Celebrating my two year anniversary of strength

[SpecialSundae]

I was determined that 2013 was the year I was going to lose weight and get into shape. I'd come across girls on My Fitness Pal who lifted and how much the ate then saw Spezzy's story on the Nerd Fitness blog and I knew I wanted to try picking up a barbell. 

 

There was a half price offer on with a trainer in my gym to get started with strength training, albeit on machines to begin with, so on 16 January 2013 I met with him and got started.

 

Yes, it was on machines but it was compound moves rather than isolation. However, I told him that I wanted to move to barbells and he was supportive but the kit just wasn't there in my building so I went with it for a couple of months before moving over to barbells full time at home.

 

(One of my first deadlift session.)

 

By the end of 2013, I'd gone from 78kg to 60kg and was ready to stop losing weight. I'd also taken myself from never having touched a barbell to a 90kg squat, 52.5kg bench and 90kg deadlift. 

 

(80kg squat on 1 August 2013, as I don't seem to have the 90kg one from 20 December)

 

I took photos comparing myself on 15 January 2014 (my one year anniversary) and 15 January 2015 and found myself a little disappointed at the lack of aesthetic change, but I know I've made a lot of progress in terms of weights lifted and my confidence. People chat a lot about recomp but for me it is a painfully slow process. When people tell others that they must have gained muscle and lost fat when their weight on the scales is static for a couple of weeks there is part of me that wishes that would actually happen to me (even though I know it's just fluid balance and GI weights when that happens in most people).

I need to remember that visible change isn't the be all and end all.

 

 

The goal in 2014 was to start competing in powerlifting. I got my membership for Scottish Powerlifting and entered the Scottish Open in Dumfries on 8 February 2014. I got a coach and worked hard and by the end of the year, I was ranked number 3 overall in Scotland and in the top ten in the UK in my weight class. Best lifts by the end of 2014 were 120kg squat, 67.5kg (paused) bench and 125kg deadlift.

 

(My heaviest lift of 2014 - a 125kg deadlift when I was still the worst deadlifter of the entire competition... yeah, a tad depressing.)

 

I then managed to injure my lower back and glutes in early December and was terrified that my lifting career was over (I'm a total drama queen). By Christmas, I was back to lifting albeit with much lighter weights.

 

 

The goal in 2015 is to be invited to compete at an international level. My weight is under control, diet is fairly dialled in, I just need to work with my coach and physio to keep myself in good condition so I can just keep the weights going up!

 

 

After taking the two year anniversary pictures, I changed into the outfit above and walked into the gym and it was only then that I realised that a year before I would never have dared to wear a crop top in an open gym.

 

Two years in, I've changed my shape, I've got stronger and I will have my cake and eat it! I just have to try to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative if I want to go from competitive to elite.

[Hulk In Nerds Clothing]

I will have my cake and eat it!

 

Hey, that's my motto, too   (albeit in another languege and with different words^^)

 

It's very impressive to see your journey all detailed in one place. And just to disagree with you, while the changes aren't as tremendous as in the first year, I can still spot some between last year and this year. Look at the quads and the posture

Go on rocking!

[Daithi]

Scoooooootlaaaaaaaand!!!

Won't be long before you're tossing the caber and lifting atlas stones

[proVoke]

[Kaylya]

Looks like you did a huge amount of aesthetic change in 2013, and, yeah, not so much in 2014, but you're probably at the point where to see much more difference you need to get to super low fat levels, and doing that would interfere with your lifting. Plus you already look amazing!

[TMedina]

So much the awesome - congrats!

[starsapart]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Urgan]

Truth is you look great and lift heavier things than ever--you've done a lot in 2014 to be proud! Now 2015 is yours for the conquering! 

[Yuen]

Definitely one of the best, if not the best transformation story on NF (which is saying a lot given some of the transformations that people here have done).

 

Out of shape / never touched a barbell -> on the cusp of the international stage.

 

Major props to you... :)

[Bookworm_Tess]

I would have celebrated the two years lifting alone! But your aesthetic changes is really impressive too! Hoorray for that!!

 

 

[baking_jeans]

You absolutely rock!!!

Fingers crossed for you in International area, just go easy on Poles, Russians and Belarussians, ok?

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Noticed the quads being ripped as well. Keep killing it SS, this is a hell of an accomplishment. Personally I'd say no big deal cares if there aren't many aesthetic changes from here on out if I were you, you're rockin a crop top and looking damn good doing it.

[Rednwhite]

You made some hella good progress in the first year and then built on that in the second year. Don't they say anyway that the biggest changes your body will undergo will be in the beginning...

Seriously, this is awesome. You should be well proud of yourself.

[Rednwhite]

Also, Wonderwoman squats!! I would love to do a lifting session dressed as a superhero someday.

[SpecialSundae]

I'm hoping that it'll be a feature of the next UK camp. Superhero lifting session followed by a picnic up a mountain (with capes),