By Rhiannon Reynolds

“A great building will never stand if you neglect the small bricks.”
― Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

Usually when I write a blog later in the week, I feel guilty for creating this weird void until it’s finally published. But I’m actually happy that I didn’t write it until now: I had an unexpected rush of inspiration. Sitting in the office chair as we speak, my body is the most sore it has been all year. I love it – to me, this is pure bliss. Waiting anxiously to work out during my deload, the animal inside was clawing and biting to get back to the bar. It’s a good sore – no joint aches, no unnecessary pain. The pain I’m experiencing is the type that you know will turn into pure strength and progress.

I always program to attack weakness. This cycle I am focusing a lot on strength, while still slowly building up my lifts from lighter percentages. I continued to include one max out day. My main weaknesses are back strength and foot placement while pulling myself under the bar. I’ve been working a lot on the foot positioning portion, but it still needs more work. Having a stronger back will help me maintain my position over the bar during the pull. Being stronger in general can’t hurt, either. After I wrote it all out and discussed it with my coach, that’s all I could think about until it started. I was also super excited about my Tuesday upper body day, which I dropped 4 weeks out from Nationals to add in a very light technique/accessory lifting day. Monday went very well, and I felt strong. It was Tuesday, in particular, that has me still smiling.

I managed to get a group of 3 other girls to lift with me: three coworkers. One of the girls happened to be just starting this week, and she inquired about working out to get stronger. None of these girls train the same way that I happen to train, but I respect their style and am always happy to train with other females. What I programmed for my Tuesdays is familiar to all three girls, so we had some common ground. It was great – I again realized my happiness as I watched all three push themselves to their limit. I loved every second of watching them realize that they had done a weight they never imagined doing; watching them smile, knowing now they are capable of so much more. Witnessing this made me work so much harder because it gave me that nice sense of purpose. They were pushing themselves because of me, and I was pushing myself because of them. We made our own positive training environment and let nothing get in the way.

The session looked like this.  Simple but effective:

SMR/Mobility/Movement: We rolled a bit and then opened up our T-Spine and Shoulders.  We did some band pull aparts and overhead reaches and got right to work.  No long ridiculous warm up, but we made sure our bodies were prepared to lift.

Vertical Push/Pull: Strict Press/Strict Chinup: 5×10

Horizontal Push/Pull: Bench Press/Pronated Bent Over Row: 5×10

Metcon/Core: Medicine Ball Throw Circuit(Slam/Hip Throw/Twist Throw):3×10

I’ve been on a high since Tuesday and I don’t want to come down. I asked all three ladies to join me every week for our upper body date. I’m excited – we are all starting our own adventures, but helping each other along the way. For those of you who train alone…try to find a training partner(s) that works for you. Support and a little friendly competition will help you get that extra rep that you may not get on your own. Thanks for reading. I think it’s about time for an Epsom salt bath…