side bends
2x15@45

No Cardio today.

[Donnajo]

7/16/08 Wednesday

DE Bench Press

6x3@95

Tricep rope pressdown

3x15@70

Pendley Row
3x6@135

Machine Shoulder Press
3 sets of 12 (did not know the weight because it was scratched off the plates)

Lat pulldown
3x10@100


Cardio: SS later today for 30 -40 minutes

[Donnajo]

Friday


Deadlift off a box

Started too heavy. should have started lighter with more reps I think. Oh well. Next time.

5/135
3/155
3/175
2/195
1/205
1/215
1/225
1/245
1/265 failed


Pullthroughs
3x12@130

Bugarian squats
2x12@50

Cable crunches
3x12@160

Band Good mornings
3x15 with green band

[Donnajo]

Sunday 7/20/08

Wow! What a workout. There were 7 powerlifters working out today. Jason Fry and his girlfriend Jean from westside were in town and worked out with us. He is on the cover of powerlifting USA the june issue. Anyway it was awesome. We did max bench work today.
Tons of sets of bench. They critiqued my form and I was having trouble at just up from the bottom of my bench getting over 155 so we did some board work with heavier weight and assistance. We did upteen million sets it seemed but we rotated out between all of us so it took forever. I got to play with wraps and belts and pressing with boards and fun toys like that. Jason was lifting 635 lbs. We had to find an extra guy to spot. None of the girls wanted to. I asked him his meet max and it was 735. Wow! That is amazing.

After bench we did an exercise to with dumbbells where at the top you start out wide like your grip on the bench barbell and as you lower you turn the the palms in and elbows in to your side and then press back up wide. Jean called it a transition exercise for lack of a name for it because it wihelped you to transition to as you lower elbows out to turning the elbows in at the bottom and then turning them back out on the way up. I used 35 lbs. for 8 reps. 3 sets

Then we did rolling tricep ext. with dumbbells for reps of 10-12 I used 15 lbs. for 4 sets. This is a weak spot for me so I will be working on these

Jean went over my deadlift form and taught me a good technique for getting my breath in and I felt so much smoother on my lift. I start from a stand then go down and up from the bar as I figure out where it is and the last time I stand I take a deep breath and hold and then go straight down pick up the bar and up . I was starting from the ground and taking my breath in from the ground and it was not as affective.

It was awesome to have so much input. I think I found my niche in a sport. I am really enjoying powerlifting.

Going to order a belt, mini and light bands, and wraps online today. I keep borrowing everyones.

[Donnajo]

7/21/08 Monday

Dynamic Effort Box Squat

warm up bar 45 x 2

6x2@95

DE Deadlift

6x2@155

Ukranian deadlifts ( you stand on two boxes in sumo wide stance and it hold a db between your legs and go down and back up) These were killer

2x20@20

Reverse hypers
3x10@25

band standing ab crunches ( really like these better than cable crunches because you have to fight the band going back up)

3x20@ green (regular) band

[Donnajo]

7/23/08 Wednesday

Ugh, taught two swim lessons and a body sculpting class and then lifted. Dynamic effort day.

Bench
Still sore from sunday.

warmup 2x5@45

95x3
85x3x5

Rope pressdown
60x17
60x15
60x12

Lat Pulldown
3x10@110

Cable Row
3x8@130

Real tired today. Skipped cardio.

[Donnajo]

7/24/08 Thursday

ME SQuat

2x5@45
1x3@green regular band
1x2@ green band +95
1x1@ green band +115
1x1@ green band + 135
1x1@ green bnd + 145
1x1@ 165
1x1@ 185
1x1 @ 205 PR!!!!!
Tried for 215 but low back curved. I need a belt. It is ordered and coming in the mail soon.

Light deadlifts
3x6@185

Reverse Hyper machine
1x9@27.5
2x10@25

Incline weighted sit ups

1x20@25
1x12@30
1x10@30

[Donnajo]

7/27/08 Sunday

ME BENCH

1x8@45
1x3@95
1x3@115
1x2@ 135
1x2@135
1x2@135
Dropped to 115 again for a few sets to concentrate on form. I have a hard time bringing my elbows in as I lower the bar so I wanted to work on that with lighter weight.

Dumbbell presses top position hands wide and lower elbows in to side as you lower and turn back up at top position.....Not sure what the name for these is.
4x8@30

Rolling tricep presses
3x10@15

Band Pullups
3x10

Facepulls
3x15@35

[Donnajo]

7/28/08 Monday Dynamic Effort day

Speed Deadlift
6x1@155

DE Box Squats
6x2@95 + minibands

GHR
10 / BW
8/BW
6/BW

Box Jumps off a foam pad

8/BW
8/12
8/25

Reverse Hypers

10/25
8/35
8/35

Low Back machine
3x10@50-60 lbs

cardio ss 2o minutes

[Donnajo]

7/30/08 Wednesday

Bb bench
8/115
8/115
7/115
6/115
6/115
6/115

Cable and band pressdowns (band over neck and grab with hands and also grab bar on cable and do pressdowns)

15/ mini band + 25
15/mini band +30
15/mini band +45

Lat pulldowns

10/80
10/100
10/120

One arm lateral raises
12.5/15
15/15

Rear delt pec dec
3x15@ 45

Mini band face pulls
3x15

Dumbbell holds to work grip/ held as long as I could

50 lbs
60 lbs
60 lbs

Some forearm work with the thing that rolls up.

20 minutes SS on elliptical

[Donnajo]

7/31/08 Thursday

Seated Good Mornings
8/45
5/95
5/115
3/135
6-8x3@155 lost count on sets

Zercher Squats

5/45
4/95
3/115
3/135
3/155
3/165
failed at 185 but CNS fried. I think I could have got this otherwise.

Reverser Hypers
2x10@35
1x8@35

Incline weighted situps

3x10@35

[Donnajo]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday 8/3/08

ME Bench
6x bar
3x bar + red mini band
2x 65 + red mini bands
1x 75 + red mini bands
1x 75 + red mini bands
1x 80 + red mini bands
1x 80 + red mini bands
1x 80 + red mini bands

Tate presses
2x15@12.5
2x15@15
2x15@ 17.5t
2x10@ 20

Db rows
2x20@40
2x20@42.5
2x6@ 60

Band Pulls
3x15@ purple band (light)

pec dec flys
10/75
10/ 90
10/95

[Lones Green]

you hit 85 plus those dbl'd minis didn't you? 2 10's on each side is 85 right?

[lil' power]

Welcome DJ!

I've thought about starting a log here also...not too many females posting around here.

Lones, you have to keep an eye on her log, she likes to understate or leave out some work sometimes...

[Donnajo]

you hit 85 plus those dbl'd minis didn't you? 2 10's on each side is 85 right?

I can't add. LOL

[Donnajo]

Welcome DJ!

I've thought about starting a log here also...not too many females posting around here.

Lones, you have to keep an eye on her log, she likes to understate or leave out some work sometimes...

Yeah, start a journal here too.

I also can't remember always what we did. I need to start writing it down in the gym again.

[Donnajo]

8/4/08 Monday

DE Box Squats
2/ dbl minis
2/65+ dbl minis
2/65 + dbl minis
2/65 + dbl minis
2/ 95 + dbl minis (too slow from bottom)
2/ 85 + dbl minis
2/ 85+ dbl minis

Speed Deadlifts
1/135
1/185
1/185
1/185
1/185
1/185

ukranian deadlifts
20/25
20/65 straight leg

Hangman abs
3x15@ green regular band

Darn I wrote this down and still forgot something.

seated calve raises
3x15@45

[275er]

Welcome Donna! Good numbers all around, particularly that deadlift, and solid training plan. Did you ever get yourself a belt? I'd highly recommend one for your heavier sets, it will help your numbers go up and prevent injury.

[Donnajo]

ya must of us know (of) Jay fry, he is after all the top 181 bencher, glad to see he could give you some tips.
what weight class are you going to compete in?
you sure are at the gym allot.

I am sure you do. I am new to this so I am getting to know who is who.

I am going to try to compete in the 148 class. Although I think I put on weight but I am recomping more than gaining fat because clothes are getting looser and I am noticing more definition in my legs and arms. So we will see what I weigh. It does not really matter because this is my first meet and I am only competing with myself.

[Donnajo]

Welcome Donna! Good numbers all around, particularly that deadlift, and solid training plan. Did you ever get yourself a belt? I'd highly recommend one for your heavier sets, it will help your numbers go up and prevent injury.

Thanks for the welcome. My training plan is due a lot to the help of Lones who is LonesXedge here. He and I and another gal try to lift together. I love it because I get lots of critiqueing from him and her. I had been followiing the 5x5 plan for a long time before I decided to powerlift so I think I had a good base.

I finally got a belt. It came from elite in the mail last week.