Thursday's Hams (hamstrings) with SC

I am only 9 days out from my next competition, so training gets very mixed up, and you just train whatever looks like it needs a little fullness.

The one big rule is that you stop training legs a week prior to your show, so my last leg day will be Sunday, then it may be a little cables and light weights, but that’s about it, I go bonkers because I can’t do much!

Today was hamstring Day with SC…I never know what to expect and what I like about training with SC is that he doesn’t treat me any differently than his collegiate athletes, he expects me to train hard and not whine. And he is not afraid that I will "break" or "get hurt" just because I am a woman, in fact I often lift more than the big guys around me there!


So today we did:

Stability Ball Exercises (You think they are for wimps? Try these)
3 sets of each, single leg

Straight Leg
Laying on your back, ball in front of you
Left foot on ball, leg straight, right foot up towards ceiling.
Lower hips to almost toughing the ground, then back up, keeping left leg straight (that’s on rep)
Do 10 on the left leg then 10 on the right.

Bent Leg
Laying on your back, ball in front of you
Left foot on ball, leg bent at knee, right foot up towards ceiling.
Lower hips to almost toughing the ground, then back up, keeping left leg bent at knee (that’s on rep)
Do 10 on the left leg then 10 on the right.

Bent Leg Curl
Laying on your back, ball in front of you
Left foot on ball, leg bent at knee, right foot up towards ceiling.
Bring left foot toward you, rolling ball toward hips, hips will move to almost over your head, then roll ball back out (that’s on rep)
Do 10 on the left leg then 10 on the right.

Do all of the above 3 times, your hamstrings will be burning and you will be sweating

RDLs
With an Olympic bar, 185 pounds, 5 sets of 10
Keep back and abs tight, back straight do not round.

Leg Curls 2/1's
3 sets of 10 on a leg curl machine

I started with 70 pounds, too heavy, moved to 50 pounds for the first and second sets and the last set was 40 pounds. It should be really heavy, bringing the weight up will be easier as you are using both legs, but lowering it slowly and controlled will be harder because you are using only one leg.

On the leg curl machine, curl up with both legs, then with complete control, lower weight with one leg, repeat this 10 times with the left leg, then 10 with the right
(up with both, down with left 10)
(up with both, down with right 10)

That is one set, do two more.

If you notice I always start with my left leg, you should start with the weaker leg (usually non-dominant) when performing single leg exercises. Someday that left leg will catch up to the right then!

He wanted me to swing kettlebells, but I am not supposed to train arms at all today, my shoulders are too big….

I will probably be fairly sore in about 24 hours then on Sunday I will hit quads and hams really hard, it will be the last time for a week.