Cnstnce’s BodyBlog

This Saturday I attended my first local BB show.  I went to the NPC Palmetto Cup in Columbia, SC.  It was interesting.  I wish I could have been there all day and watched all the pre-judging and such, but we just watched the finals.  I feel like I could have entered.  I know that I hadn’t done any serious prep, but to be honest some of the competitors didn’t really look like they had either.  There were a handful of figure competitors at the show, far more men, and very few for the women’s open.  The winners were pretty apparent.  It was easy to tell who had won before they were announced.  I just had a hard time understanding why people with such flab, and sometimes even cellulite were on stage competing.  I thought the idea was to not have any flab at all.  My friend that was with me seemed to agree that I could have placed with no contest prep, weird.  So I am looking forward to setting a date for a show in the next season.  I think I will do a great job.  I have faith that I can achieve the physique I want, I am not one to let anything stop me.

I have decided, no more slacking, no more eating garbage, no more stressing myself out over things I cannot control (the cortisol is un-necessary.)  I have had a week of slack, and its over.  I feel better already.  I’m going to finish my oatmeal and get ready to go to the gym.  I will lift and put some hurt on my chest and tris, I will do 45 minutes of Cardio, and I will stretch extremely well after.  I may even do some sun salutations, we’ll see how frisky I feel.  Ok, all have a good one!

T=-7 days

This morning was a change of pace for me.  I like to do 2 workouts a day, if I can.  Today I got up, took my Lipo-6 and rushed to the gym to get in some pre-breakfast cardio, in the hopes of burning a bit more fat.  I usually sit on an elliptical for about 20 minutes before my stomach starts to growl and I start getting irrate.  I like to eat, afterall.  Today, though, I managed to get through 30 min., I had shot for 45 min., but I got bored.  Then I went into the weight room to stretch my warm muscles, when the strangest thing happened.  I felt PUMPED.  I mean nothing could stop me.  I went right into a grueling bicep workout, filled with hammer curls, cable curls, negative resistance curls, and preacher curls.  I practiced kneeling on a stability ball, then tried to stand on the ball.  I did weighted hanging leg raises, weighted crunches on the ball, and oblique crunches-weighted (never would have guessed would ya?) Then I managed to get home and down protein before my body got pissed and started burning muscle.  It felt great.  Yesterday I went in and tried to work, but think I had overdone the caffeine and my stomach was a wreck….could also have been the marshmallows I ate at a bonfire the night before.  So onward and upward, glad to have gotten it all in.  I have to make sure I work super hard these days, I forsee a lot of cheating happening Memorial day weekend, so I need to make it worth it.  Its all in the interest of pre-emptive punishment.  I think I will still be able to get in plenty of cardio and calisthenics, but weight lifting will be put on hold.  So, have a great day all!

Wow, what a week its been!!!  Monday I think that I am about to endure a few months of post-breakup hell, a bit of love’s hangover I guess.  But, Tuesday, while at work, minding my own business mind you, I met someone.  So now, while I am still sifting through the ashes of a failed relationship, I am also staring down the barrell of a prospective, new adventure.  I know its sudden, and weird, and I am not the type to go bounding from guy to guy to guy, I actually hate it when people do that, but its too great.  The conversations are great, and never cease.  Religion, politics, books, movies, music, goals, life, mistakes, accomplishments….when we will see each other again.  He lives ~7 hours away, and has a pretty crazy life it seems that takes him to all kinds of places for weeks at a time.  So I have a thing for someone that won’t be around very often.  Therein lies the adventure.  I love that life can be like those books that some of us read when we were kids, the "Make Your Own Adventure" books.  I guess I’ll have to read one on my first flight to Columbus.  Thank goodness for Frequent Flyer miles, they may come in handy.  So when I dropped him off at the airport he told me not to be a slacker and go to the gym.  I fully intend to see that through.  Its Tricep day, afterall, my least favorite body part.  My arm is all out of wack because mine look so flimsy, so I got to hit it hard.  Add some ab work and some cardio and I should be right as rain. 

So, by the way, hi Drew.  2 weeks….I can’t wait.

Looking forward to today.  Life seems to be treating me alright these days, all things considered.  I think I will be recovering from this breakup well, so I can’t really complain.  I think that Lipo-6 is working better than the Hardcore, so that’s exciting.  I predict full on six pack in 2 weeks.  I’m going to a weekend long music festival with my ex in about a month, so I should hopefully drop jaws.  I’m not trying to make him jealous or take me back or anything, but it should make me feel good nonetheless.  As soon as I finish this blog I am going to make one of my famous, clean breakfast burritos.  So yummy, and then get ready for the rest of my day.  I am going to hit my hamstrings today, and some abs.  I have been breaking down my body parts more and more.  It allows me to really hit them from all angles.  Its the second week of me doing this, I think its working well.  I feel like I am getting more growth this way.  I am also alternating abs and calves, which I hadn’t done before.  My calves were looking wimpy, but I am starting to see some nice definition.  I love beautiful calves on women.  When we wear heels, it can really make a dress.  I see a lot of dressed up women in fine dinning, and I see tons of skinny, no-definition women.  I think its gross.  "Sticks on sticks" thats what I call them.  Anyways, gotta make some breakfast, now that the lipo-6 has kicked in.

Today has been a hard day.  I entered the gym wiped out.  My boyfriend and I are breaking up.  We are trying to ease out, to make it easier, but it still hurts.  We have been together for 2 years, and its hard to watch it all go.  So needless to say, my workout suffered a bit.  I tried to push it out, but I had no interest in sitting on a treadmill or an elliptical today.  I do a lot of reflecting during that time, and I couldn’t really handle it today.  I am a little scared of being alone, and seeing him with someone else, but I know its for the best.  There is someone out there better for both of us.  I thought we were it. 

So, despite all that, I did manage to PR my squats.  I did 150, not that impressive I know, but its an improvement so thats all that matters.  I really put a hurting on my quads today.  Squats, hack squats, extensions, and abductions.  I also went on the stair climber and did my calves for 5 minutes after traditional weighted calf raises.  At least I got some work done.

Ok I know we all have our rants, I have a lot, but I am still adjusting my life to not care about what everyone else has to say, and caring about what I think.  In the meantime, I have had a lot of people lately who have been trying to tempt me with really bad foods and when I respond, "oh, thanks, but no."  They say, "oooh, you don’t like chocolate cake?"  Well, hell yea I like chocolate cake, but not on my @ss!  So I politely say, "I’m just trying to lose a little fat, that’s all."  The response is the same everytime.  "Are you anorexic?  You are too skinny already…you don’t need to lose any weight."  Come again?  Did I say anything about weight?  I thought I said fat?  I did, I’m sure of it.  But then it becomes some 20 minute discussion where I tell people that I am interested in figure competitions and to do them your body fat has to be low, blah, blah, blah….we all know the conversation.  So what’s a girl to do?  I had one girl who tried to get me to eat doughnuts with her, we had the talk about my goals, and later she saw me eat a meal, 3 hours after my previous meal.  She shook her finger at me and said, "how do you expect to lose that FAT if you eat all the time?"  WTF!!!!  Can people not mind their own business?  I just don’t understand why the fat pushers are always trying to bring down the little people.  I read someone else’s blog recently, she said that people made fun of her for being fit, because its easier than calling a fat person fat!  I know the feeling.  I get called all kinds of names, get told I push too much in the gym, and that I should eat some cake.  Whatever!  One girl, at a party, told me that a six pack wasn’t attractive on a female, and that I should regain some fat because curves are sexy.  That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.  Be fat, like the rest of us!  Your abs are intimidating me, and I can’t stand that we are all drunk, and you are drinking water….that’s what I heard her say, anyways. 

Ok, so the competition is over, I am back in the gym for me now.  It feels great.  I have a new drive to continue to get better.  I have decided that its time for me to set a date for my first figure comp.  I will have to wait until ‘08, as the resort is entering the busy 6 months of the year, and the majority of my income is made now.  I hope to do Valerie Waugauman’s champ camp too.  I emailed her, but I got nothing back.  What gives?  I am hoping to drop my bodyfat to 12%, then I will increase my caloric intake substantially and gain.  To then cut for the comp.  There is a total lack of figure girls in the area, so I have no idea what to do or expect.  I am hoping, if my boss can stand to give me a saturday night off, to go to Columbia,SC for an NPC comp.  I have never seen one, so this will be exciting. 

Today’s plan

The Lado Delt plan, and calves.

45 min. Cardio

Check!

So I have the results of my competition.  I find that even though I improved on absolutely everything, I am still a little dissapointed.  I really wanted to max out every category, and I didn’t.  I also thought that I had lost inches off my waist and hips, and I didn’t.  I am going to use this blog to try to focus on the positives.

 1.  I controled my drinking to a bare bones minimum.  Once a week, red wine, if that.

2. Improved my VO2 max by 8.3 ml/kg/min- taking me from average to excellent- New goal- to become superior

3. Lowered my bodyfat from 17.9 to 14.4.  Goal remains at 12.

4. Improved my sit and reach by 5.1 inches, placing me in superior.  New goal-make people’s jaw drop with serious flexibility.

5. Increased girth of my shoulders by 2.25 inches, I love working my delts, and it shows.  Goals-increase all measurements, except abdomen.

6. Increased push ups done to fatigue to 50. New goal- 75

7. Increased sit-ups done in one minute to 42. New goal-60

 Besides all these results my Cholesterol dipped down below 100, HDL 58, LDL too low to read.  I need to get it back up to over 100.  Apparently having it this low increases depression, anxiety, and chances of diabetes.

I need to improve my bicep strength.  Current 51 lbs- need 80lbs.- would love any advice, I thought for sure I would have improved a lot more in this category.

So there it is.  12 weeks of work.  New goals are planned, and I am determined.

Ok so its all coming to an end.  Today I go for cholesterol testing at 1pm, and tomorrow is the final overall evaluation at 10:30.  I hope we do well.  I think it’ll be great.  I wonder all the time if we are going to win.  I want to win, I just don’t know how hard my team-mates worked.  My boyfriend scheduled the blood test today for 1pm, which is so dumb.  I haven’t been able to eat all day, and I am about to explode. t=-3 hours.  Ooooh I just want to have a bowl of oatmeal or something!  I also can’t go to the gym, and haven’t since Saturday.  I want all my muscles in top shape for the tests.  So I am really aching to go.  I’ll go once the test is over on Wednesday, but my boyfriend wants to go to Pizza Hut to celebrate.  He may have to go without me.  I need weights and cardio, I need to eat my 5-6 meals, I can’t stand 4 days without.  I may have a problem.