Dropping ALLLL the Fat!

It's been quite a while since I've blogged.

Since May of last year, I've dropped a ridiculous amount of fat, and put on a ton of muscle. A few notable things have happened.

I am completely injury free!

I still dabble ;)

Remember that debilitating back injury? Well, it got MUCH worse since I stopped blogging. So bad that I had to quit my desk job, but thankfully I got approved to work as a personal trainer on Fort Drum, so I switched gears and took on clients full time. Yes, walking around and spotting/loading weight hurt LESS than sitting or standing in one spot. Go figure! I now know what they mean by "sitting is the new smoking."

My training is much different. 

I've pretty much scrapped low volume, powerlifting-based training altogether. Not to say I don't do the movements, but maximal strength training (1RM) is not the focus of my training anymore. I am doing much more hypertrophy training. Just the fact that I am injury free has allowed me to recover a lot of the muscle that I had lost during my hiatus.

My diet has been so-so.

Now here, I suffer! This is the leanest I've been at 21.6% body fat. My body is fighting me every step of the way, although I'd argue that it had always done that. I'm very goal-driven, so maintenance has been a struggle. I'm always either gaining or losing.

From ~170lbs / ~40% bf to ~148lbs / 22% bf

I'm MUCH more athletic!

Over the course of these last 6 months of solid training, I have started doing things I could never do before. Olympic liftig, pull-ups, box jumps, pistol squats, I even RUN sometimes. GASP! How weird!!


I can honestly say that my main motivation has, and always will be, my clients. I want to walk the walk, to show them that all this hard and terrible fitness stuff can be done by the average person. I want to show them that someone who works, goes to school, and who has limited time for themselves can still MAKE the time to meal prep, log meals, train, do cardio, and get into the best shape of their lives. I want them to be inspired and push hard, knowing that they can do it too!

So what's next?

This is a terrible question for me to answer. I hate that I'm always looking beyond and can never settle. In some ways, it drives me to be better, and in others, it makes me stack wayyy too much on my plate (literally and figuratively, hehe), which causes a lot of STRESS. I see my 24 hours as slots that need to be filled, scheduling as many clients, jobs, and appointments as possible, racing from one thing to another and doing TOO MUCH. I need to learn to chill and enjoy where I am at. That's definitely something to work on.

                                  

Until next time!

Mel

Getting Over Dieting Plateaus

Hello again,

After week one I was pretty happy about averaging around 157lbs without very much effort at all, but became busier with work, leaving less room for the gym. I still want to get a bit leaner for the summer and for our memorial weekend trip to NYC, so I buckled down and dropped quite a bit of carbs and fats during the week and hit a couple of new lows back to back. This allowed me to indulge a bit on the weekend and not worry about it all too much.

Cheat meal #1: Ribs, sweet potato, and a skinny margarita

A question that comes up a lot with my clients is how to live a normal life, enjoy going out on the weekend, and still reach weight loss or strength goals. Many of us want to be able to do both, without sacrificing one or the other. 

I'll be really honest. If I am getting ready for a competition, I do not drink. I usually don't even go out, mostly because I'd rather spend that time training without exhausting myself with activities. I don't go out to eat if I can help it, and I do not miss a single training session. In order to be competitive, there are certain things that I feel are necessary to do, and to give up. But that's only three months of your life, and in return you get the joy of getting on the platform, giving it your all, and knowing that you couldn't have done anything differently that would have positively affected your performance. The worst thing to happen on meet day is to wonder "what if" you could have done better. 

On the other hand, I think that having a well-balanced social life is incredibly important for mental health and well being. This includes social drinking, eating, and spending time with loved ones. And that's what your off-season is for. Unless you are really overweight, there is no reason not to have periods throughout the year where you are more relaxed in these aspects. I leave out those who are overweight because I believe that physical health is much greater priority than a social life, and a healthy body weight will improve your social life much more than drinking or eating with your friends every weekend. But I digress!

Morning after my cheat meal

after a low of 155.4 lbs the day before

There are quite a few "tricks" I would say that I use in order to allow consistent progress while maintaining balance. They're nothing necessarily new or exciting, just habits I've practiced in order to get really good at not completely falling off the wagon or freaking out when I'm invited to social events. 

1. Learn to fast without starving yourself. 

Leading up to a cheat meal, I'm usually so excited that I don't even want to eat my normal meals, mostly because I'm tired of chicken and vegetables and weighing all my meals by this point. I usually skip breakfast or have tiny protein filled snacks throughout the day. My favorites lately have been protein shakes, yogurt with berries, and nuts. I heard somewhere that your body doesn't absorb all the calories from nuts so I'm going to just pretend that's true and eat them every day haha.

What this does for me is ensure that I get protein throughout the day, but that my calories stay low enough that an uncounted, fatty or carb heavy meal doesn't completely blow my diet out of the water. Snacking rather than completely fasting also helps to not go on a complete binge when it's time to have your cheat meal. 

2. Order sensibly. 

Exercise caution during your cheat meal. After all, if your goal is progress, you have to realize that all of your cheat meals do count against you. The better choices you make now, the closer you will be to your goals later, and the less catching up you will have to do throughout the week to battle an uncounted meal or two. Make this meal about catching up with friends and having a good, relaxing time, rather than about stuffing your face with as much food as possible. 

Cheat meal #2: Burger with a side salad (swapped out the fries!)

For example, the meal pictured above came with fries on the side, but I swapped it out for a salad. You can also share a meal with a friend, or eat half and take the other half to-go. Just be mindful of your choices. 

3. Cut the crap.

During the weekdays, I have zero unnecessary calories. This really helps drop the total calories consumed throughout the week, which helps to drop more body fat. By centering my meals around getting in adequate protein, fruits, and vegetables, I make sure I stay regular, get in some nutrients, and keep my hard earned muscle. Some people don't like this approach, and would prefer daily "cheats" or "treats" and that's okay too, but at some point, if you're not making progress, you need to either cut those out, or increase your calorie expenditure by adding in more exercise. If you're one of those who claims you don't have time to exercise, you are obligated to go the "cut the crap" route.

I hope this helps some of you who may be struggling!

And for those of you interested in getting help with your nutrition or programming, click here.

Until next time,

Mel 

Bodybuilding Transformation Challenge Week 12 FINAL PICS!

Today I woke up at the lowest weight I've seen since about 2014, and since we are closing out the transformation challenge, I snapped a few progress pictures.

Morning weight: 156.8

There have been a lot of bumps in the road, but I figure in a span of three months life's going to happen. I really don't feel like I went out of my way to get super lean, I just dieted sensibly and made sure I got some training in, which you probably know by now if you've been following my blog. 

Three months of weigh-ins.

I made pretty solid progress the first month. Around month two it looks like I completely stalled, which is when I started implementing more steady state cardio after my training. Four sessions a week at 250 calories got things moving, but then I got prescribed some meds for my respiratory issues, and BOOM. I gained about 10 lbs in a week, not even kidding. I didn't log in all my weigh-ins that week because it was very discouraging, and I got super bloated. 

Holding a lot of water, roughly 163-165 lbs.

Right after I got off the meds (which did fuck all for my respiratory issues), I dropped all the weight and then some. I thought I had an extra week to diet since I was counting down by the date (April 10th), but realized the transformation ends (April 3rd) about a week ago, and I was super bummed because we celebrated Jake's birthday at the end of March, and I wanted an extra week to drop more weight from that weekend. Plus my "lady time" is coming next week and I always gain a few right before, and drop a bunch right after. Oh well, rules are rules. 

Straight from myfitnesspal log: ThisIsIt22

Looking back at my log, I'm very happy with what I see. I never broke my streak, and only missed about 6 days of logging my food. There are some days I may not have logged every single thing I ate, but for the most part, I know that I stayed between 1500 and 1800 calories a day, without too much deviation. I had one really silly day of eating, and I really have no excuse for that other than to say I'm surprised it didn't happen more often given my track record. Haha.

My starting photos vs. some good lighting from last night.

Altogether I lost a solid 12 lbs in 12 weeks, so I can't complain about that. I know I still have a long way to go, but now that I've re-learned how to diet properly and have had a little bit of success with it, I know that I can get to where I want to be, no matter how long it takes. 

My tentative plan is to take a diet break for the next two weeks. I'm going to loosely count and keep my calories closer to maintenance, at about 2,000, while increasing my training intensity. Hopefully my weight stabilizes here and I can start dieting again for summer. 

Until next time,

Mel

Bodybuilding Transformation Challenge Weeks 9-11

Whew! These last few weeks have been out of control.

Not going to lie, I'm basically updating this blog so it won't be incomplete at this point. I did pretty well and hit new lows in weeks 9 and 10, but then Jake's birthday rolled around and it was all downhill from there.

My doctor prescribed me some meds to combat these respiratory issues I've been having, and what resulted was a bunch of bloating and inconsistent eating that put a solid 5 lbs of probably a combination of water and fat for good measure.

I thought I had an extra week to dial things in, but time has completely escaped me and the close of the transformation challenge is this weekend. I'm nowhere near where I want to be, but I'll take the 10 lb loss if that's all that's going to have come out of this challenge.

I'm honestly over it; I have been for several weeks now, but I'm not going to throw in the towel. I'm going to finish out this week and bring in the best package I can given the circumstances. For the next few days I'm just going to drop my carbs and continue my workouts as usual, which is four training days followed by 250 cals of cardio, then carb up the day or two before picture time. Maybe even get a spray tan if I'm feeling spicy.

A maintenance break is going to be absolutely glorious.

Until next time,
Mel

Bodybuilding Transformation Challenge Weeks 6-8 of 12

These last three weeks I was really hoping I'd see a bigger change than I have. I've stayed at pretty much the same body weight, with maybe some minor physique changes. This would be fine during a normal cut, but I have to put my head back into the game and drive it a little bit harder if I'm going to be in the running against people who are loads better at dieting and are starting off with a better foundation in bodybuilding (as well as those with great genetics, but I won't worry about things not under my control).

Progress shot at 7 weeks.

The hardest thing for me to have done and to have overcome in these last several weeks was simply to diet moderately. I've always crash dieted consecutively, almost religiously for a very long time, and it has always helped me get to where I've needed or wanted to be. To me it's almost a reflex. To lose weight, stop eating anything other than protein and green veggies. Sure, it's fantastic if you don't care about strength or having any energy to function, but it's unsustainable and the weight will always come back on once you go back to eating normally. High protein and low everything else is not normal and will not be sustainable long term, but moderate dieting is sustainable for life. It's a skill I never thought I'd get good at, but I'm very proud to say that if anything, these last two months have shown me that I'm able to be truly flexible with my diet, while still getting to my goals, however slowly that may be.

I came from the mindset that everything must be counted in order to "fit" your macros properly. I used to weigh the 2g onion in my salad, the splash of almond milk, even my damn hot sauce if I knew it had even a single carb. What ended up happening was I stopped eating salads and started eating pre-packaged, sodium loaded, unhealthy foods. Why? Because it's a damn pain in the ass to chop a salad and weigh the ingredients individually, find the right ingredients in MFP, put in the right equation to get the exact amount of what you put in it when you're starving and busy. And if someone took a bite of my food? I would panic. Legitimately PANIC. Where did the macros go? How many was that? What should I eat to make it up? DAMMIT I spent 45 minutes perfecting my meal with those exact macros and someone had the nerve to taste it???

Yep, that neurotic.

Protein bread, olive oil mayo, deli meats, & lite salami.

15F / 21C / 45P ~ 400 kcal

Never again. If I don't want to eat the remainder of my food, I get rid of it or save it for later. If I eat it later, I approximate the macros. If I want a bite of something, I'll have it. Sometimes I'll leave 100 calories of cushion for these little mishaps, sometimes I won't. But you know what I will never do? I will never break into an anxious sweat over someone tasting my food or wanting me to taste theirs. I will never sacrifice my healthy, delicious salads for bland, unhealthy frozen meals due to laziness. I will never succumb to uncontrollable binge-eating driven by stress levels over food. What I will do is chill out, weigh my meals during meal prep once a week, and improvise along the way. If I'm feeling stressed or anxious, being a neurotic counter won't help.

Overall, the mental gains these two months have been totally worth it. I haven't binged, or even thought about binging for a long, long time. And I have flexible dieting to thank for that. Flexible meaning, my diet can be whatever the hell I need it to be, in order to live a healthy and fulfilling life without stressing over something as trivial as food.

We have four more weeks in this transformation challenge, time to get things in gear.

Until next time,
Mel

Bodybuilding Transformation Challenge Week 5 of 12

After blogging last week, I thought to myself, "there really can't be much more I can say about this cut, it's just going to be business as usual." Well boy, was I wrong.

I feel like I'm learning something new about myself, and re-learning so many things about dieting that I had forgotten because I simply hadn't committed to one [seriously] for long enough in the last few years.

I decided to give myself a bigger push and drop my calories from around 1700 closer to 1500 in order to keep up with my 2 lbs loss a week. I nearly hit that number with a low weigh-in of 159.2, but what's even better is that I didn't gain any weight after my cheat meal on Friday night. I decided that I'd roll over my cheat meal into a re-feed on Saturday since I didn't go over-board with my cumulative fat intake on Friday.

Overall, what I discovered this week was that simply removing foods or giving myself less of a portion to eat wasn't going to cut it. Instead, I opted to swap out some foods and replace them with other, more filling versions. Instead of having a banana and/or an apple, I eat more berries. Instead of oats or rice, I have vegetables. Instead of whey protein, I eat egg whites or chicken. The goal here is to keep my volume of food the same, but to eat less calorically dense foods in order to curb hunger.

Bye-bye, flour tortillas!

I'm pretty confident that 1500 calories will provide a big enough deficit, to where I will lose weight consistently, for at least the next few weeks as we close out the second month of this challenge. Instead of cutting any more calories, I will just increase my cardio as needed.

For this week, my new mini-goals will be to continue lifting 4x a week, and to add a 10 minute session to the end of each workout that consists of HIIT. Since I'm not changing my macros this week, my menu will stay the same, which makes grocery shopping, as well as choosing my meals much more easy and straightforward.

Until next time!
Mel

Bodybuilding Transformation Challenge Week 4 of 12

We're one month in, which means it's time for some progress pictures!

Everyone looks better in some good lingerie.

I've lost about 8 lbs so far, which averages out to 2 lbs a week, with a low weigh-in of 160.9. If I can keep up this rate of weight loss over these next 8 weeks, I'd be ecstatic!

I'm really glad that I decided to do this cut the "healthy" way. At this point, I have absolutely no cravings for "bad" food, and I wouldn't be able to consume very much anyway. The hubby & I went out to dinner for our cheat meal last night, and we didn't even order any sodas because we know it makes us both really bloated and lethargic. Our cheats are more for spending time with each other, not cooking and measuring our food, but still being relatively mindful of what goes in our mouths. I've learned that cheat meals will always set me back unless I'm able to be reasonable with my approach. It's not about the food anymore, it's about the time I get to spend relaxing with my hubbs.

This next week is going to be business as usual, I'll continue to prep my meals for the week in advance. I'm going to drop my calories by a smidge, and increase my cardio a bit as well. We'll see if we can get into the 150's by the end of this week!

Until next time,
Mel

Bodybuilding Transformation Challenge Weeks 2&3 of 12

These last two weeks have been pretty telling about how things will be going during this cut. I've been a lot better about hitting my macros, meal prepping, and getting into the gym. I've gotten over my cold, and since then it's been much easier to manage my energy throughout the days and weeks. I know that as long as my breakfasts and lunches are prepared for the day, I'm golden.

My workouts have been a little more sketch. My back pain comes and goes, so I have my good days and bad days. I don't want to assume that I know what aggravates it, but I do know that my pain was almost gone until I did a 40 minute morning cardio session, which was just some light treadmill action. I've been trying to go to the gym in the mornings rather than in the evenings when it's super busy. This way I get my workout done while my husband is doing his morning workout, so in the evening I can still spend time watching Netflix with him and Bernard.

Netflix and cuddlin' with my two main bears.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the way these last couple of weeks have gone, mostly because I've gotten into the groove of dieting, and I've been able to stick to my macros without having any cravings. Don't get me wrong-- I get hungry during the day, especially at work, but keeping snacks on hand and eating healthy, whole foods usually helps. I've opted to have fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, and rice as my main sources of carbs so that I can get some volume out of my meals, which helps a lot. I also have a lot of variety with different protein sources for every meal, that way I don't ever get bored of what I'm eating. But honestly, when you're hungry, you will eat just about anything and it will probably taste good.

As for my weight, I did hit a new low of 161.4, which isn't much in terms of a weight drop, but I've been hitting lower morning weights on average. Getting under 162 has been nearly impossible for a better part of this last year, so that was pretty exciting to see. I've been getting in anywhere from 1500-1800 calories a day which is a pretty decent amount of food considering I sit at a desk for most of the day, and work out for maybe an hour at most a couple of days out of the week.

Bernard wants to get swole.

This upcoming week, my goals will be to hit my macros on the nose & to hit each body part once this week, bringing my total weight training sessions up to four. I'll also be doing post-workout cardio to fill out my hour at the gym. Bodybuilding workouts haven't been taking me very long!

Until next time!
Mel

The Ironic Rigidity of Flexible Dieting

WHAT IS FLEXIBLE DIETING?

Flexible dieting tends to be a much easier, more sustainable, and overall more pleasant experience than typical dieting methods that have been popularized in the last decade or so.

For the average overweight person intending to drop some fat for the summer months, an event, or for general health, it can be a very helpful tool to balance out dieting with a hectic work schedule and family life. Without referring to the atrocious over-popularized acronym--IIFYM *shudder*, flexible dieting can be used for weight loss, maintenance, or gain, all while enjoying a variety of foods as long as one stays within their calorie goals, while also being mindful of their macronutrient and micronutrient goals. 

When using these dieting methods, however, to be as accurate as possible, one must weigh out all of their meals, down to the ingredients if at all possible, in order to truly know the amounts of each macronutrient that's being consumed. This ensures that dieters hit their nutritional needs, while "fitting in" some junk food (for lack of a better term), when a craving or desire hits, allowing them to enjoy all foods in moderation.

However, some dieters have simply gone too far into a obsessive state of counting macros. Many "IIFYM" advocates tend to develop neurotic behaviors (if it has calories, it MUST be counted!) which, although an accurate use of the macro system, is the complete opposite of what a flexible approach should feel like. Counting gum, black coffee, artificial sweeteners, diet sodas, and herbs, and other super low calorie foods is not only a waste of time, but is really mentally obsessive and unhealthy behavior. Considering most food labels are partially rounded anyway, depending on FDA guidelines as well as each brand's own arbitrary systems, labels are not one hundred percent accurate. Not only this, but no matter how obsessively one track's their intake, one cannot possible duplicate each day's caloric output exactly, but can only estimate total caloric burn.


WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

The best way to approach flexible dieting, if you're not in competition prep, is to allow your results to speak for themselves. Meaning that if you are getting closer to your goal week by week, allow yourself to loosen the reins a bit and allow for uncounted green vegetables, eyeballing a portion of almond milk, or a free meal here and there. Rigid loyalty to the method is nonsensical if you are accomplishing what you are setting out to do regardless. It's only when there is a period (i.e: as little as two, up to ten weeks for women) of no change in body weight, when you can either change your calorie allowance or tighten your counting methods.

Restrictive dieting (we've all been victims of this in the past), is typically NOT sustainable for the average person. We all have parties, events, social lives, and even work lives that don't allow us to be on a diet ALL the time. So what? Does this mean we have to give up? ABSOLUTELY NOT. This just means we have to account for those days! You CAN couple macro counting with free days.


A FEW APPROACHES

• If you have an event where you will want to enjoy yourself and generally will not want to diet through, you can account for a meal by limiting your earlier meals to just protein rich meals. A vegetable omelette for breakfast, a chicken salad for lunch, maybe greek yogurt or a protein bar for a snack, and then just enjoy your evening while still being mindful of your portions so you don't throw yourself too far off track. A good way to gauge portions is to have just one plate of food with a protein, a serving of vegetables, and a carb, as well as one drink and a dessert that you can share with a friend or your spouse. Resume your diet the next day. 
• If you have a weekend event, you can opt for a steeper deficit (if your goal is weight loss) for a couple of days before and after your weekend. If at all possible, try to be mindful of your meals during this time, and throw in an extra cardio session so you won't be thrown too far from your goals.  
• If you have an event, like a vacation, that will last a week or longer, do your best to time your diet so that your diet break coincides with your vacation. Typically a diet break will come after about 6-12 weeks of dieting depending on the leanness of the dieter. This way you can just take the entire week or two off from dieting and just live your life. Once your diet break is over, you can get right back into dieting with a clear conscience and get to your goals even faster. 

For personalized meet prep programming and nutrition, email melsmoves@gmail.com

The Importance of Good Coaching

Everyone likes to think that they know best. We live in a society that breeds narcissism. The modern selfie has become an ego's necessity; 100 likes later, your sense of self returns to homeostasis, but make sure you post another one within 48 hours, or else you'll go hypo-selfiemic.

Hey, it's me! 

I've dubbed this the #melfie. 

I like to think it's clever; it's probably not.

This makes it hard to admit that you need some proper guidance. After all, you've been making progress, right? You've gotten stronger, more muscular, leaner, and you're able to do things that you weren't able to do a year ago. But now that you've flown past the newbie stage of lifting, you find that your progress has stalled, you're spinning your wheels, and the gains don't come as easily. How can you face instagram knowing full well that you have nothing new to show the interwebs?

Not to worry, that's what a coach is for. And I'm officially announcing that I've taken the plunge.

I've been pretty apprehensive about hiring someone to do my training and nutrition program. I've had very lackadaisical coaching in the past, and with the amount of free information out there, I didn't feel that it was necessary to pay someone to tell me what I *think* I already I know.

The more I researched, the more I realized how little I actually do know. And the more I realized that the progress I'm making can increase exponentially with proper guidance and a good eye along with a caring heart.

The trend that most intrigued me in my research for a coach, is that most coaches have coaches. To me, this means that even though these individuals know their field well, they still find comfort in having another set of eyes watching them and not allowing them to slack off. If a coach truly believes in the value of coaching, then it only makes sense that they lead by example.

I'll be posting update videos for my coach on YouTube with some general stats every week. It should turn out to be a fun little mini-series transformation. The goal is to lose roughly 18 lbs in 18 weeks while maintaining or increasing strength. My current competition stats:

@148lbs

Squat: 242

Bench: 126

Deadlift: 336

Total: 705

There is a USAPL meet that I will consider doing in February of 2015. I'm confident that I can add 45lbs to my total by then, I just need to fix my form. I'm training to go deeper with every squat, and I'm working on paused reps with my bench press. And since USAPL has different rules for benching than I'm accustomed to, I will have to switch from benching on my toes to benching flat-footed. Goodbye, arch gains! Yikes!

>> Subscribe to my YouTube channel here! <<

Until next time.

The Metroflex Classic

The USPA meet this past weekend at The Metroflex Gym in Long Beach was a great event to compete in, as well as to spectate. The event was separated into two days, with a cap of 60 lifters each day to make the event go smoothly and more quickly than single-day events. This was the most fun I've ever  had at a meet, mostly due to being surrounded by friends and family who really showed their support. I'm very appreciative to everyone who came out!

 Strength Society at Metroflex

 Tina Daneshmand, top female raw lifter in 105lb class

Greg Khoudikian pulling 705lbs at 220lbs

CT Fletcher showing support at his home gym

Now let's get down to the numbers:

Squat

1st attempt: 242. Two white lights. One red for depth. Got my first attempt on the board so I'm happy!

2nd attempt: 265. Two red lights for depth. 

3rd attempt: 270. Two red lights. One for depth, the other for up/down movement.

It was a bit disappointing to miss both my second and third attempts, but I was happy that I didn't fail any of these squats. My squat training hadn't been going well over the last several weeks, so squatting 270 was a gym PR at this body weight. My previous meet PR was 259@165, and 165@148. This meet gave me a 77lb PR at 148lbs.

Bench Press

1st attempt: 115. Easy. Three white lights. We're in!

2nd attempt: 126. Two white lights! One red for up/down movement. This was a major grinder.

3rd attempt: 132. Three reds for up/down movement. Locked it out, though!

I've had a bone to pick with the bench press for quite a while now. I was so stoked to get all of these lifts in, even though I got redlighted on my last attempt. To be honest, that second attempt should definitely have been redlighted as well, since there definitely was up/down movement looking back at the video. But sometimes the judges make unfair calls that go both ways. It was such a grinder that I didn't even want to take my third attempt, but surprisingly, the third went up way smoother. This was an all time bench press PR of 11lbs at 148.

Deadlift

1st attempt: 319. Three white lights. Went up like buttah.

2nd attempt: 336. Three white lights! Form was way off, but I completed the lift.

3rd attempt: 348. Three reds. Failed lift. Sadface!

Looking bad at the footage, my deadlift form was way off, which is something I'll need to be working on in the upcoming months. 336lbs is an all-time meet PR for me, but I was really hoping to get that 348 which would have been a CA state deadlift-only record.

At the end of the meet, I got 5/9 successful lifts. I learned a lot, and got to see some really strong people push some incredible weight! I finished it out with a 705 total, which has been a long term goal of mine.

In the next several months that I take off from powerlifting, I will be working toward becoming a better lifter and smarter competitor before stepping on the platform again.

Until next time!

Powerlifting & Figure Competitions!

Since the Camp Pendleton Open, I had decided to focus my efforts with my diet and training toward bodybuilding so I can get down to a weight that will help me be stronger pound for pound, as well as give me the opportunity to step on stage as a figure competitor some time in late 2014 or early 2015.

But as always, once you're bit by the iron bug, it's hard to shake it, so I am now officially 9 days out from my third powerlifting meet. This time we're back at Metroflex in Long Beach, where I started my journey.

I felt a bit obligated to do this meet so that I could have a sense of closure from this year's training. I didn't even break 600@148 at my first meet, so it would be nice to close off the year by breaking 700@148, which is a decent amount to have added to my lifts in these past 9 months. My main goal is going to be to hit all of my lifts. Nothing fancy, just going in, getting the experience, and enjoying myself. I'm not planning to compete in powerlifting for a very long time after this meet.

One thing I've been trying to do leading up to this meet, is to really hammer in bench technique. My bench press is my weakest lift, so it's been really important to get in and just press over and over until I found my groove.

It's been really tough, but what I found to help was to use my leverages to my advantage, try to get a deep arch, and set my grip wide so that I have a shorter range of motion. This way I'm moving the weight a shorter distance, for less time under the bar, which will help put weight on the bar.

As always, I'll post an update after the meet with the numbers I put up, and hopefully I'll have some videos to go along with it.

Until next time.

Camp Pendleton Open

Strength Society

My crew had been working hard for four months leading up to this meet in Camp Pendleton. Everything had gone according to plan, except for the fact that I was fifteen (15!) lbs over my competition weight, and I got deathly ill the week leading up to the meet, all the way through meet day.

But that wasn't going to stop me.

I had decided early on that I was going to go up a weight class, but that I was going to go into the meet as light as possible. After losing only a pound in the sauna the night before weigh-ins, I decided it would be healthier for me to be sipping on pedialyte so that I would have some chance against whatever flu has been going around.

At a body weight of about 156, I entered the competition excited to hit some PRs.

I was one of the first flights up. There were two competition platforms, so a few of the guys were also up first on the next platform over. The nerves were getting the best of me. I was pale as a ghost, nauseous, and could not focus on my lifts, so after a not-so-successful final warm-up set, Tyler, who had been helping me all the way up to the meet, decided to drop my opener down a bit to get my first lift in.

Squat

1st attempt: 225. Redlighted for depth

2nd attempt: 225. Two white lights. Knees not fully locked out at start of squat

3rd attempt: 259. Three white lights. Woo!

So then we waited around a bit, grabbed a bite, found a change of clothes. I told the guys to give me a call once warm-ups started for bench press. Somehow we lost track of time, and I found myself walking into the gym as they were calling me up. No time to warm-up, had to drop my opener down.

Bench Press

1st attempt: 110. Three white lights. We're in!

2nd attempt: 132. Three reds. Couldn't get it up.

3rd attempt: 132. Three reds. No lift. 

Without a proper warm-up, I realize now I should have been a bit more conservative with my attempt selections on the bench, especially seeing as that's always been my weaker lift, and I wasn't doing so well in the health department. Still in the game, though! Waited around for deadlifts, decreased my opener once more. Better safe than sorry.

Deadlift

1st attempt: 297. Three white lights. Phew!

2nd attempt: 325. Three white lights! Time for a PR...

3rd attempt: 341. Two Reds. Hitched at the top. No PR. Sadface!

At the end of the meet, I got 5/9 successful lifts. I learned a lot, and got to see some really strong people push some incredible weight! I finished it out with a 694 total which got me 2nd place in the 165 class, which isn't bad after such a giant screw up on the bench. I was a bit shy of my personal goal of 700, but I know I'll get it. It's just a matter of time. There's still a lot of room for improvement in my methods as well as my attempt selection. 

I'm really proud of my team. We came in strong and took home four medals. After all this hard work, we've gotten a lot closer, and we've become like family. 

...But Winter will pass, and Summer will be here before we know it, so it's time to get shredded. 

Here is a vlog update on what I think of the strength program I followed leading up to the meet, and what my training will look like in the future. 

Until next time!

Setting Goals for Success

These last several weeks and months have been incredibly eye-opening for me as an individual, a competitor, and a lover of the sport of powerlifting. Every single experience brings me one step closer to understanding myself, and giving me the capability to use what I learn to help others achieve their goals. Here are a few key ideas to keep in mind when aiming for success.

Figure things out

Pick a goal. Are you competing in bodybuilding, powerlifting, strongman or are you simply working out to be healthier, to lose fat, or to gain muscle? Whatever it is, you need to decide on it. Be reasonable, but don't limit yourself. Aim high! Create a timeline and set small mini-goals to keep you motivated in the long run.

Keep your eyes on the prize

When you have a goal in mind, focus all your efforts on the best possible way of achieving that goal. If your methods to attaining a goal conflict with one another, you will be spinning your wheels. One example of this is eating at a caloric deficit while running a strength-training program. You will get negligibly stronger if at all, or you won't be able to adhere to your plan and  you will drop a negligible amount of weight, if any. Be efficient with your methods to achieve optimum results. Time is the limiting factor, make sure you use yours wisely.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Stick to what works. Many of us over-complicate things trying to optimize them, when what we need to do is just stay consistent with training and nutrition methods that have consistently given us the results we want. What works for one person may not work for another, so once you find a program or protocol that works for you, your search is over. That's not to say that you shouldn't...

Keep learning about what you love

Your program may work well for you, but it's always fun to try new things if you have the chance. Learn, grow, challenge yourself, and keep yourself in the loop! Some of the most rewarding aspects in lifting isn't in just moving the iron around, but in the relationships that you can build and the discussions you can  have with those in the field. There are always opportunities to network and connect with people who can really open your eyes to techniques that you haven't yet stumbled across, and at the very least, people who have been successful doing what you love can motivate you to pursue your dreams as well!

But most importantly

Follow through and never give up! There may be bumps on the road, but you have to dust yourself off and get right back on track. Your success is in your hands.

Countdown to Camp Pendleton!!

COUNTINGDOWNTO.COM

Bryce Lewis, Barbell Brigade, & Training Updates!

The meet at Camp Pendleton is officially one month away!

Yesterday the team and I went to a powerlifting seminar at Barbell Brigade hosted by elite powerlifter Bryce Lewis. We got a chance to learn quite a few things about form and mobility, and Bryce gave everyone a chance to ask questions and get his help on their form. This was pretty awesome because most of the guys who attended didn't have much training under their belts, which made all the information that much more invaluable. I know if I had that kind of coaching, I would have been a lot better off at my first meet.

Seminar selfies

One of the important things I learned from the seminar was about bracing instead of arching during a lift. It's something that Dean (pictured, far left) had been telling me to practice, but until I saw Bryce show us the exaggerated version, I couldn't grasp what exactly my body looked like and how I was setting up improperly on my squat. My lower back is arched at the beginning of my squat, which is terrible for my spine and results in lower back soreness that tremendously affects my other lifts. Here is a good article on the subject that sums up what it is, and how to fix it.

Aside from minor tweaks in form and programming, I also need to dial in my diet over the next few weeks so I'll have less water to lose during peak week. I've noticed that a more controlled diet helps with my training as well as my mental well being during these weeks leading up to the meet. My OCD and anxiety goes through the roof without having a really strict game plan. I've even made charts and calendars, it's pretty ridiculous. My nutrition is structured so that I'm in a slight caloric deficit while carb cycling, which will help me shed weight while maintaining my performance during training days.

The plan is all laid out, all that's left is to execute it. Until next time!

Squat Progress

This past Sunday marked the end of the first half of my Madcow 5x5 training cycle. I've been making good progress on my lifts, and the squats on Sunday felt really easy so I went for a PR with a bit of coaxing from the team. Here are some videos:

180x5

210x3

A bit dark, but here's my PR vid -- 235x2

Aiming for a 700 lb total at Pendleton in January.

10 Gym Characters

If you've been to the gym, it's likely that you've run into a few people who fit into these categories.

10. Cardio Bunny

This is the girl who's always on the treadmill, usually fast-walking

 on an incline with what looks like the thinnest layer of skin 

covering delicate bones. 

9. The Meathead

This guy walks around the gym with his chest puffed up, 

fists clenched, admiring his physique in the mirror. 

Often can be found flexing mid set. 

*bicep kiss*

8. Selfie Queen

Usually can be found in the group fitness room

 with an exercise ball and a gal pal giggling

 and taking photos for Instagram or Facebook. 

Don't forget the #fitness tag!

7. Wheel Spinner

Comes to the gym year after year, 

but looks the same as the day he signed up.

6. Goal Switcher

Nobody really knows why this guy is here.

5. One-Upper

You gained 10 lbs of muscle during your last bulking cycle? 

You could have done better, bro, 

he did the Insanity workout, put on 15 lbs of muscle

 while dropping 10 lbs of fat in one month!

Photo unrelated to gym character listed above. Hehe.

4. Fit Couple

They come in together, he does curls, 

she watches and half-heartedly 

mimics his movements. 

So cute.

3. The Sleezeball

Hits on every girl at the gym. 

2. Gym Gabber

Talks to everyone. 

Middle of a set? It's okay! 

The gym will always be here, but will he be here to entertain you? 

Only for the next half hour, so enjoy.

1. The Flake

That friend who always sets up gym dates, but never shows up.

And of course we can't forget The Geezer, The Fitness Guru, Ms. America, The Grunter, Quarter-Squatter, The Bro, Van Damme, and The Distraction.

I'd tell you not to be "that guy," but you probably already are. It's okay, you have a special place in my heart at the gym <3

Strength Training

Here's a rundown of my current programming:

Last week, I started my strength training cycle in preparation for a powerlifting meet in the beginning of next year. I decided to go with Madcow 5x5 which is designed for intermediate lifters like myself. It starts off pretty slow the first few weeks using weight we're already used to moving, but once the second month of the program comes along, PRs get smashed weekly.

Taken from: http://stronglifts.com/madcow-5x5-training-programs/

Here are some numbers from my gym max effort lifts vs. meet lifts:

Squat: 230 vs. 165

Bench: 120 vs. 115

Deadlift: 285 vs. 297

Yeah, my squats completely bombed. That's nerves for ya. 

I'm currently doing my working sets at 180x5 for squats, 100x5 for bench, and 240x5 for deadlifts. By the end of this 12-week cycle, I expect to be doing 235x5 squats, 130x5 bench, and 320x5 deadlifts. I'd be ecstatic with a ~700lb total at the meet.

Set goals and crush them.

Unsolicited Lifting Advice on Instagram

There’s always that one person who says you shouldn’t put ketchup on your In-N-Out Burger, that a Benz is so much better than a BMW, or that the person you’re dating isn’t right for you (they know so much better!), and although this advice might be annoying to hear when you don’t ask for it, it’s rarely ever dangerous.

You know what is? Giving people lifting advice. More specifically, giving people lifting advice via Instagram. 

A few weeks ago, I posted a lifting video, and the next morning I woke up to a whole mess of unsolicited advice. Now I’m the first to admit that I ask for advice and form checks from people over the internet. I record my lifts, upload them, and send them to people to have my lifts critiqued. You know how that’s different from the comments I get on Instagram? Because on one hand, I’m soliciting advice from relatively reputable sources, while on Instagram, I’m not. Mind blown.

Why does Mel not want people on Instagram to correct her form?

      1.       Who are you?

No, seriously. Okay, you’re strong, but do you powerlift? Have you ever competed? Are you a trainer? Are you a lifting coach? Have you written a book, studied technique, or worked with advanced athletes? If your answer is “yes” to any of these, see below.

      2.       Do I know who you are?

The people who critiqued that video on Instagram are people who I have never had a single conversation with. I clicked a few of the profiles to see if they might have had a bio written; for all I know, one of them could have been a world famous lifting coach. But no, no luck there.

      3.       Why, WHY would I take your advice?

It’s pretty evident that people have differing opinions on how to execute a lift. One person says look up, another says look down. Point toes in, point toes out. If neither are people I know, and neither offer a reason as to why I should use their technique over my own, how would I possibly be convinced to change my technique? Oh, I wouldn't? Cool. 

      4.       Nobody reads the fucking caption.

More often than not, I point out a form flaw in my lifts. And there will always be people who point out the same flaws over and over and over. It's not helpful, it's obnoxious.

Don't be one of those people.

Unless someone is doing something that could potentially result in a serious injury, I always stay out of their business, because at the end of the day, no matter how qualified I believe I am, and no matter how much more I think I know than the other person, I don't want the carry the burden of potentially ruining someone else's training because I can't control my urge to spew training advice at others' without their request.

Lifting heavy shit doesn't make you an expert lifting coach, much like eating food your whole life wouldn't make you a culinary expert. So unless someone asks for your opinion, don't be the bad guy with verbal training diarrhea. Laissez-faire.

www.instagram.com/melsmoves