Struggling on Week 6…

Lifting today really really sucked… Since the tournament on May 23^rd of this year that I entered I’ve had this constant pain in my knee. The night after the competition I could barely walk it hurt so bad to even bend or touch the thing. Eventually the pain some what went away, the only time I would feel any pain is if I was sitting down, or after lifting (or a workout), or after work…OH and if it was bending a weird way…

I was video taping my lifts today, because I knew I wasn’t getting depth and it was really getting to me, totally frustrating to say the least and I also noticed that my right knee would bend in and my left one is the one that was really sore…

Aras (who is my A.R.T doctor) was there working out and I guess Coach Marini and Coach Morden told him I was saying my knee has been bothering me, so right there and then Aras pinned pointed where the pain was, and what was causing it. He said from what I remember (a lot of big words were thrown around), that I have an A.C.L sprain, which has caused the glouts on my left side to weaken, which obviously isn’t giving me the results I need. So he gave me a little thing to do between sets (and on my own) to tighten them back up and what not. So I’ve been lifting since May 23^rd, with this sprain and had no idea… I just thought I banged my knee the wrong way on the mat or clashed knees or something.

**Set 1 of my 190lbs Squats…**

Aras is a good active release doctor, when I sprained my back he was on top of it and had me going in no time; same with the bulged disk in my neck, him and his partner Lisa fixed me right up… they are good people totally worth the money.

SO all I can do now is let her heal up, and see what happens do these exercises and what not and hope for the best. BUT man it was so disappointing to struggle through my squats, my press was even worse. Honestly after my first or second set of pressing I quit and packed up to go home. FOR ME there was no point in struggling as bad as I was and not get anywhere… I know that for someone my size I’m making great progress but when I look at myself I feel I should be doing better.

I look at myself different then what people look at me… when I compete, lift, do a crossfit work out, anything I feel like I’m 5’7 145lbs in my head. I feel like I’m capable of doing what someone at that size (who is in awesome shape) can do… I don’t see or feel 4’11 118lbs… You know? SO when I’m lifting I feel like yeah I’m making progress BUT I feel like I should maybe be further a head… SO it makes me angry when one day I can lift and the next day I’m struggling… DRIVES ME INSANE!

**Struggling with 190lbs Squat**

My first set of squats weren’t too bad, the second set was horrible and you can start to see where I get frustrated… my legs start to wobble more and I start to get stuck on the way up. My press wouldn’t even go up… not if my life depended on it, I had to push press it up and just the other day once I had it up it wasn’t too bad…

SO what is suggested by my coaches is that I have a “de-load” week next week. SO I will bring down my weight… instead of squatting 190 I will be doing 155, instead of pressing 90 I will be pressing 65, instead of benching 120lbs I will be benching 95lbs, and dead lifting will possibly drop as well… I guess maybe my body is telling me that its time to take a break… and then get back on the horse and finish this challenge strong.

**Struggle with my 90lbs Press**

My left side is killing me though right now, my knee, my glouts on that side… OH SO ANNOYING!

SO at the end of week 6 my numbers are:

Squat – 190lbs

Bench Press – 120lbs

Strict Press – 90lbs

Dead Lift – 145lbs

Christina

Keep Climbing….

It was my first day back doing an actual crossfit work out Christine was off for a week because she got really sick and then got some infections (lets just say she felt close to death)! I felt so bad for her, plus her not training for a week and not working probably drove her crazy.

I did miss not seeing her in the morning’s I missed our bonding workouts. Honestly without getting sappy I felt like my days were just longer and I felt like I wasn’t doing much. But training with her I feel really good, I like the friendly competition we have between each other and I especially love that we push each other.

She’s one of the very few females I’ve come across that has drive and determination and strives to do the best she can all the time. She’s been training with Phoenix Fight Club in Hamilton she really likes stand up and from what I hear she’s doing really well, and only getting better. BUT look where she’s training, the guys and girls over there are great to work with I would imagine they got some good leaders in that gym!

So it was our first morning back in action, and of course I looked forward to what twisted work out Coach Morden had in store for us. Jeremy “aka Donkey Boy” was also there in the am, him and I briefly met the last time the cops were called because my neighbor was throwing the glass around. He was one of the officers that came to my house (small world eh)! But it was great to have a guy in the mix in the am; I know it pushed me a little harder (especially with him being a police officer).

SO Adam’s work out was the following:

1-10-1

Kettle Bell Swings (I used 14kg)

Sit Ups

1-10

Push Ups

26m Sprint

So what the 1-10-1 means is you work your way up a ladder so you would start off doing 1 KB swing, 1 sit up, then 2 KB swings and 2 push ups… all the way to 10… and then once you get to 10 you work your way back down to 1.

Anything kettle bell (although good for my back) is my worst enemy in the gym, ESPECIALLY when it’s mixed with running. We were all sweating like savages; we could have filled a kiddy pool with our sweat alone (I know attractive eh)! It was fairly warm for 7am, but it felt great to work out in the heat (I prefer it actually)!

Once I got through the KB swings and sit ups it was on to my best friend the sprint and his buddy the push up.

GOD the sprints killed me, I wasn’t “tired” but my back was tensing up which made it hard to sprint or sometimes even move my legs. It always always happens but I decided instead of being a bitch about it I was going to push it out best I could. I remember I think it was when I got up to maybe 5 or 6 in the ladder I was grinding my teeth and just focusing on something else, like what I had to do for the day or what I still need to get done for my parents 25^th. We were suppose to do the 1-10-1 for the second set of things but it was taking far to long, so Adam cut it short (thank god)!

I finished the work out in 24:32 (I know brutal)! But with crossfit work outs I find yes it’s great to get the work out done as fast as you can BUT also I get so much out of just being able to finish it especially when I know I’m weak in some areas.

I’m sure I’m going to be sore later, I can already feel it setting in, work should be fun tonight!

Christina

Week 6 begins with 190lbs Squat…

I totally have my work cut out for me this week; everything is getting heavier and take a lot more mentally I think then physically for me at this point.

My numbers last Friday (week 5) ended with:

Squat – 185lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Press – 85lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Dead Lift – 135lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Bench Press – 120lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Now its home stretch for this challenge, and Monday I will be 3 weeks away of seeing just how much stronger and bigger I have become. Thus far I have packed and given away 5 bags of clothing that will no longer fit me (even after this challenge). I bought a new summer wardrobe BECAUSE I had to get rid of all the stuff from last year and I still ended up giving way 2 brand new pairs of shorts that I had bought because my legs have just become a bit to big to fit into them.

So when I first started this challenge my numbers were

Squat –135lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Press – 70lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Dead Lift – 65lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Bench Press – 95lbs (3 working sets of 5)

I’ve been lifting 3x’s a week, I think I missed one day in the last 5 weeks so its going pretty great.

SO today, I knew I was upping the weight 5lbs and in my head I was a bit worried. Lately as its been getting heavier I’ve just asked coach Marini to just put the weight on, let me lift it and then after I’m done tell me because for some reason I just can’t when I know what it is. It’s far more mentally for me then it is physical, and sometimes (especially lately) it’s been hard to just focus on the task at hand.

However today he told me what the weight was going to be for my squat, so I got under the bar and as soon as I lifted it a bit I felt like WOW this is far too heavy for me to lift today. But managed to suck that up and got in position and did 4 reps, was about to go for my 5^th and I got scared and fought to rack the bar because I panicked or something. It wasn’t fun. Then I said I can’t do that weight lets drop it back down… as I was resting between my reps I realized that I worked far to hard to cheat myself and only do 185lbs AGAIN when I made that my bitch the week before. So I put the weight back on there and did my last 2 working sets all 5 reps just trying to stay focused. MAN it was heavy but I’ll do it again Wednesday and then try and up it to 195lbs on Friday and go from there… I’m well on my way to be squatting double my body weight and it’s pretty exciting.

Then I did my press, I was a bit worried about doing 90lbs and I got off to a slow start BUT I managed to pull though it and get it up there. BY Friday it will be my bitch….and I’m pretty excited I think other then Krista (the power lifter that started with us) no other female can press more then 65ish pounds right now SO, I’m pretty stoked to get up on the board soon for that…. Maybe set the bar a bit.

**90 lbs Press June 22 2009**

I didn’t know what my dead lift was, I remember getting into position and picking it up and thinking WOW… this is a bit heavy but I busted out my 3 working sets of 5 no problems, and then found out it was 140lbs… I was stoked because Christine’s one max rep was 175lbs… SO I’m 35lbs OFF of doing her one max rep for 5!!!!!  THERE is ALWAYS friendly competition between the both of us, I love the girl but I love when she pushes me like this… my dead lift was one of the weakest things I had going for me, and her and Denise have been such motivation to me to get my numbers where they should be. My back feels fine and I feel strong so I’m so excited to see how much that jumps in the next 3 weeks.

**140lbs Dead Lift June 22 2009*

I have some great people working wish me at Alchemy really pushing me to reach my full potential and its amazing… and I appreciate all of them!!!

SO after today’s lifting my numbers for the week (that should go up at least 5lbs or so by Friday) are:

Squat – 190lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Press – 90lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Dead Lift – 140lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Bench Press – 120lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Christina

Day 2 of week 5….

Had to get my lifting in today, and today was a crazy productive day so I went in at night half way though the Kettle Bell class to get it all done.

I started off my day going to my Nonna’s house, I’m doing a video for my parents anniversary so I’m going around getting the fam on tape to help with my production (which is going to be off the hook)! Nonna was first on my list, it was hard for her a bit, she was really excited to do it but the last time I did something like this my grandfather was by her side now it’s a year later and he’s gone. She’s got a lot on her plate these days, she’s moving out of the house that she spent 52 years in. They bought that house when they came to Canada, and they raised their kids and us grand kids in that house. She’s going to Italy in August for the month and when she gets home she’s got to pack and get ready for the new house she bought by my work in stoney creek. She’s going to be living near a Dairy Queen SO that’s a plus, but it’s got to be a lot on her that I’m sure she’s just holding in. Took a few takes but she did well! She wanted to say it all in English so everyone could understand and kept on asking me “I do good?” I smiled and told her she did BECAUSE she did.

I ventured off to work after that, it was a pretty steady and busy lunch maybe because it was pretty shitty outside just rained all day and no one wanted to be outside, so I made some alright money for once on a lunch! I’m not a fan of working lunch shifts because I usually get sat a few tables (if I’m lucky) and then go home, its kind of a waste of gas sometimes I don’t even make the gas money back you know? But they can’t help that, I just wish my schedule would stay the same as it was… I did a lot of closes I would rather close everyday then work a day shift (sounds brutal eh), but a true fact!!!

My next stop was Best Buy, I was looking into my Mac, and I wanted to know how much I would be spending and really get a feel for WHAT system is my perfect fit. And honestly, Future Shop is right close to me from work but when I went in there no one could tell me anything? And they really wouldn’t give me the time of day, I walked into Best Buy and someone helped me right away and even told me what computer in the long run would be the better choice, telling me about things I didn’t even know were important. IT gave me a shit load more to think about and I totally appreciated it… So I have to come up with the difference and I will have my Mac in no time!!!

When I got home my dad and I went to staples I had to pick up invitations for the party, you know how hard it is to pick out the right invitation??? GOD!?

Then I wasn’t home for very long and I was off again to get in a bit of lifting later that night, my bench felt heavy but I think I was gripping the bar wrong I adjusted it a bit and I was more successful in the later sets, but still a work in progress.

Squat felt a shit load better then the other day, maybe it’s because I didn’t know what weight it was… it was just put on the bar and I was told to do it so I did it!!

And my dead lift really is coming along, I feel really strong, I’m dicking around with the grips now because my hands are to small to get around the bar with a heavy weight on there (not that I’m super heavy yet) but I can see it being a problem when I’m up there in weight. So… I’m trying to figure out which grip is the best for me!!!

Week 5 day 2 of lifting my numbers are:

Squat – 180lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Dead Lift – 120lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Bench Press – 120lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Its funny because 5 more pounds and I’m squatting the “middle weights” ha-ha like Anderson Silva, and when Franklin fought at 185, that’s pretty crazy to think about that. I’m squatting their “fighting weight” Coach Marini use to walk around at 180ish… so I’m squatting him when he was a tiny guy hahaha! Awesome motivation!!!!

Christina

Week 5 Begins…

I started week 5 of the meat head challenge today, its totally getting harder as the weeks go on to up the weight a bit every week. I find I have to be in a good mental place to just make myself believe that I can lift this weight, but if I’m thinking about something, or I’m tired, or stressed I find it hard to get to that confident place in my head.

Which is what happened today, I’ve been thinking about a lot of stuff, and some people and today I was just not myself, I was tired and frustrated and really didn’t feel like lifting or being in the gym at all. But knew I couldn’t afford to miss another day. You miss a day at the gym when you’re on a routine and it really messes you up and you have to recover from that ONE day… and I can’t afford to work my way back up with this challenge.

I learned how to snatch today, pretty interesting yet confusing movement, I would probably just have to get in there and do the thing to get it down. At the end of the lifting Adam wanted everyone to do “heavy fran” I was doing the rest of my lifts for the meat head challenge. There was a new woman out she’s a national champion in Olympic lifting… and owns her own gym in Cayuga. She was pretty jacked I guess she did some body building just for shits and giggles too. Super strong lady kind of intimidating a little to be honest. I mean she was warming up her squat with like 185lbs? WARM UP? Ha-ha that’s crazy I’m doing 175 for 5… not even a warm up…

But whatever I tried not to be intimidated because she’s a professional athlete who has a huge head start on me, and has been doing it for years but I was in awe to watch that’s for sure.

Today I did:

Squat – 175lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Strict Press – 85lbs (3 working sets of 5)

Dead Lift – 115lbs (3 working sets of 5)

I didn’t up the weight on anything except for my dead lift, because I missed Friday’s lifting and it’s weird how uncomfortable I was with upping the weight with out testing the waters first. My Squat felt heavy probably because mentally I wasn’t there I was ready to crazy… and my press was brutal too I should have done better, but I did complete my sets… probably wouldn’t have if I didn’t have coach Marini in my ear telling me to push through it

My dead lift is coming along nicely… I’m pretty happy with the progression I will be doing crazy weight in no time flat.

The power lifter came up to me and asked me if I was training for the crossfit total… and I said no… she was like “well your doing all the lifts” and then coach marini butted in and was like “she’s doing it…” lol I was shocked she came up to me.. It was a big class of people yeah know? THEN she made a comment about my traps being big ha-ha I think that’s a compliment?

Anyways… next lifting day is Wednesday

Christina