Rethink Possible.

I used to hate experimentation weeks. They made me uncomfortable and something always scared me enough to make me, at least, want to cry. But, that's all a thing of the past. I have learned to be okay with being uncomfortable when something is new, and Brian usually cuts me off at the pass when it looks like I'm gonna cry, by calling me on it and distracting me some how. Not only that, but, it happens far less than it used to because I've been with Brian for so long and have been through experimentations and have learned that I can trust him with whatever he's trying.

I stole the title from the AT&T commercials. It reminds me a lot of our experimentations in the weight room. The list of exercises that we do in the weight room has grown tremendously in the last year and I'm extremely thankful for it. Even when an experimentation doesn't go right...like on Friday, I couldn't do something on the TRX...later when we talk about it, Brian's usually still mulling it over and over to find a new way. It might not come up for months, but, he usually finds a way. Friday when I couldn't do rollouts, I was talking to him later about being upset about it, and he said "Today wasn't the end of that, Chels. I still think we can correct that." And he went on to explain how he thought it was possible and what he thinks we'd have to do. You know the greatest part is? If you never stop trying, you'll die still having the faith that it could happen somehow. You'll never fail. You simply keep getting up every time you fall down.

Today was awkward and one exercise made me pretty uncomfortable. But, as the day went on, I felt the best from the exercise that made me the most uncomfortable. I've learned that everything we try is always in my best interest. If it works, it's going to benefit me a great deal. If it doesn't work, we're just going to keep trying until it eventually works. So, it's always a win/win situation.

We did Reclined Rows on the Smith Machine, and Brian put a band around my back to try to give me a little support so I could come up a bit farther. I'm pretty weak at them, so, I think it's a good exercise to work on. He also strapped my legs up on a 10-inch box to take some of the dead weight off and try to get me up higher. I liked them and I think they're gonna help quite a bit. Brian said they're a good Sunday lat exercise, and I agree.
Then we did an exercise that I'm not real sure what the name of it is. I sat on the 10-inch box with a strap around my legs and my back to the low row bench. I leaned backwards over the low row bench and Brian handed me a dumbbell. We started off with 20 lbs., and went up to 25 lbs. after a couple of sets. I had to raise the dumbbell up and then take it back behind my head. It opened up my rib cage and also worked my lats. This was the one that made me real uncomfortable. Brian knew it. And he called me on it. But, he made me focus on whether the exercise was benefiting me and where I was feeling it, instead of how it made me feel emotionally. Then he reminded me he's not gonna let anything happen. I know that, of course, but, it still helps to hear it now and again.
We also tried a log pinpress today. I was real happy to use the log. I've never gotten to use it before. Brian wanted me to get away from pressing for a while to help my shoulders recoop. But, he says with the grip of the log, my elbows can't flare, and when I press it, it's down farther than a normal press, so, it will allow my shoulders to recoop, but, still allow me to get some pressing in.

So, that was my day. And of course, <3 Stretching <3 It was a great day. And then, everyone that works at the gym, plus Brian and Nick went out tonight for an IOU birthday dinner for me. It was a really great time. I laughed all night and had so much fun. Tomorrow, I'm back on the diet and getting back into the groove of a new lifting cycle. Back to business as usual. Only 11 weeks to go.