Stress, anxiety, guilt, or overwhelm can take over when your point buy system is out of line with your values. It is like dreaming to be the sneakiest, most cunning rogue, but you invest all your points in constitution. Constitution is essential, but unless becoming the party’s tank is a priority, it is best to allocate a majority of 27 points into dexterity so you can better identify and dodge dungeon traps and fleece some extra gold at the next tavern encounter.
Read MoreWhen I first started paying attention to my nutrition, I was frustrated with the stereotypical dad I received in response to my frustrations. “Take 1-hour on Sundays to prep two meals”, “Create a list ahead of time and shop for the full week”, “Log your food before you eat it.”
Certainly, I was special. My hangups and frustrations could not be this basic. I am too busy. They don’t understand.
Read MorePowerlifting is a strength sport started in backyard garages by blue collar outlaws. Think rusty barbells, clouds of chalk permeating the sweat-soaked air and people pushing themselves to their absolute limits to lift the heaviest squat, bench, and deadlift possible. My coach has a story about an “iron cowboy” that walked into his gym, pulled a 495 lb deadlift in jeans and cowboy boots without warming up, and--just as quickly as he came in--disappeared. That was years ago in the beginning of his powerlifting training. After all of that time, the spirit of powerlifting remains the same but the sport has grown exponentially in the last 6 years -- thanks in part to more and more women continuing to join the sport every year.
Read MorePowerlifting has taught me this: the reason I have been so dissatisfied with my life because I seek approval and validation from others rather than checking in with myself and understanding why I am here doing what I’m doing. So this is a post to remind myself of what powerlifting has taught me and why I am here.
Read MoreEach month, I will do an overview and highlights of my training log. This is an experiment based on a few questions I received on Instagram. If you have specific questions about April’s training, comment below, email me, or DM me on Instagram.
Read MoreMotivation is not a consistent resource available to draw upon. It is a mirage; a shiny thing that quickly loses luster once the novelty of your new exercise program wears off. We like starting new things because the possibilities are limitless. We don’t stick with things because it is hard to be new at something; to feel incompetent; to ask for help; to be vulnerable.
Read MoreI invite you to look at training as a spectrum rather than black and white. (I’d argue these skills could be applied to most things in life, but that is out of my scope.) Get above the trees and see the whole forest rather than getting lost in the details of each individual tree. It can take years to figure out the “Best way” to train. But once you find that, you’ll change. Take it bird by bird, session by session, and keep you future self in mind.
Read MoreThe main principle of building strength is progressive overload. This means simply increasing the number of reps you do, your time under load/tension, the weight on the bar, etc. That is it. Pushing yourself further than you did last week, last month, last year (on average, over time. There are absolutely times we need to rest… more on that in another post) is what makes you stronger. This is your guide to ditching the complex infographics and structuring your own workouts.
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