Checking in and Catching Up

Can't believe it's been a week since I posted - I had thought that with a week off I would be blogging everyday - but I decided that I needed a holiday from blogging as well, so I've laid low.

Let's see.. Monday was spent doing the usual, programs, catch up on emails, bills and about five loads of washing that somehow had gone by the wayside (training that day was doing the boogie with the iron).

Tuesday..a lot of the same - got to practice some of the new Bodystep and went out for dinner with Mike Robertson, who is in Australia presenting an excellent seminar on lower back care. I've been fortunate enough to have worked with Mike in 2007 and the early part of 2008 before my surgery and as I am nearly a year post op,will be looking to take my strength training to a higher level again this year. It was fantastic to be able to meet Mike in person and we had an excellent dinner talking about various training philosophies and his training facility etc.

Wednesday - Picked up latest copy of Australian Women's Health and Fitness magazine - this month Lindy and I have an article about resistance band training in there, so check it out.

Thursday: Taught Bodystep class and then raced off to help Mike and Paul set up for Mike's Seminar. I am loving the Thursday morning Bodystep class and having so much fun. Mike's seminar was fantastic - really solidified a lot of the stuff I teach my clients. Organized a workout for him at Fitness First. Then met Carolyn and shared a fabulous upper body workout including some bicep work that made us both want to cry - I had guessed we'd make 8 reps of said protocol - we were both screaming for mercy as we got to rep 4 - I've been telling her that my biceps now hate her and that her Jedi mind tricks won't work on me anymore...sheesh I'm glad she appreciates Star Wars as much as I do. AFter a great Vietnamese dinner I collapsed into bed.
Friday: Day of complete rest and food shopping.
Saturday: Taught RPM Hi Performance - nearly full class and the focus being on "strategy" - 100% effort @ 15seconds is different to 100% at 1:30 - nearly killed myself in the process but all good. Did 2-3 hours of Bootcamp telecasts on time management and prioritization of what matters in the afternoon.
Sunday: Went for a walk and took Miss G to two birthday parties, ate Boervors with hubs and have chilled out for the rest of the day.

I'm looking forward to a good workout tomorrow and getting ready to have another battery of tests done - still numb in fingers and toes but thankfully most of the swelling has gone down and I'm back to being a badass!

Moving and Grooving

As usual another busy day on the work front. I'm still not feeling 100% today but have managed to train and eat well. Old scale weight has yet to come into line but I'm feeling leaner today so I know that it's only a matter of time before it behaves. Sometimes it feels like a bit of a slap to wake up to a higher number - I think due to the conditioning most women have about the scale, a "higher" number is associated with fear and panic but the most important part is how you choose to react to it. Do you throw your hands up in the air and moan about the scale doing your head in or do you just get on with the job?

Today, although I felt a little annoyed, I chose to get on with the job. I have so many reasons right now to get into better shape, external and internal leverages. Figure comps have always been a tremendous external leverage but now things are different - I don't have that as a leverage any more but I've got all sorts of interesting stuff in the pipeline. One thing is that once you step on that scale and see that number there is no turning back, only the opportunity to move forward and decide what you are going to create that day - that has also included creating my favourite dinner, grilled salmon with none other than snow peas, carrots and asparagus!

Despite having mainly back to back clients, a late cancellation allowed me to get in my first decent run since my knee issue flared up, mobility work and lower body training. I admit to feeling frustrated about this darn shoulder - but know that I'm doing everything I can to get it right. I am starting to feel some pleasant DOMS building in my hamstrings and glutes already.

I am attending another seminar run by Paul Reid at www.centrality.com.au - on the shoulder girdle. Paul is associated with Mike Robertson who is coming out in February so if you want to see Mike in Brisbane, please email me - we need to know Brisbane numbers ASAP. I cannot speak highly enough of Paul or Mike - and the knowledge that they so freely share.

The Shiny New Spinner Bikes

We've just traded in our old V-Bikes for 35 brand new Spinner Bikes in the RPM studio. I get to teach my last Hi Performance class on a brand new bike. That will be fun. I haven't broken the news to my class that I could be away for up to four months. I feel a little emotional about this. All of my classes are special to me in their own way but my Hi Performance crew on a Saturday just rock! Part of me wrestles with "sooner" but I am going to the true beat of my rehab drummer which tells me that success rests with the "later" option.

Had a busy day taking Miss S to the doctor and having some blood tests done for her. She was so patient and didn't flinch when the needle went in. She is a terrific kid. I was able to squeeze in teaching my 4.30pm Step class thanks to my parents. It's been great teaching more Step - I now know release 71 so well, I don't have to think about it anymore - pressure's off!

Tomorrow I am talking to some of the Fitness First PTs about Krista and Biosignature testing. I am planning on becoming accredited in the future and I am so looking forward to her visit and learning more about Charles Poliquin. I also enjoy Mike Robertson's work so much - you can visit at www.robertsontrainingsystems.com and read his blog - some great interviews and links to articles he has recently written for T Nation and the like. Highly recommended.

Training :)

Oooh, it's an "all about training" post!

I have just done my second day of Mike's program and it has certainly been different, but in a good way - lots of work to help mobilize my stiff thoracic spine and some challenging upper body work today followed by a moderate steady state run at 11km/hr for 20 minutes. The focus is definitely on strength ~ like Kek, I've been walking around with major hamstring DOMS these last two days.

Tomorrow's training will be Spinervals and I am also teaching Core Class tomorrow. We have added in the back/glute track and I have been running through the best ways of teaching it.

It's been good doing all this stuff lately as my first Fitlink assignment is to take a postural analysis and core conditioning workshop next Thursday.

Gratitude, accomplishment and having fun

Have you ever had a day where you felt extremely thankful for your life and grateful for the opportunities that you've been given? Today I have felt a real sense of gratitude for what I've been given and the opportunities I've had over this past year.

Tomorrow I turn 38, so I've been reflecting on a tumultuous year, including two Figure Comps (Qlds and Nationals), two moves (one Further into Woop Woop and one to Brisbane), the beginning of a new business, and many lessons learnt. I know there is more to come, more to learn and more to have fun with. I am so lucky that I am now doing what I love and everything is coming together slowly but surely.

I taught Bodystep today, which made me feel rather accomplished as it was my first run through this latest release since launches (for some reason I didn't end up doing a lot of Step this quarter). Mike sent me a whole lot of reading and I've immersed myself in the ins and outs of thoracic mobility and how serratus anterior gets underused and how this contributes to shoulder and hip issues.

My other news is that a week or so ago, I met somebody from one of the Fitness Training Colleges here and had a conversation with them about what I did - anyway I was contacted by them and asked if I was interested in a position as a Lecturer in Exercise Science for both the Cert III and Cert IV students - so to cut a long story short, I have an interview on Thursday with Fitlink, who are opening up a bigger campus in Brisbane. I have no idea how I'll go as I felt my resume looked pi**poor on paper, but the fact that they've still persisted in organizing an interview feels good. Who knows? I'm keeping an open mind about the whole thing.

Probably doing RPM tomorrow!

Trainer gets a trainer!

Ever heard of the quote "sometimes the trainer needs a trainer"?

I have decided, after several years of writing programs for myself (the last time somebody actually wrote me a program was in the prehistoric era...you get the drift) to enlist someone else to design and help me with a training program.

Enter Mike Robertson - he is a Canadian exercise physiologist who majored in Biomechanics. He is also a strength and conditioning coach who does a lot in the powerlifting arena. Mike's speciality is "corrective exercise", that is specific training to improve movement issues - for me, this centres around my glute/hip instability and thoracic stiffness. My goal is to add more muscle, but to do it from a more functional perspective, rather than training as a bodybuilder as such. Sure we can train to add more muscle but I also want to train to be fitter, faster and stronger in every way.

I'm nervous and excited at the same time - I haven't been accountable to someone with my training for so long and I'm looking forward to soaking up all of Mike's expertise in this area. He has released two DVDs - one called Magnificent Mobility and another called Inside Out Training (all about upper body mobility and strengthening).

Training today: teach RPM

PS - Thanks to those who replied on the baking issue. I'll keep you posted!