Me and "The Doc"

Sunday morning, I think those extra calories yesterday actually did me good. I woke before the alarm went off, and had to go back to sleep, the club doesn't open till 6:00 a.m. on weekends.

It was shoulder day, my favorite and I trained hard. 

Although I profess to be a loner in the gym, people always talk to me and I am not quite sure why. I suppose I am a bit of an oddity, a novelty and maybe even a freak to some. I have my headphones in, I am concentrating intently, and I don't think I seem very friendly (to be honest), I am on a mission.

Still, I have a great number of friends and acquaintances I speak with everyday when I am there. 

One is "The Doc". I have written about him before, he is a plastic surgeon in town. I first met him several years ago when he came up to me and told me I should come see him to have work done, "Your face should be in the same century as your body" he said. (and no we do not have a professional relationship, I like my face just fine, there are no plans for plastic duck lips in my life!)

Over the years he has made a point of chatting with me at every opportunity, he is in his late 70's and comes in several times a week.

He wanted to get strong, he asked me how to improve his bench. He wanted me to help him learn to deadlift (I didn't train him, I had just broken my rib and I think he then forgot about it all).

One day he asks if I have ever heard of a guy named Pavel Tsatsouline, he is a kettlebell expert. "Of course" I told him, "I have read all his books".


He would tell me everyday what he was working on, if it was a "strength" day or a a"flexibility" day. He would balance on a bosu ball with little weights in his hands, pretty good for an old guy!


I always do a little plyometrics before lifting, just to get everything moving. He always made a point of watching me do my explosive step ups, sort of like a fast jump/step up on a bench, one foot at a time, marching in place with Guns n Roses on my iPod full blast! He told me he wanted to learn how to do it, and I cautioned him it was a very advanced move. He said he would go home and practice first before doing it at the gym, just in case he fell down. 

"The Doc" used to use the smith machine a lot. I use it once a week. Each time when he was done, no matter what day of the week, he would come find me and tell me "I warmed up Smitty for you!" I would thank him and continue lifting.

He would often just stand and watch me lift, usually deadlift or squat or perform RDL's. He always got a kick out of the weight I could push.

A month or so ago I decided I might move to another gym, mine is just way too expensive. I had been visiting them all so I could make an informed decision. He heard me talking to another member while we were stretching in the meditation room and he says to me: "You leave here and I am never coming back". I told him that I would stay, he could sponsor me, I will wear the name of his cosmetic surgery center on my butt.

He liked that, said he might buy me a pair of shorts. That was not my intention, I wanted him to pay my club fees.

A few days later he came up to me and asked me "how much do you need? So I can sponsor you?" I looked him in the eye and said "$289.00 a month"

He got a surprised look on his face and asked if I had a tennis membership. Nope, just a family one. We never discussed it again.

Recently he asked me what I know about Prednisone, "does it make you stronger or weaker?" I told him it was a heavy duty steroid that raises blood glucose levels and makes you swell, nothing you want to take unless you have to. 

Today he came up to me, I pulled my earbuds out of my ears and said "What's up Doc?" He looked at me and said:

"I want to thank you for helping me, for talking to me all the time, for listening to me. I know I bug you." 

"I come in and watch you and am so inspired, you are the one that keeps me coming in. Just to watch you is amazing, you are the most inspirational person I know".

I thanked him and he went on:

"I won't be back for a while, I have to have some procedures done. I wanted to say thanks and goodbye." I asked if I would see him in a few months maybe?

"I'm not sure" he said. "I have some health issues to deal with" and he held out his arms. I gave him a long hug and I wished him luck and watched him walk away. He stopped and turned around and said "thanks for the hug, it means a lot to me." He then turned and continued walking, I watched him disappear down the hallway.

Good luck Doc, I will keep Smitty warm for you.

The Good Humor Truck

Anne and I bumped into each other at the club while we were filling up at the ice machine on Saturday morning.

“My body feels like it was hit by a truck! I told her. “But it feels like it was hit by an ice cream truck, not a big rig! 

She said “Oh, you mean a Good Humor truck?!” and we both laughed, I knew what she meant.

I started back lifting on Wednesday, exactly 4 weeks to the day after I broke my rib. For the first two weeks I was in too much pain to do much, but come the third week I was pounding out the steps on the stair mill, an hour a day. “Get me off this stupid machine!” I was crying inside.

Monday and Tuesday I started back with my lunch time stairs and jump rope, come Wednesday my legs were toast. Wednesday was shoulders, I was strong, I didn’t drop my weights, and I felt great.

Thursday was glutes, that wasn’t quite as easy, perhaps as my core was more involved. Friday was back and biceps. I enjoyed that, my bi’s were quite sore on Saturday. My weights had to be lowered for these exercises too.

 

Saturday? The day I had been anticipating, legs. It’s my deadlift and squat day, among other things. I have always prided myself on how heavy I can go and still maintain good form. Really, if you aren’t using good form you are defeating the purpose and risk injuring yourself, so why do it?

I had to drop my weights dramatically. I could only deadlift 135. Front squats were only 85, and back squats 115. I was feeling like a failure. 

Then I realized, it’s not only getting my body back into the swing of things, it’s getting my head into it too. You see, for me, weights are a head trip, pure and simple.

My head has gone through many interesting phases in the last four weeks. Feeling scared, sorry for myself, anger, frustration, embarrassment, anxiety, elation, pleasure, accomplishment, sadness, enlightenment.

I have never taken four weeks off in my life. Even when I had meningitis last year (was it only last year?); I lifted, only I did it with a painfully pounding headache at times…

In the past four weeks I have learned that I am an accomplished lifter, I know how to stay the course and eat healthfully without "dieting", and still look smoking hot; I have learned to enjoy food and wine with my family, I have learned that I can, and I should relax more often. 

I have learned that while competing was good for me, and it may still be good in the future, it’s only one competition, with the same people I always see, talking the same stuff I always hear, saying the same positive (and negative) things about others as they always do.

There was a time when I felt I HAD to compete to look good. I HAD to compete to justify my obsession with weights. I HAD to compete to prove something.

I no longer do. I have proven myself to the most important person in the world: 

ME

And, I am quite proud to say, that I am most impressed with the me I have become.

Just look at me in the picture above! I look pretty darn happy huh? And good too! It was Saturday after 2 hours at the gym, I seem to have maintained well, sore but still in shape. After a couple days lifting my arms are already starting to look fuller again.

This is what I wear to the gym, everyday, 365 days a year. A bra top and these little shorts. I like the way I look, and I only look better when I am close to a competition. 

I know many competitors who wouldn't be caught dead in public like this, unless it was 2 weeks before a competition, because they are not proud of how they look in the "off season", or they think they need to be "stage ready" to allow anyone to see their bodies. Pretty sad state of affairs, not sure if it is true body dysmorphic disorder, but I definitely know several who fit this mold! Me? I think most women would give their right eye to look this good in the "off season" or "on season"!

Tonight (I am writing this on Saturday), my son’s 17^th birthday, I am making a nice dinner (pork Milanese with pasta and homemade tomato sauce); he goes off to a concert while we watch UFC 129 in HD and enjoy a few glasses of wine.

Sunday? Shoulders again. I suspect I will still be running from that Good Humor truck, but I am quickly running faster than it can drive and I can barely see it behind me.

Next week, on Saturday is the competition I had been prepping for when I injured myself. Will I be going to sit in the audience and cheer on everyone? 

No. I wish them all well, I hope they come away feeling accomplished, but I won't be there. You see, competitions happen all the time, this one takes place every single May without fail. 


Saturday I will be attending a much more important event, my son's varsity lacrosse team is in the quarter finals, that doesn't happen all the time, and what would they do without the team mom there anyway?

Gym Talk

I was leaving the gym cafe on Tuesday, with a cup of coffee in hand. Over walks "the doctor". You know the plastic surgeon who thinks I need to have my entire face done?

Doctor: "There you are, I have been looking all over for you, how come I haven't seen you lifting weights?'

Kristy: "I have an injury, I haven't lifted in a week."

Doctor: "What happened?"

Kristy: "I broke a rib, I can't lift for another 3 to 5 weeks."

Doctor: "Oh, what are you taking for pain, which rib and how did you do it?"

Kristy: "Vicodin, 10th left side, weight training."

Doctor: "Take plenty of fiber when you take Vicodin or you will get constipated, take benefiber, it's a great product and works wonderfully.

Kristy: "Thanks, I will keep that in mind."

Doctor: "I have decided to start deadlifting so I want you to teach me proper technique."

Kristy: (thinking WTF!!??) "I cannot lift a thing myself so we can talk about it after I rehabilitate myself."

Doctor:" OK, I will keep my eye out for you."

So, what do I ask for in  return? Besides laughs galore, there is no way I am training a 70 year old plastic surgeon!

The gym is still fun even if I can only walk!

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.

Deadlifts and Squats

 

People ask me all the time what they should do in the weight room. I know there are so many different exercises, it can be overwhelming and intimidating.

First, as I have always said, you really need to hire a trainer. Not just any trainer, but someone who understands your goals and has the knowledge to help you reach those goals.

Interview them, find out what experience they have and make sure they are in agreement with your goals. I once had a trainer who thought women shouldn't be muscular- only "toned" so we ended up parting ways as I wanted to get big and he didn't want me to get big. We are still friends though.

Anyone (and I mean anyone) can be a Certified Personal Trainer, it isn't rocket science. There are some certifications that are considered better than others, and some can even be taken online, which means anyone could actually take the test...

You may actually have a friend who is willing to help out, just don't suck up too much of their time, they need to train too.

But maybe you don't want a trainer, or can't justify the expense, or you don't know anyone who can help out, what do you do in the gym?

Deadlifts and squats.

These are the two most important lifts that you can learn and you should do.  They should be the core of your training, you should do them every week without fail.

What are the least popular lifts in the gym, the ones that few people do?

Deadlifts and squats.

Why? The answer to both is simple. They are effective and they are hard.

That's why they are the best and the least popular!

These two lifts work your entire body, every inch of it. And any strength coach worth their salt will tell you the same thing. Also, they are not going to aggravate a bad back or bad knees if you do them properly.

Please don't mistake a 40 pound fixed weight bar with a proper Olympic bar- with weights added!  You need a real weight, one that will scare you a bit and make you take a deep breath as you approach it.

Oh and if you are a woman, you know what will impress men more than any other lift in the gym?

Deadlifts and squats.

Start lifting and start living!

Below is a video where Matt Wenning watches a lifter squat, and corrects his technique.  Matt is one of only a handful of people to total over 2600 lbs in a professional competition, hold an all-time world record of 2665 lbs in the 308-lb class, and bench press over 800 lbs in a full powerlifting meet. He currently the owner and a private strength coach at Ludus Magnus gym in Columbus, Ohio, a personal trainer to many executives and professionals at Capital Club Athletics, and contracted by the US Army. He also works with firefighters, physicians, children with disabilities, and all forms of athletes in the Columbus, Ohio, area. If you like this video, there is a part 2, 3 and 4 of the same fellow as Matt helps him to increase the load he is able to squat.

You will be able to find the rest of the videos at EliteFitnessSystems

Email readers will need to navigate directly to the blog to view the video.

RDL's

RDL's or Romanian Deadlifts are one of the most effective ways to train hamstrings.

They also look pretty impressive from behind.....

The exercise isn't really from Romania, the story is that the Romanian Olympic Lifter Nicu Vlad (who is credited with doing ~300kg, yes that’s 660 lbs., in the exercise) was seen doing them in the Olympic training hall at some point prior to either winning a medal, setting a world record, or possibly both.

Since he was Romanian, the movement got dubbed the Romanian deadlift.

Many people think they are the same as straight legged deadlifts, but they are not, not at all.

Both the RDL and SLDL target the same primary muscles which are the glutes, hamstrings and low back (additional work is done by the upper back and gripping muscles). One of the primary differences between the RDL and SLDL is that the RDL only works the spinal erector muscles statically, as there is no movement in the spine itself.


Set the racks in a power (squat) rack to just about knee level (there is no need for safety's- if you lose control during a lift, just drop the weight), and set an  Olympic bar on the rack. Walk up, squat down slightly while maintaining a small curve in the lower back, grasp the bar, and stand back up. You want your hands to be shoulder width apart, perhaps slightly wider if you find it to be more comfortable. Take a few steps back, and set yourself for the exercise. Being set includes making sure your feet are shoulder width apart, your chest is up, your lower back has a slight curve in it, and your knees are slightly bent (not locked).

I like to use my own lifting straps, it's easier to grasp the bar and I am not fond of the big ones they have at the gym..

Start by tightening your core to ensure a secure spine. Keeping the bar close in to your body (it should maintain slight contact with the body at all times) start to bend at the hips, taking care that the lower back does not move. I run the bar down my thighs actually, you can see the redness that it creates.

Your lower back should not loose its natural curvature at any time during the movement. Loosing this curve and bending or even straitening the lower back will put your lower back in a potentially injurious position. Practice with a light weight until you can bend over at the hips without bending the lower back as well.

As you descend, your butt should move back ever so slightly and you should feel a stretch in your hamstrings.

At the point right before you reach the limit of your hamstring range of motion you should stop and then reverse the movement, taking care to keep the bar in close and maintaining a safe (slightly curved) lower back position. Towards the top of the movement really force the hips through by squeezing the glutes. Repeat for the number of repetitions you want, walk the bar in over the racks, squat down slightly and return the bar to the rack.

The biggest mistake most people will make in the execution of this exercise is not maintaining the position of their lower back. Some will even go so far as to bend all the way over till the weight touches the ground. This is a huge no-no and is a reflection of the misunderstanding of this exercise and its purposes by most instructors.

In order to properly stress the hip extensor muscle groups, you must use intensity levels that are much too high for the lower back to handle in a prime mover or synergistic role. In order to derive maximum benefits from the RDL, you must keep the lower back from moving and let it play a much safer role as a stabilizer.

In fact, if done properly, you can safely handle extremely large weights on this movement with little to no danger to your lower back.

Me? I am doing 185 right now, 5 sets of 10. My hams look pretty good too...