What Weightlifting Has Taught Me (Part 2 – Failure

February 27, 2018 / By j0ssy
Coach jen is back with another guest blog. If you missed part one of her series, check it out here: https://www.pdxstrength.com/2018/02/weightlifting-taught-part-1-patience/
 

Hi Friends! I’m back with another installment of lessons learned from the barbell. Here we go…
 
Lesson 2: It’s OKAY to Fail
 
Let me repeat for those in the back: IT. IS. OKAY. TO. FAIL.
 
First, let’s talk about it in the context of weightlifting:
 
Of course, the ideal situation would be where we never miss lifts ever and we all hit every single snatch and clean & jerk until the end of time in Magical Unicorn Fairyland! But, sadly, THIS IS NOT REALITY. (And if this Magical Unicorn Fairyland does exist, someone PLEASE let a girl know so I may visit/buy a condo there.)
 
We miss sometimes. Some lifts are bad. Some lifts are good and we still miss. 
 
(Side note: You CAN miss a lift and it can still be a good lift. I have told this plenty of times to athletes I have worked with. It IS possible to have done everything well and fixed the particular problem that needed to be fixed but something else could have been off. Any lift in which you have learned something about yourself as a lifter can be considered a “good lift”. A lot of times when you fix one thing, it may throw off other aspects of your lift until you take the time to fix that next thing. But we can only really focus on one thing at a time and drill it until it becomes consistent… and so the process goes.
 
On the other side of it, it IS possible to make a lift and it can still be a bad lift. I’m sure you’ve all seen them a time or two… someone makes a heavy or PR lift but it’s ugly as shit/the most cringeworthy thing you have ever seen. Improvement in weightlifting is not just about the numbers and the PRs but also about the constant pursuit of perfect technique. Plus, good technique will eventually equal heavier lifts.)
 
This is all to say that failure is inevitable. It means you are trying. Failure means you are putting yourself out there, you are putting yourself on the line, you are taking the risk. It means you are attempting to put a ridiculous amount of weight over your head and though it may not get overhead the first time (or the second, or third, or fourth, or… you get the idea), with persistence and resilience it will get there. Eventually. But that weight will never get overhead if you never try in the first place. Failing means that you took the risk and though it may not have been successful the first time, you were GIVEN the opportunity to learn what worked and what didn’t and now you can apply that information to the next lift.
 
Hmmm… kind of sounds like life, right?
 
Being successful in life and moving forward and growing as a person is about taking those big risks without the guarantee that the outcome will be good. Do you think at the end of your life you will regret all the big crazy beautiful things you did or would you regret all the things you never had the courage to do? Travel to that country you’ve always wanted to visit? Ask that special person out on a date? Climb that mountain? Start that business you’ve been dreaming about?
 
There are inevitable risks in life and nothing is guaranteed but you will never know what is on the other side of that risk if you never try. And trying means failing sometimes. Failing takes courage. Failing means you take a moment to reassess, learn, and move forward a little wiser and more experienced.
 
Trust me, I know how scary failing is. Growing up, I was a perfectionist. (Maybe chalk it up to growing up in an Asian household.) Everything I did, I had to do perfectly and I had to be the BEST or it wasn’t worth doing. And so I would start things: gymnastics, ice skating, ballet, martial arts, acting, playing the violin, applying for med school… but then I would quit before I could get anywhere because I was too afraid of failing. I was too afraid of looking like I had no idea what I was doing. (News Flash: I’m pretty sure no one really knows what they’re doing but we all just kind of “fake it ‘till you make it” until we figure it out.) I was too afraid of looking silly or foolish or stupid. I was too afraid I would disappoint the people around me and disappoint myself because I wasn’t good enough. 
 
You WILL fail. It WILL happen at some point. And you will fail at many different things in life: in school, in your career, in your relationships. I have lived WAY too much of my life being afraid of failure. And this has caused me to hold myself back from going for the things I really want in life WAY too many times. It wasn’t until I decided I was good enough and realized the risk of failing would never outweigh the risk of not trying that I started to see some forward movement in my life. (P.S. This, like, just recently happened. It ONLY took me 32 years to figure out – which kind of annoys me, tbh. I’d probably be a cast member on Saturday Night Live by now like I said I would in my high school yearbook.)
 
TL;DR – Go ahead, take the risk. TRY. Fail. And then get back up and do it again.
 
Until next time, Happy Lifting!
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What Weightlifting Has Taught Me (Part 1 – Patience)

February 16, 2018 / By j0ssy
Hey Strength Tribe! Once again we are lucky to have a guest blog, from our weightlifting coach Jen Javier!
What Weightlifting Has Taught Me (Part 1 – Patience)
 
As many of you know, weightlifting is and has been a big part of my life for a significant amount of time. Hell… I even have a barbell tattooed on my forearm, if that’s not commitment then I don’t know what is! Weightlifting has kept me grounded and sane when life fluxes and changes. One thing remains the same: the barbell continues to be there and it continues to challenge me. Weightlifting has taught me countless lessons that have spilled over into my life outside the gym and I can honestly say it has shaped me into the person I am today. It has helped me to be a better, kinder, more resilient person and to learn how to take on challenges with patience and grace.
This is the first installment in a four-part series where I will discuss the lessons I have learned through the barbell. I hope weightlifting can help you as it has helped me.
Lesson 1: PATIENCE
Patience with the bar, patience with yourself, patience with the process. This has become my mantra over the past few years and I can attribute this zen-like quote to weightlifting. (Go ahead, you can use it too… just make sure to credit me when you post that inspirational Instagram pic!)
 
Patience with the bar – Success in weightlifting can be attributed to good positions and moving well through good position. This takes HELLA patience. I get it. The bar feels heavy off the ground. But guess what? It’s heavy weight! IT’S GOING TO FEEL HEAVY. Do you want to lift heavy? Then get used to things feeling heavy and hard sometimes. The goal is to be patient with the bar EVEN when it feels heavy so you can set yourself up into good positions and gain the most transference of power from your legs into the bar. This means avoiding the “grip and rip” and slowing down your first pull off the floor (not necessarily a “slow” pull but slow-ER so you can accelerate into your second pull). If you are not patient with the bar off the floor then you will rush your way through the rest of your lift, missing all of your positions along the way, and it will all snowball into a big, bad disaster. Be patient with the bar in order to set yourself up for a good lift.
Patience with yourself – Yes, we all want to snatch a million kilos (2.2 million pounds if you want the conversion) and we all want to do it tomorrow but that just ain’t gonna happen. Weightlifting takes years and years and years to master and you can’t get everything right all in one day. I have been weightlifting for 9 years and I STILL feel like a baby in the sport, for Pete’s sake! There is still so much for me to learn, so much I can improve on and all I can do is take it one day at a time. Sometimes it’s just one LIFT at a time. There are some days that feel wonderful and amazing and things are just clicking and then there are other days where everything feels awful and my body doesn’t know what’s happening. It’s like my body just FORGOT how to lift. (“Oh, you wanted to snatch today? LOL J/K, Jen, I totally forgot how to move. I’m just gonna turn your legs into spaghetti noodles.”) But you have to work through those tough days with patience and grace and a sense of humor. (It’s also okay to cry, I have most DEFINITELY cried during a training session a time or two… or ten.) Consider that I haven’t PR’d my clean & jerk in over 2 years and my snatch in almost 3! This can be frustrating but being patient with myself also means seeing how far I have come and celebrating the things I have improved on and what HAS improved is that I can lift higher percentages (80-90%) more consistently, which is way more favorable in weightlifting anyway! Moral of the story is: Do your best, that’s all you can do… and be patient with yourself along the way.
Patience with the process – There are two major components in the improvement of weightlifting, building strength and improving technique. Not one is better than the other and not one can exist without the other. Being successful in weightlifting means paying attention to both; this can be increasingly frustrating. You may go through periods where you may improve in strength but your technique may suffer and vice versa. Learning to see the big picture is SO important and approaching each training session as a step in your plan of action to get you to your ultimate goal is the key to improving. Trust the programming and trust your coach. Remember, there is no magic programming. To a degree, ANY programming is good programming. What makes the difference is the amount of focus and intention and diligence you put into your training. Elite level weightlifters sometimes spend MONTHS at a time not pulling anything off the floor – just block work and pulling from position, NO FULL LIFTS. I mean, talk about patience with the process! But they trust that working the basics and focusing on specific areas of weakness will lead to success once they finally do get to the full lift. Keep your nose to the grindstone but also keep the big picture in mind.
I hope this gives you a little insight into why I believe weightlifting can be so beneficial for people, not just physically but mentally as well.
Until next time, Happy Lifting!
Coach Jen
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What’s in your gym bag?

February 5, 2018 / By j0ssy

What’s in my gym bag might not be what is in yours…but hopefully this might help those that are putting together their gym kit.  If a workout is gonna go bad, I don’t want to use my lack of preparation as my excuse… maybe just my lack of fitness haha!

Well here we go, in no particular order this is what is currently in my gym bag.

Jump Rope- I actually have two in my gym bag. That’s how neurotic I am about having the exact sized rope! If one breaks, I have the other one for back up. Having my own rope is crucial if I’m going to be doing a workout with double unders.

Athletic Tape-  I use tape all the time! If I’m doing muscle ups, I like taping my wrists. I also tape my thumbs on days we are doing lots of cleans, deadlifts or snatches… hello hook grip! Also if I have a cut on my finger, tape stays on way better than band aids when I get sweaty.

Gymnastics Grips-  Some days your hands just feel beat up, and gymnastics grips save the day! On high volume bar work, I will always use my gymnastics grips. Tearing up your hands is painful, and only sets your training back while you wait for your hands to heal.  I also have two pair in my gym bag. I hate having to break them in, so I have two pairs that are perfectly worn in, in case I misplace a pair.

Smash Packs and Bananas-  You know those days when you just haven’t had enough to eat? If I need a quick pre workout snack that isn’t gonna weigh me down, these work great! I also use them intra workout, if I am working out over an hour so I won’t bonk. I also use them post workout so I get some protein in (the smash packs have protein).

Knee Sleeves-  I really wish my knee sleeves didn’t stink so much, it’s the worst! But they provide my knees warmth and compression so sometimes I’ll suffer through their stench. I’ll wear them on days that we are doing a lot of squatting movements.  They also work great on rope climb days. I just slide them over my shins, and they protect from rope burn way better than long socks do.

Weightlifting shoes-  I don’t wear my weightlifting shoes all the time, but if we are gonna do strictly weightlifting or squats, I’ll use them. There are many benefits to wearing weightlifting shoes, that’s a whole other blog subject!

Weightlifting belt-  On heavy lifting days, I like to have my weightlifting belt. I try not to be reliant on it, but it does help me out on days we are going over 85%.

Water Bottle-  I think this one is pretty obvious haha, but staying hydrating is pretty key!

Some other items you might consider that I don’t have in my gym bag….  wrist wraps, long socks for rope climbs ( I use knee sleeves), straps for weightlifting, knee wraps ( different than knee sleeves) extra change of clothes, shaker bottle and protein powder for post workout gains, your workout journal  to log your workouts ( I use my phone),  pre workout for those extra tough workouts, sweat towel if you are prone to sweating a lot, deodorant on those smelly days, extra pair of socks, head phones, ibuprofen…   Like I said previously what is in my gym kit, may not be what is in yours….but it alway helps to be prepared. Then there are some days I forget my gym bag completely, and you know what? That’s life! Learning how to roll with the punches and being adaptable is also important as an athlete. Things aren’t always gonna go your way!  Let me know if I’m missing any crucial items in your gym kit! Thanks for reading and  hope this helps! Till next time campers!

xoxo

Jossy

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February Updates

January 31, 2018 / By j0ssy

2018 IS STARTING STRONG AT PDXSTRENGTH!
 

Our Lurong living challenge is in full effect, and it’s been inspiring watching everyone work so hard on the challenge workouts, their nutrition goals and lifestyle changes. Keep it up strength tribe, four more weeks to go!

Our Naked Lady Clothing swap was once again a huge success! Everyone walked out with some new pieces to add to their wardrobe, plus we  donated tons of awesome clothes to the St. Johns Center of Opportunity clothing closet!

We are super excited for our latest long sleeve design to drop. We should be stocked next week! Perfect for layering on these cold winter days! You need one in your life!

We hope you have been enjoying the new artwork at the gym. We have been working hard on the entrance to the gym and we thank you for your patience while the artists were working. If you haven’t had a chance to check out our new murals… swing by and take a look!
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Schedule Changes
Yoga on Sundays will be at 9:30 am starting February 4th. This means that Open gym on Sundays will start at 10:30 am instead of 9:30 am. We had lots of requests for a later Yoga start time, so we hope to see you getting flexy on Sunday mornings.
Are you on Facebook?
Please make sure to join our private PDXstrength group! It’s a  supportive place that you can share events, whine about workouts, stay on top of gym updates, get tips from our coaches and fellow athletes and more.  Here is the group link: PDXstrength Barbell Brigade
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Need a Space to Party?
We are super excited to give members of PDXstrength an exclusive opportunity to rent the gym on weekends at a discounted rate. Our space will be available to rent for parties, workshops, events, art shows, etc on the weekends. Cost is only $25 per hour ( $50 an hour for non-members) and members don’t have to pay the $250 deposit!  If you ever need a space to throw a birthday party, wedding reception, teach a class,  hold an event, throw a rave etc. contact Jocelyn at jocelyn@pdxstrength.com to reserve the gym.
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Olympic Weightlifting
We have scheduled a Wednesdayevening course at 7:30 pm for the end of March!   Improve your power, speed, strength, and flexibility with Olympic-style weightlifting! If you just graduated from 101 or want to step up your weightlifting game, this series is by far the most popular at PDXstrength! You don’t have to be a member to participate, we welcome beginners and experienced weightlifters to join the fun. This 6 week course will cover the Olympic lifts, the snatch and the clean & jerk, as well as assistance exercises for Olympic Weightlifting. Cost is $70 for 6 classes. Sign up for weightlifting here:
Sign up HERE!
BREAK THROUGH FOR BEGINNERS
THIS WORKSHOP SERIES IS GEARED TOWARDS ATHLETES OF ALL AGES, SHAPES AND SIZES, NEW TO EXERCISE OR THAT HAVE TAKEN A BREAK FROM A REGULAR PHYSICAL EXERCISE ROUTINE. NUTRITION AND HEALTHY HABITS WILL BE A HUGE COMPONENT OF THIS WORKSHOP SERIES.
WORKSHOP INCLUDES: SIX ONE HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTE SESSIONS, WITH A 20-30 MIN NUTRITION TALK IN EACH CLASS, FOLLOWED BY A 45 MINUTE FITNESS CLASS. THESE CLASSES WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO PERFORM FUNDAMENTAL EXERCISES SAFELY, TO CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY IN A FUN, SUPPORTIVE AND POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE. EACH CLASS IN OUR BREAKTHROUGH SERIES WILL COVER A CRUCIAL TOPIC ON NUTRITION, HEALTHY HABITS AND NUTRITION. THIS WORKSHOP ALSO INCLUDES WEEKLY WORKOUTS TO DO AT HOME OR IN THE GYM FOR 6 WEEKS, AS WELL AS WEEKLY NUTRITION, SLEEP AND LIFESTYLE CHALLENGES FOR 6 WEEKS. COST IS ONLY $219 FOR 6 WEEKS
BONUS: ATHLETES WILL HAVE FREE ACCESS TO OUR YOGA AND BOOTCAMP CLASSES WHILE TAKING THE BREAKTHROUGH COURSE. CLASSES WILL BE HELD SATURDAY MORNINGS AT 11 AM. FIRST CLASS IS FEBRUARY 3. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO SIGN UP CLICK BELOW!
SIGN UP HERE
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BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE
WEEKEND!
Hey Strength Tribe! The weekend of February  17/18 is bring a friend weekend! Bring a friend to any of our bootcamps, group strength and conditioning (If they already have experience) or yoga for free!
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SUNDAY POP UP BOOTCAMPS
AT 5PM!
Sunday Pop Up 5 pm bootcamps are a great way to wrap up your weekend on a positive note.  Our bootcamp classes are for all levels, so why not bring a friend? Join us this month on Sunday, February 11th, 18th, and 25th at 5 pm.
COMPETITOR PROGRAM
We are proud to offer competitor programming for athletes that are interested in maximizing their fitness at PDXstrength. If you want more than just an hour long class, if you are interested in fitness competitions, or want guidance to improve skills and strength necessary to be pushed to your full potential, our competitive program is your answer.
SIGN UP
PDX 101

If you want to get started at PDXstrength our  PDX101 foundation series are the way to go!   Don’t miss your chance to enroll before these series  fill up!  We have morning and evening sessions available. PDX101 is our foundation series that will meet you at your current fitness level and get you prepared for our Group Strength and Conditioning classes. Cost is $230 for 16  hours of intro classes, weekly emails from your coaches, and free access to open gym, kettle bell classes, yoga, run club,  and bootcamp classes for the duration of 101! 

Get started and sign up today with this link:  PDX 101 

Don’t wish a year from now, you started today! Need more convincing on why our 101 series is crucial to the start of your fitness journey? Check out this blog entry:  Why Should I take PDX101?
MEMBER OF THE MONTH
DAMON HICKOK
Congrats to Damon Hickok our February member of the month! Damon is one awesome guy and it’s guaranteed  a fun time when he is in class. He always has something funny to add to class, and gives his best in every class.  Damon has been an athlete his whole life, and has an extremely talented daughter and son that are dominating their high school sporting careers. He’s not only a good role model to his kids but also his students, showing up to class and putting in the work. Thanks Damon for being a radical addition to the PDXstrength tribe! Give Damon a big high five next time you see him in class.

Stay tuned for our upcoming Jerk and Clean Clinics and St. Paddy’s Day event

Our Snatch Clinic was such a big hit, we already have requests for more Olympic Weightlifting clinics! We will be holding  an upcoming clinic focusing on the jerk, and another one focusing on the clean.

We also be hosting another PDXstrength community event in March around St. Paddy’s day. Details coming soon.

Stay tuned for dates.
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5 Best Practices for Staying Sane on Your Fitness Journey

January 27, 2018 / By j0ssy
5 Best Practices for Staying Sane on Your Fitness Journey
Going to the gym and training as athlete can be fun and awesome and rewarding… most of the time. Sometimes we hit PRs and learn new skills and feel generally like a bad ass (as you should!). But sometimes we struggle and fail and get frustrated and there is just no avoiding it, especially if you have been training for some time. So here are (from my experience) the 5 best practices to staying sane on your fitness journey:
  1. Be Patient
I get it. It’s hard not to want to be good at everything right away. Trust me, I am impatient to the MAX. But if there’s anything I have learned to be better at when it comes to going to the gym and lifting, it’s to BE PATIENT. Be patient with yourself, be patient with the process, be patient with the bar. Easier said than done though, right? Whenever I get frustrated about my progress (or lack thereof) I try to put things into perspective. Keeping a journal or a log of your workouts and PRs is a GREAT way to do this! Whenever I feel down about what’s happening (or what’s NOT happening) in my training, I like to look back to where I was a year ago, 5 years ago, or when I first started. Most of the time I am thoroughly impressed with myself and how far I’ve come. (Hello, pat on the back!) Plus it helps to relieve the pressure of needing to be the strongest, fastest, most Wolverine-like athlete around and helps me refocus on the things I CAN control and the attitude I have about training.
  1. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
Yes, it’s sooooo easy to hop on to Instagram and scroll though all the incredible athletes and “fitspo” people on the interwebs and feel like a sad little potato compared to all of them. But guess what? Miss Suzy Fitness Model or whatever her name is probably spent a bajillion hours trying to get the right angle or the right lighting or the right duck face for that selfie (not to mention FILTER!) and as much as you probably think those posts are real, they’re not. They’re carefully crafted to make you feel a certain way so you will go out of your way to buy whatever protein or tea or diamond-studded water bottle they’re touting this month. Do yourself a favor: UNFOLLOW anyone who makes you feel like a sad potato. They do not deserve your likes! DO follow people who inspire you to be the best version of yourself. Same thing goes for in the gym, too! If there are people in the gym who you find you are comparing yourself to, recognize that everyone is at their own place in their fitness journey. Recognize that some people may have different strengths than you but that doesn’t discount all the things you are good at and all the things you are capable of. Stay in your own lane and you’ll save yourself the anxiety of wanting to be someone else.
  1. Let Go of the Guilt
Miss a workout? It’s okay! Eat an entire pint of ice cream? It’s okay! Didn’t PR your back squat this time around? It’s okay! Look, I know we want to be perfect all the time, every day, for the rest of time, ever. BUT THAT’S JUST NOT THE REALITY. We are imperfect beings and even though we all try to do the best we can, we will try and we will fail. The key is not sitting around and wallowing in self pity because we failed. The key is to get up, brush yourself off, and move the f*** forward! Being stuck in feelings of guilt only hinder us from making progress and learning from our mistakes. Do your best and if you fail, learn from it and move on.
  1. Have Fun!
I mean, why else would we do this?? And this doesn’t just apply to being in the gym. If you like hiking, do that! If you like swimming, do that! If you like Zumba, for God’s sake GO DO IT! (And invite me maybe, I’ve always wanted to try it.) Whatever you like doing and whatever gets your butt off the couch and moving around, do it. And have no shame doing it! Try new things. Work on the things in the gym that you enjoy the most (lifting, gymnastics, etc). Do whatever it is that lights your soul on fire and enjoy the heck out of it!
  1. Celebrate Your Wins
It’s easy to get bogged down in the grind sometimes so celebrating your wins is key to enjoying the process and staying motivated. Hit your goal of getting to the gym 3 times this week? Sweet! Celebrate with a new workout top or a nice fancy cup of coffee Sunday morning. Get your first pull up? Nice! Celebrate by going to that restaurant you’ve always wanted to try. PR your deadlift? HELL YEAH. Shamelessly post a video of that s*** on Instagram and take pride in what you have accomplished. Chances are it will inspire someone else to work hard to be a bad ass just like you.
I hope these tips help you to enjoy your progress and time at PDXstrength, see you in the gym!
-Coach Jen
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