Tag: equipped powerlifting

Rhythm is a dancer….. (5 minutes reading time)

Iris Kensenhuis

Hi Folks,
To whom it may concern 😉 ,

After at least 1,5 years of no competitions because of the state the world was in, it’s a pleasure and privilege to be able to be in competition preparation again. If there is one thing I’ve learned about myself and this situation it’s “SLOWING DOWN”. Things that I already never took for granted; health, a roof above my head, being able to see different parts of the world and sharing quality time with loved ones (nearby and overseas) became even more special. Even getting to know my body and understand how it moves was one of it.

 

Before all the lock downs (I even lost count), I participiated in every competition that I was able to attain. I’m blessed to say that I’ve learned a lot about myself and the sport at every one of them. Mostly that there is no winning without losing. Looking back at these times my focus slowly but surely has shifted more and more to equipped powerlifting. Even though this discipline seems to be the less  favored by the most people who are participating in this sport it resonates with me on another level; it takes another kind of mental courage and preparation. Besides that it shows me that Rhythm is a dancer and I need a companion.

 

The gym is still a place I can call home, and home is where the heart is. Other sport activities also spiked my interest in these uncertain times showing me how to balance out strength, flexibility, letting go versus tensing up. Being uncomfortable means that I’m trying something new, I’m learning, and expanding.. Discomfort is a sign that I’m GROWing, even when the unknown makes me nervous at times, and that is totally okay.

 

 

Thnx for reading, and I hope you are doing well and enjoying live as much as possible.

Kind regards,
Iris xoxo

 

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

Recovery training……. only really recovery training tomorrow :-)

Wim Wamsteeker

Still have this happy  feeling inside me,  about the fact that I squatted  (half) suit yesterday.

It will take some time control it again and manage the pressure. Hopefully an equipped meet will be held in a few months time. The nationals end this month comes too early, because I’ve got another mission to take care of 🙂

Today’s training (60 minutes)
Squats 3×3 130kg (pause)
Deadlift 3×3 160kg
Bench press 3×3 110kg

First (half) suit training squats and sumo deadlifts after more over a year…..

Wim Wamsteeker

Today I had my 1st (half) suit training, since January 2017 (just before my operation)…….. Three words to describe this feeling………. IT FELT AWESOME….. like a little kid in a candy shop or toy store 😀 ………..

Most important thing to know when you start up your suit training:  don’t be obsessed to hit the right depth on your first suit training…. Start to get used wearing the suit and treat it like it is your friend. The suit is made to help you squat bigger weights….. just like the feeling of insecurity. This feeling is your biggest friend when you give it a place to be there and support you, to give all what you have got. All of your feelings are there to help you at the moment you feel it. The feeling of insecurity is there, because that moment is important for you and feeling the feeling of insecurity gives you the opportunity to focus on your technique to fullfill your goals…. Nothing more or less…..in the beginning and at the end feeling insecure is your biggest friend like failing is your biggest master 😉 please read the final blog of Iris aka powerlifter.nl, click here!

Back to my training today…… Although I’m an equipped lifter, wearing the suit (half) it felt strange and tight for now 🙂 With that knowlegde I  excecuted my sets rep for rep….. Just to make each rep a little bit deeper than the previous one. For today it felt awesome. When I will wear a looser suit in the future and my bodyweight will be -120kg again, hitting the depth will be easier and also control the pressure in my head. Last week I squatted 212,5kg on the Master Classic Powerlifting Nationals and today 3x235kg half suit 😉

Sumo deadlifting with (half) suit is a NO GO for the future. It was nice to do, only I felt to much pressure in my head at the start of the movement till the lock out. So I’m pleased with this result, so I can continue the way I did with my conventional deadlift where I control my breathing and pressure very well. Last week I deadlifted 242,5kg, so 250kg+ will be possible in the future.

Next test will be a bench press session with a very loose shirt 😀 Last Friday I bench pressed wearing the Titan Super Ram. Maybe I will do that next week Sunday….. Keep you posted ofcourse. Check out the video below of today’s (half) suit training 🙂

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
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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.
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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.

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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..

 

 

Wobbly squats with 70kg dumbells & bench press with Titan Super Ram

Wim Wamsteeker

People know that I’m an equipped lifter instead of a classic lifter. Classic lifting is just ‘like training’. Now I’m back in training and I have control over my breathing, so I can control the pressure in my head, equipped lifting it starts to itch again……. Therefore today I added the Titan Super Ram in my training 🙂 Last Sunday I ended with 127,5kg in my 3rd attempt and today I bench pressed 3x140kg using my Titan Super Ram 😀 

The question is now: Shall I do some squats on Sunday, wearing a suit  (half) which is loose and knee wraps and show the difference between classic squats and equipped squats? what do you think? Leave comment below 😉

I started the training with wobbly squats instead of 15kg dumbell (each side) I added 35kg dumbells (each side) just for fun 3×3 130kg (total weight) with pause 🙂 and deadlifting 3×2 190kg.

Born Strong – Documentary

Wim Wamsteeker

Great documentary. When you have seen this video. No words are needed anymore….. about how my mind works 😀

Wobbly squats, bench press and chain deadlifts…… and ready for sleeptest

Wim Wamsteeker

This I had a ligth weight session, ofcourse 😉  And I added bands with dumbells and chains to the excersises squats, deadlift and bench press.
Below an impression of today’s training.

Squats (wobbly) 3×2 90kg + 30kg dumbells + 20kg chains
Deadlift 3×2 160kg + 20kg chains
Bench press 3×2 70kg + 20kg plates + 20kg chains

Also I had an appointment for my sleeptesting for tonight. Looking like the man of six million dollar 😀 ……. I thought by myself…. I can also visited the trainstation and just walk around without my jacket…… Curious what they call a measure during the night and what the outcome will be of this test. On 19th Februari I will know more…..

 

Next recovery session…..

Wim Wamsteeker

Recovery sesion 2 🙂 30 minutes trainingsession…

It felt okay to train such a short time….. Physical my body feels good. So now I take the time to recover from my mental effort. During the Fox Gym Cup meet I kept myself away from the crowd and listened to 80’s music all the time. Nevertheless I feel a mental fatigue and therefore I trained yesterday and today only for 30 minutes.  Click here, to watch the video of my meet 😉

Today’s light weight recovery:
Squats 3×3 110kg (pause)
Deadlift 3×3 140kg (stop after lift-off)
Bench press 3×3 90kg (2 stops)

Just recovery training….

Wim Wamsteeker

Still pleased with my result of yesterday meet. Most of all that I’m lifting on the platform again….. and now I have to wait for the first upcoming meet in September 🙁 😉  Blog of yesterday meet, click here!

Today light weight recovery:
Squats 3×3 120kg
Deadlift 3×3 150kg
Bench press 3×3 95kg

35 minutes session 🙂