This is probably going to be another long post so bear with me.Firstly - training yesterday - absolutely caned the treadmill with some "four stage treadmill intervals with incline changes". Many of my clients will know exactly what I'm talking about! I like to "roadtest" all of my cardio before I prescribe it. I did 6 x 5 minute intervals + 10 minutes of warming up and cooling down on either side. Then I hammered the elliptical for 15 minutes.
In there I also managed to throw in my lower body training - front squats, Bulgarians (these are my most detested exercise) and Romanian Deadlifts. I am quite the DOMS princess this morning.
Today I am teaching "Core" at Fitness First and training my upper body. Cardio, if any, will be pretty light as I want to be ready to go at full throttle when I teach RPM Hi Performance on Saturday morning.
Now onto the grittier stuff. I wanted to say how grateful I am to everyone's support about my belly issues. I don't know if I have ever mentioned it, but that is the reason I decided to compete - I wanted to see how far I could take my belly without surgery. Yes, the belly doesn't look as bad in some respects but as I got leaner and did my ab and thigh pose the diastasis actually became more prominent - as well as sporting a relatively nice six pack, I also sported a nice raised ridge along the midline of my abdominals, kind of like a Rhodesian Ridgeback and for some odd reason the diastasis has gotten worse, not better, despite lots of core work and clinical pilates. I also chose to compete because I wanted to prove to myself after being overweight that I had it in me to actually reach such levels of leanness. Then I did it another two times just to prove to myself that I wasn't a "flash in the pan".
What has been stopping me from having surgery is that I am scared of the potential side effects and scared that I would not be able to return to doing workouts just like the one I described above. Yet, I also know that I'm not at my best either. My pelvic instability makes progression slow. However I haven't got enough evidence to suggest yet that the pelvic instability could improve with repair. So I feel a bit of damned if I do, damned if I don't right now.
As far as competition aspirations go, I know that I am more than capable of competing in a Figure Comp, surgery or not - it is obvious I would place far higher without the belly issue, but placing has never been a concern for me when I've competed. I also know that my true talent where bodybuilding/figure is concerned lies in the coaching area.
I would be left with a pretty big scar but my reasons for surgery have nothing to do with competing. I could care less about what some Figure judge thinks of me. I just care about what I think of me. Apart from this belly, I'm pretty happy with my physical appearance and who I am :)
I think this one is going to take some time to figure out.
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3 comments:
WOW that souunds like some workout!!
I have to say i love your attitude hun! It's all about you and what you want for you not any body else and i think thats fantastic :)
Em:)
Hi Liz (Hugs to you!). I agree it is a very complex issue and one that ultimately only you can decide on.
One thing i thought while reading your posts and everyone's comments was that 4 months would seem longer before you go into it, than after you've had it. 4 months is not such a long time. It would seem like a long time on this side of it, because you're going into the unknown, there's pain involved and it's scary. But when you look back on 4 months you've had, and the new memories, it often seems like the time has flown by. Humans are surprisingly adaptable, you always work with what you've got.
"...front squats, Bulgarians (these are my most detested exercise) and Romanian Deadlifts." What a dream workout!
I wouldn't know what to advise you re the surgery - as you know I'm an utter coward when it comes to medical issues. That said, from a physical performance standpoint, I know the pelvic instability would annoy me, and four months vs. a lifetime? Not really a contest, there. But when it comes down to it, it's about what YOU think is best.
((()))
Lesley
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