My Crazy Obsession with the Gym

Yesterday was to be 2nd shoulders & abs and double cardio, only managed 10 cardio plus the lifting - had to prepare last minute for my interview (slacker!). It was 3 hours long… I met with each supervisor in "my" department for over an hour. The good thing is that by the end of the 2nd hour, I was no longer nervous - I think I had run out of adrenaline. Good thing is I will hear back between mon and wed… it will cramp my prep schedule for the next 4 weeks but it will be worth it.

Today was 2nd legs, did it with my client - she wants to do the september show with me! She is going to mike davies for her nutrition, I can’t wait to see what he writes for her. She is completely capable, nervous of course, but she has the body and drive and work ethic. I can’t wait to see it when she suprises herself at how well she will do. Oh also threw in 10min HIIT on the stepmill then just a mile run.

I’ve decided to skip my cheat this week. I think I cheated anyway yesterday, due to the 6 hours or so I spent between driving, interviewing, and driving back, I only got to eat egg whites, chicken and salad. So i just ate about a 1/4C of thsi 1g carb soy nut peanutbutter. Not good but it still put me under for my macros for the day. My cardio needs to increase to at least 40-45min AM, pm will still stay at 30min. I need to sit my butt down and figure out my camera. Typically I will just push buttons till something pops off or works…

Yesterday was to be 2nd shoulders & abs and double cardio, only managed 10 cardio plus the lifting - had to prepare last minute for my interview (slacker!). It was 3 hours long… I met with each supervisor in "my" department for over an hour. The good thing is that by the end of the 2nd hour, I was no longer nervous - I think I had run out of adrenaline. Good thing is I will hear back between mon and wed… it will cramp my prep schedule for the next 4 weeks but it will be worth it.

Today was 2nd legs, did it with my client - she wants to do the september show with me! She is going to mike davies for her nutrition, I can’t wait to see what he writes for her. She is completely capable, nervous of course, but she has the body and drive and work ethic. I can’t wait to see it when she suprises herself at how well she will do. Oh also threw in 10min HIIT on the stepmill then just a mile run.

I’ve decided to skip my cheat this week. I think I cheated anyway yesterday, due to the 6 hours or so I spent between driving, interviewing, and driving back, I only got to eat egg whites, chicken and salad. So i just ate about a 1/4C of thsi 1g carb soy nut peanutbutter. Not good but it still put me under for my macros for the day. My cardio needs to increase to at least 40-45min AM, pm will still stay at 30min. I need to sit my butt down and figure out my camera. Typically I will just push buttons till something pops off or works…

I won’t be seeing the girl who’s doing my diet until the week of the 9th. Not long to wait but you know when you feel that your body’s stopped responding to something, and you’re impatient and want to change something? Yep that was me yesterday. Plus I was carrying around a "food baby" from the Raisin Bran (mm) I ate the night before. Damn hunger.

Anywho, I decided to try low-carbing it for 2-3 days, then resuming the diet. Nothing scientific or measure-y about it at all, just high protein, moderate fat, very low carb. My all-knowing brain (haha) figures a few days of this will confuse my body when I resume my prior diet. It looked like this:

• Postworkout: 1.5C steamed broccoli, 6 egg whites
• 1: palm-sized extra-lean beef patty grilled
• 2: almost 2 cans tuna w/ 2T. low-fat mayo, 1/2 extra lean beef patty
• 3: 1 extra-lean beef patty grilled with 1T ketchup (the beef was grossing me out alone)
• 4: 1 can tuna w/ 4C lettuce and 2T low-fat dressing
• 5: 2T soy peanut butter unsweetened, total 1 carb here!

For the whole day it was approx. 18g carbs. On top of  a workout and 30min treadmill interval session…. I felt it bad. But I wasn’t starving in the middle of the night, thank God, so maybe when I see her (diet girl) again I should mention that I can function on really low carbs but feel best with more fats. Who knows! I’m not the expert, she is. Maybe I’ll ask about MCT oil too, I’ve heard a lot about them and fatloss.

Chest and biceps was weak yesterday. I just didn’t want to be there. I’ll probably have to switch off of the RedLine soon, I think they recommend every 8 weeks or so to take some time off. Today it’s shoulders and abs, I don’t have a lot of time so maybe I"ll just lift some odds-and-ends, my interview is at 2pm and I have to get prepared.

Everybody have a great day, eat well, lift hard, relax because you made it to Friday again!!!

Yay! My digital camera is here! I can’t wait to figure out how to use it…

5:45am 60min cycle class, then an hour break plus protein shake, then leg day plus another 10 of cardio. MISTAKE! I don’t think it affected the weight but it definitely took more energy to complete. Angled hack squat, smith squat supersetted with 15 box jumps, deadlifts, leg extensions with toes out, in, middle, donkey calf and standing calf, glute machine, then threw in some decline (or is it incline?) lying leg lifts w/ pelvic lift. Whew. Redline has stopped being as effective so I’ll have to find a new energy supplement for a while Still need to get appetite supressants today, I was absolutely ravenous last night and ate some train mix - yeah it’s dried fruit and nuts but it’s carbs that I don’t need at all.

Thank god my tax check finally arrived in the mail. Especially when it’s time to buy suits and heels…. can’t wait for the suit to get here asap. Hopefully it won’t need tailored.

Saw the oddest thing in the gym today - some big dude walked over to the military press at the intersection of two big mirrors, and proceeded to stand there for almost 20 minutes (the end of my leg workout plus my 10 of cardio)… he stood where the spotter stands, and kept making weird faces and moving his calves and pulling on the safety bars with his arms. Flexing?!?!? Uhm? It was quite comical. I don’t know if he was psyching himself up or not…. musn’t have been too into it if it took THAT long…. but it was very peculiar. I’ve seen people straight-up flex in the mirror more than lift…. but this wasn’t flexing….strange.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful hump day!!!

Sorry, I accidentally lied. It’s 9 weeks… a little less now. I was having trouble getting an affordable 1-piece suit for the show, most were in the range of $200+ (yikes!) but I looked at the forums here and found one woman who recommended divaexchange.com. There are a LOT of beautiful suits on there, marked down from the original price.. although a lot still seem pricey, I’m sure they are cheaper than buying for the first time. I found a pretty wet-look black one, velvet, with crystals and something around the bustline that is shimmery. Only $99, really good. It should be here in about 10 days, where hopefully my camera will arrive too (cough).

I may as well put up what my diet has and will look like for the next 2 weeks - 10 days. It’s worked thus far, but it will have to change soon (I think…).

1 (preworkout): 1/4C oatmeal + 1/2 scoop protein powder, Redline + Superpump250 1 scoop

2 (postworkout): 1/2C oatmeal + 5-6 egg whites + 2 fish oil caps

3: 1/2C beans/peas/corn/brown rice + large green salad + 4oz protein + 2T light dressing

4: 1C green beans/brocc/cauliflower + 3oz chicken/turkey/fish + 2 fish oil caps

5: Large salad + 1T EVOO + 1T light dressing + 4oz fish

6: 3oz protein + 1C green veg or salad

Pre-bed (if hungry): 1 scoop protein powder + 1/2C 8th continent light soymilk + remaining liquid water

Sometimes I take a 2nd dose of Redline in the PM, and if I am starving or crave something really badly, I have sugar-free jello on hand at all times. I think this is working for me as I have gotten much leaner in the past 3 weeks, but my weight has remained fairly the same around 130lbs. I think I will be onstage pretty heavy for figure. If I had to *guess*, my  bodyfat is somewhere between 13 and 14%, due to my abs and upper body… but my damn stubborn quads are not changing as fast.

Driving back from work this morning, I heard how Hulk Hogan’s son Nick was DUI and got into a car crash that is leaving his best friend in a coma for the rest of his life. And how his parents are *blaming the best friend* for what happened - saying how God must be punishing him for something terribly bad that he had done. WHAT!?!?!?! How does one child’s irresponsible behavior - that ruined another’s life - somehow "carry out the will of God"? You know what I mean. So are we saying drunk drivers that kill other people, murderers, and all other criminals (that know very well what they are doing), are some sort of karmic retribution to another? What crap. I’d like to smack all 3 of them for shifting responsibility.

First, thank you so much for your responses to my last post. I do feel like a weenie for that one - but I can’t say enough how grateful I am for your time, kindness, and responses.

My cheat meal Saturday wasn’t all that grand.. which maybe is a good thing! 3 cookies, a hamburger patty with cheese, a spoonful of peanut butter, and a mich ultra. My last drink for a while. Next week I think I’ll just stick to increasing proteins and fats, and staying away from cookie junk.

I started looking at competition suits… WOW… I didn’t realize how good I had it with NABBA! They only require a 2-piece, which I purchased from jagware for maybe $60 total. The cheapest 1-piece I could find was over $100! The NPC is definitely a different "level" from what I’ve seen in its competitors, and probably will require a step-up of the girly part of competing - hair, nails, makeup, jewelry, and the suits.

Today was shoulders and heavy abs, Db presses, lateral raises, front raises, rear delt flyes, skullcrushers (I wanted to do triceps too but felt pretty dizzy), cable side bends, some double-crunch-ish ab machine, weighted hanging leg raises, and 20min HIIT. Whew! I felt weak today. I feel like lowering my reps to 8 for everything has improved fullness. I’m hoping the gym will still have its 5:30pm cycle class even though it’s Memorial day. MMM grilled food!

Everyone have a safe, happy, chicken and beef filled Memorial Day. Enjoy the day off!

Did extra quads and glutes yesterday, 4 sets each of 8 reps: squats and hack squats, lying leg press, glute machine, leg extensions… I think some biceps too. 30min cardio.

It’s frustrating. I went heavier than ever on all my lifts… and my quads STILL ARE NOT SORE. My hamstrings, though, are from my first leg day last week. I want to scream, I don’t know what I am doing wrong. All my weights increased, it was tough to complete them… and no soreness. What’s my problem?!?!?!?

Today is my cheat. Beforehand, I am going to the gym to lift superheavy on everything.. the plan is incline chest, front and lateral and shoulder presses, dips, t-bar rows, lunges, cable side bends and crunches… basically I want to exhaust the crap out of myself and every last bodypart, followed by some intense cardio, so that when I do eat, at least hopefully it will mainly go to my muscles instead of fat stores. I am not going food-crazy, that makes me sick to think of gorging all day, but if I want a burger patty, cheese, nuts, some frozen yogurt… damnit I’m going to have it. That’s what I really want when dieting… not necessarily a cake…. but I craavvee red meat. MMM.

Has anyone gone to Mike Davies for a nutrition program pre-show? I am debating on going to him or my former nutritionist - not that she’s bad, by far she’s been awesome - but he has produced some phenomenal physiques. I am just wary of doing it over the internet - yes there will be pictures … any feedback will be appreciated.

Tomorrow the plan is an hour of cardio and rest; no gym but I will be cooking a heck of a lot of eggs and broccoli. I have found that even though school ending gives me more free time at home, I still need to have stuff prepared or I will forget when to eat. Next week, cardio is upped to 7-30 minute sessions in the AM and then another 30min in the PM 4 days a week. The cycling class - 60min - will be one of the AM cardios 2-3 days a week. All lifts will be done 4×8. Plyometrics and supersets will be added starting at week 6 or 7 (2-3 weeks away). At week 6, reps will be increased to 10.

Granted, this is just my funny idea. When I see Cathy she will be able to confirm or change my notions. Hopefully my parents will get ON that camera deal so I can post pics soon.

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend. Please drive safely!!!!!

Today was off to a bad start. Not much sleep, work, only 1/8C oatmeal pre-workout with superpump (damn I’m out of protein powder), back felt weak and I skipped cardio to go home and nap. Behind on meals again, I need to whip my ass into shape and stop slacking.

Back - lat pulldowns with some kind of flat handled bar, bent barbell rows, seated row, extensions, DB rows, some machine, hanging leg raises, front DB shoulder raises, single arm DB lateral raises. Something in my left shoulder keeps "slipping", like a muscle moves; I have to be careful how I position it. The weight isn’t too heavy either.

Skipped cardio and came back in the PM to do 50min, 30 on the cybex arc-trainer then 20 on the treadmill. I love that arc-trainer, it’s truly rough if you get the resistance up there. I really wanted to lift legs again - no hamstrings, those are screaming at me. Ever feel like they wouldn’t curl your lower leg up even if your life depended on it? Somehow my quads are NOT phased by the squats and hack squats, damn, I was even g oing heavy enough to not do more than 10. I think they respond better to volume, which is fine because the 2nd leg day is all dropsets.

At 9.5 weeks away, I am already at that phase where I feel "too small" yet still too big. I am leaner than usual for this point and am bigger than before… but it’s just that damn mental mind game that contest prep plays on you. I hate it, it drives you nuts.

I might be getting a "real" job soon (not that all jobs aren’t real, I am just not articulate enough right now to say a job in my degree field). It’s just a 2nd interview next week for a pharmaceutical lab position, of course I would love love to get the spot…. haha…. but I’m already wondering how that will affect my feeding schedule. Of all the things to worry about, right?????

Some older guy kept following me around the gym this morning asking me questions and making conversation. Which is fine, I can be nice and human while in the gym…. but not constantly. As soon as I’d finish a set or walk to another area he’d be right on my tail, ready to fire off more questions or statemtns. Sigh. I just really want to be left alone to lift and sweat and ache.

Looking forward to getting the tax refund check (my lazy self waited till the day before to mail it!!!). I know exactly where it’s going: 1) International Egg Whites [thanks for the links guys!!!] 4 gallons……..2) My suit or some SizeOn or another supplement…… 3) A posing session with a girl that manages Gold’s who has done the NPC before.

Hopefully my parents will deliver on that digital camera asap. They are trying to find a really good one though, so I can’t whine too much for them trying to give me something quality, and it taking some time. I want to start getting progress pics up, never did that before, and also so I can see my weak points objectively… hopefully.

Hope you have a good night… I just want to sleep. I can’t wait to eat on Saturday. Cheat meal night. Girl’s night

I am starting to wake-up ravenous at night… think I will have to add in an appetite supressant soon to take care of it.

Missed my morning cycle class - slept through the alarm, oops - totally my fault as I was sorting through ex-stuff with him until almost 2am. The class is at 5:45.

LEG DAY - one of my faves as it’s the heavy day: hack squat, deadlifts, donkey and standing calf raises, lying leg curls, leg press, ball crunches, oblique ball crunches, machine crunches, 20min cardio… I wanted to run but there’s no way my legs cooperate after these. Maybe later tonight after work they’ll feel up to it. I like the hack squat a lot, that’s what I was told I’ll need to do in order to build my quad sweep up, but it feels weird on my knees… like I’m almost afraid they’re gonna pop out or something. Maybe it’s just b/c it’s a fairly new movement. Glutes will be added in tomorrow with back.

I read on Bodybuilding’s Fitness Competitor of the Week that one girl mixes in egg whites (I’m thinking raw) in with her protein powder and ice cubes to make a shake…. is this safe? You think I should know being a bio major but I don’t, I always thought raw eggs were NOT okay. Has anyone done this? Does it taste gross? I’m hoping it’s OK to do… sometimes it’s time for a meal and I’m not feeling like eating anything so this would be a great solution.

Have a good afternoon, looks like the weather is finally starting to pretend like it’s summer :-p

Mondays and Wednesdays my girlfriend and I are (have already) started taking a 5:45am cycling class for an hour. It’s been a pain to wake up that early on days I’m not already working by then, but since show prep has started I’m actually excited to get in there and sweat my a$$ off before mentally conscious…. unfortunately today she couldn’t make it and I am not motivated enough to get in there that early w/o someone counting on me…. need to work on that. So cardio will be doubled today, 30min already and another 20 or so tonight.

Chest and triceps today, usually paired with biceps instead but I did biceps yesterday. Incline DB press, cable flyes, decline press, skullcrushers laying down and seated upright (ouch on my shoulders), straight bar pressdown on cables with normal grip and reverse grip, and single arm pressdowns. Whew they’re tired.

The only 2 parts I’m concerned about at this point are my medial shoulders and quad sweep. What do you guys do to develop / widen these areas? I wish I would have spent more time getting then bigger - actually I had thought they had some decent size before dieting (maybe the "mental" too-small/too-big game is already starting in my head) .. I may  need to do some research but at this point all I can think of is maybe a drop set of quad extensions, adding in extra heavy leg presses or squats, and heavy lateral raises. Any suggestions?

One last thing - I was looking up posing for the NPC figure, but all I could find was either NPC *bodybuilding* poses or fitness holds. Are the poses in the NPC the same for figure and bodybuilding; are there only the 4 quarter turns for figure, or…..?