The Elite...

Yesterday marked day 2 of week 5 for D.F.C. and the session was body breaking! We have Friday, day 3 (the HEAVY day) left to complete and it's going to be even more crazy!!! Im looking forward to EVERY second of it! 

There is a lot to be said for those that show up day after day and time after time to be put through a physical wringer. The desire to achieve certain physical aspects, be it asthetics, strength, or both,  totally outweighs one's natural tendency to avoid pain. Yes, I know it seems crazy but let me tell you what's even crazier... NOT DOING IT! WE are addicted! Addicted to the progress, addicted to the challenge, addicted to the chemical release, addicted to the team interaction, addicted to the occasional fear, addicted to DOMS, addicted to the physical results, and addicted to the responses received by others when you show up and lift the hell out of some ishT! It truly IS a beautiful thing. But it's not at all for the faint at heart; which is most. 

We belong to an elite group. Most individuals that are into fitness or are frequent gym visitors will never do what we do; nor can they. Unfortunately, you are likely included in this group. Sorry, I'm not sorry and it's true. We go far beyond what the average person is even able to comprehend. And if you can't understand it, you can visualize it. If you can't visualize it then it's not possible. And if it's not possible, then you remain the average Joe Blow. I cannot be him. No one in the crew can be him (well Nate might if we allow him to, but that's not happening)! Lol!!! Gotta love Nate though! 

Back to being average... Not an option. I have absolutely NO desire to fit in! The further something is from the "norm" the more I desire it. Differentiation. Uniqueness. An anomaly. 

For those who desire to continue on their journey of averageness; have at it! In fact, WE need you! I mean, who else is going to provide the reminder of just how GREAT WE are! Thank you.

~me

The Pleasure Principle

There is much to be said about pain. Pain serves a multitude of purposes that most individuals do not even consider. It is within human nature to avoid pain at all costs and to seek only pleasure or things that feel good to us (Pleasure Principle), which is meant to keep us safe; because why would anyone want to experience pain?

Pain is meant to bring your attention to something. It is a signal that something might be wrong or something may be headed in that direction if not attended to. It also serves as a marker/reminder as to what NOT being in pain feels like. Which is where I am now.

I have had some IT band issues going on over the last week which has caused me some great discomfort/pain on both sides of my legs, my hips, and in turn my lower back. My training scheduled resumed yesterday and I was able to handle some moderately heavy weight and was afraid that I would irritate things more. However, I woke up this morning feeling like a gazillion bucks! No pain! Not even a little! 

Pain, AND a lack thereof, can indicate that your body is in the process of getting stronger AND when it has completed achieving that extra notch of strength. I think my notch just showed up, which is good because I have heavy ishT to move on Wednesday and Friday.


       

My point in talking about pain is to say that just because you may be in or have been experiencing pain, does not mean that you are suppose to quit. This can be applied to fitness or in other areas of life. If you think about it, you have survived ALL the pain that you have encountered on your journey. This pain has likely brought your focus to something that needed to be attended to. You likely had to make some critical decisions regarding what to do about the pain and if you didn't abandoned ship, you are probably a whole lot STRONGER than you were or ever thought you could be. 

So the word that was truly on my mind this morning is...STRENGTH = Stay Tough, Relentless, Engaged, Noble, Growing, Tenacious, and Honest 

You CAN'T lose! Now, go be GREAT! 

~me

Half-Way There...Week 5!

First of all; to those who celebrate the holiday, Happy Easter!!! To ALL, I wish you a beautiful Sunday filled with many blessings.



Week Five is here! Tomorrow begins a new week of new gains and I'm completely excited about it!!! This will be a week of personal record breakers if it goes the way I visualize it going. I will be in the city for each session with D.F.C. which means I WILL hit those numbers. I will also make every effort to get some really good footage as I am not the only one in the camp breaking personal records. It's really exciting to see and experience everyone's progress. We all take pleasure in seeing each other get better. Yes there is a lot of ishT talk, but it's all in fun. When one of us succeeds we all succeed. It truly is a BEAUTUFUL thing.

I've had a few days to rest up my legs and today they feel brand new! I saw my PCP on Friday morning because I was experiencing IT band discomfort that I could not alleviate with mysofacial release. He told me that I probably couldn't release the muscle due to the IT band being inflamed. Then he asked me, "what do you think I'm going to give you for that, take a guess." I responded "prednisone." I was correct. Whenever I have any type of issue be it sinus, muscle, headache, or whatever... He gives me prednisone. LOL! It does work!

Most don't know this, but in 2000 I received my Personal Training Certification but allowed it to lapse and therefore I am preparing to take the certification test again on April 6th. I've been studying for it off an on over the last few days but from today until April 6th, I will be making it a priority. This time around I am planning to put it to much greater use than before. :-) I will probably add a specialty or two as well but in due time. Right now, I just need to focus on passing the exam.

Yesterday, I was going to write about the day 3 experience I had in the gym without D.F.C. present. However, I have decided not to because it would be a negative rant, and I refuse to get lost in that. What I will say is this; there are individuals out there that want to take your shine and who will make attempts to destroy what you have earned, only because they didn't play a role in it or because they themselves are unable to achieve what you have or are capable of achieving. Whatever you do, DO NOT allow these types of individuals to impact your focus or drive. Take what they are giving and focus and drive even harder!  Now, here are the positives from yesterday's WORK!!!


My bench press is really improving. I was able to bench 140lbs 1-2 times each set. That may seem like nothing to most but it means a whole lot to me, as the bench has by far been my weakest link in the gym; but getting better. Anyways... for the last two weeks, D.F.C. has utilized day 3 as a hybrid day which has worked out great (due to my IT band messing up).  I think we are going to resume our regular program this upcoming week though, which I love due to the gains I am seeing. We have 4 more weeks of this program and I'm really excited to see how much each of us has improved.

Well, that's my time folks! I'm trying to brainstorm an idea that I think would be beneficial to not only my crew, but to anyone that has interests in sports and fitness. Again, I will keep you posted. Until next time, practice peace in all situations no matter what. This will place you in a unique position. A position in which others will look up to you. A position that will give you inner peace. The position of being on the best side there is; the side of RIGHT. Believe that.

~me

EFFICIENT? Me?

ef·fi·cient

əˈfiSHənt/

adjective

adjective: efficient

1. (especially of a system or machine) achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

For so many years I neglected to truly take care of my body which in turn left me tired, unmotivated, and full of excuses as to why I couldn't make health related changes. My schedule consisted of work, school, sleep, and a lot of junk. Not food! I didn't have a problem with regular old food. I had major issues with sugar. Sweets were my vice; especially chocolate. The more sweets I ate, the more I craved them. That how the mind and body works. Now, don't get me wrong, I would go through spurts of getting fit but would fall right back into the same old sugary pits of hell. When it came to chocolate I did not have a turn off switch. I would vacillate from being a junk food junkie to eating relatively healthy, to fasting for several days at a time. I think my extreme behavior is why I didn't weigh 500lbs.

Once I decided to make a change to living a more healthy lifestyle, chocolate was the very first thing to go. I immediately gave up chocolate and would not eat anything with chocolate in it. Every week I would stop eating something else. I believe I gave up all sweets next, then chips, then all fast food, and so on until I has eliminated all the things that would eventually kill me if I didn't let them go. It wasn't the first time I had attempted to make this change, however this time I was ready. I was ready to lose the weight for reasons related only to me. My mind was ready but my body was not. When you have lived on sugar for so long and then you cut it out of your diet, your body does not know what to do with itself. The sugar kept me going! My days were long and pure torture.

After I got back in the gym, I did start feeling better and I also started to drop some weight. I mean it started coming off quickly. I started lifting heavy weights and the weight was pouring off of me. I added running and I barely started to recognize myself. In 9 months, I lost 100lbs. Yes, 100lbs in 9 months. In 1 year, I had lost 120lbs and in 14months, I had lost 136lbs. So here I stand.

Over the last 5 months or so, I have been lifting heavy and my muscle mass has increased tremendously. However, this remaining fat mass that I need to get rid of has not budged. I mean, I train HARD! When I say HARD, I mean HARD! I think many doubted that I trained as hard as I do because I was getting bigger (due to muscle, but not losing fat). I tried every suggestion provided to try and kick start my fat burning but nothing has worked. The good thing is... MY BODY FAT % HAS REMAINED THE SAME! Thank God!!!

So I started out this post with the definition of the word EFFICIENT. Today, I saw a new doctor who reviewed my lab work, administered an EKG, took my random blood sugar level and blood pressure and made a statement to me that caught me off guard. "Your body is just too efficient." I asked him to repeat himself. "Your body is running like an efficient machine and this is normal after losing the weight of another person and training the way you are training. Your random blood sugar is 64. Your body is functioning way too efficiently." I was floored. What he said meant that I have been doing things right. That what I was experiencing was "normal" and that I was in really great shape. I have never felt better about making this lifestyle change as I have since that moment, today, in his office, in Skokie, Illinois. I am beyond excited!

For anyone that is reading this who may be worried about their health or may really be struggling to get started... I feel your pain. You are not alone. Yes it is hard to get started. However, you have to get started. You can't put it off any longer as you deserve the opportunity to live life freely. Making any change is better than no change at all. Whatever it is that motivates you, use it. My motivation to get serious and make a change was seeing my 37 year old homeboy have 3 strokes and go from being physically able to do everything to being limited in doing most things. The time to change is now.

Until next time... Commit to taking better care of yourself physically, mentally, and most importantly; spiritually. You deserve it.

~me

Humble Pie? Yuk!!!

I am learning that progress is progress no matter how small that progress may SEEM.  As some may know, I am an extremist. If I want something I go full throttle forward to obtain that ishT. If I'm not interested in something I won't even entertain thoughts of it. However, I am gaining more insight into this fitness thing as well as myself which is testing my current way of existing. This is a good thing! 

For the last 4 weeks, I HAVE gradually been progressing in overall strength. I mean REALLY progressing. I'm benching, squating, and deadlifting more than I ever have and I want more. I want more and I want it now! However, I've experienced what TODAY I consider smart moves/decisions made on my behalf that I thought was some bull swanky yesterday. I actually recognized the positives shortly after the training session was over.

It can be difficult letting go of what you have become accustomed to. For me, it has been figuring things out for myself, training myself, motivating myself, changing my own weight, planning my own routine, grinding so far outside my limits to the point of injury, nursing that injury back to a useful state, making corrections, getting back in the gym and starting all over again. So yeah, I am actually very grateful that most of those things have been taken off my plate. 

I have also been reminded a couple of times that an injury will only result in discontinuation of desired gains. Whoa! I just had a flashback!!! THAT, I cannot have.Therefore, when I am corrected or stopped from doing something or my bar is deloaded before I can make another attempt; I will trust that there is something that others can see that I can't. Because I am quick to offer up suggestions and info to others but I have been slow and outright resistant in accepting that same prescription. Growth is a beautiful thing and growth in one area of our lives can have an impact across the board. 

WELL... I'm out of the gym for a couple days and will not be back with the crew until next Wednesday (Ugh, I hate that). In the meantime,  I have a PT Certification test to study for, kids, schoolwork, and a FT job to keep me busy. 

Until next time... Make a new discovery about yourself. We are all forever evolving. Just make certain you are evolving into better states of being leaveing nothing to chance. You have to do the WORK!!!

~me

P.S. SHARE THE BLOG!!! 

Beware Of My Crew!

Rarely do you find people that you immediately click with and develop a respectable level of trust barely knowing them. In my case, I have been blessed enough to encounter FIVE individuals that have taken me in and made me feel as though I've known them for years. That has been my experience with D.F.C. and it's been an AMAZING experience at that. As promised, this post is to introduce D.F.C. members. Their introductions come in no particular order. I have to say that they ALL have magnificent sense of humors and I always look forward to training with them. These men are strong in every sense of the word.

Introducing...

Eric ~ AKA "Mr. Challenge"

Eric is pretty laid back and I feel we clicked right away. That may be because Eric got stuck training/babysitting me for a couple days when other members of D.F.C. we're sick, playing hookie, or training at other locations (lol, I mentioned no names). Me and "E" also share similar weight loss stories which we exchanged during that time as well. At any given point during training, me and "E" will have sideline laughs at all the absurdities that are occurring around us, as there are a bunch of interesting individuals in the gym doing a bunch of really weird things. It makes for a great time! :-) 

E. Marshall ~ AKA "Big Boo" 

I met and trained with "Boo" a little while before meeting most of the other guys. I recall him inquiring as to whether or not  I was okay after my first training session with him and 3rè. It was probably because the session was pure HELL!!! I'm sure it was a leg day and I had never really engaged in a workout that was that long (3 hrs) or that intense (burned over 1200 calories).  Currently, "Boo" appears to have taken on the role of having my back. Letting me know when I'm being phucked with by others (which is much needed being the only chick in the camp). And although most times he's off in the cut by himself focused as hell, he also provides a great deal of encouragement to the rest of the team. 

Nate 

Nate is a cool dude and for whatever reason he gets a lot of lip from the guys, but it's all in fun. He's quiet, or maybe it just seems that way because I'm new to the crew but time tells all. Lol! The first time I trained with the entire crew, Nate wasn't there and the rest of the guys were making it seem as though he wasn't there because of me (a girl that squats and deadlifts heavy but my bench sucks). I'm sure that's not the case plus he doesn't seem like the type to let much bother him anyways. Nate remains good people and D.F.C. certified. 

Tone

Tone is another one that is very quiet. I've only had the opportunity to train with him a couple of times but it was a positive experience. He was out of the gym for a while and is back to reclaim his lifting spot within the crew. Tone is also the only one (besides me) that knows how to work the camera to record video or snap pics while we're training. He's the ONLY reason you will ever see pics or videos of me! Thanks Tone!
 

3rè ~ AKA "3rèFit

Last but definently not least, 3rèFit. 

3rè and I go back 20+ years. He is one that I consider a lifelong friend which is extremely rare (at least for me). I had always known him to be one that was into working out but our history prodomentently consisted of a shared passion for music.  It wasn't until late last year that I stepped foot in a gym with him. I guess you could consider 3rè the tie that binds us all together as a crew. He's a unique individual to say the least. He is a motivating, hard core, over protective, shit talking, drill sergeant, and asshole who will drive you to do things you never thought you could do (you see how I slid the A'hole in there)! Lol!  It's truly a beautiful thing. I can openly admit that I have learned and continue to learn a ridiculous amount from this man. Nothing less than love and respect for him. 3rè is also the...

At any given time on the gym floor, if some random craziness occurs, he jumped it off. Lol! Gotta love it!
 

Kim ~ AKA Killa Kay, KimPossible

And then there's me. 

Yes, I'm somewhat of an anomaly;

Far from the average woman nor do I desire to be; 

Most can't comprehend or wrap their heads around me; 

Ordained as her who is so uniquely designed, 

I am a class X habitual deviator designed by the Devine;

I am the first, 

I am the last, 

I am the ONLY of my kind. 

I'll stop there.

So there you have it! D.F.C. Until you experience us, you have no idea what WORK!!! is. We WORK!!! collectively as an unstoppable unit. You may THINK your crew is good, but I KNOW my crew is GREAT!!!

Stay tuned because D.F.C. has some amazing things in store for ya! 

Live, laugh, love hard and lift heavy ishT! 

~me

Week 3 Done!

Well, week 3 of the D.F.C. program is done. I was able to train all three days with the crew and I must say I loved every second of it. This post will not be the official intro to D.F.C. because I'm working on putting together something that will do each member justice. Stay tuned.

Training is becoming way more challenging. I'm getting into numbers that chicks rarely entertain but I'm not the average chick. So my plan is to go above and beyond. To boldly go where I've never gone before. Lol! Seriously though. The more I train, the more I want to train, and the more determined I become to take my body where it's never been. I can visualize it and therefore it will happen. Not purely for asthetics but also for health. However,  I do desire and have a vision of what I want my body to look like within the next 4, 8, and 12 months. 

I've been getting a lot of feedback regarding my current training plan; some positive and some... Well let's just say, not fully positive feedback. What many don't understand is that I TRUST the plan, I TRUST the few select people involved in the plan, but most importantly I TRUST what my body is telling and showing me in response to the plan. Therefore, no other advice will be considered. Thank you. 

The highlight of this past week was finally getting the opportunity to meet and train with ALL the D. F. C. members. The vibe provides the push to get that WORK!!! exactly how it is intended to gotten...FEARLESSLY! There are times that I have questioned my abilities, doubted my strength, and felt disappointed in my performance. However, there were a group of great individuals correcting my flawed train of thought with hand slaps, fist bumps, and words of encouragement which motivates me to show up to the next training session and kill that ishT!!! 

Next post... D.F.C. Introduction!

Until then make yourself memorable by rocking another person's world with kindness. 

~me

2 Weeks In Review...

There has been a lot that has occurred over the last two weeks, for myself and others I share similar passions with.

Yesterday marked the end of week 2 for me and D.F.C. for the new training program and it has proved to be HELL but I'm loving it and i am making gains like CRAZY!!! I hit a 295lbs deadlift for 1 rep 4 times which for this FitGoRound is a new PR!!! I squatted 225lbs 4sets of 3 reps and1 set of 5reps, which is also a new PR! My bench is back to 135x2 per set but I'm cool with that because I have only been able to hit it 1x in the past.

Going forward I will have a lot more video and pics of D.F.C.'s sessions... Hopefully.

In the last 2 weeks, I haven't been able to train much with my homegirl Sylvia but she has been getting it in! Check her out below! It's good to see that she is no longer concerned with appearance while getting that WORK!!! Lol! She's such a girly girl slowly transforming into a beasty girl! Lol! Way to go Chica!!!

My homegirl Jen is still killin' this ishT! She finally checked out MGG which is a phenomenal power lifting gym I used to go to before I tore my gastrocnemius. That gym is filled with a ton of REALLY GREAT individuals that are ridiculously strong! The atmosphere they provide is of nothing but support! Jen visited MGG with the intention of hitting a 315 deadlift and guess what?!?!? Check her out below!

Way to GO Jen! I'm so proud of you and congrats on your new PL gym home! I'll be there to visit soon!!! 

For this week, it was mostly just myself and my teammate Eric training. 3rèFit  was battling a viscous cold, Boo trained at another gym in 3rèFit's absence, and Nate showed up once but was on a modified training plan. 3rèFit did show yesterday (week 2, day 3) appearing to be feeling much better as evidenced by the amount of ishT talk that was coming from his mouth, dressed in street clothes, lifting weights in an attempt to 

make up for this week's missed WORK!!! Lol! FitLifeFollies, I tell ya! However, memories are being made and friendships are being cultivated which is priceless as time is limited.

Until my next post, make your time memorable, insert your beauty into the space of others, and love yourself more and more each day! God is within you. 

~ me

Week 1. Day 3. WORK!!!

Alright, today was a GREAT yet, not so great day for me in the gym. The GREAT things;

1. Got my friend Erin Josen in the gym, along with Sylvia and her husband, and Jen was there as well being her normal strong self.
2. I got through Week 1 of the new plan!
3. I was able to achieve 1-3 reps on all the movements (the 1 reps I will discuss later).

Okay, forget later! Let's talk about the two 1 rep (that made me want to cry) deadlifts. The goal for today was to lift heavy for 1-3 reps. Well, I did that. I pulled 285 one time. It was hard as hell but it was on the bar so I tried it again for 2reps. Well, I got the first one up and thought I could tap and go again but I failed. A huge rush of heat hit me from head to toe and I just wanted to cry, but then I got angry, and then wanted to cry again. I was angry because I couldn't hit that second rep. I wanted to cry because I had to decrease the weight on set 3, 4, and 5. Here they are (may be a little grainy but you'll get the picture).

Lift 1 (Testing the waters)

Lift 2 (Failed attempt)

After this fail, I decreased weight to 255 (which is where I probably should have started in the first place) and I hit 3 for each of the remaining sets. D.F.C. may have mixed emotions about my numbers today. I'm sure I'll hear about it.

For the weekend, I'M NOT DOING ishT!!! I am going to REST and RECOVER! I'm already thinking about Monday's session. LOL! No, really I am.

Just so you know, my meal planning and rotation is coming along great. I am consuming between 1500 and 1750 calories daily, between 165-180 grams of protein, 140-160 carbs, and less than 35grams of fat (most are "healthy" fats).

As for the remainder of todays WORK!!! I was able to squat 205, 3x each set and benched 115, 3x for all 5 sets. Funny thing is my spot told me that my last rep appeared to be the strongest on the bench press. I think after rep one, you begin to mentally realize that you've got this so by rep three, you're throwing weight! LOL! Well... at least that's what I think happened today in my case.

I just want to commend Sylvia, Erin, and Jen for the hard work they put in today. Sylvia and Erin are sort of new to weight training and they are focusing on landing the form with lighter loads but they will likely be lifting a lot more very soon! You both get high fives and a few fist bumps! LOL!

Jen.... She's a freeeegging BEAST!!! I will have to get some video and let you all see for yourselves. Until then, just take my word for it!

Until next time.... Lift heavy, eat clean, and do goodness in the world.

Kim

D.F.C. Gets DOWN!!! WORK!!!

I'm Yesterday for me started out real rough. I am typically a very positive person, the day was just not going in my favor. However, that all came to a screeching halt when I invaded the lives of a group of guys on the gym floor; the are known as D.F.C.  For now, never mind what the acronym stands for. Just know that they do damage in the gym! Very soon, I will have a post introducing you all to each member of D.F.C. but it will have to be when ALL of D.F.C is in one place. They truly are a great group of guys!!!

Today, my body is beat the heck down from yesterdays workout but I love it! I love everything about it! I crave it and can't wait to lift again tomorrow!!! You all will not even begin to understand how excited and happy I was to be working out with the guys yesterday! I mean, they go hard and I ended up doing things that I most likely would not have done on my own. I squatted more than I have been, I deadlifted more than I have been and I benched more than I have been; and for reps! Heavy! I can't thank D.F.C.  enough for just being open enough to have me aboard.

The only sucky part is, I will probably only be able to lift with them one day a week due to my work schedule. I want to be consistent with increasing my numbers but that might be difficult when I don't have a consistent heavy lifting partner around. I have tried and tried to get people to come lift with me and there is always a schedule conflict or a reason or excuse as to why they can't. Therefore, I will have to dig deep and be my own motivation on my solo lifting days and eagerly look forward to  lifting with D.F.C. that one day.

On another note....I wanted to let everyone know that I will likely not be boxing on May 6th due to not having a consistent trainer. Plus, I am getting comfortable with my lifting now and have decided to set my fitness goals around that. Sorry if I have disappointment anyone but I have to think about what's best for me. End of story.

My meal prepping and eating are going smoothly. Thanks Tim French for the pointers, I needed them. I am counting Macros and it's so much easier when you eat the same dang thing all day long. You figure out the first meal and multiply!!! Haha!!!

Well it's time for me to eat a meal so I must run! :-) Be good and stay focused on God and all other things will fall into place.

Kim