I am very proud of myself. I have been really dedicated to my lifting for the past month, I really struggled in the fall to stay dedicated. Everything in life seemed more important than getting my workouts in. I really made eating right a priority and I think that this is what has made it possible for me to lift consistently. Instead of coming home drained after work, I've been coming home ready to go. The biggest diet change I have made is to make sure I get fruits and veggies at every meal. Give it a try and see if it helps you keep your energy.
This week I hit 190 for 3 on my dead lift and 183 for 3 for my squat. In both lifts I was definitely left with more gas in the tank. I have some crazy goals for the year, but I think if I stay dedicated and keep eating the right foods I will be able to get there. Here are my goals for the year.
1. Compete in a powerlifting meet
2. 250 lb dead lift
3. 235 lb squat
4. 135 lb bench press
5. 100 lb press
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...
Last Christmas I gained 15/20 lbs. This Christmas, while its not over yet, I am down 5% body fat from the begining of the month. So what's the difference? This year I have a plan.
It is really easy to let the holidays take control over everything. Your time, your diet, your paycheck. But like everything, if you go in with a real concrete plan, you are way more likely to succeed. For the month of December, I cleaned up my diet and decided how I am going to eat at which parties. Not that I won't have a treat or two this holiday season, but I refuse to eat a dozen cookies just because they are there. I'll report back on January 1st to let you know if my planning worked!
Below was today's workout, stay tuned for my Christmas Eve Double header!
Workout Log 12/22
Warmup - dynamic stretching, light kb swings
Light Squat, 4X5, worked up to 125 lbs
Press
3 warmup sets
3@ 45 lbs
3@ 55 lbs
7@ 61 lbs
Deadlift worked up to 1X5 @ 175 lbs
10 Min
10, 55 lb Swing at the top of every minute
Minutes 1 - 5 were crazy easy, minutes 6 - 10 were KILLER!
It is really easy to let the holidays take control over everything. Your time, your diet, your paycheck. But like everything, if you go in with a real concrete plan, you are way more likely to succeed. For the month of December, I cleaned up my diet and decided how I am going to eat at which parties. Not that I won't have a treat or two this holiday season, but I refuse to eat a dozen cookies just because they are there. I'll report back on January 1st to let you know if my planning worked!
Below was today's workout, stay tuned for my Christmas Eve Double header!
Workout Log 12/22
Warmup - dynamic stretching, light kb swings
Light Squat, 4X5, worked up to 125 lbs
Press
3 warmup sets
3@ 45 lbs
3@ 55 lbs
7@ 61 lbs
Deadlift worked up to 1X5 @ 175 lbs
10 Min
10, 55 lb Swing at the top of every minute
Minutes 1 - 5 were crazy easy, minutes 6 - 10 were KILLER!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff....
I'm am sure many of you have been told this or said this to someone else at some point in your life. When you are stressed out or struggling to get by it sounds like a great idea. Don't stress about the small things you have to deal with and everything will run smoothly.
I find in my life, not sweating the small things tends to get me into a lot of trouble. Say a light bulb goes out in house, you think, hmm... I don't feel like doing that today, I'll take care of it tomorrow. Tomorrow becomes next Tuesday and next Tuesday becomes next month...until you have been thinking about the stupid light bulb for two months and now another one is out and now you have two to replace...well I think you see where this is headed.
I find in my training and eating, I tend to get into a habit of "not sweating the small stuff." When I'm tired/sick/busy or various other things on my extensive list of excuses, I cut the little things out. When working out, I'll take away accessories work or skip my dreaded pullups, cut down on rest time or skip warming up and warm up sets. The idea being, "well, as long as I get my big lifts in, I'm good."
But it turns out, "I'm not so good." When I leave out the seemingly less important accessory work, my big lifts suffer. When I don't properly warm up, my hamstrings get extra tight making it harder to work out next time. I am starting to find, that if I "sweat the small stuff," the "big stuff" tends to come easier.
It's the same way with my diet. I like to convince myself that having a treat now and then won't effect my training. In many ways this is true, but I find if I say ok to a White Chocolate Mocha on Monday, I'm more likely to try my Grandma's homemade chocolate chips cookies on Wednesday, and then one Thursday don't feel like cooking and decide the fast food isn't really so bad for me. It is a vicious cycle.
One of my professors in college once told me the story of the first guy to reach the top of Mt. Everest, while I have no idea if this is true, I think its worth sharing. He told me in his very thick Indian accent, "There were two men climbing who went on the expedition to reach the top of Mt. Everest. They climbed the whole way together, but only one reached to top first. The difference between good a great, is often only a couple of feet."
I wonder how different my life and training would be if I really lived out that idea?
I find in my life, not sweating the small things tends to get me into a lot of trouble. Say a light bulb goes out in house, you think, hmm... I don't feel like doing that today, I'll take care of it tomorrow. Tomorrow becomes next Tuesday and next Tuesday becomes next month...until you have been thinking about the stupid light bulb for two months and now another one is out and now you have two to replace...well I think you see where this is headed.
I find in my training and eating, I tend to get into a habit of "not sweating the small stuff." When I'm tired/sick/busy or various other things on my extensive list of excuses, I cut the little things out. When working out, I'll take away accessories work or skip my dreaded pullups, cut down on rest time or skip warming up and warm up sets. The idea being, "well, as long as I get my big lifts in, I'm good."
But it turns out, "I'm not so good." When I leave out the seemingly less important accessory work, my big lifts suffer. When I don't properly warm up, my hamstrings get extra tight making it harder to work out next time. I am starting to find, that if I "sweat the small stuff," the "big stuff" tends to come easier.
It's the same way with my diet. I like to convince myself that having a treat now and then won't effect my training. In many ways this is true, but I find if I say ok to a White Chocolate Mocha on Monday, I'm more likely to try my Grandma's homemade chocolate chips cookies on Wednesday, and then one Thursday don't feel like cooking and decide the fast food isn't really so bad for me. It is a vicious cycle.
One of my professors in college once told me the story of the first guy to reach the top of Mt. Everest, while I have no idea if this is true, I think its worth sharing. He told me in his very thick Indian accent, "There were two men climbing who went on the expedition to reach the top of Mt. Everest. They climbed the whole way together, but only one reached to top first. The difference between good a great, is often only a couple of feet."
I wonder how different my life and training would be if I really lived out that idea?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Weakness
Most people fear admitting weakness. We don't want people to see are faults or think we are actually bad at something. So what do we do? Ignore it. Maybe we even avoid being in situations where we need that skill altogether, maybe we miss out on some pretty awesome stuff just so we don't have to show weakness.
My biggest weakness in lifting is my upper body. I'm very proud of my lower-body lifts and I am constantly progressing. However, I do not feel the same way about my upper-body. I've really been struggling. But should I let my weak upper body keep me from doing well as a competitive RAW Powerlifter? NO! I've adjusted my training weights and added assistance exercises to try and get stronger. Right now, I'm lifting embarrassingly small weight for my strict press, but I don't care. I am doing it to build strength and allow me to progress. I am going to do what I need to do to work on my weakness so my weakness does not hold me back.
What weaknesses are holding you back?
Wednesday Training Log - Light Day
Foam Roller and lots of Stretched - I was soar from Monday
Clean 6X2 @100lb
Front Squat 3X3 @110lb
Press 2X5 @ 56lb
Assisted Ring Dips 3X4
More Stretching
My biggest weakness in lifting is my upper body. I'm very proud of my lower-body lifts and I am constantly progressing. However, I do not feel the same way about my upper-body. I've really been struggling. But should I let my weak upper body keep me from doing well as a competitive RAW Powerlifter? NO! I've adjusted my training weights and added assistance exercises to try and get stronger. Right now, I'm lifting embarrassingly small weight for my strict press, but I don't care. I am doing it to build strength and allow me to progress. I am going to do what I need to do to work on my weakness so my weakness does not hold me back.
What weaknesses are holding you back?
Wednesday Training Log - Light Day
Foam Roller and lots of Stretched - I was soar from Monday
Clean 6X2 @100lb
Front Squat 3X3 @110lb
Press 2X5 @ 56lb
Assisted Ring Dips 3X4
More Stretching
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Size 6
About 6 months ago I changed my focus. I stopped caring so much about being super lean and started caring about being super strong. Needless to say, this focus change brought on weight gain. As a normal body conscious young female, this has not been easy for me. About a month ago, I discovered that not a single pair of jeans I owned fit me. I resorted to wearing sweatpants and gym shorts everyday because that was all I could fit into. Fortunately, as a college student my new grungy attire worked just fine.
Last week, I found myself in the working world full-time and well...my gym short wardrobe wasn't going to cut it. I went to the mall for some much needed shopping and found myself completely frustrated trying to find myself a pair of jeans. I started with 3's. I used to be a 00 so a size 3 should be fine, right? Apparently not. Size 6. That's where I landed.
Frustrated and tired I went home, made some lunch, relaxed for a bit, then started my workout. All of a sudden my size no longer mattered. I had work to do. I killed it. I repped weight that I couldn't have imagined repping 6 months ago. As part of my workout, I worked up to a 1 rep max clean and managed to get up 25 lbs more than the last time I tested just 4 months ago. I was freaking out. I was stuck at a 95 lb clean forever and could not get more up. I finally met my goal of 120 lb clean...body weight clean here I come.
BTW, I would not trade in my size 6's for that moment....ever.
Last week, I found myself in the working world full-time and well...my gym short wardrobe wasn't going to cut it. I went to the mall for some much needed shopping and found myself completely frustrated trying to find myself a pair of jeans. I started with 3's. I used to be a 00 so a size 3 should be fine, right? Apparently not. Size 6. That's where I landed.
Frustrated and tired I went home, made some lunch, relaxed for a bit, then started my workout. All of a sudden my size no longer mattered. I had work to do. I killed it. I repped weight that I couldn't have imagined repping 6 months ago. As part of my workout, I worked up to a 1 rep max clean and managed to get up 25 lbs more than the last time I tested just 4 months ago. I was freaking out. I was stuck at a 95 lb clean forever and could not get more up. I finally met my goal of 120 lb clean...body weight clean here I come.
BTW, I would not trade in my size 6's for that moment....ever.
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