HUGE back squat PR!

Do you remember my post 2 weeks ago where I mentioned my #getafterit goals?

the goals I wanted to achieve before the end of the year:

1. Deadlift over 200lbs
2. Back Squat over 200lbs
3.  String together more than 2 kipping pull ups
4. Get a HSPU (handstand push up), kipped or not

 

Well, 3 days after I posted that video I got a new 1 RM on my Deadlift at 205lbs! Goal 1 DONE.

and I am so excited (freaking THRILLED, honestly) to say that on Monday night I got a 50 lb PR (freaking 50 lbs!!) on my back squat!

I got 225lbs! Goal 2 DONE!

my previous 1 RM was 165lbs (back in July), and my 3 RM and 5 RM were 175lbs (both within the last few weeks).

I was LITERALLY grinning from ear to ear all night long.

 determination. getting ready. taking a deep breath.

that’s Van Hatfield behind me. He’s our Strongman Coach at the gym. Last week I asked him to be there Monday night to help me with my squats.

After class one night last week I was talking with Van and Alan about my goal of getting a 200lb squat. Alan told me to put a bar on the rack with 225lbs and just stand there with it on my back so I could feel how heavy it was. Well… I’ve traditionally always done high-bar back squats. Van quickly corrected me and told me that if I wanted to go heavy I needed to do low-bar back squats. So they worked with me and showed me where to place the bar, where to keep my head, elbows up, etc. (It felt really awkward at first, but it felt really natural on Monday night.)

That night I also tried squatting with a belt for the first time. Holy smokes, it made such a HUGE difference. I can’t believe how much more POWER I had coming up out of the bottom of the squat.

Monday night I was so pumped up and excited to hit the gym. It felt like the morning before a big race. I had nervous belly and everything!

But once we started, I was ready. I was so excited to get after it!

Monday night was also my ONE YEAR CROSSFIT ANNIVERSARY. My very first WOD was at Viking CrossFit in Orem, we did squats. I remember I got up to 105lbs.

Deep down, I had a secondary goal of doubling my squat in a year. 210lbs. I for sure wanted to get 200lbs, but I was pushing for 210lbs.

Cayson and I worked together on the squat rack and we were knocking reps out and once we got up to my previous PR, we just went for it.

185lb – felt easy.

205lb – shockingly, felt ok. Not easy, but not hard.

we chatted with Van, wondering if we should go up to 215lb or 225lb. Van voted for 225. He said we both made 205 look EASY.

so… I did it! my first rep wasn’t quite low enough, so I let Cayson have a turn, and I got back in there again, and got it! I wanted to scream from the mountain tops that I had just back squatted 225lbs. But I was so STOKED. I’m still in shock even now, a few days later. 50lb PR?! WHO DOES THAT?

check out the struggle-fest face. 😉

so I’ve been on top of the world these last few days and I’m looking forward to attacking my remaining 2 goals.

handstand push ups and pull ups – I’m coming for ya!