Pixie's log

[Pixie]

Ok, ok... I hate keeping logs, but I see such a benefit to them. Lots of chance for feedback and such. My training seems to have been lacking a little for one reason or another (i.e. travel, sick, etc.). I'm hoping it'll get a bit better now that my honey's meet is over... Shoot, it kind of has to so I'm lookin' hot for the wedding.

Details... I'm 5'2" when I stand really, really tall. 31 years old. Weigh way more than I'd like, and always will. I've got my dad's 6'0" muscle build on my mom's 5'2" frame. I try not to get too caught up on what shows up on the scale, but rather go by what I see in the mirror. Unfortunately, what I see right now... I don't like.

Little background... I was a dancer and a gymnast growing up. Throw in a little stint in track and cheerleading too. I got into powerlifting because of someone I grew up with (refuse to use the word "friend" here). On my first squat day, I knew I was hooked. There had been such a void in my life when I had to quit dancing (secondary to an injury), and it seemed that lifting was going to be a great substitute.

So, I started lifting November 2005 (following an ankle surgery in June 2005)... got in a pretty severe car accident April 2006... had shoulder surgery #1 (result of MVA) June 2006... wrist surgery (result of MVA) July 2006... came back to lifting sometime around November 2006 but had to stop again due to injury, clinical rotations, and having to do my thesis for school... graduated August 2007... had shoulder surgery #2 September 2007... moved to TX (from AZ) November 2007... and started lifting again immediately following. It's been a rough road during my short stint in lifting, but I'm glad I'm back at it...

With all this in mind, I've developed a different way of training than most. I don't have a typical training cycle. I have to play it by ear more. Meaning, if it's squat day and my shoulder is hurting, I'm most likely not squatting, at least not with a bar on my back. It's taking some getting used to, but I'm getting there. I'm back to pre-injury capabilities if not more, except in squats now, so there's at least that.

Ok... here I go...

[Pixie]

PR PAGE

Going to track my PR's here... I'm so bad at keeping track of them. I'm going to see if this helps any.

(To be updated regularly, I hope.)

Box squat with BB: 215 (03.10.08)
Box squat with SSB: 175 (05.12.08)
GM with 14" Cambered Bar: 160 (07.25.08)

Raw bench: 225 (04.27.08)
1 board: 145 (12.19.07)
2 board: 205 (03.09.08)
3 board: 205 (01.30.08)
4 board: 205 (12.16.07)
Floor press: 175 (04.16.08)
Reverse band (green) bench: 275 (07.24.08)
Shirted bench: 205 (03.16.08)
Shirted 2 board: 295 (08.03.08)
Shirted 3 board: 335 (08.17.08)

Sumo deadlift: 245 (03.07.08)
Conventional deadlift: 315 (05.16.08)
Rack pulls below knee: 365 (07.04.08)
Rack pulls above knee: 365 (04.07.08)
Conventional deadlift off 1.5" platform: 215 (03.14.08)
Conventional deadlift weight on 3.5" blocks: 305 (04.21.08)

[Pixie]

Just going to start with here, since that's when I really started back after our trip to APF Seniors in Omaha.

06.20.08

Treadmill
8 minutes, 3.2 speed, 1.0 incline

Prowler
2 trips
4 trips with 50#

Conventional deadlifts
90 1 x 8
155 1 x 5
185 1 x 5
205 5 x 5

Power runner
90 3 x 12 each leg

Abs on T-ball
1 x 100

Not a bad workout after such a long lay off-- travel and being sick for about 10 days and still recovering. I think I coughed up a lung but it felt good to get the juices flowing again. Just stayed light so I was able to walk the next day.

[Pixie]

06.22.08

Made it to the gym, but got really sick from food poisoning before I was able to get any workout in. Going back home... ick!!

Can't catch a break here with the sick feelings... GRR!!

[Pixie]

06.23.08

Stationary bike
10 minutes

Prowler
3 trips high with 70#
3 trips low with 70#

Belt squat
0 1 x 10 (no clue what it weighs, so this is just the weight I added)
50 1 x 5
90 5 x 5

T-ball arch-ups
3 x 10

Standing abs - green band
3 x 20

BW lunges
2 x 12

I sooooo really wanted to do more, but I didn't want to be too overzealous after being sick and food poisoning. Stayed light again. Once I'm over being sick, game on... I hope.

[takniteasy]

Originally Posted by Pixie

Just going to start with here, since that's when I really started back after our trip to APF Seniors in Omaha.

06.20.08

Treadmill
8 minutes, 3.2 speed, 1.0 incline

Prowler
2 trips
4 trips with 50#

Conventional deadlifts
90 1 x 8
155 1 x 5
185 1 x 5
205 5 x 5

Power runner
90 3 x 12 each leg

Abs on T-ball
1 x 100

Not a bad workout after such a long lay off-- travel and being sick for about 10 days and still recovering. I think I coughed up a lung but it felt good to get the juices flowing again. Just stayed light so I was able to walk the next day.

Stayed light, huh? I'm liking your light training. Very impressive.

Anyway, I'm in on your journey. I am interested in seeing how you work around your injuries.

[slimm26]

Another log! Awesome!!!

Being a PT you should know that you should heal first! Get better and then hit the gym hard. I know it's still hard for me. I can't do a lot of things and it gets frustrating, but it'll all come back in time. You can do it!!!

And being another 5'2 woman I totally sympathize with you. I haven't enjoyed the way my body since I was 22. I'm slowly getting it back, but i do my best to stay away from the scale! I have learned here it's better to view results by looking in the mirror than the scale!

I hope you're feeling better!

[Pixie]

Thanks, takniteasy. Well, it felt light... does that count?

Thanks, Slimm. I'm really bad about having patience to heal before getting back to things I enjoy. I'm totally a "do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do" PT... guess that makes me a little more understanding towards other athletes. And, yes, feeling a bit better, thank you. BTW... adorable puppy!!

[Ulter]

<< getting in on this log

[slimm26]

Originally Posted by Pixie

Thanks, takniteasy. Well, it felt light... does that count?

Thanks, Slimm. I'm really bad about having patience to heal before getting back to things I enjoy. I'm totally a "do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do" PT... guess that makes me a little more understanding towards other athletes. And, yes, feeling a bit better, thank you. BTW... adorable puppy!!

See...I hear what my PT says...I just don't listen...lol I have no patience either. When I have my mind set to do something I just have this MO to work through the pain and get it done...suffer later. I have this bad feeling I'm going to pay for it big time...my ortho wants to see me asap...lol

Thank you...the hubby and I love our cane corsos!

[Pixie]

Originally Posted by slimm26

See...I hear what my PT says...I just don't listen...lol I have no patience either. When I have my mind set to do something I just have this MO to work through the pain and get it done...suffer later. I have this bad feeling I'm going to pay for it big time...my ortho wants to see me asap...lol

Thank you...the hubby and I love our cane corsos!

Yeah, it's not the best way to handle coming back from an injury. I tend to test things way before I should. But, hey, that's how doctors learned that you didn't have to be in a brace for a year after ACL repair. Skiers would tear their ACL at the beginning of ski season, get it repaired and want to get one more run in before the season was over. Definitely before the year time frame that orthos were using before they were discharged. And, look at it now... I worked for a doc that had his ACL repairs walking within hours of their repair and back to their sport before they were even close to the 6 month post-surgery mark. Who knows, maybe we'll provide orthos with a new way of thinking about something else... shoulders maybe?

Of course, you shouldn't work through pain... discomfort, sure. But pain is a signal that damage is being done, so pain = bad. (<--- usually what I tell my self-aware athletes, giving them the "warning" before they try anything. Can't give them my blessing to do things because I want to still have a job and have patients referred to me, but I can't totally tell them "don't do it" when I don't follow that rule myself)

[Beverly McD.]

I laughed at the 5'2" when "I stand really, really, really tall". I'm thinking you meant on your tip-toes????

Just stick with it, that truly is the key. The PRs don't matter, the weight doesn't matter, it's the work that matters when it comes to improving the health and beauty of your body.

[Pixie]

Thanks, Beverly. You're right. I like to track PR's only because it shows me some kind of progress, but I find that it's more important to feel good about the workout. Plus, I tend to hold a lot back each workout. I'm pretty sure I usually have an easy 20-30 pounds more in me on just about every exercise that I near-max on. I would much rather end on good notes, not failures though.

LOL... No, I don't exactly have to be on my tip-toes for that. Close though. Maybe I'd be 5'3" if I wore my pointe shoes from my dancing days.

[slimm26]

Originally Posted by Pixie

Yeah, it's not the best way to handle coming back from an injury. I tend to test things way before I should. But, hey, that's how doctors learned that you didn't have to be in a brace for a year after ACL repair. Skiers would tear their ACL at the beginning of ski season, get it repaired and want to get one more run in before the season was over. Definitely before the year time frame that orthos were using before they were discharged. And, look at it now... I worked for a doc that had his ACL repairs walking within hours of their repair and back to their sport before they were even close to the 6 month post-surgery mark. Who knows, maybe we'll provide orthos with a new way of thinking about something else... shoulders maybe?

Of course, you shouldn't work through pain... discomfort, sure. But pain is a signal that damage is being done, so pain = bad. (<--- usually what I tell my self-aware athletes, giving them the "warning" before they try anything. Can't give them my blessing to do things because I want to still have a job and have patients referred to me, but I can't totally tell them "don't do it" when I don't follow that rule myself)

I think my knee is so screwed up because I had such a big misalignment in my knee...when he released it and put it in it's right space it left a huge space on the side of my knee. I think my knee keeps dislocating to it's old spot. BLAH!!! lol I just keep working through it though. I push myself to the limit, but know when to quit. I can't even go near the weights I want to. I'm upset that I can't get my squats yet...I can't even go halfway down without my knee giving out.

Shoulders are the worse. Hubby had shoulder surgery last year and it was painful for him...he still pushed himself to the limit...went to workout too soon, but he's doing well. He's got all of his strength back...still has a little pain, but he's feeling good. I say his recovery time was about a month. With all of the surgeries he has had he's a orthos and PT's dream come true!! lol

See...I see pain as weakness leaving the body...lol I'm sure it's something I really shouldn't live by, but it works for me! lol I think we're going to start setting recovery records with or stubborn ways...lol

[T-Cake]

I'm in!

[Tweak]

5'2 and 205 deadlifts??

IN!