By Coki Cruz, My Journey and Journal to the Arnold’s
11 DAYS OUT
February 23, 2020- Hey there! My name is Coki and I’m a weightlifter. No, not a person who just lifts weight, I compete in the sport of weightlifting. I perform the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk in competition. I started competing back in February 2018 in the 69 kg (152.5 lbs) class then after the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) changed the weight classes in mid-2018, I dropped down to the 67 kg (147.5 lbs) weight class and that’s where I’ve stayed since. I’ve competed 5 times so far in my two years, once nationally in July of 2018. Right now I’m preparing for my 2nd national event, the Arnold’s. This is my journal.
How I’m going to conduct this Journal is a lot how my mentor, Brad, suggested. You’ll read me complain about my training, exhaustion, lack of calories, but also giving praise to the Lord who sustains me. I will be as honest and up front as I can to give you an authentic look into my mind as I prepare for, what I pray, is a turning point in my weightlifting career.
TRAINING
Sundays I normally take off from training. Due to travel to get to church, and the fact that I just don’t want to lift on Sundays, it makes Sundays for a better God centered focus day. So what I’ll do is reflect on Saturday’s training session:
This past week was a rough outing. A lot of volume increase from the previous week to potentially enter an over-reach effect in the days leading into the competition.
I certainly felt it.
Everything felt heavy, my external rotators were sore, in one of my lifts my levator scap (shrugging muscle) became tweaked—but don’t worry I’m fine today. The workout for the day was just to max out on the snatch, clean and jerk, and front squat. I hit 106.5 kg (235 lbs) on snatch; 125 kg (275 lbs) on clean and jerk; 136 kg (300 lbs) on cleans; and 152 kg (335 lbs) on front squats. I concluded, if I was on fresh legs, I would have successfully jerked the 300 lbs.
My goals as they stand are to hit 108/135/243 (read: snatch/clean and jerk/total – in kg).
NUTRITION/DIET
If you’re unaware, athletes in weight category style competitions, to some degree, cut weight to be in their desired weight class. My normal weight sits around 155-162 lbs. In the weeks leading up to the competition (typically 8 weeks out) I begin a weight cut to get down to 147.5 lbs. The only reason I have for doing something crazy like this is because I enjoy the diligence and tenacity that’s needed to do so. Training? That’s easy. Eating in a manner that allows you to lose weight AND maintain strength? That’s like climbing Kilimanjaro. Luckily, I have enough educational experience (and at this point practical experience) to do it and do it successfully. It also helps to have a wife that supports your goals and takes food away from you when you are struggling with calories.
The finer details and science of my diet go beyond the scope of this journal entry but to summarize how I move around within my day to day:
Protein: around 150gs/day; hitting the requirement of at least .8-1.0 g of protein/pound body weight to ameliorate the muscle wasting that can happen from losing weight
Fat around 60g; hitting the requirement of at least .5g of fat/kg body weight to maintain hormone levels
Calories: 1700
Carbs: the rest of the calories to get to 1700, or about 140g of carbs.
What that looked like for today:
Breakfast | Pure Protein Bar ½ Cup of 1% milk + almond creamer (Latte) Fiber Now Bar |
Snack | Salted Peanuts Teriyaki Jerky |
Lunch | Deli Turkey + Romaine Salad with Lite Italian Dressing and parmesan Outshine Peach Fruit Bar |
Dinner | Pizza (chicken, mozzarella, parmesan, marinara sauce, onions, peppers, thin crust) Fiber Now Bar |
I weighed in this morning at 151.9lbs. I have about 5 more pounds to lose, so this week will be rough, but the trick is to eat a LOT of veggies and protein. They volumize the stomach and give the feeling of full. I could spend all day talking about nutrition but I’m going to move on to the Faith and Spiritual Lesson.
WHAT HAS BEEN ON MY MIND?
Today’s sermon was a good one. Our shepherd (the guy who stands in the front and preaches) was sick today, so we had another pastor come in, who frankly is gifted himself in his exposition and preaching. It was a good word that needed to be heard for not just me but my wife.
You see, whenever I talk about my faith or what God may be working on me at any given point, it revolves around my wife. God calls men to be to their wives as Jesus was to the church:
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” Ephesians 5:25
She’s my first ministry. Not only that, she’s a source of strength for me. I love her dearly. She pushes me to do better. She keeps me in check in the gym. When I’m too tired and not wanting to life she always responds, “I’m tired, too, but we got to keep pushing.” It’s hard to feel tired when you realize that the work you do is NOTHING compared to med school.
Today was an emotional day for her. The pastor preached on how we need to be focused on the supernatural. Why? Because that’s where Jesus operates. Philip didn’t see that or maybe lost focus. He saw 5000 men and had practically given up, “200 denarii would not buy enough.” Andrew? In faith, having remembered the miracles Jesus had done so far at least brought a little boy and his lunch. After hearing Philip, though, I’m sure he felt deflated, “But what are they among so many?” (John 6:9b). Jesus then proceeds, to take the lad’s food, blesses it, and everyone is fed, to the point of 12 leftover baskets. He concluded with, “Imagine if you lived your life in pursuit of Jesus with the expectation and focus of the supernatural.”
We prayed for her and her exam this week. It’s been a trying road; a lot of frustration, a lot of tears. But I saw a surrender today that made me proud as a husband. She’s surrendering the results and the control of her future to Him. I’m not saying she hadn’t done this already, but I’m sure you all know how it is to give something up but still feel attachment to it. Today there was a sense of relief in the air.
I struggle with that, too. My lifting sessions can really affect my mood. If I have terrible lifting day, I’m in a terrible mood. It’s something that I’m working on as I realize that not every day in the gym will be a successful one as well as one bad day doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of a program. To some degree I want to control the outcomes of my lifting session to my expectations. I have this ultimate goal I want to reach. There are numbers I NEED to attain to get there. But what if I don’t reach them? Was this all for not? What does God want to do with me in this weightlifting career? I mean I was supposed to be a Major League Baseball player for crying out loud.
You may think I have an answer for these questions. But the truth of the matter is, I don’t. I just trust in an All-Powerful God who’s plans are better than my own. And I will pursue this area until He tells me to go elsewhere.
Abba, help me to learn to release the reins of the outcomes of the events and of my training. Help me to be a role model to others in my pursuit of You, Your Will for me, and my relationship with my wife. Mold me to the image of Christ.
Use me however You need. Amen.
