Competition: My Fear of Not Making It

I have a fear. A fear that I won't make it through Crossfit Open 2012. I have been training rigorously as some know, but am I getting closer to where I need to be? Unfortunately, I don't think so. I have been training for competition for exactly 10 weeks, and there are about 9 more weeks left.


You'd think there is enough time. Wrong. There is not. 


If I were to tell you I have not made any gains in the past 10 weeks, I would be a liar. If anything, I have made some awesome personal gains; some of which include my 90kgs deadlift, 65kgs back squat, 40kgs squat clean, 30kgs snatch, 1RM Weight-pull ups @ 10kgs, my wallballs are better, my box jumps are improving...I am improving, but am I improving enough to make it? 


You see, crossfit is unlike any other competition. There are no weight classes; which is what makes it exciting but also very nerve-wrecking for a 50kgs, 5'2 small girl like me. Most crossfit women who I have seen compete are beasts and majority - not all - but majority weigh in their 60s with experience in Crossfit or other sports.


Yes, I was weight-training before, but not this way. Not even close.


However, when it comes to doing body-weighted movements, my light weight helps; with push ups, pullups....etc, but what worries me is that there will be a big weight thrown in the Open which will immediately disqualify me; especially anything overhead.


Although my overhead position improved SO much in the past 10 weeks; before I was not able to hold more than 5kgs and squat it down without dropping the bar. Yet, I recently did an overhead squat with 25kgs, and HERE is a video similar to what I did with 1kg less.


I have been going for physiotherapy for the past 10 weeks and doing extensive 30-45 minutes mobility exercises everyday (aside from my actual training). The goal of the physiotherapy is to make sure I get mobility, better range of motion, prevent injuries and work on existing injuries.


Yet, I wonder...is it enough? Am I doing enough to make it? Am I doing everything I should be doing to get through?


Another major concern of mine is....DOUBLE-UNDERS! Before Crossfit, I never skipped in my life, let alone do a double-under (which basically when you jump once and the rope goes under your feet twice.) I have been going at it for at least TWO months. I get it occasionally - out of the blue - and then it disappears for a long time. And to be honest, I am not sure how to get them. EVERYONE exhausted their double-under cues to me, I watched numerous videos...and it's just not happening. Will that be what stops me from making it through the open to go through Asia Regionals? 


I have quite a lot of these doubts. A lot of people tell me that I have passion and my passion will get me through. I don't think passion without hard work is enough. I have the passion, I am working hard, and spending a lot of money on my training and physio. Yet, I still wonder...is it enough?


I really for once in my life want to do something daring. I never did anything so. I want to make it to the regionals, even if it's just for ONE workout. I know I am not strong enough to make top 10 or go to the Games. Not because *I am not strong as me*, but I am not strong compared to the other women who have years of experience under their belt, while me...I have only been technically doing crossfit for 4-5 months.



It may seem that I am "making excuses", and maybe I am, but my excuses are realistic concerns, too....yet I am still training , working hard, and making gains. So my goal is to keep focusing on getting ME better. Getting ME stronger. Getting me to perfect some skills. Yet sometimes, my body doesn't respond the way I want it to.


I have these fears. And a lot more. They came up sometimes. It's normal and I need to let it out, because if I don't I will be cheating myself and only drive myself crazy with self-doubt.


Yet I am still trying and going to give it a shot - because I never know if I don't try and I don't want to regret not giving it all I've got. But at the same time, I want to be realistic and not disappoint myself if I don't make it or disappoint those who supported me, either.


Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999Fitness

My Experience: UAE Fitness Challenge

For the first time, this weekend I got a taste of what competing publicly feels like, despite being part of smaller competitions taking place in the "box" I train at, it wasn't the same. The difference this time... I competed against people I never met, in a strange place, and outdoors under a scorching sun - while being the only person fully covered.

Before I go into details of the competition...I have to admit, last week I had a major breakdown regarding my training for competing in Crossfit 2012. Having told the world my plans, it came with the consequence with the pressure of expectation, and not necessairly of those by others, but of myself and my progress.  After much reflecting, crying (a tank of it!), and talking to some people...I realized I have always had one goal - keep getting stronger - with or with no competition in mind.

So on a Thursday afternoon, I randomly decided - with no plan, no training for this particular competition - what the hey! Let's go compete for fun! Not only I had fun, I surprised myself with my result!

On Friday morning the 2nd UAE Fitness Challenge which is organised by Men's Fitness and Shape ME Magazine took place in the Le Royal Meridien, from 9am-1pm. The competition had three categories: Individual Men, Individual Women, and Teams.

The competition was a 12 Minutes AMRAP (aka - As Many Rounds As Possible) of:

• 10 Polymetric Box Jumps (m = 24inch, w = 20inch)
• 15 Hand Release Push Ups
• 20 Kettlebell swings (m = 16kgs, w = 8kgs)
• 100m Run

Photoshoot by Shape ME

I guess the moment it hit me that I was competing was after they demonstrated the movements, they called my name in Heat 1 (basically a certain number of people competing in a group). They shouted my name..."Amna Al Haddad", and a whole bunch of the peeps I knew there were rooting for me and I felt an adrenaline rush!

Two minutes later, the competition began. As I finished my first round, I breezed through it...but it started gettng harder in round two...having competed outdoors for the first time fully covered was a bit of a challenge on its own. I never did any extrenous activity outdoors before, so I started feeling extremely dehydrated, and running is one of my weaknesses alongside box jumps ( although some said I beasted the hell out of those! Still work in progress in getting my rhythm & soft landing). I kept my mind focused on the simple fact, this is only 12 minutes (although from hell) it's just 12 minutes. Give it all I've got!

As the countdown began, I have completed 4 rounds + 10 box jumps + 15 push ups + 17 kb swings. Today they announced the scores...and I ranked 13th out of 20 contenstants in the Individual category (both men and women). I am very very pleased with my result...because the TOP Athletes (PT's, winners of big titles, and regular competitors) were in their 6th or 7th round and I was in my 5th. This means I am catching up with the best...so watch out boys and girls!


The top three women were:

1. Candice Howe (My awesome coach who is very humble! @CandiceHowe)
2. Inger Larsen (The queen of double-unders who trains with us @CrossFitLSDubai)
3. Lisa Doe

 
 The top three men were:

1. Justin Ahrens
2. Phill Robson
3. Paul Hymers (@fitnessindubai)

The top three teams were:

1. CrossFit LifeSpark - Coach Ben & the boys!
2. Core Direction
3. Glory Girls (Super Duper awesome strong women! @GLORYGIRLFIT)

CrossFit LifeSpark Team: From left to right, Lee, Luke
Coach Ben, Coach Candice, me, and Chris.

All in all it was an amazing experience to be part of the UAE Fitness Challenge. But no one can deny that Crossfit LifeSpark two coaches, regular crossfitter men and women really stole the show. We walked in quiet, but walked out loud.


Next Fitness Challenge here I come,...but wait, which direction to run again? 

 For more, click HERE to see the workouts, WOMEN athletes, MEN athletes, and TEAMS.
Yours Truly,
GymFreak @ 999fitness

My Inspiration: Kulsoom Abdullah - Hijabi Weightlifter

For most people, any bump on the road will either slow you down or make you want to stop side-aways. While for others, they will fight for what they believe in and what they have passion for. One such person is Kulsoom Abdullah, an American-Pakistani weightlifter, who I have heard about few months ago.

Kulsoom has got the media attention when she wanted to be fully covered and compete in the 2011 US National Weightlifting Tournament that took place in July, she was told she could not because of the way she dresses. However, that did not stop her. In fact, she recently flew to Paris to compete at 2011 World Weightlifting Championship in the 48KG, C class division, the first and only Pakistani female to do so.

In an e-mail interview with me, she said: "I do not have an ultimate goal.  It was the same when I started.  I just did it, and kept going with it. I did not even have goals of competing, but that just happened along the way, as did everything else till now. It has also been unexpected."

Kulsoom has inspired me in a way I don't think anyone else can. She has pushed through boundaries, went out of her way and got special clothes designed for her and still held on to her Hijab...just to do what she loves to do: lifting weights.

"I did not have a role model in hijab for weightlifting...but I have admired the accomplishments of other females in sports. The dedication it takes and the skills you gain was something I wanted to get."  

Her fitness journey started close to her graduation from grad school; Kulsoom used to practise Taekwondo until she learned about Olympic Lifts in 2007. She then started her Olympic Weightlifting training alongside doing Crossfit.

"I loved to lift, and I would attend separate class sessions on weightlifting in addition to doing Crossfit workouts. Finally, at the beginning of 2010, my coach convinced me to go to an open local weightlifting competition in March." 

She then continued into competing at events so she can qualifies. Despite her hard-work, I asked her if she faced any challenges training in a scarf.

"With each activity, there is adjustment and experimentation.  I remember a few times when I did have done some overhead lifts, Snatch or Jerk, the barbell made the scarf fly up and over my face.  I still finished the lift, but I then adjusted my head scarf accordingly," she said, a situation I have faced myself!

Unlike majority of those training, she would train fully-covered, head to toe, and often times people would ask her how she feels about it. 

"A lot of people wonder if I get "hot" because of the extra layers of clothing but I am used to it, I tell them," adding she has been wearing the scarf since she was 14 years old.

Many people can really learn about "fighting for what you believe in" through her story, and inspired me she did.

"I hope it will help encourage other women to try a sport and compete. Definitely, if I knew and was exposed to this when I was younger, I would have started back when I was a child."

Her message to women out there? "There is no reason to consider this sport taboo or masculine, it's far from the truth," she said.

To know more about Kulsoom: 

Click HERE to visit her Facebook Page.
Click HERE to visit her Website.
Click HERE to visit her Twitter Account.

Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

Review: Olympic Weightlifting in Dubai Clinic

The Olympic Lifts generally are often not given the credit they deserve and often neglected in majority of training programs. In fact, for the past 4 years that I was lifting weights, I not once thought about doing a Clean and Jerk or the Snatch. But then again these two lifts are two of the most complicated lifts and not anyone can just teach them and you don't learn them overnight or even months for some as they are very technique-based.


However, today I visited my first "clinic", a three-hour course run by Olympic WeightLifting in Dubai headed by Coach Derrick Branford & Coach Ikaika Paakaula, in coordination with Evolve UAE. Both coaches have been Olympic Lifting for 10-15 years each. Although having traind with Derrick earlier and with Ikaika recently, I have learnt greatly about Olympic lifts more so today.

Quick Tip: Both lifts require weights being lifted from the ground to an overhead position.

Before getting into the lifts, we started with a general warm-up - which is important to prevent injuries and warmed up the muscles that will be used in the lifts. After that we spent the first hour learning how to "snatch." To practise the lifts, we used PVC pipes and used light weights as the main goal was to learn the technique and not how much we can lift. We worked through the different progressions on getting the lift. The snatch uses a wide-grip and starts from a Deadlift position.

Derrick in action after the second pull

Tips for the Snatch were:

- Always keep the bar close to your body.
- As you pull the bar from the ground until you reach your knees, your upper body stays in the same position and only your leg moves.
-As you reach over your knees, your shoulders would come forward
- Drag the bar up your body and just before you go for the pull, the bar slightly moves away from the body
- Then you use your hips to generate a pop that will drive the bar upwards (not forward or you will miss the lift!)
- Then you go under the bar to catch it overhead with locked out arms
- Then down into an overhead squat.
- You finish by standing with the weight lifted overhead.

Ikaika in an Overhead Squat position

ps: The Snatch is considered a much more complicated lift than the Clean and Jerk.


The Snatch is actually on of my personal weaknesses and just yesterday after two months of hard work I was able to get my half bodyweight Power Snatch:

After we were done with the Snatch, we moved on to the Clean&Jerk which priniciple is pretty much the same. The first part of the Clean is similar to the Snatch in terms of the first pull, which is from the deadlift position up until the pop from the hips, where the second pull takes place. However, the clean and jerk has a narrow-stance and you have to move under the bar and catch the weight on your shoulders first and then drive down into a front squat.

During the class, we learned the push press and the split jerk - which is a movement in which you use your legs to generate power to push the weight overhead. 

Tips on the Clean and Jerk:

- Stay patient with the bar until you reach your second pull.
-Keep your back upright and straight while doing a front squat (don't lean forward)
- Derrick said during the class that the amount of weight lifted overhead in a push press has nothing to do with upper body strength, it's all legs.
- To recover from the split jerk movement, always bring the front foot forward (otherwise you will lose balance), and slowly recover in small movements both legs.

Here is a video of me doing a 40kgs Power Clean. FYI - The 40kgs lift was not pretty lift (i.e. I didn't get under the bar to catch it): 

To wrap up the course, both Derrick and Ikaika demonstrated The Snatch, Clean&Jerk, and Back Squat which you can view HERE in their facebook page. They were MAD! Lifting up to 150kgs.

In a quick chat with Derrick, he said that he spent more than a year just lifting with a broomstick before he actually lifted with weights. The movements are complicated and take time to learn. As he said "It's like riding a bicycle." Once your central nervous system gets used to it - your body never forgets it. So it's best to learn these lifts with good habits from the beginning, as opposed to bad habits which will eventually lead to injury.

Derricks advice to me was simple = stronger legs makes a huge difference. Champions never went a day without squatting. So SHUT UP AND GET YOUR ASS TO GRASS!

I recommend anyone serious about getting stronger, fitter, serious about weightlifting - and improving their oly lifts technique to take part in the next clinic which will be announced in Olympic Weightlifting Dubai Facebook page...and the cool thing? You also get a....

Yours Truly,
GymFreak @999fitness


 

One Month Reflection: Mentality, Training, and Diet

It's been exactly one month since I started my training for the Open Crossfit competition which will take place in exactly 3 months. I thought it would be good to write a post to assess my weaknesses and strengths that I have come across in the past month.

The post will be broken down into: mentality, training ups & downs, and finally my diet.

1. Mentality: 

A large part of training is really mental. Not physical. One of the things I always struggled with is believing in myself and ability, and most of all my strength. There were points where I used to get angry and feel disappointed with not getting the lift I wanted, the weight, or the time, or rounds I thought I could get. In fact, there were times where I literally just wanted to give up. But in the past month I learned that without my failures, I will not grow as a person or as an athlete.

I learned to accept there will be heavy gravity days, there will be days where I don't get what I want, but I also learned through my failures is that I actually wanted to get it even more. So that meant I need to work harder and think smarter. Instead of freaking out about the weight I will be picking, or the workout I have to do, I need to think about my goals, about what I want to achieve - and do my best to achieve it, even if it meant failing again and again. 

And to be honest? I got greedy a bit with my lifts and reality hit me when I struggled TWICE to life 85kgs, when I did lift it once 3 times in a row....EASY!

Lesson? Don't get greedy. There will be really good days. Keep working hard. You will see results.

2. Training up & downs: 

I recently found out that my body is literally "all over the place." In other words, I have a leg that is slightly longer than the other, one hip has more range of motion (ROM), I don't have full ROM of my shoulders - and it has been a big stumbling block in my training, by the way. Anything overhead SUCKS! Putting it all together is affecting my spine and my "natural" posture...to put the situation in simple words.

Due to the reasons above, a lot of what I need to achieve, I have not been able to - and need physiotherapy for it (still do, but financial situation is not allowing me to do it as often as I need to). Hopefully it will get sorted out soon!

Anyway..., I have been working on my mobility for at least two months now, and slowly I am learning to deal with these "situations." And honestly? Sometimes they freak me out. I wonder if I will ever be able to get my issues resolved to make the best of my strength so I can make it to the crossfit regionals. I often wonder... Will I ever be able to get 40kgs overhead? Will I ever be able to overhead squat more than 20kgs? Will I be able to do a handstand in the right position? Let alone handstand pushups! Will I be able to squat more weight?

I have these fears, but I am not letting them stop me from training or pushing against odds. For all it's worth, let me list down my training "ups" & "need to work on..."


Last month ups...

• Deadlifting 85kgs x 3
• Shoulder press position improved significantly
• Got wall handstands & one free handstand
• Squat form improved GREATLY within 7 months
• Improved kipping
• Split jerk @ 35kgs 
• 1RM Squat @ 65kgs
• Push Press @ 32.5kgsx5 
• Capacity and endurance improved
• ...mostly? Mentality by the end of month one. Patience has set in and determination.

Need to work on....

• Improving mentality every single session
• Gymnastic skills: handstands, ring dips...to name a few
• Up on the list is DOUBLE UNDERS! They are a MUST in competition, and I ain't got them
• Improve my Olympic lifts: Clean&Jerk and The Snatch (technique and weight)
• Other skills: Knee to Elbows, Kettlebell swings with big weights 
• Need unbroken box jumps
• Hollow rocks
• Running (I am a fast sprinter, but not a good runner!) 
• Increase amount of weight lifted overhead. 

I failed a lot last month, and there is no need to mention every single failure with the world. But one thing is for sure, I have a lot of work to do, and I say BRING IT ON...with the blood and sweat, and tears...of course!

3. Diet

People often ask me what I eat and what eating lifestyle I follow. Well, I follow my own guidelines. Yes, there are eating lifestlyes that are the most "ideal", and work for the majority. But not for me. I had a number of people either advising me on what to eat or how I should eat. I only realized by doing so I only became obsessed with food, and every single bite I had made me  feel guilty if I "strayed" from what I should be eating.

Four years ago, I actually had a major binging problem - not the point I had to go to someone to "fix it" or "fix me", but I knew I was going through a path of self-destruction. I started dieting, counting calories, not eating certain foods...and then going CRAZY on weekends, nachos, burgers, 3 scoops of ice cream. YOU NAME IT!

Finding myself in that old mentality - again, mentality - I realized you know what? It's not that I don't care what the experts told me is best for me to get the best results, but I know if I did exactly what they told me to do through sudden changes in my eating lifestyle, I am only setting up myself for failure. I was doing perfectly fine on my own as I know the consequences of the food I am eating, I know what reaction I will get from certain foods and whatnot. I understand how to control my weight, how to gain and how to lose.

So in the past two years I have been following my own diet and despite eating the way I did, I still made muscle mass gains, strength gains, I lost 15% of bodyfat in 2 years ON MY OWN in a healthy way - mentally and physically. So I decided I will continue doing what I am doing, and SLOWLY change some eating habits when I see fit according to the advice given to me.

My diet consists of the following food items: 

• Lean meats (chicken, steak, turkey...and now introduced salmon)
• Eggs
• Lots of veggies (mixed greens, carrots, broccoli...etc,)
• Wholewheat rice or white rice occassionally
• A bit of dairy (a cup of milk every other day and an ounce of cheese in my salad) 
• Healthy fats: nuts, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil...
• Sauces: balsamic or lemon olive oil.
• Ice cream (specifc flavors!) or chocolate (I only eat lindt milk chocolate actually!) on specific days post-workout (Disclaimer: it works for me - it may not work for you, so don't try it!)
• I should eat fruits, I don't as much as I should. One fruit a day would be enough for me.

The above is just a quick run through of the kind of foods I eat. Most of my calories come from protein sources and healthy fats, and some from carbs. Also, I often stay away from junk food: i.e. fried foods and pastries. I eat whole foods 80% of the time, so the results I see are from my diet and not just training Just how I turned my eating lifestyle around in 2 years, I will turn it around even more with time. Baby steps!

Like I say...achieving a healthy lifestyle is a process, and it's not a procedure. Keep that in mind everytime you slip off the wagon - it will still be there for you to hop up on. If you choose to.

Yours truly,
GymFreak @999fitness

I once feared squatting...

Something that many do not know about me is my fear of squatting. Given I am a person who lift weights, and believe in compound movements, squatting is a no brainer.

You thought wrong.

Since I started training in 2007 up until April 2011, I never A) properly back squatted, B) ditched squatting for more than a year.

Why? The idea of having weight on my back and going deep enough scared me. I never had someone to spot me, didn't trust anyone to do it, and most of all feared being stuck in the bottom position with no idea how to bail out.

I occasionally, well less often than not, "attempted to squat", by doing half squats. I told myself doing those would workout my quads... who cared about my hamstrings and glut muscles, my deadlift will take care of that!

Wrong, again. Realizing I was not going to get away with half squatting. I decided you know what? The hell with squatting, it was not for me, I HATED it.

But in April 2011, things changed. One day I walked into something called a "box"  (i.e. http://crossfitlifesparkdubai.com/), where all I saw was barbells, plates...and a number of squat racks. The first thing my current coach, Candice Howe, asked me to do back then was... show her my squat. I did. It was any coaches' nightmare! I did not know how to SQUAT!...and by that time my half squats where at 50kgs.

50kgs, my a$$!

Since that day, she and I have worked hard to "re-program" my squats. We started with body weighted squats (trust me, they ain't easy still!), box squats, with 10kgs, 15kgs...etc, until we reached a bodyweight squat with 50kgs with depth just a couple of months ago.

However, this past weekend, all the hard work paid off....

Seven months later since April this year.... I still fear squatting, but I still squatted 65kgs. So now I will leave you to enjoy watching the video.

 

See how I got stuck coming up? Instead of calling for help...I fought to get it. That's progress. 

Yours truly,

Gym Freak @999fitness

Training for competition...is set!

Being involved in the fitness community, outside the comfort of a normal gym, I realized a lot of things. One of those things is that our fitness industry needs more Emirati women athletes and those involved sports (whatever the sport is!).

I also realized, not only that is needed - but I can do something about it. I started my fitness lifestyle in 2007 and had many ups and downs until it was November 2009. One day I woke up and I said, enough is
enough - and I took charge of my life, how I feel, what I eat, when I eat, how I think, and I react to things (okay, this still needs some work!). In a month, I would have completed two years leading a healthy lifestyle.

What I realized...this is not enough, and I want more and I can be more than an average gym-goer to get my dose of an exercise fix. Now I realize I want to be an athlete, be part of competitions, and make a name not just for myself, but for my country - which unfortunately has high obesity and diabetes rates.

Just about a month ago, I decided it's about time - and that I will train to compete. On Saturday the 14th, I started a new training regime. One that will hopefully get me ready to compete in Reebok Crossfit Games 2012 which is just 4 months away...but in the end of the day it's how much effort I am putting in, in each session.

To simplify the competition details, they are three stages:

Stage 1: The Open (Feb 22- March 25): Worldwide competition that takes place locally with one workout per week for five weeks (we don't know what the workouts will be). Scores and videos will be uploaded online to see who qualifies. The top 60 men, women, and teams’ with the highest scores from each region will be selected to compete in stage two. Last year, over 26,000 athletes competed!

Stage 2: Regional (April 27-May 27): Athletes from the same region will compete against one another to find out who is the fittest in their region.

Stage 3: Reebok Games in California (July 13-15): The fittest athletes from different regions will not only compete at this stage, but they will be tested on whether that can handle the unknown. The winners will earn the title of being the “Fittest man or woman on earth."

Since I will be competing against the unknown, literally, my goal is to get myself strong enough to reach the regional stage at LEAST, and I can only do that through putting my body through intense exercise, healthy eating habits, enough sleep, be stress-free, and a lot of rehabilitation.

Therefore, I will be updating my blog with my progress weekly with my training program for the week and my progress. Each Friday night I will be posting my weekly training and progress.

There is no reason I can't do this. I am going to smash it!

Yours truly,
GymFreak @999fitness