Star struck... bench shirts... and giving back!

Powerlifters are awesome!!! (In case you missed the memo!)

Out of the millions of reasons that I enjoy powerlifting,

 this... 

THIS RIGHT HERE 

is what really defines the sport as AWESOME!!!

I just might have one of the most heart warming stories ever.   For me anyway...
Like seriously....
I might have cried.  Well - OK - I DID cry.  (shocking I know!)

~Shut the front door... Powerlifters don't cry!!~

Backstory:

So weeks ago, Brad and I had tossed around ideas about me getting a bench shirt.
(for non-powerlifting nerds, google "bench shirt". 

"A bench shirt is a stiff supportive shirt, used to improve performance in the bench press, most often in powerlifting competitions.")  
I've never used gear... of any kind... other than a bottom of the line hand me down squat suit in the gym for some overloading.  Never on bench.

But after some browsing around on several sites, Brad came across this BRIGHT PINK SUPER KATANA bench shirt!!!  Sooooo me!!!  Bad-ass and PINK!!!
For those that don't know - the Super Katana multi-ply shirt is a BEAST of a shirt and runs quite expensive.  Being that I have never benched in a shirt, it's not one I would run out and buy first thing.
BUT the one for sale on eBay was well under the face value of one of those shirts!

So I bid on it.

And won.

And after the auction I got an email from the seller.
(here's where the story gets good!)

The POWERLIFTING girl that emailed me has worn this shirt in competitions and has benched a max of 360!!  I was immediately kinda star struck.  And googled her of course.
Her name is Anastassia Tressler
(feel free to google her also!)
Anyway - she sent a very sweet email about the shirt to which I replied that I hoped it would fit and that I had never worn gear before and was so excited to try it out.  (I also confessed to YouTube stalking her!  ha)
*God bless the Internet*
Anyway....
She replied in another super sweet email and wished me luck on my bench.

Now THIS is where the story gets REAL good!

Today I came home from work to a package!  I was so excited to open it and try it on!

When I opened the package, I pulled out this cute little yellow envelope with my name on it.


An invoice? A card? A "nice doing business with you" note maybe/??
Then I pull out that beautiful BRIGHT pink shirt.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
But wait........
There was something else in the package.
I pull out yet ANOTHER bench shirt.  A black one.

Wait..... WHAT?!
I was confused.

So I opened that pretty yellow envelope.
It was a hand written thank you note from Ms. Anastassia.
But it wasn't just any thank you note.
I don't want to type it word for word because I don't want to take away the precious thought behind it OR impose on Ms. Tressler.
But I will give you the gist.

She said that she hopes I LOVE the shirt and that she has also included her VERY FIRST BENCH SHIRT!!  What?!!  It is a single-ply shirt which she advised me to start in before putting on that pretty pink beast!  She went on to say that she had been given so much as a powerlifter and now it's her turn!  *tear*  Seriously!!!!!!!
I mean are there ANY better people out there than powerlifters????

I don't know if you understand what I'm saying here......
Please allow me to re-cap!

I bought a VERY EXPENSIVE AWESOME multi-ply Super Katana bench shirt on eBay for much less than what it's worth.  It was worn by a chick who is a geared powerlifting bad-ass!  She sold it to me and then threw in another shirt, a single ply Katana to start out in.  Which is thoughtful in itself, being that THAT shirt is also a bad-ass shirt and still costs more than what I paid for the other shirt!  But please don't leave out the fact that this is HER OWN PERSONAL VERY FIRST BENCH SHIRT!!!!!!!  *tear*
And then there's the note.  The sweet inspiring motivating note...... telling me to keep in touch and she's expecting big numbers from me!

I'm in awe.
That is all.

Powerlifters are freaking BEASTS and freaking AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have some BIG numbers to live up to!
Can't WAIT to get in the gym tomorrow night........ for my "shoulders" night!  uh hemmm 
maybe not!  ;-)

*sidenote*  I hope she doesn't ask for said shirts back when she realizes what MY raw bench is now!!!  (eeeeek!)   I've got a long way to go and a lot of work to put in!!!!

SHEman?!! By the POWER of grayskull!

Thanks for the inspiration KK!  ;-)

What is your obsession?
your passion?
Where's your loyalty?
your commitment?

What's the freaking difference??

When is enough... enough?

I have had so many people tell me I'm crazy.  I've had people tell me I'm over the top.  I've had people tell me I'm extreme.  and... obsessed!  People laugh and make jokes about me flexin... (oh trust me.... when I CAN, and I WILL be able to.. impressively ... you can bet your BUTT that I will be!)
Anyway.... It's cool.
Maybe you DO think it's too much... maybe you DO think I'm gonna end up like the chick in that pic!!??
Maybe?
maybe you actually believe that!??

But you don't know.

You don't know that what I do is not an obsession... it IS however a PASSION.  It IS something you have to be committed to and LOYAL to!  It is something that requires giving up certain things.
And it is a game of being educated about what you do!!!

No one wakes up one morning and just walks into a gym and picks up 500 pound barbells off the ground. No one wakes up one morning and looks like the chick in that picture (or WANTS to!  :-p  ha ha)

what you DO wake up to is the DESIRE to be better.
The desire to win.
The desire to fight and not give up.
The desire to be stronger
The desire to be better today than you were yesterday.j
You wake up.... PASSIONATE!!!  (ok - maybe you don't actually WAKE UP that way...  well... I don't anyway - cause I don't wake up ANYTHING.... I barely wake up at all!)  ha ha
    but once I'm up for a bit.... LOOK OUT!
I'm all about some passion!  :))

When I started lifting, I had no idea what a "deadlift" even was....
And the only squatting I had ever done did not involve much weight - and if it did involve any weight, it sure wasn't sitting on my back trying to knock me over.  I threw my hands out in front of me to balance....
And you want me to hold WHAT... WHERE???
How am I supposed to hold a barbell on my back AND balance myself with my hands out in front??
And benching....... what a joke?  I had never been under a bench press EVER!!  I thought guys stood around in the gym comparing... ummmmm .... the size of their.... TRUCKS!!  or BENCH?!!  :)
So why would I.... a GIRL wanna bench press???

Oh how things change in a year....
And it's funny how passion grows where passion didn't exist before?
It's amazing the things that your body is capable of... and we sit around having NO IDEA!!!!

We were sitting at home (before gym time) last night watching Extreme Weight Loss.  I don't know how many of you have ever seen that or even care...... but it seriously blows my mind.
It blows my mind that we are literally capable of soooooo much more than we do!!
I watched a set of twins last night drop hundreds of pounds between the two of them.
I watched dedication and commitment and a DESIRE to better themselves!!
yes....... I used the word "better"
Maybe that is politically UNcorrect....
but facts are facts.  Let's face it.

At over 300 pounds... imagine what you are doing to your body every day.  You work every muscle so much harder.  Your organs have to work harder.  And your body will wear out.  Sooner than later.
So it's not so much about the vanity of it all.... but the passion to be a better YOU!!!
Why is that so hard for people to understand?

After watching this show, we headed off to the gym... fired up for bench night.
For those of you who have read anything I have written about working out - bench has been my nemesis.  I had tried and tried to break the 100 barrier forever it felt like.  Weeks ago I went to Berea to train with the infamous Brandon Lilly.  And I DID break that barrier.
But it was weeks ago..... months ago....
And I was kinda freaking out because I hadn't done it again since then.
Well last night - on rep night.... after set after set of reps - I shot for that 100 again.
AND I GOT IT!!!!!!
And you may be rolling your eyes right now... thinking who cares?  or you may be thinking 100 pounds... big whoop... that's nothing!!!
But you see.... I care and it IS a big deal to me.

It is living proof that I am better today than I was when I started in this sport.
It IS living proof that hard work and dedication DO pay off.
It IS living proof that I can keep getting better.
It is living proof that lifting heavy weights WON'T kill me or "break my back" or "make me old"...

It is PROOF that I TRAIN...... not just work out.

It is PROOF that I can ALWAYS be better!
So can you!!!!!

If you had told me at that meet I competed at less than 6 months ago that I could bench 105, that I could deadlift 230, or that I would ever EVER be able to squat a bar... much less 185 pounds, I most definitely would have thought you crazy!!!

So am I crazy?  Maybe, but that was there before powerlifting!
Am I obsessed?  Maybe... and maybe you should be too!
Am I committed?  YES - is that a crime?
Am I loyal?  YES.  You have to be

Am I EVER going to look like that SHEman in that picture??????
Thankfully no!
I can lift like a beast and still look like a lady!

Now what's YOUR excuse?

Here's my 100 bench....  I will do that and then some June 15th!

And just for fun... this is 95 pounds for 3.... watch that last one - I downshifted one time!  ha ha

~My weekend was PRICELESS~

Gas for miles traveled... $100

Alternator and various tools... $218
Snacks and Steak and Shake $35

Me and ALL the guys hitting PR's with Brandon Lilly.....

PRICELESS!!

Monday morning has rolled again once again... I know how everyone dreads them so please allow me to share my weekend with you...
please allow me to share my HIGH!!!!!

It's a BIT long winded - but stick with me..... a lot happened and the humor is well worth it!  HA!!
I thought I was going to DIE!!!
MULTIPLE times!!!

It was yet ANOTHER great adventure.... it's what I live for man!!

(and quite frankly the adrenaline from it is the only thing keeping me alive and awake today!!)

Background:   Remember my story a few weeks ago regarding my battery going dead... at a MAJOR intersection in town??  Well - it did.  Truck just died. Right there at the red light.  I was the first person at the light in the turning lane, imagine how happy everyone behind me was!!!  But alas... long story short - the problem was fixed, entailing a new battery and having my alternator checked FOUR times... at THREE different locations!!!!  I was told the alternator was good and I just needed a new battery.  DONE.  

Good to go.

Now - fast forward to yesterday.  

My battery light has been randomly shining that pretty little red color at me since then.  BUT - in my defense, I do think there is some sort of electrical short in my vehicle because it randomly blinks various lights anyway.  So I didn't put much stock into it.  Well - we had this trip to Berea planned already and Brad suggested we drive something else...... ya know, just in case.  

To be safe.

Me - however - I'm all.... oh I like to drive my own vehicle (I don't ride well with others... car sick!) And I'm all like.... it's fine I'm sure.  It's probably just randomly blinking!

I'm SURE we will be fine!!!!!

{{famous last words}}

So off we went yesterday - to have a day we had ALL been looking forward to soooooo much!!  We were off to Berea to train with Brandon Lilly.  You see.... we have been running "The Cube" training program for the past 10 weeks.  After 10 weeks, you do a "mock meet" and test your maxes for squat, bench AND deadlift.  Being that Brandon wrote this program, we were HONORED to be able to drive to Berea and spend the evening with him letting BRANDON HIMSELF judge our progress!!!

I mean - it doesn't GET much better than that..... although ... me... Ms."hates to be in front of crowds" was a freaking NERVOUS WRECK just pulling out of the driveway!!!  That's with 200 miles and approx 3 hours separating me and Lilly!!!

Nevertheless..... nerves aside.... we headed out.

About 50 miles into our trip........

GUESS WHAT HAPPENED!!!

yes yes yes.... I'm certain that you guessed.....

That pretty little RED battery light popped up on my dash.

No worries - I'm SURE it's just the electrical short... (at least that's how I tried to explain myself out of it!)

But... NO - the volts dropped on the battery gauge and I knew I was in trouble.

We journeyed on and just prayed... I could hit the gas and rev up the RPM's and the light would go off - but as soon as I let out of the gas... on came the light again.

Brad immediately knew my alternator had gone out.

Basically the only thing powering us was my poor little brand new battery.

But we pushed on - and thankfully - the ol' Trailblazer hung in there.

Once we got close to the training location - we pulled into an Advanced Auto and made the purchase.  A new alternator and tools to change it.  (thank goodness I was with FOUR GUYS!!)

And back on the road.  After all - we had weights to lift.

Once we arrived - the alternator was put on the back burner while everyone prepared to set PR's  in front of one of the biggest icons in powerlifting!!!  NO PRESSURE

I was a BALL OF NERVES!!!  ~that's putting it lightly~

Once we got going, and the adrenaline got rushing, and I stopped being STAR STRUCK... I could NOT have asked for a BETTER night OR a better training session!!

Here are my numbers

Squat - 185 (that's a 45 pound PR!)

Bench - 105 (that's a 10 pound PR and  HUGE mental block overcome!!)

Deadlift - 230 (that's a 5 pound PR - I attempted 245 and ALMOST had it... I gave up too soon!!)

So I totaled a 60 pound PR total!!!

I could NOT have been any happier!!
{{I have a blog to come with more details about the actual TRAINING and lifting!!  I have BIG NEWS!!}}

After all was said and done, we ALL hit PR's and all that HARD WORK on The Cube was evident and has clearly paid off!!

Then we packed up to head home... and we remembered... my poor truck sitting by the wayside.

~Let the adventure continue~

We were starving and decided to try to get to a restaurant and hopefully use the light in the parking lot to do our mechanic work.  So we set out..... in the night.... no idea where we are.   Brad searches for a nearby food joint as I navigate noticing the further we drive the lower my volts are getting and the less headlight I have to see!!  We are on a road in the middle of nowhere.  All I could picture was breaking down on the side of the road with NO lights and zombies stumbling up from behind the trees!  (I watch WAY too much TV!)   Or... for all you old folks out there...... it was like a scene from "Unsolved Mysteries".  Seriously... like we could have just disappeared!
Thankfully - we made up to the main road where our directions were telling us to get back on I-75.  Seriously.... with no battery?  On the INTERSTATE!??  As I'm freaking and Brad and I are trying to decide what to do......
ALL the gauges drop and power steering is GONE.  Headlights are out and we are DONE.  Somehow the engine is still going but just enough to get me to the side of the road close to the interstate ramp and just under a street lamp!

Here is where I am thankful for my boys!  They all hopped out and ripped that alternator right out and replaced it with the new one!  And remember we were all writhing in pain here having JUST lifted our guts out.  Plus we were lucky enough for it to be raining!!  (though it was just a drizzle and could have been WAY worse!)  But they were all so willing to jump in there and get me going again.  One more sign of what a great group of guys I work out with.  And please don't let me fail to mention that JOE DIRT stopped to check on us... from the junk yard!  He rolled up in his little 1987 truck with the whirly orange lights on top.  Don't worry - he's getting a light bar to replace those whirlies soon... probably from the junkyard.  He was full of helpful advice and tips - after all, "he doesn't work at the junk yard for nuthin!"  Bless his little heart for stopping though... he was a sweet little man and he didn't have to stop.  He was the epitome of country backwoods, but very sweet and thoughtful of him AND his belt buckle to make sure we were all ok.
And also - if anyone out there is looking for a job - they are looking for some diesel repairman at the junk yard he works at.  "Pays EIGHT BUCKS an hour!!"   Might wanna look into that!!
FUN TIMES!!
Wouldn't trade it for the world!!

Once we were back in business, we headed on to Steak and Shake to get our GRUB on and compare photos and videos from the awesome night we had just experienced.  Then we began heading back home around the midnight hour!!
I love that Monday is my early morning and at midnight I was approximately 3 hours away from home living on PURE ADRENALINE!!

Last night will BY FAR go down as one of my favorite nights ever!!
The Monday after... no so much!!  ha
Actually - it's really not THAT bad....

I think I'm still living off the high...

Until I get off work this afternoon and lay my head down on a pillow.
It's OVER.

Don't be afraid to be a LOSER.. and teach your kid to be one!

Why don't we teach our kids to lose?   to fail?  that life isn't fair?
I always worried when Z was growing up about how I was gonna pay the bills.  Don't we all!  But I didn't want HIM to worry; that's my job as the parent.... to worry.  So I tried to protect him from it.  And I would go without in order for him to have things so he didn't have to know how tough it was to make ends meet!
WHY?
for what?
Because - and I give you this - we ALL agree that we don't want our kids to worry about stuff like that.  We want them to enjoy their childhood.  To "have it better than we had it"
but WHY??

Now I'm not saying go tell your kids a sob story to make them feel bad about themselves... I'm just saying be honest.  Teach them to WORK for things (I need to practice this too!).  Teach them the value of work and money and having things.  Teach them things don't ALWAYS come easy!

Was your life REALLY that tough?
I mean - growing up - maybe you thought it was... but seriously - it WASN'T!
I was blessed... and very lucky!  Though I would have NEVER told you that growing up.
I know now.

I have two brothers, both of which are very athletic and always played sports growing up.
One brother was always on the "winning" teams;  and the other was always on the "losing" teams
The one that was always on a winning team, doesn't lose well  (hard to imagine I know)
The one who participated in "losing" more, had a tough time growing up and dealing with it (he's sensitive!)... he got his feelings hurt, he got down, he got frustrated...
But on the flip side - when he won - OH he was so happy.  He learned to APPRECIATE winning.  And with time, he learned how to lose and how to use that to DRIVE himself to be better.
He learned that sometimes you have to WORK for things... they don't always come easy!
My other brother always expects to win.  He HAS to win.... God love him we (me and my siblings) are ALL very competitive - but let him lose at a board game or cards or whatever we might be doing - he is NOT a good "loser"  ;-)  {Love ya CG}
That doesn't make him a bad person - it's just that life handed him a different hand.
You live what you learn!

As parents, often times we do this with our children.  Not just in sports but with everything they experience growing up.
They do something wrong - we make excuses for them.... because you don't want your kid to get in trouble for something.  We worry that it looks bad on us as parents... rather than worrying about what we are teaching our children.
They don't do good in a game, and we pat them on the back and tell them they are the BEST even if they messed up.
Now - don't get me wrong here.... don't jump ship thinking I'm a HORRIBLE person and a TERRIBLE mom...  Don't judge!
I'm all about positive reinforcement.  I'm all about boosting ego and making children feel good about themselves and building self esteem.
But there is a line.
If your kid doesn't practice for the big game, or recital, or play or whatever it may be that they are involved in - don't make excuses for them.  They didn't put in the work.   Tell them so.
Otherwise, it teaches them that they don't have to TRY
That everything should just come easy
It teaches them to belittle people who DO work hard... it teaches them to play VICTIM!
It's NOT OK to NOT be prepared.
Period.
"I love you and you're very talented, but you didn't earn first place today."
One thing that drives me CRAZY is trophies!
Since when does every team get a trophy?!!
Things (not just sports) are set up to be a competition... for a reason.
There is a winner, and welcome to reality - there ARE losers!!!
(Loser is NOT a curse word... it simply means someone did better than you... in other words - WORK HARDER!)

It's preparation for life!

When you got your job - did you INTERVIEW for it?  Did others interview for it?
Someone WINS (gets the job) and someone LOSES (doesn't get the job)
Shouldn't we PREPARE our children for this?

There aren't consolation prizes in life!

Shouldn't we prepare them to lose?  So they know what to DO with that loss??

{{step down off of soap box}}

I know I got off on a bit of a rant there... but the whole sense of "entitlement" that children present themselves with these days is out of control.
Kids that sit on the couch and demand snacks to be delivered to them... kids that demand the newest video game that's out.... kids that REQUIRE the newest and best car at 16!

Is life really THAT easy?
Should we prepare them to believe that it is.

Life isn't fair
and you DO have to WORK for things you WANT in life.

Teach your kids that it's OK to LOSE.
And then teach them what to DO with that loss...
teach them to use that loss
to DRIVE them
to PUSH them harder...
to WORK harder....
to WANT more from life!!

Teach them to lose.   It's ok

I have recently started power lifting...
The only thing I wanted for my birthday (yesterday) was to be able to bench 100 pounds....
It's all I thought about yesterday.
I've trained
I mentally thought about it and did the lift it in my head all day
And I got to the gym last night.... and I made my attempt
and I FAILED.

I could let that crush my spirit and walk away defeated.  Frustrated.  MAD.
But I will instead (and have already) do some research... talk to people more experienced than me.... ask questions... figure out what else I can do to reach my goal.

I will use that FAILURE to catapult me to be even better.

It's ok to fail.... it's what you do with that failure that matters the MOST!

Here is my failure.   I shared it on a public forum to get advice and tips from those more experienced than me... and I have already, in less than 24 hours, taken this failure and turned it into a plan to BE BETTER.

BE a loser - and teach your kid to be one too!

To be a good loser, is to learn how to WIN.   

~Carl Sandburg~

Ooops... I did it again

 Well.... Here. We. Go.
It's official.
I'm signed up. Dues are paid.
It's for real.

My arm has been twisted (well.... not too hard) and I'm doing another powerlifting meet.
Less than a month from now
This is a real legit meet. With lots and lots of strong people (girls and boys!)
I may not come away with trophies this time, but its guaranteed that I will be focused more on being better then, than I am now!!!
And that's all that matters
It's not about being the best, it's about being better tomorrow than I am today.

When I started on this journey I had NO idea where the path would lead
I just wanted to get in better shape. And I wanted abs!!!
Brad says now that he wishes he had a video of me saying
" I don't wanna LIFT like you. I'm not trying to be a power lifter".
Yeh. I said that. And I meant every word of it..... I didn't!!

And those first few weeks that I lifted with him, I tried to stay secluded ... on my own. Away from everyone. I didn't wanna be included. I just wanted to do MY thing.
(I think I was trying to avoid "catching" what they had... I didn't know THEN - but I know NOW - it's a BUG.... the IRON BUG!!!!)
The first night we tried to squat, I couldn't even hold onto a bar to squat. I could barely squat my own weight!!! Deadlifts were a joke. I had no idea what I was doing. And my bench.... Well, it was just kinda sad :-((   That's the only way I can describe it.
Do you all even KNOW what a dead lift is?  Cause I didn't?  or what a REAL competition squat looks like with real weight??  Cause also... I did NOT.
(if you're interested... you can go to YouTube and search for Tammy Green.  I have a channel.  Where Brad has so kindly uploaded some of my videos.  A bench in competition.   My dead lift Personal Record last saturday.  AND my squatting plates video - THAT excites me!!!   Anyway - if you want to know what the crap I'm talking about... feel free to run over and find my channel on YouTube and watch some videos!  Try this link - I don't know if it will work or not? Tammy Green You Tube Channel )

Lets look at it like this....
Once I started lifting (HIS way.... NOT what I wanted to do... and I'm very hard headed.... I'm VERY hard to reason with....) my numbers were something like this....
Bench max... 70. 1 rep
Squat max... 35? That's just a small bar with no weights on it!!!
Deadlift... I don't even know? 135?
Totaling roughly 240??  ish??!!
((for the record - there are men that total like 2,000 for their numbers!!!  CRAZY!!!)

6 months later...
Here's how I look...

Bench max... 90. ( I can do 70 for about 13 reps now!)
Squat max... 135! (That's a big accomplishment for me seeing as I couldn't even squat ME the first night!)
Deadlift max... 220!!!
Rough total.... 440 POUNDS!!!!
I have added 200 pounds to my total in 6 months!!!!

Now granted, I'm just starting.... and only recently have I gotten bitten by the iron bug (thanks to Brad and his boys at the gym)
So my gains will probably slow down some over the next 6 months
but my DRIVE will NOT!!!

I'm very competitive....
and sweet little innocent "just trying to help you" boyfriend Brad KNOWS that about me....
and he had a PLAN all along.....
All he really had to do was get me to that first meet and show me on paper how far I've come and show me GIRLS that CAN lift big weight.
And it was over.
I was sold.
The competitive nature in me came out ROARING!!!!!!!!!!

"I'm an animal.... you're an animal.... rawwr rawwwr rawwwr rawwwwr rawwwwwr!!!"   DLB

So - on February 2nd, me and the BOYS will travel off to Manchester TN where I will compete with MYSELF more than anything to do better than I did at the last meet.
My goal for overall pounds is 450.   Which means I HAVE to hit ALL my maxes PLUS add 10 more pounds somewhere!!!
Trophy or no trophy..... I will come out on the other side just as competitive and a little bit better. 
Physically, mentally and emotionally!

I  can't   wait!!!
(shhhhhhh - don't let on that I'm so excited!)

I give.
I'm waving the white flag
Call me a power lifter. 

I {{HEART}} it!!!!!!!

Here. We. Goooooo......

I am doing something I swore I'd never do. It starts with putting myself out there!!!
It's not that I was looking or found a "new" me... It's more about discovering a piece of me that I never knew was there!!!
It's embracing another piece of me. Another strength.
It's work.
It's a hunger.
It's a desire.
Accepting the before.... while working towards the "after"

I am INSPIRED
and I want to INSPIRE.....

So......

I have officially been "heavy weight training" for about 5 months now.  I CAN tell a difference in my body.  Granted, it may not be exactly where I thought I would see the difference, but it's there!!!

My legs are firmer... my arms are tighter.... my butt...  well - it's THERE.  (I was lacking in that area before!)  ha ha

Some may see this as arrogance.... or some form of bragging or flaunting or how ever you might choose to twist and turn this...

But in my eyes... I'm PROUD
When I talk about it, it's not condemning you, but it's with passion. Passion for me. Pride!! :)

As women we look at ourselves every day and think "what we wish we could change"
We wish and hope and dream and pout and complain
but we NEVER do anything about it.
There's not enough time.
I don't have the energy.
I'm not strong enough...

Trust me. I've used them all!!!

But in the end, The hunger... The desire... The will to fight... The refusal to give up is what drives you!!!
You have to KNOW what you want and fight. Push. Never give up.

This is true not just in the gym, but in life!

I have set my mind to many things and pushed my way through...
It's always hard and some days hurt more than others.
But in the end, it's ALWAYS worth the fight and the strength you gain from it!!!

A little over a week ago, I did something I never thought I could do and SWORE I wouldn't. But I survived. And I came out stronger. With a new desire to take into 2013!!

So on this journey, my sweet B-rad (who's holding my hand along the way) has started me a YouTube channel... which I'm now going to share with you. (HUGE step for me... I'm not one for putting myself out there like this.... it makes me accountable!)  I will begin this at what I consider to be just the beginning for me...
I've come a long way to get to where I am today. But my first competition is my beginning. To a fun filled healthier stronger lifestyle that I plan to embrace every day

You are welcome to join me

I know I have limits, but I haven't found them yet ;-)
And when I do - I'm gonna push them as far as I can!!

Check out my competition on you tube. Here's the link to one video but you can see them all if you so choose!!  (search for BGPR Tammy Green)

PS - We ALL wore our pink socks to the competition that day..... Breast Cancer awareness socks!  :))

Dare to be Different.... my head is BROKE!!

Some time ago.... oh.... say about 6 months or so ago.... I took a couple of steps down a road that I had no idea would really change my life.   Not just on the outside... but on the inside too.
Several months ago, It began with simply watching better what I eat.  And although that part still waivers today (and I'm GONNA get more focused on that after the holidays), I also began lifting weights.
My main goal at that time...
one word....
ABS!
I have NEVER seen abs on this body.
Now granted - I was skinny as a RAIL (thus the nickname "toothpick") growing up...  but skinny AND built...  No.  Never.

So - at 36 I decided, what better time to try to get back into shape.

And so began the work outs.

Here's where I took a turn.

I began working out with my boyfriend.  (and all his GUY friends!!)  THEY are power lifters.  I cared NOTHING about "power lifting" you see.  I'm not trying to GET STRONG.....  duhhhhhhh - I just want abs.   I want to see ABS.  Period.  (I don't know if you have ever heard me say this or not - but trust me... over the years.... I have LEARNED that abs are built in the KITCHEN)   Regardless....  I only worked out to LOOK BETTER.  Period.   That is all I want from this torture!!!

((Sidenote - looks alone is NOT enough to motivate you to the level you need to be!  I know this now!!)

So I went.  I checked in when I was supposed to.   I went through the motions.  I hurt.  I whined.  Whatever.   but I was seeing NO physical change.  And I was frustrated.

And then...... I did the unthinkable.... something I would have NEVER dreamed I would do!!!
I agreed to be in a power lifting competition.  Mostly I did this as a "present" for my boyfriend for his birthday because he wanted me to do it so bad.
((Sidenote:  I HATE getting up in front of people!!  but I LOVE him....))

So last Saturday...  I showed up.  All scared to death and having no desire to be there for ME.

The event began with benching.  I'm not real happy with my bench.  It's nothing to brag about.  BUT I can bench more now than when I started.... sooooooo here we go.   There was only one other girl lifting bench.  She started higher than me...  I benched 75 for my first lift.  She did 85.  So I was suddenly feeling defeated.  BUT I was quickly reminded I'm not competing against anyone but myself.  This FIRST competition was simply to get me in the game and to beat ME.  For my second lift, I did 85.  She did 105.  And missed it.  So for my third I went up to 95 (more than I have ever benched... 90 is my max)   But I missed.  And she again missed her 105.
SO I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I won FIRST PLACE IN BENCH!!!!!!!  :)

Moving on to dead lifts (which is one of my favorite things to do - and is ironically my boyfriends best event too!!)
I opened with 165.  went to 180.  Then my final lift was 195 - A PERSONAL RECORD for me!!  Yay.
BUT two other girls lifted..and one (who weighed more than me) Opened with 300 POUNDS!!!!!!!!
I was in awe!!!
And when the trophies were awarded and I got THIRD place in dead lifts (even though I PR'ed for myself) I politely said "This sucks!" as I got up to get my third place ribbon.

And I guess I realized then...... (as my boyfriend secretly already knew) I was hooked
and did NOT want to be defeated again.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

So I entered the gym the next week with a new attitude and a new game face.  I was informed that I am now broke just like the guys.  Because NORMAL people don't TRY to pick up twice their body weight "for fun".  But that's what we TRAIN to do!!!  And then some!!!

SOOOOOOOO.....in the words of Dana Linn Bailey (who is my new role model!)
 I'm not here to be sexy, I'm here to be a bad A$$!!!  

I'm GONNA dead lift 300 pounds!!!!

Goals for 2013:  (set early)   Dead lift 250, bench 125.   Feasible??

WE.  WILL.  SEE!!!!!!!!!!

For my next competition, I will compete for ME.... and to WIN!!

Mission Impossible

Soooooo - I'm ONLY gonna share this story - because I love my readers and my crap has been WAY too serious lately - so let me just go ahead and throw myself under the bus for ya!

As you all know, I have changed my diet and I have made this big "bet" with my coach about getting visible abs.  So I'm all HARD CORE eating clean... eating healthy... counting calories, adding protein.... drinking water like it's my JOB!!!!
Because when I set my mind to something - it's ON like Donkey Kong YO!!

ALL.  OR.  NOTHING!!!

So tonight - was my first night back in the gym....
it's been.... ummmmmmm - since before I started Ultrasound school since I've really hit a gym hardcore with a goal in mind.

This is ALSO a different plan than I have ever been on before....
BUT I trust my coach, he has a plan.... and for ONCE in my life I'm trying REALLY REALLY hard to follow instructions and trust someone else!!!  (ya know - besides my ol' trusty Miss Independent... the one that does things MY way on MY time!)

Anyway - I trust in Coach B - so I'm ALL HARD CORE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS!!!!!!

So let's start here......
I walk into the gym today - to start LIFTING!!!!!   Not running on a treadmill or jumping rope or doing crunches.... or ya know - those "typical" lose weight exercises that I expect in a gym.
I was instructed that we would be doing:
Bench Presses (not on a machine.... on a bench... with correct form.  I even watched videos on correct form!),
Squats (no - not with some hand weights.... but with a bar - on my BACK.... PS - I hate squats),
and Chin Ups!  (ok - how many girls out there can do a chin up?  on your own?  REALLY??)

So going in - I'm not having alot of faith in ME.   But my coach does - so it's all good.

I trudged my way through the work out  (some things I'm proud of - and some I'm not....)
I'm gonna share my LEAST favorite part.

Anyone who knows me.... I'm a very strong willed hard headed chick.  When I put my mind to doing something it truly is do or die.  I don't like it ONE SINGLE BIT when I try to do something and I can't.
Insert SQUATS.   (did I mention I HATE squats)
But apparently THAT is the single solitary MOST important exercise in the gym...  apparently if you were told you could only do ONE exercise, that should be your exercise of choice.
I HATE THEM!
AND.......... as it turns out - I SUCK at them!!!!!!!
I don't know why.  I tried correct form... I listened, I followed directions.... blah blah blah.... whatever... but I can NOT put the bar behind my back and squat!
So my great little coach improvised and I did front squats.
(which apparently is the backwards way to go about things....... SHOCKER.... when have I ever done anything the right way?!!  LOL)

I somehow trudge through....  3 sets.   Pitiful, but squats nonetheless.

Have you all ever done a squat?
with or without weight in your hands?  on your shoulders?
Whatever....
have you ever done A SQUAT???

My.  Legs.  Equal.  JELLO!!!!!!!!!!!

But in true HARD CORE fashion - I told you I can't STAND it when there is something that I can't physically do.... so me and my hard head came home and watched a "correct squat" video.
And I decided to "practice" my form with a broom.
A BROOM people.....   one single solitary LIGHT ASS broom!

I put it on my back, as though I were holding a bar back there....... with absolutely NO WEIGHT on it.

And I squatted down.


AND I FELL!!!!!!!  

FLAT on my DERRIERE!!!!!!!!!!
Yep.
SURE did!!!!!!!!!!

Not because the broom weighed too much
and not because I lost my balance...
but for NO other reason than my legs are J.E.L.L.O!!!!!!

I could do NOTHING but sit in my bathroom floor in my house all alone in front of the mirror and just freaking laugh my butt off!!!!!!!!!!!

GOOD.NESS.

So now that I have COMPLETELY embarrassed myself for the evening, me and my jello legs are gonna try to take it easy tonight..... no more practicing with my broom.

My poor Coach B!!!  LOL
He must be so proud  ;-)

SERIOUSLY though...  I do have a GREAT coach and he was very supportive and PATIENT with me tonight .....
(I'm a COMPLETE whiny butt when I work out... I don't wanna quit - I just wanna cry about it... and you just have to tell me to shut up and do it...)

All in all - it was a GOOD first work out back in the gym - and I'm totally PUMPED for more!!
I may not have done a CORRECT squat tonight
and I might have just FALLEN flat on my BEHIND in my own bathroom floor....
BUT
I can tell you - that picture up there in my blog - of that chick doing the bench press....
BAD INCORRECT FORM!!!
I DO know that!!!!!!
And I did at LEAST have good form on the bench press!!!

Baby steps.......
Mission Impossible IS possible!!!
Just you wait and see!
(After I find my legs again!!)   :)