Porch Gym

De-load Week Deep Thoughts

/ Bethany / Leave a comment

Today I noticed that “I don’t feel like it” feelings were kicking in. I didn’t sleep well last night and I didn’t really feel like training when I got up. I did it anyway, because I’m following a training program and if I missed a day, I’d miss the particular work that was scheduled for today too. It was a light, short workout (still on a deload week), and I was glad I did it. Take away lesson: training programs are good. Habits are good, too.  Speaking of habits, I am over three quarters of the way to finishing the goal I set this year to do 150 strength workouts! Yay me! It’s August and I’m still going strong on the New Years goal I set. That is huge, right?

Later this week I will begin the final mesocycle of the 12 week training cycle I am doing. This one is different – it’s a competition prep mesocycle. I don’t actually have a competition in four weeks, but it will be good to get a feel for what the training would be like. I’m actually nervous about the volume and time that may be involved. I’m not sure if I will be able to put in the time required, as the workouts are long and I have a kiddo whining at me. I’m also not sure how my body will respond and recover from the increased volume. I’m planning to try the first couple weeks and see how it goes. Feel the fear and do it anyway! I’m trying to remember what it was like 10 years ago when I trained for my first marathon, and we were getting close to the race and the runs were long. I think I took a lot of naps. That’s all I remember.

I actually am interested in competing now. When I first started training at the Barbell Club at my local CrossFit affiliate, and they told me that competing once a year was somewhat expected of most members, I got super intimidated and wrote back that I was not sure if I wanted to compete. Now, I’m getting into the culture and starting to understand the sport more and I think I might! A friend of mine competed in the Bay State games this year and I watched the video footage after the fact, so I could see her performance. And I was surprised to see that I would not be lifting the lightest weight in my weight class! Maybe I could do this. I don’t know that I’ll win any medals, but feeling like I would come in “not last” is a good feeling. Of course, those who come in last are still putting in a great effort too! I don’t mean to put them down in any way. Hopefully you get my intention when you read this. I was just surprised because I assumed that all the lifters would be lifting more than me, because I am so new to the sport is all.

In other news, I was actually successful at packing a lunch for work today!

 

 

Nervous for Clean and Jerk Day

/ Bethany / Leave a comment

I felt nervous about today’s training. I’m still don’t feel incredibly solid on my clean and jerk form. Last Thursday was such a frustrating day and form just wasn’t happening. Saturday was a better day. I am still working on my speed in the clean, and on catching the bar in the correct position. So, I’m usually a little nervous for clean and jerk day.

Yesterday was supposed to be a rest day for me. I felt tired and slow. Then I unexpectedly had to fill in for someone at work at a CSA pick up and farm stand. Lots of heavy lifting and restocking in hot weather. My back did not want to do that stuff at all, and my lower back muscles kept cramping up as if to say “you said this would be a rest day!”

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Training Modification

/ Bethany / 1 Comment

This morning I modified my training plan based on my body’s feedback. I am experimenting with adding a fourth day back in – to work mostly on overhead work, like jerks and presses. Today my training plan had power cleans, power jerks and push presses. I woke up with my left knee feeling….off. Not injured, just a little tender. And I knew my legs were not recovered enough from yesterday to protect the knee well during power cleans. Knowing that I have full cleans and front squats tomorrow, I figured I could best care for myself by skipping the power cleans today for some extra recovery time.

A walk sounded good, so I took a walk around the block instead, before doing my overhead work. The push presses definitely got heavy. I need to add this work back in so I can build confidence on the clean and jerk.

Feeling proud that I listened to my knee to determine what would serve me best this morning, and the rest of the week. Take that, fitspo! (For a good laugh, check this out).

Deload week: not every week is a PR week

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I was really proud of the PRs I set last weekend. Now it’s time for a deload week.

Perfect timing too. I was sick. I had some muscle cramps, including the diaphragm muscles, which made me feel short of breath for a bit. Like I felt when I was extremely pregnant. Luckily, I had a great doctor do some manipulation and she didn’t even tell me to stop lifting!

This morning I got a late start to lifting. I didn’t sleep well and had a hard time getting out of bed. Then kiddo wanted to nurse.

I finally got some chalk. I had been putting it off because I don’t like the feel of touching chalk. But I have to admit it was way easier to lift the bar with chalked up hands!

Reasons my toddler is crying: I won’t let him use all my chalk to draw on the sidewalk. Today is the day my husband is home from work and so I sent them out on a walk to buy some sidewalk chalk.

Life on the porch gym is pretty uneventful this week. Not every week is going to be awesome. Just par for the course when doing anything with consistency! Some weeks you make a lot of progress. Other weeks are just about maintaining the habits. Those weeks are less exciting, but just as important.

Just do one!

/ Bethany / 2 Comments

My toddler slept in this morning, so I actually got about halfway through my training in peace and quiet! That was a nice surprise this morning!

I’ve been following a Catalyst Athletics training program, and today’s workout called for finding a 3 rep max for the snatch, after a series of triples (sets of 3) at prescribed percentages.

I got to the point where I was ready to try for 3 reps at 30kg (my 1 rep max after finishing the Starter Program a few weeks back was 31kg). I side-eyed the bar and was kind of intimidated by the weight. I snatched the bar once and it felt heavy. I went for the second time and missed the lift out in front of me. I decided to rest a couple minutes and then try again.

After resting, I still found that I was up in my head, telling myself that this 30kg was heavy and that I could surely do it once, but I didn’t know about a triple. And then I thought: “I can do this once, three times. Just do one.” I snatched it. Heavy. I set the bar down and instead of counting “two” I told myself, “just do one.” Made it. And for the third rep: “just do one.”

I rest a few minutes and loaded the last kilogram onto the bar. I was determined to turn my previous 1 rep max (31kg) into a 3 rep max today. “Just do one.” And I made three lifts, telling myself to “just do one” before each lift.

And that is how I talked myself into turning my previous 1 rep max into a 3 rep max today! Feeling pretty proud of myself.

The workout also called for finding a 6 rep max for the back squat today. I was less intimidated by this because I have a lot more experience with the back squat than with a snatch. I definitely told myself “just do one” a few times though. My 6 rep max today was 67.5kg. With a toddler whining at me because he wanted to go past the bar. That should count for an extra kilo or two, right? 😉

After eating and showering, it was time for kiddo’s first parent-child swim lesson. The first time I’ve worn a bathing suit in public in two years or so. And I didn’t even shave. Would I rather lift or shave? Silly question! I really enjoyed being in the water (it felt good after all those squats) and kiddo seemed to have a lot of fun.

Feeling very good today! Thanks for reading :).