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Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness arrived early.

Back exercises to increase this beast

I know the diet will come in time so I’ll sweep that under the rug for now. Doesn’t sound like the right mentality?  For me it is… Every one deals with post-contest struggles differently.I find worrying and being neurotic is worse than not eating the right amount of protein for two weeks.lol 

Back exercises to increase this beast

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Confessions of changing events

As always, I am a bit behind in my writing but still doing the best I can with the amount of food I’m on. Actually my food isn’t too low but I have difficulties concentrating when I diet.

Within the last few days I have come to a couple of resolutions about my competition endeavors and feel better about them already. Here they are:

NO MORE SCALE!

Done, finished, fini with the scale. It’s just a marker that will drive you to your limits if you allow it. It’s a piece of plastic, an inanimate object that turns the strongest willed people into snivelling, weak-minded insecure individuals and anything that can make me feel bad about myself has to go.

Change of Event

Although I’ve been planning to do the October, 23 NANBF show the realization has hit me that it’s out of my price range. It will be $135 for fees including the poly and though this is average in the natty shows it’s the rest of competing that’s very expensive. It would be nearly $500 after paying for fees, sitter, gas, hotel and food. If I don’t get a sitter then Josh will have to stay at home. He supports me 100% and likes to be a part my events so that wouldn’t work. He said not to worry but I can’t spend that kind of money on a single event not with much needed winter boots and new coats for the kids…I’m a mom, what can I say? Could you imagine if I wasn’t being sponsored with a suit?! I have decided to do the November 20 Midwest States show and it will eliminate some of the cost because it’s about 50minutes from the house.

 Keep giving it all I’ve got.

I’d like to thank Kira Jones of Vandella Costumes for sponsoring me in mycompetition endeavors. For competitors in need of a posing suit you can contact Kira at http://www.VandellaCostumes.com. Please let her know I sent you.

Confessions of feeling behind

Saturday marked the third week of dieting and surprisingly I have gained back 2lbs. Although I know it’s common to bounce back and forth some I don’t like the feeling. It makes me nervous because I’m exactly eight weeks out from the show. My weight dropped from 142 to 139.5 to 137.7 and back to 139.9 and I don’t understand it. Perhaps I’ll be starting my cycle soon but I’m not sure. I do know since Wednesday or Thursday my body has felt bloated and gross. I changed my diet around some last night and I hope this will help out also.

I also recieved some constructive criticism about my posing today and it’s something that was already on my mind. This person was very kind and told me my waist was wide and he’s correct. Here is the dilemma I am faced with. If I “sit on” my abs the way I’m supposed to it widens out my waist and my skin crinkles. On the other hand if I try to “sit on” them, pull them up and stretch my abs stick out a bit but my waist is WAY smaller- I mean WAAAAAAAY smaller. So… what exactly do I do? Sit on them or press them out some? I do understand the latter way is not the proper way to contract my abs but it does look far better…

I would like to thank Kira Jones of Vandella Costumes for sponsoring me in my competition endeavors. For competitors in need of a posing suit you can contact Kira at http://www.VandellaCostumes.com. Please let her know I sent you.   This style 18-b bra style in swatch 25.

Friday Shoulders 6/11

db press 20x20x3

yti’s 15x8x3, 10x7x3

front raises db 15x15x3

underhand db 10x15x3

crossovers cables 20x20x3

db upright rows 30x20x3

db side laterals 15x10x3,10x10x3

Confessions of feeling bad but not guilty

My partner in crime couldn’t make it to the gym today so I spent my work out doing an arms work out and posing.  The training is coming along and regardless of the competition my true love affair is with the gym.  The exercises, training, people and energy is what makes me love everything about training. 

After my workout I took the kids on our weekly romp to BrookField Zoo with a cooler full of food and snacks.  I pushed the dooly, my 27lb double stroller with 75lbs worth of kids around the zoo while carrying my 20lb cooler. I promised the kids an ice cream and decided to have  one myself.  This is my first cheat I have had in nearly three weeks and it was heavenly.  What was best about the whole experience besides enjoying an ice cream cone with the kids?  For once, during dieting, I didn’t feel guilty!

With my first show last year my calories were so low I would binge badly and have to pay for it mentally.  Anyone who has done a show will understand this.  But, not today.  On every other day I have eaten well; with enough calories to get me through the day and not feel the need to eat “shitake mushrooms” when I’m overly hungry.  As for the feeling bad part; my stomach was on fire!  That one ice cream was setting off some serious silent-but-deadlies and I could’ve cared less. Let’s just say the constipation is over.LOL.

***shitake mushrooms is the code word I use when I’m about the slip with a bad word in front of the kids.

I would like to thank Kira Jones of Vandella Costumes for sponsoring me in my competition endeavors. For competitors in need of a posing suit you can contact Kira at http://www.VandellaCostumes.com.  Please let her know I sent you. This suit is style #622 in swatch #346.

Arms 6/9/10 super sets

db tri ext  15lbsx20reps/20×20/25×20 x4 all of these were continous to get 60 reps

curls ez bar 30x20x4

cable push downs  40x20x2, 50x20x2

cable overheads     40x20x2, 50x20x2

one arm cable curls  20x20x4

kickbacks 5x20x4

db curls  15x20x4

top cable curls 25x20x4

assisted dips  80x12x2,70x12x1, 90x20x15

Confessions of Constipation

It’s not pretty by any means but constipation has set in.  Though most people hate to know the dirty details about women and pooping the fact is… it happens.  It also happened for the last show and my body has a tendency to become constipated as soon as the diet becomes stricter. Oh, is the life. 

Oddly, I laugh when I think of these unsightly details because the sport of bodybuilding, fitness, figure and bikini may look glamourous but is full of ironies when it comes to hygiene and beauty.  As your in the line up of fifteen gorgeous girls and suddenly catch a wiff of BO during a QT you realize it ain’t always what it’s cut out to be.  Deodorant-less competitors are sweating it out on the stage with Pam Cooking spray and turning gray or green depending on their PH balance.  Man… I love this sport.  Competiting or not I love this sport.

I would like to thank Kira Jones of Vandella Costumes for sponsoring my in her competition endeavors. For competitors in need of a posing suit you can contact Kira at http://www.VandellaCostumes.com.  Please let her know I sent you. Kira is a wonderful lady and creates great custom posing suits.  This suit is style #208 in swatch #248.

Yesterday 6/9/10

cable decline flye   40x20x4

bench flyes     20x20x4

flat smith   30x20x2,  40x20x2

incline bench smith  30x20x1, 40x20x3

decline db   40x20x4

push up alt.hand on ball 10×4

cable flye 40x20x2, 60x20x2

Confessions of re-calculating and planning

For the past two weeks the diet has been going well but not the way I was expecting.  Re-calculating and re-planning my diet is now in order.  Last night I spent a long period of time revamping my diet and although I’m keeping the same amount of calories I’ve changed the meals so I am eating seven meals every 2.5hours.  With the more even spread I hope to not be starving at bed time and will hopefully stop the midnight snacking.  Even though the food is clean; each time I get up in the middle of the night I have to stop by the fridge for a snack.  I know some bodybuilders do that but it’s not for me.

Besides the diet my husband told me I had a long way to go before I was ready for the show.  This simple statement has me feeling very discouraged even though I know he didn’t mean it badly.  I thought I was on track.  My weight loss has been where I want it to be and consistent so for now I will keep up the training and cardio.  After  my first show I learned what not to do so if this doesn’t turn out to be the way I hope then I’ll learn from it for my show in October.  I think I’m going to let that statement go… right now as a matter of fact.

Yesterday-Back 6/8/10 

wide grip pull downs  80x20x3

wide grip assisted pull ups   80x20x3

one arm seated rows  20x20x3

close grip pull downs  80x20x3

cable  cross overs   10x20x3 extra squeeze

supermans   5x 3 for a long hold

lumberjacks  45x20x3

smith rows  40x20x3

one arm db rows  15x20x3

Lisa would like to thank Kira Jones of Vandella Costumes for sponsoring her in her competition endeavors. For competitors in need of a posing suit you can contact Kira at http://www.VandellaCostumes.com. Please let her know Lisa sent you. Kira is a wonderful lady and creates great custom posing suits.

Confessions of some interesting numbers

I’ve been dieting for the last two weeks and feel like the diet’s going well compared to last time. I have taken off just over two pounds per week and am now at 137.5. Over the last year my body composition has greatly changed and I found my measurements to be a bit…perplexing. I sent my measurements in to Kira so she could get a jump start on my suit and the results weren’t too far off from my measurements when I was five weeks out from my first show.

Kira’s measurements are taken from seven points and here are my results. I do not have last years numbers but I know they were extremely close to these. What I’m curious about is how small will I be once I shed the blubber? I know there are no guarantees in competing but if I lose two pounds a week for the next eight weeks, as well as H2O weight that’s going to bring me into the one-teens. That will be fine but I am a bit surprised.

Besides training I’ve spent at least every other day working on posing and my T-walk. I have become a bit worried about my shoulder’s in comparison to the rest of my body but know the only thing I can do is show them off. My shoulders are 43″ around…making me a bit top heavy. I have manipulated my poses to bring out the best look as well as I know how so the rest will be up to the judges.

1. 34- above chest

2. 36- chest

3. 30- below chest

4. 29- natural waist

5. 32- low waist

6. 36- butt/hips

7. 20- girth

For those looking for a custom posing suit please contact Kira Jones of Vandella Costumes and let her know I sent you.

Confessions of a cave man

I’m making my way through the diet and can say I’ve truly become a cave man, or should I say, cave  woman.  I  keep my food prepped in storage containers in the fridge but I don’t even bother to heat it anymore.  The only food that I eat hot are egg whites, oatmeal or sweet potatoes and that’s only when it is coming straight off the stove or out of the oven. I don’t bother to steam my veggies either and on any given night I can be found with a chunk of chicken in one hand and a stalk of broccoli in the other… oh, I have also forgone utensils unless absolutely necessary. 

I spent yesterday afternoon doing my T-walk and posing and still have much to do.  Everything is coming along but there are moments when I don’t feel so confident.  ‘Tis the way of things but practice will help that to dissipate. 

I have been given two pieces of advice during my life that I live by and they are ”everything is fixable.” Even if it’s not fixed exactly how you want it; it can be done.  The second bit of advice is this “even if you aren’t sure of the answer, say it with confidence and people will believe you.”  Although a judge can see if you aren’t lean enough presenting yourself with confidence and looking like you own the stage is far  better than the look of defeat.

This picture to the right is my narrow look but I’ve decided to go for the gold and open up my shoulders for standing relaxed and the T-walk.

For those looking for a custom posing suit please contact Kira Jones of Vandella Costumes and let her know I sent you.

I went really easy on chest today because I’m overly tired. My kids aren’t sleeping which means I’m not sleeping. I did get some great posing time in so the day wasn’t a loss.

AM cardio and a warm-up at the gym

Cable flyes   25lbsx15repsx1set, 30x15x3

HS flat press  one arm at a time  25x15x4

flat press  45x15x4

incline db’s  50x12x4

abs, posing

Confessions of movin’ along

Training is going well but my main focus now is diet and posing. The diet is a state of mind and once I start I try not to deviate because I can’t have just one small cheat meal. Mine has to be a full cheat day and my first choice is a Double Whopper with cheese, fries and a real coke; no diet coke for me thank you.

As for the posing it’s coming along and I have (in my mind) put together my t-walk. For the last four weeks I have hemmed-and-hawwed over the the T-walk and have the outline for my walk of fame. For the next nine weeks I will stick to this plan so I know what I am doing. In the last show I was totally ill prepared since I thought it was going to be like an NPC show with the initial walk-out and then line-up. I could not have been more wrong!!!

I have also realized I will have to manipulate my legs a bit more to match my upper body. Actually, my legs are completely proportional to my body but my shoulders aren’t. The exercises may have made them a bit rounder with muscle but my shoulders have always been extremely broad for my body. I could’ve been born with narrow or sloped shoulders so I’m definitely not complaining!

Speaking of, here is my shoulder day. 5/28/10

 Rear delt with stirrups 50lbs x 20reps x 4

cable single arm front raise 15x12x1, 10x15x3

press face down alt. face up each side 60x12x2, 90x10x1/90x8x1, 60x10x1

one arm yti’s 10x10x4, 5x5x4(I had to complete the set this way because I was getting sloppy)

db presses 40x15x4

db laterals 10x15x4

db underhand front raises 10x15x4

For those looking for a custom posing suit please contact Kira Jones of Vandella Costumes and let her know I sent you.