Under An Injury Cloud

Over the last month I have had a niggly injury.  Nothing major ... just some pain in my hip.  I had made some changes to my squat technique which my body didn't like too much and the muscle in my glute has been complaining a little.  I tried some massage but that didn't help so I toddled off to a physiotherapist and am noticing some improvements - particularly since including acupuncture into the mix.  I have been pretty lucky in the injury department and, fortunately, this one hasn't stopped me from training but at the same time I'm a little frustrated as I'm not at the top of my game.  Hopefully, with some more treatment I'll be back kicking butt (pardon the pun) in no time.

Getting It Right

Recently Liz wrote a very timely blog with the title of "Leave that ego at the door – the performance enhancement edition"  As I continue on my fitness journey I often get reminded of just that.  For me it's a fine line of believing in my own abilities and pushing myself to beyond what my mind tells me I'm capable of without losing my form.  I have a tendency to stay with weights I know I can lift as I don't trust that I can do it but there are also the times when I have pushed myself before I was ready.  This week I have worked on my shoulder presses with a combo of strict press, push press and push jerks.  For the life of me I couldn't seem to 'get' the push jerk, granted I was fatigued by the time I got to them but I seem to lose the explosive movement and would try and push the weight up instead.  As I looked around I could see the other girls lifting more than me and while this stung a little (considering I was pushing more in the strict press) I kept my weight low and worked with the trainer to get my technique right.  I must have done something right as I have had DOMS from that session.

Running Amok

I had a girl's trip to Brissy last weekend.  The few days consisted of a lot of:

 And a bit of this:

 And some touristy stuff thrown in:

It was a whole lot of fun but I'm not sure if my poor old body could cope with another day of eating and drinking like that.

Beyond The 12 Weeks

I loved the lean and strong.  It challenged me and I got some great results.  I do, however, have some issues with it.  The blurb from the fact sheet is "The program would be well suited to anyone thinking of entering a body shaping competition."  Going from some people's after photos, they could step on stage as is with no further prep.  They look absolutely fantastic.  My problem is they comp prepped without a coach, without someone who can guide them 'post event'.  How are these people going to cope with the mind-fuck of post comp?  Or is there an expectation that this is their physique now?  Maybe it is, maybe their body can maintain low body fat.  I wouldn't believe that it could but, then, I'm no expert.  I hope it doesn't sound like sour-grapes on my behalf, because that isn't my intention, I'm genuinely concerned for their well being.  It's hard enough to deal with all that with a great coach and with forewarning.  I mean, everyone who competes is told about post-comp but I'm sure these guys are clueless.  I'm not sure how to broach the subject with people I don't know.  Ideas?

More Random Thoughts

Last night I had a crying child. She was upset because there is a sticker chart at dancing and her sister got a sticker and Moo hasn't gotten one yet. She tries so hard to do the right thing but somehow doesn't get noticed. She is the same at school. I realised just how much like me she is. How can I teach her that she doesn't need a sticker to feel special when I have felt exactly the same way with the 12wbt? Can I say to her that her time will come ... what if it doesn't? How can I prove to her that she is exceptional even though nobody notices?

Random Thoughts

I seem to be on a bit of a Crossfit high at the moment.  Sorry if I go on about it.  I guess it's like any new training program in that it's exciting while it's all new and shiny.  I have been trying to get there twice a week and getting to my normal gym a couple of times.  My gym has been giving me the irits lately as I can only go when it's peak time and often can't get onto the equipment that I require.  I have been wondering if I should cancel my membership and just train at home but I don't have a squat rack at home which I really need and the gym is just around the corner from the girl's ballet school which is really convenient.  I have also thought that maybe I could go to Crossfit instead but I have read a few negatives regarding this type of training and therefore don't want it to be my only exercise.  It got me thinking about what the appeal to Crossfit is and I realised last night as I squeezed myself into a small corner at the gym that my gym doesn't feel welcoming.  I have been going to this gym since well before Moo was born (maybe 15 years), I go twice a week, sometimes more, and have participated in one of their bootcamps and the trainers very rarely say hello or even acknowledge me.  Granted I have seen many trainers come and go over the years but unless I speak to them first they barely look up.  Compare that to the Crossfit box that I'm going to and when I walk through the door they greet me AND they all know my name.  I know my normal gym has a many more clients but it isn't hard to say hello and make a person feel like the gym is happy you are there.  Funny how something so small can make a huge difference.

Personal Bests

Last night was Crossfit night.  Tuesday night seems to be purely weightlifting training (which I love) and last night we worked on front squats, starting at 5 reps and progressing our way to 1 rep.  As I didn't know what my 1 rep max was I had to feel my way a little bit and ended up at 40 kg which I was pretty pleased with as I still had good form.  I asked the trainer to keep an eye on me when I did the lift to ensure I was okay.  The best part of the night was watching one of the other girls in the group.  Every time I have been to a session she has had to modify her lifts and I have never seen her use a bar for squats as she normally scales her workouts with dumbbells.  Last night she achieved a PB of 17.5 kg, with a 15 kg bar and 1.25 kg plates and she was so excited.  The best bit was when the trainer high-fived her.  There was as much excitement for her achievements as there was for the boys lifting much more.  It's great to be in such a positive environment.

KISS

Yes, that old acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid.  After following a pretty complicated (and at times a little tedious) program I'm enjoying the simplicity of my new program.  I'm only doing a couple of exercises a day but they are compound exercises that work every muscle.  I'm loving the simplicity and I have to say that I am suffering from wicked DOMS today.  While I may be only doing a couple of exercises, I'm working hard and am knackered after my sessions.  Love it!

Goal Setting

I've been thinking about where I'm going post 12wbt.  I know I need to move away from 'appearance' type goals but I'm wondering if I need to have a BHAG.  A lady who did very well in the 12wbt (and I predict will be the Lean and Strong winner) had a fabulous goal of Olympic Weightlifting and has competed recently.  She broke her thumb at the start of the round but was so focused on her goal that it didn't stop her training.  Inspiring stuff.  Needless to say, she has a rockin' body but her goals were not about that but simply a consequence of her training.  My problem has been that apart from competing in BB and doing the 12 week challenges, I haven't had really big goals.  I've been thinking a lot about all this (maybe a bit too much) and am wondering if it's because I have never been good at sports that I don't believe in myself enough to set myself performance goals.  Running has never appealed to me so I don't have any desire to do marathons, triathlons etc.  Do I even need to set goals?  Is it enough to simply want to keep fit or will not having a big goal mean that I will slip back into complacency?