My Delts

I love shoulders. Big, broad, round, strong shoulders. The delts make a difference in any physique.  I have always loved to train shoulders and it shows, they look good. 

Today (Friday), I was training shoulders with Roy, we were using the chains. He said he had been studying my photos, like this one, from my last competition. 

He said that my delts are well developed in some areas, but lacking in others, and he wants to work on that. I am not familiar with everything he discussed, but apparently I am lacking development in the second and third muscle I think he said, out of 7...I didn't realize there were 7, I thought there were just 3!

So I know there are three heads to the deltoid, but within those three are more muscle fibers, for a total of seven. I need to start bench pressing heavy. He said with my year round low body fat, and the level of development of my deltoids, I should have a distinct cut showing between the pectoral muscles and the anterior deltoid, which I do not have; he wants to remedy that situation.

We start next week.

I am thrilled!

I have never, ever had someone take an interest like this in the development of MY physique! Now don't take this wrong, all of my other trainers had interest in what I wanted to do, and they helped me to work towards my goals, but Roy is advising and pushing, where I didn't know I needed it. He is the first to come out and say something like this.

I remember one trainer might say my "front delts were flat" and I needed to work them that day, but that would be about it. Roy is engaged with me, with my goals, with my "journey", my next adventure towards Women's Physique. If my only goal was to train strictly for my competitions, with no thought about my enjoyment or life in general, I might find another trainer, a bodybuilder. I am sure I could find another trainer who specialized in bodybuilding or Figure, one who solely worked on the development of the body for pure aesthetics; for the one goal of the next competition; with no concern for strength and overall body development, but I have no interest in that do I? I am interested in someone who values nutrition, mind and body connection, enjoyment of the moment, and the science of strength training. I am not training for aesthetics only. 

I enjoy working with someone who not only appreciates my goals, but who has engaging conversations about those goals, and is willing to embark on an adventure, along with me. Someone who isn't afraid to experiment. 

Today we talked about my new "diet plan", a rotating plan that limits starches, and always after training only, and increases proteins. I will have occasional "cheat meals" My goal? Add lean mass and decrease body fat, a very, very difficult task. But I think I can do it. I will give my idea a try, and if it works, great. If it doesn't, no harm done, I go back to the old plan. 

Roy was supportive and interested. He admits he doesn't know if my plan will work, but it is MY plan, no one else's, and he is there to support it along the way. 

I realize that my success is ultimately his success, and that is what makes a great team.

Did I say I am thrilled?

Gym Talk

 

I don't have time to talk in the gym, or I guess I should say I don't make time to. That doesn't seem to stop people from talking to me though!

It was Saturday morning, leg day and one of my hardest sessions. I start with abs because I hate training abs, it seems like such a waste of time in my mind so it is very easy to wait until the end, then all of a sudden find I am out of time, so, I guess I can't train them.

Good excuse huh? So to prevent that I train the suckers first! See who is smarter now!

Then I move to my deadlifts. I must admit deadlifts are impressive to watch, and when a woman is doing them, they are even more impressive.

There is a fellow who talks to me every morning, just for a moment but I still have to pull the ear buds out of my ears to hear him. He is 70 or maybe even older. What does he say?

"I have the flat bench set up for you"

Every time I see him, which is about 4 days a week! Seems all he does is bench press on the smith. Probably a good place for a guy that age to do bench alone don't you think?

I rarely use the smith and when I do, it's not for bench. I just smile and thank him.

He is a plastic surgeon, the same one who said to me a few years ago:

"You should come see me. Your face should be in the same century as your body."

Guess he thinks I have a pretty smoking body, or a pretty nasty face. Maybe both, I am not sure. Anyway, he doesn't think he said anything wrong and he loves to comment on the changes my physique makes, telling me when he thinks I am looking better than other times. He even said once "Did you just tan? Looks good on you"

Today after he told me the flat bench was ready for me he wanted to talk about me again.

Doctor: "You're looking good"
Kristy: "That's cause I'm losing all my body fat"
Doctor: "Well don't lose the body"
Kristy: "No worries, I won't"

Then he asked me why he couldn't progress on his bench, not even a measly 5 pounds.

I pointed to my head and said "It's all in your head. You can progress, but your brain won't let you"

He said "really?" then went on to tell me a story from his youth about a big weight training guy who couldn't bench more than 290. ever (seems like an impressive amount to me though...perhaps he cannot accurately recall the weight).

So, since this was so long ago, before the common use of cell phones, this fellow got a call from his wife, so he had to rack the weight and go to the front desk to take the call. When he was gone, his buddies added more weight to the bar, bringing it over his max.

Seems he had no trouble pressing it up, he thought it was his regular weight.

I told him that I believe the story, I believe in the power of our brains as the strongest muscle we own. He nodded his head and said maybe I was right after all.

He then pointed to my loaded bar, told me he wanted to see me lift before he went. I already had my chalk on my hands, my straps dangling from my wrists and I plugged in my my ear buds.

I knocked out 10 deadlifts and put the bar down.

He had a huge smile on his face, said "Wow! Impressive! Now I can enjoy the rest of my day! Make sure you tell me when your show is, I wanna come see you!"

And off he toddled....

Things like this seem surreal to me and yet they motivate me in some sick and twisted way. It does seem an odd way to be motivated, but it makes me laugh and smile at the fact someone feels comfortable enough to make such personal comments to me, critique me, chat me up,  and I stand there and listen.

Then I lift.


Late Addition:

I need to append to this blog. I typically write them a few days in advance, as this one was. On Monday after work I pull into the gym parking lot to do my cardio and who do I see standing there but this doctor and some other fellow.

I had the top down and I shouted out "Hey, are you saving a parking space for me?!"  he waived and said "sure, hold on".


Then he walked over and looked at me and said "Are you the gal from the morning? What's your name?"

"Yes" I replied, "It's Kristy, I look a little better when I go to work" and he just looked at me and then went to his car. As he pulled out, and I pulled in, I brought my window down and took off my sunglasses to thank him (the lot was completely full).

He looked at me again with a look of sheer awe and appeared dumbfounded. He then said "You're gorgeous! You are a knockout!!" "I will be here tomorrow"

I threw my head back and laughed loudly and thanked him, he drove off still looking a little shocked.

I changed and climbed up on the stairmill, smiling the entire time, feeling really good. I guess I don't need to carry that brown paper bag to put over my head any longer.

Quadzilla (lite)

I was reading Natural Muscle Magazine and ran across an article by Steve Shaw called "the Quadzilla, 60 Minutes of Leg Destruction" he said it was named after the King of Quads, Tom Platz.

I am forever attempting to get bigger quads, so this caught my eye. Now the only problem with this workout was it was designed to do only once a month.   Not sure about you, but I pretty much detest anything that comes around once a month, so I decided I would alter it to fit my needs.

 This is designed where you will perform your squats at 60% to 70% of your one rep max. You will be doing a lot of squats, so don't try to load the plates on too much!

I did this on Thursday, and could already feel them that afternoon. Friday, I was sore. Saturday I was popping Advil. Not only were my quads in pain, my glutes hurt too, I was a pathetic sight. Sunday, today as I write this, I am sore still, but it is fading. Good thing cause I gotta hit them again on Monday morning.

Mondays are always "Bench Press Mondays' for the guys, they all come in swaggering after the weekend and want to prove how tough they are again. This is good, because it keeps them out of my squat rack. They can lay on their bench grunting and I have the squat rack all to myself!

Here is Quadzilla Lite (1)

Front Squat 5x8 125 pounds
Back Squat 5x10 135 pounds

Hamstring curls 8x10 20 pounds added to machine

Leg Extension 5x10 90 pounds

Lunge Walking 30 seconds walk, 30 seconds rest holding 20 pound dumbbells in each hand. Repeat 5 times.

I plan to incorporate Quadzilla Lite (2) and Quadzilla Lite (3). My changes will be adding RDL's one day and leg press in the other in instead of the hamstring curl. It may prove to be way too much and I might have to go back down to two times a week, but I will never know unless I try right?

He advises to "eat like a monster" post workout, I do like that advise, in fact, I have been doing quite a bit of that, I have gained 7 pounds since the 2nd. I will soon have to stop eating like that, I am looking a little sloppy, but I can clean up fairly fast, in just a couple weeks actually.

But I am still giving myself some leeway, at least for another week or so. Then it's back to the same 'ol, same 'ol!
 

I know that pain does not mean a good workout, nor is it always desirable, but it really did hurt so good, I had this in my head all weekend long!  (Email subscribers may need to navigate directly to the blog to see the embedded video)