2012 National Championships

Six months of training, seven competitions, hundreds of hours of sweat, pain, and tears and it has finally boiled down to this moment. This one opportunity for all the best weightlifters in America to gather under one roof to dominate one platform to prove who is the best lifter in the Nation.

There is nothing left to do now except wait. The taper bug is gone, I've settled into my light week of training and I'm ready to walk up on that stage with strong legs and an open heart. I'm telling myself my body feels great, refreshed, rejuvenated, ready for war.

My blood is pumping still from a wonderful week and I'm packing it in my carry-on to Ohio! I take with me the thought of winning. I take the heart of a champion. I take the confidence from all my friends, family, and followers of knowing I can do it, even when that last minute doubt starts to roll in. I take with me the fight and fearlessness of Donny Shankle. I take with me a smile of happy, happy thoughts.

With all this you can consider me dangerous. Locked and loaded and ready for all that comes my way. I am a CalStrength Soldier, no longer a rookie. I have a bronze medal from American Opens after 3 months of training and it was like the first taste of blood to the wolf. I want more. I'll always want more. And until I'm broken down beyond repair I'll fight harder, train longer, never complain, and wear a dangerous smile on my face with my eyes on one prize: to become the BEST. I am the underdog, I am the one with absolutely the least amount of training. I am 6 months; they are 6 years. I am dressed for sucess in new CalStrength swag and I have nothing to lose. I am Wonder Woman and I am ready.

See you Sunday.....

Rolling with the Punches

It's amazing how unplanned life is at any given moment. You may think you know what's going on or that you have your life's blueprints in hand, step by step; the crazy thing is what happens when you're not looking, when you're not planning on it. Weightlifting, for example, is something I never planned on happening in my life. I was very set and happy with my CrossFit training when weightlifting was introduced to me. I didn't know what was behind that door that day, and I didn't know what it had in store for me. Six months have passed now and I can't say that I would take any of it back. I am so happy with my training and enjoying every minute of it. It has introduced me to many new friends across the country and the world. People who unite under one common interest and compete to take it all home. It has introduced me to the greatest of teammates, a wonderful coach, and a whole new love for competing again.

Don't stress in life when you feel like it's not going your way. Focus on the controllables, focus on what you can make a difference on. When life throws you a curve ball, set back, wait on it, and drive it into right field. Don't hold back in life. Don't regret. You never know what would happen if you had to go back in time and do it all over again. Catch what life throws at you and run with it. It's the unexpected of life's surprises that most times end up the best. Set your goals high and do what it takes to get there, enjoying every road bump, obstacle, wonderful delight that comes along with it. Don't be afraid to swim out past the safety nets and take a risk from time to time. You never know when that next big risk just might just be your next big adventure.

"For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something else. It is about your outlook towards life."

Broadcasting Live Today at CalStrength

California Strength will be streaming live today as we prepare for Nationals. Click HERE to be apart of the fun.....sign in and chat to the right of the stream and give me a shout out!! See you there!

2:00 pm Pacific Time!

"Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live."

-Joe Montana

God's Thumbnail

For the first time in a long time I sat outside this evening and just stared in to the night sky. The moon was particularly beautiful tonight and from where I was sitting it was surrounded by a beautiful frame of tree branches with another bright star caught in there as well. It was a moment to clear my head, to take a break from my ongoing busy day, yet staring at something seemingly so simple and beautiful caused a rush of different thoughts and emotions to burst in to my head.

It made me think of my Grandpa Hewkin and how he always called these crescent type moons "God's thumbnail". It made me think of all our happy times together, even when most of the time he just liked to pick and aggravate for fun to watch us get so wound up. It made me think of collecting peacock feathers out of his yard and sticking them in our hair as we play Indians and dance around the house.

It made me think of my dad, and all the nights we spent out on our huge sundeck staring at stars through the telescope, about finding the different constellations, about knowing how to read the stars if you were ever lost out in the wilderness someday. It made me think of fall time back home in Missouri, with a cool breeze just right for the sweatshirt and tights I was wearing. It made me think of bonfires and family, rain on a tin roof. It made me think of all the friends I still have back there.

It made me think... "I need to do this more often."

There's never enough time in the day and if you're not careful you will let all life's finer moments pass you up. Take a minute every once in a while to slow things down and enjoy a little break. Life is hectic, weightlifting is hectic, work is hectic, and when all that comes crashing down on you sometimes all you need is a little fresh air and second to rest your head. I have a huge week ahead of me this week and this picturesque moment of good memories, great air, and the best of company couldn't have came at a more perfect time.

Life happens quick, one minute we are in our youth and the next we have children of our own. Keep your challenges and goals in life coming but don't be afraid to hit the pause button every once in awhile. Take a second to kick back for a deep breath of fresh air. It's refueling to the body, the soul, and the mind. It's a potion for new PRs! It's sometimes just what you need. I know I did.....Nationals, I'll see you in ONE WEEK!

I HATE YOU LESS!!

As I have been doing my practices lately I have come to the conclusion that I just don't enjoy clean and jerks as much as I do the snatch. The funny thing is is when I started 6 months ago I loved cleans. I actually looked forward to the "WODs" that had them in it in CrossFit just because I knew I did them so well. Thing is I never jerked after the clean in CrossFit, or at least split jerked. Maybe I should go back and clarify....I hate the JERK! I am almost certain, and have said this in practice many of times, I would rather snatch 85 for a double than clean & jerk it once! I also make jokes that I will hit my first 200kg total with a 100kg snatch, 100kg clean & jerk....sometimes it really seems I'm not joking!

Here's the thing. I love to snatch. I rip through them in practice and even when it's a crumby day where I don't hit PRs or maybe fall short of hitting a regular number I still enjoy them. I dread the clean & jerk! I slow my pace in practice hoping to just make large enough jumps that the missed work will still somehow find its way above my head. I don't do this on purpose, I just dread them so much they mentally hurt! And like I said in my last blog post, the mind is a crazy, crazy thing. When mentally you're not ready for something how can your body ever be prepared for it.

So with all that being said here is my pledge to myself, my mind, and the people out there wishing me well......I am going to just start hating them less! That's got to be the answer right? I'm not saying I'm going to love them, I just don't want to hate them anymore. I will embrace the jerk, think nice thoughts about him, invite him in with locked out arms! Maybe eventually we will learn to work together in rhythm as one? I don't want to fight with him anymore. My body is so tired after practice that mentally I can't stand the thought of dreading to finish.

Quiet the demons in my head, don't answer them. You will get through this Lindsay. Bring on 100, bring on 105, and if you're ready attempt 110! Don't fear it, don't hate it, don't push it aside and take the shorter road! You can do this, just hate it less! Walk up to the bar thinking you'll give it your best shot instead of thinking "ah, this is going to suck," Surely enough of this attitude and perception of the lift will eventually just make practices run smoother and eventually end up being more gratifying me for me in the end.

If there's anything out there that's bothering you right now whether it be jerks, today's open WOD of freakinggggg burpees, form/ technique, or even your in laws....join me in just HATING IT LESS! Maybe it will work, maybe not...but in the long run I bet we save more brain cells by doing so and increase our overall enjoyment of life!

 What is it that you are going to "Hate Less"?

This is me clean and jerking 97kg. (213lb.) then lowering it down for a second jerk.

You may say that I'm a dreamer

What is it that is taking place during that moment that you're not talking but not really thinking about anything either? The moment where you're just kinda zoned out in space but still tense, clinching your teeth together. The one where someone asks, "What are you thinking about?" because you obviously look so focused and then you snap out of your piercing stare to curiously wonder what it even was yourself ? Is there a moment the mind ever turns off? A moment of pure rest? A standby mode where everything can just turn into a blinking blue light and take a break?

For me I wonder what goes on during those moments of blank stares. Sometimes I think there is just too much happening in my head to rationalize just one thought, or even keep up with it for that matter. I am constantly dreaming. Going over numbers and scenarios in my head. Visualizations that make me smile out of the blue even when no one's watching. I sit in front of a loaded bar listening to the beat of music in my own head, closing my eyes and attempting lift after lift in perfect rhythm and form, envisualizing perfection.

Such grace and beauty, the mind. It is a powerful thing. It is hub that everything must first begin. It is sometimes what makes or misses a lift before you even attempt it. For that matter, it is sometimes what causes you to ever walk that plank of even pursuing anything that might be categorized as impossible or unreachable in the first place. "You're dreaming," they say. Well I don't know about you but dreams are what keep me alive. They are my daily challenge to do something great.

My friend, Clint McPeek, said to me the other day, "When you stop dreaming is when they say you truly go insane". Eyes closed or eyes open, I think he's right. If you stop believing in yourself, stop challenging your own body, stop dreaming of the fight then who are you? What, during that time, defines who you are and where you want to be tomorrow? Dreams are merely aspirations that are just enough out of reach that you have to do something a little miraculous to achieve them, you have to do something big....something wonder woman.

Start first with yourself. Get right in your own head. Believe 100% that you are the best and you were brought here for this reason. If you dont believe in yourself, than who will? That bar is not your enemy. Neither is that tentative start total list, that crowd favorite, or that damn jerk....but rather your own mind. They've infiltrated home territory, they've got in to your head. Don't let them steal your dreams. Not first without a fight. Stand strong, walk proud, and never give in. Close your eyes and see it all over again, clearer and clearer, louder and louder each time and before you know it, when your eyes open, there you will be awake, alive, heart pounding in your own dream ready to take on the World....with eyes wide open!

A tribute to my teammate, Donny Shankle

Go Be Unforgettable
    by Lindsay Taylor

Day by day, rep by rep
You work to get stronger.

Slaving in hours
Like a forsaken monger.

Pushing and Pulling
On bars so fast

All the while
Still collecting your cash.

Show these young pups
You're not planning to stop

As you lower their PR's
Down from the top.

Deep breath and one more drive
 Explosive through the heels 

There goes another jerk
It's almost like sex appeal.

Hard Work and Determination,
Your other middle names

Never giving up,
Pushing hard through the game

You are King of this jungle,
The Shankle Almighty

Your rule of the World
Will be precise and timely....

Now tighten your Pendlays,

Kiss your Grandpa's chain

Today your goin' on like a gangsta'

Gonna make red kilos rain!

You've done it before,

A million times in your head.

Now open your eyes

And slam down your heal tread.

"You'll already be remembered,"

I've said it before.....

"Now go be unforgettable"

As you walk proud across that floor.

Dear Readers,
Seems like this is the year of the Shankle. People from all around the world, whether they know him or not have started to come together to do what it takes to get this man to the top. He is a leader. He has proven to be able to do things that until now have never been believed could be done. I just wanted to take this time to not only cheer my teammate on as he pushes forward in pursuing his hopes and dreams of this year's Olympics, but also take a minute to thank everyone else who has helped him along the way. Everything you do, big or small, verbally or monitarily has helped him better himself and his lifts and I see it everyday first hand. I know he would be in aggreance when I say Thank You is never enough. Now, let's start a Shankledemic and all join in to wish him well. You can never have too much good health, strength, or confidence in life. Comment below if there is something you'd like to say to Donny Shankle or find him personally on his blog and drop him a line. And again, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for all your love and support.

xoxoxox,
Lindsay Taylor
   Wonder Woman!

US Cryotherapy....who said it's not cold in California

Today my teammate Tom Sroka and I got the special opportunity to visit USCryotherapy in Roseville, CA. We have both been dealing with some issues as far as aches and pains go and even just overall recovery lately and really need to "nip this in the bud" before Nationals. The good thing about hurting while you're under the care of Glenn Pendlay is.....he takes care of you....and QUICK.

Tom and I, unknown to what we were getting ourselves into assumed for the worst. We packed for Anartica and even planned our coffee stop for as soon as we were done. All we knew going in to it was this room was -200 degrees farenheit.....yes that is a NEGATIVE sign, not a typepo, and that we were signing up to step in. We kept our peptalks short before our pluge and knew that we were going into it together and no matter what we were coming out together!

Prep:

Short shorts....Tom wore chonies

Sports Bra......Tom oppted not to wear one of these

Long Socks (90's style with the scrunch)

Slippers (The world is always better with a slip on comfort foot warmer)

Two sweat bands to cover the ears....NOT FOR SWEAT

Sars Mask......hopefully NOT for Sars

and MITTONS....big enough for wiggle room

Now, I can't speak for Tom on this but I know personally I have grown to appreciate ice baths. Obviously not for the enjoyment of the cold but rather for the benefits they give and I swear they make me more energetic....however, appreciating something is not loving them, in fact I still dread every ice bath I take. The moment right before we walked into this chamber of hell froze over that sense of dread started to take over. Moment I knew it was going to be better was when Aaron (awesome cryo staff man) says....."anyone have any music they want me to put on, you can dance in there!" YES......this is about to be a good time! We strapped in some top seceret CalStrength black market PR music, closed our eyes, took a deep breath, and made our first step into the fray! Three and a half minutes went surprisingly fast probably because of our awesome dance moves. As soon as we steped out and started our "warming up" cardio I instantly, and I litterally mean INSTANTLY felt better! After the chamber we both did a localized treatment, went and ate, and then repeated the process. As far as I can tell I feel great. My elbows, which have been my problem area for awhile now feel great as of this second and I just finished my training for the night. I still feel energized and overall mobility feels really good. If I were to judge this theraputic modality of recovery I would without a doubt give it two thumbs up! I love it! I am already planning my next trip and I am yelling it to the world....well all of you, my readers at least. If you're anywhere close to this area you should check this place out! I promise the staff is great, they will take extra special care of you, and you will feel better once you're done! I know I do!!

USCryotherapy

Faster Recovery-Better Health

 

Cold air therapy is being widely used in Europe, Russia, and other parts of the world in peak performance training, recovery from sports related injury, and general wellness. the US Cryotherapy products, the most revolutionary advancements in cold therapy technology, generate extremely cold air up to 4 times colder than standard ice packs or baths, without lowering the body's core temperature. Treatment exposure last for up to 3 minutes (walking in our four person chamber)

Benefits:

-Faster Muscle Recovery

-Effective Pain Management

-Feel More Energetic

-Enhanced Well-Being

-Improve Sleep Pattern

-Promote Healthy Complexion

For more information check out their website at www.uscryotherapy.com

And if you go, tell them this really cool weightlifter chick named Lindsay sent you!!

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
-Thomas Edison

A Weightlifter's Love Letter....

Dear Love,
When I see you my heart starts to race. My head instantly goes places of a brighter future together. One where we can dance off into the distance happy of all we've achieved. Pitter patter, pitter patter my heart hits hard against my chest. Sometimes I'm not sure if it's a good thing or if its a heartattack about to happen but it warms me. You give me butterflies everytime I put my hands on you, just like the very first time we met in that dark forbidden corner. Every day is a new day, and I have to win you over time and time again. Sometimes you play so hard to get, forcing me to my toes but deep down inside I know I have to try to stay back. Your heavy weight is sometimes such a burden, but it draws me back always begging for more.  You leave me happy yet always unsasified. Always wondering what's next for us, what bigger plans you have in store for our lives together. I lay in bed at night still thinking about you, about our next time together, whether it will be joyous or a fight. And yet I long for our fights. They make me stronger, they make my heart want more, and they make my legs fall out from underneath me. Still I come back. Give me more. Bring on the fight, bring on the challenge, bring on the pain. I'm in this till the end. Nothing you do to me is going to push me away, and no matter what I'll still fall in love with you over and over again. It's a journey, and no body said it was going to be easy. Push me and I'll pull you. Work with me and together we can be the best. Let no compromise be made, there is one goal in our relationship and once we get there we can smile together looking off into the distance over a nice glass of wine. Our future is bright, it is promising, it is our destiny together. You are strong and together we are unstoppable. Thank you for being a part of my life, for reheating my blood, for giving me back my drive and ambition. I was so lost without you and for that I am eternally grateful. Let us grow old together and always remember how far we've come. Now that I have you I couldn't imagine life without you.

Oh, bar, I will see you tonight where we will dance once again.

xoxo

   -Your Wonder Woman

I am the wrecker of steal...

“Why am I not in bed, like everyone else, dead to the world? Why do I do this, live with the constant pain, the suffering, the sacrifice? Why? Because I can. Because pain tells me I’m awake. Reminds me I’m alive. Who am I? I am the wrecker of steel. I am the crusher of mediocrity. I am the face of destiny. I am Animal...”

Broadcasting Live Today at CalStrength

Well guys it's Friday, and if you follow Cal Strength weightlifting at all you'll know that today is MONEY DAY! If you would like to partake in this event you can log on by clicking this LINK at 2:00pm Pacific Time. Also, sign on to the side and chat with Coach Pendlay! Give a shout out to me if you want!! wink wink! hope to see you all there!

Some days it just "Is what it is"

I hate those days you wake up and your hair won't do what it's supposed to do, like it has a mind of your own. Or the ones where you try on 15 different outfits and still can't come up with something that looks just right. Or even the ones where you start your day an hour early to run your errands and still manage to hit 1.5 hour stand still traffic. It's like it's destin to happen from time to time, kinda like that song I used to listen to when I was a kid, "Ironic," by Atlanis Morissette. Those days are going to come. Those days are going to test you.

Days like these in the weightlifting world will test you more than anyother. They are the days that warm up weights feel heavy. When you can't for some reason hit the bar in the right place on your hips.....or even hit your hips at all for that matter. They are the days that you catch everything forward but still somehow manage to fall backwards to your platform. These days test your character, they test your heart, they test your champion bloodflow. These are the days that make you stronger than ever both mentally and physically. These are the days that make good days SO worth the pain. 

These days downright suck, but somehow you manage to make it through. And the best part is.......after you pull that bar for the last time in that aweful practice, hit a weight that is still 20 kilos lower than your best but manage to make it look  pretty good compared to all the rest, you somehow find a smile. It's a smile that first starts in your belly, warming you up from the inside knowing that somehow you're going to live to see another day. It takes a warming sensation into your arms and legs letting them know that you're thankful for them sticking in it with you, and now they can rest.....knowing hopefully we won't have another one like that for a little while. Finally, your smile makes it up to your face.....radiating out with more glow than just any other normal day smile because damn it that sucked, and it's over, and you're somehow better than you were before it started even if it doesn't feel like it. It's a smile that you earned! 

It's a love, hate relationship on days like this......or maybe you just hate to love them? I don't know, but what I do know is this.......Champions fall from time to time, cowboys get bucked off their horse, Donald Trump has hit rock bottom, and being a true champion results in what you do when you're down there. What you do before the win, what you do when you're hurt, what you do when you're not ranked #1 and you so badly want to be. Champions are a breed so different from all the others. Sleep is different, work is different, training is different, and love is different. Be a champion, make life hurt, and get the hell up when you fall. You will survive this terrible day and tomorrow will be brighter because of it. Take these days to get strong because these are the ones where everyone else quits. I won't quit. Never. It's not in my blood. I will welcome these days and then hit them in the butt with the door when they leave. Come join me in being a champion.   

California Strength Olympic Weightlifting Seminar

Whether you're interested in starting Olympic weightlifting or if you just want to better your form to hit higher PR's then you should check out this weekend's seminar at California Strength. It will be taught by the entire Elite Cal Strength Team including Donny Shankle, Jon North, Spencer Moorman, Rob Blackwell, Kevin Cornell, Jessica North, and Lindsay Taylor.

Click HERE to sign up now.
Spots are limited and time is running out.

 When: Sunday, February 12th
            10:00am-4:00pm

Where: California Strength Gym
              2021 Omega Rd. Suite 120,
              San Ramon, CA 94583

The Importance of starting kids young

Is your baby walking yet? Get a bar in his hands! No, I'm just kidding, kind of...but in all seriousness, it is so benofficial to start children young in some sort of programming. I'm not saying call Glenn Pendlay up and schedule a session tomorrow for your 3 year old but getting him or her into a gymnastics class or even some sort of kids sports program to teach body awareness is spectacular. If you work on engraining proper technique even in just the squat movements your child will remember these movements as he or she gets older, even if there's a long period of time that they don't use it. "It's like riding a bike," is the perfect coined phrase. This is what is referred to as muscle memory.

In addition to laying a good foundation for a more fundamentally sound child in regards to sports, weightlifting, etc.; you are also doing your child a huge favor by getting him or her off the couch and moving. Living in such a fast paced world it is easy to get caught up in the quick and easy. Going through a drive through to order $1.00 cheeseburgers is one, cheaper than fixing a dinner at home and two, convenient and easy. More and more kids, and even people in general are suffering from obesity problems. In most circumstances these are probably the kids camped out on a bean bag playing video games and eating Cheetos on the prettiest summer day. Start your kids young on making proper eating habits as well. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't let "kids be kids," but a candy bar as a treat or reward is much different than allowing your kid to have one in substitution to breakfast. Pay attention to snacking habits and grazing times. Help your child make good decisions and talk to them about the consequences the bad ones have.

You are responsible for your child's health, don't let them get started off on the wrong foot just because it's easier for you. Set good habits now because bad ones will only start to form in the future. Get them in some sort of program and get them on the right track for eating. Even if it's not fun right now, they will thank you in the future.

Competition Time!

Today we will be competiting at Catalyst Athletic's "Last Chance Qualifier" in Sunnyvale, CA. For anyone close by who would like to come watch Donny Shankle, Jon North, Kevin Cornell, Tom Sroka, and myself lift today earliest session starts at 12:00pm. We will be a little later in the day though. Best of luck to everyone else competing, especially those looking for those last couple kilos for Nationals!

"Pathetic attitudes are not in keeping with greatness"
-Friedrich Nietzsche

My mom is a follower of my page, now I have to behave...

It's funny how all my life my mom has always said, "Sorry Honey, you got your mom's big butt and big legs, it runs in our family you know." In the dressing rooms she'd always rant off with, "You know, we are just big boned!" Summer time on the beach when every skinny girl in a bikini walked by she'd say, "We sure didn't get those long, lean legs." All my life it seems she's always been so apologetic of what she thought she gave me. Like she always felt she genetically let me down or chromosonially crashed during takeoff. I never got it? Either way, she always felt the need to let me know she was sorry for her uncontrolable link in our "misfortunes".

This past December, my mom drove all the way to Alabama from Missouri, ALONE, in the rain, all night, up hill both ways barefoot, just to watch me lift for the first time ever at American Opens. She tagged along with Coach the whole time making sure she knew everything there was to know about weightlifting in that short weekend. She asked every question in the book, questioned every answer, and then at times still didn't get it. She followed me back into the warm up area, carefully stalking my competition worse than I was I think. She was paparazzi like I was Paris Hilton. All the things I've done in my life and she was just as excited for me that day as if it was a first tee ball game where half the kids on the team still run to third after they hit the ball. She was proud and I was happy to make her that way.

As time came closer to me lifting she, being great mother she is, sensed that nerves were starting to set in. I wasn't sure what was about to happen on that stage. I'd watched person after person go up and miss lifts....suddenly my openers felt too high. My legs felt too weak. My head felt a blur. She might not have known all the rules and regulations of weightlifting, she might not have understood attempts and openers, but she did understand me. Before I walked up on the stage at my first national event ever she hugged me, kissed me on the forehead, and said, "Just do what everybody here already knows you can do, don't think about it, and have fun. No matter what happens, I will always be proud of you." And I did just that.

After walking off that stage for the last time that weekend wearing a medal around my neck I hugged my mom. She immediately hugged back and then slapped my butt with one of those after football games in the locker room victory guy on guy kind of butt slaps and said with a smile...."Your mama gave ya that BUTT!" and for the first time ever I saw a little pep in her step, a little more "yeah baby" in her smile, and lot more swing in that tail feather. I think she was proud knowing and finally understanding that without her I would never be the person I am today, butt and all. My Mama is my best friend, my role model, and my biggest fan. There has never been a day in my life that I have been ashamed of anything she's ever given me both inside and out. She has taught me to be a great person and by learning from her I've become a terrific mother. She has taught me how to love, laugh, and live life to the fullest.

I know I tell you all the time but it's never enough, Mom, I love you, I miss you, and I thank you for everything! You are beautiful inside and out and the most amazing woman I've ever met! Oh, and I'll see you in March at Nationals!! Xoxoxoxo Linds

For you Lori and anyone else who's curious....

Here is a typical week of my training regimen:

Monday: training at CrossFit CenCal (Stockton)
45 min snatch practice
30 min clean & jerk
Squat

Tuesday: training at Cal Strength (San Ramon)
2:00pm 1.5-2hr snatch practice
6:30pm 1.5 hr clean & jerk practice

Wednesday: training at Cal Strength (San Ramon)
9:00am 1.5-2hr Snatch
2:00 (LIVE ON USTREAM) 1.5 hour clean & jerk
Squat

Thursday: training at CrossFit CenCal (Stockton)
(Lighter day)
30 min snatch
30 min clean & jerk

Friday: Money Day at Cal Strength (San Ramon)
9:00 1 hr snatch, 45 min clean & jerk
2:00 (LIVE ON USTREAM) Team Competition
No given times, just work up for max lifts

Saturday: training at CrossFit CenCal or visit Midtown Strength
45 min snatch
30 min clean & jerk
Squat


Typical Snatch Practice:
Warm up with the bar
High hangs (working on speed) with 35kg. Usually a few sets of about 4-5
High hangs with 45kg, a couple sets of about 3
Snatch doubles (1 from the floor, 1 from the low hang)
Double at 50kg
Double at 55kg
Double at 60kg
Double at 65kg
Double at 70kg
Double at 75kg
Double at 80kg
Try for a PR double (currently 82kg., set today)
(usually 3 attempts for a PR, then back down for speed)
Double 55kg-70kg
Single up to a PR (currently 86kg)

*somedays we add variation such as deficet boards (1-2), low blocks, high blocks, pauses, and complexes

Typical Clean & Jerk Practice:
Warm up with the bar (a lot!) rusty elbows
-clean, power jerk, lower, split jerk, lower, split jerk
45kg (2sets)
65kg (2sets)
-clean, power jerk, lower, split jerk
75kg
80kg
85kg
90kg
95kg
PR (currently 95kg w/power, split-97kg w/split, split)
-single clean & split jerk
100kg
PR (currently 102kg)
-Clean
PR (currently 103kg/108kg from low blocks)
Doubles: clean & jerk, clean & jerk
75kg
80kg
85kg

*somedays we add variation such as hangs, low blocks, high blocks, jerks from blocks, and complexes)

If you'd like to know these numbers in pounds simply multiply everything by 2.2
PR Snatch: 86kg/189.2 lbs
PR Clean & Jerk: 102kg/ 224.4 lbs
PR Clean: 108kg/ 237.6 lbs

You can do it!

How many times have you heard women say they don't want to lift weights because they don't want to get big and bulky like a man? Or, even better, women, how many times have you SAID that you don't want to lift weights because you don't want to get big and bulky like a man? This misconception is so overplayed. Ladies, weights are good, they are our friend....They are not going to make you any bigger or bulkier than you are now, IF you don't want them to. Bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, lifting in general, CrossFit, these are all different types of lifting. They have different rep schemes, different weight percentages, different diet approaches, and different drugs....yes I said it, different drugs. If you walk up behind what looks like a man, sounds like a man, walks a little like a man in the grocery store but to your confusion he's wearing a skirt with painted toenails and is a WOMAN then this is probably NOT natural. Unless you're taking mass amounts of testosterone and your second home is a gym this will NOT happen to you! You are not going to get "huge" just by picking up a bar even for an hour everyday and squatting, snatching, or even benching. Yes, you will put on some muscle but I ASSure you it will be in the places you want it and I guarantee you will hear ABSolutely no complaints on how it will start to make your body look and feel.

Here are a few more misconceptions that a lot of women have...."Should I do more cardio and lose fat before I start lifting?" Ummmmm, if you want?? But to answer your underlying question, NO. Fat DOES NOT turn in to muscle, and guess what that muscle will never turn back in to fat. These are two different cell types, they can not metamorphasize into something they are not. When you start to see muscle definition forming what's happening is you are actually losing fat and the muscle, whether you're gaining it or not, is starting to show.

Another fun fact, the more muscle mass you have on your body, the more calories you body needs to run, thus burning calories quicker. To lose one pound of fat you need to somehow set the deficet between the two by 3500 calories. Whether you're taking in that much less calories in your diet or your burning that much more in your workout, either way you're going to see a change in fat loss. Notice I say fat and not body weight. Everybody knows, or at least has been told once in their life that muscle weighs more than fat. If you start a weightlifting program and see no change in the scale or maybe even at first a slight jump, but you're down a pant size, this is normal. You didn't put that weight on over night and it's sure as heck not going to come off over night. Pay attention to how your body feels, how your clothes fit, and how much more energy and motivation you have after starting a program. With the right diet, program, and dedication the weight will come off. Don't get discouraged.

But in order to even get this far you first have to start! Ladies, stop with the excuses. You don't have to go heavy, you don't have to compete, you don't even have to go everyday. Just go in with goals of what you're after and have fun. If you're in the Stockton area check out CrossFit CenCal or if you're closer to the Bay  look up California Strength. The trainers at each of these gyms know their stuff and will help guide you in the right direction, and who knows maybe you'll bump into a few weightlifter bloggers while you're at it! 

Feel free to comment below if you'd like any other information on training, whether it be questions you have in general or you would just like to know more about these two gyms. Best of luck with whatever you do and I hope this is the year you make a difference to your body!