I Need An Easy Button

There's nothing easy about easing back into "normal" life after a competition. On one hand, it's great. Your energy levels come back, your weight increases in the gym as your strength returns, you are generally a happier person as your low-carb paranoia, confusion, and anxiety fades away, and you can return to eating more than just chicken and vegetables 6 times a day. On the other hand, people expect you to return to "normal" life, or their version of it, and don't understand why you still don't want to down 6 beers in one sitting, go out for a fat-filled meal on any old random night, and most importantly why on earth you are still spending so much time in the gym when "you don't need to anymore".

GOALS PEOPLE, GOALS!!!!!

Ugh okay, so I'm having trouble easing back into the swing of things right now. My workouts post-competition have been absolutely fantastic. Cardio has been cut back, calories have been increased, and I've been able to kill it in just about every workout. Unfortunately, my stomach has not been very happy with the overnight return of certain foods into my diet, especially dairy products :/ Making things worse, I attended a wedding in Prince Edward Island, Canada this past weekend which made sticking to 100% clean, whole foods nearly impossible. Let's just say I need to buy a new pack of little green tummy-calming pills LOL.

While in PEI, I discovered a fantastic gym called Iron Haven. Every morning I got up early while everyone else slept in, ate a delicious breakfast of coffee and oatmeal with a banana and peanut butter whey (all of which I had brought with me) and set off for this lifter's paradise 30 minutes away. No offense to Canadians, Maritimers in particular, but life moves a bit slower north of the border. Having lived there for several years, I think I'm allowed to say that LOL. More specifically, when I say "early", what I mean is that the gym didn't open until 8am and when I left each day around 9:30 there was a max of 3 people in there! Man, if only World's was like that! The gym was 1-level with 3 rooms all containing the typical free weights, cardio equipment, weight machines, and various stretching and stability equipment. It wasn't a new facility by any means, a lot of the equipment looked like it was the 2nd hand stuff that World's sells off to make space for newer, flashier items. However, this appealed to me as it obviously weeded out the tools and yuppies and attracted only those looking for a serious lift, no frills attached.

After starting my day in a healthy way however, my diet continuously went downhill from there. I know I did the best I could given the circumstances but my tummy was just not in a forgiving mood. Each day was a massive food-focused event; a BBQ Friday, wedding meal Saturday, and a massive brunch on Sunday. While I tried to pick and choose the healthiest options, and did tell myself ahead of time that I was allowed two treats this weekend (wine at the wedding and ice cream since my favourite kind happens to come from PEI), my portion sizes were continuously inflated and included many processed items that simply don't sit well with me. I know it was only a few days and whatever damage was done has probably already been reversed but I just feel gross right now and plan to use the rest of this week as a detox. The one lingering problem I am still noticing though, now 10 days post-show, is that every time I have any kind of dairy whether super clean like whey or Greek yogurt, or super dirty like ice cream, my tummy gets tied up in knots! If I'm still having issues at the end of this week I may have to consider going dairy-free for a while. What's a whey-loving girl to do?! :'(

Switching topics for a moment here, I have now been able to get feedback from I think all of the judges at the Yankee. There were two main themes of note 1) tighten glutes and 2) tan was not dark enough. 1) I completely expected this since it was one of my areas of focus over the past few months and I know I still have a ways to go before I am as tight as I want/need to be and 2) WTF?! When you pay $135 for a professional tan done by the industry expert promoted by the event organizers, you should not be getting this kind of feedback. Not to mention, it was the same service I had done for the SOA where I didn't get any color-related comments. Needless to say, I'm very unhappy. I'm not sure what to do for my next show now as I don't have a coach or anyone else who could help me to apply the cheaper options like Pro Tan but I'd hate to show up with my best physique ever, and end up losing out on a 1st place score for something as silly as a coloring issue. Urghhh I wonder if other competitors have gotten the same feedback. I would think that since the majority of us used the same company that if we were all too light then it wouldn't be that noticeable when comparing us against each other. Anyway, I'll stop grumbling. Overall, the feedback was really good and I've kind of been convinced to do one more show this year as the next one could be "the one" ;)

No committing just yet though, I'm still taking the rest of the Summer to relax. Or, at least try my very best to introduce that very foreign term into my vocabulary LOL. I have one more day of PTO before I return back to hell, *ahem*, I mean work on Thursday. It's supposed to be a scorcher so I'm thinking I'll get up, get my leg workout out of the way early and hit the beach for some rays for a few hours. I'll probably bring my note cards with me and design my August workout plan since this is the last week of the July routine. I'm not sure how I'll structure it just yet but you can be sure there will be a lot of dead lifts and squatting going on! Anyway, I'm off to make a yummy salmon dinner here and then take the Mugs for a nice early evening walk. Be sure to visit the recipe tab as I added a delicious treat recipe today that all you gym rats will definitely want to try out! I hope all you loyal readers got in some fun workouts over the past week. Keep killing it!

So Close I Can Taste It!

I haven't experienced much pain worse than being truly hungry. The kind of hungry where you lie in bed awake in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep because your stomach is in knots, growling, and the 6 Tums you've chewed over the past hour aren't doing a damn thing to settle things. That's how my nights were going by the end of last week. It was by far the worst peak week I've experienced yet and for just that reason I don't think I'll ever do a Summer show again. It happened to be the hottest week so far this year with insanely high humidity levels which completely drained me of all energy even before the usual effects of carb-cutting kicked in. Hats off to all the bodybuilders who had to dehydrate themselves in that heat - I don't think I'd be strong enough to get through it! I knew I was in trouble when I was already feeling lethargic during my workout Monday night, the first day of my cut, when I typically can go a good 3 days before I turn into a zombie. My workouts basically sucked all week but I still pushed through them as best I could. This also means that I was extra miserable all week long at both work and the gym and ready to rip someone's head off with no advance notice LOL. For the sake of being completely honest here and admitting that sometimes even the strictest of people need to break the rules, I cheated on my proposed diet plan every day. That's right, not once or twice, EVERY FREAKING DAY! Now I don't mean I had a chocolate bar or anything like that but I did, every evening, have an extra off-plan serving of carbohydrate (usually oatmeal) simply because I honestly felt like I would die if I didn't.

Somehow I made it through the torture Monday through Thursday. Friday felt like I imagine being let out of prison after 50 years of solitary confinement would feel. FREEDOM! I had planned a carb-load on Friday anyway but seeing how the week had gone, I upped it even more. Fantastic move on my part! Friday was a whirlwind day of driving to Massachusetts and back to get checked-in, polygraphed, and spray tanned but suddenly I had energy again and was ready to rock it! It also helped my motivation seeing other competitors again. How did I forget how many studs there were in this sport? Seriously, I think all the hotties in the OCB were at this show. I wasn't even the slightest bit annoyed with having to wait an hour in line in an un-airconditioned hotel for my polygraph when there was so much deliciousness to look at! ;)

Anyway, I ended Friday night with a delicious post-dinner PB & banana snack and hit the sack to try to get some rest before the big day. My bedroom however was about 150 degrees and after realizing that the only way I was going to preserve my tan would be to go downstairs into the A/C and spend the night on my itty bitty sofa, I think I got about a max of 2 hours sleep for the night. At 5:30 AM I got up, made breakfast, put on my suit, did my makeup, and hit the road.  Despite the lack of sleep, my carb-load had done wonders for my overnight. Abs were popping and I just couldn't refrain from taking a little photo shoot to document the occasion LOL.

Finally, the day had arrived to show off what I had busted my ass for over the past 3 months. Off to the Yankee Classic!

The Yankee was held in a very nice high school in Newburyport. Upon arrival all competitors set-up their things in the school cafeteria which was great because not only was it huge but it was airconditioned! Around 10:00 all competitors got together for the usual pre-show meeting and then around 10:30 the show began with bikini. I was feeling great in my new suit, had nearly inhaled my lucky Cadbury Cream Egg, and went out there for both the novice and open classes with more confidence than I felt I had at either of my other two shows. The auditorium was quite small which made it more intimate and less intimidating. The classes were a much better size this time, about 10-12 girls each, and the competition was great. I felt like the girls I was up against were much better conditioned than at the SOA and everyone really brought their best to the stage. Feeling like I did well but having no idea how I looked to the judges who kept their stone cold stares facing the line-up the whole time, I had to be patient for the next few hours after all the other categories went through their judging segments.

Around 3:30, after a short intermission, it was time for our solo walks. I swear, no matter how many shows I do, I will never get used to the walk. I absolutely DETEST getting up on stage by myself, knowing all eyes are on me as I try to pop my hips at unnatural angles, tighten my abs and quads to the point of pain, hold a fake smile, and chant silently in my head "don't fuck up, don't fuck up, don't fuck up" over and over again. Seriously, I would pay double the entrance fee if I could get out of having to do the walk! About halfway through I could feel my lips starting to involuntarily quiver, my legs getting weak and I knew I had to speed it up before I passed out on stage. Phew! I made it off just in the knick of time as my toes started to spasm; one of the negative effects of wearing way-too-high heels for any length of time!

The next couple of hours were spent going through everyone's individual performance and then it was time for awards. This time the top 5 placings were not posted backstage so all contestants were huddled up backstage hoping to hear their number called (I was competitor #4). It's always a bit nerve-wracking waiting to find out the results but the wait was well worth it this time. I placed 2nd in both my novice and open categories!

You always hear people joke that getting 3rd is better than getting 2nd since 2nd is so close to being 1st but I have to say I disagree. I am extremely happy with my placings yesterday. The competition was fierce, the classes large, and I felt like I brought my best physique to the stage yet. The only problem now is that while before the Yankee I was thinking this may be my last show this year, now I want to give a shot at 1st one more try. I haven't had a chance to get any judge feedback yet but that pro card is so close I can taste it. I want it so bad and I feel like it's finally within reach. A few more tweaks here and there and I may just nail it! I'm not committing to anything just yet. My body definitely needs a break and I want to enjoy the rest of the Summer before I think too much about it. Come September though I have a feeling I'm going to be getting antsy for a new challenge. 'Til then though, time to build!

If you saw my macros today you'd probably shudder in disgust but I want my energy and full strength back so I'm going to eat clean but pay less attention to my macros this week to hopefully kick start my body back into normalcy. I returned to the gym this morning for a weights-only session and I felt like my strength was starting to come back already. I can't wait to hit it again tomorrow. Dreading my return to the office but at least I have something to look forward to at 5:00 pm! Anyway, I'm burning out here so that's it for my recap of the Yankee. I feel like I left out a lot of details but at least you have all the major events laid-out here.

I hope someone out there reading my blog posts finds inspiration to tackle their personal fitness goal be it competing or some other activity. Just remember to do it for you. People will try to talk you out of it or tell you you can't or tell you it's a bad idea. Who knows their reasoning. In all likelihood they mean well but are just ignorant on the subject. Bottom line is though, as long as you enjoy it, that's all that matters. If they can't handle it fuck 'em. You don't know how long you will have to go after your dreams so what better time than now to get started?

May you rest in peace, Carlos. I didn't know you well but in my short time competing, I have seen and heard the wonderful impact you had on so many competitors. The sad news seems surreal as I just saw you yesterday and you were your happy, energetic self, eager and excited to help so many competitors achieve their dreams. A truly kind, compassionate, strong, caring man. You will be missed by many. 

Welcome To Peak Week

Happy Saturday all you gym rats out there! I'm sitting here eating a yummy chicken-cashew-veggie stir-fry for dinner, the last one I'll be able to eat for the next week, thinking I better do a blog post before I become so exhausted from peak week dieting and training that I have no energy to type. These days I have about a 6-hour window from the time I wake up to roughly lunch time that I can carry a coherent conversation and don't need to pump myself with caffeine to get through a decent workout. Come the PM hours, it's all downhill from there. I know it's totally normal and will only get worse before it gets better but I am so ready to take on peak week and be done with it. Exactly 7 days from now I will be in Newburyport, MA awaiting  the results of the bikini bodybuilding division!

I'm actually looking forward to peak week this time though. I wrote-out my new diet and workout plan for the week the other day and will begin the depletion on Monday. I'm going to follow a similar plan to the one I did for the SOA only this time I'm going to carb-load a bit more on Friday to see if it makes any difference. Monday through Thursday will be depletion days, Thursday of course being the worse, but I feel like my willpower is ready to take it on. Especially since Thursday's workout will just be an AM cardio sesh so it's perfectly fine if I lack all mental and physical capacity after 6AM. I'm sure my boss will just LOVE that HA!

For the longest time my mind just wasn't really in the right place for this show due to a) it being summer and I want a friggin' margarita bad and b) hardly anyone around here is doing this show so there aren't many people to train with, pose with, and most important...complain with LOL. However, over the past few weeks I've gotten much more excited about it, especially as my physique is visibly leaning out (amazingly without much drop on the scale!) and the countdown has gone from weeks to mere days. If I continue to progress as I should over the next week I think I'll look better on stage this time than I did in either of my other two shows.

7 Days Out - Abs Have Arrived!

I have no idea what to expect out of this show though. It's another huge pro-qualifier but I'm guessing it won't be quite as big as the SOA was just due to the time of year. Hopefully that doesn't mean massive classes that are impossible to place in. Then again, a placing in a larger class would be so much more meaningful! In all though I just want to have fun and hopefully improve over last time.

Yesterday I had a posing class set-up with a woman I posed with last spring. It felt so good to put on my suit and get in some good practice and pointers! My suit is definitely scandalous but I think it will rock the stage in a good way :) I'm feeling so much more confident just having a little practice in me so hopefully I can get some more in at the gym this week before showtime. Today was just a nice relaxing, sunny, and pleasantly warm Saturday which began with a shoulders and core workout. Then around mid-day I went for a canoe trip with my Dad where we caught some yummy fresh bass for peak week dinners! I was pooped when I came home this afternoon so I treated myself to a pedicure merely so I could take a nap in the massaging chair for a half-hour LOL. Tomorrow is supposed to be the gem of the weekend so I plan to get up super early again, do a leg / core / cardio gym sesh and then hit the beach with some friends for the day. It's time to break-out the old stage suit for the sand so I don't have horrendous tan lines next weekend ;)

I guess that's all I have for pre-peak week updates. All I can say is bring it on! Have a Fit. Fierce. & Fun rest of your weekend, stay active, eat clean, and happy gymming to all! 

Mastering the StairMaster

I wish every workout was like today's! For some reason, it was just one of those perfect gym days with few people, a great Pandora music selection, fantastic energy, and an all-around stellar lifting plan! Today was the first July Sunday workout and on the schedule was legs, core, and cardio. My legs were still a little sore from previous workouts this week but with both a solid night's sleep (thank goodness the humidity of the past few days has lessened!) and a little watermelon C4 mixed in with my Aminolast (two new supplements I bought at PNC last week), I was able to push past the soreness with ease.

I decided to do my cardio after my lifting today both to a) switch things up and b) use my greatest energy where it mattered most - legs! On today's plan was the following:
-Quad press machine
-SB plank toe taps
-Standing side & back cable kicks
-SB bench weighted leg lifts
-DB plie squats
-Standing side-to-side leg lifts
I had planned to do the elliptical for my cardio but while over on the quad press machine I noticed a competitor friend was doing the StairMaster backwards so I asked her about it. She said that doing it backwards helps a lot with the defined split-look between your quads and hams that the judges really like to see. Jeeze, why hadn't anyone told me that before?! That's one area that I seriously struggle with. My quads are solid rocks yet for some reason I just don't have that desired split going on. So anyway, I decided to switch my cardio to the StairMaster today and boy was that a good move!

First of all, rather than plugging into the TV and watching the news while stepping like I usually do, I switched my Pandora from the Buckcherry station to the Hip Hop Powerhouse Workout station. I'd like to take a moment and thank Pit Bull for making my 30 minute routine seem like only 10 LOL. Also, rather than speeding up every 10 minutes and slowing back down until the next 10 minute segment, instead I alternated positions front, backward, and sideways (both left and right) every time the song switched. This was a challenge at first as I had never done anything other than forward stepping before but boy was it fun and kept it interesting. You really have to pay attention when going backwards and sideways as it would be ridiculously easy to fall off! My only complaint is that I think this particular StairMaster has seen better days as it seemed to have a mind of it's own toward the end of my session and kept speeding up on me despite my turning the speed down. Yikes, that was a challenge! Got a really good sweat going though and I ended my workout feeling better than I have in a long time.

When I got home I threw my new favourite shake concoction into the blender: 1 cup almond milk, 1 scoop About Time cinnamon swirl whey protein, 4 ice cubes, and 1 tbsp PB2. PB2 is my new love. I had a little shopping spree over at PNC the other day and decided to try it out since I'd been hearing such great things about it. It's basically dehydrated peanut butter that you mix with water when you want a low-cal and low-fat peanut butter option. The first time I made it I thought it was only so-so but now I'm addicted. PB shakes, PB rice cake sandwiches, PB on celery sticks...Yum! So now I'm sitting here, drinking this delicious concoction debating whether it's a beach day or not. Who am I kidding, every day is a beach day hahaha! It's the last of my 4-day weekend thanks to the 4th of July and I need one more good douse of vitamin D before I return to hell tomorrow. I've been in a great mood these past few days despite being carb-deprived and now only 13 days out from the Yankee but I'm quite certain that will change tomorrow.

Alas, better make the most of today! I'm feeling great and totally ready for the Yankee physique-wise right now. Just gotta ride out the next two weeks, get in some much needed posing practice, and stick to the plan! I've been taking progress pics every week for the past 8 weeks. You can't really see a ton of difference as the pics are iPhone pics taken in poor lighting but I can definitely see and feel a difference myself. You be the judge:

8 weeks out

2 weeks out

Well I better go shower up and pack my food for the beach! I hope you all have a great Sunday Funday and kick some ass today whether in the gym or outside. 'Til next time gym rats, happy gymming!