August 16, 2016

post bid and weightlifting

My work schedule changed again. I'm only able to train at HDAC with coach Joaquin Chavez on Saturdays. I've been struggling to force myself to train on the days I'm not not at High Dessert Athletic Club. It's just not fun to do weightlifting on my own. I pretty much hate it.

In October of this year I bid for my next post and shift. I just started at this new career so I'm #70 out of 71 full time employees. Its probable I'll get the worst days off and least popular shift. As far as the job goes I'm OK with working bad posts. But if I'm forced to work evennings I won't be able to train at Joaquin's at all. I have to admit, I probably won't continue with weightlifting if I can't be trained at HDAC. I'd pick it back up once I built up enough senority to have a schedule that I can train at HDAC.

August 13, 2016

gym politics

Today was my first bad day of weightlifting since joining High Dessert Athletic Club. And it was awesome. I was only able to get up to an 85k snatch and I dropped just about everything getting up to the 85. My cleans and my jerks were even worse. As soon as coach Chavez realized I was struggling he stood on the platform next to mine and watched just about every set. He talked to me about my form. He also talked about mindset. He pointed out everyone in the gym who does the same thing I was doing. He never let me get frustrated. He kept my mind focused on the things I could do better. There's just something about his coaching style that fits. I get it. It was that way from the very first day I trained with him.

Sometimes i post things on my blog that explains how quickly I'm progressing and how amazed I am by coach Chavez's ability to get the best out of me. I say it because it's true and i am honestly amazed. Last week after I posted about hitting a 100k snatch I got a text message with a video of the first time i hit 100k at another gym. The message said "I was asked to send you this gym. What a great lift." I assumed it was because I'm so complimentary of coach Chavez getting me to 100k so quickly. Just because I praise Joaquin doesn't mean I think any less of the coaches and gyms I used to train with. I've had some pretty fantastic growth and accomplishments in other gyms. The coaching was stellar. Joaquin's style just fits and I'm not going to be shy about saying how amazed I am by his abilities to lead and teach. But I don't mean that as an insult to anyone else. So if your a former coach reading the compliments I'm giving Joaquin please don't think it means your anything less. I still adore each of my former coaches. And if your a current athlete at one of the gyms I used to train at don't start drama. Weightlifting is a very small community. And it's a beautiful community. Let's keep it that way.

August 11, 2016

no more yoyo dieting for me

I've never once said “I want to lose 30 pounds, keep it off briefly, then gain it all back, with some extra pounds for good measure." Last month I fell off the diet wagon and in three weeks I gained back almost all of the weight I'd lost over a three month period. So I've decided I'm not going to try and lose tons of weight anymore. It doesn't work for me. I'm going to try to get down to 299 pounds, eat for weightlifting performance, and maintain that weight. No more yoyo dieting for me. Besides, I make big and bald look danm sexy!

August 06, 2016

weightlifting and excessive celebration

My lifetime goal in weightlifting was a 100k snatch & a 125 clean and jerk. A couple weeks ago I hit the 100k snatch I wanted, which is 4k above the state record. Afterwards I jumped up and down, clapping, and yelling. After I finished celebrating coach Joaquin told me to try a 105k. But it was to late. Once I started jumping around acting a fool I'd lost my go heavy mindset. I missed the 105k. It was close. But close doesn't count in weightlifting. I learned a lesson. Don't run around the gym like I have ants in my pants until I'm done lifting for the day.

Today after my workout coach Joaquin had me load 110 to clean and jerk. I nailed it easy. Next was 115, then 120, & then I had an opportunity to go for another lifetime goal of 125k, which is 3k above the state record. It was a good lift and best of all it felt easy. Rather than scream and jump around I looked at coach and waited calmly for my my orders. He had me stop there because he has a meet scheduled for later this month and he doesn't want me to hurt my chances of a great meet. But this time I was mentally prepared to continue to go up if he asked me to.

In the last two weeks I've accomplished two of my biggest weightlifting goals. A 100/125. Next step is to do them together at a sanctioned weightlifting meet later this month.

August 01, 2016

"what we have now is a failure to communicate"

Last Saturday I sent in my food diary to my sports nutrition coach. I was about 1000 calories over what I was supposed to eat for the entire week. 1000 calories over a 7 day period isn't bad. Its not perfect, but its still pretty good. He sent back an email telling me he wasnt going to adjust my calories unless i had a solid week. What he meant was he wanted me to have a solid week in regards to sports performance, which is awesome because weightlifting is my #1 goal. What I thought he meant was he wanted me to have a better week in regards to diet or he wouldn't adjust my calories. So on Sunday I became rebellious about the imaginary slight and I ate what ever the hell I wanted to. By Wednesday I was feeling guilty about losing traction on my diet plan so I contacted him and complained that my eating was only 1000 calories over for an entire week and that should have been good enough for a calorie adjustment. He sent back a kind and well thought out explanation telling me my calories were great and he didn't want to adjust my calories on a week that I wasn't feeling strong in the gym. He told me he knew performance was my #1 goal and he didn't want to sacrifice performance for fast weight loss. Ooops. I screwed up. I made an assumption and instead of communicating with my nutrition coach I gave up. In other words he was doing exactly what a sports nutrition coach should do and I did exactly the opposite of what I should do as an athlete. I didn't have the heart to tell him I fell off the diet wagon. I was supposed to send him my weeks diet journal, but I am feeling so remorseful and imbarrassed I didn't. Usually if I hadn't sent in my food journal by Sunday he calls or emails me to ask for it. I still haven't heard from him. I'm assuming it's because he realizes I'm pretty much a pain in the ass, will always be a problem, and has given up on trying to help me. If that's the case I don't blame him. But I have no idea if that's the case or not because I'm still to ashamed by my lack of communication to contact him to tell him what the hell is going on. Do you see how stupid that is? I'm to imbarrassed about my lack of communication to communicate. Sometimes I'm a real dumb ass.