Paul Marsh Journal - A brief introduction
New Year, new me obviously. Well not quite. It is the year I start taking myself seriously again. Not that I will be prioritising myself over my athletes, but I will be taking myself on as a client.
This will be the platform I use to share my training journey throughout 2018 and beyond. Starting with a link to my training plan
Feel free to comment and ask questions regarding anything you see, I’ll make sure to answer them as soon as possible.
Hopefully this will give you a sense of my training, how I manage it around my work and life commitments and give you some more insight into life and training around coaching. Most importantly what you will likely get the sense of is why I have accepted that it is not possible for me to be both a coach and an athlete.
Let’s start with the first reason.
Coaching Commitments (January-March 2018)
13th January – Exam
14th January – EPA AGM
18th February – British Classic Bench I am actually entered into this competition as a U93kg and am yet to tell anyone (maybe more on this later but i will withdraw if need be)
24/25th February – British Women’s Classic
4th March – British Powerlifting AGM
6-10th March – Europeans Masters (one of my lifters has requested that I come to the event so assuming the federation allows this I will be there coaching)
17/18th March – Greater London Divisional Competition
So what am I working towards?
Current - Competition / Gym - Goal
Low bar Squat – 185 / 215 - 235-240+
Bench – 150 / 160 - 170-175+
Deadlift – 280 / 280 - 300-310+
Total – 602.5 / 655 - 700+
Strict Press – N/A / 95 - 100+
Front Squat – N/A / 155 - 2x BW (180+)
Reduce my resting heart rate to under 50bpm
Stretch every day so that I can pass all of my own mobility tests on a cold rainy night in stoke.
Remain injury free (currently only niggle is tendinitis in both knees)
The biggest change for me this coming year is that I have accepted that I will no longer be an U83kg lifter. Since my first competition this has been my weight class and for the past 4 years I have made sure I can always get back down. This is not to say I could not or will never drop back down, but 2018 will be the year I let myself gain weight and see what this does to my strength in absolute and relative terms. Oh and I decided in September to stop being a Lacto-Vegetarian having been one for just under 17 years (more on this later.)
What is the main focus? To be better, stronger, fitter and healthier while making sure that I am the coach that my athletes need me to be.
My first question to you. What would you prioritise? The success of your athletes at competition or your own desire to compete? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.