Stephanie Squats

Bishes lift too. food blog: staraniseandpaprika

[stephaniesquats]

Hey! I don't know if you're active anymore, but I just wanted to say that I saw your 100 push-up video, and it was one of the most inspiring things! I've been trying to get better at them, and you're totally an inspiration. Are you still doing them? How's it going? Thank you for being awesome!

I wish I could figure out how to see when this is from??! Thank you so much! This is so nice to hear! I don't often do push ups, when I do it's not more than 10 at a time... but I still can squat my body weight! I've been meaning to do an update. I'm kinda lurking around here. Maybe this message from you is my sign to just do it! If you're still here, stay tuned

[stephaniesquats]

If you follow my food blog...

You can probably imagine that I have gained some weight from all those taaasty drinks. I’ve put back on all the weight I lost 2 years ago and here I am starting from the bottom again. I was holding off doing any posting while I was figuring out what exactly I want to achieve and deciding how I want to go about posting it on my blog.

The last go at it I got such a thrill from lifting heavy and making new PRs. Which, was definitely motivating and kept my focus. Everything got really derailed when we moved and our new gym was 10 times as busy as our old one and it just kinda spoiled it. Putting together a home gym was a great investment, but the space is dingy, the ceiling is low and the lighting was poor. We have plans to work on the basement eventually, but obviously as a homeowner budgeting and doing one project at a time is the way to go. So nasty ass basement gym will have to do.

For 3 weeks now I have been getting back into a regular routine with a 3-day cycle. I’m trying to be flexible with myself because I don’t want to fall off track for social plans or stress or whatever life throws at me. So I don’t have set days, but I make myself commit to at least 2 days per week and a weekend day. I try to plan ahead and hold myself to the days that I promise myself I will work out.

In February I got into 2 car accidents (rear-enders, not my fault) within 10 days of each other and got some serious whiplash. Consequently, when I tried to work out a couple weeks after the second accident, I couldn’t do anything using my shoulders. I’ve went for massages a few times (meaning the therapist spent the entire hour on my shoulders) and it seems I’m about 90% ok to do upperbody lifting. 

My focus this time is not how much weight I can lift, but how I lift it and maintaining a respectable endurance for activity. I bike to work everyday and do the occasional extended bike ride of 40-50km on the weekends so I feel like cardio is well covered, but I miss feeling strong and being able to do everyday things with ease. 

For whatever reason this time I am not as frustrated with my appearance. I think it’s because I have maintained some muscle, so it’s not just droopy fat all over my body, but I realize most of it would require me to cut back my drinking... which I probably should just for the general health reasons, but at this point I want to do one thing at a time. I find that when I’m treating my body well in other ways, everything falls into place. I assume as I find my strength again I’ll be more motivated the cut back the alcohol.

Anyway, there’s the life update you didn’t ask for!

[stephaniesquats]

Made my old PR of 235 lbs today... looking at it now that was pretty fast, I should have done another. I also weigh 15 lbs more than the last time I did it... :\

[living-fitness]

[stephaniesquats]

205 squat for 2 (not counting the last one - wasn’t deep enough) yesterday! HURRAY! I feel like I finally lift again!

[stephaniesquats]

Lil work out clip from yesterday. Excuse my curry bloat, 6 days of chickpeas will indeed give you a belly.

[yogawithmayon]

Sometimes I’m like hey let’s leave this blog and see you in two years for a life update.

[stephaniesquats]

20km yesterday, 33km today

Yes, my butt is now broken in

[stephaniesquats]

My ratchet afternoon workout yesterday! Had already done an hour of cardio but I was like, yes! time to lift!

last warm up set with 115# x 10 1 set of 5 x 160# 3 sets (1 shown) of 5 x 165# (see those rigged weights? I have nothing between 10 and 25# plates other than my 2 sets of 2.5# microplates) 3 sets (1 shown) 5 x 60# bench press 3 sets (1 shown) 10 x 15# DB OHP - at least I think it's 15#.. they were 5# plates on the loadable dumbbells 3 sets (1 shown) 5 x 75# cleans and then a little work work work work work work

[stephaniesquats]

[stephaniesquats]

“F Programs”

Honestly, just so inflexible. And since the gym we’re at is always busy, we end up having to stand around and wait for people using equipment improperly and taking super long rests between sets... just frustrating. So we’re just going to do our own thing for a while.

Sunday was *VOLUUUUME*: squats, bench press, leg press, seated overhead press and pull ups for sets of 10 (bf did 15, but I ain’t dumb).

[gethealthynotslim]

I want to eat everything but also go to sleep right this second

[stephaniesquats]

these feels

[stephaniesquats]

Success!

Was very surprised I was able to get my 5x200# squat. Daaaaang my quads are unhappy now tho.

Worked up to 95# x 1 bench press

and bf’s back was hurting so I only did 1 set of 3x95# cleans. Was happy to call it though, my quads were just on fiah

[stephaniesquats]

Texas Method

So I wanted to start the Smolov program to get my squat up to a disgusting weight (preferably 300 lbs)... but my bf told me you can’t be at a deficit, in fact it’s probably best if I eat like a pig. And I kinda just bought a whole new wardrobe in my new small size and started donating my bigger clothes... so no. 

He’s starting the Texas Method right now so I decided I’d try it out as well. Focus on volume to get used to bearing heavy weight for more reps. Yesterday I did:

squat [warm up to 145#] 5 sets x 5 reps x 185#

bench press [wu to 65#] 5 x 5 x 75#

deadlift [wu to 145] 1 x 5 x 175#

Tomorrow is a lighter day, Friday is heavy day and Sunday will forever be reps day. Sick how we planned it to be ‘Sunday Funday’...already full of regret.

[stephaniesquats]

turning pretty colors now...

Good thing tomorrow is squats, bench and deadlifts... wait, what?

[stephaniesquats]

Did cleans for the first time since November... barbell got mad game with my collarbone. Mackin harrrd

[stephaniesquats]

When you take 2 weeks off

And then hate yourself for it...