Inspiration, Motivation and Leg Day Training

Saturday was leg day, I lift weights 7 days a week (twice on Wednesdays) and I train most body parts twice a week, once with Roy and then once on my own. Weekends I spend a long time at the gym, I take my time stretching and warming up, I would like to be able to do this on weekdays but I have a thing I have to get to called a "job". 

One of the stretches I have found very useful is this stretch for my hip flexors. If you have been reading my blog you know that I have been having hip issues since June of 2012, so I have learned to do an awful lot of stretches and roll a lot. I do have to laugh about why it took so long to shut the video recorder off, I kept getting messages from several people at once on Facebook and they just popped up over and over as soon as I could dismiss them! (email readers will need to navigate to the blog to see this and another video below.)

 

I had gone out the night before and had three glasses of wine, I am not yet in full blown competition prep yet, and I tend to get way too lean, so I could afford to do this once in a while. I was in bed by 9:00 pm and could feel the affect the alcohol had on my body the next day anyway. That's why I rarely drink, I am not as vibrant and alive the following day, even with just one glass. I think because I expect so much of my body, I just need to learn to treat it well all the time.

I started to get the squat rack ready, adjusting the hooks for the Olympic bar when a guy walks up to talk to me. I don't know his name, I have never spoken with him, but I see him there all the time, he is a regular morning lifter and trains with another guy, they are both in their late 20s or early 30s, they carry big waters and training books, recording their reps and sets as any dedicated lifter does.

He walked up close to me and this is the conversation:

Guy: "I don't want to interrupt you when you were lifting, but I wanted to talk to you. Everyone has heard about those people who inspire others, who push them to keep going when they don't want to. You inspire me and you have for a long time."

Kristy: "I do?! Really?! Wow! I'm not sure what to say.....Thank you for telling me!"

Guy: "There are so many days I don't feel like coming in here, I want to skip it, then I think how I see you everyday, your workouts are all so intense, you train harder each day than the day before, you never stop, you are so focused and never give up, ever. I wanted to tell you this yesterday, but I didn't, then I knew I would see you here today."

I was floored. He wasn't trying to pick up on me, he wasn't being rude, he was sincere. A big, strong alpha male, who is serious about his training said I inspire him.

It motivated me to push on, I didn't have as much energy as usual, but I would never dream of skipping the gym, ever.

Roy had just changed my program, I was doing a different type of squat, one where there is no rest at the top, it's easy to shoot up and stand there "resting", but these are a lighter load, a very long "time under tension" on the eccentric portion, and then as soon as I straighten up, right back down again. They become almost aerobic. I warm up with 95 pounds, lighter than I will use for the squats.

I have my phone attached to the mirror and I set it on the timer. I am to aim for 44 seconds time under tension for 10 reps. It's much harder than it sounds. I am using 115 pounds, my legs are under tension the entire time. I finished my sets, and rested before going on to step ups. My left hamstring is still weaker than the right after my injury, it's taking a long time to rebuild that strength.

For the step ups I have to have a box 25 inches high, so I have stacked two here and they are perfect! I will hold a 25 pound bar in front, on my clavicle, front squat style and slowly push up, re-setting at the bottom with each rep. 10 on each leg, three sets. I carry this little tape measure in my gym sack with my training log, lifting straps and fingernail file! I cannot stand having a nail with a snag....

I use the leg press on Saturdays, I don't when I train with Roy but I have extra time on Saturdays so I do just to totally exhaust my legs. I don't use a lot of weight, as it starts to hurt my knees, so I keep it light. Here I have 450 pounds added to the machine. 

That's Aaron in the background, to put things into perspective the day before he was pushing 1,500 pounds on this same machine. He's a beast! He also has some added advantages, he's male (lots of testosterone), he's very young (I have been married longer than he has been alive and....still more testosterone) and he used to be a Power Lifter and wrestler. He's still a beast though!

We met because I went up to him one day and told him that he looked just like my previous trainer (SC), it's uncanny how much they look alike!

Aaron stops to help me and advises how to place my feet for quad development, he lifts his long shorts and displays some very impressive quads! Nothing worse than skinny legs on a big guy....(think most Male Physique Competitors). 

Aaron asks if I have ever competed in a National level show and I tell him, "No, although I have qualified several times". "Why??!!" He asks. "You look great- you could get your Pro-Card!" He went on to say that I look as good as several others he knows, I would be successful if I did it. 

I explain that I have no desire to, what would I do with a Pro-Card? I do this because I love to lift, I love the training.  He walks away, saying "You would win, but if you do it just cause you like it, that's really cool!"

I love to lift. I cannot say the same thing about competing.

His comments floored me again. He was genuine in them, he thinks I have developed a physique worthy of Pro status! 

Two males, motivating me now.

I do my sets, it take time as I do 5 sets of 20 reps. So a total of 100 reps. I have my timer for rest periods, and the same funny guy from the previous week interrupts me and asks to work in. He did the same thing last week, There are four machines, the only one being used is the one I am on and he taps me on the shoulder and asks if he can "work in". I wasn't  sure if he he was trying to hit on me, or just was lazy and didn't want to load plates on the machine or what. This week I found out, I was finished so turned it over to him and he was asking all sorts of questions about weight training. I think it's odd he would be asking me when guys like Aaron are right there, but maybe I am less intimidating.

I have inspired and I am motivated. And I am lifting, it's a great day at the gym.

Think about your days in the gym. Try to inspire others. Try to motivate others. And please, please...help the world stamp out "chicken legs", train your legs!

Create your Dreams Internally

I was out of town the other day, visiting my father-in-law, and decided instead of hauling so much stuff there for one overnight stay, I would not go to the gym in the morning (at his place), but instead sleep in and train when I returned home the following afternoon.

Here I am after the 2 1/2 hour drive, dressed to go hit the weights. Sleeping in is not something I usually do, in fact, I very rarely do it. I slept until 7:00 a.m. and heard it was marked on the calendar as a special event. 

I have many readers now, and I love hearing from them. What is the most common email I receive? People telling me what an inspiration I am. I was messaging with a new friend on Facebook while I visited my father-in-law, I could see by the ever so tiny pictures on my phone that she is gorgeous, fit, cut, muscular and a competitor herself. She said I was inspirational.

How could I be an inspiration to her or anyone else? What am I doing that is so inspiring?

I thought about it a lot on the ride home.

I recounted in my head why I even started writing. 

There are thousands of blogs out there about this same topic; however I believe they fall into a few groups. There are the formerly obese people who changed their ways are are now fit. Not me, I have never had a weight problem.

There are those who have overcome a debilitating injury or disease to become ripped and cut. Nope not me, I have broken a rib a few months back, that's about it.

Then there are those who were famous, or at least well known in the particular circle they lived in and they decided to make some money with their advise.

None of it really fits me, surprise surprise!

The seed was planted by another competitor working with my trainer at the time, she struggled to lose body fat, and I would always seem to lose it so effortlessly. 

Believe me, it takes a great deal of effort, but I don't think I struggle as much as most others do, since I don't ever let myself get overweight. 

I started writing because I have a lot to share. People would always ask me for advise, so this seemed like the best way to do it.

It all started with how to lose body fat, but I soon realized that it was way more complicated than that. It was about me as a person. 

I told my new friend that I just "put it out there" and she said that's what makes it so special, so real. I guess that's right. You will see people show their one "fat" picture in the beginning, then they never show you another picture until they look stunning.

Or the "famous" or well know personalities, you only see them at their best, who could possibly hope to live up to that?

Me? You see me at 6:00 a.m. with no make up (a lot), when I am white and "pudgy" (at least for me) in the off season. I don't get dressed up except of course when I put on my competition suit. ..I think Sub Zero really should pay me for all those pictures in front of my fridge though! 

You see me when I am mourning a death, or celebrating a birth. When I am struggling, when I am celebrating. You see me everyday, and almost every picture is recent, I take them every couple days and have done so for years (yeah, I know it's a bit odd).

I share a lot, and I do it because I want others to feel good about themselves.

I think that the only "remarkable" thing about me truly is the fact that I am 50 and look a hell of a lot younger, without the aid of cosmetic surgeries or androgenic ergogenic drugs. I look great year round, and "greater" at competition time! Will I stop writing as soon as it all hits (or drops) and I look my age?

Nope. And, that is the other remarkable thing about me, you see, I believe.

In ME.

And I never act my age either!

People are motivated many different ways, but there are two categories you can divide them into. There are "externally" motivated people and "internally" motivated people. 


I think you will generally find that those who are very successful in one particular aspect of their life, I mean really, really driven to constantly improve, are internally motivated. 


I am internally motivated.


I don't need someone to push me, someone to help me, someone to train with me, someone to lean on. I am my own in all of those areas.


I am driven by the desire to improve, so seek near perfection in my quest, whatever it may be. I look around and if I am alone, I never stop, I run harder. I feel that we all learn best by falling down and getting up on our own. I learn best by doing. I am not afraid to fail. 


I don't follow the crowd and if everyone thinks it's a good idea, I probably don't agree. We don't need to be stiff, frail, slow and in pain. We should be fluid, strong, fast and high (on life).


I can "create dreams internally", or control the endorphins by just thinking about training.


Endorphins: 

From the Greek: word endo "ενδο" meaning "within" (endogenous, Greek: ενδογενής, "proceeding from within") and morphine, from Morpheus, Greek: Μορφέας, the god of dreams in the Greek mythology, thus 'endo(genous) (mo)rphine’.


I believe we write our own book, our future is what we decide it will be. While none of us can control what happens to us and around us, we can control how we react and deal with it all.


We are in charge of our own destiny. 


I feel that I am inspirational because of my outlook on life. I look for the positive, I make it fun, I seek adventure. It's not like I get to do this all over again....


And, although I don't "need" anyone, I certainly do love to train with others, share their triumphs and their failures and learn form people. I will never stop learning, and as long as I can, I will have a trainer that helps me to expand my horizons. And most of all, I will never stop trying to inspire those around me to be the best they can be.


I believe in you, do you believe in you? Reach for the stars, they are yours for the taking.

Lessons in a Bag

My gym has a shop they refer to as the "pro shop".  They call it a pro shop because it is a tennis club and they sell tennis wear and equipment, but it seems more like a boutique to me.

They have clothing for men and women, sandals for kids, swimwear, jewelery and sunglasses, even hankey pankey underwear in case you forgot yours!

I don't know how to play tennis nor do I even attempt to, I am there for the weights.

There was a beautiful blue dress staring me in the face every morning as I walked by into the locker room, but I am there at opening, and the pro shop is not open yet.

The last few weeks I have been going to the gym twice a day, weights in the morning, cardio at night, and the shop is open when I get there after work. I happened to veer into the shop the other day and had them haul the pretty blue dress off the form in the window, it was mine!

Fits beautifully and looks like it was made just for me. Thank goodness they only had it in blue. 

They carry Lululemon at the pro shop, it is a line of men's and women's active wear, in fact I wear Lululemon bra tops, love the flow Y and the hot class bras.

They put everything they sell into Lululemon bags, they are great bags that can be used for quite some time. I have only seen them in red, but my dress was placed into a black bag, the one you see above.

I like these bags, they have many wonderful, inspiration sayings printed all over to keep you motivated.

Sort of like In and Out Burger, did you know they have biblical references on their paper utensils and bags? But I am not religious, so I don't read their bags, but I will eat their burgers....

Some of my favorites on this bag:

"Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain." 

"Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself." 

"Children are the orgasms of life. Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them."


"Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocrity is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life."

"Successful people replace the words 'wish', 'should' and 'try' with 'I WILL'."


"Friends are more important than money."

"The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought." 

My dress? It is a Grace V dress by Zobha in Moroccan blue . I suggest, that everyone go buy a dress, just for a little motivation.