Pound for Pound Results
I was nervous and a little excited about my meet this past Saturday in Charlotte at South Charlotte CrossFit. My first official CrossFit gym I was ever apart of for a long time. I started out at CrossFit Charlotte but was unable to do a membership there.
So I showed up hoping to hit some new PR's in both of my lifts. I'm so close in both and I will admit I was nervous to work with Matt. I've only seen him on Facebook and Instagram lifting and just randomly started flowing him. Never actually met him in person prior, and had talked to him about programming before. Cause that doesn't sound weird at all now that I'm having someone coach me at my 2nd over Olympic lifting competition that I've never actually met. But the guy has some mad skills when it comes to lifting. Now when you do a weightlifting competition you have to arrive 2 hours early to weigh in. Everything is done based off of your weight class and by your age. Me being 28 years old, I'm considered a senior. If that doesn't make you feel old I don't know what will, haha. So after I weighed in I ate some breakfast, you don't eat before weigh-ins. And started to stretch out. Yeah I started stretching early. I get anxiety at competitions so I just have to keep moving around. I stretched out my shoulders, hamstrings, hips, making sure everything was mobile.
So when I finally met up with Matt, he got my opening number for my snatch and started doing his, what I can only guess his is calculating, for warming up. He told me to go hang out, so I did for a little bit and as I was start to put the singlet on I had and put my wrist wraps and knee sleeve on my mom and neighbor showed up. After that I grabbed a barbell so I could start warming up.
Matt fixed only two things with my snatch which still feel a little weird. He wanted me to jump and bring my knees up and then since I extend backward he wanted me to focus on extending up with my shoulders and not back. I can. I got so focused on trying to make sure I did that that I became completely unaware of just about all the other stuff I normally can feel. But that's okay, it's only because it's different from my normal. He started putting weights on the bar for warming up while people were lifting and would tell me when to lift a weight he had set. And in between he would make me sit. That was probably the only thing I didn't like! I'm not a sitter, I get anxious. I'm a person that stands and walks around to get the nervous out. I eventually told him I couldn't sit and he understood it and let me stand and walk around. But I stayed close.
Snatch
So it was time for my first attempt at my snatch, 53kg. I hit all my weights warming up, first attempt, not problem. Attempt #1 (fail):
I got on the platform and I didn't take enough time to set up for my lift. I felt my ass rise first, when you're suppose to lead with your chest and missed my lift. I had two minutes before I needed to try and complete the lift again. No one else was lifting at the weight I was which is why I got two minutes.
He had me sit again (and this is before he found out I'm not a sitter).
Attempt #2 (fail):
This time the bar was too far out in front of me. I tried to save it, but it just wasn't happening. I'm not sure why in the world I was having an off lift since it's normally a number I can hit no problem And we talked about it after and it could have been many factors....I'm use to training my myself, I haven't competed in over a year. But even at my first meet I only missed one of my snatches. So this was baffling me.
We talked about my 3rd attempt and whether or not I wanted to go up in weight or stay where I was. Sometimes going up in weight for me helps so I chose to go with 55kg. A weight I can typically hit as well.
Attempt #3 (fail):
This time everything was good, I guess I had some extra power or was unable to stop the movement of the bar. Matt said it was because I wasn't used to the bar being that close, and I'll take his word on it, but nothing about the lift felt as if I was going to miss it. It fell behind me. So at least I had enough power to get it overhead and almost have it. Now just to fix that part in the coming months.
I was in complete shock that I just missed all of my snatches! What in the world?! I mean yes, I have some of these days when I do my training but I just keep lifting it until I make it and then move to the next weight. But the only thought that was running through my head was, "Great, Matt thinks I can't lift the weights I had declared and that I'm bad at this!" He could tell I was upset and then told me about how he had bombed out on his first 10 meets. Not going to lie, that made me feel a little better. It was normal for things like that to happen. We all have off days. I sat and watched some of the other competitors that we lifting after me since I had finished my 3 attempts and it wasn't just me that was having a bad day so that made me feel al little better also.
Snatches were official over and it was time to move on to C&J. There is a 10min break between the snatch and C&J to allow competitors to warm up
C&J (Clean & Jerks)
I warmed-up little with just the bar and then he told me we would have to move a little faster warming up through C&J than we did snatches. I was lifting a little earlier in this one.
Attempt #1:
I made this one just fine, but it did feel heavy and felt like my back started to round on the way up. It did make me a little worried for my other lifts about how they were going to feel.
Matt told me we were going to go 58kg/62kg and then from there depending on how 62kg felt we'd go either 65kg or 66kg, either one would be a new PR for me! I was nervous about that but excited.
Attempt #2:
I was only worried that this would feel heavy because it was getting close to my max. The only other worry I had was getting underneath on my jerk fast enough so that my lift would count. You can press out, you can't have any re-bend in the elbows after you catch the jerk overhead or the lift wouldn't could. Clean was easy, felt great getting up out of the squat, now time for the jerk. Solid, felt light and quick getting under. Awesome! It felt better than it ever had.
Attempt #3:
Matt decided for me what weight I was going to be going for...he chose 66kg. I'm glad I had him there to make the decision of what weights I should lift. I told him my last lift left good and that's what he went off of. I got a little nervous when he told me that's what I was going to be lifting but that's okay. My turn was up and I step onto the platform. I set my feet like I always do first, it used to be there other way around. Place my hands first and then my feet. As soon as my feet were set I grabbed the bar raised my chest and started to pull. Got under the bar easy into my squat and started to stand. It as nice to hear him in the background giving me cues throughout and encouraging. On the way out of the squat, I didn't feel myself struggle at all. The bar did have a little adjustment in my right hand on the way up and it's only when I fully stood up and fixed it that I realized what weight I really had on my shoulders and all of a sudden it felt heavy. Then I thought "O shit!" I took a deep breath, dip, drive and tried to catch it and sink underneath it as best I could. Caught that sucker rock solid! I was so happy. I might not do any happy dances but I'm still reeling inside from it. My snafu on snatches were and still are an afterthought!
The Pulse Side of Having a Coach
1) They figure out your warm-up weights of you based off of your openers.
2) They figure out the progression of your lifts for you and if you can hit PRs based on how you feel.
3) They keep track of who is up on the platform, and where you are at in the line up so you know when you will be making your attempt.
4) They always critique you to help with the next lift.
5) You don't have to try and figure out your own weights!
6) Encouragement. It's nice hearing someone in the background yelling quick encouraging stuff while you're lifting. (I still can't stop watching my PR C&J video)!
R+F Unblemish
For some of us it's inevitable that we have acne as teenagers. And we use that neutrogena, Proactive, or other brands to help try and clear up our skin. Now your an adult and that teenage acne is suppose to not be there. But you became one of those o so lucky individuals that gets adult acne. Trust me I know how you feel. I'm one of those lucky few.
I used Proactive which was a product by Rodan+Fields when I was in high school and still used it up until a couple of months ago. I then decided to try a different product now called Fat Co. but was Fat Face Skin before. It did tell you that you would probably break out when first using the product because your face was getting rid of all the chemicals in your skin from the previous product you were using. My face did break out but it was expected so I didn't worry too much about it. Until it never stopped. Now don't get my wrong, this is just my results for Fat Face. Other people have had success with it. It just wasn't working for me. So I finally decided to try R+F Unblemish. It was created by the people who made Proactiv so I was hoping it would work.
My order finally came in and I started using it like the brochure said. But I get all hot and sweaty from workouts so following the schedule toward twice a day wasn't going to work for me, so I just started using it twice a day.
Results vary for everyone, but I started seeing results in my skin after only a week and a half!
This are my personal results: (I still haven't completed the 60 days - Aug. 10th)
This are my personal results: (I still haven't completed the 60 days - Aug. 10th)
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| Before Umblemish. You can actually skill see some of the blemishes under my skin! |
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| 1.5 week results |
Now what are some of the facts?
R+F Unblemish is clinical proven to reduce the appearance of bumps under the skin, help reduced clogged pores, blackheads, small white blemishes, and red inflamed skin. And I found it amazing that 30%-50% of adults struggle with acne. It's a more common issue than you think. Another great thing about unblemish is you can't start using it from age 8 all the way through 88 years old!
The regimen is a 4 step process starting with the Sulfur Wash which sulfur is an active ingredient to help reduce the appearance of redness and also contain aloe vera and chamomile to help calm you skin.
The Clarifying Toner is an liquid exfoliator, its alcohol free, refines pores and reduce redness and irritation. Use a gaze pad to apply it and it doesn't take much. You can get the gaze pads from R+F Essentials line for only 7.20 as a preferred customer (PC) or just $8 retail price. Next is the Dual Intensive Acne Treatment. It's two gels separated in a bottle, with 2 different pumps because you mix the gels together in your hand before you put them on. I only use 1 pump for each gel. The OTC Benzoyl Peroxide to reduce bacteria and breakouts and the Penetration Enhancing Gel basically acts as a slip and slide (think of like the turtle wax brand you use to help your windshield when it rains so you can see better and it just beads right up and flows away). This is basically how the Penetration Enhancing Gel works, allowing OTC ingredients to just slide right off your skin that cause the issues. The last is a 20SPF Broad Spectrum Sunscreen with oil control. Our skin always needs to be protected from the sun. And this last little bit helps that.
The Results show a 60% decrease in acne with Unblemish! It's important to use the entire regimen for best results, but starting somewhere can always help!
https://tblack.myrandf.com/Shop/Unblemish
Things I'm Excited About
So after this past meet I decided to sign up for one I had looked at prior it, but didn't sign up because I thought it was completely full and registration was closed. I decided to check again after my meet this past Saturday and sure enough the event was still available! So I signed up!
Things I'm Excited About
So after this past meet I decided to sign up for one I had looked at prior it, but didn't sign up because I thought it was completely full and registration was closed. I decided to check again after my meet this past Saturday and sure enough the event was still available! So I signed up!
The meet is set for Sept 10th at Sugar Creek Brewing in Charlotte, NC.
I can't wait to do this one!
Along with training for this meet. I am going to start programming from Matt, who was my coach at this last meet. I have been wanting to get programming from him for several months now, really ever since I realized he was doing programming, but it just didn't seem to be in the budget at that point. And honestly it really isn't now, but it was great finally having a coach and I'm going to be able to meet with him once a month for some coaching, which will be awesome. I haven't had a coach in over a year and I honestly miss it. It makes me upset sometimes because I know that I probably would progress more in my lifts if I had a coach.
I'm also excited to buy my own singlet next month for my meet. I'm grabbing the Virus Elevate V2 Singlet, unfortunately right now they are sold out, but that's okay because I'm not buying it until next month anyway.
Braves v Nationals
So I've been wanting to see a Braves game for YEARS and lately I've been wanting to see the Nationals play since DC is one of my favorite places to visit. I actually looked at going to a game on my last trip but I don't think they were playing a game in town when I would be there. So a friend of mine told me to pick out a baseball game and he would take care of the rest. So DC it is for a Braves v Nationals game. O and my friend has never been to DC, so why not kill two birds with one stone!
So those are just some of the things I'm excited about! I can't wait!
~God Bless
"Training strength and endurance mentally, physically, and spiritually."
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