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SofaGeorge
New member
I've got to admit - it takes an awful lot to amaze me... especially when it comes to PRs. We have B-Fold, Hannibal, C-Ditty, Spatts, etc... throwing up ungodly weights. One week we see somebody deadlift 500 lbs for 10 reps... the very next week they are yanking up 700 lbs... and the week after that it's 800 lbs for reps.
Tonight, though, I witnessed the PR that was probably the most impressive one I could ever see. (Remember the name Rebecca. You'll hear about her again in a minute.)
Some of you already know I am training the Songbirds. They are teh elite dance squad at my daughter's high school. They are all 16... pretty girls... and real sweet hearts. They are all smart, look you in the eye... and they giggle like crazy throughout their workouts. (They also started dancing in unison yesterday while we were in the middle of back work. It was hillarious to watch. Those kids can seriously dance. They bounced between the benches and boogied everywhere.)
They've only been coming in for a few workouts... and for the most part I am just getting them used to the movements... familiar with the exercises... and trying to get them over being intimidated by the weights.
Tonight, though, low and behold... one of the little pups really pulled it out of the hat.
We were working on incline dumbell bench. Everybody uses the same weight... 20 lbs dumbells. Some of the girls can get 10 reps. Some can only get 4-5 before their form starts to get really scarry... but tonight Rebecca went for it.
Rebecca is the tallest of the girl... very pretty... very smart. I really like her because she is at ease with adults... very honest... a very good kid. (But, god... you have to like them all. They are all wonderful kids.)
Rebecca had a little trouble last week. The dumbells scared her... especially when she almost smacked herself in the face. She only did maybe 5 reps her first workout... but tonight on her first set she went all the way to 10 reps... that is 10 busting reps with the big 20 lbs'ers. Then she made her decision. She asked me if she could move up to the 25s.
A couple of the other girls told her she shouldn't. It was too much weight... but she wanted to try it.
Should I let her? Was I setting her up to fail? (I envisioned Spatts or B-fold having the 25s come crushing through their skull on their first couple workouts... only to never return to the gym again.)
Okay, I said.
I knew I would have to spot her really carefully.
I set the weight on her knees. There was a slight look of fear in her eyes. The 25s were heavier than she thought. All the girls gathered around her. They were dead silent... almost afraid to make a peep.
Rebecca took a couple breaths... focused... then she popped the weights up using her knees the way I taught her and fell back... focused... breathing into it... 1... 2... 3... 4...5...
...Oh, my God, said one... Rebecca - you're so strong... said another...
...6... 7...
... Go Rebecca!...
...8. All the way to the big 8 reps with 25 lbs dumbells.
Then I took the weights and she got up.
I don't think I've ever seen so many excited faces in the gym. She got hugged by everybody. She got congratulated by every girl. She was so proud of herself and excited.
The sky is the limit for her for the rest of her life I think. She accomplished something very big today.
It was as amazing a PR as can ever be achieved.
Tonight, though, I witnessed the PR that was probably the most impressive one I could ever see. (Remember the name Rebecca. You'll hear about her again in a minute.)
Some of you already know I am training the Songbirds. They are teh elite dance squad at my daughter's high school. They are all 16... pretty girls... and real sweet hearts. They are all smart, look you in the eye... and they giggle like crazy throughout their workouts. (They also started dancing in unison yesterday while we were in the middle of back work. It was hillarious to watch. Those kids can seriously dance. They bounced between the benches and boogied everywhere.)
They've only been coming in for a few workouts... and for the most part I am just getting them used to the movements... familiar with the exercises... and trying to get them over being intimidated by the weights.
Tonight, though, low and behold... one of the little pups really pulled it out of the hat.
We were working on incline dumbell bench. Everybody uses the same weight... 20 lbs dumbells. Some of the girls can get 10 reps. Some can only get 4-5 before their form starts to get really scarry... but tonight Rebecca went for it.
Rebecca is the tallest of the girl... very pretty... very smart. I really like her because she is at ease with adults... very honest... a very good kid. (But, god... you have to like them all. They are all wonderful kids.)
Rebecca had a little trouble last week. The dumbells scared her... especially when she almost smacked herself in the face. She only did maybe 5 reps her first workout... but tonight on her first set she went all the way to 10 reps... that is 10 busting reps with the big 20 lbs'ers. Then she made her decision. She asked me if she could move up to the 25s.
A couple of the other girls told her she shouldn't. It was too much weight... but she wanted to try it.
Should I let her? Was I setting her up to fail? (I envisioned Spatts or B-fold having the 25s come crushing through their skull on their first couple workouts... only to never return to the gym again.)
Okay, I said.
I knew I would have to spot her really carefully.
I set the weight on her knees. There was a slight look of fear in her eyes. The 25s were heavier than she thought. All the girls gathered around her. They were dead silent... almost afraid to make a peep.
Rebecca took a couple breaths... focused... then she popped the weights up using her knees the way I taught her and fell back... focused... breathing into it... 1... 2... 3... 4...5...
...Oh, my God, said one... Rebecca - you're so strong... said another...
...6... 7...
... Go Rebecca!...
...8. All the way to the big 8 reps with 25 lbs dumbells.
Then I took the weights and she got up.
I don't think I've ever seen so many excited faces in the gym. She got hugged by everybody. She got congratulated by every girl. She was so proud of herself and excited.
The sky is the limit for her for the rest of her life I think. She accomplished something very big today.
It was as amazing a PR as can ever be achieved.
