My latest challenge; I am growing again.

The first photo was taken in April and the second last month, so only 4 months apart. Of course this is just my back and powerlifting is very back dominant, but due to the large compound lifts the muscle growth is consistent. I am finding that I am getting quite self conscious about my size, particularly my chest and arms as they do come in for comment on a regular basis. I can cover up in the winter, but it is getting harder as the weather becomes warmer. The other issue with this growth is that it makes it more difficult to make my weight category (56kg) each time I lift at competition as I am simply getting heavier.

I am qualified for the 56kg category for the Commonwealth Titles, and while I am still 12 weeks out Liz and I have already started on getting my body weight down. I only need to drop 3-4kgs, but as a strength athlete it is essential to keep my calories up and nutrient balance consistent so I can train and recover. I also am not able to "throw in" a few extra hard cardio sessions. The whole thing is a real balancing act and I am sure I am posing quite a challenge for Liz as I know from time to time this rocks my usual steely mind.

After a huge training session, and often the next day, I would love to add a extra food to assist recovery but I need to have my weight division on my mind the whole time. I am finding this really tough since nationals, and I have to admit to having a self pity moment this week.

Just as a point of interest this is what I looked like before I started power lifting. So if anyone is looking to build muscle I would strongly suggest to throw in a few PL exercises and as they say "put some weight on the bar".

Time to hit the gym for some shoulder and core stability training.

Lisa