Never Walk Alone

Training
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[quote]PB Andy wrote:
Wow V, that was fucking awesome. You are seriously on your way, no joke. I’m not even going to give advice because it is clear whoever is teaching you knows what they’re doing.

In the amount of time you’ve been lifting, you have improved so much that it astounding. I am seriously impressed.

Now I’m motivated to train. Later, will have vids up.[/quote]

Yay Andy!! Thank you so much! You know your opinion means everything to me cuz you’re kinda like my mentor (at least in my head you are). So thanks for the encouragement. And If I can inspire you then that’s awesome. HAHA!

Maybe some day before 2012 I’ll post in the Oly forum when I’m not feeling like a total pussy :wink:

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thanks Kimba, I know you get me. And you’re right, life is short! So I think I will definitely start switching up my training so I give my muscley places a rest.

Nik - ugh, i’m so NOT a pro, but thanks. HAH! And I def don’t think I’m fat, I think I’m too muscular! lol! So that’s why I’m thinking to keep the diet below maintenance. At least then I won’t gain anymore fat around my muscles. If that makes sense. It might just be easier to stop working my bi’s and tri’s for a bit, maybe focus on back? I’ve been doing Defranco’s ‘Built like a badass’ which I think says it all…

PcH! Hai! Thanks for stopping in girlie! I don’t think its an odd question at all! I think its a great question. Actually, I really don’t think while I’m pulling because there’s no time and there’s just TOO much to think about. But right before I pull, when I’m setting up, I usually visualize the entire lift. That’s why I always take so long setting up. I also just noticed that before I get into the position when I’m pulling off the floor, I kinda dig my heels into the floor - this is because I’m trying to remember that everything starts from the heels for me, and then I visualize exploding upwards (which clearly isn’t working, but whatever).

Anyways, its actually quite interesting because my coach and I had a bit of a learning curve. When I started he used to just bark orders at me and I just wouldn’t get it, which was frustrating. As it turns out, I really need to be “shown” how things go, and I need him to touch me and indicate on my body where the bar should hit, how my legs should be, etc. etc. I think that’s the only way I can create the mental map. Either that or my daddy issues have gotten the best of me. Anyways, I also think I get things through sheer mimicry - which is something I learned when I used to dance flamenco. You just have to do exactly what you see even if it feels dumb, which in Oly is stomping the floor when you catch. HAH!

Ok folks, well lucky for me I slept in today - yay! But now I have to work - boo!

Later I’m going to take a run and hit pilates - super ball? what super ball?

And then its back to grindstone. I’ll catch up with y’alls later! Have a wonderful week :slight_smile:

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I understand the fat around muscles thing.
You can rest assured that you’ll get “smaller”, in a good way.
I’m finding that during my prep, my legs for example, which have the most muscle, are looking smaller, fat and muscle-wise ;(

But since that’s your goal, you should celebrate =D

Just don’t lose the boot-ay! ;D

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I’m envious of your ability to get that lean muscle! (and yes to me, you look LEAN!)

most women(including me) would KILL for that look..

your putting the work in and getting other results you may not have expected(or wanted) You gotta do what you gotta do though!

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[quote]Mascherano wrote:
thanks Kimba, I know you get me. And you’re right, life is short! So I think I will definitely start switching up my training so I give my muscley places a rest.

Nik - ugh, i’m so NOT a pro, but thanks. HAH! And I def don’t think I’m fat, I think I’m too muscular! lol! So that’s why I’m thinking to keep the diet below maintenance. At least then I won’t gain anymore fat around my muscles. If that makes sense. It might just be easier to stop working my bi’s and tri’s for a bit, maybe focus on back? I’ve been doing Defranco’s ‘Built like a badass’ which I think says it all…

PcH! Hai! Thanks for stopping in girlie! I don’t think its an odd question at all! I think its a great question. Actually, I really don’t think while I’m pulling because there’s no time and there’s just TOO much to think about. But right before I pull, when I’m setting up, I usually visualize the entire lift. That’s why I always take so long setting up. I also just noticed that before I get into the position when I’m pulling off the floor, I kinda dig my heels into the floor - this is because I’m trying to remember that everything starts from the heels for me, and then I visualize exploding upwards (which clearly isn’t working, but whatever).

Anyways, its actually quite interesting because my coach and I had a bit of a learning curve. When I started he used to just bark orders at me and I just wouldn’t get it, which was frustrating. As it turns out, I really need to be “shown” how things go, and I need him to touch me and indicate on my body where the bar should hit, how my legs should be, etc. etc. I think that’s the only way I can create the mental map. Either that or my daddy issues have gotten the best of me. Anyways, I also think I get things through sheer mimicry - which is something I learned when I used to dance flamenco. You just have to do exactly what you see even if it feels dumb, which in Oly is stomping the floor when you catch. HAH!

Ok folks, well lucky for me I slept in today - yay! But now I have to work - boo!

Later I’m going to take a run and hit pilates - super ball? what super ball?

And then its back to grindstone. I’ll catch up with y’alls later! Have a wonderful week :slight_smile:
[/quote]

Cool, exactly what I was wondering about.

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Great vids, Maschy - hoping I can cope with the old snatch when I go to the oly workshop on Saturday. How long did it take you to get the movement right?

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[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
I was watching the videos and thinking two things…(1) that your EVERYTHING looked awesome, and (2) those pants looked great on you.
[/quote]
Tweaked it just a bit :wink:

Looking great Masch, I could never do Oly lifts, I’d cripple myself. Bravo to you!

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smooth Maschy-Girl!

I got no advice for Oly lifts…so consider me in a cheerleader uniform with Frenchie waving my Pom Poms and cheering you on!!

btw…you looooook mah-velous.

Funny ya’all talk about body image…I’m thinking if we all had good body image, we wouldn’t be in the gym so much…or is that just me?

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Sorry I’m so late to things…

You are getting some nice speed with the powersnatches :slight_smile:

I have the same problem with a forwards bar path on some of my cleans (so I need to lean forwards / step forwards to rack them). My coach says that when my bar path is forwards it is because I’m not finishing the pull / extending my hips properly. I don’t know if this applies to you or not, though.

I’m nervous of extending my hips properly when the bar is light because I’m scared it will fly too high and I’ll hit myself in the face (has happened). Two fixes seem to be 1) Trying to pull the bar as fast as possible. 2) Putting some more weight on so I need to finish the pull in order to get it high enough to rack. I’m still working on the first (not sure how that works without hitting me in the face, exactly)… The second seems to help me most.

I really do think you look amazing. Athletic, yes, but that is much nicer than the muscularly atrophied look that a lot of women aspire to. That being said, I do hear your concerns about your upper body because I have similar concerns about mine. I have realized, though, that as debraD said ones upper body does look much more muscular than it typically does when it is pumped from doing Oly Lifting. If I do sets of 5 jerks from the rack I freak myself out quite a lot if I see myself in the mirror. That look translates to nice curves when one isn’t pumped, though. Nice curves that show nice definition when you do things like pick up a pen or drink or touch your hair. You wouldn’t have the nice curves and definition if you didn’t have the muscle mass…

That being said, I’m looking into my diet at the moment, too :-/

Nice lifting :slight_smile:

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That LBH video brings back some meories. Doing Squats after a meet in that back room where the weights are kept when the place closes down.

Are you thinking about doing a meet?

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Did you buy dowings?

I agree with ronaldo - that gym is fun have not made it out there in years…

Ok Last time was like late 2009.

masch its all looking well- do they not let you drop the training plates?

you just need some repetition and the lifts will all come together.

If you are coming up on your toes - for me its always ankle issues.

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Hey Peeps!

Thanks for stopping by and spreading the love.

I am feeling a bit better about myself these days bashfully kicks the dirt You guys are great for helping in that way. So thanks again for all the kind words.

Cal - I’ll pop by your log later - I want to hear all about that old snatch of yours! :smiley: Well…I don’t technically have the movement down tbh…but it took me precisely 3 months to get what you see there (can I say, FML?)

Edgy, too true my friend, too true. And thanks!

Rock - love the Avi mofo! HAHA! And weird, i was just humming that song this morning. get out of my brain vampire!! Ok, stay.

Hey Alexus! Thanks for all your input and the kind words! Its really helpful hearing your perspective. I think I sorta figured out my problem on the cleans (the problem being that I lean forward when I catch) and this is that I’m not catching the bar high enough on my shoulders (should be closer to neck, which is what Git said is my front squat issue - it all comes together…), which really stems from the fact that I’m not whipping my elbows up fast enough. So the motion I need to learn is after I extend to drop below the bar and WHIP elbows up. This probably only makes sense in my head.

Hola hermoso! HA! Yeah, that’s right re: the LBH - still jenkity, still awesome. And no, no, I’m not even close to doing a meet…sigh.

That said, KMC and Ronaldo - come to the LBH again!! It would be so much fun! And yeah, we can drop the plates KMC, I’m just a puss about it. And yes, ankle mobility! Thanks for the reminder!!

Ok guys, I sorta gotta run - but I’m totes still training!

And…

Last night I FINALLY caught a proper snatch!!! Woo hoo!! I actually did it a couple of times :slight_smile:

2x27 and 2x28

I was really happy. My reg coach wasn’t there and I had the other coach Jeff around. He basically just told me to stop lollygagging, put some weight on the bar and drop under it. And that’s what I did! It’s like breaking a mule I tell ya. You just got to go for it and fuck it.

Other than that, everything is the same except I’ve decided to drop DLing. They take too long to recover from and since soccer is coming up soon, I need to work on my conditioning more and actually play some soccer, ahem.

Ok folks! this post took longer than expected! eep! Robot must work.

I’m in lurker mode ladies - you’re all doing wonderfully! Keep up the great work lovers!

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Oh! And Hai Inky!!

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Cool videos - I have nothing to comment on as I know nothing about oly lifting. But after watching those I think that might be somthing I’d like to learn one day.

I tottaly hear you on the body image thing too. Some days I’ll flex in the mirror and think “Yeah awesome!” then the next day I’ll think “what the heck am I doing to myself?” So fickle - lol. Despite the flip-flopping, I agree with Alexus that the athletic look is so much more appealing than the atrophied look.

I like the idea of more back training - muscular backs are sexay!

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oh my god! you’re a badass! and adorable!! Your arms are miles away from being too big by the way. You look great!

i love the shoes too…hmm…jockin the oly shoes…

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Hola linda!

I would love to go train there one day. Right now it’s kind of hard though because I had a hernia repair about 10 months ago and I couldn’t do any lower body for almost a year. I can only do 225x13 on back squats (((((. Lower body strength is coming up quick though, 2 weeks ago I was doing 190-195x8 lol ((.

I shouldn’t complain though, my body is responding well to lower body training and everything seems to be in place “down there”. Maybe at the start of this summer I’ll come down one day. You’ll probably be snatching more than me by then hehe.

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[quote]Mascherano wrote:
Oh! And Hai Inky!! [/quote]
OH HAI!

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[quote]kmcnyc wrote:

If you are coming up on your toes - for me its always ankle issues.[/quote]

Can you expand on this? Specifically, what’s the issue with the ankles if this is happening? I assume tightness in a certain direction?

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I’m not catching the bar high enough on my shoulders (should be closer to neck, which is what Git said is my front squat issue - it all comes together…), which really stems from the fact that I’m not whipping my elbows up fast enough. So the motion I need to learn is after I extend to drop below the bar and WHIP elbows up. This probably only makes sense in my head.

nope - that makes perfect sense to me. i have had precisely that problem before, too. I see that that would fix the issue.

great work on the snatches - WOO HOO!!!

that is one of the wonderful things about having someone with you in person, I think. Having someone to tell you (when appropriate) to quit fussing around, put some weight on the bar, and JUST DO IT ALREADY!!!

I think i’ve become a major fuss-pot since the dude who was giving me some coaching seems to have vanished. need to get to my work sets rather than doing too many with what should now be warm-up weights…

I’m going to write a letter to the gym about how training bumpers are a safety issue…