Real Women Lift

I was at the library a few weekends ago checking out the fitness section… big surprise… and I found a book written by Arnold (yes, THE ARNOLD) called Arnold’s Bodyshaping for Women.

I was immediately intrigued by the book considering that it was published in 1979. More than anything I just wanted to see how things have changed over the past 29 years.

I was surprised by the fact that a lot of the fundamentals are still holding true today but what struck me the most was that he was assisted by the Women’s World Champion of bodybuilding… Linda.

It is amazing the transformation that women have made in the competitive arena of weight lifting. Even in just society. Linda looks amazing but in comparison of today’s woman she just would blend right in. Have women gone too far in trying to look great?

Women’s bodybuilding has gone off in a completely different direction that in 1979, today Linda would probably be booed off the stage and her feminity along with her strength would be judged. I am not a bodybuilder, nor do I want to be…

The women in today’s bodybuilding world are packed full of unnatural hormones and other supplements that causes them to look much different from Linda’s “healthy, fit look”. I said this will sadness because I wish that a women could still hold her own up on that stage while looking lean, trim and overall healthy. Most bodybuilders are not healthy… not all but many at least…

They pump hormones, push past the limits of their bodies and lose their feminine charm.

Yes, I am a figure competitor but that is what I love about it… it is about showing off a healthy, fit, womanly physique.

Every gym has one of these… a gym head that thinks he’s the stuff and spends his whole workout grunting and moaning and… STINKING.

Yes, stinking. At my gym we have a member that we all affectionately refer to as “Stinky” (behind his back of course). Stinky drives me crazy and gets under my skin for more reasons that just his lack of antiperspirants and his poor choice of cologne.

Stinky thinks he owns the gym… that is his first down fall. He will jump on any machine any time he wants even if it is crystal clear that I am still working on a superset.  This is just wrong. If you know that someone is not finished then move to your next exercise and wait for the equipment to free up.

His second down fall…

He has no respect for anyone else’s “zone”. Even if you have never had the pleasure of meeting Stinky he will have no problem walking up to you in the middle (yes, the middle) of a set and ask for you to spot him. RUDE RUDE RUDE. People are at the gym to often get away and get into their own mode. Once in that mode of a workout they just go flawlessly through. An interruption can really of set someone and its a pain.

If you need a spot then take a friend or ask someone that works for the gym. It is my pet peeve when I see Stinky introducing himself to a stranger who is obviously in the middle of their own workout to ask for a spot. It isn’t even spotting for just one set… he will keep bothering the poor victim several times.

Nope, not done.

Stinky should also be called Grunts. The whole gym is aware when he is lifting heavy. What is even more amusing is that he thinks this is some turn on or “wow” factor to a workout. When ever an attractive girl walks by we know it by the loud lion roar he lets out during his set. As if he is lifting the weight of 10 large men.

Don’t follow in any of Stinky’s foot steps. For your own reputation and for the people around you…

1. Wear deodorant (don’t cover up with cheap smelling sprays)
2. Don’t jump ahead of others
3. Don’t bother strangers who are obviously in their workout “zone”
4. Work hard, but don’t let everyone in the whole building know about it.

The last thing you want is to have some crazy pet name that you don’t even know about. I have already told my gym friends that if he ask for my spot I am inclined to say no. Not to be rude, but if I say yes, He will take me for granted and expect me to be his “weight lifting caddy”. No thanks.

I said yesterday that I would post a few pictures of my progress and I wasn’t lying.

Me in my comfie jeans about 3 months ago.

It is actually annoying because none of my clothes fit and as far as my boobs are concerned… adios amigas! But I am super pumped and excited about the whole competition.

The first picture is of me a few months back… I just happend to find it in the photos… the second one was just taken yesterday.

These jeans were never my “tight” jeans but damn, they never hung off of me either. I was just getting dressed and didn’t know this was going to happen… so I had to take a picture.

Today I started my Dandylion root supplement (its a dieretic) and cut out ALL carbs. But that is only the case for three days then Thursday I get to eat lots of oatmeal and other complex carbs. But have you ever stopped to think how hard it is to completely cut out carbs?

12 lbs lighter & my comfie jeans are now gangsta style

That translates into eating a heck of a lot of chicken and eggs.

I also have upped my water today… well trying too still… to 2 gallons for today through Thursday. I have basically had a 3 litter bottle glued to me all day. And I have had to RUN to the restroom more times that I like to think about.

On top of the diet… I had to start tanning. I am totally against tanning beds and told my coach that I would only do 3 times. I figure that I have done enough harm to my body just by using the sun a lone.

So this is where I stand today. Tomorrow I promise to talk about something other than my training!

Sorry to everyone that keeps up to date with my blog… as you can see we have been under going some changes and many more are to come soon!

I will start posting regularly again ASAP! starting with this.

Over the past few weeks I have had some great changes. My body has transformed itself with hard work at the gym and a very strict clean eating diet. The Excalibur Figure Competition is only 1 week away! People keep asking what I am excited to eat first… and my response?

A PB and J sandwhich. It is those little things you take for granted that I miss the most… peanut butter… frosted mini wheats cereal… and oatmeal. Plus, i think I might start clucking like a chicken soon from all the chicken and eggs I eat every day.

I am going to post pictures tomorrow of my progress so look out for that.

Since I mentioned my diet… if you are wondering what my typical day has looked like for the past 12 weeks it goes something like this…

5:45 am - 5 egg whites (with hot sauce)

9:00 am - 2 boiled eggs

12:00 pm - can of white meat chicken (with hot sauce)

2:30 pm- protein shake (mixed with water)

3:30 pm - NO Explode creatine

6:30 pm - Either: boneless, skinless chicken breast… or… grilled turkey burger patty… both served over spinach with balsamic vinegrette

8:30 pm: Protein shake (mixed with water and 2 ice cubes)

Not all too exciting and it has had some hard times but I see the finish line a head. I am so proud of myself for sticking to the figure competition! If you want to read more up on what I am doing check out http://www.scbodybuilding.com and look at the Excalibur.

How much weight have I lost? I started at 115 lbs and I now weigh in at 105. This week is going to be the hardest but I say BRING IT ON!

We all want a quick fix and while I can’t make miracles happen, I can give some tips to make you look a bit more trim. Of course the best way it to workout and eat healthy, which if you are at this blog you are probably into. But we all have areas that we want to make a bit better and appear amazing.

Here are 3 (non-exercising) tricks to make you feel and look amazing:

1. Tan skin defines muscles more. Yes the sun causes cancer, but spray on tans don’t. There is a reason why bodybuilders load up on tanning supplies… tan muscles look more defined than untan. The shadowing really does a nice job of helping you look a bit more sculpted. You don’t have to go 10 shades darker, just a natural tan will do the trick. I love Jergen’s Natural Glow lotion for the slow progression of a tan.

2. Choose clothes that fit. Sure we all want to be a size 2, but if you aren’t then don’t buy a size 2 just for the label. Even if you are tight and fit, wearing clothes that are too snug will make you look like you have love handles, stomach flub and a big caboose. Go with your size and you will knock ‘um dead. For jeans, choose a pair that compliments your frame.

3. Hydrate. Staying hydrated and drinking lots of water actually helps to prevent bloating and flushes out the body. Avoid soft drinks and sugary beverages that have the opposite affect. Especially alcohol. Try avoiding salt too which can promote bloating and make you a bit off from your best. Go for at least 8 glasses of water per day. This of course should be more if you workout regularly. I actually drink 1 gallon of water a day and feel great, but it all depends on lifestyle.

Have a hot date? Follow this pre-date ritual for a great look right before you date arrives.

• 2 sets of 10 pushups
• 2 sets of 20 body weight squats
• 2 sets of 10 dips off a chair
• 2 sets of 15 walking lunges

I was just told something very disturbing… the FDA has not approved cholesterol medicine for children as young as 8! I normally don’t discuss these types of issues but it got me so heated I couldn’t resist.

Obesity continues to climb and no one is pointing a figure at anyone. Everyone that is obese wants to be told it is because of their genes and that is why their kid are fat too. Well, sure maybe your genes have something to do with it but research shows that having a healthy diet and exercise lifestyle is the number one factor.

We need to stop blaming everything else and start looking at what is infront of us. If it is the remote control and a bag of chips, then obviously it isn’t your genes. Kids are fat because parents aren’t taking the responsibility of having them be active and instead of eating a happy meal, eat some grilled chicken! The habits we put on kids today will affect them for much of their lives.

It is ridiculous that we are having to worry about children getting heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, etc. They should be worrying about what type of sport they want to play in the fall, or how many people want to play tag in the neighborhood.

Americans have the ability to live much longer than our parents and grandparents, yet with the nasty lifestyle many people pass to their children it is a concern that children will not outlast their own parents. How sad is that?

Not to sound too harsh, but parents raising their kids in unhealthy conditions is almost an act of child abuse. Children do what their parents tell them because they think the parents know best. Obviously not.

To read more on 8 year olds and cholesterol meds read the article at http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2008/07/07/kids.html?cxntlid=inform_sr

After a long day of work, running errands, cleaning the house and so forth just think about how tired you are. Now multiple that times 10 after a tough workout and you can get an idea of how your muscles are feeling.

After a great workout I am normally pumped with adrenaline and even though I may have just had the toughest workout ever I feel super pumped and ready to take on the day. But I have to remind myself that I just put my muscles and body under a lot of stress and they need rest.

Of course when the adrenaline decreases I am pooped beyond belief. There are two types of rest we talk about the most when it comes to weight lifting: the rest period between exercise sets and the rest period between workouts.

When it comes to figuring out what your rest period between sets should be it comes down to a few factors. What is your weight lifting goal? How intense are your workouts? And what is your experience level?

If your goal is to lose fat or your are a beginner, rest periods are generally short and workouts may not be so intense. Meaning that you are not lifting at a heavy level for many sets. Lower weights with more reps means less rest period that someone who is lifting at 90% of their max 1 rep weight for just a few reps.

The longer the rest period between sets, your muscles are getting the chance to get charged back up so you can handle another heavy load. When lifting very heavy and intense, you will probably see lifters resting for 3-5 minutes before hitting the same exercise again. This doesn’t mean that they are doing another move in the mean time but that specific muscle needs time to rest up.

For light lifters, rest can be short. 30 seconds to 2 minutes is not unusual. The shorter the rest the harder your heart is beating and this means more calories, and more fat loss.

Now for resting between workouts; the whole reason that lifting weights work is because you are creating tiny tears and causing tremendous stress to the fibers. They need time to recuperate, repair and rebuild so that you can see great results.

You may think that the more you workout, the greater the return. In reality, this is a bad idea. You risk the chance of overtraining and actually halting or even reversing the positive results. So just how much rest is needed?

You should never work the same muscle groups on back-to-back days. If you are doing total body workouts then it is best to have a rest day in between. If you are dead set on working out on back to back days, then you may want to divide the body up into upper and lower body systems. That way you are not risking working the same muscles back to back.
Other ways to split the body is to do a day of push exercises and a day of pull exercises. They can be upper and lower body workouts but one day you are working one muscle and the next you are working its opposing muscle. For example, doing arm curls one day works the biceps, doing pushdowns the next will work the triceps.

The most important is to once again examine your ultimate goal. For most people, total body workouts work just fine and 3 days of lifting is plenty. That leaves no back to back days and there is plenty of rest. Rest means time to build muscle, break down fat and transform your body.

When it comes to the best rest that has to be sleep. We all know that doctors recommend 8 hours of sleep per night…well, so do trainers. Sleep is a time of total body repair, not just the muscles. And if you are lacking on the sleep then you are holding back on what your body can really accomplish. Trust me, I know how hard it is to get 8 hours a night. But I try my best to be in bed by 11:00 pm since I have no control of what time I have to get up for work in the morning (5:00 am).

I know this isn’t 8 hours, but it try my hardest to get the most sleep possible. If you are staying up at night just watching tv, don’t use that as an excuse. Turn it off and hit the sheets.

Without the rest between sets and between workouts you could really risk injury and stagnant results.

Everything is going well. Today was the ultimate test for me. A coworker brought in a homemade chocolate cake and on top of that someone bought pizza for the entire office! I stayed strong and stuck to my chicken.

I also met with my stage trainer this past weekend and we have dropped my carbs down a bit. That just means taking control and keeping track of everything. Once you know what you can have it really isn’t hard. I am pumping in the protein (130 g/day) and taking in 40 g of carbs for 2 days and then 60 g of carbs 2 days and so on.

Workouts are kicking butt. I am continuing to push myself and really get that weight up. Today I worked lower body and core. It went something like this:

Superset:

• Squat: 105 lb x 8; 110 lbs x 6; 105 lbs x 6
• Deadlift: 3 sets at 60 lbs x 10 reps

Superset:

• Step-ups on bench: 50 lbs x 10; 50 lbs x 8
• Lunges: 60 lbs x 8

Superset

• Calve raises: 100 lbs x 6; 90 lbs x 8; 75 lbs x 7
• Sumo squat: 95 lbs x 8

I finished off with a few isolated moves of leg extensions and curls to finish strong and really get my legs begging!
This workout kicked my tail and my legs are still shaking! I finished it off with a great protein snack and headed home to cook dinner.

I will be posting pictures before I leave for vacation next week. I have been taking picts every two weeks to help motivate me and remind me what I am working for.

This was something I can up with the other night for dinner. I was trying to think of an easy meal that would make me and Dan happy, since my carbs are low right now for the competition and his obviously aren’t. This is great because it gave me a great tasting piece of chicken (I was able to just pick it out and avoid all the beans) and it was enough for him to enjoy.

What you Need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pouch of chili powder
• 1 can kidney beans (or pintos)
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
• ½ cup mozzarella

What You Do With It:

1. Start off by sprinkling each chicken breast with 2 tsp of the chili powder and set them in a casserole dish.
2. Evenly pour in beans, onion, and the remainder of chile powder over the top of chicken, Finish off the dish by sprinkling over the cheese and finally, the sun dried tomatoes.
3. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove foil and cook an additional 3-5 minutes to get cheese a bit toasted.

Serve over brown rice, a bed of spinach or by itself.
This is packed with protein, complex carbs, fiber and taste!