Misery Loves Company

Another day, another .2 lbs. of fat off my body :) So far everything is going very well. I am sticking to the diet with ease at this point. It will get worse later; you can only eat so much chicken and broccoli before you want to stop eating all together. Anyway, for now-no problem. I have been 5 days with the current diet. Since I started contest prep so late in the game (9 weeks instead of 12 or 16) I pulled all but my breakfast carbs right off the bat. Today I have an "office" day planned, so I hope to take a bit of time, pull out my actual contest diet and see where I'm supposed to be food-wise at this point in the process. Now that I have jump-started my fat burning, I feel a little more confident about adding in some more carbs if it is expected.

I am down 3.8lbs since starting on Friday. I'm sure that is part water, part fat, but seeing the progress is a motivator. I feel confident I am not loosing too much muscle yet. For one, I can see exactly where the fat is coming off of my body. I can see my mid-section flattening out already and my shoulder muscles are starting to become a bit more apparent. This is how I will loose fat, with it coming off my legs last. I seem to carry the most fat on my thighs-which I find very annoying. I wish it was more evenly distributed. So...the progress is good at this point and I am happy with how I look in the morning. This is the time of day competitors evaluate themselves; you are the most dehydrated and your stomach empty. The morning review is an excellent way to track progress.

The workouts are going fine. I did a ridiculous leg routine on Sunday, which has left me sore even into this morning. Monday is the day I don't do weights-I only take one day off each week and that always seems to be the most difficult day to make it to the gym. Yesterday was a back routine. It was good, but I feel I am going to have ramp that up. I was just not satisfied when I was done-frankly I don't think I worked hard enough or lifted heavy enough. I will pull out my workout routines this morning too and take a look at them. I think my leg and arms regimen are good, but I am open to something else on other body parts.

Cardio is going well. For right now I am only doing once per a day and I am running on the treadmill. I can do this as long as I am seeing progress-once my fat burning slows I will move to two a day. You don't want to move this immediately if you can avoid it, just because you will get a bigger boost if the techniques can be added in later. It's all just a trick for your body. No one's body likes to get to 7% body fat. I will use any trick I can :)

I'm glad so far my attitude and emotion seem to be holding steady. Competitors tend to get a little cranky, but I am holding my own right now. Keep checking in though-that's sure to change and then the fun will really begin!

I Love Torture! The proof is right here.

Last week a friend approached me about competing in a Bodybuilding/Figure Competition this September. As you know, I've been futzing around with the idea for a bit; I'm just having a really hard time committing.

Well, it would seem this is the one for me. I have decided to take it on. I am going to actually take a stab at doing two shows-the first is The Mr/Ms Natural Indiana on 9/26. The second will be a week later, here at home, St. Louis Gateway Naturals Bodybuildng & Figure Competition on 10/3. Now that I have settled this nagging in my mind, I'm actually kind of excited.

It has been a few years since I have been on stage. Over the last few years I have kept up with a decent diet, regular exercise and of course the dreaded cardio. I think I have put on some quality size-while not huge-I hope to make a good showing at the events I have chosen.

I plan on detailing my progress here. People are often fascinated with the process and are always interested to learn what is involved in prepping for a contest. I will share the basics of the diet, lifting and cardio regimen I follow. I will also try to share some of the more personal aspects of the process. It takes a huge amount of dedication and determination to prepare for a competition. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them. During this time, the more encouragement I get, the better I will look when the day of reckoning comes :)

One quick point....

I mostly compete in only drug tested, all-natural competitions. I do this because I choose to compete drug free and I want to make sure I am competing on a level playing field. My views on steroid use might surprise you: I take the position that steroid use should be regulated, not banned. If they were legal, I would still not take them, but I feel others would then have the information to make informed decisions and receive proper care and dosing. The fact is, there is little evidence that "roid rage" even exists. If folks were receiving proper care and instruction there would be no concern. Abuse is a separate issue and cannot be logically used in this argument. There are people who abuse alcohol and plastic surgery, yet they remain legal. There are guidelines for use and regulation of these industries. Generally speaking, the system works. I am all for keeping the competitors separate, giving us the ability to compete with others who are most similar in body composition, but because steroids are really only a body composition altering drug-they don't effect your reaction times or "mess you up"-I just feel outlawing them is the wrong approach.

So let's get to it:
I started my contest prep diet and training on Friday. I usually like 12-16 weeks to prepare for a show, but the first one is only 9 weeks away. Blah, I hate starting behind the 8 ball, but I am fortunate in that I do not think I am too bad off. It is my hope cutting all but breakfast carbs (and then carb loading every third or fourth day) and jumping right in this week to twice a day cardio will do it for me. The worst part will be this first week (um, well and the last week); three days in and I am feeling the effects of carb depletion. Yesterday I had to take a 20 minute power nap. I will adjust to this over the next week as my body switches to primarily fat-burning mode for energy. In brief, my diet will look like this for this week:

Breakfast: Protein Shake and 1/3 cup oats
Snack: Protein Shake
Lunch: Lean meat and veggies (I usually eat a lean steak salad, no dressing)
Snack:Protein shake or a small serving of a lean meat only
Dinner: Lean meat and veggie
Snack (if I'm dying): 1/4 no fat cottage cheese

Mmmm, sounds delicious doesn't it :)

I will detail my training from time to time during the next 9-10 weeks, but for today we'll just look at in general. I do cardio 7 days a week twice a day. I only do running cardio, until my shin splints come back, then I will also mix in some elliptical at the gym. I actually hate running with a passion, but it is the most effective for me. I always do HIIT type cardio. (High Intensity Interval Training) This is an intese level of very fast sprinting combined with periods of walking. I do this type of cardio for several reasons. First, HIIT is the most effective for fat burning, while also retaining the most lean muscle mass. It also has the added benefit of providing extended fat burning in the body. This means I will not only burn fat while I do cardio, but for hours after. Finally, the biggest reason I use it: I can do it for a lesser amount of time. If you can do more than about 25 minutes (for a well conditioned athlete) you are not doing the sprint part right.

For weight lifting I will have to switch back to very heavy weights; old school style training. I change my workout routines every 6 to 8 weeks, but it has been a long time since I have relied totally on the old-school stuff. BUT, there is a reason it is old school and still in use-BECAUSE IT WORKS. This means heavy squats, deadlifts, bicep curls, press downs, rows pullups and tons of other very basic, very heavy excercises. The last week I will switch to almost exclusively machines. There are two reasons for this. One, the risk of injury is much higher this last week. You are almost completely carb (therefore energy) depleted which leaves you weak and brain-dead. Second, you utilize lighter weights, higher reps, and drop sets. In short, it easier and safer. I will lift 6 days a week, doing one or two muscle groups each session; working each muscle group once per week.

Finally, supplementation. I do minimal supplementation. I will use a fat burner. I find Fahrenheit or Stacker2 works the best for me. I also love Lean Out which is a Beverly Product, but I will wait until the last four weeks to add that in. I will also take Beef Livers and Amino Acid pills. These will help with muscle retention during such a calorie restrictive, exercises intensive phase. Those and a multi-vitamin will about do it for me. I hate taking a bunch of crap-only because I am lazy.

Because I compete as a bodybuilder, not figure or fitness, I also have to come up with a 60 or 90 second posing routine set to music of my choice. Right now I am evaluating songs and picking prime poses in my mind. I will let you guys in on all that in a later post.

I will post some now pictures in a day or two and we will try to get a set up at least once every week.

If you have any questions or want to comment on anything you see here feel free-I'd love to hear from you.

The mantra I will live by for the next 10 weeks and repeat over and over, given to me by my very best friend (besides my husband)

"Winners do what losers won't"

I hope to see you around-the fun is in the journey :)

Total Annihilation

One (wo)mans hobby is another (wo)mans pure and total annihilation.

Several years ago I decided I needed a new hobby and for some unknown reason I picked weight lifting. I thought it would be a good stress reliever (it is) and I thought it would make my body look better (it does) Plus, seriously, I could only use that excuse about how having two kids ruined my body until the kids were so old-after that, it's no longer the kids fault.

When I started I picked an awesome trainer, Matt:

who pushed me until I wanted to sacrifice him and everyone in his family to the Gods of Pain. But two days later I would return. Faithfully. Every week for two years. Stupid.

At some point Matt started trying to convinced me that, at the ripe old age of 35, I should step out on stage in a tiny bikini, showing off my hard earned muscle to be judged, and participate in the sport of competitive bodybuilding. To which I responded (for many months) laughing hysterically and walking away.

He's just a little boy-what did he know........He's nearly 10 years younger than me, so I mostly dismiss everything he says. Truthfully, I mostly do it because he is a boy, but him being 10 years younger doesn't help his standing. That's a joke people, lighten up-he calls me old all the time. We are very close truth be told. We have long since moved out of the trainer/trainee relationship and became training partners-until he moved away on me, a few weeks ago.

I guess it became inevitable-at some point he wore me down and persuaded me to get on stage at the only all natural (drug tested) event in St. Louis-The Show Me Naturals. (It was the only one at that time. Now there are a few.)

I cannot even express in words how scared I was.


But then, I stepped out on stage and an addiction was born. The thrill of being on stage. Showing off the months of deprivation and training. It is unlike anything else I have ever experienced.

One might compare it to having kids: the journey was torture. But now, I barely remember that. Being on stage?......I'll NEVER forget.

This was my first show. I've done a few more since then and am contemplating another this year with 40 bearing down on me like a freight train.

I have begun the grueling training regimen, but the thought of the diet sends me to a bag of chips every time. I'll get over it. I always do. I just don't know when.

If you're wondering, yes, I am a winner. I have never taken less than second and even have an over-all to my name. If you don't know-there is no higher place than Over-all. That means you were not only 1st in your class, but you beat out all the other first place class winners at the end for the "Over-all" trophy.

People often ask me why I spend so much time at the gym; why do cardio every day; why 5 am......or "What is your deal lady?"

This is what motivates me. This is what I'm thinking.