​A nice little "accessories" workout to finish 2016. I'm gonna get me some pretty shoulders. :)

As I was putting the workout in Liftium (app) I got a nice little smile from myself on Decembers consistency. When asked (usually the question is "Do you go to the gym every day?"), I tell people I hit the gym 6 days a week.

And looking at December... seems about right or at least close. But wait! I did 21 of 31 days. That's 67% (I'll spare you the decimals but rest assured I checked). If you pace that against a 7 day week...it's NOT EVEN 5 a week.

I'm not complaining. It's just a little reminder to at least sometimes consider quantifying from fact vs feeling. If you are going to believe a number.....get it from somewhere.

See last post.  Repeat.  Crapped out on 205# deadlift making this officially NOT better than anything I have ever done before.   

Ruminated a bit.  It's weird, because I have spent quite a bit of the last few months wanting to try for best single... to see what was really possible (vs theorhitcally RPE Xreps blah blah blah) and looking forward to test week.  And now that it's here I hatee that it guarantees failure. That's the whole point, after all. 

And I am not that good at dealing, it turns out.  I am not entirely sure if I'd feel the same if I squeezed out more, or it's just hitting a limit that's a bummer.  ie:

1. Do I feel bad because I didn't gain enough to feel good? 
   
2. Or do I feel bad because i just don't like going over the limit-cliff no matter what the number is? 
   

Now I have a new reason to want to hit good numbers on the real testing day tomorrow.  I want a good.... everything. Something worth celebrating.  And then to see how I feel.   Just so I know which of the 2 above it is .  Oh, who am I kidding?  I just want better numbers.  Period.  It's not a social experiment. It's not noble.  Just gimme a fucking material PR already!!!

So-so feels at the gym today. I thought we were testing, but we are still working up. Kept missing on depth on the squats. Despite being heavy, it felt good. Just not deep enough.

And failed out at bench. But it was at 115# so I suppose as we get closer to the top, I'm more likely to crap out. I'll try to remember how I felt HERE, and that this is my week of putting it all out it there.

I know this is a fitness diary/blog... but in my defense, I refer to the picture.     I wrote that in a little notebook given to me by Killian.    Another place for thoughts;  and this was the very first thought I wrote.  "Fit for what?" 

I went on to write a number of things I wanted to be "fit for".    And looking at them... they aren't about lifting, or the gym; they are about LIFE.  The word enthusiasm came up alot. 

And I really feel great, and the Mavens are a part of that LIFE, of that enthusiasm. 

So cheers to the Mavens;  Debbie, Jessica and Natalie.  Thank you for your contributions to my life, my health, my happiness. 

6:30 AM seems to come SO early.    I am sure I don't have full energy on the Monday and Wednesday training sessions at this time.   And then I feel extreme pressure to get to work and get cracking (as it's tight to even make to the office by 8:30 those days... so rather late...).     

And yet, I end up with such a GREAT DAY after.  I think it's a mix of physical (endorphines, etc) and mental (something I love, something for ME)... and totally amazing to have a day full of momentum.

I sound like a fanatic.   

Was at a conference this week.   It was a beautiful venue and really also put me into the Christmas spirit. 

There was a bit of over indulgence, ... I will spare you the details, but I have had my fill of sushi for a while.  A long while.  Like... forever.   And also, not enough sleep.  So too much of one thing, and not enough of another.  Just for the record, it does NOT balance out (plus/minus). 

But I still felt pretty good in the gym today.   We didn't do anything overly difficult, but it was not super light either (a single 150# squat followed by some doubles @ 140# , as well as some paused benching at 95# and 100#).

I have a vacation day tomorrow, so can take a little extra rest in the AM (sleep in til 7 AM!), and don't train until 11 AM.   It's Deadlifts, so will be a bit tiring, and I am out with the Mavens tomorrow night, but at least I won't start at a deficit.  And there's always the weekend for a little nap.  :)

In July I had my first Powerlifting meet: and had a 90Kg Deadlift, which was by far a personal best.  198#, plus a bit.  And since then, I've been sticking with the programming, and have not been up to even 185# (my previous gym PR) until just a few weeks ago.    It felt good to hit that 185#, but it was not exactly *new*. 

Today I pulled 200#.   And I am thrilled about it.  Its only marginally more than my previous best, and that took 5 months to gain.  And I am not known for my patience.  There is just something magic about this sport.

I have my whole life to create progress.  Bees make only 45 grams (based on my calculations and some wiki-work) in their life.      A lifes work, and it's over in a slice of bread.  But they make alot of other things too, while they make that honey.   Honey is just the most apparent evidence: The in-your-face proof. 

 1.6# is my 45bee-grams.  And I'll take every sweet drop. 

I pulled a belt out of the drawer today because it's cold... and I am back into pants.   And lo and behold - look at the number of holes I have shrunk!  I guess I need a new belt!