Little Victories in the Gym

Persistence and dedication are key.

Two weeks ago coach programmed squats at 195 lbs. As of four months ago 185 lbs was my 1RM. So going for 195 for two sets of four was a bit intimidating.

We went for it and it didn’t happen. If you remember my post on mental blocks while training, this kind of goes hand in hand with that.

I was stressing about the weight all day. I really wanted to PR especially for that many reps. I was in my head all day, but on the other hand, I just wasn’t there yet. I wasn’t bracing my core correctly, making the weight move slower, and my form was off.

After showing coach my video from training she told me what I needed to work on and how to attack it next time. After dropping me to 175 lbs the week after, and 185 lbs the following week, it was time to get 195 lbs under my belt once and for all!

And you know what? I did it! Went for the same two sets of four at 195. I felt more confident, listened to coaches critiques, and the outcome was good.

Later in the week coach pushed me for some heavy deadlifts. Again, about four months ago my deadlift 1RM was 220 lbs. This week 225 lbs was programmed for 4 reps. I was excited and hungry for it! I was able to rep out the weight! The energy from getting my heavy back squats Monday continued through the week making me focused on these deadlifts.

A little lesson for making progress:

If at first you don’t succeed, don’t throw in the towel. Take a step back, analyze the situation, and see how you can attack it again. Sometimes, you need to take a couple weeks at an easier pace so you can go all in when the time comes.

Now that I reached new weights my body is ready for a lighter week to recover. Keep your eye out for a post about taking a deload week.