Babyeater Lifts: Powerlifting Adventures

[babyeater]

Hi everyone! I have been lurking around the site for a bit and really want to make a log and join the diverse group of lifters posting here. A little about me:

Age: 26
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 110-113 note: I have competed twice in the 114 class and now plan to cut weight to 105 for my April 2013 meet.

I began dabbling in strength training about two years ago in a very casual way. I have a fairly strong running background and spent most of my teenage and early adult years very wiry (under 100 lb) with basically no upper body strength whatsoever--and heck, given that all I was doing was running, no lower body strength either.

In the later part of 2009/early part of 2010, I began to learn how to lift. Since that time period, I have experimented with various lifting protocols. Last year, I set a goal to register as "overweight" on the BMI scale and fell short two pounds when I stupidly came up with a sternum injury from performing dips too low. At my heaviest, I came in at 133 lb.

In the later part of December 2011, I began lifting again seriously and trying to pull myself out of the hole I had fallen into mentally and physically. At this point, I have by far surpassed the strength levels I had attained back before the sternum injury but am roughly 20 lbs lighter than my high weight.

I started training specifically for powerlifting at the end of April of 2012. I competed in my first meet in the 114 pound weight class in July; my total was 540. I will continue to compete in this weight class and would like to see significant increases in my total. I look forward to posting here--I've been lurking for a bit and absolutely love reading the logs of other female lifters on this forum.

PR's as of February 2012:
Squat: 187 (meet lift) Paused bench: 125 Deadlift: 300

[babyeater]

yesterday's (2/8) lifting:

squat
bar x 5
bar x 5
95 x 3
120 x 2
135 x 1
150 x 1
160 x 1
172 (microloaded) x 1
172 x 1
172 x 1
172 x 1
172 x 1
172 x 1
172 x 1

Threw in an extra set on this because my boyfriend is running Smolov and he makes me feel incredibly lazy by comparison.

barbell hip thrusts:
145 x 9
145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 9
145 x 9

single-leg back extensions
10 ea
7 ea
7 ea

band adductors
18, 17, 17



I do videos with commentary because I'm a final cut pro freak and have fun doing so, mostly it's just commentary in which I make fun of myself.

[larsen540]

Great log and video.... Keep it up

[babyeater]

Yesterday's bench session:

2/9 lifting:

paused bench
bar x 5
bar x 5
bar x 5
75 x 3
85 x 2
95 x 1
105 x 1
110 x 1
110 x 1
112 x 1
112 x 1
115 x 1
115 x 2 rep PR yaaaaay
127 PR attempt FAIL flattened flattened flattened. Trying this out after six work sets, several upwards of 90%, and repping out the last work set was, I suppose, reaching a bit far.

wide-grip technique work
85 x 5
85 x 5
85 x 5

neutral-grip pull-ups
11, 9, 8

seated unilateral rows
50 x 10 ea
50 x 10 ea
50 x 10 ea

band pushdowns in a complex with ab rollouts using a bar:

20, 10
17, 8
12, 8
10

[babyeater]

Thanks, Adrian! Thanks for steering me over here, too!

[babyeater]

It's been a rough past few days, and yesterday was one of few days in which I've just had a day on which I had to take a day off from lifting for reasons other than injury or illness. This was partially, admittedly, due to the fact that I'm currently attempting to cut weight in order to try to make 105. This is a trial cut, and right now I'm EXTREMELY glad I'm running a trial prior to the "real thing" that will most likely take place in April. I've never cut weight before, and it is a psychological process that has resonance with the years I spent with eating disorders. That said, I'm in a very different place now in relation to the place I was during those years, so let's not all freak out here. I will say that this is very new and confusing territory for me, and I imagine it is for many women who cut weight for the first time. I think the way we fundamentally characterize weight, body composition, weight loss, etc. is so dysfunctional that it can't help but have some impact on how we navigate the cutting process at a psychological (hopefully not a working) level.

So. I'm still training during this, except for the day I stop all intake (Sunday), which is basically an extra workout day anyway. I made up for yesterday's squat work today and benched.

squat

bar x 8
bar x 6
95 x 3
120 x 2
135 x 1
145 x 1
154 (microloaded, hence the weirdo number) x 3
154 x 4
154 x 4
154 x 9

paused bench
bar x 5
bar x 5
bar x 5
70 x 3
80 x 2
90 x 6
90 x 6
90 x 6
90 x 6
90 x 6
90 x 6

And that was it. I didn't do accessory work today and that was basically my punishment for yesterday. I will try to make up for some of it on Thursday, an extra workout day.

[babyeater]

deadlift

95 x 3
135 x 2
185 x 1
225 x 1
245 x 1
265 x 1
275 x 1
275 x 1
275 x 1
275 x 3

Tried for a fourth rep on that last set but failed it because I didn't wait between the third and attempted fourth reps as long as I should have. Damn! I think I could have gotten it.

Pull-ups
11, 8, 7, 6

leg extensions
60 x 15
60 x 13
60 x 13

facepulls
100 x 15
100 x 13
100 x 12

band adductors, 15 x 3 x 3

Day two of the weight cut trial is almost complete. It's going quite well, weight-wise. I don't relish having to pee every 15 minutes, but I should be able to teach tomorrow and get away with running out a time or two because the class has a work day.

video of the 275 x 3

[larsen540]

HAHA you will feel really good after the cut. Good luck.

[babyeater]

HAHA you will feel really good after the cut. Good luck.

I woke up in a very good place to make it by what would be the evening weigh-in time. So now I get to really suffer (if I thought this week was bad, hahahahaha) and then I will make it. I'm so glad I'm doing a trial cut. SO glad.

[babyeater]

2/15 squat

bar x 6
bar x 6
95 x 3
120 x 2
135 x 1
145 x 1
154 x 2
154 x 2
154 x 2
154 x 2
154 x 2
154 x 2

barbell hip thrusts
145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 10

back extensions
bw x 30
bw x 30
bw x 30

adductor band work
15, 15, 15

The gym was kind of nuts on this day, see video:


2/16 paused bench

bar x 5
bar x 5
75 x 3
85 x 2
95 x 1
102 x 3
102 x 3
105 x 3
105 x 3
105 x 4

wide-grip technique work
85 x 5
85 x 5
85 x 5

And that was it because I really had to get home to prepare for the dehydration/fasting portion of this weight cut. This bench session was one of the worst I've had in a long time. This weight cut has not been the easiest thing for me to do, and I'm glad that under normal, pre-meet weight cut conditions, I wouldn't really be training while doing the cut. That said, I'm close to 105 and will make it today. I'm going to leave it at that because I'm trying to be positive right now, which is not something I appear to be good at today.

[babyeater]

2/19 volume bench day

paused bench
80 x 10
80 x 10
80 x 10
80 x 11
80 x 10
80 x 10
80 x 10

flat DB press, single DB weight
70 x 12
70 x 8

cable overhead tricep extensions
65 x 12
60 x 12
60 x 12

Lat Pulldowns
80 x 12
90 x 8
85 x 10

chest-supported block rows, single DB weight
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 10

2/20 deadlift day

deadlift
95 x 3
135 x 2
185 x 2
200 x 2
240 x 1
255 x 3
255 x 3
255 x 3
255 x 7

pull-ups
12, 7, 6, 5, 4

squat belt walks
70 x bunch x 4

band abductors
20, 20, 18

vid:

[babyeater]

2/25/13

paused bench
bar x 5 x 3
75 x 3
85 x 2
100 x 1
104 x 2
104 x 2
107 x 2
109 x 2
109 x 3

widegrip work
80 x 6
80 x 6
80 x 6

weighted chin-ups
25 x 6
25 x 5
25 x 4
25 x 4

unilateral DB rows
shoulder still doesn't like these, so after experimenting with them for a while I just threw it out and will go with seated chest-supported unilateral row for now. Ugh. Stupid right shoulder, it makes no sense.

Band pushdowns in a complex with ab rollouts
pushdownd℗15, rollouts®10, ℗15, ®10, ℗13, ®10, ℗12

vid:

yesterday (2/24) was an extra/ rest day, so I did a little work:

kneeling squats
135 x 9
135 x 9
135 x 9

217 bw leg curls

facepulls
15, 15, 17


neutral-grip pullups
11, 8, 6

[larsen540]

Good speed on the benching. Wide grip speed was fast also.

[babyeater]

Yeah, it's not toooooo bad. And bench is my worst lift. And I really appreciate that coming from you. REALLY appreciate that.

[babyeater]

Monday 2/25

squat day
bar x 5
bar x 6
95 x 3
125 x 2
145 x 1
164 x 1
174 x 1
174 x 2
174 x 2
174 x 3

paused squats
95 x 7
95 x 7
95 x 7

GHR
bw x 13
bw x 12
bw x 11

Hamstring curls
60 x 15
62.5 x 14
62.5 x 12

band adductors
18, 15, 15

Tues 2/26

volume paused bench day
bar x 5 x 3
70 x 3
80 x 1
85 x 8
85 x 8
85 x 8
85 x 8
85 x 8
85 x 8

DB flat press (cumulative DB weight)
70 x 12
70 x 10

Overhead cable tricep pushdowns
60 x 15 x 3

lat pulldowns
85 x 12
85 x 11
85 x 9

lying DB rows, cumulative DB weight
40 x 15
40 x 12
40 x 10

Wed 2/27

Deadlift
95 x 3
135 x 3
185 x 2
225 x 2
245 x 1
265 x 2
265 x 2
265 x 2
265 x 5

I did 260 x 5 last cycle so…yay, I guess. Bleh. Wanted 265 x 6 and it did NOT happen

pull-ups
13, 7, 6, 5, 5

Bulgarian split squats
30 x 11 ea x 3

facepulls
100 x 15
100 x 13
100 x 12

Thurs 2/28
off day

Friday 3/1

squat
174 x 1
174 x 1
174 x 1
174 x 1
174 x 1
174 x 1
174 x 1

barbell hip thrusts
150 x 9
150 x 9
150 x 9
150 x 9
150 x 8

Back extensions
10 x 20
25 x 15
25 x 12

I think that was it on this day…memory on it is a bit hazy

Saturday Mar 2

paused bench
bar x 5 x 3
75 x 3
85 x 2
95 x 1
105 x 1
112 x 1
112 x 1
114 x 1
114 x 1
117 x 1
117x 1 tried for a second rep and failed it like a boss; this session kind of sucked in general and I suck at benching. I suuuuuuuck.

widegrip, strict paused work
85 x 6
85 x 6
85 x 6

weighted chin-ups
25 x 6
25 x 5
25 x 4
25 x 4

band pulldowns
15, 15, 15, 15

seated unilateral rows
55 x 9 ea
55 x 9 ea
55 x 8 ea

I'm actually caught up now! Yessss!

[Rock1984]

You definitely provide a different point of view!
Good amount of work in this log, keep it up!

[Joe B]

Lots of good work in here, nice job!

[babyeater]

You definitely provide a different point of view!
Good amount of work in this log, keep it up!

Thanks so much, I'm working towards ranking in the top of the 105 lb weight class, so I feel like this log is really a documentation of that process.

Lots of good work in here, nice job!

Thanks for stopping in; I'm currently trying to get my MFA show put up and my degree finished (a few months to go!) so I had gotten a little behind with logging. I guess when I have to split my time between training and grad school the internet sometimes gets a bit shortchanged.

[Rock1984]

Ehm...this is probably "English as 2nd language" ignorance, but what is a MFA show?

[babyeater]

Ehm...this is probably "English as 2nd language" ignorance, but what is a MFA show?

Not at all! Most people don't know what MFA means when I mention it's the degree I'm pursuing. MFA stands for "Master of Fine Arts." Those who know of me as a lifter usually don't know that I actually do art for my "day job," ha. Here is a link with some of my work, just for the heck of it:

www.flickr.com/photos/JanisFinkelman

[Joe B]

Not at all! Most people don't know what MFA means when I mention it's the degree I'm pursuing. MFA stands for "Master of Fine Arts." Those who know of me as a lifter usually don't know that I actually do art for my "day job," ha. Here is a link with some of my work, just for the heck of it:

www.flickr.com/photos/JanisFinkelman

Hey you're good! Some very cool pieces in there.

[babyeater]

Hey you're good! Some very cool pieces in there.

Many thanks. I'd like to do more painting again, I've really just been focused on drawing and installation recently.

[Rock1984]

"Risen" is very good, as is "In went the grenades"

[babyeater]

squat
bar x 7
bar x 6
95 x 3
120 x 2
135 x 1
145 x 1
156 x 3
156 x 4
156 x 4
156 x 8

paused squats
100 x 7
100 x 7
100 x 7

GHR's
bw x 13
bw x 12
bw x 13

lying machine hamstring curls
62.5 x 17
62.5 x 15
62.5 x 12

band abductors
15, 18, 20

[larsen540]

Nice paintings and good work on the training keep it up.