My Life as a Heavyweight

By Julia Ladewski

For www.EliteFTS.com

(Note from the author: I decided to write this article out of humor, jest if you will. For those of you who can relate, enjoy!)

Being pregnant has changed many things—my workouts, clothes, eating habits, you name it! However, on a long car ride to Indiana to visit family, I realized that I’m not unlike a large, super heavy powerlifter. I’ve always been a lighter powerlifter (132 lbs) and lean (for the most part). So I never knew what it was like to be bigger and to go through some of the things that big guys go through…until I became pregnant.

I never realized how walking up a flight of stairs can leave you panting for oxygen. I could only do ten stairs max.
Simply bending over to reach your shoe laces cuts off the oxygen supply to the brain. You have to cross your ankle over the opposite knee and tie the lace on the inside of the shoe. Hey, it’s not perfect, but at least it’s tied!
Always have a training partner with you when you’re benching. You may get stuck on your back.
Speaking of benching, have you ever been jealous of someone with wicked short arms who can bench a crap load of weight and make it look easy? Well, with a big ‘ol belly, it’s much the same. Your stroke is instantly shortened by half of what it was.
Yes, an increasing waistline is obvious, but you quickly get past the point of worrying about it. This is the way you look pot belly and all, and you’re ok with it.

You no longer “get” out of bed. You “roll” out of bed. You actually consider it your first workout of the day.
Sleeping becomes a problem the larger you get. There are no comfortable positions. Lying on your stomach is out of the question (not to mention bad for your back), and when you lie flat on your back, the weight of your stomach crushes your internal organs. So you toss and turn from side to side just to get a few hours of shut eye.
Your GPP instantly goes down the crapper.
Finding clothes that actually fit is a hassle. All of your T-shirts are suddenly too short.
A big pot for a big squat! When squatting, you know you’ve reached parallel when your stomach hits your thighs. You can’t get any deeper!
Your feet ache like crazy by the end of the day from carrying around 30 extra pounds in your stomach.
Along with your achy feet goes your achy back. Imagine strapping on a front loaded weight vest and walking around all day. Your back is constantly contracting in order to keep you from doing a Good morning. Not so good.
Live in the cold? Forget wearing a coat. The zipper doesn’t zip over your gut. Oh well, I guess I’ll just wear a sweatshirt.
I soon found that it was ok to eat an entire pan of Rice Krispie treats or a half gallon of ice cream with no guilt.
Your snoring gets louder the bigger you get.
Let’s be completely honest here…it’s been awhile since you’ve seen your private parts, hasn’t it?

I hope that you’ve enjoyed my journey through being a heavyweight. For me, it ended in a blessing of a daughter who is truly amazing!

Julia Ladewski is a strength coach at a Division I university. Her best lifts are a 463-lb squat, a 240-lb bench, a 424-lb deadlift, and a 1102-lb total at 132 lbs. You can reach Julia at www.LadewskiStrength.com.

Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit us at www.EliteFTS.com.