Bit of Brain Training

Had a bit of a moment yesterday when a bit of self doubt crept into my mind.

It wasn't a lot. It was barely a thought. But just that twinge of "I'm too tired, I'm too sore, it's too heavy"

And it was just enough to throw me.

I found it so hard to keep going at that point. My arms just weren't responding when I tried to hit reps and my shoulders felt like I had nothing left.

It wasn't the case, I had plenty in the tank, but my brain was telling me no.

I was really happy I was training with Jase and Ash at that point. Jase said I could keep going and it was all in my head. I wanted to drop the weight to make reps. They gave me a choice, do 6kg seated lat raise again for 15 or drop to 5 and do 20. Of course my tired brain chose the fewer reps. I sat and forced out each rep... where before I struggled to get 10 with a spot, when I pushed through, I made 15 without needing a spot. Jase told me I could easily have made 20 that time.

This incident, while small, still made me think more about what I need mentally to get through this as well as physically. I know full well I have the strength to lift what I do. In fact I can probably lift even more than I do when pushing for maxes.

What I need are some ways of helping myself to achieve what I want. I started thinking about what positive affirmations I can give myself when I'm struggling and feel like I can't go on. How to force out those extra reps or do that additional set when I feel like there's no more in me.

Because no one else is going to win this comp for me and I know that. I am the only person who can truly push myself far enough. There isn't a magic pill to get the results I want, it comes solely from hard work, dedication and true determination.

So I'll be working on some positive thinking strategies for myself and focusing on what I can do to help my mental strength as well as the physical.

For training today, I've got legs, and I'm training on my own so it will be a good chance for me to practise some of these techniques to push through. 

A Sunday workout, new training splits and posing practice

Time for an update! Eating is going well, I'm slowly getting used to eating a bit more again. It's meant I've been able to get some of the intensity back in the gym I felt I have been lacking over the past few weeks!

I'm slowly getting a little fuller and being able to lift harder and heavier is definitely helping that!

I didn't post my Sunday workout last week, but yesterday's was epic so I'll put that up at the end of this post.

I'm shaking up my training again a little, now my rest day is Tuesday it's made deadlifting and leg training too close together. So I’m taking some advice from D and Jason and for the next wee while I’m reducing the number of times I’m training and taking a little more rest. So my program is going to look a little more like this:

Monday 

Lunch: light arms

Evening: Chest

Tuesday

Rest

Wednesday 

Lunch: Core

Evening: Deadlifts

Thursday

Lunch: rest

Evening: Back

Friday

Lunchtime: Core

Evening: Arms

Saturday

Shoulders

Sunday

Legs

It’s not reduced as much as they’d like, but I’ll see how this goes :D I know rest is a big part of muscle growth, so I am listening as much as my stubborn self will allow!

I’ve started posing practice now and I’m aiming for 10 minutes a day at the moment. It’s a lot harder than I thought, and I actually tire quickly when doing it, so I’m glad I’ve started early. I hope to order my comp heels relatively soon so I can practice walking and posing in them.

Sunday’s massive leg workout (this was SO nasty!)

Cycling (stationary) warm up

Stretching and warm up drills

Body Weight Lunge

• 10 reps
• 10 reps 

Leg Extensions straight off into lunges...

• 25 kg x 15 reps

Stationary Lunge

• 8 kg x 10 reps
• 8kg x 10 reps

Repeat 4 times, then same thing but with Single Leg Extensions

• 10 kg x 12 reps

Stationary Lunge

• 8 kg x 10 reps

Then swap legs

Leg Press

• 60 kg x 12 reps
• 100 kg x 10 reps
• 140 kg x 8 reps 

Smith Machine Squat

• 40 kg x 10 reps
• 20 kg x 12 reps

“Ox Squats" 5 minutes of squats. first 2.5 minutes with 10kg bag on my back for 50 reps, second 2.5 minutes bodyweight for 56 reps.

 Lying Leg Curls

• 20 kg x 2 reps
• 22.5 kg x 8 reps
• 27.5 kg x 10 reps
• 35 kg x 10 reps

First set Jason put 2.5kg more on top after 2 reps without me noticing

Seated Leg Curl

• 40 lb x 5 reps
• 40 lb x 5 reps
• 50 lb x 10 reps

Friday and Saturday workouts and plans for the weekend

Hey everyone! As promised, here's my workout for Friday and Saturday. Because I had a big day at work on Friday I didn't get my lunchtime workout in so had to add triceps on the end of my chest workout. Definitely not the way I like to do it, but better than no arms at all!

Saturday's trainings were good, didn't get to do core until the afternoon so I didn't have much of a rest between workouts. Not sure why the gym staff still comment when I come back in later on, I'm there every day haha.

Tomorrow I've got legs with Jason and I might try fit some cardio in Sunday morning.

So here's Friday:

Dumbbell Bench Press

• 10 kg x 15 reps
• 12 kg x 12 reps
• 14 kg x 10 reps
• 16 kg x 10 reps
• 18 kg x 6 reps
• 20 kg x 4 reps
• 14 kg x 10 reps
• 14 kg x 10 reps
• 14 kg x 10 reps
• 14 kg x 10 reps
• 14 kg x 10 reps

Barbell Incline Bench Press

• 20 kg x 10 reps
• 20 kg x 10 reps
• 25 kg x 10 reps
• 30 kg x 7 reps
• 30 kg x 5 reps

Decline Barbell Bench Press

• 20 kg x 20 reps
• 30 kg x 10 reps
• 30 kg x 10 reps
• 35 kg x 10 reps
• 40 kg x 6 reps
• 40 kg x 5 reps

Dumbbell Flyes

• 6 kg x 10 reps
• 6 kg x 10 reps
• 8 kg x 5 reps
• 8 kg x 5 reps (PR)

Triceps Pushdown

• 11.2 kg x 7 reps
• 11.2 kg x 7 reps
• 11.2 kg x 7 reps
• 13.8 kg x 7 reps
• 13.8 kg x 7 reps
• 13.8 kg x 7 reps
• 16.2 kg x 7 reps
• 16.2 kg x 7 reps
• 16.2 kg x 7 reps
• 18.2 kg x 5 reps
• 18.2 kg x 5 reps
• 18.2 kg x 5 reps

Triceps Pushdown - Rope Attachment

• 6.2 kg x 10 reps
• 6.2 kg x 10 reps
• 6.2 kg x 10 reps

Saturday:

Dumbbell Side Bend

• 20 kg x 20 reps
• 20 kg x 20 reps
• 20 kg x 20 reps
• 20 kg x 20 reps
• 20 kg x 20 reps
• 20 kg x 20 reps

Crunch

• 20 reps
• 20 reps
• 20 reps

Bicycle (abs)

• 20 reps
• 20 reps
• 20 reps

Flat Straight Leg Raise

• 10 reps
• 10 reps
• 10 reps

Jack Knife Sit-Up

• 10 reps
• 10 reps
• 10 reps

Weighted Russian Twist

• 10 kg x 20 reps
• 10 kg x 20 reps
• 10 kg x 20 reps

Repeated the above until I did them all 3 times each except I missed out the last set of Jack knife sit ups.

Cable Crunch

• 16.2 kg x 10 reps
• 21.2 kg x 12 reps
• 23.8 kg x 10 reps

Evening shoulders:

Warm up drills

• 2 kg x 10 reps
• 2 kg x 10 reps
• 2 kg x 10 reps
• 2 kg x 10 reps

Machine Lateral Raise

• 40 lb x 10 reps
• 40 lb x 10 reps
• 50 lb x 10 reps
• 50 lb x 6 reps
• 40 lb x 10 reps
• 40 lb x 10 reps
• 40 lb x 10 reps
• 40 lb x 10 reps
• 40 lb x 10 reps
• 40 lb x 10 reps

Hammer Strength Press

• 10 kg x 10 reps
• 15 kg x 10 reps
• 15 kg x 8 reps
• 15 kg x 7 reps
• 17.5 kg x 5 reps
• 10 kg x 10 reps
• 10 kg x 5 reps

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

• 10 kg x 8 reps
• 10 kg x 8 reps
• 12 kg x 6 reps
• 12 kg x 4 reps

Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise

• 4 kg x 10 reps
• 4 kg x 10 reps
• 4 kg x 10 reps
• 4 kg x 10 reps

Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows

• 1.2 kg x 10 reps
• 1.2 kg x 10 reps
• 1.2 kg x 10 reps

Hold for 30 seconds then do the set

Cupcake recipe and Thursday's training

Many of you might remember the amazing protein cupcakes my wonderful friend Michelle made me for my birthday! They were super cute, so delicious and really did make me feel special being able to have cake when on such a strict eating plan!

Mmmmmm so delicious!

Being the awesome chick she is she let me have the recipe to put on here!

Michelle’s Protein Cupcakes

What you need:

•          3 eggs
•          250 to 300g cottage cheese
•          3 tablespoons carob or cocoa powder
•          80g oats, finely ground
•          1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•          2 scoops chocolate flavour whey protein powder (you can make them with whatever flavour you’d like)
•          1.5 tablespoons honey
•          1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

Prep:10min  ›  Cook:20min  ›  Extra time:20min resting  ›  Ready in:50min 

1.    Beateggs in a bowl and add all other ingredients. Put the baking powder in last, and leave the mixture for 20 minutes so the oats can soak.

2.    Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6. Grease a cupcake/muffin tin

3.    Take a blender and blend the mixture in the bowl until smooth and looking like melted chocolate. Otherwise, it won't be dense enough and there will be lumps from the curd. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

4.    Bake in the preheated oven until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

My workout yesterday was good, but using my rhomboids properly doing squats on Wednesday meant they were SO sore yesterday! 

Here's my workout:

Group A: Lunchtime Core session (30 minutes)

o  Dumbbell Side Bend

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

  

o  Crunch

§  20 reps

§  20 reps

§  20 reps

o  Bicycle Crunch

§  20 reps

§  20 reps

§  20 reps

o  Flat Straight Leg Raise

§  10 reps

§  10 reps

§  10 reps

o  Weighted Russian Twist

§  10 kg x 20 reps

§  10 kg x 20 reps

§  10 kg x 20 reps

o  Dumbbell Side Bend

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

§  20 kg x 20 reps

o  Crunch

§  20 reps

§  20 reps

§  20 reps

o  Bicycle Crunch

§  20 reps

§  20 reps

§  20 reps

o  Flat Straight Leg Raise

§  10 reps

§  10 reps

§  10 reps

o  Weighted Russian Twist

§  15 kg x 10 reps

§  15 kg x 6 reps

§  10 kg x 20 reps

o  Cable Crunch

§  60 lb x 10 reps

§  80 lb x 10 reps

§  90 lb x 10 reps

Group B: Evening Back session

o  Lat Pulldown

§  70 lb x 10 reps

§  70 lb x 10 reps

§  70 lb x 8 reps

o  Chin-Up

§  5 reps

§  5 reps

§  4 reps

§  4 reps

§  4 reps

o  Lat Pulldown

§  55 lb x 12 reps

§  55 lb x 10 reps

§  70 lb x 10 reps

§  85 lb x 10 reps

§  85 lb x 10 reps

§  100 lb x 5 reps

§  115 lb x 3 reps

§  70 lb x 10 reps

§  70 lb x 10 reps

o  Bent Over Barbell Row

§  20 kg x 10 reps

§  25 kg x 10 reps

§  30 kg x 8 reps

§  35 kg x 6 reps

§  40 kg x 5 reps

§  45 kg x 5 reps

o  Seated Cable Row

§  18 kg x 10 reps

§  26 kg x 10 reps

§  33 kg x 6 reps

§  40 kg x 4 reps