Thursday, July 23, 2009

14 Weeks Out


Yesterday I met with my fitness compadre, Deke, to go over my new diet, training program, and supplement regimen. It was an important time to meet because I will be leaving Saturday to go on vacation and as soon as I get back I start my diet and start getting serious about preparing for the competition. By the way you can learn more about the Bluegrass Championship show coming in October. Just visit http://www.trickyjackson.com/ for more information about the cost of tickets, the time and location.

Since I will not focus too much on my training while on vacation I did a little preparation last night to make it easier to prepare my foods and follow this new schedule of dieting and taking supplements when I return. I made a shopping list for my initial visit to the grocery store so that I will know exactly what to buy and how much of it for one week. It helps having a grocery list so that I'm less tempted to buy things I don't need. I also updated my food journal to keep me on track each day with what I can eat and to eat the correct portion sizes as well. I will be eating five meals per day and taking several different types of supplements, most of the ones I use are from Beverly International. I am also planning on buying a food scale to weigh out food as they are packaged for my meals each day. The diet is strict. I am very limited with what I can eat but with a little creativity hopefully I won't get bored with eating the same foods.

None the less, I am excited and nervous about this journey. Thank goodness for Deke. He has been generous with his time and help. I can't say how much I appreciate it!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Sample Leg Workout

Today is Monday, the day I typically work legs. I work legs twice a week, Monday I use light weight usually doing one leg exercises and Friday I lift heavier. I keep track of my progress using a workout journal. My goal is to increase the amount of wieght I lift or increase the number of repetitions. I do three sets and 10-12 reps with legs except calves which I do 20 reps each set. My workout is as follows:

I do right leg, then left leg and rest.
One Leg Extension 3x8x60 lbs
One Leg Curl 3x10x50 lbs
One Leg Press 3x20x110 lbs added to sled
Hack Squats 3x12x50 lbs added to Smith Machine
Step Ups-stepping up on 2 foot bench using 15 lb. dumbbells. I do each leg for one minute and do this two or three times.
Smith Machine Calf Raises 3x20xadd 30 lbs to bar
Seated Calf Raises 3x20x80 lbs

I have a couple different exercise logs filled out with different exercises and alternate between the two so I don't get bored with the same old exercises. You can find workout logs on the internet or make your own. I made my own to suit my needs.

Bodybuilding.com has printable logs you can customize for workouts, nutrition, and supplements.
When its time to switch exercices and your routine which you should do every 4 to 6 weeks they also have a great exercise guide. You can search by body part which makes it quick to find new moves and they also include a demonstration video so that if it is new to you, you can watch it to focus on correct form and technique.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/printlogs.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm

Also, supplementation is the key to achieving a great physique. In the past I didn't include them in my training but now I believe that make a big difference in my workouts. There are tons of supplements, brands, and distributors. My advice is to use the ones you trust are good quality. Primarily, I use products made by Beverly International because I have read and researched them and their protein shake tastes great. Ask around and find out what others use too. I buy my products from www.tigerfitness.com. They usually have the lowest prices but I still like to shop around for sales.

I currently use the following supplements:
Branched Chain Amino Acids 3 tabs before and after my workout
Protein Powder 1 scoop after my workout
Glutamine 1 tbsp before and after my workout
Multivitamin once a day
Fish oil 1 caps a day
Vitamin D 1 tab a day

I will be adding more in two weeks when I am 12 weeks out from my show to help burn fat and maintain muscle.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Sample Diet

The past few days I have been reviewing my new diet I'll start August 1st when I'm 12 weeks out from competition. Mostly my diet will consist of chicken, fish (tuna, cod, salmon), turkey, and very lean beef. I will be eating about 1600 calories a day including 48g of fat, 80g of carbs, and 232g of protein for about 4 weeks. I will lose 200-300 calories a day by doing 30 minutes of cardio. Here is a sample of my diet:

Meal #1
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
3 oz of turkey or chicken
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 grapefruit

Meal #2
2 scoops protein shake

Meal #3
5 oz turkey patty
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup of broccoli

Meal #4
2 scoops protein shake

Meal #5
6 oz chicken breast, fish, lean beef
1 cup green beans
salad with oil and vinegar dressing

I have to limit whole grains and dairy during this time and eliminate sweets and junk food. I can drink water, about one gallon per day, unsweet tea, crystal light, green tea and diet drinks. Dieting for me will be the hardest part especially trying to add variety, that will be challenging. I am keeping recipes that I want to try when regular dishes get old. Some are turkey meatloaf, crockpot chile, sloppy joe mix and tuna patties.

Next time I'll talk about supplementation and what I use.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Counting Calories

I really have not been focused on my training this week. I am finishing up a summer class and the work has consumed much of my time. I have strayed a little from my diet and have missed two days at the gym. Yeah, feeling guilty right now but life happens. Tomorrow is a new day! Speaking of diet, one thing I use to help me keep track of what I eat is a food journal. I calculated my macronutrient ratio at 50:20:30 and try to consume 1600+ calories a day.
Here is a really good link explaining the ratio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSiBcHeZtJg

and a link to a food diary you can customize to fit your needs. You can also create one using a word processing program but this one will save you time.

http://www.fitwatch.com/diary/fooddiary.html

Keeping one will help you stay on track with your diet. It is much easier to plan your meals, too. Which I will talk more about soon.

Fitday is a site where you can keep an online journal and it gives nutrition information also. I think it takes too much time to enter everything in but you might like it.

www.fitday.com

I hope this helps!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Bio

Let me tell you a little bit about me and my fitness background. I grew up around sports. One of us in my family were usually always involved in a sport. My little brother, Ricky, played tee-ball and baseball, my dad is a golfer, my grandmother played basketball who is only five feet tall, and my mother was a cheerleader. So I come from a lineage of physically active people. I became involved in sports when I was asked to help with school sports. I was wrestling manager, football and baseball stastician and attended many games. I was most active in sports in middle and high school and started playing soccer in the eighth grade. I played on a recreational league also so I was playing pretty much year round. Sports stopped my senior year and when I was in college I was not active. Surprise! How many of us are? After college on and off you would catch me in the gym working out. I've always enjoyed weight training and have really been focused for several months on improving my physique. The results were rewarding so I decided to work harder. Friends and strangers noticed the difference too and a few suggested I think about competing. At first I was apprehensive. I didn't know much about the bodybuilding/physique sport but I began researching and talking to people who knew about it. After a couple months of research and learning what I could about training and diet I decided I would give it try. Some days I still question my ability to reach the athletic physique that the sport requires. The key is to surround yourself with lots of supportive people and things that help motivate you! Later, I'll share some of my motivational tips.

I received my posing video a couple of days ago. It's a really good video that demonstrates each of the poses used for judging and poses for presentation. There is the front, side, back and relaxed pose in figure division. I'll start practicing my posing soon and share some tips as I learn how to properly pose.




Thursday, July 9, 2009

FYI

Hey guys and gals! Several of you have visited my blog and think this diary is a great idea. I have opened the blog so that anyone can make comments without opening a Google account so please share and send some feedback. I appreciate all of the support I get from you! I have so much more to tell you about and can't wait to throw it all out there. Day by day the building blocks will come together. Be patient and excited along with me!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Posing/Suit

Happy 4th to everyone! Spent time tonight with family and ate like I wasn't dieting. Ha! I better while I still have the chance. No gym today. I rest on the weekends but missed Friday too. I prolonged working my shoulders this week because I was really sore after sleeping in some awkward position several nights ago. I kept cold packs on my left shoulder all week and had a little therapy done as well. I was really disappointed when I wasn't any better Friday, the day I planned to do my shoulder workout. Shoulders are probably my most favorite part to work. I did lift some very light weights at home though.

I ordered a posing video a few days ago so that I can begin posing. I have read that posing can make or break your stage presentation and I want to be ready when hundreds of people are watching me and the judges are right in front. I plan to start practicing as soon as it arrives. I am also shoe shopping and have a couple of styles picked out. No certain style is required but many competitors wear clear pageant shoes with a 4 or 5 inch heel. I don't walk very good in high heels so I'll probably go with the 4". Below are some links for shoes and posing videos.

Videos
http://www.julielohre.com/
http://www.figurecoach.com/
Shoes
http://www.totallynecessary.com/
http://www.thepageantplace.com/
http://www.vandellacostumes.com/

Friday, July 3, 2009

16 Weeks Out


A couple of days ago I met with Deke, whom I consult with about my workout program and diet. He has three years experience competing in Junior's Bodybuilding and provides me with tons of advice and encouragement as my training progresses. Deke's help is priceless considering that without him I would be doing this on my own. I couldn't imagine not having help. So we met and went over my goals for the month of July. I am now 16 weeks out. My weight lifting training and diet are both staying the same but I am increasing my cardio to four days per week using HIIT on an elliptical or bicycle. I should lose about 1 pound per week during this month and I'll start getting serious 12 weeks out.


Today I contacted a suit designer about making a posing suit for the show. I read that it's a good idea to order your suit no later than 12 weeks out from the show. The picture posted is one I really like. The designer suggested that I choose a purple fabric to complement my skin and hair color. I am still looking at different swatches and haven't made up my mind on a stone pattern either. It's a hard choice when there are so many different designs and colors. I'll decide in a few more days. I have included some links below for various designers. These are the ones I like best.





Thursday, July 2, 2009

Introduction

Today I set up this blog for family, friends, and anyone interested in training for a Figure Competition. I wanted to share my journey with you and provide you with some of the resources that helped me meet my goals as a first time figure competitor. So stay in touch, keep reading and please give your opinion on my site. Thanks so much for visiting and your encouragement and support is greatly appreciated. Let me take a moment to catch everyone up on my preparation so far. My diet consists of lots of protein for building muscle and a few supplements that supply my muscle with fuel to grow. I am on a 5 day on, 2 day off training split Monday through Friday. I do 2 to 3 days light cardio around 30 minutes each either on an elliptical, treadmill or running outdoors. I currently weigh in at 120 pounds at 15% bodyfat and my goal is drop to 9% or below for the show. So there's a quick recap on where I am at now. More will follow.

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