dancezwithkittehz gets a grip (on silks hahahaha)

[dancezwithkittehz]

I am still trying to decide on how to round out this challenge buuut the primary focus of this challenge shall be my current weak points that are causing me to flounder and flounce sadly in aerial: grip strength, lack of chin up/pull up., lack of endurance in the air. (I am also still sort of doing a cut in that I still have a little bit of tummy chub I am working on losing, but I would really rather make sure I have enough food to fuel my workout schedule and lack of sleep so I am more doing maintenance + trying to eat more veggies and don't eat like an asshole. I'm more about intuitive eating than tracking and it's been making me lose teh fats so far sooo HEY stick with what works I suppose!) ANYWHO!!

 

GOALS!!

 

Grip training and static holds- Hang from my baby silk for grip training on all my off days from workouts (and also possibly on days when I do something not grip heavy like dance or working with my trainer if I have time/ energy!) When working on grip training also train static hold in both bent arm hang and straight arm/ dead hang, with both silks together and with both silks separately( and also if I have enough juice in my arms do bent arm hang and straight arm/dead hang on pull up bar for extra credit.)

 

Pull up training - 3x per week minimum work on pull up/chin up stuff. This can be negatives, jumping pulls, band assisted pulls or whatever. Aerial day and trainer day will most likely count for 2 of these days and then I need to mix in at least one more day of this in the week (may shoot for 2 days since I am currently doing trainer day on Monday and aerial on Tuesday.)

 

Life Goal- Lipstick - I never wear lipstick and I'd like to because I like the way it looks. SOOOO GOAL TIME! Wear lipstick at least 1x per week. I'd love this to be on a work day but if it is just me wearing lipstick around the house on the weekend to get used to how it feels then that's still something! This totally worked for me with getting myself to wear eyeshadow (which I now do 90% of days) soooooo here's hoping I can get myself to do this at least a few times a week as a habit!

 

[raptron]

[dancezwithkittehz]

Sooooo I forgot that on nights when I have evening stuff up by my work and I don't get back home until almost 10 that it's going to be kind of hard to squeeze this in. I did put up pull up bar and hang for a few seconds but that was it. The show I'm in is only a month away so this is definitely going to come up again on rehearsal days!

[karinajean]

ALLLL OF THESE GOALZ!!! 

 

grip strength is so hard yo. and lipstick! I love it but it's such a COMMITMENT to your FACE.  

 

[sylph]

2 hours ago, karinajean said:

and lipstick! I love it but it's such a COMMITMENT to your FACE.  

 

I have a hell of a time finding lipstick that looks the right color for me. Doubly so now that my hair is red. Everything winds up looking too pink.

 

I could probably easily fix this with a trip to a make up counter, but that seems like way more effort than whining about it...

[dancezwithkittehz]

5 hours ago, karinajean said:

ALLLL OF THESE GOALZ!!! 

 

grip strength is so hard yo. and lipstick! I love it but it's such a COMMITMENT to your FACE.  

 

 

My number one problem with lipstick is I <3 eating annnd yeah.... requires maintenance! Eyeshadow is so much easier I just have to do it once and remember not to rub my eyes!

[dancezwithkittehz]

3 hours ago, sylph said:

I have a hell of a time finding lipstick that looks the right color for me. Doubly so now that my hair is red. Everything winds up looking too pink.

 

I could probably easily fix this with a trip to a make up counter, but that seems like way more effort than whining about it...

 

I think  number one step is figuring out what kind of colors look good on you in general and what kind of color palette you need to aim for. 

 

I finally figured out I am very much an autumn and I keep a picture or two of color palettes that work for me saved on my phone for reference. Although at this point I am learning the small things I can deviate out with and can eyeball stuff pretty well it's nice to have the back up or ideas! For me I know I need things in neutral to warm colors and pink of any tone is generally just not good for me. I like a really deep oxblood red as far as for reds on me, or I can work a bright classic red as long as it leans warm but any cool reds are just no. Though I can do like, a burgundy/ wine-ish color but I since my hair is that color right now I don't want to be too matchy matchy!

 

What clothes colors work well on you? That should help figure out what lip things might work!

[Manarelle]

7 hours ago, dancezwithkittehz said:

My number one problem with lipstick is I <3 eating annnd yeah.... requires maintenance! Eyeshadow is so much easier I just have to do it once and remember not to rub my eyes!

 

This, all over the place. And blowing the nose on cold days, and biting the lip so as not to yell at people, and trying to drink enough to stay hydrated and and and and. 

 

Good luck, following for inspiration. 

[sylph]

8 hours ago, dancezwithkittehz said:

 

I think  number one step is figuring out what kind of colors look good on you in general and what kind of color palette you need to aim for. 

 

I finally figured out I am very much an autumn and I keep a picture or two of color palettes that work for me saved on my phone for reference. Although at this point I am learning the small things I can deviate out with and can eyeball stuff pretty well it's nice to have the back up or ideas! For me I know I need things in neutral to warm colors and pink of any tone is generally just not good for me. I like a really deep oxblood red as far as for reds on me, or I can work a bright classic red as long as it leans warm but any cool reds are just no. Though I can do like, a burgundy/ wine-ish color but I since my hair is that color right now I don't want to be too matchy matchy!

 

What clothes colors work well on you? That should help figure out what lip things might work!

literally 99% of my clothing is white, grey or black. heh. the few colored pieces of clothing are royal blue or aqua-ish green.

[dancezwithkittehz]

On 3/16/2018 at 7:02 PM, sylph said:

literally 99% of my clothing is white, grey or black. heh. the few colored pieces of clothing are royal blue or aqua-ish green.

 

I'm guessing you don't want to take up black lipstick =P hahahahahahahaha. I think a nude-ish color or mauve work on most people and not too pink pink! I like to order a bunch of things from colourpop because they are cheap and if they don't work on me MEH it was $5.

[dancezwithkittehz]

Winning at zero week! Hanging from things on my off days and working on pulls annnnd I wore olive green lipstick for my excursion running around the Getty today becaaause St. Patrick's Day and I didn't want to wear green clothes.

[dancezwithkittehz]

I saw Flogging Molly last night. It was full of awesome and I have happy YAYS feels today in spite of being super exhausted because uhhhh I got home at 12 and still needed to eat and I get up at 5:30. WHEEEEEE! But so worth it!

 

I learned that fitting in hanging work on an off day when you are going to a concert late into your off day poses some challenges, but I did do some push ups and squats before so I am proud I squeezed in something even if it wasn't grip specific!

 

Tonight shall definitely go towards my hanging and grip training goals since YAY AERIAL DAY.

 

Not sure yet what day I plan to lipstick. Maybe tomorrow if I'm not a total zombie? I'm pretty sure I should sleep well tonight!

[dancezwithkittehz]

So exciting? ish news. My aerial teacher has confirmed that she IS pretty sure my issue right now is my grip strength. So I was right!!!

 

Also, my favorite pants are starting to fall off all the time because they are too big so I went and picked up a size lower anddd they fits! Yay! (I'm a size 12 in most old navy things but now I'm inching down towards a 10 apparently. Except in their black pants that are way smaller than everything else- in those the 12 fits but is super tight.) I'm not sure exactly how much smaller I will get as my hip bones + power legs mean I am fairly sturdily built  but we shall see! Thick girl problems!

[raptron]

Oooh, nice! Check that progress.

 

Have you done your lipstick yet?  

[dancezwithkittehz]

6 hours ago, raptron said:

Have you done your lipstick yet?  

 

Noooope. I guess tomorrow it is? Hahahahaha.

 

I could technically do lipstick today but I am home from work to avoid being on the freeway in case of a slide/ avoid getting stuck up at work if there is a slide. So far we are really lucky and the heavy rain has not been landing on Montecito but the big storm is still hanging out off shore so we shall see.

[Manarelle]

On 3/21/2018 at 7:36 PM, dancezwithkittehz said:

Also, my favorite pants are starting to fall off all the time because they are too big so I went and picked up a size lower anddd they fits! Yay! (I'm a size 12 in most old navy things but now I'm inching down towards a 10 apparently. Except in their black pants that are way smaller than everything else- in those the 12 fits but is super tight.) I'm not sure exactly how much smaller I will get as my hip bones + power legs mean I am fairly sturdily built  but we shall see! Thick girl problems!

 

Congrats on the evidence of progress, annoying as it is to shop for clothes.  I can sympathize with you on the power legs... my current pants are sliding off my bum but the next size down are stupidly tight on the thighs. Stay safe, and even if you lipstick at home, it's still getting in practice. 

[dancezwithkittehz]

So I am trying to ponder best way to work on grip strength. My plan was this little bit every day plan, but my aerial teacher thinks the best thing to do is train grip to failure when I am working on it like, hang onto the silk until I am actually falling off. But after doing that on Tuesday my arms have been sooooo dead for Weds/Thursday and I struggled to hang from my silk at all because the muscles were so tapped out. I think my inclination is to go with the measured approach, little bit of training each day and hang on until it is hard but not until my grip legit is giving out -- similar to how I would do with lifting etc where I generally never go for training to failure intentionally, but I am curious for other opinions if anyone has them!!

 

Also, I had a near fail at my lipstick today on account of general makeup-ing fail this morning. Lol. I started to put on super dark red lipstick, realized I had not primed and that that shit was going to STAIIIIN like a mofo and hastily wiped it with my hand as fast as possible but then I had to spend a few minutes trying to get it off my hand and then I STILL had a weird small part of my lip that was stained already and that oil wasn't wiping off, sooo I primed and then put on a metallic grey ish color in an easier to apply/easier to wipe off formula (liquid lipsticks when you don't have time to do it right are just...ugh.)

[dancezwithkittehz]

4 minutes ago, Manarelle said:

 

Congrats on the evidence of progress, annoying as it is to shop for clothes.  I can sympathize with you on the power legs... my current pants are sliding off my bum but the next size down are stupidly tight on the thighs. Stay safe, and even if you lipstick at home, it's still getting in practice. 

 

Muscles make buying clothes SUCH A PAIN UGH. I've come to realize I just need to get both pants and shirts that have at least some stretch to them, plus finding ones that happen to be cut generally close ish to my body shape. WHeeeeee. Also my power legs KILL PANTS SO FAST that I have to find things that fit properly but that aren't too expensive because I KNOW the thighs are going to wear out because my thighs touch when I walk.

[sylph]

Boo for clothes shopping. Nothing is cut properly for anyone. I think I just need to hire a tailor and have all my clothes custom made.

[Manarelle]

51 minutes ago, sylph said:

Boo for clothes shopping. Nothing is cut properly for anyone. I think I just need to hire a tailor and have all my clothes custom made.

 

Have to say, my life has improved drastically since I learned to sew a single work pants pattern. Next up: jeans. Then the world. Muahahaha. Anyway...

 

3 hours ago, dancezwithkittehz said:

I think my inclination is to go with the measured approach, little bit of training each day and hang on until it is hard but not until my grip legit is giving out -- similar to how I would do with lifting etc where I generally never go for training to failure intentionally, but I am curious for other opinions if anyone has them!!

 

Just my 2 cents, but I'd think that a measured approach, if it works for your other muscles, would be the way to go for grip as well. I'm a proponent of the "go to 1 before form failure" technique, since it seems to give me gains without (too much) pains. Going to failure always seems to risk causing larger problems, more damage, longer healing, etc. 

[dancezwithkittehz]

4 hours ago, sylph said:

Boo for clothes shopping. Nothing is cut properly for anyone. I think I just need to hire a tailor and have all my clothes custom made.

 

FOR REALS. I have often thought I just my own personal tailor! I am looking into grabbing some things from Eshakti because they let you get it custom cut to your measurements but that would just be dresses mostly. But HEY I could get an actually fitted style dress? That would be exciting! (Large bust but I'm generally small around so if I size up for the boobs I am swimming in it but if I don't size up it doesn't fit...and then ALL dresses are cut too long for my torso because I am short AND short waisted/high hips = sooo I get a weird bump of folded extra torso length that sits up above my hips with most fitted dresses.)

[dancezwithkittehz]

Not directly challenge related buuut new deadlift PR, 1 x 265!!!

[karinajean]

HIGH FIVES FOR PR!

 

 

[dancezwithkittehz]

I did not do any hanging to work on grip yesterday buuut I DID GO TO DISNEYLAND SOOO WOOHOOO. Tonight is aerial so grip stuff and pull stuff will both be done! I have not even thought about lipstick yet for this week so I am thinking probably Thursday? Today I am a half asleep post-Disney zombie soooo that I got myself dressed and look semi presentable at all was enough for me today!

[dancezwithkittehz]

Hanging from things was a success! Finally managed to get over my mental block I have had as of late on doing things some new things as well as some old things I suddenly couldn't do. Arabesque in hammock - check! ('ve been super terrible at inverting to straddle and then crocheting a leg...I think my issue with this one was If I put my arms higher and did it with a slight bend and pulled up into it was doable no problem buuut I was trying to keep arm arms lower for the past bit while I have been failing at it!) Weird extra wrappy double crochet position leg hook to back balance sequence I FINALLY got the weird leg pop out, brush the now loose fabric in correct direction and DIVE into that hole sequence that has been evading me the last 2 weeks! Also, can confirm: I can still do a crossback straddle although I really should be doing those more regularly as it definitely keeps getting stuck on my left hip/butt cheek and and I have to push it over with my hand which is..lame. Hahahaha.

 

I...did not do any drops though. I was having an evening of serious fear of heights problems so the double waterfall drop (or 360 drop some places call that I think) was just NOT going to happen. Tried to do the baby waterfall drop from airplane instead and still couldn't get myself to do it. Ahhh well. I did climb stuff and do lots of up high things but for some reason drops just....really go into the EEK I AM UP HIGH NO mode for me.

 

Anywho -- I consider this a grip training and pull training success evening. (And I did some pull up negatives when I got home, for good measure!)

 

Still no lipstick yet though. Woops!