Sunnyday's Training Journal

[Mac]

Those sumo deads have done WONDERS for my leg development! Takes the old-fart-achy-low-back out of the equation so it's more like an explosive leg press off the floor (if you've done vertical leg press in the Smith but with feet placed wide that is as close as it gets). And the ham and glute development you get from regular sumo deads is second to none!

I attribute my back development to pullups. Try this and you will NOT be disappointed!
https://marylandpowerlifting.com/201...ll-up-program/

I did more lat training in my younger days then any other body part! Need to get back to training them and grow again as its one of those areas that I don't, or rather didn't, need to concentrate on.

We made a vertical leg press machine for my gym, The Sweat Shop, back in the late 80s. Great exercise.

[Sunnyday]

Thursday 7/14 upper body

Kiddos off from early morning swim practice and with my 15-y.o. back from her dad's I left the crew home. Woo hoo.

Did all this at the gym as a warmup:
40 seated arm circles in each direction
25 elbow curls
3x20 kneeling ankle squeeze
3x20 kneeling abductor press
20 supine foot rotation in each direction per foot
20 supine point/flex per foot
20 cat-and-camels at fast pace
20 McKenzie pushups at fast pace
full BW squat with 30 sec hold at bottom
plus...
10 frog stretches with a few reps internal rotation to each side
3 different arm crossover variations(10/side per variation)
20 over & back banded stretch
20 band pull-aparts
20 kettlebell halos with 20# (10 in each direction)

Bench press: (each rep paused 2 sec, press to lockout, reset shoulders at top, repeat)
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
5 x 121 x 5 - dropped a set from last week and will be bringing up sets on my triples day. Still felt super-smooth and consistent with each rep/set

Swim championships are coming up in 2 weeks so I am moving my back-focus from Saturday to Thursday for the time being. Had to keep thinking "what exercise am I doing next?" because I am so used to doing arms on Thursdays, even though I had everything planned out in my logbook I kept forgetting to look there. LOL.

Neutral grip pullups:
3 x BW+25# x 5

Inverted rows:
3 x BW x 10

Reverse grip bent over rows:
3 x 115 x 8

Decline 1-arm DB rows:
3 x 50 x 8 each side

Decline DB pullovers:
3 x 50 x 8

Step-ups:
1 x BW x 100/leg

Stretch and foam roll

[Sunnyday]

Friday 7/15 lower body

Poolside during the kiddos' swim practice:
40 seated arm circles in each direction
25 elbow curls
3x20 kneeling ankle squeezes
20 supine foot circles each direction per foot
20 supine foot point/flex per foot
20 cat-and-camels at fast pace
20 McKenzie press-ups at fast pace
full BW squat with 30 sec hold at bottom

At gym warmup:
10 frog stretches with a few reps internal rotation to each side
20 hip side-to-side (10/side)
20 hip airplanes (10/side)

Squats:
bar x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 3
3 x 160 x 3 - PR! Heaviest triples to date and with my meet PR from March! YEAH!

Sumo deads:
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1
210 x 1
8 x 220 x 1 with 90 seconds between singles, 3 more than last week!

Unilateral standing calves:
3 x 5 with 5-sec hold at top, no rest between sides/sets

Abs superset:
traditional floor crunch ss reverse crunch:
3 x 10 each with no rest between sets/exercises

Nordics:
3 x BW x 10

Stability ball hip thrust superset:
BW x 10 legs straight ss BW x 10 legs bent (3 sets)

Glute circuit (no rest between sides/exercises):
30 reps side lying clam ss 30 reps side lying abduction
30 reps single leg glute bridge ss 30 reps hip extension on elbows
30 reps single leg swing ss 30 reps fire hydrant

Step-ups:
1 x BW x 100/leg

Stretch and foam roll

[Sunnyday]

Saturday 7/16 upper body

First thing this am:
40 seated arm circles in each direction
25 elbow curls
3x20 kneeling ankle squeeze
20 supine foot rotation in each direction per foot
20 supine point/flex per foot
20 cat-and-camels at fast pace
20 McKenzie pushups at fast pace
full BW squat with 30 sec hold at bottom

Spent 6 very long hours in the 90 degree sun at my kids' swim meet, meal timing completely off, dehydrated, and then tried to train. Training didn't go as well as other weeks but I'll take what I can get. Next weekend is swim championships and I won't get the chance to train at all, so something today was beeter than nothing.

Warmup at gym:
10 frog stretches with a few reps internal rotation to each side
3 diff arm crossovers (10/side per variation)
20 over & back banded stretch
20 band pull-aparts

Bench press: (each rep paused 2 sec, press to lockout, reset shoulders at top, repeat)
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
120 x 3
130 x 3
5 x 138 x 3 - a little disappointed in these beause I was exhausted and a different spotter each set, plus no matter how hard I tried to give directions each spotter kept pulling my shoulders out of the sockets. Yuk. Still got it done though.

Chins:
3 x BW+25 x 5

Pinwheel curls:
3 x 20s x 10

V-bar pressdown:
3 x 50 x 10

Concentration curls:
3 x 20 x 8/side

Dips:
3 x BW x 12

[Sunnyday]

Monday 7/18 lower body

Poolside during the kids's swim practice:
40 seated arm circles in each direction
25 elbow curls
3x20 kneeling ankle squeezes
20 supine foot circles each direction per foot
20 supine foot point/flex per foot
20 cat-and-camels at fast pace
20 McKenzie press-ups at fast pace
full BW squat with 30 sec hold at bottom

10 frog stretches with a few reps internal rotation to each side
20 hip side-to-side (10/side)
20 hip airplanes (10/side)

Squats:
bar x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 4
4 x 150 x 4 - heaviest 4x4 to date yay!

Sumo deads:
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1
8 x 206 x 1 with 60 sec between singles

Ab wheel:
3 x 15

Horizontal calf machine:
3 x 170 x 10

Stability ball hip thrust superset:
BW x 10 legs straight ss BW x 10 legs bent (3 sets)

Glute circuit (no rest between sides/exercises):
30 reps side lying clam ss 30 reps side lying abduction
30 reps single leg glute bridge ss 30 reps hip extension on elbows
30 reps single leg swing ss 30 reps fire hydrant

[Sunnyday]

After I got the family circus home from the gym and settled with lunch, I headed down to Rockville, MD to see Sioux-z Hartwig Gary so I could test drive some power belts before I plunk down the money for one. In particular, I've had my eye on the new SBD belt that just hit the market. But at a whopping $235 I wanted to be sure before I took the plunge. Well it just so happens that Sioux-z picked one up at IPF Raw Worlds last month (lucky girl!). So I got to try hers on. (gasp! -trust me the story gets BETTER!). She puts it on me and says, "get ready" and YIKES THIS BELT PINCHES BAAAAAAD. She said it pinches her too and she's not sure she'll wear it in competition, rather stick with her old faithful. Soooooo....(here's where it gets good)
next she lets me try on HER competition belt! (Sunny nearly pees herself LOL!) Uh, yeah, so this is the VERY BELT she wore last month when she squatted that open world record - can't believe I didn't pass out. Hers is a tapered belt from Best Belts, 10 mm thick and that's what I'll be buying. If I hadn't tried on Sioux-z's I don't believe I would have selected this belt for myself thinking it's not enough belt for me. Definitely worth the long drive to try it out, saved me over $100 meaning I can buy the SBD knee sleeves and wrist wraps with the money I saved haha!

So didn't I already have a belt? Yes and no. Before I knew I was getting into powerlifting, IFBB Pro Lisa Auckland had recommended a Cardillo Training Belt and on her recommendation I bought one. I've had it for a year, and I love it. HOWEVER, it's very thin and not meant for moving big weights and worse: it's not IPF approved. Translation: I can't use it to compete in USAPL above local level. Believe me, if there were other powerlifing feds near my home I'd jump ship then buy a Cardillo Power belt and move on with life. Love me all things Cardillo! But since I'm in the USAPL I will play by their rules and wear stuff off the "approved" list. I'll still be using the Cardillo for lighter stuff.

[Sunnyday]

Tuesday 7/19 upper body

Poolside during the kids' morning swim practice:
40 seated arm circles in each direction
25 elbow curls
3x20 kneeling ankle squeeze
30 supine foot rotation in each direction per foot
30 supine point/flex per foot
20 cat-and-camels at fast pace
20 McKenzie pushups at fast pace
full BW squat with 30 sec hold at bottom

Warmup at gym:
10 frog stretches with a few reps internal rotation to each side
3 diff arm crossovers (10/side per variation)
20 over & back banded stretch
20 band pull-aparts

Bench press: (each rep paused 2 sec, press to lockout, reset shoulders at top, repeat)
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
120 x 4
4 x 129 x 4 - same as last week, planning to go up in the next week or two

Wide grip pullups:
3 x BW+25 x 5

Overhead press:
bar x 5
65 x 5
75 x 5
3 x 85 x 5

Reverse DB fly, leaning on incline bench:
3 x 15s x 12

Leaning DB lateral raise:
3 x 25 x 8/side

Had a chiro appointment this afternoon. Got ice on the hip and back at the moment from getting beat up but that is par for the course with ART and chiro adjustments for me. All in all I am feeling better than I have in years!

[masterschamp]

Awesome training, girl!!.........

[Sunnyday]

Awesome training, girl!!.........

Thanks, Keith! Like you, just training my tail off, control what I can, don't sweat what I can't, no regrets come game day.

[Sunnyday]

Wednesday 7/20 lower body

Poolside during the kids' swim practice:
40 seated arm circles in each direction
25 elbow curls
3x20 kneeling ankle squeezes
3x20 kneeling abductor presses
30 supine foot circles each direction per foot
30 supine foot point/flex per foot
20 cat-and-camels at fast pace
20 McKenzie press-ups at fast pace
full BW squat with 30 sec hold at bottom

At gym warmup:
10 frog stretches with a few reps internal rotation to each side
20 hip side-to-side (10/side)
20 hip airplanes (10/side)
3 arm crossover variations (10/side per variation)

Squats:
bar x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
5 x 140 x 5, up 3 lbs from the last few weeks and my heaviest sets of 5 to date

Sumo deads:
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
8 x 193 x 1 with 45 seconds between singles, dropped by 2 singles from last week
Used my own collars for the first time. Soooo nice not having to search the weight room floor for a matched set and with these new ones the plates DO NOT MOVE when setting a loaded bar onto the floor!

Childcare time ran out due to waiting over 30 minutes for a squat rack to open up. Had to do the rest at home

Unilateral standing calves:
3 x 5 with 5-sec hold at top, no rest between sides/sets

Nordics:
3 x BW x 10

Glute bridge superset on stability ball:
10 legs straight ss 10 legs bent (3 sets)

Glute circuit (no rest between sides/exercises):
30 reps side lying clam ss 30 reps side lying abduction
30 reps single leg glute bridge ss 30 reps hip extension on elbows
30 reps single leg swing ss 30 reps fire hydrant

Step-ups:
1 x BW x 100/leg

Finished with some stretching and foam rolling

Just 5 weeks until school starts and I'll have more time for training!

[Curt James]

Just 5 weeks until school starts and I'll have more time for training!

As happy as I am for you...

:-(

[Sunnyday]

As happy as I am for you...

:-(

Sorry, Curt.

It means more craziness in Sunny's household but more structure. And no more Wednesday late night swim meets 5-10 pm! Five hours on a Saturday morning once a month in the winter or even once a week in the hot sun in the summer is not so bad but ewww those Wednesdays killed me this summer!

Tonight is the swim team's end of season picnic and this Saurday (7am - 4pm yuuuuuk) is our league's championships. My kids are ready for a break as much as I am.

[Sunnyday]

Thursday 7/21 upper body

Kiddos off from early morning swim practice. Left everyone home and took my saweeeet time!

Did all this at the gym as a warmup:
40 seated arm circles in each direction
25 elbow curls
3x20 kneeling ankle squeeze
30 supine foot rotation in each direction per foot
30 supine point/flex per foot
20 cat-and-camels at fast pace
20 McKenzie pushups at fast pace
full BW squat with 30 sec hold at bottom
plus...
10 frog stretches with a few reps internal rotation to each side
3 different arm crossover variations(10/side p

Bench press: (each rep paused 2 sec, press to lockout, reset shoulders at top, repeat)
bar x 5
65 x 5
85 x 5
105 x 5
3 x 121 x 5 - dropped another set from last week

Swim championships this weekend - Saturday AND Sunday - and I will lose my heavy upper body day.

Neutral grip pullups:
3 x BW+25# x 5

Inverted rows:
3 x BW x 12 - up 2 reps/set from prior weeks!

Reverse grip bent over rows:
3 x 115 x 8

Decline 1-arm DB rows:
3 x 50 x 8 each side

Decline DB pullovers:
3 x 50 x 10 - up 2 reps/set from last week! Yay

Step-ups:
1 x BW x 100/leg

Stretch and foam roll

[Sunnyday]

Friday 7/22 lower body

Poolside during the kiddos' swim practice:
40 seated arm circles in each direction
25 elbow curls
3x20 kneeling ankle squeezes
30 supine foot circles each direction per foot
30 supine foot point/flex per foot
20 cat-and-camels at fast pace
20 McKenzie press-ups at fast pace
full BW squat with 30 sec hold at bottom

At gym warmup:
10 frog stretches with a few reps internal rotation to each side
20 hip side-to-side (10/side)
20 hip airplanes (10/side)

Whole weight room filled with high school and college athletes getting in their training. Had to wait forever and a day for a squat rack, over 45 minutes!!

Squats:
bar x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 3
4 x 160 x 3 - these were DEEEEEEEEEP and felt even more solid than last week. Nice.

Sumo deads:
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1
195 x 1
210 x 1
3 x 220 x 1 with 90 seconds between singles. Sigh, my goal was 10 (2 more than last week) but unfortunately my time ran out at childcare and I had to pick everyone up and finish at home. Thankfully this is my LAST DAY training at such a busy time and things ought to go smoother starting next week (fingers crossed).

Unilateral standing calves:
3 x 5 with 5-sec hold at top, no rest between sides/sets

Abs superset:
traditional floor crunch ss reverse crunch:
3 x 10 each with no rest between sets/exercises

Nordics:
3 x BW x 10

Stability ball hip thrust superset:
BW x 10 legs straight ss BW x 10 legs bent (3 sets)

Glute circuit (no rest between sides/exercises):
30 reps side lying clam ss 30 reps side lying abduction
30 reps single leg glute bridge ss 30 reps hip extension on elbows
30 reps single leg swing ss 30 reps fire hydrant

Step-ups:
1 x BW x 100/leg

Stretch and foam roll

[Sunnyday]

Swim championships this weekend. My kiddos did great with some nice take-home hardware (aka medals) and more importantly to me, some best times in their events. My son had the greatest time drop with a 6-second personal best on 50 yard freestyle. My girls dropped time also: my teen had 2 personal bests and my lil girl had one.

Post-championships celebratory sushi:

image.jpg

These marinated beef skewers were killer:
image.jpg


Fall/Winter swimming starts up at the end of next month. We get a few weeks off before we get to do it all over again.