baby muscle's powerlifting/training journal

[baby muscle]

A little behind here but went to see my coach and train with her Wednesday, 8/12. Did fasted swimming again that morning.

Bodyweight isn't budging and Coach says I look like I'm "holding 10 lbs of water. Even your shoulders look watery! It's as if your injury is making you hold it big time."

Here's what we did that night:

25 minute dynamic warm up with back, shoulders band pull-aparts etc

Bench Press

Bar x 10, 95 x 5, 115 x3, 135 x 2, 150 x 1, 160 x 1, 170 x 1 (paused w/ signals)

3 sets of doubles w/ 160

3 sets of 6 reps 60lbs DB floor press w/ legs together

3 sets of 20 reps, 65lb tricep push downs w/ fat bar

25lb plate front raises, 3 sets of 20, sloooow controlled

shoulder rehab work


:/ I dunno what to do about my weight folks. I'm 131.4 this a.m. I'm TIGHT w/ the Keto diet. Yes, I know, swelling from fractures is obviously fluid that needs to be there. Yes, I know this is crazy.

And of course, my activity has been probably 50% less at least so it stands to reason that yes, my weight is not wanting to go anywhere, though I thought swimming/ the change in exercise would do the old shocker and help me start dropping.

My plan was to get to the airport at 125lbs on Wednesday, drink 2 gallons of water that day and start cutting water that Thursday afternoon for Friday morning weigh in. The most water I've ever been able to cut has been 4 lbs, and that was using epsom salt laxatives, a hot tub and half an HCTZ the day before, again that night (midnight) and then a 3rd half at 6am. I choose NOT to use Lasix, ever.

Thoughts? Advice?

[baby muscle]

Oh, fasted swimming yesterday Thursday, 8/13 too, 45 min.

[Sunnyday]

Any chance you are taking NSAIDS for the injury? I doubt they'd make you hold THAT much water but you never know.

For a Saturday prejudging I usually start overwatering for two days, usually just 1.5x my usual amount Tue/Wed. and then begin ramping it back down. Maybe you want to try a 2-day instead of a 1-day overwater? Also if you plan to use something like dandelion it seems to work better stacked with Vitamin C.

One other thing I've done is those tight neoprene shorts by Gold's Gym that you find at Walmart: put them on for the drive down (heads up a challenge for potty breaks), crank the seat heater in your car if you have one, and leave the AC off. I've used that method to sweat off a couple pounds over a long drive.

[sassy69]

^^ Yea I can appreciate this as it's been 5 years since I've been on a regular competition lifestyle and I'm struggling my way down from probably fatter & slower metabolism than I'd care to admit but I totally know the water retention thing -- for ex, I thought I had finally cleared the hump and things were going to start dripping off earlier last week, and then Friday - current, I feel like I'm sloshing w/ water and I can feel my calves retaining water, and I have no idea why - aside from a bit more fat in my diet from previous, everything has been completely tight w/ exception of a lot of napping on Saturday. Only thing I could imagine was TTOTM. But it shouldn't be in play for a week.. so not sure.

I would suggest writing down EVERYTHING you're consuming right now, as well as any meds / supps, amount of water, etc.

Then look at if you're feeling like the food is processing optimally (i.e. regular trips to the bathroom and not feeling bloated / things digesting efficiently), how you are sleeping and how quickly post-water intake, you are peeing. Basically just a full inventory of everything and how well you are processing it.

I agree on the dandelion root + Vit C. Or in a tea-version. I've also used Vit B6 as a short-term diuretic, tho its usually been restricted to the night before a show and not 2 days before.

[baby muscle]

My thought right now is, fresh fractures with swelling (or any traumatic injury) tell the body "hold all the water you can!!" I think HCTZ (diazide+ dandelion Thursday evening before weigh ins). I think maybe I should also drink MORE water right now and up my sodium since I need a lot of blood to healing foot. What do the kracken think ?

[Sunnyday]

^^Sounds like a good plan to me!

[Sunnyday]

Something else that came to mind: you could try switching your veg to asparagus.

[sassy69]

Something else that came to mind: you could try switching your veg to asparagus.

The King of Pee's



(as we remind ourselves that there is NOTHING glamorous about competition prep ...)

[Sunnyday]

The King of Pee's



(as we remind ourselves that there is NOTHING glamorous about competition prep ...)

x2! It only gives the ILLUSION of being glamorous.

[baby muscle]

BODYWEIGHT 131

I couldn't seem to get online for more than a few minutes the past few days, so brief comments. Was outta town and with the kiddos and so I need to catch up here-

Friday- 8/14
Abbreviated back workout
(so we could travel to visit family)

3x10 pull ups
Chest supported Barbell rows, 1x8 w/ 75 then 3x8 w/ 100, so getting a bit stronger
Bent over DB rows w/ 60lbs DB, 3x8
3x5 seated cable rows w/ 60lbs in each handle

(it's separate stacks at this gym, readers might notice that sometimes I say 50 or 55 and sometimes I write 100 or 105, that's because I look at whether I have a single stack and whether i have a single handle or one that I grip with both hands, etc.)

[baby muscle]

Saturday night, 8/15 Bench Press (upped my T3 to 37.5 mcg on Thursday of last week, btw)

45x10, 95 x 5, 115x3, 135x2, 150x1

2 board press 5x3- w/ 170lbs ...all sets and reps were good !

Seated DB OH press w/ 40lb DBs, I think I'll go up next time, I probably had 2 more reps in me...

3x8, Incline bench press -85lbs,
Yeah, this was really light. I had hard time controlling it (I hadn't done this in years).

3x8 rolling tricep extensions w/ 45lb barbell

rear delt with 12 lb DB 3x8

pull ups 3x10

-Was supposed to do weighted dips (too much pain on ascent even with no weight so I bailed, I think crutches are the culprit for this pain because shoulders are better in almost every other position but this)

tricep band press downs burnout, 2x20 used skinny blue band

shoulder rehab w/ 10kg barbell


-Sunday 8/16
Pool swimming for 45 minutes with my sister

I feel stronger this week but damned shoulders are achey all night long. Usually it's the left but lately it's the right. My BF says's he thinks it's the crutches but it may also be all the swimming combined with that. Soo, kickboard it shall be, which I'm not thrilled about but I have 3 and a half weeks to make weight. dropping cardio isn't smart at this point.

[baby muscle]

Monday 8/17

Pool swimming for 50 minutes. Upped time by 5 minutes.

I forgot to write about something that dismayed me…

I get asked a lot when I swim, by lifeguards that I talk too, etc, if I'm a bodybuilder. Which doesn't bother me. I do believe looking like a bodybuilder has more negatives when you live in a place filled with people who…don't look like bodybuilders...

The pool I swim in is part of the gym of a large university, (which a large hospital is attached to as the teaching hospital and where my BF works) We have a membership to the university gyms. So you have 2 gyms, one where hospital employees/ med students and professors of medicine etc work out, very quiet and the rules are observed.

Then the pool I like, because it's warmer and has duel stair railings , is where more younger undergrads workout. It's on the lower level but it has windows to the upper level where people can look down into the pool from the hallway of the office area of the gym. It's lovely.

On the day my sister and I were swimming, I took my aircast off and my sister put my crutches against the wall behind me. She walked away after making sure I could get down the stairs into the water. The duel railings are ideal because I can support my bodyweight mostly with my arms until I'm floating, so my broken foot doesn't actually touch the pool floor. I happened to look up and see three very young women (maybe 18-20 years old), one who clearly had her large phone/ipad out and was clearly and obviously taking pictures of me. It was pointed in my direction and there was no one else getting into the pool other than myself. My sister was in the other pool, which is obscured.

It's a clear violation of hospital and university policies resulting in expulsion and other consequences. I called to staff and pointed up and they saw what was happening and they radioed university police or security but the cowards scurried away. The staff said security would be there in 10 seconds but really, it's too late. My sister, of course, is very protective and started yelling at them and went to go upstairs but I told her security was coming. (God help anyone who crosses my dear little war veteran sister!)

But, has this ever happened to anyone else? How did you feel/what did you think? And finally, what did you do?

I felt so violated, as if someone were taking pictures in a locker room, except here I am, hobbling into the pool in my swimsuit. With my current level of temporary disability, I frequently feel very vulnerable now, which has me on edge and quite emotional. And of course, feeling violated and vulnerable, knowing I can't control images of me makes me angry, not to mention angry that pictures would be taken of anyone while struggling with disability and vulnerable. I admit it, I'm an emotional woman right now.

Ok, I'm done ranting.

[baby muscle]

Bodyweight 129.6
Upped T3 to 50 mcg a day this am and will stay there for next 2 weeks.

Bench 8-18-15

warm up w/ back/full body dynamic movement, rolling, light rows with bands - pec stretch- bicep stretch and band pull aparts

Bar x10, 95 x 5, 115 x 3 - 135 x 2 -
Singles all paused with commands 155 x1 - 165 x 1 - 175 x1 - 180 x 1 (PR!)
170 2 x 2 (2nd rep of each set sloooowww)
1 board press 175lbs 3x3, last rep of first set was a fail, I reset my legs for the other sets and got a board holder and was able to grind out the 3rd rep in subsequent sets.
Floor DB press (legs together, 3x5) 60, 60, then 65!
Tricep straight bar press down 3 x 10 w/ 100lbs
20lb DB side lateral delts 3 x 8
front delts with 20lb DBs 3 x 8
15lb DBs Rear delts 3 x 8

Smoker, I'll need sleep tonight! I'm thinking of opening with either 170 or 175. Depends how my foot heals but I was doing a happy dance on getting a bench PR with a broken foot.

[Ibarramedia]

Sorry to hear about people taking your pictures without your consent. Such is the age of camera phones and tablets........

[Sunnyday]

Congrats on the bench PR, girl! Awesome work! Especially considering the broken foot!