Finally it started… My long-waited and long-lasting holiday! Even thought it felt bad to spare  holidays for the winter I would say it is not so bad to start holiday 18.12. and end it 21.1.2014. After that I will work couple of days a week (I need to spend my extra hours) and train more. It will end after Europeans so my plans seem to be very clear now.

Like I told months ago I have coached a bit more now. Because I no more have to concentrate on my max lifts now I have had time to focus on my trainees a bit more. And that is why I decided to tell something about my little fellows, Tuomas, Tatu and Pauliina  – my dream team :)

Tuomas is a 21-year-old powerlifter who lifts in under 120 kilos weight category. It is a bit challenging for me because I have gotten used to training with girls or skinny guys (sorry Tatu :D ). Tuomas needs longer breaks and more light weeks than Tatu and Pauliina. Pauliina is my first wieghtlifting trainee and with her Mika has helped me if I have had any questions. Pauliina has danced ballet and her biggest problem is her strength (the easiest task for me is to plan strength training for girls :) ). She works hard… Harder than I had expected and that is her best talent. She has completed every training session I have written with 110 % motivation and her mental strength and motivation are huge. I would say there is not so many people who would manage to train through those squat programs that I have made for her.

Tatu and me started with the goal of winning Worlds 2014. At a very early stage I noticed his talents in weightlifting and now Tatu will start training that too. After South-Africa’s WC in June will be  good time to concentrate on olympic lifting. We will see… :)

Last week was very good for us…

First Tuomas lifted 360 DL (330 without belt ) and squatted 300 kg in training. Tuomas’s bests are 345,5 kg DL and 285 kg squat. Then after that Tatu made a new Finnish record in DL and lifted 220 kilos. His old own record was 202,5 kilos… Impressive development!! Then couple of days ago he squatted 210 kilos… His personal best was 187,5 kilos and the best part : own weight 74 kilos.

And my little Pauliina… Her Finnish Cup was awesome.  She snatched 3 good lifts (62,65,67) and increased her personal best by 4 kilos. Then she clean&jerked 80, 83 and 85 (3 kilos more than before). It has been very motivating and I have noticed that I enjoy my trainees’ good results as much as my own. :)

Coaching is learning by doing. I need to take care of  everyone’s personal needs and learn their weaknesses and strengths. The most difficult part is when the programs are not working.. Even if it’s not always the program’s fault, I need to find out what is the problem. So for example by attending the training sessions to get to know the trainees’ habits, training cycles and methods I should learn something about my trainees’ mental parts. I should be interested in their doings ( actually I am) and get to know them better.

Ï wanted to have  a couple weeks of holiday from training programs as well. Next week I need to start planning my team’s competition calender and next years cycles. Exciting!

But I will add now some videos about their doings in the end.

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I turned a new page in my trainings. I have started to enjoy snatches. I have noticed that if I am motivated I lift better (SURPRISE! ). So instead of fearing of failures I have thought that I am Ilya Ilyin from Kallio and this is my thing. I do not know but it worked. I have lifted much better and I did some new records as well. But I did not video them. (My coach does not like that :) ) So I need to take videos when I am alone. (tomorrow ;) )

I am waiting for January. The first time after graduating I have a chance to train without stress and I can recover better. I have also decided to be more active in my social life so maybe I will manage to write more often. Haha. False promises :D like my keeping in schedules.

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On January there are a lot new things coming. I have promised to help some my friends who are preparing themselves to a cross-fit competition so we will now have group training couple times a week. (COOOL :) ) My life will be only weightlifting until Europeans. On January I will fix my eatings as well (I am so full of carbohydrates that I needed to give my jeans away…Too huge legs :P )

But hey, like I said I will write more interesting stories about my little crossfitter mates, about Pauliina and guys and maybe something about my trainings.

See you then – hopefully before christmas.

Anni