Bring the Pain!

Jan 2012

I'm standing in front of the gym mirror, my back and shoulders are throbbing from the workout I just put them through.  The burn is so intense that all I can do is stand still for a few minutes until it subsides.  It's a familiar pain that I've missed and all I can think is that "I'm back!"

That's right, the old me is coming back!  The girl that thrives on muscles burning and sweat dripping down my face is finally starting to feel like herself again- and it feels great! 

Back & shoulders:

• 3 sets: neutral grip pull ups, 10 reps each (unassisted)
• 3 sets: wide pull downs super set with heavy shoulder press (6-8 reps)
• 3 sets: incline dumbbell rows (8 reps) super set with incline 1 arm lateral raises and 2 arm lateral burnouts with static holds (shoulder height hold until failure)
• 3 sets: bent over barbell rows (8 reps) super set with pec dec rear delt drop sets
• "Cardio finisher": 3 sets: renegade rows (10 ea side) super set with military press (20 reps)

That's the type of workout I would normally put myself through and not having been able to do that for the past few months really put me into a serious funk.  I've spent the last few months "working on me" and doing that has been a huge challenge.  As a personal trainer and competition coach, I spend my days motivating clients and helping them push past those barriers that are holding them back from getting to their goals.  Having been so tired and sluggish for so long has made my job difficult to do.  How do you motivate someone when you aren't motivated yourself?

I've had to go against what seems burned into my brain and just listen to my body.  If you've ever had a weight loss goal or ever been on a challenging journey, then you understand how hard it can be to tone down the ignorant voices in your head.  There's a super fine line between over training and doing just enough.  I've probably been over training for years now, but I never chose to listen to what my body was telling me.  Instead of letting myself rest and recover, I pushed through the pain, the zomie-like symptoms, and ignored the irritability I was constantly showing to my family.  Finally ending up with Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome gave me the wake up call I really needed.


Feb 2013

I must say that taking some time off to heal my body and toning down my workouts for that relatively short amount of time has made all the difference in my recovery process.   I am now looking forward taking 2013 off of competing and really focusing on our clients' success.  For so many years I've been consumed with my own fitness journey.  I knew that I was neglecting my husband and step-kids, but I was somehow able to push my feelings of guilt to the side.  Admitting that I was selfish and self-absorbed is hard, but necessary for me to become a better wife and mom.  The stage will still be there in 2014 and I intend to rock it...but turning the spotlight off of me and onto some of our clients may be just what the doctor ordered!  The best is yet to come!