TNT (Trish (Wood)- n- training) : Putting ON Size
I'm well into my muscle gaining plan and for some reason my body doesn't seem to be handling it as well as I'd hoped it would. I'm getting stronger and lifting heavier but my body just seems to hurt all over. I have aches a.jpg)
nd pains in places I didn't even know could hurt! So I've started taking some joint supplements and stretching really good before workouts with the hopes that it'll help my body adjust to this new training regime. Not only are my workouts physically challenging, they've become mentally challenging as I feel that my body is fighting me on every rep. Maybe it's over-training, maybe my body's just confused with all the hormones I seem to have flying around, or maybe I'm just being a wimp! Whatever the issue is, it's really throwing a wrench into my plans!
For the last couple of years I've focused on trying not to gain any size so I wouldn't end up too muscular (especially for the figure category that I was competing in), but now the tables have turned and it's time for me to build some quality muscle, especially on my legs and glutes. Switching my goals means switching up my training, diet, and my general approach to weightlifting. Over the past few seasons, I'd focused primarily on not gaining too much weight and just maintaining the amount of muscle I already had. Now, my focus has become to push myself harder in the gym with heavier weights, fewer reps, and not supersetting exercises which kept my heart rate elevated.
I love the awesome feeling of strength that weightlifting gives me, but watching my body change into a bulkier form of myself is really difficult. My jeans are tight, I feel like I'm going to rip my shirts when I put them on, and to top it off I'm just a emotional roller coaster! One minute I'm fine the next minute I'm ready to burst into tears over nothing...talk about hormonal issues! I feel like I should be on medication or something to control my feelings, but instead I'm trying to just roll with the punches and focus on the positives. So what are the positives of having this "off-season"? I think I'd better list some to remind myself...
· I get a cheat day! I get one day per week where I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want. No more sitting with my fish and veggies while my husband eats Smashburger!
· I do way less cardio...Lord knows I hate cardio.
· I get to actually celebrate my anniversary, birthday, holidays, and go to parties without worrying about my diet plan and packing my food.
· I get to spend more time with my family and less time in the gym doing cardio, practicing posing, etc.
· I don't have anyone telling me how skinny I look (in clothes) or how thin 
my face looks.
· I don't have that tired, spaced out, feeling I get (especially when it's close to contest date) from eating a low calorie/low-carb diet.
After listing all these positives I must admit that I feel better about this whole putting on size thing. I tell my clients to focus on the positive side of things that they find challenging- it's an important quality to have not only in this sport but in any journey. Now it's time for me to take my own advice. I've got to give my eyes some time to adjust to this new "figure" I see in the mirror and try appreciate it for what it is- an IFBB Professional Physique competitor in training for her biggest season yet in 2013! After all, how many people can say that? Plus, 13 is my lucky number anyways... ;-)
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