CrystalMatthews’s BodyBlog

Well I officially sucked at keeping up with my blog at the Olympia, but at least I stayed up on my workouts. I’m glad to be back, so I can get back on track before the competition this weekend.

We had a dinky gym at our hotel, so I was a good girl and got to bed early enough to do am cardio (yes, I was called a sellout). Unfortunately their weight selection sucked, so I was only able to workout shoulders and abs. The best part was the free breakfast buffet. They made omletes cooked to order and had a ton of healthy options. I would have them make me two different egg white omeletes and saved the other one for later. I actualy stuck one in a sandwich bag and took it to the expo, lol. Yes I know, I’m cheap.

I was feeling pretty good about the upcoming bikini comp this weekend until I saw all the gorgeous girls standing backstage for the Flex Bikini Contest. There were literally 100 women packed in together and looking nothing short of amazing. Then to make matters worse, when I got back to my room I was looking at pics of me onstage (I emceed the Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards), and my stomach looked so wrinkly you would have thought I had popped out 8 kids . My boyfriend said it was because I was slouching. I hope that’s it, but I have my doubts…uhg. Never the less, my friend (and fellow competitor this weekend) and I are going to practice our walks and stances tonight in front of the mirror at the gym. Who would have thought there was such a science to walking?!

Even though I was feeling like a Debbie Downer, I allowed myself my normal cheat day on Sunday, and enjoyed a buffet at the MGM. Let me tell you, it’s hard to get your money’s worth at a buffet when the size of your stomach has shrunk. You would have thought all that wrinkly skin could have held more food, but I guess not, lol.

It’s good to be back home. I slept in this morning (12 hrs of sleep to be exact) and instead of driving to the gym for cardio I did the elliptical in my garage. I got it at JOE’s when they were going out of business for around $300. It’s a little rickety, but it’s super nice to be able to wake up and wear what ever old workout clothes you have laying around cuz no one is going to see you . Well that is unless you post it on your blog like me…

I swear tube socks are going to make a come back…

So I want to start off by saying how much it means to me that people actually take the time to read my blog. Seriously so sweet. I was beaming this morning when I came into work and saw people had taken the time to check it out. If I’m able to help even one person with all my ramblings then it’s all worth it .

An old friend from highschool asked me some questions, so I figured I would post my answers on here in case anyone else had the same ones. So here it goes…

"So tell me, your gym routine, how often and what do you do? I usually do 3-4 days, legs/shoulders, back/arms, chest/legs and cardio (I also run) for about 20 minutes during gym days to warm up and 2 additional days as well."

Everyone’s body is different, so it’s all about finding a workout routine that gives you the best results and you actually semi-enjoy doing it. This is the workout I have had the best results with: 

-Cardio in the am five times a week on an empty stomach. I do 30-45 minutes on the elliptical, speed walk on an incline on the treadmill (so great for the bum), or I run outside. If you don’t have access to a t.v. or have trouble reading while you are doing it, listen to a book on tape. Do whatever you need to do to entertain yourself. Sometimes I’ll only allow myself to read a book I’m really into if I’m doing cardio, so I actually look forward to it. lol. 

-I usually do my weights before my cardio since my body isn’t tired yet. If I’m having a hard time waking up, I’ll sometimes do a 5 minute warmup to get going or pop a LIPO6 energy pill. You also have the option of splitting up your cardio and weights, but this means two separate workouts, and sometimes you just want it done… 

-My weights are broken out daily for the week the following way:
Biceps & Back
Shoulders
Pecs & Triceps
 =I pick 3 exercises for each above body part. I perform one set of each exercise with 30 reps in the form of a ‘burn-out’. You start w/ the heaviest weight you can and drop down until you have peformed 30 reps. The biggest thing is no resting, but no rushing. Think about the muscle as you’re lifting it. If you have two body parts that day you jump from one bodypart to the next in ’super-sets’ until you have completed all 6 exercises. If you have just one body part, go from one exercise straight into the next until you’ve completed all 3 exercises. Trust me, you will be breathing HARD.
Stomach
 =Your stomach is a muscle, therefore use weight. Your stomach muscles will not grow huge, but if you’re like me and have a hard time getting them to show, you need them to pop out a little. Train your stomach like you do any other body part in the gym, instead of just doing crunches everyday.  
Legs
 =I lift my legs a bit different since they put on size easily, so I’m just going to list this one out: walking lunges (30 reps), squats (30 reps), calf raises (I do these on the hack squat machine w/ my toes pointed in and w/ them pointed out (50 reps each), penny pinchers (lay on the back extension apparatus and hold a weight to your chest. Instead of focusing on your back when you move up and down, focus on your butt and imagine you are picking up a penny between your cheeks as you extend up (30 reps)) - I know you’re laughing, but these things rock!

All in all, I’m in and out of the gym in under an hour and on my way home to eat breakfast. Pretty simple once you make a habit of it.

“Any advice on diet? I try to stick to 1 or 2 cheat meals a week, but my main problem is how do you have a life and still eat? Between meeting someone for “drinks” birthday celebrations, lunch with girlfriends…. What do you do?”

I have my cheat day too, and it’s not just a meal, it’s a day lol. As far as going out goes, you can get something healthy at almost any restaurant you go to. I HATE cooking, so I actually eat out a lot. If you get a salad and they don’t have lowfat dressing options, ask for lemon and a side of oil&vinegar (only use the vinegar). Eating out is also a nice time to try different types of protein you don’t usually eat at home (i.e. seafood, diff fish, etc.). Most places offer you veggies and starch as your side. I ask for all veggies and ask for them to be steamed. If I really want the cake at a birthday celebration I’ll ask to take a piece home for later and save it for after breakfast the next day. As far as drinking goes, I LOVE wine, but if I’m trying to cut back I’ll opt for a Vodka w/ soda water, extra lime. It’s one of the lowest cal beverages you can get. The biggest thing is, don’t miss out on opportunities to enjoy life with your friends and family - you just have to alter them a little . 

Had a great run this weekend with my friend at the Harvest Classic. Now, most people don’t get too enthusiastic about doing cardio, but there are ways to make it better. One of my fav ways is registering to run in local races. I mean think about it, you’re going to have to do cardio anyways, so why not do it with a bunch of other enthusiastic people, get fun prizes and gifts, and raise money for good causes while your at it? You can be competitive about it if you want to, but I usually just try my best and enjoy the energy of the crowd. I actually won 2nd for my age group this time, which is seriously crazy cuz I’m not a great runner. If you’re not a runner, you can always speed walk (my mom does this). I usually stick to the 5-10k’s (there’s no reason to kill myself, lol). My friend and I have set a goal of doing one organized run a month. She’s even going to make a quilt out of all the race t-shirts she gets. The t-shirt we got this time was brown - ewwww….

The one thing I did find quite strange…why do running events serve donuts before the run and pizza afterwards? Who and the heck can eat that stuff before and after running their butt off? I would seriously puke. I stuck to a banana and small cup of TCBY sorbet they were also handing out, and ate something healthy after I left. I was tempted to take a doughnut home with me for later though…I really do think doughnuts are the work of the devil…so tempting.

I’m down to the last couple weeks before the bikini show, plus I’m working a booth for Bodybuilding.com at the Olympia (http://www.mrolympia.com/) this weekend, and we have teeny spandex outfits to sport, so I have to keep my am cardio up and keep on hitting those weights. Most important right now though, is my diet. My body composition isn’t going to change too much at this point - it’s all about getting the body fat percentage down. My legs and my arms have already leaned out, but my dang stomach is  holding on to that last layer of fat for dear life. To bad booth outfits are all about showing off the tummy .

I had the most amazing camping trip this past weekend at Wallowa Lake, Oregon. I was a little nervous agreeing to go on the trip because I’m still in full force with my workouts, and I didn’t want to miss any. And then I was like, wait…just because I’m camping doesn’t mean I have to pig out all day and sit around the campsite. So, I warned my boyfriend not to make fun of me, but I was going to treat the weekend like an outdoor athlete retreat. We arrived on Friday night after an unnecessary long drive (we got lost lol).

TIP: I packed albacore tuna (if it’s not albacore I can’t stomach it, blech!) packets for the drive. They are super convenient! All you have to do is stop at a gas station for some mustard and relish packets and you have a great protein snack. Just like a tuna sandwich with no bread. I always keep cans of tuna at my desk at work for the same reason.

I woke up early Saturday to deer invading our camp site. They are so tame there you can pet them! I ignored the smells of breakfast cooking and went on a jog through the nature trails on an empty stomach for a half hour.

TIP: Cardio in the am on an empty stomach taps right in to your fat storage for fuel. All you need is 30-45 mins. Make sure you don’t wait to long to eat afterwards or you risk losing muscle.

I found a crazy steep hill to hike while I was running, but I saved it for after breakfast. There are only so many things you can/should do without fuel in your belly .

TIP: Pack ‘Weight Control’ instant oatmeal packets for an easy breakfast. All you have to do is add hot water and you have sugar free oatmeal with 7 grams of protein already added. You may get funny looks when you go to the coffee shop and order a cup of hot water, but it’s totally worth it! Plus it saves money.

We were all really tired after the hill climb, so we took it fairly easy the rest of the day. We had bought a bunch of meat to grill, so I had a little protein BBQ fiesta . The nice thing about camping is you’re forced to eat what you pack so you can better avoid temptation.

Our last day, Sunday, I woke up early (got dirty looks for ignoring the breakfast that was made) and went mountain biking for a half hour. I biked through a little town nearby and saw some awesome picture spots that we took advantage of later. Luckily my boyfriend saved me some pancakes with sugar-free syrup and a lean steak to enjoy when I got back !

TIP: When you’re going sugar-free make sure your tummy can handle aspartame - mine can’t. I usually stick to products that use splenda or sucralose. Too bad I read the syrup bottle after I ate my pancakes…it was a rough ride home later, lol.

We took the dogs for a nice walk before we left town and even enjoyed a Tillamook Ice Cream cone before we headed out. Hey! I worked hard this weekend, and I deserved it .

TIP: If you’re going to cave on your diet (not that you should on a regular basis), the earlier in the day the better. This way you’re body has more time to work off the extra calories before you go to bed at night. The worse thing you can do is have it right before bed! I’ve actually saved birthday cake from parties and waited to have it the next day after breakfast .

One of the benefits of having an active mom (check out her gorgeous pic below) is being able to use her gym equipment when you don’t feel like driving to the gym.

Lucky for me, she lives only a couple blocks away, so I was able to jump on my bike right when I woke up and do ~35 minutes on her treadmill on an incline. Walking on an incline is a great butt booster, and with the way competition bikini suits are cut (if you haven’t seen them, they barely cover more than a thong!) I’m taking all the butt help I can get.

‘Mom’s Gym’ also has free weights, so I did a quick shoulder workout while I was there. My shoulders are already pretty broad (I built them up pretty big in the past since I heard ‘the broader your shoulders the smaller your waist looks,’ lol) so I wasn’t worried about making it a quick one. One thing to remember when working out at ‘Mom’s Gym’, is a normal thanks when leaving isn’t sufficient, make sure you give her a thank you hug and a kiss goodbye . Love Her!