Bodybuilding -

'k - decision made. We will hope that time heals the legs. I will tally forth and so I'm throwing my focus on the Masters Nationals 2008. If I am strong, I'll stay strong. If I lose any of this hard earned muscle, well, then, it is lost! I am trying to stabalize my weight for a little while, hanging in the low 170's, hopefully that will be a benefit to the pain in my legs. B has started to stretch me again during and at the end of our sessions, especially my quads. If you have never had someone else stretch you intensley before, I can't even begin to relay how grueling it is. I whine, I moan, I beat on the floor, I come closing to screaming at times, but it is necessary.


I took the bodybuilder mentality to the gym last night, and just trained HARD! I forgot how much fun incline dumbell presses were when you do them first in the routine, not wearing yourself out benching first. 100'sx7 , 110'sx6 , then B and Rory handed me the 120's! Yep, I did them...gawwwwwwd I loved it. Those things are HEAVY!!! Then we moved on to weighted dips on the Nautilus Multi-exercise machine...I don't remember how much weight I did, all I know is that they were very heavy too...and yesssssssssssssss, I loved them - one of my favorite exercises, dips are. It is such a "pure" movement.

We are getting rain here these past few days, and lots of it. We need it. It is a good excuse to not even try to go for a walk! I probably look like I have a big stick up my hiney when I take my walks these days, trying to compensate for my legs being in pain...
PBR Finals start tonight! I admit - I am a PBR fanatic. I just loooove watching all those handsome, gritty cowboys. Those guys are insanely tough. I'm coming back in my next lifetime as a pro bull rider, just so younz all know. I love Justin McBride, and I love JB Mauney. Guilherme Marchi really should have won last year, had it not been for a lousy finals for him, so I'm rooting for him, too. I'm just in awe at all of their tenacity as they get beat up, stepped on, horned, battered, bashed and keep coming back with 100% of what they've got. That's the philosophy I'd like to follow, but I never seem to really give 100% all of the time.
If I ever do - look out world! And just so younz know this too - it grates my nerves every time somebody says they give 110%...you can't, OK, you just CAN'T, so stop saying it.

Big ol' Curve Ball -

Life is always throwing curve balls, isn't it?

I am at a crossroads. The situation has been coming on over the past few months, I was hoping it would subside, but it has gotten worse. Growing pains, friggin' GROWING PAINS!! We have determined that the acute pain in the outer portion of my legs is due to the fact that my legs have recently grown quite a bit, but the fascia just hasn't kept pace, causing the muscles to be entrapped in a casing that is just too tight at the present time. It has gotten quite painful at times. I can't even squat any more, it hurts so badly when I do. It feels sometimes quite like someone has beaten the sides of my legs with a baseball bat. Stairs are difficult, and even taking my thrice weekly jaunts around the neighborhood have sometimes become too difficult to endure.

Hence, the crossroads - losing weight would surely alleviate the problem. I can stay this wieght and let time heal me...but how much timewill it take??? Do you understand where I am going with this? It is time to make a choice - do I lose weight and alleviate the problem, hence be able to squat freely again, once again be Kate the Powerlifter, or do I stay the growth course, because, by golly, I have been growing like a weed(that's why the problem is occuring), stay Kate the Bodybuilder, but with that choice I would have to put Kate the Powerlifter away? If Kate the Powerlifter stays, then Kate the Bodybuilder surely will fizzle away.

I'm not making this worse than it is. I really do have to decide.

My nutritionist -

Lately my face has been broken out with blemishes, big ones, and my hair has been plagued with a frizzy squirrly-rat tail like texture(Shut up! More so than usual!)....so my "nutritionist" ( I have to giggle at that expression. So many bodybuilders have "nutritionists"...PUHLEEEZ!!!) says I have to include more fat in my diet.
I have talked myself over the years into believing that I am actually allergic to fat...how the heck do I eat more fat without wanting to slit my wrists after doing so???? Stay tuned for updates on this project!
Today I took a less brutal approach to training than normal, since I had to train back and I had already done big heavy dumbell rowing for the Women's Physique World video taping the other day with chest, etc....It's so amazing how much weight one can handle in the "auxillary" exercises if one does not do heavy deadlifting or rack pulls or rows to begin with. And I could do my biceps and actually "feel" my biceps working without having them feel like they were going to pull off of the bone. I didn't say I liked training like that - I'd much prefer pulling heavy first and feeling battered and shattered before moving on to the rest of the workout. :)
I have to relay this funny remark from one of my gym buddies, Rory - I have really long muscles in my quads and B and he were commenting on how they were really growing and starting to grow over my knees. I said that my quads still need to get bigger and he looked at me all serious and said "if they get any bigger you won't have any knees left". It just struck me as funny... Ok, enough -

Day in the Life of William Penn

I had a video/photoshoot with WPW yesterday up at the Training Center and then we headed over to old New Castle. If you don't know old New Castle in Delaware, it's a little colonial town that has been wonderfully preserved from the times of William Penn and gang, from the old brick buildings to the cobblestone lanes, the first ticket booth from one of the oldest train stations in America still stands here . It was a pleasant sunny day, around 80 with a light breeze wafting up from the bay. However, in the gym it was a toaster oven...I guess they automatically turn the air down come autumn -my gawsh, it was sweltering!!!
I swear I will never don a posing suit in such pasty like cow like condition again! Actually, I do still have a decent tan, from partaking of the tanning bed facilities at Midway Fitness Center, and I'm probably about 12% bodyfat...but oh how the camera lies!!! The scale said 172 when I stepped upon it yesterday.
Bill and John videoed me training through a chest/delt/tricep session, and by Bill's request added in some 170 and 190 pound dumbell rows... it was so friggin' hot, and believe me, I like it hot, but it was nuts hot- it wasn't my best "work", but I guess it will get its point across. Dave Pulcinella happened to be training at the same time we were there - he was covered up for the most part, but what was poking out of his sleeves and pant legs looked pretty awesome. I don't know if he's doing Nationals or not - Al Fortney is. He sneaked in looking pretty cut up through the delt and arms, but sneaked out as fast as he sneaked in, so I didn't get the full Big Al effect.
Oh, back to me - I'm very very sore today. I hadn't posed much since the Master's, I forgot how much work posing is. It couldn't be from the 190 pound rows that I'm sore, nope... hah!!!!

Oh, yes, I know I need to reign in my gluteus medius... it's almost larger than the maximus, which soon could be the minimus if my medius becomes more maximum.

Where have I gone?

Things are just a little out of sorts for me right now - be back soon!

Stayin' Aliiiiiiiiive

I've been absent, but it is only because TWICE I started posts, and TWICE I dropped my wireless mouse and when it hit the floor - like magic, the words all disappeared from the screen. Twice I got frustrated and left postless.
Somewhere between resting my body and eating lots of good food, I CAME ALIVE AGAIN!!!
I've been growing, too. I have managed to turn off the food police that live in my head. I eat lots of sodioum rich foods, Chinese twice a week, and even more sugar than usual (love those gummy monkeys) I'm up to 168 - 6 pounds in two weeks, which was the last time I referenced my weight. And it's all good. I've still got some striations and veins poking out in my thighs and calves. I've never been this big in this condition before....I feel good!
Training is going back in the direction I like it to - that is, with the weights going upward in poundage. Squatted 435 so easily the other night that I almost did a second, but, as we know, I am a wimp. I rarely push through to the last possible rep on my squats...Actually, my sinuses had me so wiped out that day I almost called the training off.
I benched two sets of 245 pause reps last week one x 6 and one x 5.
AND I finally deadlifted again....I went up to 405 again in the deadlift, was it the heavy rack pulls I've been doing that made it come off of the floor so friggin' easily? OR, maybe it was the fact that B wasn't there to watch me. He makes me nervous when I deadlift. My last set was 315x12...I hate those reps!!!!
That's about all I can remember from this past week. I'm still waking up daily with those horibble sinus/migraine type headaches. There is a pond right outside my condo, and it may be the plant life that is growing up around it. I am set to move in about six weeks (only up the road about 2 miles), and hopefully the allergies don't follow, for they have never, ever been this bad.
I am still waivering on the fence about lifting in the national raw unified meet in January...yes, no, I don't know... but I do know that I'm leaning toward doing one in November. Stay tuned on that.

Glue in my Nose

That's Jules Furniss and I at the administrators' table at the Power Frenzy last weekend. She is the bomb! She was part of the tremendous team of people who helped us make the meet a success! THANK YOU JULES!!!

My bench is continuing to coming back around. It is weird to think that something as "simple" as readjusting my feet and wearing higher shoes could be so important, but it seems to be working. I pushed 245 x 6 then 275 x 2 all paused the other night. And foot plates - I put the foot plates back. I'm not tall, even though people tell me that I look tall in photographs - I am only 5'4 1/2".

Last night it was rack pulls - I worked up to 600 :) for three reps! I think one more would have happened had I not had to worry about my bladder bursting down my legs! Not really funny...I often wonder if other women OR men get that bursting feeling when they are pulling (or pushing for that matter)! My whole body, including scalp muscles worked for those. I am curious to see if these do indeed help my deadlift off the floor. I haven't pulled from the floor for several weeks now. Then shrugs, T-Bars, Stiff arm pull downs, incline bicep curls, and "spider curls" - I can't recall the last time I did spider curls!!! I didn't like those, but I don't like doing my biceps, period. What do they have to do with spiders????Then donkey calves. Then into the whirlpool for hot therapy. Why I ignored the whirlpool for years is beyond me, but it helps recuperation in the best way.

I wonder has anyone else been suffering allergies as I have been lately. My nose just closes up lately like someone has poured glue down into my nostrils. And I get a splotchy redness, especially around my throat. I wonder what cavemen thought when they had allergies like that..did they realize it was allergies?

Row Row Row

The second annual First State Power Frenzy is now in the books! It was another great meet.

I'll be doing a write up for Powerlifting USA and will copy and paste it into my blog, so no elaboration until then. I now just want to give my heartfelt thanks again to all of the terrific people who come out to help us. No way in H-E- double hockey sticks would our meets be the success they are without people such as Tone Barbaccio, Jules Furniss, Roadhead Morris, Shawn Lattimer, Joel Killen, and the crew (wish I knew all of their names) from Jersey Iron. Then there is the Iron Bodies Fitness crew out of Oxford, PA - Brad Vargason, Doug Hollis, Danny Blankenship, Matt Wilson etc. (wish I knew all of their names too)And Len Walker - I bow down to to you. Jeff McVicar, Brian Weston, Tommy DiChiara, Hank Stoklosa and Jon Stoklosa, Carl Seeker - You are the bomb!!! My darling son Slater Clampitt and friends Jarett McManus and Michael Rhoades helped with video taping the event and energizing music... I know I'm missing dozens of people here! Nope, could NOT have been the success without any of you. Most of these people show up time after time for us and throw themselves into the trenches without prodding or hesitation for the love of the sport and camaraderie betwixt themselves. And Jack Osborne, owner of The Training Center where we hold our meets - I treasure your generousitiy and enthusiasm more than words can express. Yes, I feel blessed.


Friday, since I was at the Training Center all afternoon and evening for weigh-ins, and it was back day, and since The Training Center does have dumbells in five pound increments up to 190...Heck, what a better way to spend a few moments than pulling on some really heavy dumbells for some dumbell rows! I haven't done anything heavier than 125's for quite some time, due to the fact that is as heavy as Midway's dumbells go (though 130's and 135's are on order:) !! ). Picked out a 170 - I figured a few were possible...10 reps was the result! So B threw down a 190 and said " you might not be able to move this, but try it for your own satisfaction." Hey - four...I did four reps on each side with the 190 pound dumbell...I did post the video of me rowing on the Video Gallery page of my free site. I guess you could say that I appeased myself to satisfaction!

Groove

My benching has come back around full circle. I'm just letting the bar hit where it wants to hit, which is extremely high compared to most benchers, my natural groove, but, well, heck, it is working. Screw the scientific theories.
I am changing my foot placement back to a more natural placement. Apparently it made somewhat of a difference, for last evening I managed 245 x 5 pause reps, with help on #6. So, not quite as spectacular as it used to be, but at least it is not on the downward spiral that it had been.
I do not like benching in flat shoes. I need a heel. Time to dig the Magic Harley boots out again.
Heels make me feel more elevated, even though I am lying on a bench. Feeling "up" helps the bar go "up"...does that make any sense at all?

It seems as if my body has responded kindly to the rest I gave it recently. I never quite got those "shoulder stripes" etched in for the Masters. I am known for having really good "shoulder stripes" (striations). Seems as if my body was retaliating and turning on survival mode by trying to hold onto fat storage and water in most unusual places during my severely over trained, over reached state. But right now -I feel good, I look good (for me to say either one of those statements is a FAR REACH on any given day, much less BOTH!)
I have been very good to myself - I've been hopping in the whirpool at the gym twice a week recently. I have been getting adjusted by B two or three times a week ( and they are grueling adjustments, oh God they are), I have been resting more, relaxing more - yes, I looked the word up, I think I finally know what it means....though I haven't quite gone so far as to by that elusive dictionary with the "R" word in it yet...
I am coming back around, I promise!
FIRST STATE POWER FRENZY is Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stay tuned for the lo down !

Dribble

Not quite in the "bouncing" state that I seek yet, however I am finally coming back around.

Maybe I should call it my "dribble" state, rather than bounce back state. I did train legs last night with B, and my dear friend Joel made a special guest appearance and trained with us.

It had been a very long time since I trained legs with B. He's still recuperaating from a meniscus tear, and I'm still recuperating from crash-burn, but we both did good. I managed 315 x 12 for a nice set.Those high reps always burn me out, even though I think one or two reps more were in me. (high reps = more than 6)However I did pick off 405 for 2. I have not had that much weight on my back since April. I did forget how much I LOVE having that heavy bar strewn across my shoulders! OOooh!!! :D

I recently changed my squatting shoes (yes, AGAIN). I am now sporting a pair of VANS when I get under the bar. I wore them one night because I didn't feel like dealing with the extensive lacing my UB's require. I didn't expect to like them, but, by cracky, they seem to be Magic shoes! Vans have a bit more grip than Chuck Taylors, and they also have a bit more cushioning on under the foot, not much, but a bit. That and they look good - Hey!

Then it was just work work work for the rest of the session.

I was beginning to think there for awhile that I would never be able to squat heavy again. However, I have renewed faith in myself. I just have to keep myself reigned in...it's coming!!

Remember I said this - I will weigh-in at the Masters Nationals next year at 162, in the best condition of my life. :) You've got 10 and a half months to begin to believe me!

WOW! Do I feel really good right now. Four lengthy intense adjustments this week, a bit o' massage here and there, and some hot whirpool therapy this afternoon, coupled with a few hours on the beach this past week collecting sunshine for no reason other than that, and hanging in the waters of the bay here and there, almost makes me want to really start to explore the meaning of "relax" more often.....I dunno....could I stand to become less wound - I doubt it!! LOL
My hip feels just about normal at this very moment. Though I appreciate all younz who e-mail me and are concerned about my plight, the advice about big weights and wear and tear on my hip ...well, that is not the cause of my pains. Granted, it's not helping it heal, but it is not the direct cause. The times that I feel most aggravated are after walking and driving long distances, not after squatting 400+ pounds in the gym.
B was playing around with my hip and socket the other night, and he made a noteworthy remark. He thinks that I have a chip or divet in my hip socket that is causing the ball joint to catch and throw itself out.
Here is the news that is hard to swallow- after making such a stink for so long that I do not do "cardio", I may actually have to change my habits. If walking is tearing me apart, I have to do something else. I may have to hop on a machine here and there...though bicycling on a stationary bike has always aggravated my hip flexors, and the eliptical jars my lower back - the Step Mill is about the only machine I can hang with. Perahps real stairs for 20 minutes or so, or I may have to drive to the beach where the sand is level near the water and take walks on the sand there. It may not seem such a big deal to those who do hours upon hours of "cardio" a week, but it's a change. I'll do what I need to do.
Maybe I'll try some sprinting on the beach...or some other type of real cardio as opposed to "cardio". I'll keep you posted on that.

Balance

I'm still here. Things are coming around. Slowly...oh, how I hate when things go slowly...

but I'll get there.

My physical condition still predicates that I train in upper rep ranges. I'll just think of it as "cycling". Cycling does have its place in training regimens.

I thought I was backing off the other night with the leg training. No squats, as I am "cycling" and my hips hurt anyway. In fact, I had my back/hip adjustment from B and he said that my pelvis was more twisted out of place than he had ever seen it, as well as my spine. Needless to say, that adjustment hurt like H-E- double hockey sticks.

Anyhooo, I did straight on leg pressing. Let me tell you yesterdays trips up and down my three flights of stairs were the most grueling EVER! WTF??? Must be the high reps I'm not used to? I did 20-15-6-15.

The other day, I was listening to a trainer tell his client about the mind having more power than the body, as most of us that train with weights at a high level know that the adage "Mind over Matter" is indeed a true. His conversation got me thinking of this problem, where my mind knows it has superior power to push through over the physical, and is so used to doing so, that it doesn't listen to the physical when the physical is crying out signals that need to be listened to. Balance, it's all about balance in life, isn't it?? EVERYTHING is about balance. Training, eating, relationships -

Off topic, the weather has been SUPERB! How much better can you get than low 80's , abundant sunshine, low humidity? It is now the time of year we locals of the Delaware resort area wait for, after all the tourists go home! We claim our beaches and roads back for awhile.

I got my photographs back from the Masters that were shot by Dan Ray. He was such a pleasure to work with. And his work is fanastic! I'll be putting them up on my Members Section.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

So sorry I've not visited my own blog for over a week now. I have trouble writing anything when I'm not getting excited about the way things are progressing. Nothing of note to post. I'm just plugging along.

I have been very busy as a Realtor lately, and that is a good thing.

I finally got my photos back from Kevin Fleming from our shoot in July before the Masters - here is a sample. The man is just golden with the camera. http://www.wilddelaware.com/ is his photo blog with recent wildlife and nature photos. He used to work for National Geographic.
I am not sure I am the type of "wildlife" he is used to shooting, but we got some fantastic shots!

Vimless

Last night, I go in, do one work-set of deadlifts, 315 x 12, then BAM!!! I'm wasted, ready for a nap!!! That's what I'm going through, still - just lack of VIM, lack of VIGOR....I couldn't even pick the bar up off of the floor for the next set. So then I moved onto rack pulls. Now, when I do rack pulls, or "partials",I do them from beneath the knee. So many people I see move the bar from above the knee, and the bar moves about an inch...WTF??? I'm still getting about a foot of movement here. 565 for 3 or 4...I'll probably get a lot better at these, as I've only done these 2 or 3 times total in my life.
Hammer Machine single arm rows...I don't much care for this machine, but I let B pick my workout last night, as I didn't feel like thinking - just doing. Machine pullovers...blah...then cross swing dumbell curls (I don't know what else to call them). I think B made me do 85's ...you see, I wasn't thinking, so I don't remember all of the details.Then Gawwwd awful preacher curls with a barbell...oooh, I hate any kind of barbell curls. Calves toe raises on whatever that machine is. And a set of hip flexor curls on the lying leg curl. My hip flexorshave been out of synch again, as I haven't worked them for months. Traywick commented whilst watching me squat the other day that I was really wobbly on the descent. That's the sign that my hip flexors need some tending to. So I tended to them.
I'm up to about 156. I should be well into the 160's now. At least I still have some quad striations!!!
Not real good for recovery purposes, however. Weight will start to climb next week, I'm sure, and hopefully so will my energy levels!! :) Believe me this - I AM GETTING REALLY TIRED OF POSTING HOW BURNT OUT I AM!!!
It's been a gray and gloomy week, but the sun is finally shining today. It's supposed to be in the high 90's, and since I do live "at the beach", I think I'll take advantage of the breeze off the bay today, and try to soak up some of the sweltering late August sun. Hopefully the crowds will be a little thinner there today since the kiddies in most places have started school, keeping the tourists at home. Last two times I ventured down to the beach I could not find a parking space and wound up coming home. Boooo.

Alan from APT's Pro Wrist Straps, http://www.prowriststraps.com/ has agreed to sponsor us for the First State Power Frenzy once again! The man is awesome, he has sponsored us three times thus far. His equipment excels - I always use his lifting straps. I also use his knee wraps and wrist wraps, currently liking the Black Mambas. Thanks APT!!!

the First State Power Frenzy - Saturday September 15, 2007
APF sanctioned
Full Power, Push/Pull, Squat Only, Bench Only, Deadlift Only
Raw and Geared divisions
where: The Training CenterNew Castle, DE 19720
entry form: www.DE-APF.com
meet promoters:Kate Baird powerfulkate@comcast.net
Broderick Chavez - DE state APF chairman isquat700@mchsi.com
It's a Party!It's a Frenzy!It's Powerlifting!!!

I'm back in the gym. Actually, I was back Monday for squats. Things are on the upswing finally. I don't mean poundage - I mean my physical state. Unless you have been in a severe over extended, over trained state, you won't grasp the extent of what I am trying to convey. I was trashed for so long, I surely came close to unraveling. For the past week or so, I feel "normalized", back in balance... I'd love to hang on to that feeling. The forced rest came at the proper time - shows you that someone indeed must be looking out for me from above. So now I MUST be careful. I'm forcing myself to back down from my usual 900 mph, coasting a little slower. Having to drop the intensity level back a couple of notches.

I currently don't have a specific goal, a meet or contest, to train for right now, and it is best I keep it that way for awhile.Just train for training's sake.

Twiddling Thumbs

I'm just hanging about twiddling my thumbs this week...
My body is showing signs of accepting this forced rest. OK, so I have learned that I need to go out and find a dictionary that has the word "Relax" in it, and place that book somewhere with easy access at all times...

Great news for my Powerlifting meet - the First State Power Frenzy, which is held at the Training Center gym in New Castle DE on September 15th, APF sanctioned, raw and geared divisions.
AT LARGE NUTRITION and TITAN are both stepping up to help sponsor this time, and word is we may have another biggie helping out.
http://atlargenutrition.com/ and http://www.titansupport.com/.

I honestly have not tried At Large Nutrition's products yet, but I hear that they are superior to much of the stuff that lines the shelves at the vitamin stores these days.
Broderick just received a pair of Titan knee wraps a couple of weeks ago, first time he has tried them, and loves them!
If anybody who is reading this plans to compete in the FSPF, please register as soon as possible! It's hard to know how many trophies and t-shirts and such to order when you don't know how many competitors are planning to lift in the meet!

No training for a few days

I have to say after Monday's training session - "This Will Never Do"...

I am on mandatory respite from the gym again. I didn't even think about that until yesterday, whilst I was in the doctor's office having a small follow up surgery to my surgery in March.
This will work in one of two ways - I'll either benefit from additional rest, for I am having problems bouncing back into prime form from the bodybuilding, or I'll suffer from the additional stress because it was a little more traumatic than I had anticipated.
Am I good at skirting details, or what?

Anyhooo, no training for at least five days - wahhhhhhhhhhh.

Still Breaking In -

I'm still breaking myself back in - I wonder if I'll ever get over this stomach thing. Yes, it's still off and on plaguing me after 3 weeks. I'm barely tipping the scales now at 153 - 154. I just can't seem to get set straight with this weight gaining program!!! Not because I haven't been including lots of food or my Little Debbie Cakes, because they have once again become a daily staple, but my body is just plain ol' rebelling against wanting to gain weight... I'm still doing a bit less volume all around in my training. We did rack pulls the other night - I'm not really into them. I betcha, however, that in the long run they will benefit me, but even with close to 600 lbs, they just don't provide me with that overall exhilerating, body thrashed feeling I get from deadlifts. My weak spot on the dead is off the floor, not mid-point. We'll be doing these every other week to see waht happens. Deadlifting every week is counter productive for me. GW will benefit from the rack pulls, especially, as his weak link in the dead is the mid-point. My upper abs did get very sore from the rack pulls. My hips were saved alot of grief, however, and hopefully will be fresh on Monday for squatting!

The pics are of GW, Beth Beitzel and I pulverizing our legs on my last training session the Sunday before the Masters.
The Duo Squat machine is just a heck of an incredible piece of machinery. I relied on those when I could no longer push through regular squats. The sissy squat "machine" - to me, not really like a sissy squat, more like an altered front squat.
Good stuff, but manual sissys still rule - funny that they would even make a machine to try to simulate a sissy - one of the few excercises you can do any time, anywhere without a piece of equipment...????
We've all been trying to encourage Beth to compete - she's got all of the tools necessary - looks, physique, personality. She jumps in to work out with us from time to time, and she's also got alot of strength she either doesn't know she has, or is hiding....not sure which. She would be a force in figure, fitness, or bodybuilding....maybe someday, Beth??????
OK, every time I post, I'm going to try to thank one person whose influence has made my foray into bodybuilding and powerlifting the grand experience it has been and hopefully will continue to be for some time to come...
Mark Collins. My old beau during the time I was going to the Art Institute of Philadelpia, and was the first person to ever take the time to show me and explain to me what weight training was all about. I haven't seen nor spoken to him in 20+ years, but he got the ball rolling for me in the basement of a friend's row house in South Philadelphia with a set of plastic filled weights and a cheap bar. Thanks Mark.

SQUATS

I was bouncing back to health and spriteliness on Friday, then got a rebound of whateveritwas on Saturday and Sunday. It was so bad, that I finally decided that a Dr's visit was in order yesterday morning. Of course, I was on the upswing again by the time I got to the Dr's office. But that is ok, it just feels good to finally (almost) feel good again! LOL!!!
ahhhh, squats..........SQUATS!!! First session back to squatting since mid-June, and gosh, did it feel good- it was just this side of orgasmic!!! I was a little rusty, but not too bad - I was just breaking in a new stance a few months back when I had to abandon them because of bodybuilding contest prep. Yes, I HAD to, I just simply couldn't push through them any longer due to overtraining, lack of steam,etc. I would have to say, that having been in the depleted state for so long, then coming in off of a two week flu stint, I can't complain about my performance at all.
B trained with GW and I...I had almost forgotten what a sick pup he is when he trains.
315 for 8 pretty much took everything out of me as far as endurance on my first set. 365 for 2 wasn't hard at all, I felt the strength was there, my legs called out for more, but lo' and behold - no steam to push further. I need to get the "wherewithall" back in gear.
Next week, I'll be back in the 405 mode, yeah yeah yeah... I'm frothing at the mouth. Even if I'm not in the mode next week I'm going to do 405 anyway. We also did smith machine back lunges on a box - I really don't have any polite words for those...

My goal is to get at least that 450 that eluded me on the platform last year a couple of times, and to hopefully get a 475... bodybuilding contest prep definitely cuts into one's strength gains, I despise that side effect...I am ultimately after the 500 (belt and knee wraps only, of course). I need to nail down a commitment for a meet to compete at in the coming months, so stay tuned on that decision.

I'm finally on the upswing again - slowly, but finally. I was spent after the show, then that stomach flu kicked my butt. I did my two weeks mandatory rest, not as hard as I imagined because I had no choice with being sick. Going to the gym to train was NOT in the forefront of my mind. I haven't jumped back in entirely full force yet, I will be kind to myself so I don't relapse into the burn out stage.
It feels good to be refreshed, not just physically but mentally as well.
I am finally up in weight - one whole pound since weigh-ins!! Hey, you try gaining weight with a stomach flu! I am up to 151...
I did train Wednesday. It went as expected, I think I even still had a fever that morning. Powerlifting mode = bench pressing. I was able to pick off 225 x 6, yes all paused, but that's nothing for me to rave about as you know. But that's ok, realizing I need to ease back into it. I did less sets and reps for the entire session, to keep myself from overtraining.
Last night it was back to DEADLIFTS!!! Yay! It has been over two months since I pulled from the floor. I certainly was not expecting much, but I did better than I expected, especially after a couple of very stressful workdays. I expected a 315 x 5 tops, in my ragged low weight state.
I managed 315 x 10, so I did put 365 on the bar and pulled 4. It was a sucky bar with no knurling on it. It felt good to put another hole in my pants and make my leg bleed again! My ABS are what are incredibly sore this morning - hence, why I never directly work them, boys and girls. Less overall volume, again, need to back off for a week or two.
Now that I am not contest dieting, I decided to go for the ultimate post workout recovery drink - a Slurpee! Actually, it was a WaWa Icee, same thing. Hot weather is Slurpee weather, and this was my first all year. Good stuff!