walking

The outlook is grim for squatting at the meet in a few weeks. I still can't straighten my leg, or flex my quad. The worst is when I go down the stairs, not up, but down. My quad cramps up terribly all over the place, especially the vastus medialis. Living on the third floor of a condo complex has become quite a problem. Christmas night I was taking out the trash and POW! It hit me. I got stuck on the stairs, couldn't move, couldn't stand, couldn't sit, and i couldn't get it to work itself out. This lasted a few minutes, and it seemed eternal. It was a mighty horrible experience.
I decided to go for a walk tonight, I haven't been for a walk since I injured myself. I did have a strange gait, not my usual. I only had one small cramping over about a two mile trek. It either helped to work the problem out, or I messed it up further. I should be able to tell in the morning.

16th

I found this picture on one of the more popular women's bodybuilding forums...me at weigh-ins at the Nationals. Yep, this is 16th place boys and girls.....hmmmm

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve...Santa said I was bad again this year... :( :( No presents for me under the tree again.
Some people stop and say thanks at this time of year - I try to start EVERY day by thinking of three things (at least) that I am thankful for. This practice helps me put my life into perspective, and sometimes, when I wake up crusty and crabby and mean, it helps soften my edges.
Until yesterday, I hadn't trained since Monday, when I strained my knee. A time out period has been calling me and I have been ignoring it (like a fool.) Yesterday was Saturday - not my normal back day, but mentally I was ready again, and since I was overdue for some deadlifting, had been about five weeks, I think, I trained. My knee is healing, and thankfully it doesn't affect the deads.

I hate to go into detail about my deadlifting. For some reason expounding on deadlifting makes me feel jinxed??? I will say, however, that my new shoes are MAGIC shoes, and the deadlifting was some of the most "effortless" I have done to date. I think I finally figured out how to deadlift. :) :) Now, if I can figure out how to stop the bar from ripping my legs open right above the knees, I'll be satisfied. Good God, that hurts! The blood does provide for a highly dramatic flair, however.
I won't be training again until Wednesday, so my bench ought to be groovin'! :) :) :)
Talk to you then - and have a POWERFUL and happy Christmas!!!!

pity the injured

Heres' a really good rule to follow - If you have adjustable pins on the safety bar portion of your squat rack, always set them high enough so if you bomb at the bottom, you can free yourself without getting stuck...otherwise you might INJURE yourself. My upper back was just simply exhausted, I couldn't get up, and got stuck - hence, the tendons in my right knee are a-hurtin'. I may have messed up my chances of doing a full power competition in January. Maybe not, but probably.

Boots

I forgot to mention that the other night I switched benching shoes again. I tried out my motorcycle boots, heels rather than flats. Lo and behold, I will have to try again to reconfirm, but I do believe I have found my new official benching shoes!They make me feel more "elevated", even when laying down, hence, the feeling of elevating my chest to the bar is more natural.
I just bought some new flat footwear for deadlifting last night. I will be trying those out come next Friday. I'm wondering if there is anybody out there as concerned with their footwear (ok...entire wardrobe) for their lifting as I am? I will point out, in my defense, that I have nerve damage in the balls of both feet, and footwear for everyday wear has to pass the support and comfort test. Then, if you ever get a chance to look at my arches - these are what I called "high-heeled" feet. My arches are so high that it makes the curvature at the top of my feet elevated, hence alot of shoes don't fit along the top...I am always aware of my feet.

Friday was back and biceps...as it always is. I was still beat up from Wednesday's gold star workout, hence I did some higher reps for a change, not for every set, but for much of the session. I am still sore today, but I don't feel like I was in a train wreck, just sore from training. My left wrist and elbow are a bit distressed, probably from Wednesday, I'll keep them monitored. I couldn't do dumbell curls, they aggravated the elbow/bicep.

Christmas is next week - I'm all done my shopping, I've got my condominium decorated, but I need a little spark to light my Christmas spirit this year...any one got a match?

Groovin'

Last night was a touchstone of training sessions! I was groovin' and so was B. Benching - 315 for three really great reps, and 1 with just a teeny weeny bit o' help from B, so 315 x 3-3/4's...and pauses 275 x 4...at 152 lbs. Then we just busted ourselves on incline dumbell presses, incline flyes, btn Hammer shoulder press machine, seated Hammer laterals, seated dip machine (I did more reps than B on these with same weight !!HAH) I can't remember the other tricep movement, I can only remember that my chest, delts, triceps were swolt toast to the max!!! Taking the video clips of the benches really helps me to analyze the technique, so they were so much better than they have ever been.

I'm still at 152, there is a chance I may go back down to the 148's for the Jersey Iron meet, but I will probably stay in the 165's, even if I am closer to 148. I think my body has had enough dieting for a while. I have to be good to my body, for it has been through the ringer, and back, and again so many times this past year. This week I've been all jammed up, been to the chiro twice and had B unjam my hip yesteday. I'm icing it as I type this.

We started back at the Firm Monday night - feels like home there, all warm and cozy!! B was feeling good in his squat suit, except for that nasty blood that kept spurting out of his nose and leaving puddly spots on the floor ...good thing Paul, the owner, likes us...I think he considers us good, free entertainment - better than clowns!

B's incredible gams....

So what does it look like to have your calf cramp up in the middle of having your picture taken?

coming back around

I'm here, just going through my ignoring posting on my blog phase again.
Friday was back and biceps night, and I'm just now, today -Wednesday getting over that.
The back is feeling recovered, however, the lower biceps STILL have that deep down soreness.
Maybe I should rephrase that and say still feeling the PAIN!!! Perhaps I was more "over the edge" from the competition last month than I thought!
I only did five total sets for biceps...just shows you - you do NOT need 10 to 20 sets of biceps (or triceps, or anything else for that matter) if you do them with all you've got to give them. Go ahead, argue with my biceps - --B started doing some slow reppin' with me on the biceps, and he was feeling the aftermath for a couple of days himself. HAHAHA!!!

Monday - back to squatting!! I love it I love it I love it. My back has been traumatized from so much long distance traveling and driving lately. That really takes its toll on my back. Each and every rep the other night I could hear the spine popping as I descended, and in my video clips you can see the fatigue, but I did what I could anyway. 405 x 3 and 425 x 1( me weighing in at 150). Then I did a set at 315 with NO knee wraps for 7. Slow hacks, then Len pulled out his big purple rubber band and we did lying leg curls with the band. WOW! Those hit me in a new place - up high and out. Methinks me liked those! Then onto stiff legged dumbell deadlifts. I do those differently than most people, more like what some call a "flat backed" deadlift. I really keep the legs stiff. Hits the glute - ham tie in much better...gosh, I really need to build my butt up don't I ( LOL) .
All in all, a pretty darned fantastic workout. 425 at 150lbs. at the bottom of my strength curve - I'll take it. I almost put that bar back after the sixth rep, but I stuck it out after rethinking and did the seventh. NOW I know what "that pukey feeling" is ... and you know, I liked it. We are going to have to invest in a puke bucket, I suppose (ooo, gross)