Good Bench.

Today was really a good lift. Jack, my cousin and massotherapist, came to watch me. I was very excited about that. Adam took my bench up, since I did so well with my new grip last week. Excited about that as well!! I got the same reps today, with 5 extra lbs. that I got two weeks ago, with 5 less lbs. than today! AND I swam this morning (which I did get in trouble for, and won't do again, but I'm going back to Michigan this week and wanted to make sure I got some cardio days in.)

So. Here was my workout:

Bench - 160 lbs, 4, 3, 3, 2
Pec-Dec - 140 lbs, 6, 5, 4, 4
Skull Crushers - EZ + 50 lbs, 3 sets of 12
Wide Grip EZ Bench - EZ + 50 lbs, 3 sets of 10

Smith Flies - 50 lbs, 25, 20, 20, 15
Cable Tricep Kickbacks - 30 lbs, 3 sets of 10, 1 set of 7
EZ Bar Wrist Curls - 90, 80
Side Bend Abs - 3 sets of 30.

I kept forgetting to blog last week that I started school!!!!!! I'm doing very well so far. I have 20 classes (called "modules") and I have 5 of them done. But, it was a pretty tight schedule to get all that done in a week, and kinda stressed me out, so instead of getting done in 4 months, I rescheduled to get done in 6 months. I'll probably get done fairly close to what was originally planned. But I needed to give myself some mental leniency. I was pushing myself to try to get done before 4 months, and it just wasn't feasible.

Adam is feeling better. He was going to work out today. I'll be blogging Wednesday and Thursday. We switched training again, so I can go visit Mary again. It's her birthday weekend! YAY!

Morning Fun

Well, Adam had to go get his pneumonia checked out today, so we went at 10 instead of 1. I feel like I do better in the morning...although I'm not thrilled to pieces to be there. lol. But, gotta stay flexible...can't just rely on being good at a certain time. I don't lift, at my first competition, until 7:30 P.M. So, gotta do what ya gotta do. But it was a good day.

I'm not sure where we started on Incline today. I was on the Smith Machine. I think he started at 95 lbs, went up 20 lbs my second set, and went up 10 lbs each for my third and fourth sets. I did sets of 12.

I think I went up in my Dumbbell weight for bench, to 55 lbs. I did a set of 15 and two sets of 10.

Cable Bicep Curl (both arms, w/ the rope)...pretty sure he started at 60 lbs and went up to 90 lbs. I did sets of 15.

Flies were done with the band today. I did two sets of something like 20 or 25, then I did 30 seconds of as many as I could do, as fast as I could do them.

Machine Bench 200 lbs, 20, 12, 12, 10
Single Arm Bicep Curls 20 lb Dumbbell, 3 sets of 15 each arm
Two sets of 60 Reverse Wrist Curls
90 Decline Abs

Went well, I'm happy. And I'm getting extremely comfortable with Adam. He had to hold me on two different exercises today, but he knew it...I didn't have to tell him or ask him. As you've probably noticed, I have a lot of guesses and "i thinks" when I try to remember what I did. Although I know you all want to know my progress, this is a very good thing. It means I'm going in and trusting him to lead me in what I should do instead of being worried that things are going right.

Getting Jittery...

Well, today, I took note (don't ask me why) that Friday will be six weeks until my last workout before my competition...that's NOT very far away. So, I'm feeling a bit anxious today...but my workout was good.

Smith Military - 95 lbs, 12, 10, 9, 8
Close Grip Pulldown - 100 lbs, 4 sets of 12 (i think)
Front/Lateral Raises - 5 lb plates, 2 sets of 12 (each), then front and reverse circles for 60 seconds.
Straight Arm Pulldown - 35 lbs, 3 sets of 12

Machine Military - 100 lbs, 30, 30, 25, 20
Iron Cross w/ Band - 4 sets of 20
Rope Wrist Curls - 5 & 4
Alternating Supermans - 3 sets of 20

Trainer Knows Best

WOW! Fear really keeps you held back...way more than you know, until you get out of it.

I went to stay with Mary this weekend and go to the powerlifting competition. I had a lot of fun. It was a very good weekend for us. I got to watch Mary bench on Friday and then when we went to the meet on Saturday, she helped me decipher the difference between a good and bad lift. One person, I noticed imparticular, had a grip almost identical to mine, and his movement patterns were very much the same as mine...and all of his lifts got disqualified. It really knocked me for a loop, and showed me how much work I had to do to improve and be able to qualify in six months. I really thought it was going to be a lot of very hard work to widen my grip as much as I needed to...plus, I don't bring the bar all the way to my chest, and Mary does EVERY SINGLE REP. That was the other thing I picked up this weekend. So, I came home not sure if I was motivated or discouraged. It seemed like I went from feeling like I was really good at something to not having a clue what I was doing.

So, Adam and I started today and he wanted to know what I learned. We talked a little, I showed him how I warmed up, which was wider than I usually grip. But, he widened me even FURTHER!!!!!! It really worried me, how my arms could hold up the weight, not being close to my body. Well, I learned the first set, ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOUR TRAINER. If I would have listened to him two months ago, I can't imagine what my bench would be right now. I got five reps my first time without him having to touch my bar. Last week I got four reps my first set and he had to help me with the last one. In all, my bench went up SEVEN reps today, just because I widened my grip.

Bench, 155 lbs, 5, 4, 4, 4, plus 9 negatives at 135 lbs.
Incline Dumbbell, 45 lbs, 3 sets of 12
Close Grip, 75 lbs, 2 sets of 17
Cable Skulls, 21 & 16, but I'm not sure what weight..maybe 40 lbs? don't know
Smith Flies, 50 lbs, (tempo 211), 21, 15, 12, 15
Overhead Tri Ext., 15 lb Dumbbells, 4 sets of 20, each arm
Reverse Wrist Curls, EZ Bar, 70 & 452 sets of 20
Plate Twist Crunches, holding 25 lb. plate.

Before Brent left, I got him a shirt that said "Because I'm the trainer, That's Why!"...I think Adam's next in line for one. ;-) I've really gotta learn to not go with how I feel, and just do what I'm supposed to do. In the end, the only thing that was scary was the anticipation of trying something new. And I was probably hurting myself worse with the wrong form, because I was afraid to get hurt if I changed what I was doing. I feel a thousand percent better than I usually do after I bench because I finally used the muscles that I was supposed to use.

Mary got a good spotter for bench for the Spring...someone from the powerlifting team at Michigan, so that will help her out a lot. Thanks for prayers for that. Keep praying for Adam. He has pneumonia. :-( But, he got antibiotics at the hospital on Saturday and felt really good today, he just has a very bad cough. He's not allowed to work out for at least another week though, and last week he was supposed to start his official training for his triathlon later this year.

I'm Back!

WONDERFUL day today. Very pleased, much more than the rest of the week.

Pec-Dec, 120 lbs, 4 sets of 12. We did this first b/c I'm usually drained by the time we get to it and don't do as many reps.
Dumbbell Bench Press, 50 lbs, 12, 11, 10
Dumbbell Flat Bench Flies, 30 lbs, 2 sets of 27
Single Arm (angled) Cable Bicep Curls, not sure about weight, on this or the next exercise. I'm guessing around 30 lbs. 3 sets of 15 each arm
Front Cable Bicep Curls (both arms), 2 sets of 25 & a set of 15
Machine Bench, 200 lbs, 20, 15, 11, 10
EZ Bar Wrist Curls, 2 sets of 60
Decline Abs, 2 sets of 30 & a set of 20.

Got another Sponsor. Down to $455.00!!! Pray for Adam. He's been sick since Monday, running a fever and the whole bit. (Yes, I worked out with him anyway. I'd rather get the flu than not work with a trainer).

NOW, I'm off to Ann Arbor!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, after my massage, which is at 2:00. Gonna hang out tomorrow and hit some spots that Adam recommended, then go to the Powerlifting meet in Taylor on Saturday, to witness just exactly what I've gotten myself into. lol. Everyone have a great weekend!

Going Backwards...

Or so it seems. I got wrist wraps and started wearing them on Friday...and it doesn't seem like I'm lifting near as well this week. It's supposed to work the opposite way!!!!!!! Oh well, maybe watching the powerlifting meet this weekend will help get me back in a groove. I think I'm a little distracted as well this week, with trying to get things together to be away for the weekend, so maybe that has a little more to do with it than getting used to the wrist wraps.

We did Barbell Military Press today, and it didn't go as planned. Adam put 95 lbs on, which I should be able to handle since I can do 45 lb. Dumbbells...I wasn't lifting right at all. I wasn't bringing it down in front of me, I was almost hitting myself on the head. Adam put on my sheet that I got 6 with 95 lbs, but I don't remember getting that many. Then he took me to 85 lbs. and I got two sets of 10, but it wasn't much prettier.

Single Arm Cable Rows, but I have no idea what weight I was at. I got 15 the first set so he increased it and the next two sets I got 12. I'm thinking we started around 60 lbs.

Swimmers, but again I have no idea what weight. This was the first time I'd done these. They are kind of like my "pulls" in the pool...I keep my arm straight down and pull back as far as I can. I did two sets of 12 I think. This weight was probably lighter than my rows.

Lateral Pull down w/ 100 lbs, 3 sets of 12

Machine Military, 100 lbs, 30, 20, 20, 20.
Iron Crosses w/ the band, 15, 20, 20, 20.
Rope Wrist Curls, 6 & 4.
Supermans, 3 sets of 20.

Pretty Tight

Today I felt like I lifted like an injured person. I was really tight. Had my massage yesterday instead of Saturday. So, I think that threw me a little, especially because the main problem that Jack worked on was my tricep and today I worked my triceps. Anyway, it wasn't a really bad day, but I could tell I was compensating on other muscles.

Bench 155 lbs, 4, 3, 3, 2, plus a set of 9 negatives w/ 135 lbs.
Incline Dumbbell's 50 lbs, 3 sets of 10, I'm pretty sure. It was rather rough.
Skull Crushers 10, 12, 12, and Close Grip Bench 9, 10, 9, were supersetted, both w/ the EZ Bar + 50 lbs
Machine Flies 60 lbs, 3 sets of 20 & a set of 15
Tricep Kickbacks 25 lbs, 4 sets of 15, each arm
Reverse Wrist Curls w/ the EZ Bar, 60, & 50
4 sets of 20 Weighted (25 lb) Crunches

I got two more sponsors this weekend. Very thankful for that. I'm down to only needing $480.

I had a very bad day in the pool. Someone was exercising and it made it much harder than normal to do anything. I didn't even complete a half of a workout. It was very odd because sometimes I'm in there with 8 people, and I don't have the trouble that I did today. Oh well, tomorrow I'm doing my long cardio day and Wednesday and Thursday I'm training with Adam. Thursday afternoon I'm heading to Michigan to hang with Mary for the weekend and see a powerlifting meet!!!!!!!!!!! I'm VERY excited about that.

Thankful for Family.

Hey...this is just a brief entry. I didn't blog immediately after my session yesterday because we had to go to Zion's basketball game and I forgot to mention that my Uncle Joe is home from Fla. and him and my Uncle Jim came to my gym yesterday to see where I worked out and to meet Adam. They didn't get to stay for the workout, but I was thankful that they came. Uncle Joe has always been very good at knowing what is important to people and showing an interest in those things when he's around. It was nice that he got to see Adam and shake hands with him. Now he can put a face with the name when I talk about my sessions. :)

Brain Day

I'm not quite sure about all my numbers today...I'll do the best I can to remember.

Incline was 115 lbs, 4 sets of 10 pretty much. Adam helped a little on the last couple.
Incline Cable Flies were 50 lbs, 4 sets, I think of 12.
Smith Decline was 135 lbs, 3 sets, maybe of 10...and Adam helped on the last one.
Dumbbell Concentration Curls with 20 lbs, 3 sets of 10 each arm. I had to hold whichever arm I wasn't curling bent, pointed forward, palm up and not tilt the dumbbell, while I curled with the other arm.
2 sets of 50 EZ Bar Bicep Curls
Machine Bench, 200 lbs, 15, 13, 12, 9
Rope Wrist Curls 5 & 3
Decline Abs, 30 & 21.

Was a decent day...I was thinking a lot today, instead of just lifting. I stopped a lot on my Cable Flies.

I am going to Michigan next weekend. Mary and I are going to a powerlifting meet next Saturday. I'm VERY excited about that.

"Godzilla Shoulders"

Adam dubbed me with that name last week, and this week I held up to my reputation. I requested that we do Free Weight Military Press today, meaning with the barbell on the bench with a rack for it. Well, I actually texted him to ask if we could and he didn't get what I meant by Free Weight, so he just increased my weight on the Dumbbells. Hilarious to me being that we do Dumbbells every week now, that he wouldn't have wondered if I meant something different. But, it worked out anyway. I wasn't thrilled, but I kept my composure through it all, and actually did better than I thought I would.

My workout:
DB Military - 45 lbs, 4 sets of 8

When I got done with my first set Adam said "This is what we use for you to Bench with. Which means you could probably Barbell Military Press close to the same as you Barbell Bench." Then he said (and I quote), "That's scary."

Decline Rows - 20 lbs, 3 sets of 12 and 1 set of 15
We used bands for Scarecrows and Lateral Raises, both were two sets of 20.
Pull-Ups - 3 sets, 15, 13, 11
Vertical Machine Military - 100 lbs, 4 sets, 30, 20, 20, 15
Rope Wrist Curls w/ 5 lbs - 2 sets of 5
Plate Twist Crunches - 3 sets of 30

Thanks for reading!

Still Making Gains

Bench Press 150 lbs., 6, 5, 5, 5 plus 10 negatives with 135 lbs.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 45 lbs, 4 sets of 12
Pec-Dec 120 lbs., 8, 7, 6
Skull Crushers EZ Bar + 50 lbs, 3 sets of 12

That was all with Adam. He said that my reps last week were 6, 4, 3, 3 on Bench...I don't think I blogged that correctly. Anyway, no matter what, I still went up in both my reps and my weight this week. Very excited about that.

On my own:
Smith Flies 60 lbs, 3 sets of 20 and a set of 12
Tricep Kickbacks 25 lbs, 3 sets of 15 and a set of 12
2 sets of Reverse Wrist Curls with the EZ Bar, 50 & 35
4 sets of Alternating Supermans, 10 each side for each set.

Not sure how long it's been since I blogged my new total, but I'm only in need of $600 to cover Adam through my qualifying competition in September. Not swimming this week. I'll start back next week.

Keep praying for Adam's foot and for Mary's financial/spotter situation as well. Also, Adam's grandpa isn't doing very well.

My massage went VERY well this past weekend. Jack gave me no specific instructions after I was done, so that's a step in the right direction.

Calm Day

Incline Bench Press - 115 lbs, 2 sets of 10, and 2 sets of 8
Dumbbell Bench Press - 50 lbs, 4 sets of 12
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flies - 30 lbs, 3 sets of 12
Machine Bicep Curl - 50 lbs, 10, 8, 10...but Adam helped me A LOT the last set. lol
Single Arm Cable Curl - 25 lbs, 4 sets of 15
Chin Ups - 2 sets of 15
6 Hanging Weight Wrist Curls
2 sets of Decline Abs, 30 and 25 reps.

Very, very good day. I didn't panic or get upset about going up in DB weight for Bench Press. I swam my long day yesterday and I'm improving already. I did the same time as last week, but I did 12 extra reps! Actually, they weren't extra...I skipped them last week cuz I was too tired. lol.

My Alabaster Box

"And though she spoke no words everything she said was heard, as she poured her love for the Master, from her box of Alabaster. And I've come to pour my praise on Him like oil from Mary's Alabaster Box. Don't be angry if I wash His feet with my tears and I dry them with my hair. You weren't there the night He found me. You did not feel what I felt when He wrapped His love all around me. And you don't know the cost of the oil in my Alabaster Box."



Adam and I have had many discussions about our views on what it means to do something for yourself as opposed to doing something for others. I'm starting to understand what he means.

I had been watching Rocky IV before all my training sessions for a couple of weeks. There's such a great comparison of scenes with Rocky out training against nature and the Russian inside training on machines in the comforts of a heated environment, etc. Last week I stumbled upon watching Rocky III, and it really hit my heart. Rocky loses his old trainer, the only one he's ever known. And when this new guy walks in and wants to train him, Rocky agrees...but when he gets there, he realizes he doesn't have the confidence in himself...it was his old trainer that had the confidence in him.

I have never had to get through too many days in my life that I wasn't complimented on something that I did or wasn't told I was an "inspiration." Now I have my friends and my family all believing in me to qualify for the Paralympics and wanting me to keep them updated on my progress. So, I get all excited each day that I train because I can come home and blog and I'll hear from one of you or a couple of you every few times.

But, when I go into the weight room...I'm left with myself, and my fears, and my new trainer...that I didn't get to choose. I didn't choose to not have my old trainer, and I didn't choose to put down my walls with someone new. And he hasn't let me do too much choosing either. He picks the exercise, and we figure it out as we go. There's a scene from Rocky III that I've thought of the last few days because when Rocky goes to train after his old trainer dies he says "Mickey never made me do this." Cracks me up...I think that ALL THE TIME.

I have spent my whole life explaining myself to everyone around me. I explain how important the people in my life are to me, and I explain why they are that important. And when someone new comes in to my life I explain what the last person did that made them so important to me. I explain why I act the ways that I do. I explain why I make the choices that I do. Everything.

But, as I sat and watched Rocky III the first time last week, there's a scene with Adrian and Rocky on the beach and Adrian tells Rocky that he can't do it for Mickey, or for her, or for Apollo, he has to do it for himself. I have at least two emails saved, and two conversations in my memory of Adam telling me that very same thing. And I always thought I WAS doing it for me, until I watched that scene with Adrian and Rocky. (there were a couple other scenes from movies that went along with helping me realize, but that was a big one) Because Rocky didn't know he wasn't doing it for him. He was just comfortable. And when it came down to it, and his protection was taken away...he had to find it within himself to keep going, without his protection.

I get frustrated at times because people will encourage me and I will get angry with myself because I think if they can make it sound so easy, then I shouldn't be having such a hard time. Or I get frustrated because someone will doubt something that I want to do and I'll get angry that they don't know how much fight I have. But, those are all feelings based on everyone else's reactions to my life.

No matter how much I explain to anyone, no one can ever understand the price that I pay to get through each day of my life. And I can never understand the price that anyone else pays to get through each day of their life. No one can understand how hard it is for me to go to the gym and feel so weak and vulnerable because of all the help required. No one can understand our sacrifices in life...or even why they are sacrifices most of the time. It's a great lesson in learning not to judge other people. Sure, some people are just lazy or drama kings and queens because they want their way...but who can be the judge of who is being a drama queen and who it is actually a sacrifice for?

Today I was thinking about the lyrics of the song that I put at the beginning of this entry. I was staring at Adam in the mirror as we started Dumbbell Shoulder Press and I was thinking "You have no idea how hard this is for me. You have no idea how hard it is for me not to cry right now. You have no idea how hard it is for me to trust you to help me with this," and on and on. Then, toward the end of my workout, we went over to do Pull-Ups and Adam wanted me to try a new way. I really didn't want to, and I bordered on smarting off to him. I tried to catch myself, because I've done that a lot lately. But I looked at him and he looked down at me and said "Trust me." All of a sudden, my thought process completely changed. I started thinking "Chelsi, YOU have no idea how hard this is for HIM. You have no idea how hard it is to replace a trainer that had been around for so long. You have no idea the amount of time and effort that he puts into your routines. You have no idea how much of an effort it probably is for him to come back and train you when he knows he's going to make you do something you don't want to do. You have no idea how hard it probably is for him to have a client that is so unlike the rest of them. You have no idea how hard he's trying to help you trust him, and that he probably doesn't know what else to do!"

So, anyway, I can't change over night...but it was a real eye opener as to what really drives me. I can't change what I don't acknowledge, and I definitely acknowledge now that what drives me is to hear other people be impressed with me. And it also made me want to try harder to trust Adam quicker. And it isn't because he isn't a trust-worthy person. It's just because it was change, and I'm the queen of resisting change. It was also an eye opener that the extra things that Mickey never made Rocky do were what benefited him the most for his next victory. Adam's been amazing and he's never gonna know how much it means to me that he didn't write me off as a client...but I guess I'm just going to have to live with that since the price of our oil can't be explained to others.

OH! My workout!! Dumbbell Military Press, 40 lbs, 8 reps, then 3 sets of 12 reps. Incline Backwards Rows, I think 40 lbs, 4 sets of 12. Incline Lateral Raises, 15 lbs, 3 sets(?) of 10. Lateral Pulldowns, 30 lbs, 2 sets of 15. Close-Grip Commandos (like pull-ups, only sideways) 10, 5, 7. Machine Military Press 100 lbs, 30, 25, 25, 20. 5 of my original Wrist Curls. And 3 sets of 30 Lying Medicine Ball Twists.

Increasing Weight

I don't remember all of my reps today. So, I'm going to put down guesses...it'll be close.

Bench 145 lbs - 6, 6, 5, 4. ??? plus a set of 10 negatives, I think 135 lbs.
Incline Dumbbell Press 40 lbs - 2 sets of 8 and 2 sets of 12 (yes, my 12 sets were after my 8 sets)
Pec-Dec 120 lbs. - 8, 7, 5. ???
Smith Flies 70 lbs - 15, 12, 11, 9
Overhead Tricep Extension with the EZ Bar plus 10 on each side - 4 sets of 15
Tricep Kickbacks - 25 lbs, 4 sets of 15.
4 of my Original Wrist Curls with the weight hanging.
2 sets of 30 Side Bends for abs.

Adam and I worked on correcting my repping today. That's why my Incline sets improved so much at the end. See, at competition I will have to stop at my chest and hold the bar there before I push it back up. So, that's what I do with every exercise. I've been very "focused" on making sure I stop and then go again. He showed me today how to use my momentum to shift my muscles so that they're already on their way back up before they're really going up. It makes it SOOO much easier. He said it will be easier to learn to lift the weight this way. And it will be easier to dead lift the weight from my chest once I'm comfortable and know I can lift the weight.

Long day, kinda interesting, but everything turned out excellent. I also asked him some swimming questions and he corrected some stuff. That went much better today.