It’s not tears, it’s sweat

Looking back, I see it’s been almost a week since I updated. Last post was about how my trainer snuck 100 lbs on me on the lat pull down. Guess who started at 100 this week? Yeah, me! Not a hard one to guess!

This was taken the next day when I did a shared training with someone else. I wanted a picture to document what I’m doing. This was a 70 pound bench press. Damn it was hard, but I did it! I also look at this picture and have nothing but love for who I see. No thoughts about how fat I am. No longing for “if only …” I just look and say “look at that strong woman!” and revel in knowing that’s me!

I really enjoyed lifting with someone else, especially when the guy was so encouraging. It is a whole different situation when you are being cheered on and being able to do the same for someone else. Plus watching him and seeing I am going through exactly what he is really gave me the attitude adjustment I needed. No more negating what I do. No more saying “not bad for a …..” Instead I’m saying, wow, I am impressed with my strength and the way it’s building!

Friday was leg day. I did squats with the smith machine. I can’t lie, this machine always made me feel like a bad ass years ago, but I was never very familiar with it. Now? We are good friends. After doing 4 sets with heavy weights, he put a bench behind me so I could try a lower squat and not kill myself. He reduced the weights a bit, but I needed that to compensate the deeper squat. Damn that was hard!

During my rest breaks we talked about how I felt lifting with the guy the previous time and I said how I really enjoyed it and all I learned. E said he was so happy to hear that because Josh liked lifting with me and there are plans to do it again.

E then goes on to tell me how there is a group of lifters there and he’s going to start introducing me into them and integrating me into the group. He thinks I’ll be a great addition to the group, but warned me that Josh and I are his most committed lifters, so the others might not challenge me as much. He then proceeded to tell me how much he likes working with me. He said he loves that I always try. That I never say no. “Every single time you say you’ll try it and I love that!” He thinks I’ll be a good influence on the other lifters! He also used a word that has never been used around me. He said I’m becoming a true athlete.

This is what I did on the hip machine. This is the one that you push open. Yes, that is 190 pounds. By July no coconut in Northern Illinois will be safe from my thighs!

Today was chest and back. I don’t know how much I lifted, only it was tough! At one point an older gentleman came over, looked at what I was benching, look at me, then at E and said “I couldn’t do that twice!” and kept going. Talk about an ego boost!

I finished with lat pull down and then pull downs with this handle. The 100 pounds he snuck in on me last week with the stirrup bar was my starting point this week. I did drop sets, which is as many as you can at the high weight, drop some weight, repeat, drop weight and finish with as many as you can do. I did 3 sets of these with 100 pound starts. After my second set I was shaking my arms out while saying “it burns! It burns!” while E laughed and said “good, good, good!” Another guy came by at this time and asked E if I was going to be joining their group. When E said yes the guy said he thought as much with seeing me lift. I’ll admit I’m getting really curious now because this doesn’t sound like a social group at all. It’s sounding a little serious!!

I am far from done evolving, but I want to post this here for a measure of my own progress. This is one year apart. April 15, 2023 and today. The woman on the right was new into her journey. She had so much to learn, but promised she’d give it time.

The woman on the left? She has so much to learn and she promised she’d give it time too. More changes are coming and I deserve them!