The day you didn't want to go to the gym...

There are some days where you just want to be lazy, stay at home and lounge around. Yesterday was one of those days. Alex and I got about 10 hours of sleep and were feeling kind of sluggish as we got to the gym. We have noticed that if we get more than 9 hours of sleep, we tend to feel more tired or sleepy than if we only get 7-8 hours of sleep. Everyone is different and this is what we have been noticing. 

We did have pasta the night before and we joked that maybe it was the pasta that made us feel tired. It has been a long long time since we've had pasta, so it could have played a part. We felt a little bloated that night after eating the pasta, so that might not be a meal we have ever again or very often to say the least. 

We talked about what might have been the main factor, but the fact was that we weren't really feeling the gym; we would have rather left and spent some time at home. 

Well... I can say that we are both glad we stayed. After warming up, we started to feel more awake and ended up doing some work. Alex was working up to a 1 RM snatch for the first time since his injury. He was moving really well and worked up to 235. His technique is amazing and he has worked hard to improve this lift. I do have to say that he did some mobility work for is overhead position, and it helped, yay for mobility. He was able to get underneath the bar and stick the catch, a huge improvement from where he was a few months ago. I'm very proud of all the work he has done and the advancement he has made! We called it a day with the snatching and talked about some things that he can do to work on catching in the bottom of the hole. A great success for him with the snatch. :)

Next, I worked up to a 1 RM clean and jerk. I was feeling good with my lifts and my jerks were feeling solid; something that I have worked on a lot since I have had a shoulder issue and avoided overhead movements for a while last year. I worked up to 183, then 188, then 193. In the past, I have hit 185 before but was not able to lock out the jerk for the 188. Today, this lift felt a lot better, the jerk was very smooth and we decided to go up to 193. The clean was a little slow getting out of the hole but I took a little bit of time, focused on staying in my heels and then jerked it. 193... yay! After reviewing the lift, I tried for 195 but we thought it might be a little hard since my clean was slow out of the hole; I tried for it but caught it on my toes and it was a no go. It's okay because I felt good about what I had hit and would take that away for the day.

So, reflecting back on yesterday, I am so very glad that we stayed in the gym and did our training. It resulted in many good things for both of us. For those who have a day where they plan to go to the gym, but do not feel motivated, turn up and give it your best. Know that what you do will contribute to your overall goal. 

~ MCA