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!

ABsolutely FABulous!

Ok, lame title, but I wanted something catchy! I have not focused on my abs in years. As a former gymnast, I always had nice abs, even a 6-pack if I got lean enough. Then I got pregnant, had my wonderful son and just never really worked them. I bounced back, and my abs are still in decent shape but I miss the hard contours that I used to have pre-pregnancy. I am making my abs (and my hamstrings) more of a frontrunner focus this prep. I want a bit more definition, especially for photoshoots! So here is my abs workout today, and it kicked my booty! (or abs, rather)

Circuit 1: Repeat 3 times

·         25 Leg lifts on an incline bench (head at the top, hips at the bottom). Keep legs straight and lift your hips when your legs reach vertical.

·         25 incline crunches with a 10-lb plate

·         25 incline twists with a 10-lb plate

·         30 Medicine Ball (12-lbs) rainbow chops (over the head, knee to knee) Keep pace fast but controlled

·         250-meter rowing sprint. As fast as possible!

Circuit 2: Repeat 3 times

·         15 BOSU oblique crunches, opposite knee to elbow (15 per side)

·         20 BOSU tuck-ups. Sit with your butt on the center of the ball, legs straight out off the floor and place hands on BOSU behind your butt. Crunch knees to chest, keeping legs off the floor the whole time.

·         BOSU planks with opposite leg lift, 15 lifts per leg.

·         Medicine Ball wood chops, keeping ball centered. Start with ball overhead, then throw it between your knees while executing a small squat. Keep your chest up and hold onto the ball! It’s not a ball slam.

·         250-meter rowing sprint. As fast as possible!

 

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! 

:)

My A$$ Kicker Workout

I wanted to have a fun type workout today. I competed last weekend (1st in my class! Yay!) and my coach gave me this week off to eat and chill and refuel my muscles before the 4 week trek to the next competition (March 16th). SO I feel fueled, full, and high energy! So I feel like posting my kick-ass workout (Literally!!)

1. Run 1 mile

2. KettleBell Challenge: FOR TIME: My time: 6:37

10 KB Swings (I used 35 lbs)

10 Burpees

10 KB Swings

9 Burpees

10 KB Swings

8 Burpees

10 KB Swings

7 Burpees

.....on and on until you get to 1 burpee

3. 100 Double Lunge Walks (on the bottom part of the lunge, pulse twice before standing up)

4. Set 1: 3 sets

15 Single Leg Glute Bridges, foot on Bosu

30 crunches on Bosu

5. Set 2: 

20 Cable Kickbacks 

20 Single Leg Squats

6. Set 3:

20, 15, 10 Lying Hamstring Curls

25 DEEP (ass to grass yo!) squats

Have fun! :)

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

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.

Eccentric Contractions: Build a Better Body!

To build better bodies, many people take to the gym to do their workout, which consists of exercises for the chest, back, arms, abs, shoulders and legs. They do their typical three sets of 8-12 exercise for 45 minutes, three or four days per week, and then go home. If this is your consistent routine, then good job! You are staying strong, staying in decent shape, staying relatively healthy. They key word is staying. Are you happy with staying where you are? Or do you want to get better?

The Science

Typical weightlifting involves two types of contractions: concentric and eccentric. Generally, most lifters focus on the concentric contraction, where the muscle length shortens as the weight is lifted. The eccentric contraction is the downward motion of the weight, or the muscle lengthening action. In a bicep curl, the upward curling motion is the concentric, and the lowering motion is the eccentric contraction. Dr. Len Kravitz of the University of New Mexico conducted extensive research and found that emphasizing the eccentric contraction helps increase strength and size better than traditional weight lifting.

In "Eccentric Exercise: A Comprehensive Review of a Distinctive Training Method", Dr. Kravitz explains that eccentric muscle contractions are able to resist up to 20% more force than concentric contractions, allowing the muscle to achieve optimal gains faster. Traditional weightlifting rhythms consist of a two to three second concentric contraction, followed by a one second eccentric contraction. Dr. Kravitz suggests a typical concentric contraction, followed by a four to five second eccentric contraction.

Benefits

Eccentric muscle contractions increase muscle size and strength better than concentric contractions due to increased force production and greater activation of muscle fiber cross-bridging. According to The National Strength and Conditioning Association, submaximal eccentric contractions do not cause muscle damage, but rather help strengthen the fibers to help protect against injury. Eccentric contractions are beneficial post injury during rehabilitation for this reason as well.

Methods

To take advantage of the greater force production, use a spotter and try a bench press. Find your one repetition maximum, or the heaviest weight you can lift just once. On a different day, allowing for recovery, add 5% of your maximum weight. For example, if your 1-rep max was 100 lbs. put 105lbs on the bar. Have a spotter help you press the bar up until your arms are straight. Slowly lower the bar for 5 seconds until it reaches your chest (but not touching your chest). Have the spotter help you back up and repeat this exercise about 8 times. If you do not have a spotter available, try benching on the Smith Machine. Put 50% of your 1-rep max on the bar, 50 lbs in our example. Press the bar up with both hands, then remove your left hand and control the bard down to your chest using only your right hand. Repeat for 8 repetitions and switch. You do not always have to lift over your 1-rep max to achieve results. In fact, beginners should start with a lighter weight. For example, load the lat pulldown with your 10-rep maximum. Lower the bar as usual to your chest, but take five seconds to lift it back up. See if you can still do 10-repetitions.

Implementation

Do a total body eccentric workout once per week and watch your muslces develop and increase strenth. For the first week, use this technique with lat pulldown, dumbbell chest press, barbell biceps curls, triceps cable rope pulldown and crunches. For the second week, do barbbell bench press, seated cable row, dumbbell biceps hammer curls, overhead triceps extensions, and abdominal leg lifts. I can tell you from personal experience you will feel the results of eccentric contractions over the next few days with muscle soreness!

Considerations

Eccentric contractions are associated with higher incidents of DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness. Because the muscle fibers are under more pressure, they experience more breakdowns during the workout. The best way to decrease muscle soreness is to warm-up with very light total-body eccentric contractions about a week before trying heavier-weight eccentric contractions. If you are a power or sprint athlete, eccentric contractions help increase your overall strength, but they can decrease power output since you are essentially training you body to be slow rather than fast. Use these considerations before incorporating eccentric workouts.

"Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; Baechel, Thomas R. and Earle, Roger W; 2008