It's a Happy Holiday!

Brian came in to train me this morning :-D Love that. Love getting to keep my schedule. Was a nice morning. Fun. No distractions. Just us workin' out.

Cambered Bar Bench - 95 lbs., 10. 95 lbs., 8. 115 lbs., 8. 135 lbs., 8. 150 lbs., 6.
Dumbbell Floor Presses - 40 lbs., 4 sets of 10.
Triceps Rollbacks - 20 lbs., 5 sets of 8.
Dumbbell Military Press - 30 lbs., 3 sets of 10.
Lateral Raises - 15 lbs., 3 sets of 12.
Cable Crunches - 40 lbs., 3 sets of 20. (i remembered to find out the weight today!)

Good day :-) Thank you Brian.

Official Fill-In Spotter

My friend Doug from church is how I found Brian. He came to spot me one day when Adam was out of town and he told me about Brian from his gym. The rest is history. ;-) Doug was the fourth person I had asked to spot me over the course of my time with Adam, when Adam was not there. Doug was the only one that showed up. So, today, Brian took a day off (that he truly needed) and Doug stepped up to the plate again. It was a good day. It was odd. I've not worked out with anyone else since I started with Brian. But it was good. You can tell Doug has been around a weight room a lot. He was pretty encouraging during my sets, especially toward the end when he could tell I was tired.

Cambered Bar Rows - 95 lbs., 3 sets of 10.
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows - 35 lbs., 4 sets of 12.
Blackburns - 5 lbs., 2 sets of 20.
Pull-ups Supersetted with mini-band Triceps Pushdowns - 6 sets of 5 & 30 (respectively).

Training is Awesome :)

A while back, Dave Tate asked the question on Facebook, "What is awesome." My answer was "Training is awesome." And I made one of the articles that was sent out in the Elite training emails. :-)

Training is awesome. It's the best and it makes me happy. My routines are amazing. I have so much fun. I love it. I love the stuff we do. There are an extreme few exercises that I despise now because I know I can trust Brian and he's going to help me through all of them and make sure nothing happens. I love this cycle. I feel great. Brian has my diet well balanced and my massages are going well. Both of those combine to help me feel excellent while I'm working out. And I just love doing it. I love lifting. I love what Brian comes up with. I enjoy our time. And I appreciate how much he puts into making sure I enjoy it. I love the stuff we're doing this cycle. He has a knack for putting together great exercise combinations.

Speed Bench w/ Weight Releasers - I lowered 165 lbs., and raised 95 lbs. 8 sets of 3. I really like these. I think they're really going to help with my speed.
Close Grip Bench - 95 lbs., 115 lbs., 135 lbs.(x's 2). All sets of 5.
Cable Triceps Pushdowns - 70 lbs., 12. 80 lbs., 2 sets of 12. I loosened up my form on this and the Close Grip and it really helped my elbow to feel better.
Upright Rows - 50 lbs., 3 sets of 12....Brian held me down :-)
Shoulder Horn - 8 lbs., 2 sets of 30
MedBall - Overhead & Chest - 2 setse of each timed for 30 seconds.

<3 Stretching <3

Protection

There are so many reasons that Brian is My Guardian Angel...I probably couldn't remember all the ways he's helped me and protected me and been there with me and for me if you asked me to list them. I'm sure I'd miss a lot. It's just been too numerous. But, I'm so grateful. He's one of, if not THE biggest miracle I've ever had in my life. He's even more than what I dreamed of when I was little and wanted to have an Olympic Coach. I would never have thought of half the things that God thought of to cover when He put us together for this training adventure. I owe so much to Brian in so many ways. It's really an incredible thought for me to take in that he really wants to do this with me for the long haul. It was a good day :-)

Cable Rows - 130 lbs., 12. 150 lbs., 4 sets of 12.
Scarecrows - 50 lbs., 60 lbs., 70 lbs., 60 lbs., all sets of 12.
Lat Pulldown - 80 lbs., 2 sets of 12 and a set of 10.
Kettlebell Shrugs - 50 lbs., 2 sets of 15, a set of 7 immediately followed by a set of 8. My grip failed me on the last two, so we divided it up. And, Brian helped me bend over and get back up again. :-)
Full Biceps Curls - 12 lbs., 2 sets of 15. I had never done this before but I curled all the way up to my shoulder. Brian helped hold me upright and I just stayed on the bench from where I did shrugs. :-)
BOSU Abs - 15, 19, 18.

<3 Stretching <3

Thank you Brian, for all your efforts in everything.

A Little Depth Goes A Long Way.

Actually, two meanings behind the title. This was the second week with the cambered bar for bench. It's to try to strengthen me coming out of the hole. It makes me come down a little farther than I do with the regular bar, so hopefully when we go back, it will seem easier. And then there's the massages. Last week I had Anne work on my arms deeper than the week before and it's really helped me a lot this week. Last week I failed after 4 reps of 135 lbs., and today I did a full set of 8 and another set of 6, plus one with help from Brian. That's a huge improvement. I'll take 14 over 4 any day!

Cambered Bar Bench - 85 lbs., 105 lbs., 125 lbs., 135 lbs., all sets of 8, and an extra set of 6 (plus one with help) on 135.
Dumbbell Floor Presses - 35 lbs., 4 sets of 10.
Triceps Rollbacks - 15 lbs., 6 sets of 10.
Dumbbell Military Press - 25 lbs., 3 sets of 10.
Lateral Raises - 15 lbs., 2 sets of 12 and a set of 10.
Cable Crunches....I always forget to ask how much weight he uses. I'm never facing it. But I did 3 sets of 20.

<3 Stretching <3

Another fantastic day in the books!

PLUS, I got a gift card from my mom's cousins for a netbook and went to get it tonight, so I can get on the internet while I'm in Malaysia!!!!!!!!!

It's a Wonderful Life

Cambered Bar Rows - 65 lbs., 12. 85 lbs., 3 sets of 10.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows - 4o lbs., 4 sets of 12.
Blackburns - 5 lbs., 2 sets of 15.
PullUps supersetted with Red Mini-Band Triceps Pushdowns - 6 sets of 5/20 respectively.

<3 Stretching <3

It's been a great week. :-)

New Toys!!!

Ya know, I say I don't get burned out, and I like my routine and my schedule. Which I do. But, I realized this week, sometimes even I need a little change of pace. I reworked my diet so I don't have to get up until 7 and I eat 5 times a day instead of 6, and I've felt much better. Plus, last night I went to watch Brian's son's baseball game and it was really nice to just hang out. My brain actually shuts off at sports events and I just relax and enjoy the game, whatever it is. I think I started to realize needing a bit of a change of pace when Brian and his wife and I went to dinner when I came back from my competition. It was just a good time to hang out and relax and talk to each other about every day things....not necessarily training stuff. We talked a little about that too, but it wasn't the main focus like at the gym.

Anyway. Another change of pace for the week. Brian got new toys for the gym. So, he was a happy camper. And the latest new toys were for me to use. So that made me a happy camper. :-D He got weight releasers. It's to teach me explosion. You load extra weight on the releasers and when you get to your chest, the releasers pop off and you push back up as fast as you can. So, it's heavier on the way down than on the way up. It's good for building speed. And I really really liked them. I wasn't sure I would. I didn't really understand the concept when he was telling me about them. But, I really liked it when we started working with them today.

Bench - 95 lbs., set of 6. 95 lbs., plus 50 lbs. on weight releasers, 8 sets of 3.
Close Grip - 95 lbs., 6. 115 lbs. + 1 set of chains, 3 sets of 6.
Dumbbell Military Press - 20 lbs., 12. 25 lbs., 12. 30 lbs., 10.
Shoulder Horn - 5 lbs., 2 sets of 30.
Medball Bounces, overhead and chest - 2 passes, timed. Not sure how long, either 30 or 45 seconds.

<3 Stretching <3

Comfort, Trust, Peace.

I was reminded of a huge important lesson today, that I think we all have to be reminded of from time to time. I actually needed the lesson immediately following my day at the gym...but, it took me until tonight to figure that out. I'm very thankful to Brian for talking me back down to being level-headed, so I was able to put two and two together.

Today Brian and I were both pretty relaxed, finally. Seems like for a while when one of us wasn't feeling too stressed, the other one was. Mostly on my end, I think because I was getting ready for the qualifier. That's the biggest competition I've done to this point. So, I was under more pressure than I realized I was, and more stressed more often.

Anyway, it was a good thing we were both pretty relaxed because he decided to experiment with a couple of things. We haven't really experimented for a while. We tried a different angle on the rows and scarecrows. And when he wanted me to start the scarecrows, it took me forever to get adjusted to start. I was really nervous just because of how it felt. So I had him add an extra strap, and when that didn't work, he said "Chelsi, I'll just put my knee up behind you to hold you in." And I must have looked at him funny cuz he said "Trust me." Well, of course, I did, and everything was fine. I liked the exercise, it felt good, and I hit the muscles exactly where I was supposed to. Then when we went over to do shrugs, he said he wanted me to use the kettlebells to try to get a better angle for my wrists and forearms. I KNOW I looked at him with apprehension, cuz I was totally feeling it. So, he said "Are you nervous?" I said "Well, I'll do it, that's fine." And he said "Chels, you know I'm not going to let anything happen to you." And he's right. I do know. But, it's still hard for me to jump right in and be excited about something new. So, he sat on the bench behind me and tried to make me lean forward so I could grab both kettlebells at the same time, so my balance wouldn't be off. I yelled at him. :-/ I said "Don't do that to me." So, he kinda yelled back. ;-) He said "I'm just going to help you. Just let me do it." So, I started to lean forward, very unhappily...but, he put his arm in front of me and lowered me down very carefully and then pulled me upright once I had the kettlebells and held me in place while I shrugged.

At both exercises, as soon as I felt him touch me...with his knee and then later with putting his arm in front of me...as soon as I could feel him there, I was okay. I couldn't make myself start when he was off to the side, not with me, but, as soon as I could feel him, I knew I was okay. It gave me a feeling of security, like he was protecting me. I know he does a lot, but, it's a different sort of appreciation when it's something that I'm not used to. Almost like I take for granted that he's there with the other stuff, because we've done it for so long. But, when there's something that I'm unfamiliar with, it's interesting that he knows what to do before even I know what to do. And I re-learned that I don't have to be scared of unfamiliar territory because, he's guiding me and knows the best way if I just listen to him and trust him.

So, then I came home, and a chain of events took place that didn't make me real happy or comfortable with life. I talked to Brian. And, as he always does best, he reassured me it would work out....more than once. And, it finally dawned on me (several hours into the evening) that the day was precursor to remembering that God is there, with his arm in front of me, lowering me down and straightening me back up and holding me steady. And He's not going to let go of me either. It makes me crazy that it takes me so long in my humanness to remember such important things. But, it makes me smile that My God, My Father has so much patience with me that he continues to lead me even when I forget that He's there. Brian too, when I begin to show a bit of fear, he just continues, because he knows I'm going to be fine. In both instances I'm learning to be a stronger, better person. I just need (both of them) to remind me that I'm not alone. Was a really good day (all in all).

Cable Rows - 130 lbs., 15. 150 lbs., 12, 10 & 10.
Scarecrows - 20 lbs., 30 lbs., 40 lbs., all sets of 15.
Lateral Pulldown - 80 lbs., 4 sets of 12.
Kettlebell Shrugs - 50 lbs., 15, 20, 15.
Biceps Curls - 12 lbs., 3 sets of 15.
BOSU abs - 3 sets of 15.

<3 Stretching <3

Fundraising

Hey Everyone!

Relaxing time is O-V-E-R!!!!!!!!!!! Time to get up and go!!!! I got very side tracked yesterday, and forgot to blog, so I'll put yesterday's and today's workouts in here.

Sunday:
Cambered Bar Rows - 85 lbs., 12, 10, 10, 8.
Face-down Lying Lateral Raises - 15 lbs., 5 sets of 12.
Face-down Lying Biceps Curls - 12 lbs., 3 sets of 15.
Pull-Ups supersetted with Banded Triceps Pushdowns - Around 6 sets of 5 (pullups) & 20 (triceps).

<3 Stretching <3


Monday:
Cambered Bar Bench - 95 lbs., 2 sets of 12. 125 lbs., 1 set of 8. 135 lbs., 1 set of 4.
Dumbbell Floor Press - 30 lbs., 4 sets of 10.
Dumbbell Floor Press supersetted with Triceps Rollbacks and Triceps Side Extensions - 15 lbs., 5 sets of 5 each.
Dumbbell Hammer Military Press - 15 lbs., 12. 20 lbs., 2 sets of 12.

<3 Stretching <3


I don't think I'm missing anything. I'm still having some issues with my arms getting tired. Going to massage tomorrow to see if I can get it straightened out.



Well, I had a fundraising concert at the park this weekend. A friend that I graduated with put it all together for me, and my cousin Josh's band played. It was a really great day. :-D Fun & Enjoyable. Another friend organized a poker game for me and I got a 50/50 split. I made about a quarter of what I need, so that's a good start!! I have 9 weeks until I leave for Malaysia. Not that long!!! I think we're going to do a lift-a-thon at the gym. And a couple of my cousins went together for me to get a gift card for me to get a laptop to take to Malaysia <3 I'm feeling very loved. Moving right along!

Malaysia-bound!

Well, for those of you who don't already know. IIIIIIIII get to go to Malaysia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I qualified for the World's team yesterday with my first lift. :-D I got 143 and 159 yesterday. I laid down for 159 and when my coach came to strap me, she said "Just relax, you're already on a plane to Malaysia." Music to my ears. I completely pressed 165 yesterday as well, but, they disqualified the lift because they said I sunk it into my chest. The official press release is due out in about a week, so I'll let you all know about that. The trophy is at the gym, of course. :-) It's almost as tall as Miriam. lol. Mom has some pics she's going to put on facebook or we can email them to you. Comment or write me back and let me know if you want them. I'm waiting on the video tape to get put on DVD for Brian and I to watch to see what needs tweaked. I have 10 weeks. HOLY CRAP that's not much time. I'll check back in next Sunday to start a fresh week. It's take-it-easy time right now. :-D

Impossible is Nothing.

Good commercial clip for you all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHyXdyRXMsg

Tide has turned again today. My atmosphere is changing once again. I can feel the competition in my bones already and I still have 6 days (well, closer to 5). I felt the nerves jump in today when I left the gym after Brian and I talked about the competition. Just enough nerve to keep me on my toes though. I think it's a good thing. I'm soooooooo excited. Definitely ready to get after it.

Dumbbell Rows - 35 lbs., 2 sets 15, set 12, set 15.
Blackburns - 5 lbs., 2 sets 25.
Pull-Ups supersetted with Band Triceps Pushdowns - 7 sets each, 5 & 25 (respectively).
Band Iron Cross (red mini) - 2 sets 25.
Rotating Dumbbell Press - 20 lbs., 1 set timed for 2 mins. (pretty sure).
......I feel like I might be missing something, but it isn't coming to me.

And of course <3 Stretching <3.

Tomorrow will be some opener practice stuff. Then, I'll check in after the meet. Wish me luck!!