Recent comps:
March 4, 2017 XPC Arnold - Raw 132, (315/185/360, 3 PR's)
Nov 5, 2016 NPC Midwest Gladiator Chicago - Women's Physique
Sept 24, 2016 NPC Indianapolis Grand Prix - Women's Physique
May 7, 2016 RPS Mid-Atlantic Powerlifting - Raw 132, Pro total
Coach - Scott Paltos.
Read back at previous training logs to see what my off-season contained to prep for both PL and physique. #creatingamonster.
Man, I tell ya. You don't realize how much good sleep affects your training (and every other area of your life) until it's been crappy for awhile.
Quick back story: I used to be able to sleep like a ROCK. Thunderstorms, rain, trains.... nothing would wake me. And then I had kids. My kids were actually very good sleepers. Like sleeping through the night at 3 months old. But there's still something about having a baby/kid in the house that seems to disrupt your ability to sleep like a rock.
Now that they are older, it's not an issue, but I've noticed the last couple years that my sleep isn't as deep or as sound as it used to be. Some days are decent and others are down right crappy. Tossing and turning more than usual and about once a week awake for an hour in the middle of the night.
The past 6 months have been internally stressful. No majoring life threatening things going on, but it was an accumulation of little things that sometimes I didn't even realize I was worrying about. Literally... stressing, worrying, getting anxious over things that were either out of my control, or things that didn't even have an effect on the big picture.
Then last week Thursday I woke up with a changed mindset. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was that caused it, but all of a sudden the little things that I had been stressing over for the past 6 months - my brain said, "It's not important. I've had enough. Stop focusing on those things. Life is now."
Something clicked... I wish I could explain it better, but I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders and I felt a renewed sense of hope for what's to come.
And since last Thursday my sleep has been 10x better. Deeper sleep. More rested. Less tossing and turning. Waking up refreshed instead of dragging.
Lessons learned? Don't underestimate the power of quality sleep. We hear it all the time, but it's so darn true. And...
Let
It
Go.
Get rid of the mental clutter that's bogging you down. I can't tell you how to do that, but dig deep and find it. Focus on the good things, every little good thing daily.
And here's a couple deload workouts from last week too... because deloads are whatever. Haha.
Day 1
A. Bench 8x2 @ 135
B. Pullups 6x8
C. Machine shoulder press 4x9
D. Laterals 2x20
E. Seated Cleans 2x15
F. Band pushdowns 2x50
Day 2
A. Squat 5x1 @ 225
B. Sumo dead 6x1 @ 275
C. Reverse lunges 3x12 each
D. Leg press 2x30
E. Lat pulldown 4x10
F. Back raise 2x20
G. Abs