12WBT L&S has taken my mind & body places I did not know I wanted to go!

My Strength Session doing 1-RM Tests

Cutting to the chase straight up here and then I will back track & give some context & pics!

OMFG how super human do I feel?   I have gone from having to learn how to do a deadlift, barbell squat and bench press with a BROOMSTICK to doing some big lifts! 11 weeks of Lean & Strong 12WBT training has taken my mind and body to places I did not even know I wanted to go, let alone dreamt were possible!!  The facebook post from my trainer, Mason, sums it up:

1-RM TEST RESULTS: 100kg deadlift. 70kg barbell squat. 50kg bench press.

I am playing catch up to learn what 1-RM tests are about but apparently that is a great balance – deadlifts should be the highest weight you can lift, bench press your lowest and squat somewhere in the middle.

After, Mason explained that those are really huge lifts for a woman. I am his first female client to do 100kg deadlift and he thought possibly ditto for the squat and benchpress.  That really surprised me!

I’ve had to sit back a bit and digest this… I have been bursting with pride but at the same time kinda going did I really do that?  I DID!! I will be doing it again… I know that for sure!

Funk-a-noooolo. *happy face*

So… the back story and some pictures…..

Thursday was a rather eventful day. Unexpectedly eventful. I *thought* I was doing a fairly routine PT session after I tackled my #CrackofArse cardio session at the gym. However, I am learning that I may *think* I know stuff….. but really, I know very little!  I arrived at my PT session pumped to do the usual things but got hit with a surprise. Mason is getting a reputation for springing things on me….the session started with “I have a surprise for you….a 1-RM test”.   Wide-eyed I replied with “OK gooooood…. What’s that?”  (Meanwhile on the inside going EEEEKKK! And wishing I had not just belted out a 5km PB on the treadmill…)

I got a quick 101 about 1-RM tests and then we got into it. No time to think – Mase knows me well! At Mase’s suggestion, I came home to read more about it. Here’s what I have learnt:

1-RM Test = One-Repetition Max Test

What: A measure of the maximal weight a person can lift with one repetition.

Why: To measure maximum strength of various muscles / muscle groups

How:  An achievable weight is selected and lifted. After a rest, a heavier weight is attempted and this is repeated until you reach a weight that you can only complete one full & correct lift of.

When:  Apparently when your PT says “I have a surprise for you….a 1-RM test”. I thought I was going to try some heavier weights tomorrow and ‘1-RM’ was not a term I was familiar with!

At first I thought “What’s the point of a 1-RM test? I just want to smash up a session & build some muscle!” but now I get it. You can gauge your progress, see how much stronger you have become and create a benchmark that you can test again later. Fantastic!

Like I said, I started with a broomstick and having no idea what a deadlift etc was.  I started back in March with the absolute basics having a session a week with Mason so I could learn. I was definitely not keen to hit the gym and do weights alone. In May this year (Wk 10, Round 1) I had progressed to lifting some good weights but found it incredibly hard and needed to focus heavily on technique.

I have discovered something wonderful during this round of 12WBT – I love lifting weights!  I know the science and evidence about how good it is for my body; for my bone density and muscle mass.  But it *feels* great… and being the somewhat prone-to-hedonism with the tendency for (over)indulging in all things that feel good Taurean that I am… well… if it feels good, I say DO IT.

DO IT LOTS. Just Freakin’ Do IT!!

With 12WBT, especially in this round of L&S, I have discovered things that are good for me that also FEEL good. The holy grail!

I will be doing this 1-RM test again!!  I have learnt that it’s important to reach this 1-RM weight without prior fatiguing of those muscles. On Thursday I rocked up to my PT session having just smashed out a 5km PB run on the treadmill, still with jelly legs.  Oops! (No, Mase didn’t know I was going to do that…)   And, as it was my first ever 1-RM session Mase pointed out that we started at relatively low weights, went up in 5kg increments and so I ended up doing quite a few reps before I hit my max.   For example, with the 100kg deadlift we started at 60kg because I can do 50 x 60kg deadlifts for my Spartan Challenges. We then went 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100. So 9 lifts before getting to max. I attempted 105kg and I think its not too far out of reach!! Next time – YES – there will be a next time, its already locked in – I will NOT smash out a 5km on the treadmill first and I will start with heavier weights closer to the 1-RM max from Thursday and go up in 10kg increments, at least initially. Might get down to 2.5kg increments at some point

I am really pumped to try this again. Next time with  the iPhone/camera fully charged so I can get some good pics or video… both were almost flat when I started this session, I was not prepared!  Who am I?!  Well I think that is a whole other post…….

Mish, you have a lot to answer for. I cannot wait to see my Dad’s face when I show him these photos. He was gobsmacked when I first said I was lifting any weights….  I was happy as a pig in poop while covered in sweat and chalk, quite the transformation from the I-hate-to-sweat-sitting-on-the-sidelines person that I was not that long ago. Less than a year ago!

Screw weight loss – I want to be able to bench press a bear! Xx Ange

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