I got 2nd, and thats OK!

So I placed 2nd at the MuscleContest NPC Spartan Championships in San Diego last weekend. I got 2nd at my last show, so I was really hoping for a first place win! 

BUT!

This time, the woman who beat me looked amazing. It was a legit win :) So I am happy. Last time I was beaten on a technicality (tan wasnt dark enough) but this time, I was actually placed front and center, first callout! Now I went to a great posing seminar led by Head Jusge Tamer El Guindy and he had a couple of great take-home points that stuck with me.

1. You pose to hide your weaknesses, not necessarily to show off your best assets

2. EVERY second you are on stage counts. So if you have one bad face, one second where you slouch, and that happens to be when the judge looks at you, then guess what? You are judged based on what they see. If they only see that split second where you look like a troll, then you will be ranked accordingly.

3. EYE CONTACT with the judges. Ya, I pretty much kept my eye on the head judge and gave her my best "you want to go lesbian for me" looks. Major flirt action here.

So with those points in mind, I decided to take out my front pose, which is my weakest (thick waist and big quads). And I guess it worked because I was placed first!! It wasnt until comparisons where we have to hit front pose where I was switched to 2nd. But for a split second the judges thought I was first place material. The even better part about that, is that the girl who won, not only won my class, but she took overall in both Masters and Open.

Riana's Posing Routine

So if you think about it, I was placed ahead of her for a split second, so the judges thought I was overall winner material. hell I will take it!

SO now, I have 11 weeks until USAs. I took basically a week off to eat, fill up, fill out, get strong again, etc. And of course I feel HUGE and Bloated, but starting Monday, its ON!! USAs here I come and I WILL BE MY BEST EVER!!

Peak Weak Challenges

         Well I decided to do the NPC Spartans on May 3rd. I havne been prepping for this show (my 2nd this year) but I got really sick about 3 weeks out that caused me to lose a ton of water weight (I couldnt keep any food in me except crackers...not really condusive to a competition diet). Of course when I was feeling better, my body held onto EVERYTHING and I ended up putting on more weight which has been very hard to drop off. Our bodies are build to survive and when I got that GI Virus, my body went into survival mode, hording my calories and hanging on. Needless to say, one week out I looked like shit!

       After talking with Coach, she thinks that its mostly just water weight and will fall off during this peak week. This is a smaller show, and I paid for it, so I am just oging to go balls to the walls and give it my best! So of course, this will be a hard peak week.

     Normally, I dont do anything extra special this week, because I have gotten to where I need to be (stage ready) through normal means of diet and exercise, but since I have to actually drop this time, I may have to experiement with diuretics (although I hope not). My carbs have been dropped fully (usually I still get some carbs this week), and my cardio is still high (normally I stop all workouts by weds), but I am mentally tough! Not to mention I still have my full-time job, son, family, and clients this week too! Life goes on.

       This show date marks 12 weeks out from the USAs. Since I have been dieting since December, I would really like some time off to be a little more relaxed, perhaps enjoy some food at a baseball game, etc. I just have to be very careful post show to not rebound since this week is so hardcore. No major splurging for me! The better I maintain, the less pressure USAs in July will be. Here is to motivation and wish me good luck!


If I look ok, I will post Spartan (May 3rd) pics. :)

Prep Time: Its Official!

Ok, so I have been on and off the "Am I going to prep yet"? bandwagon for a while now. As you know, I started prepping for USAs last year, and due to lifestyle and financial stress, had to back out of it. Then I had surgery which sidelined training for 6 weeks and I blew up....Again.....like I promised myself I wouldn't. I am so disapointed with myself.

Last week I craweled with my tail between my legs back to my coach, admitted my weight (152, in actuality I was 154, but that number was just too embarassing to say out lout), and set out to get consistent with diet again. I dont eat bad at all. I eat very good during the week, but my weekends I dont! I might eat 2 shitty shitty meals on the weekend and thats it, or I might eat a ton of fruit during the week or sauces to condiments I wouldnt normally eat. I was tracking my calories on myfitnesspal and I was eating on average 1500 cals a day and gaining weight...Not cool!! Plus I was burning 3000+ per day with weight training and cardio... Now here I am thinking this has got to me metabolic damage/adrenal fatigure/something fucking with my body...

So craweled to coach (Meriza DeGuzman Ciccone), and she was surprisingly understanding. I only say surprisingly becuase she manages to keep her weight in check year round and is a bit of a hard ass. She got me on a "diet" of 1800 cals, so 300 MORE than I had been eating before...She decreased my cardio but increased my intensity.. I was thinking "oh boy, I am going to blow up." But I know I need to get consistend with my diet, workouts and supplements again, and I think the lack of consistency was what screwed me up before. So here I go, day 2 of new diet.

I had originally said I wouldnt compete until May or June of 2014 to let my body rest, but my last show was March 2013, and even though I dieted until July, it wasnt really a diet, just clean eating. So I decided to aim for a show. Feb 15..Capstone Classic here in San Diego.... thats 11 weeks away and I have about 21 lbs or so to loose....here goes nothing!!

Sunday 11/24 : 154.5 lbs
Tuesday 11/26: 151.4 lbs

Guess eating more and changing my cardio is working for me.

Update: More Food, No Weight Gain...? I'll Take it!!

So I have stuck with the practically contest prep eating now for a while. I am on week 3. Still feeling tighter, better, and my energy levels are up. I am doing small amounts (no more than 20 minutes) of HIIT cardio 2-3 times per day. Now I know this sounds like a lot of extra time, but I work in 2 different gyms, so popping on the treadmill for 15 minutes is quite easy.

My Workout Schedule:
0430: 15-20 mins cardio (usually HIIT) on treadmill or arc
0900-1000: 60 mins of heavy weight lifting (gotta grow my shoulders and back!) followed by 10 mins of light cardio cooldown
1500-1545: Gym with the hubs. This is more me training him, but usually I get some abs, bis, tris and/or light cardio or HIIT done at this point
2000-2030: 20 mins cardio at worlds (3 days per week)

My diet has been pretty restriced. 1400-1500 calories and my weight has been maintaining at 146-148. But again, I feel tighter and leaner....so Eff that scale! I usually only weight myself once a week anyway.
BUT this week I ate more food! I started some new supps on Monday, and increased my weight training intensity, and my hunger skyrocketed! Its been a while since I have been HUNGRY and not just bored or snacky. I am NOT in contest prep, so I fed myself a bit more. I totally expected to gain weight, especially since I have been eating more at night. I upped my protein and fats, but try to keep carbs lower right now (I get refeeds and high carb days). My calories for the last 3 days have probably been around 1800-1900, and a few months ago I would have ballooned up at that. But, I weighed myself this morning and I was 147.5 (which would be a previous of 143.5, pre-boobs, HEY IT COUNTS!). So no weight gain at all! This excites me!! I feel like I might actually be getting my metabolism back! YAY!!

This weekend I worked with Sexy-Strong: Premier Nutrition for Female Athletes at the Muscle Contest Pro Physique Show in Culver City. It has been a little bit since I worked, so it was fun to see and hang out with the girls again :) Here are some pics from the show. If you are interested in Sexy-Strong's Whey Isolate, Fat Burner, or Preworkout, just let me know! We can ship anywhere :)

 

 

Phil Heath decieded to stop off and say hi!

(IFBB Pro Francine Sablan, Mr. Olympia Phil Health (Duh), IFBB Pro Narmis Assria, Me and Courtney Jo ;)

 

 

Updates! 10/15 - Stop obsessing over the scale

So operation 1000% back on off-season diet is on its second week. Last week I tightenend up considerably! But when I stepped on the scale this morning - BAM...148.0...WTF? I mean, I LOOK better? Right?!?!

 

 

Possible Explanations:
1. Well, on the weekends (this one being a 3-day weekend) I am less active. During the week, I work on my feet all day, plus train clients, plus workout out twice (once for cardio, once for weights).  On the weekends, I DO work out, but I am not on my feet all day. Its my time to hang out with my family, which sometimes means cuddling on the couch under a blanket and watching The Nightmare Before Christmas and ParaNorman with my son.

2. I DID add 3-lbs worth of boobage, so if I am comparing me to myself, I am really only 145, but thats still 17 lbs over my estimated stage weight. So my goal is still a 7-lb weight loss.

3. On the weekends, I am more chill. My diet is (slightly) more relaxed. No much, but I am not as strict. My carbs are a little higher, which could result in some water retention

4. This was a 3-day weekend, so add an extra day to the aformentioned explanations.

Lessons Learned: Be more active on the weekend. That doenst mean I am going to double my gym sessions, that just means I am going to spend more time on my feet. I will weigh myself tomorrow morning and I am betting the scale will drop back down. Stick to the plan! And stop making excuses for my boobs being heavier!

My Plan of Attack this week!

KILL IT!!!

No seriously. I have a show to work this weekend with my sponsors at Sexy-Strong: Premier Nutrition for Women. The show is Titans Grand Prix in Culver city. Its a Pro Physique show so it should be super fun! So I am going to be extra strict this week. I have been trying to build up my muslces and for the last 4 weeks have been on a heavy lifting, higher protein and moderate fat and carb diet. This week I want to change it up. Lift a bit lighter but go for volume training, add a bit more cardio, take out the carbs and increase the protein. I think its good to shock the body with a new plan every now and then. Plus, that way I can still spend 75% of my time building muscle, but this "mini-cut" will help keep my body fat in check. Had a high carb day sunday, so will go on a 4-day low, and have a moderate carb day on friday.

I will weight in tomorrow and see if I drop some water from the weekend. Inactivity tends to make me gain, so hopefully that is a good explanation.

Today I am training legs, going to high-reps but always maxing out. Tonight I will do cardio, sprints and stairs intermixed. Until next week. Thanks for following along!

2013 Updates

Updates!

Well, since this blog is for both professional and personal posts, this is a personal update about fulfilling goals. When you make goals, (refer to my SMART Goals blog post), you need to make them specific, realistic and attainable, but still lofty enough that you have something to reach for. Some examples of goals that I have made and fulfilled:

1.       Compete (fulfilled 2011)

2.       Buy a house before 30 (bought a teeny, yet livable and its MINE, place at 27)

3.       Have a job with a 401K and benefits (fulfilled 2009)

4.       Train with an awesome coach (Meriza Deguzman, fulfilled and will continue fulfilling, in 2012)

5.       Win my class at a show (fulfilled Feb 2013)

6.       Compete on a National Stage before age 30 (today is 9 weeks out from NPC USA’s in Las Vegas!) so IN PROGRESS

7.       Get a sponsor that I believe in and use their products (fulfilled with Sexy-Strong) Fulfilled 2013

8 

Which brings us to now. I was signed by Sexy-Strong, Premier Nutrition for the Female Athlete in 2013. It is a new company and the CEO is Pete Ciccone, my coach’s husband, and owner of 619 Muscle in World Gym San Diego. The fit fam I have acquired at World gym is amazing, and I am so honored that they chose me as one of their female athletes. Surrounded by other amazing ladies like IFBB Pro Meriza DeGuzman-Ciccone, IFBB Pro Francine Sablan, National Bikini competitors Khay Rosemond and Laura Powers, this is the best opportunity I have been given this year.

Sexy-Strong carries three products and it is so new, and as of right now, only the protein is available at 619 Muscle in World Gym San Diego. We have Power protein (Black Forest and Café Mocha, YUM!) which is whey isolate and designed specifically for women (100 cals/scoop, 23g protein, no sugar or fat); Burn, a powerful fat burner utilizing Green Coffee Bean, and Fuel, a pre-workout with 8:1:1 ratio of BCAAs. (sign up for updates on their website www.sexy-strong.com)

2012 was a good year with lots of ups and downs, and 2013 so far is a great year! The point is, when you make goals, make them attainable and reach for them. Never give up! There is nothing stopping you from your goals except you. People use time, money and busy life as an excuse, especially when it comes to fitness goals. But you have to make time. You do not necessarily need a gym either (previous blog posts about at-home workouts). It is all about making a schedule and sticking with it. Make small dietary lifestyle changes. I know it is hard, but it WILL become habit, you just have to give it some time.  DO NOT crash diet, make small changes so you can stick with it. And do not fear certain food groups, just eat them in extreme moderation.

For help with personalized diets and workout plans, contact me for plans and pricing . I also started my website www.riana-rohmann.com so check it out! 

Riana

Spinach/Turkey/Egg layer Muffins

This is perfect contest prep food!

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Sautee fresh spinach until is cooked. Spray a cupcake pan with Pam and line the bottom of each cupcake holder with a layer of cooked spinach.

Next, mix 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey with various spices. I used Braggs liquid Aminos, Tapatillo, salt, pepper, mrs. dash tomato garlic, diced garlic and 2 egg whites. Add a spoonful of turkey on top of the spinach and mash so its flat-ish. Make sure you leave about 1/2 inch from the top of the cupcake tray. I used 1 pound of turkey and I had a small amount left over at the end.

Next, separate 6 egg whites (if you have  liquid egg whites, its much easier). Pour egg whites over turkey until its even with top of tray).

Place in oven for about 20 minuters (times may vary) and VOILA! Layered Turkey muffins! No carb, and a lot of flavor!

Outdoor Exercise Series - Total Body Stairs

It is getting to be that time of year when getting outside to exercise is a nice change. Here is a stair workout I designed. I will be doing this and similar workouts in group format here in San Diego soon, so contact me for more info :)

rianarohmannfit@gmail.com

Easy Locations for Stairs:

·        Stadiums – Most professional stadiums are closed to public, but I know of some that open on random days specifically to allow exercisers in. Check out your local area. Most high-school and college stadiums and tracks are open to the public.

San Diego Specific:

1. ·         Tierrasanta has some good stairs right by Serra High school off Clairemont Dr.
2. ·         Downtown Convention Center
3. ·         La Mesa Secret Stairs    

Sometimes, it is just necessary to get OUT of the gym! We need a break, the weather is great, and the fresh air is invigorating! Here is a stair workout that is so much more involved, and therefore less boring, than the tradition run-up-and-down-and-skip-steps-occasionally workout. It is a whole complex workout! Take some time and find some stairs in your area that accommodate your needs (at least 3 stories, preferably straight and not winding in a stairwell, but hey, use what you can and make it work! Even if it is simply the stairs in a one-story building)

The Workout

(For time intervals- do the exercise to the top of the stairs, and just run back down to reset at the bottom, and continue until the time ends, unless otherwise specified)

Warm-Up:

·         3 minutes walking

·         2 minutes jogging

Workout: (recover as needed, try to decrease your own recovery time a little each workout). Stand next to railing for workout and use as an “Oh-Shit-I-Am-Falling” safety rail if necessary.

Circuit: Repeat as many times as you want! J Approx 15 minutes with minimal rest

·         1 minute sprints -1 foot per step

·         15 Split Squats on bottom step

·         1 minute High Knee Run-2 feet per step

·         2 minutes three step jog- 3 feet per step-QUICK FEET

·         20 push-ups-flat

·         1 minute sprints - skip one step

·         1 minute each side – lateral walking up steps

·         20 squats-flat

·         1 minute sprint – skip 2 steps

·         2 minute lunge walk-skip 2 or 3 steps

·         20 triceps dips on bottom step

Cool Down

·         3 minutes slow walk

Stretch Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes and Calves

Myotropics + Vegas = GOOD TIME

TAKING RISKS

Fear of failure. Sometimes that is the only thing that holds people back, not talent, education, or skill…just fear. I know I am afraid to put myself out there, for fear of judgment or failure. In late June, I decided that I needed to start taking some risks in life if I wanted to get anywhere in the fitness industry. I mean, I have a ton of fitness certifications (including my CSCS, CPT, TRX, Schwinn Cycle, Weightlifting, etc.) I have a great job with the Marine Corps, and I am a decent NPC Figure competitor. But I want more, I want to be a staple in society. I want to live and breathe this industry, including starting my own fitness business, modeling, and progressing in Figure competitions by hopefully picking up a sponsor. Well, as many of you know, this requires all requires a certain amount of…self-promotion. You have to get your name and face out there! As someone who loves the spotlight, but doesn’t love blatant self-bragging and promotion it takes to get there, this is a difficult task.

THE CONTEST

Well, Myotropics held a Facebook Photo Contest this last June, so I decided I would enter. I actually had some hope in this one, as it wasn’t a contest purely based on votes. The top 5 females and top 5 males with the most votes would move on to round 2, in which a panel would choose the winners. Well, I am not loaded down with Facebook friends, so I knew I could never get TOP votes, but I thought I might have a shot of making it in the top 5. So I appealed to friends, family, Facebook and Twitter followers to help me out, and I secured the #4 position!! I was so stoked! My goal was to make top 5 and I did, and to me that was a huge success. I didn’t think I would progress any further. The other women in the top were amazing, beautiful, and with plenty of fitness and personal achievements that would make Myotropics proud.

Imagine my surprise when, Monday July 2nd, the CEO of Myotropics, Vince Andrich, Facebooked me and asked if he could call me. He asked me a few questions and my background in fitness, and told me that I was chosen as the winner. Seriously, words cannot describe how ecstatic I was! I wanted to ask why, WHY ME? But, I didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth or appear to be fishing for compliments, I’LL TAKE IT!

That week I also got in touch with Brant LaRose, who was the male winner of the contest. He is a genuinely nice guy, so I was glad I got to share the experience with him. He was already planning on competing in the USA’s to try and win his Pro-Card, but imagine his great surprise when he won it 2 weeks before the USA’s at Team U! Congrats Brant, IFBB Physique Pro!

My main concern was that the prize package included a photoshoot with renowned fitness photographer George Kontaxis at the NPC USA’s in Vegas at the end of the month. I started my off-season 3 weeks prior, so food was my friend! I had 3 and a half weeks to get myself photoshoot ready! I basically went back on the competition diet for 3 weeks, peak week included. I was proud that I managed to enter the photoshoot about 5 pounds heavier than stage weight, not bad!

THE VEGAS EXPERIENCE

I have never won anything like this EVER, so I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t have any expectations, other than I knew, pretty much no matter what, that I was going to have a good time. Your experiences are what you make of them, and I was going to make this awesome! I flew into Vegas from San Diego on Thursday the 26th. I took a cab to the hotel we were staying at, the Extended Stay Deluxe, which by the way had its own kitchen! That was ideal because I did not have to worry about my food for my stay there. On a side note, it was obvious that competitors had taken over Vegas. I went to Albertsons to buy food, and they were almost out, if not completely out of asparagus, tilapia, halibut, eggs, yams and rice cakes. But I am good at improvising, so I made it work. I met the other sponsored athletes at Myotropics, who were all amazing.

THE USA's

Being able to go to USA’s was a great experience. I hope to compete at this show in 2013, so it was a great warm-up for me and gave me some insight as to what to expect, how things work, etc. I met so many amazing athletes. I met people that I have been friends with on Facebook, but never had the pleasure of meeting. Plus I was there representing a product that I fully believe in. Our job at the USA’s was to work the Myotropics booth, hand out samples, and educate people about Myotropics Physique 2.0 and ThermiCarb. (more later on that). The Friday and Saturday morning shows were all pre-judging, and therefore were pretty casual. The Saturday night show was more formal, as I got to wear a cute mini-dress and my fake eyelashes :).

There were two extra-notable stand-up experiences I had there. One, I got to step on the National Stage as a trophy presenter (representing Myotropics, of course) for Women’s Physique. That was so much fun! Two, I got to be present when Myotropics own and my old high-school cheer buddy Francine Sablan, not only placed first in Figure Class B, but also took the Figure overall. (goose bumps!)It was great to see all her years of hard work pay off, and in such an extraordinary way.

THE PEOPLE

The Myotropics sponsored athletes are some of the coolest and most accomplished athletes I have had the pleasure of meeting. I have some HUGE shoes to fill, but it is so motivating to me and I am determined to do this company proud. I got to meet IFBB Physique Pro’s Matt Christianer, Angel Cordero, and Brant LaRose, National NPC competitors Tommy Reynolds, David Lamb, Ian Lauer, Adelfo Cerame, and Raymond Querido. Of course I got to spend more time with Francine Sablan and fiancé Jason Tweed, two of the most welcoming and motivating people I know. It was great hanging out with former bodybuilder turned Olympic Coach Erick Minor, who writes articles for Myotropics, and I loved picking his brain about athletic training. Meeting Vince Andrich was surreal, for he has been a staple in the industry for 25 years. He is a genuine guy who really has a passion for the company and its athletes. And of course Don Aspinall, who made me laugh and still owes me a cupcake. Everyone was cool, very welcoming, and a lot of fun to spend all that time with. More info on these accomplished people is found at the Myotropics Athlete page
.

THE PHOTOSHOOT

I have never been in a professional photo shoot before. I have paid for a photoshoot with the awesome and talented Casey Withers of C Withers Media, however those were just for fun. My friend Lisa has taken some pictures of me for fun as well, and they are lovely photos, but I have never actually been in a shoot where the outcome mattered. I was so nervous, especially because I was technically in off-season! These athletes have had plenty of experience in professional settings. Not I! That being said, the photographer, George Kontaxis, was very professional and had a lot of ideas. We shot at Gold’s Gym in Vegas the Sunday following USAs, and it was a grueling 12 hour shoot! There were all the Myotropics athletes to shoot, as well as some female models who had competed the day before at the USA’s that joined us. Everyone remained in good spirits, joked around and kept the atmosphere light.

THE PRODUCT

Myotropics currently has two supplements: Physique 2.0 and ThermiCarb, both of which are revolutionary in their own rights. Physique 2.0 is a complete meal replacement protein, which I love. I train at really random times per day, so trying to figure out when to work out, take my protein, and plan it perfectly in between meals was really hard. Plus, most proteins only fill me up for maybe an hour. Physique 2.0 keeps me full for the 3 hours until my next meal. It contains ThermiCarb, a high molecular weight -resistant starch that does not cause the insulin spike that normal food does, helping me to keep burning fat and stay satisfied longer. Plus those carbohydrates help fuel and build my muscles. I tend to take it post-workout or as a breakfast, but it can really be taken any time. Myotropics also manufactures the ThermiCarb as a separate product, so when you need extra carbs in your diet, or post-workout, you can just add more! It is completely flavorless, but is really thick. When combined with Physique 2.0, it turns it into a kind of pudding, which is just like a dessert! YUM. Anyway, I am no scientist, I just know what works and what I love. For more detailed info, check 'em out at www.myotropics.com.

THE WRAP-UP

From my initial decision to enter the Myotropics Photo Contest on Facebook, to returning home from Vegas to my super-supportive husband and son, the whole experience was remarkable. I loved being thrown into the mix, representing a company that I thoroughly believe in, getting to know so many people in the fitness industry, and making new friends and professional connections. This experience has re-inspired me to continue 100% in NPC Figure to hopefully grace the National Stage next year. I want to continue representing Myotropics Physique Nutrition as best as I can, as well as continue improving myself, my education, my physique, all while helping and inspiring people to do the same. There are no limits.