Stressed out and sick

What can I say, I am beside myself with worry and stress about Priscilla and on top of it I have full blown head cold. Sneezing, coughing, sniffing...  My head is a fog.

Horrible update from the Vet that Priscilla is not making any progress, despite their best efforts.  I am preparing for the worst and have spent the best part of this afternoon crying.

This sucks.

Training is also being affected. Saturday's max effort was just 'effort' all the way.  Had planned to get up to 110kg of the one-board but stopped with a triple at 100kg.  I was spent and there's no point pushing it is this condition, I'd just be risking injury.

I had a massage booked for after training so, knowing that I wouldn't be getting breakfast in a hurry, I took along a Protein shake - Blackmores ProPower Chocolate.  OMG - it has to be the best tasting chocolate protein drink I've ever had!  And that was mixed with water! Imagine how amazing it would taste with low fat milk - WOW!

This morning's Max Effort squat was also not so Max Effort...  Although I still managed  to walk out and squat 160kg,  albeit a little shallow,  in full equipment and I didn't feel like my head was going to blow off  like the last full equipment squat I did 3 weeks ago.  Ahh the benefits of training in equipment a little more frequently I think.

Here's to hoping the week gets better....

Sick

Well isn't that just shyte timing!  Work up Wednesday morning and felt like I's swallowed a pack of razor blades. Erghhhh.  Skipped training  - not completely, I went Thursday morning instead, but still not so great an effort.  Speed bench with bands, 40kg felt like 40 tonne.  Same this morning for Speed squats.  Spider bar with chains 8x2 a struggle at 95kg.  Rack pulls - worked up to 3 triples at 160kg.  I'm not a big believer in pushing too hard when you're sick.  I think you have to let your body recover and by training hard you're just breaking down your body even more. So I'm not phased by my lest than spectacular sessions - tomorrow wont be much better I think....


I'll start on my Blackmores proteins next week, I want to evaluate them properly so best I wait until I'm a little  more recovered.  Cristy has also given me access to the  My Blackmores Personal Health System.  which I've just set up for myself, with the program to start on Monday.  This will help me record and evaluate my achievements and goals although I wasn't sure whether to go for the sports program or the weight loss one ( ie. to get back down to my weight class for Worlds.  I chose the "Sport & Fitness" program for now.  The online Nutrition diary looks awesome!  This is going to be fun!


Priscilla Update....

Priscilla is still in hospital, she lost her gag reflex which is needed for swallowing safely and so they operated on Wednesday to put a feeding tube into her stomach.  The had to wait 24hours before being able to feed her via the tube. Unfortunately the tube is too small so they're going back in to surgery today to put a larger tube in.  Fingers crossed for her, please!

Priscilla and the tiger snake

Priscilla, my lovely Birman cat, is currently in the ICU of the Lort Smith Animal Hospital having been bitten by a Tiger snake last week.

Last Thursday she looked like she had conjunctivitis and she's had that before which I've treated
by bathing her eye with a saline solution, unusual tho' that her face was swollen.

Friday morning she couldn't be found and when I saw her Friday evening the swelling and conjunctivitis had subsided.

Saturday, however she was quite limp, not eating or drinking and breathing poorly so I took her to the Vet.  They could not find anything wrong  and suspected a throat infection or foreign object in the throat, but they did not have the equipment to check. They treated her with fluids, antibiotics and an antihistamine and she picked up a little.

Sunday, however, she had deteriorated so badly that I rushed her to the animal hospital - it was all a mystery still.  Blood tests didn't reveal anything and they put her on IV fluids in the ICU.

Monday the Vet rang and asked to do another blood test, specifically for snake bite and there it was - Tiger snake bite, but by now it was too late to give her anti-venom. So she is still in ICU, on pain relief, IV fluids and antibiotics. Luckily she still has a gag reflex so they are able to syringe feed her and we just have to wait and hope that she can pull thru.

With all this going on I still managed to get to the gym and train, its really the only place I can put this all out of my head....

Highlights....

Saturday:  Shirted 2-board press.
Raw Full ROM - 40x5, 50x5, 60x5
2-Board - 70x3, 80x3, 90-fail
Shirted 2-Board 90x3, 100x3, 105x3, 110x3, 115x2 120x1 125 x fail (twice)

Monday: Max Box squat - straight weight.
1/2 suit & knee sleeves: 60x5, 80x5, 100x5, 120x3, 130x3, 130x1 (misload), 140x1
1/2 suit & knee wraps: 150x1, 160x1 (PR!)

Struggled doing glute/ham raise after that!  :-)

Later on that day at work....

"A parcel has arrived for you at reception"

Whoo-hoo!!! Finally something to smile about!  Cristy from Blackmores has come thru for me.  My Blackmores Sports kit has arrived.   WOW!  Take a look at these goodies.

How awesome are Blackmores.  The bag will be so handy, now I can keep my bench stuff in one bag and my squat / deadlift gear in another.  It will make it so much easier than packing and unpacking for each session - as I do in the boot of my car....!  And now I have another shaker, ohh the convenience... I can have one for my pre-workout stuff which I take on the way to training and one for my post workout. I can
have them ready the previous night, already pre-dosed with the Blackmores protein powder - ProPower, just add water and I'm good to go.  And just look quantity they've given in the pack - not just a single serve sample but full tub and full box of sachets of ProDefinition!!

Thanks Blackmores`!!   And thanks Cristy!!

Speed n stuff...

Having dropped a quantity of carbs from my diet, smaller portions etc... bodyweight is down 800grams but also my training performance is down.

Felt lethargic this week and even a break from the diet mid week to demolish a Lindt bunny didnt help. Something is lacking or maybe my body just needs to adapt.

Tuesday: An accessory session 45 mins of stretching, then lat pulldown and lat rows,  band resisted good mornings and reverse hyper.

Wednesday: Speed bench  - 30kg with purple bands. Measured velocity with the gymaware device. 30kg was good, 40 kgs still good, 50kg a marked degradation in speed. Very interesting tool tho'.

Wednesday Eve: Dropped into my old haunt Definition 352 for an accessory squat session - nothing spectacular - 2x3 @ 60kg and 6x2 @80kg  (knee sleeves - no belt)

Thursday - sleep in - yay`!!  Real estate agent came to give me a valuation and,  well,  house is on the market....

Friday - Speed box squat- Saftey bar and deloaded chains. 80kg +3 chains aside 8x2
            Conv deadlift against minibands -  worked up triples increasing bands until 3x1 (with 3 bands)
            Cable pull thrus 120
            Cable abs (40kg)
    Side raises 4x8

Heading in extra early tomorrow 5.30am for shirted bench - down to the two board.

Max effort(s)

Friday  - Speed day

Equipped box squat with bands - (Blue)  100kg x2  x8sets

• Working out of the monlift, only light bands pulling back down onto the box - just a bit of GPP for circa max (heavy bands) in a few weeks.

Speed deads - mini bands up to 3x single. bands +10kg.

• add another band each set until no more bands then add plates.

Cable abs 4x15

Side raises 4x8

Saturday - Max Bench

Shirted 3 board

• Start raw - full ROM 40x5, 50x5, 60x3, 70x1
• Add 3 board  - 80x3, 90x3, 100
• Shirt  - 100x3, 105x3, 110x3, 115x3 120x3 125x2, 130x1

Long bench session - had to run out at 8.30 for my massage with Magic.  45 mins of lower back & glute active release.

Rest of weekend spendt cleaning the house and hiding stuff. Agent coming thru this Thursday to give me an appraisal to put the house on the market....

Monday Morning - max effort - squat/dead.  

Equipped Reverse band deadlift - black bands.  (How lovely at 6.30am)

• 1/2 suit - 120kg x5,160x3, 180x3, 200x3, 220x1 (struggle)
• Straps up - 225x1, 230x1  (footage below)

1/2 squat - spider bar 4x5 @ bar+15

Glute ham raise with bands 3x15

Hanging leg raise 4x8

Cable woodchops 4x8 @ 35.

***  Laynie, Thanks for your wonderful offer of help. Unfortunately PA rules are that you have to be a member of PA to be allowed into the warmup area. Something to do with insurance and drug testing (of course). Mostly its other lifters  you train with who are not lifting that help 'cos they know how to put equipment on, wrap knees and what cues to give you on the platform.  You might hear some of the cues in the footage above. 

Time to commit

I've been undecided since the beginning of the year as to which comp I'd do next.  Local comp on June 10 or Nationals in Newcastle in July.  Not wanting to have the same disaster as the Matti Tikka where I flew up on the day of the comp and wound up with no helper (not advisable when you're lifting equipped) and considering that my training partners have also been up in the air about Nationals, I've decided to commit to the June comp.

Beyond June, I'm still unsure if I'll go to World Masters in Texas this year. Financially it will be tough. I have $500 in the "Texas" account, will need $1000 by June as a deposit to secure my entry and I figure it will cost around $3000 all up.  The outcome of the June comp will also be a consideration.  As will the need to get back down to 63kg, probably for the last time tho'.  Best I don't get too far off, hence the 65kg weight goal below.

Anyway, for the next 9 weeks - (8 training/1 deload)   I'm going to document my preparation - training, diet, highs & lows as I attempt to hit an Elite 1 total in the 72kg class.  Yes, that's competing up a weight class from last year, but I've managed to stack on a bit of size over the past few months and I want to take advantage of it.

I've also been contacted by Cristy from Blackmores who have recently launched a new online book called "Getting the Edge".  She's going to forward me some samples from the new Blackmores range of sports supplements / protein powders which I'll include in my supplement program and share my personal feedback here with everyone.  A quick glance thru the e-book and already I've spotted some great looking recipes  :-)   Will let you know how I go with those too!

Lets start with some facts and figures:

Current best lifts @ 63kg:
Squat 150, bench 85, deadlift 195.5  (World M1 Record)  Total 430.5  (Elite 1 @ 63kg)

Current bodyweight: 67kg

Goal:  weigh in @ 65kg
Goal:  squat 160, bench 100, deadlift 200  total 460kg (Elite 1 @ 72kg class)

Training

Tuesday April 10 - Max squat  (A day late because of Easter)
Raw squats  50x5, 70x5
Half suit 100x3, 120x3 with knee wraps
Straps up  (full equipment) 130x2, 140x2
Thought my head was going to explode, so much pressure when straps are up. 2nd rep of the 140 set was starting feel like passing out. Key action - squat more in full equipment.

Assistance:
Half squats (Yoke Bar) 50g
  
Glute/ham raise - purple band
Hanging leg raise
Cable wood chops

Wednesday April 12 Speed bench
Straight weight 8x3@45kg, 5x60kg 2x5@65kg
DB press 4x10 @20kg
Narrow grip floor press 40kg
Paused chest supp row - 15kg
DB rows 22.5kg
Yoke shrugs Bar +20kg

Haven't done DB press for such a long time - Owww my chest is sore today (LOL)

Raw Nationals and Pacific International Results

http://www.powerliftingaustralia.com/OnlineScoreBoard/Session1.htm
http://www.powerliftingaustralia.com/OnlineScoreBoard/Session2.htm
http://www.powerliftingaustralia.com/OnlineScoreBoard/Session3.htm
http://www.powerliftingaustralia.com/OnlineScoreBoard/Session4.htm
http://www.powerliftingaustralia.com/OnlineScoreBoard/Session5.htm
http://www.powerliftingaustralia.com/OnlineScoreBoard/Session6.htm