These suckers are fun dynamic way to work your core. I say suckers because they are tough but highly effective. I use 15 lb plates on a 35 lb barbell for a total of 65 lbs. You want just enough weight so that when you press it up it takes some shoulder stability to hang onto.
How to do it:
Starting on your back with the barbell rolled over you at hip level, raise the barbell with your hips creating a bridge. Then press bar straight above you at eye level with elbows locked out and shoulders squeezed together.
Lift head, neck and shoulders slightly to engage upper abdominals
Straighten and tighten your legs together, point your toes and start at the left end of the barbell.
Using control on the way down bring your feet to lightly tap the ground and lift your legs up to meet the right side of the barbell. HINT: You are making an imaginary V with your straight legs.
Starting at the left, tapping down, and bring feet up right then re-trace your pattern until you are all the way back left again– This is one repetition
Notes:
The barbell demands more stability because the weights are on either side, however you can do this same controlled movement holding your baby or puppy straight up in the air as well. Just make sure you swing the legs wide enough on either end.
You can see it on the faces of women at your gym: Mentally and physically exhausted but slogging through a workout at half speed and intensity. Perhaps you’ve been there too. Maybe it was the only way to have some release from the stresses of life but what if you or someone you know is pushing themselves into the red zone weekly or even daily?
It’s taken me a long time to adopt the idea of exercise as being good to my body and not punishing it because I see it as heavy, ugly or it makes me you uncomfortable. A big part of honoring your body and all wonderful ways it performs is to not skimp on the rest it needs.
I like weight lifting but since it is not a restorative sport I need my rest. When I started training in power lifting I still wanted to CrossFit 5 days a week like I had been. I learned after just one day of CrossFit and no rest day in between I was operating on 75% of the strength I could recruit from a well-rested body. The percentage would decline from there for each day I over trained and got frustrated as to why I wasn’t making bigger gains.
Rest Does a Body Good
It has taken me 30 years to start prioritizing my rest as much as my exercise and tuning into my body. When I start to feel mentally and physically drained I am always on the brink of crying as I feel overly sensitive. I used to show up for class, my coach would correct my form and I’d almost burst into tears I felt so judged. I finally realized this feeling means I’m in the red zone. Now when I’m at my office job feeling tired I picture my coach critiquing my form and imagine myself at the gym. Do I want to start crying or am I cool with the feedback? I know it sounds silly but it totally is how I can assess if I really need a rest day or two or sometimes three.
Action Steps:
1) Start listening to your body. If you’re feeling drained, overly tight, irritable or emotionally just not like yourself take a day off and do something good for your soul: Comfort tea, reading, going to dinner with a friend are a few things I like.
2) A rest day doesn’t mean you must be inactive, it means you are taking a full day off your sport. So if you’re a runner you are not running on your rest day. If I’ve been lifting heavy during my training an active rest day looks like swimming, walking or jogging the beach, mobilizing or yoga.
3) You’ll be amazed at the increase in your performance when you return from a day or two off. Sometimes extra sleep, hydration with light mobility or flexibility is what your body is calling for. You just have to honor it.
If I truly care about a goal, it’s a scary thing because I feel vulnerable. I am mentally, physically, and emotionally invested. The goal feels overwhelming and out of reach but once I start taking the baby steps towards it it becomes something I can actually see achieving. In the beginning, I never think I can achieve a big goal. I get overwhelmed and usually don’t go forward out of fear. Where do I start? How do I get there? What if I can’t?
Here’s how I’ve learned to start:
I manifest the goal by visualizing myself achieving it. Whether that’s during shavasana on my yoga mat or random daydreaming at work. I find great power in visualization whether it’s dropping underneath a heavy barbell and catching it in the bottom of a squat or if I have to give a presentation at work.
I find sources of inspiration to stay motivated to keep going. It used to be pictures of super fit women but it was a fleeting temporary motivation. Now I like music, art and even a good quote within access on my phone. Inspiration is motivating, negative self-talk is not. I’m not going to set an alarm that says, “Get up, go hard and get ripped.” Seeing it first thing would make me want to sleep in. I do set alarms that say things like, “Make today great,” “No matter what you are loved,” “No matter what, you are worthwhile.” I wake up and feel good reading them. It sets a positive mindset and I feel like I’m ready to take on the day and do some good throughout.
I stay patient with my progress (no matter how little) and work to block out negative self talk. I appreciate the beauty of training for something that comes down to a single movement or moment. I find that the pressure helps me rise to the occasion.
I wanted to share the video of me missing the 295 lb deadlift on Friday. The last time we tested, I hit 290 lbs but had struggled for it every inch of the way and nearly came close to hitching it up my thighs (a no no in competition). Missing 5 lbs more than my last 1 rep max really made me question if I had what it took to try for 300 lbs.
You can see my face when I gave up mentally. I didn’t think I could fight for it so I didn’t fight for it. After, I was left resting with my thoughts and questioning myself entirely. It is in these moments that an immense amount of mental toughness forms and grit comes into play. All I thought to myself was, “How does my body feel? Do I have enough energy to go again?” The answer, was YES, so I did.
Cue crying like a baby when I hit my goal of 300 pounds. It never seems real even when it’s within 10 lbs in this case until it actually happens. I was overcome with a moment of shock, a floodgate of emotion, and a moment of gratitude. One would think I won an olympic gold medal. And those who wouldn’t understand may think, “What’s with the drama?” That’s the beauty of achieving a personal goal. Only you know the magnitude of the accomplishment because only you remember when you thought it was impossible, when you didn’t want to put in the work but did anyway, when you wondered when it would be your moment.
Action Steps:
1) Set a goal that scares you. One that you really think is too far out of reach.
2) Begin to manifest your goal. Visualize the moment or time frame of achievement. What does your life look like in that context? Visualize the first couple of steps towards your goal. What structures or support do you need to stay consistent?
3) Be kind to yourself (your body, mind, and spirit). Remember that motivation ebbs and flows and so does progress. This doesn’t mean you won’t get there.
4) Put yourself in situations that require you to rise to the occasion more than you normally would. A situation where you are slightly uncomfortable and have to push yourself a little further. Start to build your true grit. Build your mental endurance up for the moment you are required to achieve your goal so that on game day, you’ll be ready.
I spend four days a week lifting heavy. So when I get a day off from lifting, I like to do body weight movements, core, and running work. This movement is one of my favorites! It requires stabilization as well as control of movement. It is a bit more advanced so if you’ve been doing a lot of sit ups and planks this is a nice next step up in difficulty. Burn baby, burn!
Action Steps:
1) Take your time on these. Check in with yourself to see if you feel your core, glutes, arms and thighs engaged.
2) Try to keep the wrists as straight as you can.
3) Set the shoulders so they don’t get pulled out of joint. Imagine you are pinching a pencil vertically between your shoulder blades setting them up, back and down.
4) Try and keep hips parallel to the floor. Hips open!
