Categorie: Athletes

THREE KINDS OF FEELS I HAD IN WEEK 2

Ilrish Kensenhuis

Ola!

After a Sunday well spent doing absolutely nothing I am geared up for what is already week 3 of zhe program. But not before I inform y’all about some of the ways week 2 had me feeling’ of course. I’d be lying if I said everything I  had to do was super easy this time around because it was not . But even some of the things I suck at  aka loathe aka hate with a passion as big as my pretty-sizeable-behind, are starting to grow on me 😉 Soooo there it goes;

THREE KINDS OF FEELS THAT ACCOMPANIED ME TO THE GYM THIS WEEK.

ONE
Confusion. After thinking I just murdered my  first – heavyish -training on Saturday, I managed to mix everything up on Monday, again misreading my program (what else is new) and going in and out of my style during squats.  I told Wim and he said I couldn’t  execute my plan to play catch up on the things I missed in a session later in the week,  which first  actually really pissed me off  but turned out to be for the better once I put it in to perspective. Being confused about this has me fired up for the new week, were I aim to do not want to miss a thing #aerosmithvoice.

TWO
Hunger. And I mean that in every sense of the word. Most of you reading this will know that I am not the heaviest of super heavies around, in fact at my last meet I was just over 84 kg. Nevertheless  the weight thing doesn’t stop me from being as hungry as I can possibly be stepping in to the gym everyday and putting all of the kilo’s on me to work. Some say I ‘ SHOULD’ be bigger/ heavier , not knowing I actually know how it is to weigh 120KG  for example and I do not find anything amusing about it for me as a person. Taking that in mind helped me to stay hungry this week. I am hungry for kilo’s. On the bar. I am hungry for reds. Reds, on reds, on reds.

THREE
Fried-ness. Mid-week, after doing my umpteenth set of RDLs the thought of  me doing a doublebodyweighted anything just couldn’t be processed by my mind (or my body). I find correcting some things in my technique challenging with a vengeance,  but I know it is necessary for me to achieve my goals that consist of  maintaining and gaining strength, being a more complete lifter and growing as an athlete everyday. If feeling like a piece of doublefried chicken is part of  that I’ll take it , because my last session on saturday  proved  again that part of the ‘ i cannot….’ thoughts are made up in the mind.  And as you might have guessed by now my confused & hungry-fried-up-self managed to do everythang on zhe program. I think Wim would have locked me in the WimWamgym without food and water if I didn’t.

Adios!

ILY

| P L A Y T I M E | IS | O V E R |

Iris Kensenhuis

Last sunday my first equipped meet took place.
I am still over the moon about my performance on that stage. I ended one chapter of my lifting carreer to start reading another one.
Coach gave me some rest so I could recover from all of this. And I used my spare time to do so.
That does not mean I didn’t see the gym at all. I went to the gym several times and focused on mobility work and light weight exercises.

Yesterday I had my first central training. It felt heavy. Heavy on my body and my mind.
If you would tell me that I moved all that weight 505,5 KG in total at the equipped meet I would tell you that it was not me but a body double. So at this point I am not that happy about myself, and my first training of the new cycle. And the real deal has yet to come. PLAYTIME is over.

I have to find the switch to turn that unhappy feeling in something positive. Because I know there is a lot to be excited for.

□ International competitions
□ The opportunity to develop myself as a more  skilled athlete,
□ Learn a lot more about lifting and myself.

With my equipped performance last week I was able to get invited to participate at the European Championship Equipped Powerlifting in Pilsen  [ Czech Republic ]. Not in in a million years I would have thought I would be doing such a thing. Knowing that powerlifting started as a joke and just for fun. And within 2 years it has became the real deal.

Just as real as the tickets that are booked to Canada where I’ll be participating at the World Championship Powerlifting in Calgary. ✔⚪⚪⚪✔. Talking about FUN stuff right.

Without having fun there is nothing to it. So that is what I am going to have from now on even now PLAYTIME IS OVER.

The new cycle is leading to Dutch Nationals that is 48 days and 14 hours away.  So buckle your seatbelt. It’s going to be a bumpy right.

 

 

 

◇ Untill we meet again ◇

Video of all the deadlift attempts of Iris at the Dutch Equipped Powerlifting Nationals 2018

Wim Wamsteeker

Okay here the video of all the deadlift attempts of @inspirised at the Dutch Equipped Powerlifting Nationals of last Sunday. Including the new Dutch Record of 230,5kg. With this attempt she qualified herself for the European Equipped Powerlifting Championships in May 2018.
This meet is a very a nice steps towards her Worlds Classic Powerlifting in June 2018.

Read here blog about the nationals, click here and mine, click here!

THREE THINGS I LEARNED IN WEEK 1

Ilrish Kensenhuis
Hi!
From now until forever
(because that is how long I’m in the gym as of late)
I will write about the things I learned about myself, life, powerlifting and all that jazz here. As I am not longer invading the Wimwamgym as a spectator and visitor only, but because I can call Wim my trainer & coach now,  I think there will be plenty of things I want to write (read complain) about 🙂
The direct link to all this madness is www.powerliftster.nl Bookmarking  is free 🙂
To keep it fresh and frisky I will serve y’all weekly with a  ‘things ILY did’ segment starting right away with :
THREE THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT LIFTING ON A LIGHT PROGRAM MADE FOR A POWERLIFTER WHO CAN’T DO MATH. 
ONE 
Read! And if you think you understand, read it again. My sister got me a new notebook , i wrote the program down and still managed to do more reps than coach put down. Coach laughed at me when he saw my videos…. nice try honey.
TWO
Improvise! After getting pretty irritated about not having a 15 kilo dumbell for wobbly squats I managed to make my own with a 14 and my kilo plates. Doing my wobblys with a dumbell instead of a plate was kind of a thing to adjust to. I still loathe them with a passion but hey…. it is a small sacrifice if it enables me to squat 200 classic right 🙂
THREE
Go! On Saturday I had to do the ‘ heavy‘ sesh on my own because my sister Iris wasn’t training right before her debut at Equipped Nationals. I slept like crap but just told myself to GO GO GO and to suck it up. After 6 years, because that is how long that session took :-), I was rarely delighted to have squatted using my belt only on all of my topsets and managed with no equipment on bench and deadlift. Happy campergoals!
Looking forward to this week, I saw paused squats on there ; the joy 🙂
ILY

I AM WHATEVER I SAY I AM

Iris Kensenhuis

And that is being equipped in powerlifting: not only setting goals but achieving them ??

10 weeks ago I decided to give equipped lifting a try. And I discovered that the difference between a wish and and a goal is: ACTION. I did not only strived to learn how to master at least a tiny bit of this style of lifting. I worked my ass of to do so and complaint just as much ?.

While writing this blog it’s saturday 14.00 o’clock in the afternoon and am waiting for Sunday ‘competitionday’ to peep its head around the corner. I AM SET on giving all I have got and more. It’s time to let my technique, strength and focus come together and work MAGIC.

By speaking it in to existence I know it will be all right. SO NO MORE FEAR ONLY the right mindset I AM ON FIRE. I got my coach there…my sister there and (gym) friends who care for me and want to see me shine.

COMPETITION DAY |And how did it actually go?

Everything I wished for and more. Eager to continue with equipped lifting. I will with the though love from coach @wimwam1 who got me this far.  It would not have been able to do this without his help and persistence.

THEY NEVER SAW  US COMING. During the day I dealt with some turbulation. Missed my weigh in. Bench did go as  aspected….I gave it my best shot. But was not able to show all I have got in my 2nd and 3rd attempt. But most off all I am uttermost satisfied. Squats went and felt great. I know what I have to work out. Especially my WALK OUT and wearing a tighter suit. Deadlifts need some extra love on my lock out and using the suit more. I lift classic in the suit and that works against me. But hey….that only means that I am getting stronger right ?✅✅

Broke the DUTCH EQUIPPED Deadlift record with a pound!!! Pretty AWESOME. . .

SQUAT 185 ✅ 195 ✅ 200 ❌
[ FOCUS ]
Bench 80   ✅ 87.5❌  87.5❌

[DETERMINATION]
Deadlift 220   ✅ 230.5✅ 238   ❌

[TECHNIQUE ]

Leave a comment if you want me to write a about a particular subject relating to my equipped journey.

◇ Untill we meet again ◇

Video of all my attempts:

Iris Kensenhuis debut at the Dutch Nationals Equipped Powerlifting, 3rd place overall & National record deadlift 230,5 kg

Wim Wamsteeker

Today Iris had her debut at the Dutch Nationals Equipped Powerlifting.  After 10 weeks training and 5 equipped training, she did a great job! Awesome to be at here side 🙂 For me also a comeback as coach on a meet. I can imagine she will write her own blog this coming week at www.powerlifter.nl

Nevertheless below some facts of her meet and below the video of all her attempts, including the Dutch National Record deadlift with 230,5kg

Squats went great. 1st attempt 185kg followed by 195kg. Unfortunately 2 reds on her 3rd attempt of 200kg. In my opinion it was a good attempt. Nevertheless you have to accept the referees decissions.

1st attempt bench press was very nice. On her 2nd & 3rd attempt the plate on the right side hits the safety racks. The safety racks were not locked at the rack and therefore moved too much outside 🙁 Also with that kind of a mather you have to deal with.

Deadlifting went awesome. Iris 1st attempt was 220kg (equal to here classic record) followed by 230,5kg. And that is a new Dutch Record Powerlifting Equipped. Her 3rd attempt 238kg was a little bit to heavy for today.

Overall she became 3rd place on her 1st Equipped Powerlifting meet. Hopefully she will be invited for the European Equipped Powerlifting Championship in May 2018. If she does 🙂 it will be Time for really tight suits. I can imagine at least 1 person will like that very much 😀

Again Iris you did a very good job!!! proud!

I T ‘S | A L M O S T | F I N A L |

Iris Kensenhuis
The countdown…

Technique is more important than heavy training

Wim Wamsteeker

Blog by: Ricky Bakker

Who does not know that expression? Everyone does, and I hear around me that technique is extremely important. I think so too. But do we really do that, and is that really something that you have to do endlessly. I ask myself out loud.

In my new training method, well Wim’s, technique stands central, we are also critical of the technical part. But we also work hard, we also lift relatively heavily. Because that is ultimately our goal. Getting stronger!

For me it remains difficult, I want to see those pounds on the bar. Prove that I have become stronger. Wim ensures me that I give gas but not tooooo much. Going heavier than the schedule is a no go (in his opinion).  But will I than become stronger?

Yes absolutely, last week I ended with the most stable squat on high kilos ever. 🙂 Oh and you saw the speed of my deadlift and that in 1 set for 3 reps.

Do you know what a good techniuqe does with my body? It reduces my muscle pain / injures, without having to go to the physiotherapist. So form is more important than I thought.

Since I am at Wim, we evaluate each session. Sometimes short (I’ve often hear more tension here, double elastic, etc.) and sometimes longer about the way how to train (attitude / mental approach).  The always recurring questions: what do you see yourself?  What do you think of it yourself? What did you feel? They ensure me that I am not a robot athlete but someone who thinks, feels and learns.

Evaluating helps me to see where the mistakes are, what is going well, what is improving and gives me the opportunity to adjust thimgs during my training.

My progress is in various parts. Nice that this is taught to me.

F A I L I N G I S Y O U R B E S T M A S T E R

Iris Kensenhuis

F A I L I N G  I S  YO U R  B E S T   M A S T ER
.
Eight weeks back I had no idea where I got myself in to. I think I know a lot more since then, but I am still searching fore  some overall clarity. I am learning new stuff by doing new things.  It gives me a new understanding about what I’m capable of doing. Am very gratefull for it.
.
Overall I can say that some things feel good and a lot feels akward. And that akward feelling makes me somewhat insecure. It’s not a big deal…but enough of a deal for me to point it out. Knowing that it eventualy will make me embrace that feeling.  As I heard today (watching the Winter Olympics) that even the best of the best (top) atheletes have insecurities.

.
This week most things I planned went as planned!
Particularly me following my training in the order I’m supposed to: 1,2,3, 4 and not 1,3,2 and 4. ?

I wouldn’t be me (silly human) if I didn’t mess something up. Ofcourse misloading plates during one of my work outs. Due to lack of my counting ability. This mistake came to bite me in the a$$ during this central training. I wasn’t able to hit all the numbers like I wanted to. Well you live and you learn right?

And F A I L I N G is a part of that. I’m learning to accept and adapt to this roalercoaster ride. Eventhough it’s difficult from time to time. But I’m learning from the best Master.

Untill we meet again..

 

 

Tick…. tick….tick…. tick ….BOOM

Iris Kensenhuis

That’s how I can describe yesterday’s training.
I tried my hardest to make this week go as smooth as possible.
.
.
I can check the following boxes.
□ Did all work outs
□ Managed my time a lot better
□ Felt strong during the week
□ Eat and slept enough
□ Looked forward to the ‘lightweighted’ central training
.
.
Even with all this preperation the central training got me like…..RU FREAKING KIDDING ME.
.
.
Squats felt heavy….bench went much better….and deadlifts……..:-/.  Don’t you even get me started!
In Dutch there is a saying that goes like: those who are not strong should be smart.
Well… I can tell you that is difficult with a fried brain.
.
.
During this training I asked myself many times….what am I doing? Why does this feels like I’m surviving. I’m glad to say that my technique  saved me through this day cause I felt like ‘UGH’. The head was out of office, and my manners took a vacation. Alll that was left was the heart to lift with.
.
.
My sister @ilyscious was there to have my back. Every step a long the way, alongside coach. The one and only coach who made me do extra sets and reps to get the best (of that day) out of me. That is what I realise now. But at that moment it felt like he was pushing all my buttons and really got on my nerves. We are still friends but I did not like his behaviour that much! Or was it my own?
.
.
This video shows what that looks like. I dare you to watch it (without laughing).
*3×170KG EQUIPPED SQUATS
*5×195KG EQUIPPED DEADLIFTS
.
.
After getting my frustration out of the way, Coach was so kind to remind me of the boxes I forgot to  check:
□ Not sticking to the order of the programme
□ Forgetting that I’ve made progression
□ Being to ‘lightheaded’ about the lighttraining
□ Choosing to survive
□ Taking one step at a time
.
.
Uhm….what did you say? Well that sets the record straight!
.
.
When you think you know, but you have no idea.
.
.
Untill we meet again