Tuesday/Wednesday

Tuesday i did cardio and my knees didn't flare! woo hoo!!!! I did 15 minutes on the new elliptical that has the stairstep motion.

Wednesday..I was waiting to get my workout routine from Mike but he was busy so i just repeated Mondays worout..except I deadlifted 315lbs by accident the first working set bc I added wrong.

I cleaned and pressed my event weight today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also did 100lb plate carries around the track, getting about a third way around between rest periods.

Followed it up with cardio 15 minutes again on same elliptical.

Oh so nappy now!

LOVING IT!

Okay. Spent all day yesterday making food for the week. Clean food ;) Chicken breast, sweet potatoes, rice, veggies, made turkey chili, made some good carb 'cookies' for breakfasts..feeling ready to get bigger and stronger and feel really good :)

Today I got to work out with Mike Kromer and his wife Lisa ;) It was really awesome. Mike just points and says "you are going to lift this" lol. I deadlifted 295lbs for 4 sets of 3. Mike yelling at me for shrugging. I have to learn to lock my shoulders back and not shrug the weight up after I stand up. lol.

We practiced the clean and press. I am no longer afraid of the yellow bumpers :D Mike was thinking I should 'continental' the weight up. I wasn't comfortable with that, so he suggested I powerclean from the floor..lo and behold that did the trick, i got the bar up no problem and pressed it for 8 i think. working weight today was 104 or 106..lol I couldn't do the math in my head. lets see bar 35, 2-33 plates, 2 collars, 2-2.5 plates. I guess it was 110 or 111lbs. 10 more pounds I will be at event weight.

Then we practiced lifting the weight for the yolk walk. we started with 215, just lift and stand for a 5 count. then 305 lift and stand for 5 count, then 395 lift and stand for 5 count, then 445, lift and stand for a 5 count. then my final lift was 535. I attempted it, nothing, then set myself up again and stood up under it..not quite a full 5 count, lol. thats heavy! and my event weight will be 565!

I reallllllly love this stuff! i can't wait to try the tire flip and really do the farmers walk and yoke walk. I am feeling really confident and Mike is a good coach. He said i am incredibly strong :) I just need technique. I am like a kid, I have no clue as to what equipment, what weight to attempt, what technique is..lol.

I came home and ordered my wrist wraps and my knee wraps. exciting to have some new gear :) feels so "official". I have a belt Adam gave me..that came in handy today. i have never used a belt or straps/wraps like this before. I am not sure I like the wrist wraps, very stiff and confining, but I guess I will get used to them.

http://www.prowriststraps.com/

Mike also told me to go buy flat shoes. If I try to yoke walk in my shoes they will roll. So I am off to sports authority to get some converse or similar :)

Today's meals so far:

5am
2 breakfast "cookies"
1 1/2 scoops whey in water

7am
4oz sweet potato
4oz chicken breast

11:40 (late..i know, i was LIFTING at meal time!)

4oz tilapia
1/2c rice
1/2c green peas
hoisin sauce

okay - going to go buy the right kind of shoes :)

Not sure if I posted the event info or not...here it is :

http://nastrongmaninc.com/upcoming/upcoming_item.asp?UpcomingID=511

Attack of the allergies!

Thursday and Friday sore sore throat, sneezy, itchy :( poivre poivre pussycat.

I didn't lift or do cardio either day..saving my wrists for Sunday when I get to meet the equipment and practice for the first time :) Very excited, hoping my head gets unstuffed by then!

Alone..again..

Starting to think DJ hates me.. :(

I warmed up with a few laps, did light set of circuit and the practiced the clean, and pressing, trying to work up to heavier weight.

My hands and feet hurt so bad by the time I got home I took some ibuprofen and napped... hopefully they recover and get stronger...

Tuesday....

The longest day...

I worked all morning, i love training my clients and teaching gravity :)

Before teaching my Pilate's reformer group, I did an hour of pilate's for myself, stretching out my hammies and shoulders felt sooo good after yesterday's brutality.

I am home having a meal..and thinking about what I need to accomplish this next month. Get stronger, learn the lifts...and it would be nice to get a little leaner, too. So i decided its time to buckle down again foodwise, nothing too crazy but all clean. I will start logging my food Monday, once I have had the weekend to prepare my meals and get all lined up nutritionally.

Back to work tonight to train clients :)

Tired, got to bed earlier last night and I am more tired than usual. grrr.Hate how that works. I think if I am consistent with bedtime it will get better but it is so hard...

Wreaking Havoc on my own...lol

DJ and I had some confusion about training time today..so I worked out on my own...

I hauled out the axle bar, which is about 4" around I would guess, very hard on the grip, hate it but love to hate it, and put the skinny practice bumpers and some 10's on and did the circuit through to warm-up.

Then I attempted to do 105 lbs for the clean and press..it sucked. so then I did about 88-90lbs clean and press, better, threw in some bent over rows, some deadlifts, some SLDLs, some front squats. more cleans, some overhead presses..I just kept kinda of cycling through the different moves..

Then I put the 100 back on and got the clean :D and pressed it 10 times before having to drop it. I have decided that part of the attraction of the powerlifting is that you are allowed to drop the bar, lol. I love it. I don't do it on purpose and I don't do it every time, but after cleaning and pressing and front squats my grip is shot and it happens. BOOM, bounce! lol.

Did I mention I LOVE POWERLIFTING? lol it is the most fun I have had in a while and the most challenging and humbling and rewarding...

I finished off with floor wipers and a few chest press from the floor, but after the second set of floor wipers my arms were done, no pressing.

I am happily exhausted!!!!

Floor wipers - give them a try! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQLtfH9clx4

Weekend...

Lazy Saturday...cleaned all day Sunday. That should count for something! every surface that could be swept & mopped is and the laundry is done and the pantry is reorganized...and I even made a real dinner. LOL.

Tomorrow I work out with DJ again :)

FRIDAY! :) Optimism springs anew!

I did some chest this morning because I feel like everything I am doing with DJ and strongman is so back/leg dominant. Definitely felt like my shoulders were a bit tired out so I kept it a little light. Inbetween sets I did farmers walk with dumbbells. I tried to start walking with 100's but they tip and hit my wrists, so I bumped down to 50's and did a few laps.

Flat bench 135X12, 10, 8
Incline bench 45sx12, 50'sX10, 55'sX8
decline cable flye 20X15, 30X12, 40X8

No cardio because my legs hurt so much this morning i took 4 ibuprofen after i woke up.

First appointment with DR Gib Garberg today. Awesome. He thinks all my knee issues will resolve with lots of stretching, some changes in my squat stance and lots of icing. YAY! he doesn't seem to think it is structural except maybe a meniscus in my right knee. SO..I should be able to do cardio again soon! Yahooey! I really like his adjustment style and the fact that he is big and muscular and knows weight lifting is an added perk :) so glad Mike Kromer sent me his way!

Hoping DJ gets the yoke and torpedoes for farmers walk this weekend so we can start specific training!!!!!!

Clean and Press!

Today's workout was the circuit I did Monday again and then practicing heavy clean and press.

I cleaned 100lbs and pressed it 8 times before laughing because my legs were shaking, which made me drop it. :p

The event weight I have to clean is 121lbs. I am going to keep working towards cleaning heavier than that so that cleaning and pre4ssing that amount is easy peasy.

I tried doing some cardio before my training session, the new elliptical/stepper aggravated my knees... the arc trainer aggravated them worse, the treadmill was ok..but my calves are still pretty tight/sore from hiking sunday and jumping rope tuesday.. Tomorrow I think I will haul out the step and just do my crazy self step/plyo cardio. Odd that it doesn't seem to flare my knees up. I also have my first appointment with new chiropractor tomorrow - yay!

Whoops! Life got busy!

I have been lifting though! Oh and I hiked the mountain at Multnomah falls on sunday :)

Let's see - I started learning the big olympic lifts from DJ, a trainer at the club I work at.

We started with the clean..I learned some important things that day..lol

1) my forearms are not flexible enough..

2) I have to use technique and not just muscle up the bar..lol but muscling up wt is what I do!!! :p

3) Olympic lifting is FUN and KICKS ASS!!!! :)

On Monday I did an actual training session with DJ :) wow. we did this circuit 4 times thru:

6 reps each nonstop:

Deadlift
Stiff-legged Deadlift
Bentover row
Clean
Front squat
Overhead Press
Squat
Good Morning

Then I started learning the snatch...lol. I was doing okay with the other lifts until this..I have a lot of work to do.. DJ just shakes his head..I look like I am trying to do jumping jacks with a barbell.

That evening Mike Kromer is sitting at the trainer's desk and says "do you want to do a strongman competition?"

I pipe up "YES!"

LOL..I just found out last night what it entails. Keep i mind I have never done any of these movements..the competition is in one month..here are the events and wts - I will be a heavyweight woman...

YOKE WALK
LW Women: 385 lb empty Yoke
MW Women: 485 lbs (empty Yoke + a 25 lb plate on all 4 pegs)
HW Women: 565 lbs (empty Yoke + a 45 lb plate on all 4 pegs)
LW Men: 665 lbs (empty Yoke + a 45 lb plate + a 25 lb plate on all 4 pegs)
HW Men: 745 lbs (empty Yoke + two 45 lb plates on all 4 pegs)

TIRE FLIP
LW Women: estimated 400 lbs
MW Women: estimated 500 lbs
HW Women: estimated 600 lbs
LW Men: estimated 700 lbs
HW Men: estimated 850 lbs

AXLE PRESS FOR REPS (clean once only)
LW Women: yellow 15 kilo plate + Axle= 99 lbs
MW Women: yellow 15 kilo plate + 5 lb plate on each side + Axle= 109 lbs
HW Women: blue 20 kilo plate on each side + Axle= 121 lbs
LW Men: red 25 kilo plate + yellow 15 kilo plate on each side + Axle= 209 lbs
HW Men: green 50 kilo plate on each side + 5 lbs on each side + Axle= 263 lbs

FARMERS WALK (1.5" smooth handles/oxygen tanks with low pick)
LW Women: Empty handles= 120 lbs in each hand
MW Women: Empty handles= 140 lbs in each hand
HW Women: Four 10 lb plates + empty 120 lbs handles= 160 lbs in each hand
LW Men: Four 25 lb plates + four 5 lb plates + empty 120 lb handles= 240 lbs in each hand
HW Men: Four 25 lb plates + four 10 lb plates + empty 140 lb handles = 280 lbs in each hand

KEG LOADING (all four kegs will be 15 ft away from the platform)
LW Women: 100, 115, 130, 150 lbs
MW Women: 115, 130, 150, 180 lbs
HW Women: 150, 180, 200, 220 lbs
LW Men: 180, 200, 220, 250 lbs
HW Men: 220 250, 270, 290 lbs


BOY OH ..I better get real strong, real fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday I jumped rope for intervals, I jump as long as I can then I walk a lap around the gym and repeat for about 20 minutes. Knees not terribly happy but not total flare up.

Wednesday I rode recumbent bike/elliptical thing for half an hour..my heart rate never got above 93..hmmmm. knees didn't want to push any harder though..so I will take the calorie burn and not worry too much.

Tomorrow is another session with DJ. We are going to start using the Axle so i get used to cleaning it and i am going to work on farmer walks later in the day I think, if my grip isnt shot from DJ's workout.

I am LOVING lifting with a purpose and learning new lifts!!!!!!

Back on it and feeling positive!

Didn't do morning cardio, as I suspect my elliptical flares up my knees. I think i am going to set it up so I can do kickboxing dvd's at the studio in the morning first thing.

Went to Gold's with Pam again today, we did the second upper body routine from the 12 week plan..it still doesn't feel like enough volume..I think we will add in or just change to a split like I have been doing.. I like Gold's equipment and it will be pretty cool once it has expanded into its full space. As it is right now it is crowded, you can barely unrack a wt plate without accidentally loading it onto the guy next to you's bar. lol But that kind of challenge is good, it makes you dredge up exercises as alternates. we couldn't get on an incline bench for db presses so we did incline presses on a ball. They don't have an assisted pull-up station so we did 'aussie' pull-ups, which i usually do on the smith but we made do with the power rack...

All-in-all a decent workout. I stayed after and rode the recumbent bike for half an our to fulfill my cardio quota for the day. jury is still out over whether that made my knees any worse.

Anyhow - the workout was this:

Incline db press-to-flye on ball 35'sX12, 45'sX12, 60'sX10 (some boys had the 55's)

"Aussie" Pull-ups 3 sets 12, 12, umm 10?

lateral db raises 10X12, 15X12, 15X12

superset
triceps rope ext idk the wt
single cable curl idk the wt funky cable setup

Thanks, Pam!