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!!

Back and Rear Deltoid Workout

One of my judges critiques was to make my waist look teenier by widening my upper back, middle and rear delts. 

I usually work my back and shoudlers in the same workout, but I decided to really focus on back and rear delts today, and I will hit middle and front delts tomorrow. Enjoy!

Set 1:

• 20, 15, 12 Wide seated rows with a lat pull bar (to focus on the rear-delts), Added 10 lbs per set
• 3x15 straight arm cable pulldowns with Rope

Set 2:

• 20, 15, 10 Wide Grip Lat Pulldown (added 10 lbs per set)
• 3x15 Cable High Rope Pull

Set 3:

• 3x12 T-Bar Row
• 3x15 High cable reverse flys
• 20,15,10 Close grip seated rows

Set 4:

• 3x10 Assisted Pull ups narrow neutral grip
• 3x15 Rear Pec Dec Machine

Video Coming Soon! 

:)

Some Low-Carb, High-Protein Recipes I Use

Play with these a bit. These work for me, but your tastes may vary, cooking times may vary, etc.

(I will add more pics as I make them again)

EGG WHITE FRITTATA THINGIE

6 egg whites, 1 cup cooked spinach, 1 chopped celery stick. (or other veggies to taste, whatever you like). Mix in bowl with spices (I like a teeny salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash seasonings, cayenne)

Spray a pan with PAM,  the pour mixture in, put a top on it and let it cook until the top is hard. Then eat it. I actually do like 18 egg whites at once in a HUGE pan, that way I have 3 days’ worth of breakfasts cooked.

Pictured is with asparagus and brussel sprouts. Oh, and I was a gangster and managed to flip that B over, which is why the top is crispy. Do not attempt unless you have skills or like your mood messy looking. 

TURKEY MEAT LOAF

I cook 3lbs at a time, which gives me about 5 days’ worth of food!

3 lbs 99% lean ground turkey (sorry, Costco doesn't have the lean stuff!) 6 egg whites to bind, 2-3 cups of cooked spinach, and whatever other veggies you like (onions, bell peppers, celery)a TON of spices. (salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, garlic, garlic, garlic, parsley and oregano flakes, cumin (my fave) and various Mrs. Dash spices. Just play with it) I also add a ½ cup water.

Mix it like crazy and pour into 2 12” glass casserole dishes. (If you have one large one, that’s fine too, I don’t). Cook at 350 for about 45 minutes.  I usually increase temp to 380 or so the last 10 mins to crisp the top a bit. Its drier than most meat loafs (hello? 99% lean) but the ½ cup water helps immensely!

CRISPY TILAPIA SALAD

Using Pam, just pan fry the tilapia until its super crispy (high heat) and flip it over and do the same on the other side. (sorry, the pan is a pain in the ass to clean after, but it’s worth it)

Before it cools, break it into bit size chunks, then refrigerate overnight. Cut up a cup or 2 of romaine, add the tilapia (and either lemon squeeze or tapatillo for dressing) and enjoy. It’s actually my favorite way to eat tilapia now.

PROTEIN PANCAKE

4 scoops whey protein (I use 619 Muscle Vanilla or Angel Food Cake protein, but Gaspari ProBiotic Cinnamon Protein powder is delicious too) 4 egg whites, 3-4 packets of Stevia (NOT SPLENDA). I also add sometimes cinnamon, a teeny bit of baking powder, although not necessary) and a tablespoon of water. Just mix the ingredients (easiest in a blender, but I use a protein shaker cuz the noise bothers me).

PAM and pour into a small pan (6”). You can use a big pan, but it’s runny and might spread out a lot, the small pan keeps it confined. Cook with lid on low heat for about 5 mins, then flip when the top is no longer jiggly. Only cook it for about 30-60 seconds then put on a plate. Use Walden Farms Calorie free syrup (its SOOOOO GOOOOD) J On high carb days, add a ¼ cup oats too it for a thicker, yummier treat (hah, that’s what she said).

TILAPIA (or other whitefish, like cod, mahi mahi, or halibut) TACOS

Pan sear 6-7 oz of tilapia so its cooked (to your taste, I like it crispy).  I add seasonings like salt, Mrs. Dash, tapatillo or sriracha, pepper, you got it. Add ¼ to ½ (whatever your meal requires) pre-cooked brown rice and sauté on high heat for about 3-5 more minutes (however crispy you like your stuff). Place on a large romaine leaf and you are golden! If you are not prepping for a contest, add a dollop of non-fat Greek yogurt (sour cream substitute) if you want. Also add other veggies like bell peppers if you like.

You can do this with your 99% lean ground turkey, or even shrimp as well, I just really like the consistency of the whitefish.

CINNAMON EGG WHITES

If you are like me and love sweet things, but are not allowed to have them, or are in the final stages of your contest prep and cannot have protein powder any more, then try these! Separate 10 egg whites (makes 2 servings) into a bowl. Add 4-5 packets of Stevia, and some cinnamon. Pour mixture into a large pan on the stove and cover. Cook on low heat for about 7-9 minutes until the whole thing is hard. Cut in half and you have two servings. It’s like a treat for breakfast! If you want, you can add oatmeal to it if you are allowed for a thicker, almost pancakey quality.

Snacks and Treats

CINNAMON CUCUMBERS

These are not high-protein, but they are low carb and great for a sweet fix at the end of the night. Just cut up a cucumber (use English cucumbers, the super long skinny ones, they are best because their skin is thinner) If you use the shorter thicker ones (sounds dirty…lol), then peel them. But the skin has a ton of nutrients so that’s why I prefer the long ones (That’s what she said). Cut them in circles, put on a plate, sprinkle with cinnamon and Stevia, and voila…YUMMY sweet HEALTHY

KALE CHIPS (or spinach chips!)

A personal favorite. pre-heat oven to 375. Hand-tear kale into teeny pieces. Spray Pam on a cookies sheet lined with foil. Toss kale with either a small amount of olive oil and spread evenly on cookie sheet. or do what I do and just spray some Pam over the top of the Kale once spread. Add salt, seasoned salt, garlic, pepper or whatever you want. Place in oven for about 15-20 minutes or until kale is brownish. It should be nice and crispy! Same thing for spinach, except you dont need to tear the spinach. 

Pictured is spinach

More on the way!! J

It's been awhile. Let's catch up! How have you been?

My last blog post was in January, 2 months after the October Border States show, and 3 months before I started prepping for the June Armed Forces show. I fell off the blogging wagon! In a nutshell, I tore both my hamstrings at their insertion point just under the glutes and was sidelined from any sort of lower body activity for 2 months. Well, my biggest area of improvement is my glute/ham tie in, so I was pretty discouraged. Discouraged enough to stop training? NO! I just put all my efforts into my upper body! Let’s grow them delts! I did some PT for my hamstrings (useless if you ask me) and started lightly stretching. My problem isn’t tight hamstrings, it’s hyper-mobility and over stretching. Combine that with too-fast lower body progressions and my hams just gradually started to tear. But I got better, I now maintain a good easy stretching routine, and I don’t go too hard.
I competed June 9th in the San Diego Armed Forces/So Cal Championships, my one year anniversary show! I placed 2nd in the Armed Forces category, and 4th (again!) in the open. Now, as you may recall from my post “Winning,” I am ALWAYS fourth. But that’s ok. One year ago, I was 4th out of 5th, then in Oct I was 4th out of 7, now I am 4th out of 11. So even though my actual placing has remained the same, I am actually improving! I have always maintained that your toughest competition. And I still fully believe that. I made even more improvements from October 2011 to June 2012 (even with the bum hams). So I cannot be happier. Strive to always bring a better you! That being said, I am NOW READY to focus on bringing home a class win.

My next competition will be Excalibur in San Diego on Dec 1st. It is a rather large show, but I am ready for the challenge. My main goal is to remain in first call outs; however I am training like I want a class win! I officially started my off-season (improvement season) diet and training. Time to fill out the delts, work on biceps and triceps definition, and slim down the legs. The judges told me that my lats were wide enough, so that is one area I can just focus on maintaining.
My training will be moderate to heavy on the upper body, with shoulder training twice per week, emphasizing the rear delts. Lower body will be all bodyweight stuff for now. Cardio will be running, and I HATE HATE HATE running (did I mention I am not a fan?). Official prep will start immediately following Olympia Weekend. I am hoping to get to Vegas to watch the Olympia and that will be my last hurrah! That is 10 weeks away from Excalibur.
In other AMAZING news, I decided that if I ever wanted to be anyone and go anywhere in this industry that I love and am so invested in, I needed to start taking some risks. You have to put yourself out there to be known, and sometimes you will succeed and sometimes you will fail. Its life, deal with it (talking to myself here). I entered a Facebook contest with Myotropics Physique Nutrition, a company that recently sponsored my friend Francine Sablan (you may have heard of her? Overall Figure champ at USAs? New IFBB Pro?) Well, long story short, I won this photo contest, and with it a one year sponsorship, protein and a trip to USAs in Vegas and a photoshoot with Myotropics and renown photographer George Kontaxis. (Squee!)
The beginning of this year started really rough, catastrophic even. I bore you with the details, but there were deaths, illnesses, and financial heartaches, blah blah blah. The last 3 months have been so amazing, new experiences, dreams starting to come true, etc. I am grateful that after so much hard work, it is all finally coming together. I have so many more blogs to post about these experiences, and they will be up shortly (within the week!). Anyway, thanks for reading and being a part of my life and experiences, and I hope I can inspire you to live your dreams as well.
Happy Training!!

Winning...

Winning….

Well, I did it. I competed in my second NPC figure competition on October 29^th in San Diego. I had an amazing time! I learned a lot about myself in the process….

I have always been one of those people that reach for the moon but expect to grab nothing but dirt. In other words, I aim high with low expectations. I usually say things like “I so failed that test….NO, I KNOW I failed it” when it turns out I really got like a B+ or better. Well, that kind of attitude can get very annoying to people rather quickly. So when I went into this competition, I went in with realistic expectations, a positive attitude, having worked my ass off, knowing that the only variable I can control is myself.

It’s not like taking a test, where the harder you study, the better you do. You cannot control who you compete with. You may step on stage with women who have never competed before, you may only have 2 other women in your class, or you may compete with 15 other people who are practically pros at this! The only thing you can control is yourself. I told myself all during prep, and during the show, It doesn’t matter how I place, because I KNOW I am bringing a better package than my last show. And guess what? I actually meant it. I mean, who doesn’t want to bring home a trophy? But the reality is you cannot control it.

I competed with seven other women, all who looked phenomenal. I was so happy when I took 4^th. I took fourth in my first competition, but I competed with fewer ladies, and they didn’t bring the same packages. I feel like I came in slightly leaner, more muscular, I hit my poses as best as I could as a second time competitor, and my hair, makeup and tan were phenomenally better. All in all, I looked and presented myself much better!

Because of everything I WAS able to control, my diets, workouts, posing practices, etc., I was better. Who cares if I was fourth, AGAIN? That is SO GOOD! So for all competitors out there who are so focused on the win: Yes, reach for the stars! Work your ass off knowing that other girls are bringing their best. Try your damndest for that first place spot. But most importantly, strive to be a better YOU. If you came in looking your absolute best in that moment, then you ARE A WINNER, no matter what spot you stand in on that stage. And you know what, next time you will continue to develop. You are your biggest competitor. Beat yourself every time, then you are WINNING always.

The red suit is my first competition in June, the Blue is my second in October.