kick butt coaches make kick butt results

7 weeks ago I joined High Dessert Athletic Club in Albquerque New Mexico. It's a weightlifting gym ran by one of the top weightlifting coaches in America, coach Joaquin Chavez. Coach Joaquin Chaves is the only level 3 Olympic style weightlifting coach in the entire South West. So far I've put 8k on my total. 8k in only 7 weeks is absolutely unbelievable. I'm so pumped up. Can't wait to see what I'm going to accomplish with him training me.

So, 3 weeks ago I rehired my nutrition coach. The last time we worked together the nutrition plan he had me on made for great weight loss and unbelievable gains in the weight room. But the program was to hard for me. After throwing in the towel and consequently gaining all my weight back I decided to try it again. I finally was honest to my nutrition coach about how hard the last program was. Lo and behold he tried something new and wallah, it's perfect! In 2.5 weeks I've lost 10 pounds.

The 2016 New Mexico games weightlifting meet report

On Sunday May 22nd I competed in the 2016 New Mexico games weightlifting meet. This was my 6th week training at my new weightlifting gym, High Dessert Athletic Club, and under my new coach, Joaquin Chavez. I'd made incredible gains so far under his tutlage.

I wasn't nearly as nervous as I usually was before a meet. And I got to warm up with my nutrition coach Barry Shroeder. He's really knowledgeable and a motivating person. So that was pretty wonderful for my meet.

Robel Tayloy, he goes by Chacho, showed up to compete today. He's beaten me by at least 20k at every meet I've ever competed with him at. I'd say if I had to pick one person who's my weightlifting nemisis he'd be it. Super nice guy. But a man can only get his butt beat by a person so many times before that man becomes his nemesis. And he'll be aging up to the 40-44 age group on Jan 1st 2017, so he and I will be in the same age group and weight class next year.Also, My nutrition coach and friend barry was there. Seeing him compete a few years ago was the reason I got into weightlifting. There's no chance of me beating that stud eather. Although, when I first saw Barry lift i decided one of my bucket list goals was to some day beat him. To be the best you have to beat the best right?

Coach Chavez had me attempt an 85k for my first snatch. It felt easy and landed perfectly. On my 2nd attempt I asked to go for a 95. Coach's eyes just about fell out of his head!
"That's to big of a jump. How about 91k." It wasn't a question.

91k was a good lift.  On my third attempt I asked for a 100k. Again, coach almost fainted. "what's your PR?"  he asked.
"96k coach"
"go for 97"
Third lift was good.

Since I went 3 for 3 on the snatches I was probably going to be able to take 3rd place in my heat, 2nd place in the 105+. Behind Chacho in the 105+ and behind both Barry and Chacho in my heat. Beating Chacho and Barry isn't even a question. Those two doen't just beat me when we lift against eachother. They slaughter me!

I was really excited about the clean and jerks. My weightlifting coach has helped me make huge improvements in my jerks, which was my biggest weakness in weightlifting. I attempted a 110k on my first lift and nailed it, easy. On my second attempt I asked to go for a 120k. Same thing, coach almost died of shock, once he recovered he said, "A 10k increase is to much. what's your PR?"
 "120".
"Lets go for 118k this time. I'll let you go higher next time."
Nailed the 118K! I'm 5 for 5 so far. I've only had two 6 for 6 meets in 2 1/2 years, so things were already pretty exciting.
"Let's go for broke in the third lift coach! 125k!!"
I see coach thinking.....
"Go for 122k. That'll be a PR and you'll be in first by 2k."
This time it was my turn to be confused. 1st? 1st of what? I couldn't take the time to figure it out. The clock was counting down and it was my turn up. I nailed the 122k!

Turns out I took 1st place in both the 105+ and the heat. I also set 3 40-44 AG 105k+ New Mexico weightlifting records. I beat Chacho by 2k total. Chacho will be aging up next year to the 40-44 age group 105+ weight class, so that was huge! Next year will be exciting and heck of a big challenge. I've never done well enough at a weightlifting meet to look at others and think to myself "I want to lift better than this person or that person." Chacho's a beast. Next year will be a lot of fun! And, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I out lifted Barry Schroeder too. Out lifting Barry was on my bucket list for a long time now. I honestly didn't think I could ever do it. But today i did. It was a good day.

Adocare Spark for weightlifting

This is my one thousandth blog post! I'm pretty excited about that. I've been blogging about the sports I've been competing in for over almost 10 years. Ive tried and blogged about triathlon, duathlon, running, cycling, swimming, brazilian jiu jitsu, CrossFit, powerlifting, and now weightlifting. It's been an amazing journey.

I've been using Spark by Adocare when I train or compete the last couple months. I love it. It doesn't matter how long or intense my training day is I never run out of energy or start lifting crappy because of fatigue. No matter how tired I am when I get to the gym, once I start sipping on Spark I'm feeling great and ready to train!

When I first stated taking it I was just mixing it with water. It worked really well. But I didn't get the unlimited energy until I started mixing it with gatoraid and a half scoop of whey protein. Now that I'm mixing it I literally feel like I could lift forever without any loss of performance or ability.

As much as I love Spark for training it's made the biggest difference in weightlifting meets. I used to start to crash hard after the snatch's. During the clean and jerks I'd feel so fatigued I just couldn't produce the effort to get anywhere near the results I knew I was capable of. Since taking Spark I never fatigue during the clean and jerks. EVER!

It wasn't until today I felt the downside of Spark. I forgot my mixture or Gatorade, whey protein, and Spark at home. By the time I was three quarters of the way through my workout I ran out of energy big time! I was struggling fierce. Training without it after feeling bullet proof during training for so long sucked.

I've been buying Spark off of Ebay for awhile now. I think it's time to get membership to Advocare. Buying my Spark directly through Advocare will be much cheaper.

down 8 pounds!

This is the 999th post on my blog!

My nutrition coach is the bomb. Since re-hiring him I've lost 8 pounds! My short term goal is 307.9 pounds by the NASA powerlifting Grand Nationals on July 9th. I only have 6.2 more pounds to go and 7 weeks to do it! If I can get down to the 308 pound weight class my current totals would set 11 national and state records.

After the NASA Grandnationals in July is over, my next goal will be to get to the 275.5 pound weight class by the NASA Christmas classic on December 3rd.

close to working!

I got a call from my new boss. All my paperwork has been turned in. It should only be a week or two until I start working! I can't wait to start working. The retiree lifestyle is not for me.

Coach Joaquin spent some time helping me with my cleans last night. He told me once my form catches up to my strength I'll be able to clean and jerk a 140. That's motivating! The state games is this weekend. I'm looking forward to it. I'm hoping to hit that elusive 100k snatch and 125k clean and jerk. I've been shooting for a 100k snatch for the last 29 months. A 225 total would be a dream come true.

passed the test

OOn Saturday I passed the written test I'd failed earlier that week. I also passed the state and federal firearms tests. All I have to do is one more 16 hour block of training and a test to be able to start working. After I start working I have to get in 440 hours before the medical insurance kicks in. Once the medical insurance for my family kicks in at the new job everything will be fine. But until it does we're hurting. Medical insurance through the New Mexico retiree health care is $1,872 a month, my pension is $2000 a month take home. That leaves $128 a month for us to live on. I wasn't able to pay the mortgage this month. I never should have retired from the prison.

The New Mexico games is this weekend. I'll be competing in the 105+ 40-44 ag.

retiree health care costs

Thanks to Obama Care the cost of health insurance through the NM retiree health care has sky rocketed. Now that i retired from New Mexico the state health insurance for my wife, my three kids and I is $1,782 a month. After I pay my families health care I have $128 a month left from my pension. I'm currently training for my next job. My new employer is giving training when they have the time. It's sporadic at best. I usually have a week or more inbetween times they are able to offer me training. Until I can start working again we aren't able to pay our bills. We aren't able to pay our mortgage this month.

This week my new employer is training firearms. I've been shooting guns since I was 7 years old. So consequently I'm an exellent shot. Since shooting comes so naturally to me I'm not up to date with the book aspect and terminologies of shooting and firearms. So I failed a written test today. I have another shot to pass tomorrow. If I don't pass tomorrow's test I have to wait 90 days to test again. If i dont pass i dont work. Needless to say I'm freaking the hell out.

I'll post what questions I can remember here for shits and giggles. Its all off of memory, so the questions aren't and answers aren't perfect. There were a few true or false questions. But most of it is fill in the blank.

Questions:
1) What are the 4 general safety rules of firearms handling?
2) what are color codes of awareness and it's meaning?
3) what are the 7 fundamentals of handgun marksmanship?
4) what fundamentals is required when shooting at greater distances?
5) true or false, ballistics is the study of projectiles in motion
6) list the conditions of automatic pistol failure in order
7) what's a failure drill?
8) when you draw your weapon but not ready to shoot?
9) can't recall question
10) can't recall question
11) name two reasons to double tap?
12) name three of five factors that effect projectory?
13) name the three m's of something?
14) Can't recall question
15) name the two parts of a revolver?
16) name the two parts of an automatic pistol?
17) can't recall question
18) can't recall question
19) can't recall question
20) can't recall question

Answers
1) -The Gun Is Always Loaded
-Never Point The Gun At Something You Are Not Prepared To Destroy
-Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It
-Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Your Sights Are On The Target
2) white- no awareness 
Yellow- casual scanning, general awareness
Orange- detenction, assessment 
Red-  decision, action
3) grip
Stance 
Sight picture
Sight alignment 
Breath control 
Trigger squeeze 
Follow through 
4) sight alignment 
Trigger control
5) true
6)  failure to feed
Failure to extract
failure to eject
7) 2 center mass, one to the head
8) low ready
9) weapon retention 
10) true
11) increase vital hits
Beat body alarm
12) -humidity 
-altitude 
- wind
-drag
-temperature 
13) marksmanship 
Manipulation 
Mental conditioning 
14) false
15) barrel/frame
16) slide/frame
17) true
18) false
19) yes
20) false

8 year old weightlifting

Today my 8 year old son started weightlifting at High Dessert Athletic Club. He did well and seemed to enjoy it. Coach Juaquin Chavez was wonderful with him.

Today was my first full day with my nutrition coach Barry Schroeder. It was wonderful eating for performance again. Although last time I got burned out pretty quick, I still have to say I missed it. This time i think eating for performance and weight loss will be easier. The program is a lot more flexible and easier to fit into my life.

My weight this morning was an all time high of 322.2.

back with my nutrition coach

Today I started working with a nutrition coach, Barry Schroeder. We'd worked together before earlier this year and I'd made the best strength and speed gains I've ever made. The nutrition program he has me doing now is going to be WAY more flexible and easier to fit into my life.

My first goal is to get to the 275lb weight class by the NASA powerlifting meet in July. That will make a little less than 2 pounds of weight loss needed a week.

My other athletic goals is to hit a 450lb squat, a 450lb deadlift, a 300lb bench press, a 100k snatch, and a 125k clean and jerk. There's no doubt in my mind I'll hit those numbers now that I've got my nutrition coach back.

unresonable goal setting

My biggest trouble in Athletics is goals. I find a goal to focus on and a month later I drop that one and move on to another goal. My old triathlon coach, Pete Alfino of Mile High Multi-sport coaching was the first one to tell me, "what my problem is". He was right. He usually was. He wasn't very good at presenting things in a way that was good for me. He was more of a this is what I think f#cking deal with and quit whining kind of coach. He pissed me off and hurt my feeling a lot, but he was usually right.


My goal for a long time was to drop to the 105k (232pound) weight class for olympic style weightlifting. It's actually a very good goal, but it's to big and would take to long to get to. So I'd get frustrated or bored and give up on weight loss and just focus on weightlifting.

I'm currently 319 pounds. I need a more attainable goal. My nutrition coach Barry Schroeder helped me find a goal that'll help me keep my motivation up and give me a short term win: i love to compete in NASA powerlifting competitions. I'm currently in the super heavyweight division. To drop into the next division I'd need to get to 307.9 pounds. The next NASA powerlifting meet is July 9th. That gives me a couple months to lose 10 pounds. 1.5 pounds a week. It's doable, won't take much time, and is motivational. At my current strength I could set 11 national and 30 New Mexico state NASA powerlifting records. Now that's motivating!

So, Barry and I are back at it. Trying to get my big fat butt to lose some weight. Here it goes....

NASA New Mexico state powerlifting championships report

Last night my 2 sons and I competed in the NASA New Mexico state powerlifting championships.

My 8 year old son, Cody James,  weighed in before the meet and the scale showed 55 pounds. Cody James competed in the unequiped powerlifting. He built up to a 20k squat, an 11k bench, and a 20k deadlift.

My 6 year old weighed in at 46 pounds. He competed in the bench only division and lifted 14k.

These were the weights I lifted. I set PR'S (personal bests) on the clean, squat, deadlift, and total. I tied my lifetime meet PR on the bench.
Clean 125 PR
Curl 55
Squat 200 PR
Bench 135
Deadlift 205 PR
Powerlifting total 540k (1,188 pounds) PR
Coefficient: 1.4522

 Iron Soul, the powerlifting team my boys and I are on won the state championships!

I set 10 national records and 11 state records:

1) power press- police division: PR clean, PR total, national and state record.
2) power press- open division: PR Clean, PR total, national and state record
3) power press- pure division: PR clean, PR total, national and state record
4) power sports- pure division: PR deadlift, PR total, national and state record
5) power sports- police division: PR deadlift, PR total, national and state record
6) power sports- master 1 division: PR deadlift, PR total, national and state record
7) Unequiped push/pull- pure division: PR Deadlift, PR total, national and state record
8) Unequiped push/pull- police division: PR deadlift, PR total, national and state record
9) Unequiped powerlifting- police division: PR deadlift, PR squat, PR total, national and state record
10) Unequiped bench- police division: PR, national and state record
11) Clean- pure division: PR total and state record