LESSONS I'VE LEARNT PART 2

PART 2: TRAINING

Lesson 1: Early morning runs ROCK.

From day 1 of training for this comp my main form of cardio has been running and I prefer to do it first thing in the morning. What an exhilarating feeling it is to get home by 6am with the run finished, the feel-good hormones racing and a readiness to embrace the day.

I also proved that good habits established early are easily maintained. When I was running through summer and then autumn I used to worry about how I’d cope through winter when it was cold and maybe wet. Well I coped just fine. Yes I added some extra layers and gloves and I just kept going. In fact I rarely (if ever) missed a cardio session because “I didn’t feel like it”. Of that I’m very proud.

I also learnt that if you want to seriously burn fat and slim your legs down then sprinting was the best thing for me. Very hard to do at first but well worth persisting with.

Lesson 2: Weighted lunges NEVER get easier.

I have a real love/hate relationship with lunges. I love what they do for my legs but I hate picking up those 15 kg+ dumbbells every week to make the lunges effective. At one stage Josh had me trying to lunge with 17.5 kgs+ which was just a nightmare. I told him I wouldn’t have good symmetry with my knuckles dragging on the floor LOL. So its been 15kgs and every week they felt just as hard as the week before.

In this last week leading up to the comp my weights have been lightened up to compensate for the stricter diet. I lunged with 10kgs and it was still really hard.

Lesson 3: There is enormous strength within you. You just need to know how to tap into it.

I did all my weight training alone and most of it at home without a spotter. I quickly learnt to listen to my body and know just how far I could safely push to my limit without risking injury to myself. There were times when despite my head being 100% convinced that I’d lift a weight, I couldn’t do it. There were other times when I was so tired and flat that I had no confidence in my ability to lift. Then whammo, from somewhere this surge of energy would come and I’d make the required reps at the required weight.

Like cardio, knowing you’ve completed a really demanding weights session is just the most uplifting feeling.

TRIVIA: My favourite exercises are barbell upright rows and plie squats. My most hated are rear delt raises and barbell bicep curls.

ODDS AND ENDS

This last week is really tough. I’m hungry a lot and there are virtually no carbs now. I’m freezing cold and its very cold and blustery here again. I’m really tired from lack of sleep and just trying to train with so little fuel in the tank……but after today there are only 2 more days to get through. I will do it. I will make it. I have no doubts about that. Cant wait to slap on the dream tan, slip into my bikini and relish my time on stage.

Cheers all

Magda