ugh.

the deadlift. once a favorite lift of mine has become an increasing and frustrating thorn in my side. after this post about my goals for the future, i received a little bit of flack and concern on my form. i got defensive at first thinking, why is this the first i'm hearing about it? why was i approached by a powerlifting team to compete? then went back to basics questions everything i was taught and everything i thought i knew. i sort of went into panic mode. i decided to work on some accessory work to help keep my lower back locked out at my setup and preventing any rounding; back extensions, sitting at the bottom of a squat fighting my chest back, supermans, GHD sit ups, etc.


i dream about this at night...


mark dropped down my deadlift weights and we really focused on my form. i felt like a beginner! i struggled with weights that were normally a warm up! we eliminated 'touch-and-go' deadlifts and reset after each rep. each rep felt impossible.

reading some comments on WODs involving deadlifts on the mainsite, i've noticed people critiquing top elite athlete's form as their backs round under heavy weights. i watched millions of deadlift form and powerlifting videos from multiple sources. my conclusion off the information i've gathered over the past month is this: obviously when you are competing and trying to pull as much weight as possible, your form is going to suffer a little. on the other hand, everyday lifts and training should be done with (as close to) perfect form as you can get. strive to get perfect form when training everyday. it may be with a lower weight than you're used to and you (AKA me) might get served up a big fat slice of humble pie, but it's better for you and your strength in the long run.

i'm scheduled to compete in a powerlifting meet on December 12. (the meet from September was cancelled) i'm training for the deadlifts with a fully extended back at lower weights. i plan on getting as close as possible to my old 1RM as possible. the squats and bench press are another story...

2 nights ago i did 2 sets of deadlifts with 175 pounds and they felt amazing! from what coach told me, they looked better and SAFE too. i'm feeling a little more positive and confident about them now... hopefully this is a sign of better things to come.





p.s. also this is my coach's youtube channel were he puts videos from class... check it out!

deadlifts and a metcon

wednesday night at the gym was deadlifts followed by a short met-con.

my top set i pulled 240# three times. we changed up how we did deadlifts a little, by stopping and resetting at the bottom.... making them so much harder!! i guess i never realized how much that bounce helps me...

clearly not my best look... this was rep 3 at 240#

then it was time for the met-con:

9-6-3
overhead squats
100 yard run

i was really impressed with myself when i snatched the weight up on the first try... not so successful with that in round two.

i stayed in POSE the entire run, something that has taken me a long time to perfect... and i use that term VERY loosely.

"i'm a go-getter, i'm a goal setter..."

goals have always been a tough thing for me. i never want to overshoot and let myself down, but then again, i've never been one to go 'easy' on myself either...

i find the timeline of my goals is the hardest part. i tried to keep my goals difficult, but still attainable.

1. deadlift 300 pounds. i currently can lift 230 pounds 8 times (see video below). don't let that come across at all humble... i'm freaking PSYCHED!! i don't care if i can only lift 300 pounds once or twice, i want to be able to lift 300 pounds off the ground and put it back down with good form.



2. ONE freaking, measly pull up! this is by far THE most frustrating thing to me. i'm not sure why it is taking me over a year and a half but it has. i mean, i've definitely come a long way from where i started, but that's not good enough for me! i need my chin over that damn bar!

3. sub 30 minute 5K. i dont think i'm too far off from this, but i haven't tested myself in a while. it could be worse than i think... running has NEVER been a strength of mine. it's not fun for me. i'd love to get to the point where i can actually say i enjoy running, but let's be real here...

4. 2 words: MIRANDA OLDROYD. in a perfect world i'd love to look like her. i feel like she is the perfect mix of badass and femininity. seriously, google her! but what this really gets down to is a lower body fat %. now i dont know what miranda's BF% is, but based on her height and weight of 5'6 and 140 pounds, i know i have some work to do. i'm 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier... i think a good goal is 19%.



5. 200 pound back squat. i'm almost there. again, just one rep would be killer, but i wouldn't hate 2 or 3...

i think it's very important to always have and reaccess goals. otherwise, what are you doing here?? what are you working towards??

"A goal properly set is halfway reached." - Abraham Lincoln

my first competition

one week from today, i will be competing in my first powerlifting meet. i was approached at my gym by a member of Big Iron Powerlifting. he mentioned that they were having an end of summer deadlift and bench press meet and he wanted to invite me to compete. he said he has seen my lifting and thought i would do well. WOW! i told him that i really couldn't pull that much weight, but still had an ounce of interest.

before i could change my mind, I became a member of the Amateur Athletic Union and sent in my application. i can't bench press to save my life (i blame my extra long arms), so i only entered to compete in the deadlift portion. i will be competing against women my age and in my weight class.

i'm terribly nervous about the whole thing, but i think it's a great opportunity. i'm always trying to do things out of my comfort zone, and lifting heavy shit in front of strangers definitely falls in that category. my father keeps telling me, "you never know what doors this might open." i keep thinking, even if nothing comes out of it will still be an amazing experience and something to tell my kids.

dining out and some new gear

after a full 8 hour work day, a 1+ hour salon appointment and several errands, it was our only option to grab something for dinner out. Chili's seemed like a safe choice...


i chose the chicken fajitas and asked the waitress not to bring the tortillas and add guacamole.

i have been a member of the 'clean your plate club' for 20+ years now...

early saturday morning we had a deadlift/pull up strength workout followed but 3 rounds of 5 burpees, 10 DB swings (35#) and 300m run. my deadlifts felt great. my top set i pulled 210# 8 times! i think it was due in part to my new crossfit gear :)

check out my new socks!