THE BLOG

09
Aug

Oly Clothing Affiliate!

We are very excited to announce that Oly Clothing have taken us on as affiliate athletes! Today, Emma and I received a package of awesome lifting and casual wear t-shirts in an array of colours! Check them out – we are very happy with the quality and style.

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*If you like what you see, we have an exclusive discount code for Royal’s Gym followers : OLYROYAL10*

We eagerly hit the gym to put the new gear to the test. Today’s WOD was one of Emma’s infamous creations.. and boy did we get a good sweat on!

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WOD 1

For Time…

50,40,30,20,10 Air Squats

5,4,3,2,1 Clean and Jerks @ 50/70 kg

WOD 2

3 Rounds For Time…

12 Ab Mat sit ups

10 KB Hang Clean and Jerk @ 16/24 kg

9 Dips

8 Bench Press @ 35/45 kg

7 Hand Release Press Ups

Scores:

WOD 1 – Emma 06:41, Sam 06:47

WOD 2 – Sam 11:08, Emma 11:33

 

08
Aug

Four Nations Powerlifting Championships

Wow, what a weekend! Sam and I travelled to Cardiff, Wales to compete in the Four Nations Powerlifting Championships for Team Scotland.

I am so grateful to the Scottish team for selecting me and giving me the opportunity to compete at a high level competition. It was a real privilege to compete alongside the best Powerlifters in Great Britain. I have learnt so much in just one weekend. Both female and male athletes on the Scottish team were supportive and encouraging. Just what I needed to soothe those nerves, I felt like such a rookie standing beside World, European and British record holders!

What were the scores on the doors..? Well! Irish team (by default) placed last. Scotland 3rd, Wales 2nd and England 1st by 0.4 of a point. Competition was extremely close! The standard of lifting was truly inspirational.

Now I have had time to reflect on my performance, I can say that I am very happy. Despite an early error of mine in the squat, overall I felt I performed to my best.

My lifts were as follows:

Squat: 1. 105kg 2. 115kg NO LIFT 3. 115kg

Bench: 1. 75kg 2. 82.5kg NO LIFT 3. 82.5kg

Deadlift: 1. 140kg 2. 150kg 3. 155kg

My first squat attempt went smoothly – I made the decision to open with a weight I know I can rep comfortably for 3.

Sadly, my second attempt did not go to plan. I let my nerves cloud my focus and I re-racked the weight (after a successful squat) before the judges command which meant I failed the lift. This made me feel uneasy. I was tempted to go for a 120kg final lift but felt this was too risky, and I had to think of the team first! So I finished with a 115kg. I know I have more in the tank there…


My first bench press felt very easy. I felt that I got my body into a great position. My shoulders were tucked under, my arch felt strong and my feet were sitting flat and comfortable. So, for my second lift I decided to go a lot heavier than first planned. Sadly, another NO LIFT. The judge informed me that my right arm dropped slightly meaning my left arm locked out first. For my final attempt (with the team in mind) I stuck at 82.5kg and I was successful. I didn’t feel too disappointed as this had been my planned 3rd lift despite the no lift. I tried very hard to get my head back in the game and remain confident.

In the warm up area prior to my deadlift, I suddenly became very fatigued. I had snacked little and often throughout the day. I felt I had maintained my sugar levels and had given my body enough carbohydrates to perform. Perhaps I had eaten a little too much or perhaps the intensity of the day was starting to take its toll. Either way, I was looking incredibly tired in the warm up meaning Sam and I decided to drop my opening lift from 145kg to 140kg.

Amazingly (perhaps due to adrenaline), the 140kg flew up! We decided to take a risk and make my second lift 150kg. Again, it felt comfortable! I got a great confidence boost. My head was in the game now, my sickness and fatigue slowly disappeared and I felt that I could set a new Personal Record at 155kg – and that I did. Final lift successful.
This weekend has taught me a lot. It taught me how to erase the doubt in my mind after the no lifts. It taught me to keep pushing through the sickness and the fatigue. To switch off the negative niggling thoughts in my head and to focus. For the first time in competition, when I walked up to the platform I knew that I was going to lift that weight. Now I must work on tuning in to the judges commands! Practice makes perfect I guess.

Finally, I must say a huge thank you to Sam for being the best coach and supporter I could wish for. From making sure my water bottle was always filled, to helping me mobilise to being the mastermind behind my opening lifts – without him the weekend would have gone very differently! Thanks coach.

03
Aug

Fasted cardio.

With powerlifting being a weighed in sport its beneficial to be as light as possible, as long as it doesnt affect your lifting of course. But with the points being totalled in comparison to your body weight it can pay to be a little lighter on the day. One way of shedding a few pounds is through fasted cardio and this week Emma and I will be doing just that (for me more the summer shreds)

The body will always use simple carbohydrates as its primary energy source because these are already in a form that the body can use. Complex carbohydrates and fat need to be broken down into a simple carbohydrates in order for them to be used as energy. Fat is quite difficult for the body to break down, which is why it is important to keep the intensity low. If it is too high the body won’t be able to convert it into energy fast enough and this will lead to symptoms such as cramp.

For those who are unaware fasted cardio usually works best first thing in the morning before you have eaten, because the body has used all its energy (glycogen) during your sleep. Therefore the body has no alternative but to use fat as an energy source, if the cardio is kept at low intensity. For this I would recommend having your heart rate at around 120bpm working for approximately 20-30mins. An alternative to before breakfast is after a workout, because your body will have used most of its energy stores during your exercise, thus turning to the fat stores.

It’s a great way to burn fat and lose a few pounds either to make weight for a competition or to cut for summer!

If you would like to know a little more about carbohydrates and the effects they can have on your body watch this short video.