Yesterday was my first day back in the gym in a couple weeks. I have a powerlifting meet this weekend, The 2016 USPA regional powerlifting championships. The timing couldn't be worse.
I know, I know. What's an olympic style weightlifter doing competing at a powerlifting meet? Truth is I love training weightlifting more than I've ever loved training any other sport, but I'm not that fond of weightlifting meets. Where as I LOVE powerlifting competitions, but not that fond of powerlifting training. Thankfully olympic style weightlifting training transfers very well into powerlifting meets. Plus, my best friend and I are doing this together. He and I have done a all sorts of awesome competitions together. From Triathlons, jui jitsu tournaments, marathons.... you name it, we've done it.
The good news is my lifting felt pretty good considering how much time I'd taken off. Things didn't feel that much heavier. I did fatigue quicker than usual, but all things considered I'll take that over a loss of strength any day. I'm not tapering for the powerlifting meet. The one good thing about being a super heavyweight weightlifter in my 40's is I rarely have anyone else in my age group and weight class. With rare exception all I gotta do to win my division is show up. My goals this weekend is a 140k (308lb) bench, 185k (407lbs) squat, 190k (418lbs) deadlift, 515k total (1,133lbs). Not great numbers, but not bad for only my 2nd powerlifting meet.
February 25, 2016
February 23, 2016
nightmare 2 weeks
Man have things been stressful. I'm buying a new homowe, selling the home we have, I'm retiring from my career of over 21 years, I'm job searching, attempting to put my kids in a new school in another city, my Suburban broke down for the third time in 4 weeks, and I got word my favorite aunt's cancer has returned. Her cancer is terminal. We drove to Lubbock last weekend to say goodbye. While there we stayed with my cousin and ate what they served. Yet another weekend of not doing what I'm supposed to diet wise.
The last 12 days I stopped working out and I stopped working with my nutrition coach. I regret making the decision to no longer work with my nutrition coach. He was awesome in every way. I've gotten the best results in weightlifting I've ever had working with him while simultaneously losing weight. But I'll be moving soon and I know there's no way in hell I'll be able to stay on the diet wagon during the transition period from one home to another. It doesn't make sense to work with a nutritionist if there'll be a 1-2 week period that I know I won't follow any diet plan. Plus I felt like every weekend I was full of excuses about why I didn't follow the diet. They were legitimate, but still excuses get old and there's nothing I hate more than feeling like I'm letting someone down.
The last 12 days I stopped working out and I stopped working with my nutrition coach. I regret making the decision to no longer work with my nutrition coach. He was awesome in every way. I've gotten the best results in weightlifting I've ever had working with him while simultaneously losing weight. But I'll be moving soon and I know there's no way in hell I'll be able to stay on the diet wagon during the transition period from one home to another. It doesn't make sense to work with a nutritionist if there'll be a 1-2 week period that I know I won't follow any diet plan. Plus I felt like every weekend I was full of excuses about why I didn't follow the diet. They were legitimate, but still excuses get old and there's nothing I hate more than feeling like I'm letting someone down.
February 06, 2016
moving, retiring, and change
I really hate change. I'm like an old person in that way. That's probably my best and worst personal trait. It makes me loyal, but it also makes me a huge pain in the butt. There's a massive amount of change coming in my near future. We're buying a new home. We'll be selling a place I love and have lived happily for the last 13 years. We'll be moving to a city I don't like much, Albuquerque NM. I'll be retiring from the prison I've worked at and loved for 21 years. I'll be getting another job with potentially better pay, but still it's.... change..... I'm a wreck right now.
I've been struggling with weightlifting for a couple months. I should be lifting a lot more than I am. My speed and strength have increased a ton, but the weights I'm lifting haven't increased. The problem is my form. I've been frustrated enough that I've been contemplating switching to powerlifting. The only things that had stopped me from changing sports was that olympic weightlifting has one of the lowest injury rates of all sports, powerlifting's injury rate is pretty high; I felt I was on the verge of getting some pretty big numbers before getting in my slump; I recently lifted a 100k snatch. That's a pretty good lift for someone in their 40's. I'm like %75 certain I'll stick with weightlifting., try to work my way out of this slump.
Once i move to Albuquerque it'll be a two hour round trip drive to the Miller Gym. Add a two hour long workout, that's 4 hours, four times a week to train. The Miller Gym is worth it. Coach Shane Miller is one of the best programmers in the nation. And I love the people I lift with. I feel a tremendous amount of camaraderie with them. It's rare to find such a close knit team. I'm going to try like hell to continue to train there. I'm hoping I'll be able to adjust my schedule to fit 4 hours of training and driving everyother day after work, but with 3 kids involved in sports after school, and my wife working full time while taking 14 credit hours of college classes in the evenings, I'm not sure how I'll be able to. Change sucks.
I've been struggling with weightlifting for a couple months. I should be lifting a lot more than I am. My speed and strength have increased a ton, but the weights I'm lifting haven't increased. The problem is my form. I've been frustrated enough that I've been contemplating switching to powerlifting. The only things that had stopped me from changing sports was that olympic weightlifting has one of the lowest injury rates of all sports, powerlifting's injury rate is pretty high; I felt I was on the verge of getting some pretty big numbers before getting in my slump; I recently lifted a 100k snatch. That's a pretty good lift for someone in their 40's. I'm like %75 certain I'll stick with weightlifting., try to work my way out of this slump.
Once i move to Albuquerque it'll be a two hour round trip drive to the Miller Gym. Add a two hour long workout, that's 4 hours, four times a week to train. The Miller Gym is worth it. Coach Shane Miller is one of the best programmers in the nation. And I love the people I lift with. I feel a tremendous amount of camaraderie with them. It's rare to find such a close knit team. I'm going to try like hell to continue to train there. I'm hoping I'll be able to adjust my schedule to fit 4 hours of training and driving everyother day after work, but with 3 kids involved in sports after school, and my wife working full time while taking 14 credit hours of college classes in the evenings, I'm not sure how I'll be able to. Change sucks.
February 01, 2016
houses, retirement, hunger, and weight loss
This weekend my wife and I placed a bid on a house. We'll find out today the sellers response. Unfortunately the house in in Albuquerque. I hate Albuquerque. But my wife loves it there, and I want to make her happy. If the bid is accepted, the next step is to sell the trailer at the prison, then retire. I can't believe I may be leaving the prison. This place and the people working here have always been the one constantly in my life. It's been my security blanket. I'm sure it sounds ridiculous, but the prison is the one place I've always been accepted and appreciated, it was the first place I've ever felt like was home, the closest thing in my life to family was the the staff at the prison. I'm scared to death to leave.
I had told my sports nutrition coach I was really hungry last week. He told me that my body would adjust to the new calories. I didn't believe him. I've said it 100 times in the three months I've worked with him, but he was right. I'm still losing weight, I'm still making strength gains, and my hunger has dissipated. This guys a flippin' nutrition genius. I'm so grateful to have him helping me. My only regret was not hiring him earlier.
I had told my sports nutrition coach I was really hungry last week. He told me that my body would adjust to the new calories. I didn't believe him. I've said it 100 times in the three months I've worked with him, but he was right. I'm still losing weight, I'm still making strength gains, and my hunger has dissipated. This guys a flippin' nutrition genius. I'm so grateful to have him helping me. My only regret was not hiring him earlier.
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