You win some, you lose some

We've all heard the saying, "You win some, you lose some."  Last weekend I traveled to St. Joseph, MO for the Rodger DeGarmo Memorial weightlifting meet.  After spending 5 weeks straight of working 7 days a week my training had been taking a hit.  I wasn't able to train as well as I had hoped.  I was completely burnt out from all the stress and was brutally reminded that stress, whether mental or physical, is still stress.  I had a quick 2 week cycle where I had to get mentally ready to compete and just hope my physical readiness was there.  A week out I hit my snatch opener and about 3k less than my clean & jerk opener.  Going into the meet I was nervous about being able to hit my lifts but still thought I could at least pull out some decent lifts.

The day of the meet I went in about the normal level of nervous but still confident that I could do it.  Here's the video of how it actually went.....

I opened with 74k (not in the video) and then jumped 77k.  The 77k ties my all time personal record and is an official meet personal record.  After the 77k I jumped to 80k, a number I've been pushing towards for months now.  Juuuuust barely missed it.  Bring on the clean & jerks.....hit 90k fairly solid in the warm-up room and wanted to open with 93k, something I've done many times before.  As you can see by the video, I'm really quite great at cleaning 93k AND I did it back-to-back-to-back since I had to follow myself for all three attempts.  However, I obviously could not jerk 93k to save my life.  There are many reasons I could give for why I couldn't jerk that weight but in the end the meet accurately reflected how my training has gone.  It's definitely one of those "you lose some" situations.

Now on the flip side of that coin a lifter/teammate that I've been coaching was also competing in this meet.  For him it was without a doubt  "you win some" kinda day.  After a long time of coaxing him to move from 77k weight class up to the 85k weight class, he finally did it and boy did it pay off HUGE.  He gained 6-7k of bodyweight which earned him a 23k improvement on his best total ever.  For those of you metrically challenged he gained around 14lbs which added 50lbs to his best total ever.  Not only that but it also qualified him for the next two national level events.  Like I said, "you win some" kinda day.  And if you're wondering how excited he was about his new bodyweight and level of strength, check out the video....

So yeah it was a win some (my lifter lifting huge), lose some (me completely bombing out of the meet) kinda weekend.

The silver lining for me was really outside of weightlifting. I got to spend an awesome weekend with a great friend and great people enjoying Kansas City, MO.  As far as my lifting goes.....you win some, you lose some, and its time to go back to the drawing board.  

Pissed Off, Crying, Listening to Mudvayne....

....or as it was originally titled "Stress is stress."

It has come to my attention that I can be a complete idiot some times.  Now before you starting weighing in your opinions on that one let me explain why I am an idiot as well as a hypocrite.

I am all for pushing through tough times.  Pushing that extra bit when it seems the hardest.  Giving it your all and then giving more.  It's something I've taken pride in lately, pushing myself to the limit, especially with weightlifting.  However, I am possibly to the point of negative returns.  It's not that I've over reached on lifting, it's that I've over reached on life and working.

My current work schedule looks like this:

Monday 8-5, 6:30-8 (Lift mid-day)
Tuesday 8-5, 6:30-8 (Lift evening)
Wednesday 8-5, 5:30-6:30 (Lift mid-day)
Thursday 8-5, 5:30-6:30 (Lift mid-day)
Friday 8-5, 6:30-8 (No lift)
Saturday 9-10 (Lift with team)
Sunday 10-1 (No lift)

Yep.  That's me, working 7 days a week, and attempting to lift 5 days a week.  I'm not saying that I'm ridiculously busy during all those work hours.  I'm also not saying that I don't like working.  I LOVE all my jobs.  What I'm saying, and here's a friendly reminder to everyone, STRESS IS STRESS.  YOUR BODY CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHYSICAL STRESS AND MENTAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL/EMOTIONAL STRESS.

Now after that friendly little reminder I will tell you that my lifting has begun to progress in the wrong damn direction.  I find myself exhausted, weary, and irritable.  I come home at night too tired to cook and when I finally muster the energy I'm too tired to eat.  I try to work on my recovery routine only to fall asleep on the foam roller.  I try to stick to my normal lifting schedule but the physical stress adding to the mental stress is taking its toll on my body and my body is rebelling.

I can be quite stubborn though.  I keep trucking right along, honoring the commitments I made to be working this much.  I keep trying to push the lifting.  Lifting is my stress reliever but I'm too stressed to lift well and not lifting well is stressing me out.  It's a wicked, vicious cycle that often ends in tears of frustration.

Today I was feeling pretty determined to get in some good lifting.  I was hoping to just hit some solid lifts that I could build on next week.  Snatches started off great until I started missing lifts at a weight I've been able to power snatch before.  It started messing with my mind so I decided rather than trying to beat it to death I'd move on.  Push presses actually went very well.  So well in fact that I push pressed for reps more than I actually could snatch today.  Moving onto squats...yeahhhhhh.....I barely hit triple digit weight.....for one grueling painful rep....a weight that I've hit for high reps.  Needless to say I was overly frustrated with it.

All the work I've put into lifting over the last few months feels completely derailed.  I'm exhausted.  I'm aware I've done this to myself.  I'm too stubborn to make a change to my work schedule because that will change in a couple of weeks and I can't help but think I can gut it out.

But I'm still trying to push it all to the limits....

And that's how I found myself pissed off, crying, listening to Mudvayne....

*Note - this might not have actually been the song on the radio at the time but I know a Mudvayne song was playing at some time during lifting.  Ha!

It's Not Every 4 Years, It's Every Day

The London 2012 Olympics are rock-n-rolling along right now.  It's inspiring to see the best athletes in the world competing, their passion and dedication shining through.  It all culminates in a proud moment of triumph or a heart wrenching moment of defeat.  In case you need a visual, check out any of the Olympic commercials narrated by Morgan Freeman.  Those darn things will bring a tear to your eye...

What the average everyday citizen forgets is that the Olympic Games really aren't every four years.  For these athletes it's every day of their life for four years straight.  It's something most people can't even imagine.  Spending hours every day, training, perfecting, planning.  HOURS every DAY for four YEARS straight in quest of the ultimate prize, an Olympic Gold Medal.

There are many sacrifices along the way to achieving even the opportunity to compete at such a high level. These athletes will sacrifice time spent with their family and friends to get one more training session or recovery work in.  They will put career plans on hold, taking lower paying jobs that allow them to train and travel as often as needed.  For many of these athletes there is so little sponsorship, if any, that they have to bank on the good will of others to donate money that goes towards paying rent, buying groceries, paying for travel to events, and all the other basic needs of a high level athlete. 

It's not just the athletes that have to sacrifice things to get to the next level.  Parents will sacrifice their time and money to make sure these athletes succeed.  I imagine the desire to see your child achieve their dreams of getting on that podium is almost as intense as the desire to be the one on the podium.  It's a heart warming experience to see parent truly dedicated to the success of their children.

Coaches will sacrifice time spent with their family and friends to help that athlete get one more rep and just a little bit closer to perfection.  They'll give up weekends and evenings to carefully plan which events to attend and which to pass on to get to the next level.  Wake up early to drive an athlete to an event so the athlete can relax and focus on what they need to do.  Coaching these athletes is a whole different level of stress.  Your knowledge, expertise, and guidance of these individuals is being put to the test.  Together as a coach, athlete, and team you are laying it all on the line. 

All of these individuals will spend those hours every day for years on end making those sacrifices the average individual can't even fathom to achieve a singular moment in time that may only last 30 seconds.  It's every day for four straight years to achieve that brief moment in time where they raise your flag and play your national anthem as you stand on the topmost podium breathing in the glory, crying the tears of success that has been years in the making.  For those athletes it's NOT every four years, it's every...single...day. 

Random Thoughts on a Friday

-The phrase "low rise" does not enter my fashion vocabulary.  Low rise = plumber's crack.  On a recent shopping trip I actually told my friend I'd almost prefer some Mom Jeans with a 9-inch comfort zipper.  She didn't think that was an advisable fashion choice.

-I love lifting heavy things.  That does not translate to mean I would love to lift your couch when you move.  However, since I'm a good person I will do it anyway.....if you feed me.

-I drive a big pick-up truck and love it.  That also does not translate to mean I would love helping you move.  However, I will help you move....if you feed me.  Or maybe buy me some gas at the lovely price of one internal organ per gallon of gas.

-I hate shopping for shorts.  There are only two options: Softball Coach or Denim Thong. 

-I've given up correcting people that call me a powerlifter or a bodybuilder. There's only so many times I can pantomime what I actually do.

-I coach in grunts.  It conveys a clearer message.

-Telling me you don't "work the legs" because you run is like saying you'll get rid of your flabby arms by waving in a parade.  

-People will do anything for a "free" t-shirt.  Even if they already own 14,392 other "free" t-shirts.  

-If the weight you're lifting is pink, it probably weighs less than that Sherpa-pack of a purse you lug around all day.  Try again. 

-Dressed up for me equates to any opportunity I get to wear jeans.  Or at least my "nice pair" of yoga capris. 

-I want to test drive most of the products on this website: As Seen On TV

Beastess: Angiesaurus Rex

The earth trembles and shakes when I walk. Competitors flee before my awesome stature.  I am Angiesaurus Rex!

This is what happens when I walk on the platform:

And this is what I do to the weights and my competitors:

I thrive on PRs!  I have been feeding my hunger with little morsels of big deadlifts and big squats.  Occasionally sampling a tidbit of sweet delicious near max competition lifts.  But Angiesaurus Rex is getting HUNGRY!  It's time to eat some BIG PRs on those competition lifts!!  And the Beastess will ROAR!!

But a word to the warning....never poke an Angiesaurus Rex before her morning coffee otherwise you'll find.....

All Things Gym!

I am very excited and honored to have been given the opportunity to write a guest post for one of my favorite websites All Things Gym.  They always seem to have the most up-to-date videos and podcast interviews of literally all things gym related.  Olympic lifting, powerlifting, crazy feats of strength.  I've also been privileged enough to have them feature two of my videos on their site! 

You can find the first video of mine they used of my teammate Shane getting ready for the Pan-American Championship as a feature on the website by clicking: Shane Maier Pan Am Prep

The second time I was part of the actual feature as Crazy Plank Girl after I videoed myself doing a weighted plank challenge that I was given.  Check it out: Crazy Weighted Plank

This time if you're searching for a little motivation you can check out my guest post: Once You've Finished. 

So many many thanks to All Things Gym for not only posting my videos but allowing me to write a guest post!  And in case you haven't clicked any of the above links, at least click this one: Click me NOW or else! Enjoy!

My Guest Post from All Things Gym: Once You've Finished

I wrote a guest post for All Things Gym and the original link can be found by clicking Once You've Finished.  And I'd highly recommend you check out many of the other posts on the webpage.  They always have the latest and greatest videos from the internet lifting land.  But if you'd like to just read my post here you go (it features links that weren't included in the original post).......


"Nothing seems hard once you've finished."  I can't remember where I first read that quote but it's definitely one that has stuck with me.

On the surface people will initially push back against that statement but seriously take a moment to think about it.  Think about the last competition or event you competed in.  Was it really that hard?  Sure in the heat of the moment you ARE giving it your all, leaving it all on the platform, I'm not saying that you aren't.  But what about after?  Do you really feel like it was absolutely that hard?  Personally I could go 6 for 6, which is something I've NEVER done, and every last one of those could be brand-spanking-new personal records.  Afterwards I could be laying exhausted on the floor and I'd still think to myself, "Well, you know it really wasn't that hard."

Over the past 7 months or so there has come a shift in my life.  New job, new apartment, new people in my life.  Essentially a complete life overhaul.  With that has come a renewed fervor to not just be good at weightlifting but to become great at it.  Just the mental shift alone has started me down the path that I had always wished I was on but never actually put myself on.

There wasn't a specific Aha! moment that I wasn't on the right path but rather an accumulation of realization that I was being self-limiting.  If I kept telling myself that 90k was the most I'd ever cleaned and that it was sooooo hard then it would forever be the most weight I'd ever cleaned and would always be hard.  The day that I cleaned 90k for a TRIPLE was an absolutely great day (see Two Roads Diverged in a Weight Room) and I can say that I left every ounce of effort I had on the platform to nail that triple.  I can also tell you that afterwards I thought to myself, "Well it really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be."

It really wasn't that hard to lift something that used to be my max.  Why wasn't it that hard?  Because I told myself it wouldn't be that hard.  I wasn't limiting myself to what I already knew I could lift.  I was experimenting with how much I could push past what I already knew.  And you know what?  Once I was finished, it really didn't seem that hard.

Whatever your brand of lifting, Olympic lifting, powerlifting, strongman (or woman), it's easy to limit yourself to lifting what you know and feeling like its the hardest lift ever but stop for a moment and really think on it.  When you finished that lift, did it really feel that hard?  If it did then you're probably limiting yourself to what you know was hard for you before and not really pushing the limits.  I'll expand on that quote by saying, "Nothing seems hard once you've finished.  Push the limits of what you know and you'll find that you're capable of so much more."