Times, they are a-changing

December 11 (10 weeks 4 days):

Lifting is a big part of my career title: Strength and Conditioning Coach. Recently, I have had some new PR’s in my Olympic lifts that are starting to scare my husband… He is well aware that I have been lifting for years now, but I promised I would transition into a maintenance phase when I felt I needed to.  Honestly, if I am not pushing my lower body lifts higher it really does feel like maintenance.  I mean the only good advice I CAN actually find out there are these two things 1) If you’ve been doing an exercise routine prior to becoming pregnant then you can continue doing what you were doing for the first trimester, and 2) Listen to your body. So far these PR’s have felt good. I haven’t tried to PR on Deadlifts, Front Squats, or Deadlifts at all lately.

So today I had a PR in full cleans 67.2 Kilos, Friday I had a PR on my 5RM bench 115lbs x 5,  Thursday I had a PR in my full snatch at 55 Kilos. So I’m excited that I’m still having PR’s, but yes of course I have concerns about what I need to change.  “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you have to.” (I read that in another pregnancy blog actually).  I think this is an important quote to remember, but when is it that I stop doing what I can do. I have this 20 week mark in my head from my doctor as being the week when your balance starts to really get affected so I am going to take out snatches at week 20, plus the pull of the snatch will be off because of my belly at that point. I also plan on cutting out my bike commutes to work and back ~24 miles round trip of riding (~18miles round trip on bus) at that point. I am already reducing that as is because of the short day light and the rainy weather (wet leaves = slipping prone –especially for Ms. Clumsy). Of course, no mountain biking, snowboarding, or contact activities either.

I guess why I’m really writing today is because I am really still doing everything in my lifting routine very similarly. I guess, I am starting to feel strangely guilty about not changing quickly enough, though. I recently cut box jumps and broad jumps and spinal flexion “abdominal” exercises. Yesterday:  Clean & Jerk 2x3, 6x1 ending @ 62 Kilos; Back Squat 5, 5, 3, 1, 5 ending @ 73 Kilos; Chin-ups 6x6; OH Press 5, 5, 3, 1, 3, 3, 3 ending at 37 Kilos; SA Bent Row 4x5e @ 60, 60, 65, 65; SL Step-downs 3 x 6e; 25lb Weighted Push-ups 4 x 5; Elevated & Weighted Glut/Ham Raise 4 x 8; KB Swing 3 x 8; Band walks and Planks. 30 minutes moderate cardio. So if I still feel good, I should still continue… or should I? If only there was more information out there about what to do. I mean I’m not “super” strong now, and these weights aren’t exactly easy, but they aren’t complete grinders either. A change is a-coming, but I’m just not sure if the change needs to change things that much just yet.