congrats on your body changes. sorry to hear they train during your work hours 
i hope you get the wrist thing sorted out… i think you will find that as the weights get heavier the bar will crash down on you less… but i understand you need that to happen before trying for heavier weights so it feels safe to try them.
still having knee issues??
That vastus med. is commonly weaker in females. WORK IT!
what a sad story…
I wonder if a dry suit would be worse?
^ LOL!!
Congrats on the comp, mama!! Meh for skinny young things that lift (a tiny bit!) more.
Its funny, the woman I train with once started crying at Oly practice because she was frustrated with herself and pissed that I was progressing faster despite us starting at the same time. I felt so bad about it!! I tried to comfort her and told her that the truth was we had different strengths, and in the end “its just you and the bar”, so whatever anyone else does, it doesn’t matter. I think that helped. LOL! I miss her
Also congrats on the lost inches! It is nice when clothes fit better!! I’ve put on a couple of pounds, so my clothes are SNUG!! GAH!
And yes - VMO, work it!! HAHA! I have to do that too. That little muscle is crucial for proper knee tracking…
Great work in here, girlie! Keep it up!
Cal, maybe more lean mass but not sure, I don’t look more defined, but someone in my diving club said it looks like I’ve lost a few, so others are noticing it.
Lexy, the wrist will eventually sort itself out. I’m not too sure how I’m going to get my work schedule, but I’m meeting them tomorrow since I have the day off. We shall see.
Yes MiM I’m working it, he gave me an exercise I can do on stairs, so now & then I do some on the stairs at work. Knee felt better with yesterday’s squats, I kept it light enough though.
nlmain, it is sad. I don’t know the details though, I don’t see my friend that often.
Maschy, I can understand her frustration, but its one thing to be competitive as long as it propels you forward but if it doesn’t well, probably best to re examine why its not. I don’t know what I’m trying to say, I have typing diarrhea.
But what I do find frustrating is when I’ve taken 10 steps back from where I was myself. But I’ve just made up my mind to enjoy the process. Oly lifting came out of the blue to me at a new stage in my relationship with my body. I knew I had to stop worrying about how it looked and going OCD on my eating habits (as it backfired on me last year during my injuries), and concentrate on what it does. Now I also need to stop worrying about how I have not progressed that much, which is actually fair enough because it is not my number 1 or even 2 priority, I just have to find an appropriate place for it with my time, so it becomes more fun for me instead.
Went to new gym last night. Had a training session with my new friend/trainer. She just set me up on a basic BB program, squats, deadlifts, presses and some stuff for my glutes. She has me doing more of a oly lifting deadlift than a power lifting deadlift??? And she actually had me do two minutes on each side of that Hip Stretch/Couch Stretch that Lexy posted, I don’t know how she got me into for 2 minutes as last time I tried, 5 seconds was enough for me. I think I might have gone into my pain cave for the left side though.
I then went to the pool with the diving club, did a few serious lengths but mainly just monkeying around, we had 3 kids in the pool this time, boy they have loads of energy! Which is fine for me to play around with them for an hour but not sure if I could do it 24/7. Also always an embarrassment that they can do that tumble off better than me, LOL.
How d’you mean an oly deadlift?
And yeah, kids have a lot of energy. I am always exhausted after teaching nursery.
Cal, I haven’t a clue, its been ages since I did BB deadlifting, but it felt stranger than usual. I think she had me keep my hips down a bit more, actually I don’t think I was getting as low as she wanted them, feet were closer together. Who knows, it could just be something she made up ;-D
Yay PB! Snatched 30kg (finally!), at the new place with new coach with new training friend. After I told him (the coach) that the most I snatched was 28, he poo pooed that & snuck on the 30 without telling me. First time, didn’t finish the pull but 2nd time got it, third time for some reason I got it in the OH squat position but I couldn’t get up, was just sitting there in the hole. I then tried 31kg, it went up but didn’t stay up long enough for me to really count it. Wasn’t focusing on what I should be.
Woke up with head & neck ache, but I managed to get myself there & train. The first 2 sets were a bit rusty, but then I guess memory muscle kicked in. My new friend said she thinks I could actually get 40 easily once I build up my confidence. And I’m not using stable enough wrist wraps (ok so going the cheap option didn’t work) & eventually I’ll need to get oly shoes, since I already have feet pronation. It was also nice to be able to drop the bar.
The platform area in the gym is a bit smaller than the other gym, at first I thought that was going to be a problem but I actually like the intimacy of it. And also I since its not a specific oly lifting gym, for some reason I thought I’d have to pay for the coaching but it seems to be included, the only thing is he trains 3-5 people and they need to be around the same hours. He’s also 85, been lifting for 60 years, wowzer!
I completely forgot how to do cleans, but that’ll come back but my jerk is terrible.
Ah can’t sleep back ache woke me up & its killing me!!! Always something. My friend has her comp in a week and her quad was killing her, poor thing. She won most improved female lifter for this year in the weightlifting federation over here.
Going to hotel for special occasion this weekend, and doing some run throughs for my diving test. I seriously don’t feel ready to lead any trainees on a dive, not in the slightest. Better get my cardio up too next week, hotel has a gym & its by the sea.
good stuff on the snatches!
I feel ya for the dives… just stay confidant and calm.
Good stuff on the snatch. I think a huge amount of whether you lift something or not is mental - hence my squat battle. Lifts like the squat and both the oly lifts can be a bit scary. I don’t doubt you’ve got 40kg in you.
You’re right Cal, its all mental. That 30/31kg was actually kind of easy considering I hadn’t done a proper session for 2.5 weeks, the first set felt like I completely forgot how to snatch, then it came back to me.
nlmain, I tried to remain confident, it got a bit hairy out there though. We were late going out and the currents started (it was a shore dive as the weather wouldn’t allow for any boat diving). So we had to actually snorkel out to a spot, my left ankle kept cramping up on me.
We then did some of the pre-test, but once again not the actual leading of the dive, pfft. My instructor decided to start heading in as we were getting pushed out a bit too much. I didn’t realise at the time though, we then surfaced and had to snorkel for a bit.
Fucking tough snorkel too, waves kept going in my snorkel and felt like I was on a treadmill going no where on the current. We finally were able to cut across the current to head for some rocks. Was able to catch my breath, then my freaking tank comes loose from being tossed around the place (I always do the shake test before I dive but guess it wasn’t enough). Luckily my instructor had his head about him and made us snorkel for some of it and not use up our air, so the last part of trying to get back to shore was able to use regulator.
Ooof gotta up my endurance, but I should be doing my test in 2 weeks if weather permits. Gonna go shopping too, get some fins that have a bit more give in them, my ankle is a bit too crunchy & weak, also gotta buy an SMB & a better compass. Oh yeah and lost my stupid knife too, knew I should’ve replaced those straps.
It was all a learning experience, when you have someone with less experience than you, one really needs to talk in a calm encouraging fashion, so I was in good hands with my instructor.
Anyway did some running on the treadmill yesterday to up the endurance.
TIRED!!! Didn’t sleep well. Went to see the new coach, session was just meh. I was a bit flustered before I came because public transportation was out, so had to walk, & walk through other commuters trying to get home. Hate any type of crowds really. He put me back on that damn board again. My jumping is a bit off at times if I don’t fully concentrate, he wants it as second nature.
Think I need to concentrate on pushing myself forwards without actually pushing myself forwards, if that makes sense. Since we were just using the bar, decided to test out my knee without support, seems to be getting nearly better. Did some FS & presses, used the same weights from last week but they felt HEAVY.
This coach is really really really old school with regards to accessory exercises and diet. But then again he keeps it really simple too, so I can’t complain about that. In 2 weeks I should be able to take the 2* diving test, then I can put the stuff away for winter and concentrate on oly lifting. After Sunday’s blah dive with the weather, think I’ll be fine with that. And this new coach likes to train on Sundays, so that’ll suit me.
Oh yeah and measured myself, think my waist is down 2 inches from the last time I measured many many moons ago, but the hips maybe only 0.5, if that. I don’t know didn’t write it down.
your snatches are doing great! glad to hear you are getting some decent coaching. is this the closer gym??
Thanks Lexy, want my snatch to do you proud! Soon I’ll catch up to ya, well soon I’ll catch up to where you are now anyway, 40kg before Xmas??? Can’t wait to hear about your new place.
Yes this place is much closer but public transportation is a bit off, but if worse comes to worse its only a 45 minute walk. Great thing is the 2 platforms so far have not been too busy between 6-7, you can’t train on the heavy weights after 7 because a neighbour complained to cops, but then you can just go upstairs to a few benches and cardio stuff till 9pm. Close enough to pool too, so I can train Wed’s then go to pool at 8pm.
This coach I think broke the ‘finish the pull’ down a bit better for me. It just sounds like such an unintuitive term to me. Anyway for me its about landing correctly & brining my hips into play, as well as keeping Mr. Pendlay’s concept of when to explode, think I still need to work on where to feel the bar, then explode.
Ah wasted weekend. Had to go out for work on Thurs night, ruined my Friday and some of my Sat, I’m not made for drinking out, my poor little cells don’t regenerate fast enough. Sun’s pretest dive was a disaster too, once again we had to snorkel out to the same spot with currents again.
Ah nothing worth mentioning but I allowed myself to feel dissapointed and frustrated, digested some critism about how I wasn’t paying attention to my snorkeling technique once I got tired, also wasn’t paying enough attention to the currents which is why I didn’t quite make it in a straight line to our diving point thus creating more work, but I did decide not to dive since I wasn’t fully comfortable but in retrospect I should’ve just skipped the one test of going down without the mask. On the way back to shore once I had the reg in my mouth and saw little fishies I instantly calmed down. There’s just something about looking at fish in the ocean.
Oh well test is next Sunday, everyone says I’m ready but I have not actually lead a dive yet, I understand the theory but…what I really need to do is take my time in the test, essentially they want to see that you are a safe diver to yourself and can take care of anyone with you. FOCUS WOMAN!!!
Can’t wait for it to be over then I can start volunteering for this marine conservation organisation.
Oh yeah more great news, TOM some time this week, I’m hoping it comes on Thurs, that way it won’t interfere with lectures and the actual test on Sunday. Won’t be able to do test on drugs.
If it helps, my waist always tightens up first and then the hips come in later. Having said that, there is always a huge difference with the measurements - 11 to 12 inches (depending on bloat and other factors). I’m always going to be hippy and since I lose weight from the top down, that actually seems to get worse before it gets better.
Good luck with your dive. Fish are calming - that’s why they have aquariums in a lot of dentist waiting rooms! As a kid I couldn’t swim until I was 9 but I used a rubber ring and was quite happy bobbing around in the ocean with it on. My parents took me on holiday to Dubrovnik when I was 6 and I remember stealing my dad’s mask and flippers and heading out to look at the fish. I just got so carried away I didn’t realise I’d scared the shit out of my poor parents who only realised I was gone when they noticed my dad’s stuff was missing, along with me, and there was a tiny girl-shaped blob on the horizon. They sent a strong young lad to retrieve me and I remember being quite annoyed at having my lovely fishy exploration halted!
luck for your test! i’ve never been snorkeling or diving but have friends who are really into it. they show me pictures sometimes…
it is amazing to me about how much of weightlifting is mental. 40kg is my nemesis at the moment for snatches. i’ve done it 3 times. was majorly pissed off each of those times, though. except the third when i was strangely calm… seem to need a bit of attitude or something that i’m not quite sure how to muster. a little bit scared of it, i think. i remember the road to 30kg was painstaking… same thing again, i think. strangely enough once i got 30kg fairly reliably 35kg really wasn’t too far behind it. then quick progress again til 40kg. 40kg by x-mas for sure!!
you might have mentionned this but what level of certification are you trying to reach and why?