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Claire Cartlidge

@galvanised_unicorn

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Powerlifter, dabbles in strongwoman and bodybuilding, dad-dancing trend setter, dork, sunset lover, Jaguar owner, lifting things account!

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Some ramblings of a 1 day out bodybuilder!I am really struggling to sleep. I wake up and can’t get back to sleep. Extra carbs make me think the next 12 weeks won’t be awful. How did I paint my nails every weekend to go in to town with my mates (to buy nail varnish for next week!)?!I feel kind of low. Hope I perk up for show day. I’m sure I will. I think I’m just in the “what did I forget” stage of travel. You always need more hair removal cream than you think. I dislike windy weather but at least it isn’t raining (yet). I’m actually quite sad that Whitbread are making such a complete and utter mess of Premier Inns. Greedy f*ckers. I’m really pleased I could tell I had a weight drop yesterday before I saw the scale drop today. Still objective when show ready! I bought new show day heels as my current ones are going to break, the plastic has cracked. But it occurs to me that as long as I have both pairs back stage, I could wear the old ones as long as I allow enough time to switch if they break. Hannah says my heels are really thin, so I’ve finally found an advantage to being obsessed with heels as a teenager, I’m at least good at moving in them. <1 day to show! #bodybuilding #posing #figure by @galvanised_unicorn

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3 hours ago

Last pump workout before stage! Super set back squat and leg extensions was… something 🙈 but hey look at me doing rows! Isolateral low rowMy favourite hack squatThis thingEverything seemed to tighten up today! And the lighting is great here, so this was a pretty good confidence boosting outing. I think I’m supposed to do slower reps. But they were all 15’s 🥵Ok enough rambling, get me to stage! 2 days out!!#bodybuilding #gym #pump by @galvanised_unicorn

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20 hours ago

Well, this week is getting worse not better! But nothing lasts in this life, so hopefully things will start to get better?! My lat does feel much better so that’s good. I don’t even get the “feeling” in it going about my day now. Deadlifts still aren’t comfy but they don’t hurt. They just scare me while I’m doing them 🤣 Why did I pull so fast?!Deadlifts 80kg x3Seated press (vid 2&3)Incline press (vid 4&5)Woke up in the night and couldn’t get back to sleep (for 2 1/2 hours) FML. Today has been ok though, posing seemed to go well and I could actually be bothered to do this so all good. Bed time 😀#bodybuilding #rehab #injury #gym by @galvanised_unicorn

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3 days ago

The last couple of days have been really rough. I guess I must be ready for stage then, hey?! 😀Thanks to @rippedgymbasildon for this fabulous posing area. Absolutely a highlight through prep doom this week. #bodybuilding #prep #peakweek #posing by @galvanised_unicorn

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4 days ago

Is it ideal to be 200 miles from home on day 1 of peak week? Absolutely not! Does being near @rippedgymbasildon (and its proximity to multiple Nando’s 🤣) make it a bit better? Yes. Yes it does! V squatLeg press I started off with good intentions not to bury myself this session but by leg extensions I was going for it. I love these 2 machines, more kit that seems designed for my proportions. Thanks for having a tired old bodybuilder Ripped Gym! #bodybuilding #rehab #peakweek #gym by @galvanised_unicorn

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5 days ago

I also did some lifts! Including some deadlifts! Ok they were 60kg but they existed! My eyes though LOL! No pain just maybe a mild feeling near lockout and utter terror 🤣Larsen 40kgLarsen 35kg (got 10 on the 2nd set, was brave enough to 8-9 RPE!)Deadlifts 60kg 🥳No injury is ever good obviously but the lat has been a bit of a blessing in disguise really. It’s forced me to slow down, to train more in line with how lean I am, it’s made me think around what I can do and given me some fun new stuff to try and do. All whilst being pretty minor, not too painful and barely painful after the first day, not something to keep me out of the gym full stop and is healing well. Over all I think it’s made me a better athlete all round. And I’ve learnt how much stuff uses the lats! I’m going to take lat pulldowns out of deadlift day because between them and SSB good mornings it’s just too much stress on them. And I’m probably not going to try rowing again!! Other benefits, Hannah didn’t tell me to relax my traps once on our lesson Friday so deadlifts are getting the blame for tight traps, and I don’t have dry patches on my back from having the bar there for squats (I didn’t exfoliate them properly in 2022 and you can see it in my stage shots where the tan went on super dark 😭). So all in all, let’s see what the next (just under) 3 months bring shall we… #bodybuilding #gym #injury #rehab by @galvanised_unicorn

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6 days ago

And that’s it! 16 weeks of prep done, I’m 1 week out! It should hopefully just be a few periods of tidying the look up now, no crazy long diet phase. I’ll put in a comparison photo of day 1 to 111 but all they really tell me is that I really quite liked how I looked at a more normal weight! Yes looking freaky is super fun but hanging out somewhere comfortable looks good on me too! Except in PCA poses. PCA poses look dreadful on me unless I’m 2 weeks out 🤣 Week 16 ✅7 day average weight: 129.7lbs 58.8kg (-1.1lbs)Lowest weight: 129.25lbs 58.6kg7 day average calories: 2,081 smashed it 💪Cals go up to around 2,450 for this week for a very conservative “new maintenance”. In a way I want to write that this has been unexpectedly easy. Obviously there’s been bad days, and very bad days. But there’s been enough good days too. And what I remember from 2022 was awful so I guess “better than expected” does not = good 🤣 Friday was a very bad day, it started quite well but I ended up borderline panic attack about not having got my tan appointment through for next weekend. Don’t cry, did almost cry. So let’s try this peaking thing I guess! #bodybuilding #posing #peakweek #prep by @galvanised_unicorn

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6 days ago

To start I’ll say this pose is in no way influenced by Hannah, it’s not one I’m going to use so not one we’ve worked on 🙈 I thought I’d get a changing room back pose photo in this sports bra but for some reason, this one just struck me more with the shape of the top. And I had about 2 minutes to make it up because the changing room was unusually busy!My first show was going to be my “I’m not quite ready but how are we doing” show, but I’m way more ready than I planned/expected. And the perfectionist in me isn’t happy with where we are 🙈They say one of the hardest things about self coaching is knowing when to pull back, and I would agree with that. Could I be leaner? For sure! Will it benefit my performance on stage against the criteria of my category? Erm…So next weekend will give me valuable time on stage, some judges feedback I can use, and experience, pictures and videos I can use to decide where to go next. I’ve made a massive (last minute 🤣) leap in my posing today so let’s go have a nice fun day and enjoy doing and watching some bodybuilding!#bodybuilding #posing #sidechest #gym by @galvanised_unicorn

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7 days ago

Great angles as always 🙈 Another one where I’m starting to get a bit of intensity going. Albeit mostly on the hack squat that I didn’t film. The lat must be feeling better! This was a great session! This thing againSingle arm lat pulldownTrying out single leg pressMood drastically shifted later and I want to cry, but at least the session was good. I might have DOMS from this (plus a posing lesson I had later!!). My lower back feels so unused though 😭🤣#bodybuilding #injury #rehab #gym by @galvanised_unicorn

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8 days ago

Today I deadlifted the bar and Larsen pressed 30kg! Overjoyed lol! Larsen press 30kg x10RDL 20kg x8Some dumbbell LarsenI’m not fully overjoyed because the deadlift was a bit awkward. No pain, but I could feel it. I googled it and it suggested lifting off blocks and I can see that as it was the bottom where I felt it. It seems to be healing really well anyway, it’s only been 12 days. Otherwise, actually managed to get a bit of intensity in this session! I might be getting a fairly decent bodybuilding session in by next week 🙈#bodybuilding #injury #rehab #gym by @galvanised_unicorn

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9 days ago

I decided this one deserved a place on the grid. It’s not against an aesthetic background, it isn’t staged or particularly posed. I was using my screen repeater to make sure the camera was set up right for Hannah to be able to see my feet in my posing check in and I got caught a bit off guard by the image in the screen repeater. So I pressed record and captured some scenes. Feeling pretty ready!#bodybuilding #posing #muscles #grainy by @galvanised_unicorn

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10 days ago

Please enjoy this tribute to the nicest hack squat I’ve ever used 💖Normally I can only just ATG with just the sled, the whole thing just feels wrong. But I never want to sit here and claim to be a special snowflake and I’ve never had chance to really practise the movement so I just shut up and attempt something slightly better than mediocrity when I get to use one. But this one is lovely! This one makes me think other ones aren’t quite right for me! Because I am also sat here with legs that are about 3 inches too long 😀And I actually got a little bit of intensity into the session today too. The lat feels pretty good! 12 days out… #bodybuilding #rehab #injury #gym by @galvanised_unicorn

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11 days ago