Feels Good

Today was just an ordinary day at the gym.  Well sorta.  In the middle of doing my rounds, Andrew asked me if my PR was 120?  Then he remembered my last PR was 185 and asked if the weight was too light.   I said something more or less along the following lines:   “yes, you can definitely put more weight on or we need to increase reps or something as they aren’t challenging”.  Well that is what I eventually got out as I was doing burpees at the time.    So on another 20 lbs goes!    So another set or two and i realized that I was having no issues at all doing a deadlift with 120 lbs.   While that is probably nothing to most people who deadlift, this was my PR 2 months ago.   I was like… I am deadlifting my personal record 2 months ago without any issues what so ever.   I mean it is a great feeling to add more weight on to any bar and successfully lift it.  But when your PR becomes part of your normal lifting routine and it was I dare say EASY:  that is just a great feeling.    And believe it or not, burpees are becoming less challenging as well.   I need to keep working on doing pushups here at the house to help continue to master pushups.     They are looking and feeling better!   And I dreaded the dumbbell swings as well.   And even though they were hard, it was all manageable!   I had a great time at the gym today.

I will….

I have alot that I keep thinking about in my head.  So it is best to just jot it down and dump it tonight.    This week has been a tough week in the gym!   But I have been asking for it.   I kept throwing around the E word… That nasty E word!  ha!   And truthfully, I was working hard at the gym, but it seemed a bit too easy.   Easy isn’t the right word.  It wasn’t challenging.  It was status quo.   I probably could have done another set or two.   Well…. that all changed this week.   I worked hard this week.  Harder than I have in a long time.  I got frustrated.  I struggled.   It was like that stupid bar was messing with my head.   I mean… I can front squat 120 lbs….   There was only 75 lbs on the bar…   yet, i couldn’t clean it easily.  I struggled.   Mentally alot because I knew I could squat it if I could only clean it.   It took me 3-4 times to clean it.   God that messed with my mind.   Today, I couldn’t keep up with my training partner.   She was a monster today.   And truthfully, I didn’t know that I WANTED to go to the gym.   But 40 minutes before my scheduled time, my trainer texts me:  Can you be here in 10 minutes…..   So I went.   But that bothers me.  I actually contemplated not going.   I was so afraid of not being able to do what I was going to be asked.   Yeah I know!  I need to have more FAITH and CONFIDENCE.   I lack it.  I know.     And oh what fun was to be had.    A Deck of cards… a barbell and a dumbbell…   about 15-10 cards left, I wanted to quit.   I was sore.  I was sweaty.  I was beyond done.    But I kept going.   I finished.    Not exactly sure.  I remember telling someone that I couldn’t even feel my legs anymore while doing squats.   But I kept going.

This week sucked.   BUT lets look at the upside.  Because that is where the lesson is:  I did more than I didn’t think I could do!  I finished when I wanted to give up.   I have a great support system that I need to learn to trust, have faith, and believe in.   I will get stronger!  I will overcome pushups.   I will overcome burpees.   I will clean 75 lbs!   I will move forward!

Failure….

Sorry for not posting lately. I got the flu, a kidney infection, and pneumonia.   I stayed out of the hospital and only missed 2 training sessions.   Yippee!   I still have been going to the gym.  I think I was training 3x a week before I stopped posting, but I have had a shift in my work schedule that allows me to go the gym at the minimum of 5x a week and up to 7 days a week.   Last week I made it all 7 days!  Go me!   I am still living too.      So before we get to the post that has been stuck in my head for freaking days, lets get to the positive news!   Saturday, I front squatted 100 lbs!!!!   ROCK ON!  is all I have to say.   We started with just the 45 lb bar.  I did 10 reps… Did other misc things, came back to the bar, and added 5 lbs to it.   So it was 50 lbs.   Did 3 reps and moved on.   At some point we started moving up by 10 lbs.   Don’t ask me when, as I don’t count weight when I am training… That is Andrew’s job!  =)     At some point, we stopped doing all the other misc stuff, and went to only squatting.   I only did one rep and then sat down.  increased weight and did another rep!   I got to 100 lbs!   Anyway, no one else might think it is awesome, but I do!

So, Andrew and Erin have both been encouraging me to run.  I hate running.  One reason, I am horrible at it and I feel horrible after I run.   Did I mention I hate running?   Anyway, I was doing intervals on the treadmill trying to increase speed and was listening to the words to some music.   Well I am a person that if I don’t know that I can do something successfully, then I normally don’t do it.   I like staying in my little bubble.   Fear is a powerful thing.  It can keep you from doing stupid things.   And then it can paralyze you.    And that is where I have been.  Fearful I won’t be able to complete a mud run.   I have never been athletic.   Even with the aforementioned squat PR, I don’t consider myself athletic.   Yes, I go to the gym.  Yes, I complete what ever Andrew asks of me.     But doing these runs, just has had me paralyzed that I was unable to complete them.  If I cannot complete it, then there is no reason to try.

But you know, there is a reason to try.  Who cares if I cannot complete the run.   I at least attempted it.  There has to be something about that.  And what am I teaching my kids.   Stay in your comfort zone.   It is nice and easy there.    So the words that were in the music that made me change my mind was:   “And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance; I hope you dance!”

So I have told Andrew I would do a Mud Run.   We will start small and go from there!   Apparently there is a 5k at the end of March.   So we shall see what happens.

so you brought home 18 lbs of sweet potatoes?

Well, of course, I did.   They were 25 cents per 3 lbs.   How could I not?    We like sweet potatoes at this house.    Well I thought I would do a tutorial about what to do with 18 lbs of sweet potatoes.

First, wash and stab all your sweet potatoes.   The sweet potato is quite tough, so PLEASE be careful and use a sturdy blade.  If it won’t go all the way though, just stab them on both sides.   After that put them on a cookie sheet like this:

2nd:   Put them in the oven at 425 or so.   Let them cook until they are all smooshy.   About an hour.    There is no exact time with this.    Some of the sweet potatoes will start to spill juices on to the baking sheet.   This is okay!  =)   As you can see I put 2 sheets of potatoes in!

Once they are smooshy, take them out of the oven and let them cool.   Once they are cooled, you can peel them.   You won’t need a knife or anything.   The skins should just peel off.   I put my peeled potatoes in a BIG bowl.

As you can see in the picture, the one side is my peeled potatoes, and I started mashing with a plain old potato masher.   If you want them to be pureed, feel free to put them in a food processor.    I just used the potato masher.     Once you get them all mashed up, then you can put them into freezer bags.   Be sure to mark them.  As I have pumpkin in the freezer too.  Hard to tell the difference.   Just put what ever your family will eat in one sitting.   I put about 3 cups in each quart bag.     If you only need 1 cup, then just freeze them in 1 cup increments.   Make sure you try to get as much air out of the bag as you can.  

So what do you do with mashed sweet potatoes.    Well you can eat them just like they are.   You can put them into a baking dish, reheat them up with some butter, cinnamon and sugar.    You can turn them into sweet potato casserole, pie, bread, or soups.   They are quite versatile.    Hope this helps.

Varsity Bar is all I have to say!

Woohoo!  I got to overhead press the varsity bar!   And other than adjusting to the weight the first time, it went really well.   At the end of my 2 sets, we had time to do 3 more things, and I choose to press as one of them!   So this was really like death by 10′s.

2 sets:

10 box jumps

10 pull ups

10 kettlebell swings

10 toe touch situps

10 overhead press (with 45 lb bar!!!!)

10 lunges

10 Mountain Climber

10 burpee’s

10 jumprope (suppose to be double unders…)

10 wall balls with 10 lb ball

Double Unders… the first set I just did 10 regular jump roping and then tried to do a double under…  With some practice, I got 1 completed.   Fell on my rump.. but completed it.   2nd set, I did 1 double under and stopped… then started again and completed 4 double unders.    then it all came apart and I couldn’t quite get any more!  But woohoo, it has been since Elementary school since I did any of those!   So go me!

Other than being really sore atm, it was totally awesome!   I am so freaking ecstatic that I actually used the varsity bar and that it wasn’t difficult.   I am almost afraid to mention that E word!   =)    I also never used a kettlebell either.    So that was pretty awesome too… I don’t remember what the weight was.

Burpees suck.   I need more practice with those.   Pullups were okay.

I walked easy for 20 minutes before training.  My legs were really tight.    Afterwards, I did intervals on the treadmill for 20 minutes.

Easy… beginning to become a 4 letter word

=)   Which is totally a good thing I guess.   I have a hard time telling weight with my arms.    But that is okay, Andrew has no problem telling!  ha!

So here is what I did:

5 sets total

500 meters rowing machine (1x time, 250 every set after)

10 each arm dumbbell snatches.

15 reverse back extension

The rowing machine and I did well.   with 2 of my sets I actually hit the 1 minute mark!  Yippee!  And I was really close the other 2 sets!

dumbbell snatches we did 2 sets with 15 lb dumbbell and moved to a 20 lb.   and finished the other 3 with the 20 lb.

Reverse back extensions were really easy until the last 3… Ugh.

Over all great day!

 

Awesome time at the gym!

I have the most awesome trainer and friend!    They are truly good for my spirit!     Between the 2 of them, they manage to support not only getting through a workout, but also through those times when you wonder if it is all worth it!    Well, Andrew has been telling me that I have lost weight.    Erin has been telling me the same thing.   As has a ton of other people.   Do I believe them… No.   Why?   Because the clothes I wear every day, fit the same way they did a year ago.   I have a hard time seeing improvements in myself.  Always has been an issue.   Partly the reason why I started blogging about what I am doing at the gym.   So I can physically see progress.   Just go read the blog 3 weeks ago…  =)      Anyway, Erin gave me some jeans that don’t fit her any more!   Which is enough to party about on its own.    I was SO skeptical I was even going to be able to get a leg in them, never mind actually zip them up.    You see, I have been to the stupid stores looking for pants to fit, and nothing seems to.   So I just gave up and kept wearing the same stuff I have been.  I hate clothes shopping in the first place.      Well I went and picked them up and tried them on!!!    They are a bit tight on me, but they fit!!!!!   Like OMG, they fit!   I was so shocked.   They are 14′s!      I was wearing an 18 if anyone cares to know.    I don’t care who knows!       I mean like really!   A 14?   Are you kidding me?

Merry Christmas to me!!!!

So today’s training kicked ass!   I mean it was really awesome.   Well at least that is how I feel atm.    We worked on making things a bit harder which is always a good thing.    And even though it was tough, I got through it.   The elliptical is not my friend.    OMG…   I think I would rather row than do the elliptical.    Yikes.

I did 4 sets today.   I kept moving between them other when Andrew had to show up one the other guys at the gym!   And he did!  Way to Go Andrew!!!!

Each set consisted of

10 pull-ups

12 25lb sumo squat lift thingies… (yeah a Jen technical term.=P  I really need to learn what that  lift is called!)

14 25lb over head lifts thingies…. (Yeah see above)

16 butterfly situps  (with a new twist!)

 

So the pull-ups, I have to remember a few things.   Hands wider.   Like on the outside of my shoulders.   Elbows need to go up.. not out.    Chin needs to stay on the right side of the bar.    Yikes!!!   The first set was easy… they progressively got harder.     The last one I had to fight hard to get.

sumo squat thingies.    They were overly difficult today.

over head lift thingies:   These weren’t easy today.    Toward the end I wondered if I was even going to complete them.  But I did.. Mind over matter.   But they were tough.  10-14 were anyway.

Butterfly situps… I normally like these.  They are fairly easy to do now… Did you see that E word… yeah means we need to make modifications!  ha!   So before I was doing the situps with my hands over my head and the momentum of bringing your arms up over head as you sit up really HELPS alot to do your situp!   Well, I graduated from that, to crossing your arms over your chest.   Holy Sweet Baby Jesus!    They went from rather mind-numbingly easy, to struggling.     This is a good thing!

So Cardio:   I hate cardio.   I struggle with it.

Well it was suggested that I do the elliptical today.    We are not friends.   Frequent stops occurred.   My thighs burned.   Goodness gracious.   Yeah… that sucked…  But I am not going to let it ruin my attitude!  I am really feeling great.  Which is unusually after training.  I normally just want to crawl back in bed and forget the world exists for 3 hours or so.   But not today!