New Year Challenges

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change."

-Dr. Wayne Dyer

I am really happy with my time today with my training. With the new year now here I am really making the effort to taking control of all areas of my life and the things important to me. One of those things being my training. I got very lazy during the holidays, besides sick, and used excuses not to do much. Although the last week of the year I normally do this. Well, I am motivated and energetic, and even excited about starting my training for this year! 

But what comes along with the beginning of training is also the coming of little frustrations as the hurdles present themselves. I have not used weights or dumbbells in my training for a little over a month. And guess what: I feel it big time. OY! I began using dumbbells in my training to lift when I was 14 years old. I remember my old master used to do a Saturday morning class and it was the first time I ever did any workout with dumbbells, and I used 5 pound dumbbells and I couldn't believe how much I was struggling. I thought "Psh, five pounds, easy!" Well I put my foot in my mouth, or dumbbell in this case. Over the year I slowly moved up to 8 pounds, later to ten, which was a big deal, then I finally moved up to 12 pound dumbbells. 

Now my lifting dumbbells is not my bench lifting. They are two different exercises and for two different purposes. Most of my life, I never wanted BIG muscles like gym meat heads, I only wanted a cut, tone, definition. I would competitively spar and didn't want weight slowing me down either, I felt slow anyhow! But I did keep up with the sculpting class at my old school. When I was on my own, there was a little break and when I went back to lifting I went right to the 12 pounds and did pretty well. Then before I opened and lost all the weight from eating well and doing kickboxing, the lifting of dumbbells did help me do exactly what I wanted, toned me up, gave me definition, and I felt cut, but not a huge muscle meat head.

Well yesterday I lifted weights for the first time in over a month. IN the summer, Charlene had me use 15 pound dumbbells and less reps of WOOOOOO that was awesome! I was thinking of moving up because (at the time) 12's were no longer challenging. HOWEVER, when I lifted yesterday, my muscles were struggling and sore with the 12's. Uh oh. I did it again. Backed off from progress and now have to work my way back up. Frustrating? A little bit. But with my motivating attitude that I have with the new year, I have formed a PLAN. I have SO many plans and systems that I cannot see how I can ever get bored.

 

For the next couple of months I will use my 12 pound dumbbells and build up until I feel there is no more challenge in the muscles and they can endure the 12 pounds like they used to. And every couple of weeks, maybe every week, I will change the routines to "shock" the muscles and truly see they're endurance level and develop, that way they don't get to a comfort level I won't be able to break out of  and limit myself. My goal is to build up to 15 pound dumbbells like Charlene had me do. This may take some time, and I am not going to put any time limit on this. This is long term and part of my overall fitness health. But I DO want to get up to at MOST 20 pound dumbbells. Less reps of course, but a good level where not only where I will get stronger, but maintain any and all progress made from the 12's. 

The other big challenge I had were with those damn push ups -_______- , oh how I despise these push ups. One of my former instructors told me how he really believes if there was any exercise where he really saw the greatest results from, it were push ups. He also agrees, however, that whoever invented push ups should be shot. LOL! But part of the reason I AM doing them is because I don't like them. I have to "east the frog," as Lisa would say, and just get through it. Wayne Dyer says "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change." That's exactly the lesson I need to apply.

I have to do six different type of push ups, like I used to do. NO KNEES, full push up. And I have to be able to build up to doing 100 of each one. Regular, half with left leg up-half with right leg up, alternating legs, wide push up, close-hand push ups, and push up with the clap. Oh dear Lord, help me! I built up to 25 reps of each which was good. But then, like the weights, I backed off and lost progress. This I was a little more frustrated with than the dumbbells. I REALLY struggled big time with reps of 25. Not a happy camper about that. I want to maybe drop down to 20, but  they way I felt, I might have to drop to 15! I guess I will feel it out. Recently I had the opportunity to speak with a master nutritionist and trainer and he suggests bumping up reps in tens. So maybe 20 then to 30 might be a better route. Gotta start somewhere. 

Maybe that's why I am getting frustrated. After making progress I feel like I am starting over. Hmm. Maybe I should change the frustration to excitement! Charlene said it best to me in my training over the summer: Yay! Room for improvement! And of course I moaned about how frustrated I was to Charlene and she told me exactly what I would tell anyone else: "Keep pushing on! You can do it!" Yes Ma'am.

I also had mentor time with Lisa, which I will talk more about tomorrow. But we are working on a big seminar on reaching your highest potential, using the information and skills she is teaching me toward my master test. And some of the information on nutritional healing I grasp so well, mostly because I have a little background in it. And some of it is very hard to grasp, especially when you are thirsty to retain it ALL. Stuudy and practice, study and practice. It's the best way. But with this information I am thrilled about, because there is so much, but I see the results from it all. Absolutely amazing!

Then last but not least, last night I went to Little Falls to spar. I got there a little late because I still teach at my school, even with a little schedule change, and made it in time for the sparring class. Now I already had a full day. I did forms for two hours in the morning, mental training, another hour of training with the weights and push ups, trained someone else, mentor time with Lisa, taught all my classes and DID the kickboxing class as I taught it to warm up for sparring, and then went TO spar. And I injured my ribs somehow and knew I would be struggling with it. But I wanted to be a bad ass warrior so I sucked it up. Nothing is going to stop me from making the progress I want to make this year. If I were to stop at everything that could do this or do that, I'd get no where.

I held my own. I sparred Steven Lin for three matches, each match 3 rounds of 2 minutes. I got less bruises than last time (oils help!), and we used the electronic chest protectors which would keep score when you kick it. One of the instructors who I have known since I was a kid, Mr. Carlos, told me that I cannot be thinking. "These guys, they don't think when they are out there, they just react." Makes sense. Thinking takes time. I need muscle memory. The drills need to be drilled into ME. I have to do what I am supposed to do naturally, not with a struggle. 

These are elite fighters. I am pretty advanced, and I go toe to toe with Steven because he is awesome and I want to give him as good a match as I know he will give me. And he will make me better. Also, I want to help him since he is leaving next week for the U.S Trials, Phase 7 for the Olympics at the headquarters in Colorado Springs. Eleni and Simone were there two and I have to say I learn so much from watching them spar as well. Their motions and kicks are effortless. Excellent range of motion, and some of the new strategies and kicks I have learned from them being put into action, I just watch in awe while trying to absorb how they are sparring.

Yes, my ribs were killing me. And I guessed I showed it a little bit too. Steven said I show too much emotion on the mats when sparring. Not upset or anger, if anything I smile because I think whatever Steven did to me was great, but also if I am in pain. Gotta get that poker face I guess! Steven gave me some great advice after sparring too, which I am so thankful for. It's so helpful, and I can go and work on what needs to be worked on, and then come back and try it out. And he'll help me. Master DeGeorge ran the class and he told me too, "You can't be sparring people who aren't as good as you or better if YOU want to get better."

Master DeGeorge is absolutely right. For years I always sparred the bag. It was always there for me, it was never late, but it didn't kick back. And when I used to spar my students who were Black Belts or advance belts, they wouldn't like to spar me and would not come at me. So me being the instructor would make them work, trying to get them to apply their sparring and build their endurance, but it involved a lot of me holding back. I have been doing this since BEFORE I left my old master, and it has done me a lot more harm than good. But I will prevail! Sparring the elite level for the first time consistently is how I will get better. 

So a few challenges already, right at the beginning of the new year. I should be nothing but excited. But I am human, and cannot help but get a little frusrtated with myself at first. When I came home last night, applying oils on injuries (which worked instantly), I was telling Kristin how I am happy my motion can throw them off, but figuring out how to put it all together to my advantage is just not coming naturally. First thing she said to me was "You cannot get frustrated! But it's good you get to keep sparring these guys." And she's right. Because that's how I will continue to improve. 

Yours in service,

ANDREW TRENTO