Training for Team Universe 2009!

Dr. David was showing off his power-lifting skills here.. he truly is one of the nicest men you could meet.. good sense of humor ~ he also took my daughter.. Aiyanna from me and walked her around backstage, allowing her to run the cameras from behind the scenes, and taking her to see the Pro Men (which she loves ) so I could go out into the audience and visit with people.  She was star struck a bit

and here.. below.. dare I say Dr. David is admiring the view.. but he was moving athletes all over the stage through out the weekend.. that is Sarah Sharp (Valerie W.’s business partner and friend, and an AWESOME person, chatted with her a bit) on the far left end there

I will have to call in the aid of Skippy I am apparently ’special’ today.. and cannot get the awesome flyer for the Shawn Ray to properly display … I believe it was designed by bb.com’s own Isaac Hinds aka LiftSudios … (who takes sic pictures by the way there were MANY disappointed competitors at the Southern and the Pueblo show here in Colorado; that he was unable to attend, he has many, many fans.. athletes have their favorite photogs.. some capture physique quality better than others)…

here’s the damned link though .. bet it wont work either
www.coloradoproshow.com

I have been asked by the Chairman of the Rocky Mountain chapter of the NPC, Mr. Jeff Taylor to work several shows this year!  This entails all aspects of backstage assistance and show set up, AM/PM.  I will be competing on April 28th at the Steele City BB/Fit/Fig Championships, the guest poser will be PHIL HEATH (I WILL bring you pics)

The first show I will be working is May 5th in Colorado Springs, Colorado

The other show I will work is the one I am excited to share, I will be working the SHAWN RAY PRO/AM CLASSIC on June 1,2 here in Denver, CO

http://www.coloradoproshow.com/entry/index.html

I am very excited at the opportunity to ‘rub elbows’ with some of body building’s current greats!  I will have tons of pics and a definite "from behind the scenes" article/piece coming your way

I have to note that the volunteers I have come in contact with at the shows I have competed in were invaluable, they do it all, from tanner application, suit repair, hair dos, to ticket taking, light set up, audio help, getting people in their lines on time..its a hectic awesome experience I cannot wait to have and share with you.  It will be interesting to see how this flows when I am not under the pressure that the athletes are this time!  Can’t wait!

I am once again allowed weight on leg day~ I am to use 60-75% of my 1-rep max, and I am to get 12-15 reps on every set.  My calories and macros have been adjusted and reduced, just a tiny bit, and I haven’t noticed any ill effects from less carbs, less calories or less fats.  My last carb-up was Saturday evening~felt great.
I will post an "example" of an entire days worth of meals on my current contest prep menu in the Nutrition Section of my blog.  NOTE: My daily nutrition is not the same day in and day out, so the example is not a ridgid schedule or anything.

Today (Sunday) I am beginning training a very good friend of mine, and co-worker (she is also a personal trainer/group ex leader at our gym~as well as a last year Nutrition Student, and our gyms nutrition consultant)~her name is Siobhan (pronounced Show~von), she is a few years older than me, and she just had a beautiful, gigantic baby boy, her one and only, named Quinton.  He is 8 months old and she is now deciding to do her very first figure show! She has never competed before, and in fact has never herself lifted to gain mass.  Her specialties are marathon training (she is training w/ me to do our 1/2 marathon), Nutrition, and Special Pop (older folks).  She is a natural ecto/meso, but carrying a bit of fat from baby around the hips, tummy and thighs. Although her hams and quads are already awesome from running for so many years.  I am encouraging her to set up a BodySpace to keep motivated~but even if she doesn’t, she has allowed me to post her progress pics/stats within my blog, perhaps I’ll add another page entitled "Kicking Siobhan’s Ass"
My first show of the year is on March 31st, and she is setting her sights on the July Colorado State Bodybuilding/Fitness/Figure Chamionships.  We will be working out together 2-3 times a week, but I have written her strength training programs, and being a trainer she can easily follow instruction.  She is ’shadowing’ my nutrition plan from my wonderful trainer Chuck Rudolph~ she is not following it as strictly as I, we have configured the numbers and macros to her needs, and she is still allowing herself a cheat meal/dessert once per week, until she is 12 weeks out from the July show.  Being a nutrition student, she is very good about sticking to a dietary plan, so there is no issue with her about compliancy with the diet.  I think it will be great to have a close friend with me at the March show, and then we will both compete (in different classes) in the July Colo State show together, I’m really excited about it!

Peace.~J.

We have had THREE solid weeks of mad snow every Thursday it seems we get another 12-15 inches… WTF is going on? We are getting MORE snow this Thursday– another 12-18 inches~  Well, recently in the Denver Post I read something I actually agree with so I thought I would post it here

from the Denver Post Newspaper

This text is from a county emergency manager out in the central part of Colorado after the big snowstorm.
Up here, in the Northern  Plains, we just recovered from a
Historic event—  may I even say a “Weather Event” of
“Biblical  Proportions” with a historic blizzard of up to 44″
inches of snow and  winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in
half, knocked down utility poles,  stranded hundreds of
motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated
scores of communities and cut power to 10’s of thousands.

FYI:

George Bush did not  come.

FEMA did nothing.

No one howled for the  government.

No one blamed the government.

No one even uttered an expletive on TV .

Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.

Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.

Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone  else, either.

CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC  did not visit -

The world does Not owe you a living.Peace.~J.

Here is a working list of my articles; Starting with the most recent

Lose the Fat..Build the Physique..with Total Body Conditioning! (thanks to Will and others with the photo help!!)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girard7.htm

Resolve to shed that fat! Getting lean in 2007

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girard5.htm

The Ultimate FAT LOSS Supplement Guide for 2007!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girard6.htm

Choosing a gym…Nine things to consider

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girard4.htm

2006 NPC AXIS LABS Colorado Natural Open: Reveiw

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girard3.htm

Energy Needs…what are your calorie requirements?

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girard2.htm

Hard ‘Core’ ABS!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/girard1.htm

Saturday

Another work day; my appointments have skyrocketed since the New Year holiday– all the new members joining our facility~ I believe over the last week we have aquired over 40+ new memberships and some of these are family memberships, so its more than that.  When a new member joins, the front desk "encourages" the new member to meet with a trainer before using the facilty; this is not required, but I think the front desk makes them think it is.  For the most part it’s a great way to meet everyone in the gym, and a great networking tool to gain new clients~ I have gained 3 more PT clients in the last week, they all bought training packages with me of 8 sessions… so that rocks ~ I enjoy this time of year, we had a trainer quit without notice on Friday, so now in addition to new clients, I also get to work floor hours on Sunday and Thursday evenings now~ so great news to me, more $$$
Now, onto business as usual
Left work and hung out at cousin’s place for a while~ then we went to her gym, or Fitness Spa rather, LOL, this place was so uppity!  All the women had on full make-up and these matching gym outfits, lol, neon pink 2 pounders were EVERYWHERE (I would BAN those in my gym if I could )– anyway, my cousin is currently nearly 7 months gone with child, so she did the cardio-bunny thing on the Elliptical while I hit the training floor.
Chest/Biceps/Abs + Cardio (Easy Cardio)

Flat DB Chest Press

5s x 8r @ 30 lbs (in each hand)
Incline BB Press

5s x 8r @ 55 lbs

Incline DB Flys

5s x 8r @ 17.5 (in each hand)

Push ups (regulation)

5s x 8r

Standing alternating DB Curls

5s x 8r @ 22.5 (in each hand)

Seated Unilateral Preacher DB Curls

5s x 8r @ 17.5

Hammer Curls (using hammer curl bar donated to gym by my little friend Mitch )

5s x 8r @ 45 lbs (including weight of bar)

Concentration Curls

4s x 10r @ 17.5 lbs (in each hand)

ABS

Hanging Straight legged raises (to waist height, feet flexed, NO swinging)

3s x 8r (SLOW)~ these SUCK

Hanging Bent Knee raises (to waist height)

3s x 12r (SLOW)

Decline sit ups (no weight today)

3s x 20 reps (slow and controlled)

Vacuums (spelling, lol?)

Done 5x total, back against wall, standing~ held for 15, 25, 30, 30, 35 seconds~OUCH
Cardio:

Warm up x 5 min @ 4.0 mph @ 4% incline
Treadmill~ easy run day

5.8 mph x 1 mile @ 3% incline
6.0 mph x 1 mile @ 1% incline
6.2 mph x .25 miles @ 0% incline
6.3 mph x .25 miles @ 0% incline
5.8 mph x .50 miles @ 3% incline
Cool down x 5 min @ 3.0 mph & 0% incline

Stretch x 5 minutes or so

Post work out meal w/ cousin (she had chili-cheese fries )

4 oz sirloin, lean

Asparagus (about 10 medium stalks)

1 cup salad greens w/ balsamic vinegar @ walnuts (took the crunchies off the salad)

Water w/ lemon

green tea w/ 2 pkt Splenda

:D

Peace~J