Big A** Plates were mine

Yes, I squatted the BIG ones, the 25kg plates, for a set of 8. Total of 60kg (including bar) . PLUS next set Adam added another 10kg, for a total of 70kg for 7 reps. That is definitely my best squat. I was going for 4 reps, and got 7! I have never even done those plates for 8 reps before, so doing it while dieting is rather a big accomplishment me thinks :) I then leg pressed 180 kg for 12 reps, then 220kg for 6, before I had to give it up due to the right quad pinching - it's so weird, when I lift heavy leg press, or deadlift, I get a nerve pinch, just under the skin on the top of my right quad. It's a painful stinging sensation, and then the area goes numb. So then we did sets of 20-30 bottom half pulses - I think these hurt even more. Followed with single leg high step ups, leg extension, leg curl with triple drop set, and then 5 continuous mins of alternate leg extensions to burn out the quads. Then Adam made me finish with an excruciating 5 mins on the recumbent bike. I wished I had my camera there so I could take some pics of my squats :) Next time. Now I will just wait to get sore. I hope not so sore that I can't do my cardio.

I booked in to see my physio on Thursday morning. Maybe she can give me some exercises to help my hamstring/groin problem.

Things here are very hectic. I am just managing to keep my head above water - I think. The house move is sort of on the backburner - we haven't been there for 2 days. I just am trying to cope with the workload and my training and dieting at present. I tanned before training, must get browner for Queensland! I can't WAIT to be walking on the beach in 10 days time.

Thanks for all the comments ladies :)

I want to add some pics but I don't seem to be able to anymore...

Blender blunder

I must be the queen of ruining blenders. I think I have gone through 3 in the last couple of months? Not all my fault, but this one was. I got the glass container out of the dishwasher and put it in the freezer to cool it down for a few minutes. Then put the ice in, and CRACK - buggered. Cracked in half!! So, as luck would have it, I had only 10 minutes prior, taken my other blender to the new house!! So, I got in the car, drove back to the new place, picked up my blender, drove home, and continued to make my protein shake. Nothing gets in the way of my protein shakes!!

Have a belly full of brussels sprouts now, yum - am I (and Michelle!) the only weirdo's who actually enjoy brussels sprouts? I love 'em.

Anyway, had 3 pieces of 'bad news' today - they say they come in three's. So, Jodie and Kerry, thinking of you both. xx.

And Kimmy - but Kimmy's is more disappointing rather than 'bad'. Will still see you there Kimmy!

Ok time to go veg out. Another big day...

We have a new house :)

We have the KEYS :)) It's awesome. We had a spa last night, along with some champagne to celebrate. Got some prezzies from the builders (they also brought the champagne) which was nice. Today they had an Open inspection from 12-4pm for the sticky beaks to have a look :) We were there for a short time, and there were lots of people turning up. All made to take their shoes off!

Was going to go and set up the tv in the ensuite and have a spa watching footy tonight - but, I am just too tired. I had a big day of training - 2 hours 20 mins of cardio, and Back training. How's this - my crop top strap broke on my last set of shrugs!!! I couldn't train biceps because my top was fallling down! I had to quickly put my jacket on so things didn't fall out! It was a heavy set but come on, how does a strap on a new top break? Thankfully the gym wasn't busy :) So, will have to slot in biceps tomorrow.

I will be in bed soon. We will start shipping a few boxes to Wingillie (that is our street name) tomorrow.

I've had a busy week with work this week, amongst getting paperwork ready for sale of house, training, packing, etc. It's time to become selfish again if I want to do these competitions.

Hope everyone is going well...thanks for the comments, sorry I haven't responded, but I do appreciate them!

Finally I got a picture to work...

Still getting some pics in from the comp...

Trying to upload a pic that won't take - strange how some do and some don't. Anyway, I've been on a roll, diet going great, training also. Still have problems with my hamstring and groin, but I am able to work around it thus far. Met Adam for some tready sprints at the gym today - we did 20 second sprints - working up to an incline of 12%, and speed of 14kph. About 30-40 seconds rest between sprints. 20 minutes of this was enough for me, and I finished with a high incline walk that still had my heart pounding. I went back tonight for a Fat Burner class - 45 minutes of that, and then some serious stretching. Tomorrow is leg day - I don't plan on getting as sore this time - going to do higher reps and supersets rather than heavy stuff tomorrow.

We have our final inspection of the new house tomorrow morning!! Today it was all go there as they worked on the final bits and pieces. Our pillar fence has started to go up too. The SOLD sign is looking mighty fine on my unit too :) So, we are planning to try out our corner spa on Sunday night, and perhaps sit on the balcony and have a glass of champers. :)

I will do some sort of cardio in the morning, will decide when I get up, I should try and make it an intense session, before I carve up my legs and can't do anything except walk :) Been using the step machine a lot lately, it's a new one and I quite like it.

Well that's about it, it's time for my shake and then I think I will hit the sack early.

I'm still alive!

Yes yes, I'm still around - life has been a bit of a whirlwind lately. Where to start...

We sold our house! Yippee. Only found out for certain and signed all the forms today. Our NEW house will be ready by Wednesday next week for our final inspection, then it's just a matter of the fixing up the bank stuff, and valuation stuff, and we should get the keys on Saturday! Well, on Saturday they want to open it for public viewing! So, on Sunday we can start the big move. I am so glad it's only 5 mins drive from our current place, it would be a nightmare going to and fro otherwise.

We have a trip to Qld right in the midst of our move. I can't wait to go to Qld, but really the timing couldn't have been worse! Our settlement date is 4 October - just before the Vic Titles.

Other news - I am officially getting old. No, not a birthday, but my joints and things are letting me know :) I definitely overdid it last week. Deadlifting is OUT, until I have finished the comps. I take too long to recover from really heavy lifting. It was only today, 6 days after deadlifting, that I woke up feeling remotely recovered. I still had the groin/hamstring niggle though. I had an awesome session with Adam on Tuesday. I was too sore to lift heavy legs so we did some sprints (I was probably too sore for those too but I am not a complete wuss - I was there i had to do something!). Yes started with sprints on the tready for 10 mins. Left the treadmill running and sprinted on and off, high incline, reducing rest periods while increasing the incline. Felt like i'd already done a workout after completing these! Then we did lots of pop squats and jump squats, and supported squats, side to side, front to back jumps, etc. Then some knee extension, high reps, little rest, pumped 'em out. Then, the 'torture machine' - the hack squat. Jodie's and my least favourite thing in the gym - well, our old gym anyway (this is where I am having my PT sessions). Did lower halves, followed by full reps. BURN. Then calves supersetted with front to back jumps for a minute. Then finished off with high rep crunches. So, that was all good, but I was truly sore and fatigued after this. I had already decided a full day off was in order. When it hurts your feet and ankles/shins to walk, you know you have overdone it. Everything was sore, lower back, traps, hammy, groin, hip flexors, feet, ankles, knees...you name it. So I booked in for a torture session, I mean massage. An hour and a half of pain - good pain though. My hip flexors were so sore, never felt anything like it before, and then, she layed me on my side and put a forearm stretch through my IT band. OMG, she warned me but I have never had to grab her hands to stop the pain before. This time I had to. So, next day (yesterday) I felt bruised and battered, but looser :) I am so surprised I did not come up in black bruises. It's very bruised to the touch, but can't see anything. So, still unable to do cardio as my soreness was still there. I did though, do a chest and tri session with Adam. Really enjoyed this, and am sore today. And to today, I finally was able to go for a walk - feeling the groin and hamstring though. I then trained legs. Yep, I can still train legs through it, it's just AFTER I train that it bothers me! Adam put me through my paces, we started with smith squats. I squatted those big blue suckers today, the 25kg plates. Never done that before. Only for 3 reps but hey, they are damn big plates. Then we did some leg pressing, on my old fave machine, the 45 degree that used to be in our gym. Adam was quite 'impressed' with my weights today, I did some high rep blood pumping sets first up, then did a few sets of 8 at close to 400lbs. Did a few other things, lunges, extensions, standing calves, lying curls (these I really felt) then finished with a set of hacks then abs. So, next week I will train on my own, then back with Ads again.

I am getting orthotics for my runners. I went yesterday, and was told I had some 'interesting foot mechanics going on'. She said she was very surprised I hadn't had more problems before now. So, there goes another $500. My ancillary doesn't cover them :(

Today was chiro visit day - as you can see, I am really into body maintenance. :) Matter of have to with what I do. I have to do hip flexor stretches 3 x day...must do them now before I forget.

Am going for a walk with Jodie tomorrow, looking forward to catching up with her.

Ok well I think that is my wrap for the moment. I don't get much time to read other blogs at the mo. :(

Deadlifting day

Firstly, thanks to everyone who left well wishes regarding Damien's grandma...

I looooooooove deadlift day. Maybe I won't feel that way tomorrow or the next day when DOMS sets in, in my lower back, hammies and traps. Talking about power deadlifts here of course, not the stiff legged kind. I am proud to say that I beat my previous best for 2 reps, and this is only my 2nd deadlift session in well over 2 years. Lifted 176lb for 2, along with 2 sets of 5 at 154lb. I think I should make a goal to lift 200lb for 2. But I don't think I will get that while dieting. Followed that with machine rows, heavy, and lat pulls, then hypers. Then bis. I also did a good intense 30 mins cardio in the morning, step machine and running on max incline for intervals. Hard work! My joints and things have been feeling it a bit, and my hamstring/groin niggle has returned. My foot arches have been sore since I did some hard sprints on Tuesday, but I think that is just because it was the first time I have sprinted in a while. I recover just in time to get all sore again. Tomorrow is a 1 hour walk in the morning, and a Body Attack class in the afternoon. I hope I'm not too sore by then. I have my first session with Adam on Tuesday, leg day, looking forward to that - I think :)

I have had a really good week, and feeling great - energy levels are good, my carbs are higher, and need to be with the cardio I am doing. My protein is lower than I am used to - it's really interesting using my Diet Club software - it's a great tool to use to design menus, and gather all the nutritional data you need to track your carbs/protein/fat and calories.

I am now enjoying my dessert - diet yoghurt with frozen raspberries and some toffeed balsamic syrup with vanilla :) Just a teaspoon and all in my counts. The hardest thing is keeping my protein down on higher carb days.

I got really sore in chest and tris from Wednesday's workout. I was supposed to do cardio only on Wed, but I was too sore from the day before's leg workout to use any lower body parts! So, I rearranged my schedule and did chest/tris. There is a great overhead triceps press machine at the gym that really isolates the muscles.

I have started writing an article about Diet Deprivation. I have been asked to submit a couple of articles to Best Body magazine (US mag), so will work on this over the next week. I get inspired in little spurts - I had one before so wrote a few paragraphs. Now I have to wait for the next one :)

I ordered my new suit from Jo Rogers yesterday - took me awhile to decide on the colour, but eventually I figured it out. So, I have two new ones coming, plus the other one I haven't worn yet, and this will do me for suits this season! And probably next :)

I made the Snapshots of Ironman mag this month which was pretty cool. Backstage side chest pose - will attach and see if Blogger will do what it's told tonight. No, it's not playing fair :(

I finally caught up with Jodie the other night, and saw her again today. Our schedules don't really match anymore for training, but I hope to get back to training together after my comps.

I haven't heard from Di for awhile, I wonder how she is going with the wedding getting so close. Did I mention I can't wait to go to Noosa for TEN whole days very soon :) I will be running on the sand for my cardio, and hope to train with Di, and Jodie, while we are there. Though I think Di may have too many other things on her agenda! The wedding will be fun, there will be a few bodybuilding ladies there so will have lots to chat about :)

Ok, well that's it for another installment...catch ya later!

It worked this time...

Has it been a whole week?

Still here! Yesterday we travelled to Murrayville for Damien's grandma's funeral. He is coming back today, I drove back last night, otherwise I would be snowed under with work and training.

Just received a cd of pics from Sineade of Ironman, from the INBA show - I love this one :) Ok blogger is playing up, will have to post some other time.

Training is going fantastic, had a great back session, and got quite sore. Diet has been a little up and down, but that is now in the past, and I'm all set to go hard. Took all my food with me for the trip yesterday. Just downed a cup of oats, and will give it time to settle then be off for a wicked leg training session.

I start PT sessions next Tuesday - a week on, 3 x, followed by a week of training myself. Looking forward to having Adam trash my legs and various body parts. Will also do a cardio session with him, including some sprints and plyometrics, probably.

I haven't seen Jodie for ages! We barely caught up since the show. We are training at odd times now.

We have ALMOST sold our house - yippee!! We've accepted the offer and supposedly a deposit was being paid yesterday. Our new house is having the final touches applied and should be ready in 2 weeks!!! Cannot wait, even though the move will be a bit of a pain, I just am so looking forward to having lots of space :) No more clutter!

Been awhile!

Checking in with a quick update. As usual, life is hectic! All good though of course. I wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise.

I am feeling great, almost back to week prior to contest condition. Loving my new diet - because I get to make my own menus :) So every night before bed, I sit down and work out what I will have tomorrow, according to my required protein/carb/fat breakdown. It's great to have oats and cottage cheese for brekky, and my Myoplex after training. Cardio is at 6 x week, 30-45 mins. All good, and I am enjoying it :) WHAT??? Yep, you heard right. I am incorporating some running - intervals, not long distance - into my cardio and I am lovin' it. It makes such a difference when you actually enjoy it!

Our gym was closed on the weekend, as I mentioned - and opened again at a new location yesterday. Let's just say I am still undecided - good and bad. I don't like for a second that there are no barbells to be seen (a gym without barbells????), and there is only one squat rack, one bench press and one smith machine. The free weights area is way too small. Some of the machines are good though, and there is a better selection of db's now. Not for the big guys though, the biggest db's are 40kg - not heavy enough for many. Will be interesting, I do hope they make a few changes - bigger free weights area and barbells!! The treadies are awesome. So, at present I am just trying to figure out what machines I need to use to get a decent workout! You need a licence to drive some of those things. I am old school when it comes to training. Give me come db's, a bar and a bench over those fandangled space age bits of machinery any day!

Today was first leg session of new progie. I loved it - lots of big sets of leg press, then extensions, plus a triple drop (I could barely walk by this point), stiff leg DL's with DB's (weird), and then DB Calf Raises. Oh yeah, bring on the DOM's baby!

Another reason I have been slack on the blogging, is that our house is soooooooo close to being finished! The carpet is part way down, electricity is on, taps and dishwasher, toilets, fans etc are all in. Soon we will be full on moving! Goodness knows when I can fit that into my schedule! We have a 10 day break in Noosa coming up soon - and I cannot WAIT for that!! Noosa is my fave place to holiday. Well, I wouldn't mind living there actually - in the winter. They can have their stinking hot sweaty humid summers :) I'd have to get my hair cut off if I lived there in summer, and I can't be having that.

We have to pick out some lights, go see fence people, and blind people, and get a clothesline. I want to do it all in the next couple of weeks.

Damien officially doesn't have a cafe anymore. All sold up, so no more daily coffeeing in town. Now, if we can just sell this damn house.... :)