I looked at the Zia Crossfit web site yesterday...and even though I knew it was coming...there it was....slapping me in the face.... ONE REP MAX DAY.
Front Squat
Bench Press
Dead Lifts
I am not really sure how to approach this day. I am also feeling great pressure to "perform" as lots of folks have supported me through the lifting program and some have even said..I can't wait to see your numbers. Tired from the previous week, sore from practice on Sunday...not sure what to think. I know the numbers are just numbers and that the only pressure should be inner...I also hear the words I have said to others,
"Some days, you just can't pr and that's ok!"
Then a number pops in my head.
65
Go for 65 Mona.
265~165~365
I hit the Front Squat....I feel kinda lonely lifting....the boys who are lifting are putting up bigger numbers than I and the ladies...well they are shorter than I, by a lot, so I lift alone.
I get the bar to 235..Good clean lift.. Ok 30 from the goal...I load it it up, get the bar on my chest. I can't hold it. Dang. I try it again, this time I get down, but I don't get back up. I leave it alone.
It is still a pr by 30 pounds...(in 12 weeks)...and it isn't a lift that I worked on...at all.
Bench Press.
3 lifts, then I load to 165. I get it, but I ask BJ (already knowing the answer) I wasn't low enough, was I? I think he hated to say it...but he did...no. I do it again...and I do it. I think for a minute...add 10, add 10...no...I have deads still.
Deads.
Get it to what I think is 355...holy hell I fought for it...BJ comes over and said you got your goal on two of the lifts huh?...no...its 10 short. No...its at 365. Ah....me and my bad lifting math. I did get it.
I load the bar to 380...it was a number that Will had thrown out to me months ago...thought it would be fun to try but, As BJ says sometimes..."someone turned on the magnet" The bar did not budge.
So...I shot for 65. I got it in two. Made a 30 pound jump in 2 of the lifts...lifts that I have not been working on very much. In the last week, I have tested 5 maxes!
Back squat 225 to 305
Push Press 125 to 155
Front squat 205 to 235
Bench Press 115 to 165
Dead lift 335 to 365
I think I may just take the rest of the week off....
Trees
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
final plans
Ok, so as the final games of my season comes near....(this Saturday) I am wondering where to go next year...
here are my initial thoughts...they are scattered as usual...so please add suggestions!
Pheonix
Las Vegas
Lehi, UT
Idaho
Elizabeth, CO
Pleasanton, CA
Santa Fe
Would like to go to the Northwest...but I'll see...what games did I forget?
here are my initial thoughts...they are scattered as usual...so please add suggestions!
Pheonix
Las Vegas
Lehi, UT
Idaho
Elizabeth, CO
Pleasanton, CA
Santa Fe
Would like to go to the Northwest...but I'll see...what games did I forget?
Friday, October 26, 2012
blinded
There is a play I have wanted to do for a while, which is kinda unusual for me. I just do whatever people put me in...I show up, do the work....The play was given to me in an acting class and I felt like I did really good work on it. Frankly, the play scares the crap out of me. Which is, I suppose the best reason to do it. I started working on it with a talented actor who pulled out of the project...I think the play got scary for him.
Well, fast forward more than a year....hmmm, maybe almost two, I am getting to the point when I am running out of time to do the play...I shall soon be too old to play this role. I decided to give it to an actor who I would trust with anything....I kinda thought he would not like it...but he decided to give it a read anyway...
So that's what I did last night...
The play is scary, it is only two people and they are stripped bare emotionally... an issue that we talked about, was whether or not a play like this is self indulgent. I thought about another 2 person show I was involved in, 'night Mother....also a play that can be all gooey emotional garbage. I think it is my job as an actor and the director's job to make sure it doesn't go there...I think nearly any play can become "self indulgent."
Any whoooo..I came away from the reading more scared of it than I was before....feeling like there is no way I should touch this thing...feeling like either one of the women who heard it last night would be a much stronger match for the actor.
I am seriously out of my league on this one.
I mean it is not like there are any spaces in town clamoring for us to do a piece for them, it would take some serious work to get a place to do it....but now I don't know why I am so afraid. Is it just insecurity again? Or am I simply overwhelmed by the talent of the other actor, and then by the conversation of the 3 people who were listening, or am I afraid to go to the places that this play requires.
I don't know....
On top of this, my freaking body hurts....I am wondering if I need a week off, but then I am headed for a games too....
I feel like I am broken down, both as an athlete and as an actor.
Well, fast forward more than a year....hmmm, maybe almost two, I am getting to the point when I am running out of time to do the play...I shall soon be too old to play this role. I decided to give it to an actor who I would trust with anything....I kinda thought he would not like it...but he decided to give it a read anyway...
So that's what I did last night...
The play is scary, it is only two people and they are stripped bare emotionally... an issue that we talked about, was whether or not a play like this is self indulgent. I thought about another 2 person show I was involved in, 'night Mother....also a play that can be all gooey emotional garbage. I think it is my job as an actor and the director's job to make sure it doesn't go there...I think nearly any play can become "self indulgent."
Any whoooo..I came away from the reading more scared of it than I was before....feeling like there is no way I should touch this thing...feeling like either one of the women who heard it last night would be a much stronger match for the actor.
I am seriously out of my league on this one.
I mean it is not like there are any spaces in town clamoring for us to do a piece for them, it would take some serious work to get a place to do it....but now I don't know why I am so afraid. Is it just insecurity again? Or am I simply overwhelmed by the talent of the other actor, and then by the conversation of the 3 people who were listening, or am I afraid to go to the places that this play requires.
I don't know....
On top of this, my freaking body hurts....I am wondering if I need a week off, but then I am headed for a games too....
I feel like I am broken down, both as an athlete and as an actor.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
post programing musings
First things first....a couple of "thank you's"
My family, for putting up with the extra long workouts!
BJ!!!! thanks for coming up with this programming for this old lady.
Will & BJ for the constant encouragement and coaching on my form.
The entire Zia gym for putting up with the grunting coming from the corner and the running outside to puke behavior.
There were a lot of lifts in this program, but some were only in the programing once every two weeks...others were performed twice a week, every week... so gains are clearly dictated by how often lifts were performed. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that to have any gains, I just needed to no the number of lifts...the weight that was assumed was not as important as the reps. Sometimes that was a blow to my ego. Anyone who has been reading this blog knows my struggles with the shoulder press...ahhhh, but by the end of the program, I was doing the right number of lifts at a much lighter weight AND was happy about that.
Ok....where to start.
Pullups: Started on the second thickest band, moved down 2 bands.
Grip work: Started using S & T...I can now close the .5 grip thingy.
Back Extensions: Started the program unweighted, ended with a 45 pound plate.
Romanian Deads: (with dumbells) Started at 25lbs ended at 65lbs.
Good Mornings: Started at 45lbs ended at 75lbs.
Less frequent lifts:
Deadlifts: Started with working sets at 300lbs ended at 325. These were only once every other week.
Cleans: Started with 130 ended at 140, again, once every two weeks. I had trouble with form half way through the programming and struggled with both this and the snatches in terrible terrible ways! I know it will get fixed, I just sorta fell apart on the Olympic lifts. Hip stuff....
Push Press: Started at 120 ended at 137.5. These were tough, but they were one of the only lifts that I ended using the prescribed weight in the programing.
More frequent lifts:
Snatch: Started at 105 ended at 113.75.. such a form issue...geeeez....hips hips hips.
Shoulder Press: Wait for it, wait for it..... Started at 90 ended at 95...really? But, in the middle, I did get one set at 110, and one set at 115, but they were 1 set of 2, which is why I scaled back to get the 3x5 I was supposed to be doing.
Bench Press: Started at 110 ended at 152.5....I am super duper happy with this one...especially since this was a new lift for me. When I hit 150, I did the 3x5...I was thrilled. Will really helped me on this one.
Back Squat: This lift was really the cornerstone of the program. Started at 200 ended at 285.
Those are the numbers....the effects are yet to be seen, but I do know the lifting is already benefiting my throwing...which was the point after all!
Looks like we are testing one rep maxes the next couple weeks. My body is kinda tired and I have my last games the first weekend of November, so I don't know if I will even get new maxes...but I'd be ok with that. I have learned a bunch about my body...some days...it just doesn't wanna lift as much as other days.
Did my first CrossFit class in a long time last night too! Fun...in that "are you kidding me" CrossFit way.
My family, for putting up with the extra long workouts!
BJ!!!! thanks for coming up with this programming for this old lady.
Will & BJ for the constant encouragement and coaching on my form.
The entire Zia gym for putting up with the grunting coming from the corner and the running outside to puke behavior.
There were a lot of lifts in this program, but some were only in the programing once every two weeks...others were performed twice a week, every week... so gains are clearly dictated by how often lifts were performed. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that to have any gains, I just needed to no the number of lifts...the weight that was assumed was not as important as the reps. Sometimes that was a blow to my ego. Anyone who has been reading this blog knows my struggles with the shoulder press...ahhhh, but by the end of the program, I was doing the right number of lifts at a much lighter weight AND was happy about that.
Ok....where to start.
Pullups: Started on the second thickest band, moved down 2 bands.
Grip work: Started using S & T...I can now close the .5 grip thingy.
Back Extensions: Started the program unweighted, ended with a 45 pound plate.
Romanian Deads: (with dumbells) Started at 25lbs ended at 65lbs.
Good Mornings: Started at 45lbs ended at 75lbs.
Less frequent lifts:
Deadlifts: Started with working sets at 300lbs ended at 325. These were only once every other week.
Cleans: Started with 130 ended at 140, again, once every two weeks. I had trouble with form half way through the programming and struggled with both this and the snatches in terrible terrible ways! I know it will get fixed, I just sorta fell apart on the Olympic lifts. Hip stuff....
Push Press: Started at 120 ended at 137.5. These were tough, but they were one of the only lifts that I ended using the prescribed weight in the programing.
More frequent lifts:
Snatch: Started at 105 ended at 113.75.. such a form issue...geeeez....hips hips hips.
Shoulder Press: Wait for it, wait for it..... Started at 90 ended at 95...really? But, in the middle, I did get one set at 110, and one set at 115, but they were 1 set of 2, which is why I scaled back to get the 3x5 I was supposed to be doing.
Bench Press: Started at 110 ended at 152.5....I am super duper happy with this one...especially since this was a new lift for me. When I hit 150, I did the 3x5...I was thrilled. Will really helped me on this one.
Back Squat: This lift was really the cornerstone of the program. Started at 200 ended at 285.
Those are the numbers....the effects are yet to be seen, but I do know the lifting is already benefiting my throwing...which was the point after all!
Looks like we are testing one rep maxes the next couple weeks. My body is kinda tired and I have my last games the first weekend of November, so I don't know if I will even get new maxes...but I'd be ok with that. I have learned a bunch about my body...some days...it just doesn't wanna lift as much as other days.
Did my first CrossFit class in a long time last night too! Fun...in that "are you kidding me" CrossFit way.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
scared
I finished my 12 week linear strength building program on Friday. Finished weak on Shoulder Presses (big shock) Finished stronger on Back squats (sets at 285 thank you)
So...now what?
Me: I have to go back to CrossFit? I don't wanna....
me: why?
Me: I'm scared.
me: Huh? you've done crossfit before dummy.
Me: not for months and months!
me: so?
Me: It's gonna be hard. I will be terrible at it...
me: Maybe so....but it should come back quickly, after all, you were working out.
Me: but...I am good at lifting, I have never been "good" at crossfit.
me: I think you are letting your ego into this...you are not supposed to care how 'good' you are, just how good you feel after you workout.
Me: but...
me: I know, it feels good to be the one grunting under the weights in the corner, doesn't it...but that is not why you work out....it is NOT about only doing what you like...which is funny, 'cause you hated some of the lifting.
Me: (whispered) but who am I if I am not off squatting in the corner?
me: Just stop it, will you? Go back to class, sweat it out, enjoy the speed and enjoy coming in last all the time....be grateful you can move. Remember? Grateful you can move.
So...now what?
Me: I have to go back to CrossFit? I don't wanna....
me: why?
Me: I'm scared.
me: Huh? you've done crossfit before dummy.
Me: not for months and months!
me: so?
Me: It's gonna be hard. I will be terrible at it...
me: Maybe so....but it should come back quickly, after all, you were working out.
Me: but...I am good at lifting, I have never been "good" at crossfit.
me: I think you are letting your ego into this...you are not supposed to care how 'good' you are, just how good you feel after you workout.
Me: but...
me: I know, it feels good to be the one grunting under the weights in the corner, doesn't it...but that is not why you work out....it is NOT about only doing what you like...which is funny, 'cause you hated some of the lifting.
Me: (whispered) but who am I if I am not off squatting in the corner?
me: Just stop it, will you? Go back to class, sweat it out, enjoy the speed and enjoy coming in last all the time....be grateful you can move. Remember? Grateful you can move.
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