blog
Welcome to my blog. Thanks for being here.
I like to write a lot. Mostly about powerlifting, strength training, body image + women in sport. They’re kinda my things.
If you ever have questions or want to learn more, please reach out. I would love to hear from you.
Billie x
Intangible gains - reflections from and about my more resilient brain.
I am an anxious person. Dreading things I enjoy because I expect the worst case scenario to play out is a special skill of mine. Getting in my own head to derail my performance on important days, also something I’m really good at.
I’ve gotten a heap better at this though which I am extremely proud of. I’ve never been more excited for a comp as I was for this one, and every time I compete I have more fun than the time before. That has not been by accident. I’ve worked really hard on this.
So, here’s some lessons that I’ve learned to manage my brain that I think are really valuable.
Your Fear Of Weight Gain Is Holding You Back
You want bigger glutes, you want more muscle tone, you want a bigger squat and you want to look like the fit girls and guys on the gram? There’s definitely a few factors feeding into why you haven’t yet achieved these things and one of those factors is very likely your intense aversion to weight gain.
How To Get The Most Out Of A Coach
The relationship between coach and client can be a pretty damn special one. I’m fortunate to work with some damn wonderful people among my team with whom I have really beautiful connections and achieve some pretty awesome outcomes. I also have a wonderful relationship with my own coach. He is a great friend to me and has and continues to play a huge role in shuttling me towards my own goals. But none of this has happened by accident or without significant effort from both parties. It takes a lot from both coach and client to move towards the desired outcome in a way that is enjoyable and at a rate that is deemed acceptable.
Which raises the question — as a client, how do you get the most out of a coach?
Post-Competition Reflection
Despite that fact that I compete in powerlifting very recreationally, I do take my preparation and performance quite (very) seriously. I really love powerlifting as an avenue of self improvement. While the objective goal is more weight on the bar, to me the more meaningful goal is becoming a better person in the pursuit of that — and that comes from self reflection and holding myself to a consistently high standard.
After each comp, I send my coach a debrief on everything I thought I did well, could do better, what went well, ideas I have, things I want to do for fun, etc. It’s positive for me personally in getting some closure on the day and identifying areas and means for improvement, but it also gives coachy guidance too. He knows where I want to go, what I’m willing and not willing to do to get there and demonstrates that I want to collaborate with him.
In this article I share here how I personally reflect on my competition preparation and performance in the hope that it may prompt some thought in you on how to get more out of your training and competition experiences.
Quit Majoring in the Minors. What Actually Matters for Strength Development?
If there is one thing that gym-goers do really well, it’s major in the minors. You know, have a $500 supplement stack but squat high. Have carbs and protein within 15 minutes of every training session but eat nothing more than a tall latte and a sushi roll outside of that. Wear blue light glasses before bed every night because #recovery but also take a week off training every month for the same reason.
So much time, money and effort is wasted on misguided training and nutrition interventions.
Personal Powerlifting Equipment
Buying equipment/apparel for a new hobby can be a little daunting. Like, you don’t want to be that guy with all the gear and no idea. But also, should you have it? Would you be safer? Would you lift better? Would lifting be more enjoyable for you? More comfortable? Would you be stronger? Would you train better? Is your coach going to think you’re a moron for asking? (lol, no.)
I’ve put this article together as a little crash course in individual equipment you might like to use in powerlifting training. I talk about heeled shoes, belts, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, competition suits etc, covering what they do, why you might wear them and how you know if you’re ready for them.
Trade Offs: You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
For every decision we make, there is an alternate decision we could have made but didn’t. When I choose to read at night, I am choosing not to watch Sex and the City. When I choose to train for 90 minutes in the arvo, I am choosing not to go to the beach. When I choose to compete in an ambitious weight class, I am choosing to forgo dessert for a few months in the lead up.
Similarly, when you make the decision to lose fat, get stronger or pursue any other health/fitness goal (or any goal!) there are trade offs that you will be required to make in order to be successful.
The problem that many people run in to, is that they are either unaware of the trade offs required of them, or they are not willing to make them, resulting in immense frustration when they think they are doing enough, but still aren’t seeing the desired amount of progress.
The solution? Read on.
How to Warm Up for Barbell Training
There aren’t really any hard rules when it comes to warming up for barbell training, which is why it can be hard to understand at times. There are however considerations and guiding principles which can help you to make better decisions when it comes to warming up and improving your preparedness for the session ahead.
So You're Thinking of Entering a Powerlifting Competition?
I never set out to coach powerlifting. I just love training with a barbell and I share that with my team. But naturally, training in a powerlifting gym, watching powerlifting competitions and generally being surrounded by the sport, you start to get curious. And now, a number of my team are getting ready for the competition debuts.
They have a lot of questions though. A powerlifting competition is not the same as maxing out in the gym. Powerlifting is a sport and has rules that govern it. What are the rules? What do I need to wear? How much does it cost? What does the belt do? What’s with the suit?
This is not a comprehensive guide, nor is it designed to replace the role of your coach in educating you on how to prepare and what to expect. Rather, my hope is that this article will give you a little more insight in to how competitions run, and some things to consider in preparation.
Powerlifting - More Than Just Lifting Heavy Things?
Last Sunday, I competed in a powerlifting competition. It was the first time in a long time [over two years] for me. A whole bunch of my team came to watch which was incredibly beautiful. It was the first competition they had been to. When they rolled in the door for training on Monday morning, their energy was absolutely phenomenal. They had so many questions about the rules, the timer, why the lifters did certain things and so on. They were amped. But one comment really stuck with me.
“What a world! The competition really made me feel like I’m part of something. I can see my training becoming more of a hobby now.”
Fucking YES! That is exactly why I do it and exactly why I’m elated by the opportunity to rope everyone in that I can.
Training (or rather, exercising) in our culture is so often just seen as a reluctant but necessary means for weight loss or maintenance and oddly to a lesser extent, health. And with that comes the comments of “why are you here [at the gym]? You’re already in great shape” and associated dare I say, ignorance. But what if training was so much more than that — a means of self development, a personal challenge, a hobby, a place for social connection and self expression.
Navigating Health and Body Image - My Story.
I’ve shared my story and battles with my body image and body weight in varying depths on varying different platforms, but I’ve never dived super deep in to the nitty gritty of each stage of the journey. I feel called to share the finest details because all too often I see nutrition and exercise viewed in isolation from all other elements of an individual’s life. Your relationships, work, hobbies, education, family, sleep, sex life - all of these play a factor in determining your behaviours around food and exercise and the perceptions you hold of yourself. I hope that by breaking down every little bit of this story, you can come to recognise how so many things interplayed in my journey and perhaps help you recognise anything in your life that may be indirectly adversely affecting your physical or mental health, that you may not have otherwise considered.