My First Real Whole30

I just finished my first real Whole30.  I have tried a couple times, and it turned into more of a primal living experience.  So, I'm around the MOON that i did it.  I've been attempting to eat strictly paleo for a year and a half.  I've been off & on, it's been a struggle.  I hit a low point with food, eating whatever I wanted and feeling like crap emotionally and physically. 

I decided to put some money where my mouth was and signed up for the Whole30 daily e-blast and it was totally worth the $15.95, each day I was able to click the little link on the bottom after a successful day, such a great reward! 

My goals in doing this were to:
1) reset my eating habits 2) lose weight 3) get off sugar completely. 
I accomplished all of this.  I'm 5'1" and weighed 142 when I started, I weigh 137.4, so I lost a little more than 4 lbs, which I'm happy with.  Some unexpected results are that I love having my coffee with some full fat coconut milk and a cap full of vanilla extract.  At first, I was going to quit the coffee all together, but it started to become awesome. 

The habit that I've developed solidly since I started is having a full on cook-fest each week.  My kitchen started to feel too small and inefficient, so I invested in a white board to keep track of what I'm going to make and what I'm out of, I got some hanging baskets for the gagillion lemons I use each week, and got an actual spice rack. .  I'm like a multitasking whirlwind.  This results in my having breakfast, lunch and dinner ready to go.  My fridge is like a Whole30 restaurant. (note : I'm doing another Whole30 with my gym starting 9.4)

The foods that I ate were freaking awesome.  
The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat from The Clothes Make the Girl, you MUST try this..and absolutely don't skip the brining.  Seriously. I also made loads of her tahini sauce and sunshine sauce.  The tahini goes perfectly over the chicken which goes perfectly over Spinach. Man.

The best things to make were things like Merguez Meatballs, turkey meatloaf, pulled pork, Chocolate Chili, (I spent a LOT of time on CMTG's blog...a lot).  Things that made enough for multiple lunches, things I could heat up easily. I also prepped my veggies, make sure my Kale was salad/stir-frying ready, brussel sprouts cut, bell peppers diced or cut into strips, cucumbers peeled and sliced etc.  Anything and everything that made a meal about 10 minutes away at most.  That was key for me.

I roasted like crazy, one of my favorite treats was roasted grape tomatoes (red and yellow) with some balsamic splashed on them.  After going without sugar, those tomatoes were like gorgeous candy. YUM.

I also got a dessert idea from paleOMG that was Whole30 ok.  She's super into desserts, which I appreciate..but of course, there is the 'dessert is dessert' camp.  It's one green apple sauteed in coconut oil, with 1/2 tsp of vanilla and cinnamon.  It's the best thing ever...so good, so comforty.  She has a lot of other great desserts that would work post Whole30 as treats. 

I skipped going out to eat, with very few exceptions.  I managed to attend a family barbeque and make good decisions, and I avoided the dark chocolate kisses left at my place by my boyfriend's son and walked past co-worker treats like I had armor on.  It felt great.

Since I'm starting a new Whole30 in a few days, I've decided to allow myself some NON Whole30 food before restarting.  I'm not going crazy, I'm going to have some Gouda, like the nice aged, crunchy butterscotchy kind with pears.  I've contemplated corn chips and popcorn, but I'm going to skip grains.  Best not to open that door, 'cause I run through that sucker.  I'm also going to make a few treats from paleOMG, but without honey or maple syrup, I'll sub apple sauce.  Then back at it!

I'm excited to do it with my gym although they have upped the ante by having a competitive component, which included one hour of daily movement. I mean, I'm down with daily movement...but I a BIG fan of rest days.  I'm doing it though.

I've bought into the paleo lifestyle hook line and sinker really, and I want to see and live the results I see in others.  The Whole30 was the reset I needed, and I'm excited to keep going!!

Training!

I'm starting my new training schedule for the next Powerlifting competition.

Here are my goals :

- To make 2 out of all 3 lifts.

- To lift heavier than any 11 year olds that may be entering this competition.

- To remember to NOT wear my knee high socks before the Deadlift.  Sheesh, was that a rookie move.







I'm not going to list everything I'm doing individually - because I don't have my list in front of me.  I put it all on a dry erase calendar above my desk.  It's fantastic!
Here it is in a nutshell :

6 Days a week of lifting and 5 Days a week of Cardio until the first week of June, then down to 3x/week...until I have to cut it out completely, which is probably 3 weeks before the competition.

Each week I work on all three lifts.  I start at lifting 65% of my max for each lift, spending 2 weeks there perfecting form and drilling that in.  Then I start upping the weight each week.



Max Goals

Deadlift - 250

Bench - 120

Squat - 205








Each day I'm also doing supporting exercises. 

Mon - Upper Push
Tues - Lower Pull - Plyo
Wed - Upper Pull - 30 min cardio
Thurs - Lower Push - 30 min cardio
Fri- Upper Push - 30 min cardio
Sat - Lower Push - 30 min cardio
Sun - Complete Rest

Push & Pull - meaning the type of exercises I'm doing each day. 
So a Lower Pull day would be a relatively quick day with Leg Curls, Adduction, Hip Flexion and maybe Stiff Legged Deadlift.



Each of these are a max of 10 reps as we start out and then will go down to 6-8 reps, as the weight increases. 

My goal is to post something every other day to keep my mind focused and my eye on the prize.
You know, the eat, breathe etc stuff.

Fun!

I have been a bit bored this week, which is a sign that I need to shake it up.  I've been doing the same thing for about 5 weeks now, so it's time.  I have 3 more weeks before I start training for my next competition.  I've stuck with my nutrition this week, which feels good.  I am determined to 1) get into the weight class that I have tried for on my last two competitions and 2) unwrap the f***ing package man, I work hard!


I met up today with Jason and here's the workout that I came up with...it was quick and fun.

Warm Up
Jumprope - 100 reps
Leaping Lunges (plyolunges) - 10

Bench Jumpovers - 15-20





Box Jumps - 2 sets, 10 reps


Kettlebells - 3 sets

Swing - 10 reps, I used 35#, Jason 50#


High Grab - 10 reps each arm, I used 20#, Jason 35#

Windmill - 5 reps each side, I used 15#, Jason 35#


This was the first time I had really used kettlebells.  They are interesting, and fun.  I like the fluid motion and the effort required to control the weight.


Abs

Knee up crunches on the swiss ball - 3 sets, 10 reps
Cable Woodchopper - 3 sets, 10 reps each side.  I used 25#, Jason 35#.

We kept the knee crunches low today, because we were trying something new.  Next time it would be 3 sets, 20 reps.


This workout was fun, it was moderate, and quick.  We are going to do this again next Saturday.

We tried something new too, it is a glute exercise I've wanted to try.  I've seen it in magazines and havfe avoided it because it takes a lot of space in the gym.  But, the gym was somewhat empty today, so we gave it a shot.  I really like it, I can see it being tough, we used light weight just to figure out the form.

Competition Envy

I attended a BB competition this past weekend  NW Bodybuilding.  It was really fun, and I left feeling inspired to get on top of my food.  Tanji Johnson was there and I saw some great fitness routines.  It's not my thing, but they are fun to watch.  We left after the women's figure & fitness awards were given.  I wasn't really that interested in the Bikini category.

They had a few vendors there, I bought a new energy drink Spark, so far so good.  Often, I can't tell the difference from one to another, they all affect me the same.  I never go for anything that is over the top and will make me jittery.  I drooled over this Sweat USA's clothing...their sizing is super small, so I'm going to treat myself once I get down to my fighting weight.  WHICH WILL BE SOON!  They have the most unique and colorful workout clothes...completely beats Lululemon & Lucy.

Today, I got my new shoes in...they are super cute, and practical.

I start training next week for my June Powerlifting competition, I'm excited and feel that my head is in it this time.  I swear I will not be shamed by an 11 year old boy...and I won't wear knee socks during my squats, amateur!

Here was yesterday's workout :  

60 min Cardio
20/ Elliptical Incline 15, Resistance 3
40 Treadmill - mixture of running and steep incline moderate speed walking.

All of the below are 4 sets of 10

Chest
Bench 75#
Pec Deck 60#

Back
Back Extension 60#
Lat Pull Down 60#
Seated Row 65#
Reverse Pec Deck #45

Shoulders
Upright Row 40# barbell
Front Lat Raise 10# dumbells
Side Lat Raise 7.5 # dumbells

Abs
Oblique Torso Extensions 25# Plate

Cardio Blitz

I just completed my second week of cardio.  Cardio is tough for me, I love to lift...and I know that cardio is the key to 'unwrapping the package'.  So, I have developed a 6 week plan, to fit in between Powerlifting training.  I have another competition in June. 

Here is what I'm doing :

1 x week - Slow walk uphill.  Incline 10-15  Speed 3.0-3.9  40-60 minutes

2 x week - 10 Min on the Eliptical, 20 incline, 3-5 resistance for 10 minutes.  30-40 min on the treadmill, varying incline and speed...running sprints.

2 x week - Plyo - 100 reps jumprope, 20 burpees, 2 sets of 10 box jumps, sprints, 15 vertical leaps.  All of this 3 times.

I've done it every day, and I feel great about it.  The Plyo cardio is tough, but really awesome.  I wanted to shake it up and jump start my weight loss.  I need to fit this type of training in and hit it hard between PL competitions, because I need to cut my cardio about 3 weeks before any competition.

My workouts have increased to about 1hr 45 minutes.  But I want to get a small taste of what it will be like to work towards a figure competition.  This is really just a small taste of that, I know.

I worked with my trainer on all of this, here is what I'm doing for strength training each week:

Workout 1 - 4 sets x 10 reps      
Weak Point Training

Back/Chest
Lat Pull(60) - Incline or Cable Chest Press(20DB)
Bi/Tri
DB Curl (15)/Assisted Dips(55)
Soulders/Tri/Bi
DB Press(15)/Pressdown(30)/Cable Curl w/Bar(30)

ABS - Leg Raise, Weighted Crunches/Twists

Workout 2 - 4 sets x 10 reps        
Weak Point Training - Complimentary

Bi/Back
Preacher Curls(25)/Assist Pull Ups(40)
Tri
Dips off the Bench/Overhead DB Ext. (20)
Back
Flat Row (bent over or dual pulley)(40)/T-Bar Row(35)

ABS - Ball Crunches/Torso XT w/weights/Leg Raise on Bench

Workout 3 - Legs! 4 sets x 10 reps 

Leg XT (70)/Squats (95)
Leg Curl (105/90)/Glute Mach (80/70)
Leg Press (180)/Single Step Up (10)
Lunges (40)

Workout 4 - Support Day 4 sets x 10 reps
Shrugs (95)/Forearm Rope (5)
Back XT (50)/Knee Up Hip Flexion (40)
Pull Ups (negatives)/Lat Pull (70)

ABS - Side Crunches w/Ball/Hanging Leg Raises

5th workout is with my trainer!

I'm doing this for 4 more weeks, then I start up with Powerlifting again! 

One week to go!

I have been working hard for my first full meet on February 27th, at the State competition.

Right now I'm resting for a week, which is frustrating, because I'm super excited and want to deadlift like crazy.   I was down a bit for the past month, not sure, feeling weak and then rebounding from a diagnoses of anemia and correcting that so I can lift.

Last week on Tuesday I deadlifted 250!!  That was a first for me.  I was incredibly excited, then on Thursday we did a mock competition and I could barely lift 200lbs, and couldn't budge 225 lbs.  So, that is how it goes.
Bench, I couldn't get 105, and Squat my max was 175...I tried for 195 but couldn't get it.  I was really disheartened that day, feeling like I've been wasting my time.

Then, I started watching a ton of videos on YouTube videos of powerlifters, that really gets me excited and looking forward to the competition.

I'm nervous, but I know I can lift, so it's just doing what I've been trained for.

After this, I'm going to do a 6 week cardio blast with a focus on getting definition, and show off all my hard work!

I'll be posting my results and videos this weekend.

Competition Time

I am three weeks out from my competition, and one of those weeks is going to be a week of rest.  I'm working out with my trainer Bernard twice over the next two weeks.  Today, I almost passed out during my squats....which was kind of awesome.  Although, I just found out I'm anemic, and have started to work on it via supplements and food....so I should probably take it easy.

Today was all about form on squats and bench, as well as playing with my max lifts.

SQUATS

3 sets at 95 lbs. 8 reps
Set 1 - Warm up, focus on getting my feet correct and my depth
Set 2 & 3 - Pause squats, hitting my depth, counting to 2 and 'popping' up.


2 sets at 135 lbs. 10 reps.
Set 1 - regular squats, working on form & depth
Set 2 - Was a nightmare, completely lost my form at about squat 6, the last two my knees were all over the place.  This was the set that I went pale on and felt like I was going to pass out with the weight on my back.  Bernard is trying to drill it into me not to be afraid....don't be afraid of dropping the weight, of passing out, of even peeing my pants.  Once you aren't afraid of anything (of course being safe) the idea is that you can master it.  And, if I'm honest I'm afraid of heavy squats right now, I know I'll get more comfortable with them.

MAX ATTEMPT - 175 lbs.  I did not get this today, mostly because we went for it at the END of my workout, and I was BUH-EAT.


WALK OUT WITH THE BAR - 5
This was focusing on how I place the bar on my back, looking at my feet until I get my feet in place and then taking a deep breath and 'locking' in...arching back, elbows etc.

BENCH- 3 sets.
Set 1 - Warm up at 65lbs x 8
Set 2 - 95 lbs at 5
Set 3 - 95 lbs x 5, but competition style, focusing on my form, getting the bar where it should be on my chest.

MAX ATTEMPT - 110 lbs.  I didn't get this either today.  Slightly disheartened by this, because I've been working on bench consistently.  This will be my 3rd attempt weight at the competition.  I think I can get it.


Thursday we are going to try my squat max at the beginning, and then it's deadlifting (yay!).  I hit my max at 240lbs last week...hoping to hit that again for reps.

TOMORROW, upper back & biceps.
Here's my plan:

Assisted pull ups...35# of assistance 4 sets, 8 reps
Bent Over Row...40# 4 sets, 8 reps
Narrow grip pulldown....70# 4 sets, 8 reps.
One Arm Row....35# 4 sets, 8 reps

Preacher curls....30#, 3 sets, 12 reps
Hammer Curls....15# dumbells 3 sets, 12 reps (on the bosu ball)
Concentration Curl... 15 to 17.5# ...3 sets, 10-12 reps.