GPC National Push/Pull 2013

Weight Preparation

5 days out weight 57.9kgs

Waterloaded from Monday, 7 days out

Had a cold virus from 8 days out. Cleared by Thursday.

Cut carbs 2 days prior to weigh in. Fats and protein only. 

24hrs out: Fasting from food.

18hrs out: Fasting liquids

30 mins of activity in a garbage bag

Bed weight 56.7kgs

Morning of weigh in

56.6kg

Sauna/Steam Room sessions

10mins + 5mins + 3 mins + 3 mins

Result weight 56kgs on calibrated scale.

300g difference on my personal scale to calibrate. Mine shows you as weighing less.

Result of cutting: Very tired on comp day. 

Pre Competition
Weight 24hrs weigh in 56kgs
Weight Morning of comp 57.8kgs
Plan of attack for bench:
20kg x 10
30kg x 5
40kg x 3
45kg x 2
50kg opener
55kg second
If there is no grind, go for 60 otherwise 57.5.
Current record is 57.5
Plan of attack for Deadlift
40kg x 6
60kg x 4
80kg x 3
90kg x 2
100kg kg x 2
110kg x 1
120kg opener
127.5kg second
135kg for a third
No current record in this age class.
No fourth lifts. Save it for States.

Competition Results
(Click on lifts to see Video)
Bench
Felt strong on warm up. Lower back was very immobile and had to do alot of work to get my usual arch.
First attempt 50kg - Good lift
Second attempt 55kg - Good lift
Third attempt - 60kg - Fail
I got the 60kg off the chest but it got about 3 inches up the stopped. Left side failed first.
My lower back was aching after this. I was familiar with the equipment and the bench was lower than what I had trained with so I felt my set up was where it usually sat in training.
Deadlift
(Or dreadlift as I now call it)
Warm up never felt good. I stuck to my plan but my lower back was aching before I even started warming up. I foam rolled and stretched but nothing would ease it. In warm up I was actually going to lower my opener because 110kg's felt like a grind.
First attempt 120kgs - Good lift - Felt good
Second attempt  127.5kgs - No lift. The RHS of the bar swung forward
Third attempt 127.5kgs - No lift. I locked it out but what red lighted for a technicality
Normally I can pull 130kg's on a bad day with a virus and a heavy period. Today I'm putting it down to too much sauna yesterday and lack of focus on form.
Otherwise it was a great day. A small closenit crowd and new friends made. Felt good to compete today.
Moving forward:
- No more cutting! Water load and 18hr fast prior to weigh in. If I need anything more then I should prep better with weight loss.
- Read the GPC rule book
I'll probably add more when they come back to me!

Testing Openers for Push/Pull

Saturday 23rd November 2013
Deadlifts Sumo
Warm up and stretch
20kg x 10
60kg x 6
80kg x 3
90kg x 2
100kg x 2
110kg x 1
120kg x 1 Easy!
125kg x 1
133kg x 1 PB!
Notes: Woke up feeling like shit. Worked in wet clothes at work after storms brought part of the roof down, then went and cleared out gutters in storming rain Friday so I think I caught something. Once I warmed up I felt OK. Lower back is tight, Physio will work on it Monday night. Chest pain all but gone, slacked off on stretches so going to set phone reminders!
I think the plan for Deadlift is 120 132.5 then hopefully 137.5 for a third. Would be nice to get a 300 pound deadlift, 140kg would be nice also which would be a 2.5bw deadlift.

Wednesday 27th November 2013

Bench Press Openers

20kg x 10, felt tight through lowerback so did some more foam rolling

20kg x 10

30kg x 5

37.5kg x 3

45kg x 2

52.5kg x 1

57.5kg x 1

60kg x 0

60kg x 0

Im hoping to get a 60kg Bench, both fails today were hopefully due to feeling like crap and cutting. The 57.5kg felt good and strong. Will see what Sunday brings.....deflated :(

Week 7 Conjugate Method

Friday 15th November 2013
MAX EFFORT LOWER
Banded Sumo Deadlifts
Worked up to 120kg + Bands for a single then felt sharp pain in my lower back/glute. Foam rolled and used a cricket ball but couldn't relieve the pain. Called it there.
Saw a physio today about my next shoulders, chest and upper back. I need a lot of work done. See November memoirs for full story.

Sunday 17th November 2013
MAX EFFORT UPPER
Pin Presses
20kg x 10
30kg x 5
40kg x 3
45kg x 2
50kg x 1
55kg x 1
60kg x 1 (Absolute Grinder!)

Mid Grip Bench Press
Kept them light for injury management
30kg x 10 paused
30kg x 15 TNG

Barbell Tricep Press
30kg x 10, 8, 8, 10

V Cable Row v Upright Rows
20kg x 15,15,12,15 s/s 5kg x 15,15

Straight Arm Pull Down
7.5kg x 15, 12, 15, 15

Rope Cable Curls
7.5kg x 12,12,15

Wednesday 20th November 2013
DYNAMIC EFFORT LOWER
Banded Squats SSB
Bertha on light
20kg x 10
40kg x 5
50kg x 2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2,2

Banded Deads
80kg x 1,1,1
85kg x 1,1,1

Lunges SSB
22kg x 10/10,10/10
24.5kg x 10/10

GHR
Need to get stronger on these, did them fairly strict
BW x 8, 8, 5 + 3 neg only

Wide Sumo Deads
60kg x 8, 10, 10

Abs Crunch & Twist
2 x 15

Thursday 21st November

DYNAMIC EFFORT UPPER

Bench Press No Bands

20kg x 10

Wide

30kg x 3

35kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Close

30kg x 3

32.5kg x 3, 3, 3, 3

Alot of focus on set up form. Mobility issues through the lower body affecting set up.

Military Press

Went lighter for volume

25kg x 8, 8, 9

Incline Bench Press

30kg x 15,15

Cable Rows Straight short bar

22.5kg x 15, 10, 15

Seated V Cable Rows

20kg x 15, 15

22.5kg x 15, 15

Biceps w/ Ez curl bar

17.5kg x 12, 10, 12

50 Triceps

7.5kg OH Plate Press x 20

17.5kg Tricep BB Press x 20

10kg OH Plate Press x 10

November Diary

6th November 2013
Back eating carbs at the moment, strength is good. Body weight has gone up again to 60kgs from 59.2kgs on eating 1500 calories a day. I feel puffy so I know Im holding fluid.Going to ignore the scales until 10 days out then 2 days out from comp. If I'm 5% over 56kgs I'm not going to sacrifice strength and go nuts on the waterloss. I'm not going for gloss, just PB's at the Push/Pull. I'm making the decision now so I don't stress out and boil in a Sauna like I did at Nats 2012. I went down from 59kgs to 56kgs and no water loading.Added some cardio in, just power walking. It felt good to be back out on the pavement. 3.42km in 30mins. Not my quickest but hoping to do Max Effort Lower later so rested the legs and avoided running.
Fitbit Flex
I bought a Fitbit Flex today. I've wanted one for ages! There was only Black and Blue available so I went with black. Ive been tracking my daily steps with an app called Noom but its really just a fancy Pedometer, it also didn't tell me how much distance I covered and can't always have my phone with me. Will note my future experiences in it's own post but so far an interesting little gadget!
10th November 2013
Today I spent my time at PTC Sydney refereeing the novice competition. Was a great day and well run, good to see so much talent coming through. Coached a couple of lifters and made more friends. Had a big meal at Killa Burger Burwood afterwards with the PTC Team. I do miss being part of a team.
14th November 2013
Last night driving home I was suffering the worst case of muscle lock up I've ever experienced.  Couldn't turn my head or raise my arms. Yesterdays upper body session was definitely taken up a notch, especially Strict Military Presses. I rang my Physio and booked an aappointment for tomorrow morning at 8:30am. I feel like my chest just wants to hunch forward all the time and feels much more comfortable there. I took a muscle relaxant and alot of the pain reduced dramatically. On a more positive note, my bodyweight was down to 58.5kg this morning, fully hydrated and my average calories have been 1700. I cant believe I was dieting at 1200 not too long ago! Celebrated with a small chocolate this morning! I know it will still be a hard task to get down to <56kgs for the Push/Pull Comp on December 1st.Loving fitbit. It's really helping me keep active!2.7km walk today.
15th November 2013
Testing out some Lock Jaw Collars my husband bought for me. So much easier to use than the spring form ones! Happy so far, quick release and quick to snap on. Very tight through back and thighs today. Physio session today: Upperbody was so tight she couldn't undo everything in one session so I've booked 4 more. Major knots in my traps and lats and worked on the front of the left shoulder. She also cracked my back in 4 places. She has advised me to avoid wide bench pressing and only light weights for now, otherwise I'm undoing everything she is doing. She will be using needles next time.....omg!
Monday 18th November 2013
Physio appointment. massage and needling. Neck has freed up alot, still some nagging pain in my left chest but managing with heat when getting inflamed. Pain is caused in the shoulder joint and not the chest.
Thursday 21st November 2013
Bodyweight: 57.9kgHad physio again today, I cant believe the mobility I have in my arms and shoulders, chest pain has greatly reduced, still relying on a heat pack now and again.
Friday 22nd November 2013
Bodyweight: 57.7kgSore shoulder after physio.Have some serious DOMS from GHR.I'm eating a lot but I don't think I'm eating enough.Very tired. Had a solid 7.5hrs sleep.Will hit up mobility later tonight and ab work.
Monday 25th November 2013
Had a big weekend with preparing for and holding a party. Woke today feeling very sick but started waterloading anyway. Only got 5L in. Blergh. Feeling so crap......:'( Want to test my bench openers. Had to cancel physio but feeling almost no pain.
Friday 29th November 2013
Bodyweight 57.1kgs
Just going to conserve energy today. Fasting liquids 18 hours out. Virus seems to have gone.
Beginning to think about programming leading up to ACT States.
Mowed the lawns in a garbage bag and droped to 56.6kg.
Saturday 30th November 2013
Woke up at 56.6kgs, so headed to the Saunas at Mount Annan Leaisure Centre. $5.30 for access. Got a swim in between sessios. Thought I was going to die!
Did a 10 minute session, then a 5 minute, then 3 and 3. By this time I'd had enough.
Cooled off in the pool, dryed off then checked weight at 56.3kg. Hair was wet at this time.
Drove to Ptc Sydney and weighed in at 56.1kgs initially. Grabbed Tim and headed to the bathroom to weigh in in just my underwear. 56kgs!! Woohoo!
Big refeed at Maccas now relaxing!

Pic: Trent as head ref at the Novice Comp

Pic: November picture mash.

Pic: Me getting ready to referee

Pic: Me at 58kgs. Not alot of stomach fat to pull at, but typically arms are slow to lose fat.

Pic: Choice of Soft suits but really want a Red Inzer

Pic: New Lockjaw collars. Not expensive or branded but bloody good to use!