Post leg day

We are still trekking up to the Training Center for leg training on Mondays. B is still analyzing his T-Rex squat suit. I think he is going to trash the wide stance. He is right, I believe, in going back to the narrower stance. Len Walker joined us last night. Len didn't actually train "with" us, as he uses bands and chains and boxes etc...and we do not, but he is just so much fun and highly energetic and the nicest guy in the entire world. There can be nothing but positive energy emitted from feeding off of people like Len - He will be joining us semi-regularly. YAY!

I am still only squatting every other week. Last night I leg pressed. 1090 x 8, 1180 x 6, 1240 x 2...heavy, and I am feeling the quads today! Then onto ssslllloooowww leg extensions, two sets of two, and one regular set. Four sets of one legged Hammer leg curls - two ssslllooowww and two regular, and four sets of calves on the hacks. I still look ripped and veiny and my calves looked extra swolt last night. It is so hard to leave this look behind, but I have to put at least a few pounds on to push heavier weights...so see ya, I'm going to go eat a peanut butter slathered protein bar. Oink -

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Today is Thanksgiving. Most people LOVE this day - they get an excuse to feast on large quantities of high fat foods...I abhor the thought! I really do NOT like gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, I HATE pie...I never, never in my life liked butter...
My sister-in-law got angry with me a couple of years ago when I brought my own plain baked potato and broccoli to her house on Thanksgiving. Did she want me to starve???? I'm going to Ma and Pa' house this afternoon. I guess I'll stop at the store on the way and buy some baked potatoes and broccoli...

I don't know what was going on last night at the gym. Somewhere along the line I have retained my strength! Not that I am complaining. It could be lack of expectations, and being relaxed about my performance (oh no! Kate used the "R" word!) At 149 .5 on the scale. As of lasy evening,I have started doing ALL of my benching with 2 second pauses on the chest. No mo' "touch 'n go". Lo and behold - I very much like this. Last night 245 x 3 , 265 x 2, and 275 for one. I think that the pause only way of benching is the way to go for me.

WPW shoot

Yesterday was my photo shoot with Bill and John of Women's Physique World - We went up to a beautiful old house, from the 1700's, in Phoenixville PA. Their friend Charles has this "spare house" on the property with an amazing home gym in it. The shoot was thoroughly enjoyable, the guys are a pure pleasure to work with. Posing is such hard work for four straight hours, but I don't mind when I am being made comfortable and treated like a lil' princess...(ok, not so little).
I am about SICKof the smell of Pro-Tan these days...

Monday was squat night. We went up to The Training Center, Brad Vargason dropped in to see us. He's about as whacked as Broderick is, no wonder they get along... Under the circumstances, being totally depleted for the show and it was only 1 week later, and I was still on a diet (photo shoot the next day - had to look semi-decent) still 148 pounds, I did fine. 405 x 2 is acceptable at this point. My main focus Monday was not wimping out on the one rep I never do but always "could have". And I stayed with them all. I did my slow hacks, four sets of leg curls, some calves, and outta there! I am encouraged - once FOOD becomes a regular part of my regimen again, I am sure the plans I have will be realized this year. On the way home from Phoenixville last night, we stopped at Barnes and Noble. I got a piece of Ginger Spice cake, and a LARGE Chocolate Chunk cookie.
Then when I got home, I could not let Little Debbie feel neglected, so two packages of Holiday cakes with milk before bed! Oink....

January 13

January 13, 2007 - that is the date of the Jersey Iron Powerlifting Competition. It will be my next powerlifting meet, full power. It is being produced by my dear friend Henri Skiba in Carteret NJ. It is eight weeks away - heck, yes that is plenty of time.
Last night was the first night back in the gym since before the Nationals. My body was tired, oh so very, very tired -but mentally, I was right there. Mentally, I was on top of it. We began deadlifting off of a plate, since my weakest point in the deadlift is right off of the floor. B has had aversions to actually trying this method for quite some time now, but all of a sudden he thinks that this could be beneficial. I have been wanting to try this for quite some time - it either works, or it doesn't. Mechanically, they felt as perfect as they could possibly be. I am also re-setting between every rep, rather than straight on repping. I bloodied BOTH knees last night, and my left shin! aahhh - life is good....

RAW is recognized!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted on Powerliftingwatch.com this morning:

The APF Is Going Raw

Submitted by jon on November 17, 2006 - 6:47am.
Mike Sweeney announces that the APF/WPC and its tested divisions AAPF/AWPC are moving closer toward offering full raw lifting. In the past, meet directors were allowed to offer raw lifting at meets but records were not kept. Their new policy gives state chairmen the go ahead to create raw divisions and keep raw state records if they choose. Sweeney characterizes the move a test and suggests that if interest develops, raw lifting will become a larger part of the federation, although without moving from its core of equipped lifting.

Now that is the BEST birthday present I could ask for!!!!

16

Here is what "16"th place looks like, boys and girls -

I'm tired of talking about it, tired of thinking about it ...I am looking forward to squatting heavy and deadlifting again without worrying about scabbing up my knees and shins.

Home again Home again

jiggetty jig.........

As I stated, the judges are either going to like me, or not. Apparently not - apparently I "suffer" from not looking muscular enough in my relaxed stances, but when I flex I carry too much detailed and conditioned muscle for their liking. I like it, and apparently alot of other people like it - but not the judges. My placing - very top of the "16"th pile, EXACTLY the same as last year. My opinion is that realistically I should have come in somewhere between 8th and 13th. There are a few other women I thought should have placed higher, too - Gerri Deach and Pam Franklin in particular, I could say so many things here, but I won't. However, if anyone reading this saw the show or sees the competition comparisons and pre-judging pictures cares to drop me a line and give me an honest assessment, constructive critisism welcome. please do via e-mail at powerfulkate@comcast.net.

I had a blast meeting and posing for Annie Rivvieccio. She is a doll. I had a shoot with Eric Lemke and totally enjoyed working with him, also. Of course, Tom Nine - a pure pleaure.
I have some pictures to post and more to relay, but I am still in a state of physical exhaustion.
Even typing is wearing me out -

Clyde Carr Photographer

I had a photoshoot with Clyde Carr yesterday - posted some new pix on my site. Ladies, if you ever get the chance to shoot with Clyde Carr go for it. He is an awesome photographer, and an awesome guy. I have known Clyde for a couple of years now, and he is just a big sweetheart. My friend Lisa Scott makes most of the dresses and posing suits I wear in the pictures on my site, and I am taking a bunch with me for the photoshoots in Miami.
I will have a link to her designs on my site ASAP.
She is so very talented and creative! You can reach her at Lisascott1960@hotmail.com, or e-mail me. She'll make just about anything you want, and make it good!

We are just about off to Miami- I will try to update my journal while we are there. My darling counterpart B is going with me - my babysitter! LOL, funny, but oh, so true! He is the one who truly has the hard job.
I have done everything in my power that I could do (save for all of those extra reps in the squat that I always wimp out on). I have trained my guts out, I have dieted hard without cheating once, I have posed, I have prayed - I am confident that I am going in the best I can be. The judges either like me or they don't - but at this point, I like what I am bringing. Send me some positive energy on Saturday morning, pleeeeezzz!!

Squat Fever

So I am standing behind B spotting him while he squatted last night, and all I can think about is getting back under that bar myself. That's all I can think about. I'm supposed to be thinking about the upcoming show this weekend. I was almost frothing at the mouth watching him squat.
He's still learining his squat suit, having been a raw lifter almost his entire lifting life. The 220 squat record is now 1030. B has that in him, and more. Just a matter of time - a short time at that. Anybody hear 1100? Broderick Chavez - remember that name. Also remember that name when you see my conditioning at the Nationals, for he is my guru!
I hate this week because I can't train, dammit!!!

Coming in on the low side of the heavyweights will either prove to be an complete advantage, or a complete disadvantage - not sure which yet. I have no idea how I will compare to the other women...bigger women, but I do know this. I have a tremendously pleasing shape, I have dense muscle, I have a small waist, I have good stuff. Wait until I hit the rear double biceps! I am an unknown, which will be a disadvantage. It is so very nice to not be talked about and analyzed like they are doing to the other well knowns, but sometimes I do wish they would acknowledge me. I hope that happens on Saturday - that they will acknowledge my prescence.
Whatever happens Saturday I will have won my own battle, my own challenges to myself, and realized a feat not many will ever have the opportunity to realize. This used to be what I thought was a far fetched dream of mine. In my heart and subconsious mind I always knew I could do it. Yes I'm nervous, and I am still shy about it, but I CAN do it.
Wherever I place at the Nationals, my immeditae goals are still on the power lifting platform. I need to change my attitude going under the bar. B says he is going to teach me how to bring the meaness out. I've been doing hypnotherapy but that hasn't touched upon the meaness factor.
I think that is all that is hindering me at this point - letting the fear override the meaness.
Once I conquer that, all my possibilities and probabilities become real!

I know I don't look happy in this front relaxed picture, but it is the only still B took on Saturday. I was 147, and an even drier 146.5 on Sunday.
Right on target, and my legs are FINALLY starting to dry out.
The hamstring picture is proof that my hamstrings actually do start in the rear of my knees. I don't think I can recall ever seeing anybody with hammies this low before. This is where I believe I get lots of power to squat big iron from -

I didn't get to IHOP on Saturday as planned, but did get there yesterday! I ate my stack of harvest grains and half of B's, then took Slater out to dinner and had peanuts and sodium enriched rice, so I'm not quite as dry today! I will be good today and be back on track tomorrow.

Monday is usually leg day, but to give them proper rest before the show I went in and trained them yesterday. No squats!!(BOO). Just some good ol' fashioned blood pumping training.
Saddest thing is, I can't squat again for two more weeks...WOE is me. The weather has been glorious, so I went for an extra walk this weekend - only two miles. I know there are doubters who don't believe me when I say I do no cardio, but hey, I don't do any cardio.

MISERABLE

A head cold! Nothing is worse than a head cold. Sseriously, I would rather have the flu than a head cold. Nothing is worse than not being able to breathe. Air is underrated. Somebody has stuffed corks into my sinus cavitiesI am sure. Can't sleep, can't taste my food...aaargghh!
I was feeling good until this. Well, better now than next week. It's hard to train without a breath for each rep - it's rep, rep GASP, rep rep GASP

My strength is still hanging, just a little down, and I'm more apt to wimp out and not do the extra rep because I can blame it on the diet...that's bad. I have still been repping with 400+ squats, and reps last nightwith 285 on the bench. And I'm 147 and a half to 148 and a half on a daily basis for the past two weeks. Every day I do get more vascular and striated. B says my legs are just water balloons, and they will look fine on stage. My hamstrings are really long, actually end in the back of my knees, so some of that apparent "bulge" that other girls show isn't quite that apparent because of that fact... the apparent "sweep" to the quads doesn't show either because my muscle attaches into the knee, not above like most people's. B always says I could have been one of the top sprinters in the world because of my build.