APF Illinois Raw Power Challenge
It means a meet is on the horizon. We are usually about half way through a "prep" phase when I decide if I'm in or out. Not because I'm scared or I want to see if my numbers are good, but simply to see how my body and my life are going.
If life is crazy, it might not be the best time for me to compete.
If my body hurts to the point that I am unable to train, it might not be the best time for me to compete.
If I decide to compete, I will follow through. Even last December when my back was feeling AWFUL, I still competed. I dropped my numbers, but I showed up and did everything I could that day.
Monday we got into wraps. It's the final week of our concentric phase of this block. If you've been following along on Instagram, and in Christian's training log, you'll notice we are running a conjuphasic meet prep again. This worked really well last time. We made a few adjustments and we are both feeling better because of it.
After hitting our heavy wrapped single with doubled mini bands, we dropped the bands (and the weight a little) and did some work to focus on speed. With the wraps still on, it allowed us to practice the wraps a little more. I don't care who you are, you need to practice in the wraps. You need to know what the weight feels like. To get the most out of the wraps, you may need to adjust things a little.
I know I have to force myself to push my knees into the wraps. That's the best way I can describe it. The wraps have a tendency (because they are stiff and tight) to push your hips back. They don't want to stretch, so if you're not aware, it will shoot your hips back. Not only will that throw you out of position, but you also won't be getting as much out of the wraps because they aren't fully stretched! So yeah, you need to practice.
The down sets were a little light, but they felt good. Overall, I felt like I was in a good position and getting what I needed from the wraps. I skipped accessory work for that day because, well, our return flight/trip from the weekend vacation was brutal. A lesson in listening to your body....
Needless to say, last week I signed up for the APF meet. Christian will be competing as well as a few others from our gym. Here's to 20 years of competing.
