Yoke/ squats.

As you can tell my titles are not creative. But that’s fine, I’m currently sitting in my ice bath while writing this so my creative juices are having a hard time flowing like they usually do.

Today I started off with yoke. 75% comp weight (390#) for 4 timed runs. I was very much shaking the rust off, and getting used to moving with my hips again. Yoke has been one of my favorite events, so I was rather thrilled to see it on the events list! I had a hunch it would since I see it as kind of a staple in the strongman world.

My runs didn’t feel too bad. My picks were a bit slow most definitley, and I know I can be faster. Iv gotten faster times in competitions, which makes sense. As much as I try and replicate  how fast I want to be in a competition during training, majority of the times it’s not going to happen. I have a completely different mindset in a competition. I’m no longer focusing on tiny details of which I want to fix. I can’t fix anything at a comp. I just have to go. Let my muscle memory and adrenaline take over. You get only one chance. One shot. Ever since my boyfriend put that mentality into my head, it stuck. That’s my only thought when I step up to an event now. “You get one shot Keeley, don’t hold back and make it the best shot.”

My times today for my runs were the following:

Set 1-7.99
Set 2-8.41
Set 3-7.66
Set 4-8.01

Right now, I’m not going to get stuck focusing on my times. I’m 10 weeks out, plenty of time to get faster, get stronger, and fine tune technique.

Along with yoke, I also had squats. During yoke my hip/upper thigh felt out of wack. I’m not exactly sure why, but I made sure to give it a good long stretch after training today. Along with my hip, my knee has been a persistent problem lately.

Sidenote: This isn’t me complaining about my injuries. Remember, I treat this blog as my very own training log. Things to look back on and see how my body and mind were feeling that day. Injuries, major or minor, are part of the process. I try and take care of my body as best as I can (I’ll be soon doing a blog post on recovery as well) and I’m not scared to share when things happen. I’m pretty sure no one is going to remember my Achilles heals and go all Tonya Harding on me. I don’t see myself as that big of a threat yet haha.

Back to squats. Because my knee wasn’t feeling too hot, squats were a struggle. I had 3×5 205# SSB squats with a 4 second pause in the hole. (A: if you watch the video, please don’t count my pauses lol B: Id like to thank the special cameo of Matt LaCroix).  But anyway, strongman has taught me to push past the pain and keep going. I knew it was nothing serious and knew I could keep going. I have a high pain tolerance from having very bad back problems in the past, so this minor knee pain wasn’t going to stop me from getting stronger today.

Tomorrow is log/ pressing day! Enjoy the videos and of course questions, comments, and concerns of all sorts are always welcome

🙂

Make the Impossible Possible.

Yesterday during training I had Dumbbell and sandbag to attack. Dumbbell was lightish weight with a solid amount of reps. Nothing too special or strenuous. Its always going to be an event that I’ll have to continue to work on. Pressing has never been a strong suit. Well, to be honest, no static lift for me is a strong suit. I’m 5’11 3/4″ (aka basically 6′) with long limbs.

    So, when I tell people that I lift, naturally I get asked “Oh yeah? How much can you squat, deadlift, and bench?”.  In my head I’m like ugh, please don’t ask me these things! For two reasons, I typically don’t max out. I don’t need to. I haven’t yet done a competition where it has a maxed lift in it. And reason number 2 is because my numbers are as impressive and entertaining as Nickleback… Theres a reason why I do strongman and why I don’t do powerlifting competitively! I am NOT built for it what so ever! That doesn’t mean that  someone with my body type can’t do it. I’m just sayin, when you have legs that take up your whole body, that squat is a looooong way down, and that deadlift pull is a loooong way up. And when you have arms with a wingspan the length of your height, well I think you see where i’m going with this…That and I’v had yeaaaars of major back problems from not having a strong core and throwing in college on my track and field team. But now that my core is getting stronger, my back is also getting stronger and better.

Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t come across these lifts in a competition, or that I don’t train these lifts to build my strength. Just means that my strongest events are moving events; yoke, farmers, carrying events, stones, etc. And when I do come upon these lifts in a competition ( some sort of deadlift mainly) my form is never perfect like a powerlifters. If its max reps in a minute, my gosh, those last reps I swear will probably be THE UGLIEST reps you’ve ever set your eyes on. But you better bet your sweet buns that I’ll be doing everything I can to pull my hips through and lock that sucker out.( 300# 18″ Axle dead for reps ) <- perfect example of that.

Same as benching, pressing anything with long arms is, to be perfectly blunt, a bitch.  But that doesn’t give me an excuse to sit on the sidelines and wine about it. That just means I have to train that much harder at it, and really focus and work on my form. With both log and DB, I’v been shaking the rust off and very much been trying to change my form so that I can use my leg drive more and shoot it up there. I’ll touch more on log this Tuesday after I train with it. I’m in the process of fixing errors that have been occurring with it.

Sandbag is a horse of a different color. I’v been working with the 175# sandbag for a couple weeks, up until yesterday. My trainer told me to have fun with the 225#…

The most I’v ever done with a sandbag was a 200# annnd that was on the day of a competition. And it felt good…but then again, that could have been that competition adrenaline pump getting me through that one…

Welp, that 225# sandbag showed me that this was NOT going to be an easy prep for this competition what so ever. I already knew that I had my log and DB weights to work up to, but I officially had to add this sandbag to the party. It slapped me around like a shark with a seal (its shark week, i had to 🙂 ). I was the snake to its mongoose. Or is it, the mongoose to its snake. Either way it was bad…I don’t know animals… ; -)

I was able to pick it about 5 times, walk it a measly 5 feet at a geriatric pace, before loosing it. I had to adjust how I picked it because its fat butt kept getting stuck between my legs (large leg problems). And even after doing that the struggle still continued. But the more I struggle with an event, the more motivated I get to conquer it! Yesterday I didn’t quit conquer it, but alas! I have 9 more weeks to do just that! That sandbag has not seen the last of Keeley Moffit!!

                               Check out my intsa for my sandbag and DB videos from yesterday!

:kekebball7

https://instagram.com/kekebball7/

FOOD. More Specifically- Pizza Bites

I like to consider myself a simple person… aka an easier and less offensive way of calling myself a boring grandma. My life tends to revolve around only a handful of things. Obviously lifting/ training being a main one, my faith, movies, my dog, annnnd FOOD.

I’m a grandma who likes her rest. I prefer Netflix and a couch, over a late night party. Do I like the beach? Yes! do I like taking long walks on the beach…? Maybe if theres going to be some sushi after that long walk, then sure.

I honestly used to go out all the time and party. But my life has drastically changed since two years ago. I don’t care if some consider me boring and call me a grandma because I choose to be in bed at early hours rather that at a bar on the weekends. I love how I live my life. I love training, and I love resting my body so that I can train even harder the next day.

But I’m getting carried away here from the important topic of the day…FOOD! Lets be real, who doesn’t love food??! Your not my friend if you don’t. And thats just sad, because I’m a pretty fun gal as I’v described above…

So if you love food, and you like easy recipes, heres one comin at ya! I had a craving for pizza the other day. And because I typically like to keep my “down and dirty” foods (aka anything  I consider a cheat food) for the weekends, I decided to throw together a healthier quick version of a bagel bite! I got a request for the recipe of this baby after snap chatting it!

-I use whole grain english muffins

-split them in half

-spoon some tomato sauce on them

-topped them with onions, sliced peppers, low fat cheese, chopped turkey pepperoni, some italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper

-threw it in the toaster oven

-BAM Pizza Bites

I’m gonna start getting more creative with these soon because they are sooooo easy, cheap,and great for pre training meal. I’m thinking a mexican and BBQ style Pizza bite soon.

Healthy Pizza Bites

DEADlifts.

Today was a heavvvy Deadlift dayyy Heaviest Iv gone since injuring my shoulder a couple months ago (AC Joint sprain). It was one of those days where my mental focus had to be on point. One of those days where I knew I just had to get it done and not think twice about it.  It was also one of those days where I had to make sure to pee before each set…

My first set started off fine, weight felt good, form felt good, things were movin’ along 👌. Then as I kept reppin out, naturally my form started to break and I started playing the mind body game. Goes a little something like my mind yelling “stop acting like the old geriatric water aerobics grandma that you are and just get this shit done!” Then even though my body feels like collapsing, it usually just listens.

Anyway, I did around 87ish% of my comp weight with a trap bar for 4 sets max reps on a minutes time.

Set 1-12 reps (video in link above)

set 2&3- 10 reps

set 4- 13 reps

Set 2&3 were the worst. I was running down, form was breaking earlier is the sets than my first set and reps were becoming slower

set 4 I decided to just give it my all (not that I wasn’t for my other sets), but my motivation really kicked in on this set. I wanted more than 10 measley reps. I felt a kick of energy, anger, and aggression. Pulled out 13 which I felt good about.

I didn’t want to give up or give in. I like to make sure I finish strong. My mental focus is going to be so huge for me these next couple months. Mentally continue to push myself. Because as soon as your mind gives up, your body gives up. I was not built to give up.

I know there are girls training hard out there that I’ll have to come up against. But that’s not what I want to focus on. Right now I want to keep my focus on MY training. And not worry about anything outside of that.

Road to Nationals 2015

       Alright! Back in the blog game once and for all!! I have nationals coming up in about 10 weeks, and I really want to use my blog as my outlet for anything I want to vent out during this time, things I want to note, and just my overall experience of it! After all, that’s kinda what a blog is for right?

I mostly like to do these because I like to look back on them. See how much I’ve grown as an athlete and how much I’ve learned about myself. I was just reading over my post from April 2014 the night before my very first competition. I wrote my feelings as “being calm, yet very very nervous.” Well here I am over a year later, and I believe 7 competitions under my belt, and the nerves before a competition haven’t gone away! I guess some things don’t change 🙂

Last year after qualifying, I decided not to go to nationals. I checked over the weights of the events I was no wheres near ready. Would have been a good experience regardless? Well yeah, of course! And can you ever be truly ready for a strongman show? NO WAY! Things can change that very day that you won’t be ready for! Events can change, weights can change, the weather can change, you could forget your underwear!

But with that being said, to cough up the money to make that trip and (I’m not being negative just being honest) to zero probably all if not most the events (potentially getting hurt) was something I just didn’t feel up for. I was still working on building my strength and wanted to give it more time, instead of putting it through a big test that I knew it couldn’t handle just yet.

But here we are, a year later, stronger, more knowledgeable with this sport, more confident, but yet still will always be a complete nervous freak.

I have 10 weeks to prepare as best as I possibly can. I have a trainer who I’v been working with for about 9 months now who is busting his butt to help me get ready. I have my family, boyfriend, and friends who have been supporting me non stop this whole way. I have an amazing gym full of amazing people who have helped me so so much and I honestly can’t thank them enough!! I’m a competitive person, so naturally I go into every competition wanting to win. But even if I don’t win, going and competing with the strongest women in America will be so incredibly awesome in itself. But no doubt I’ll be doing everything I possibly can to my best. And this experience just brings me one step closer to my overall goal. Of one day being world’s strongest woman.