Figuratively speaking…

Actually I pose a question for those problem-solvers of the bb world. How in the hell does one get "shredded abs" without extreme dieting, supplements or steriods? I’m beginning to think such a bodily attribution is much like the Spanish Inquisition - torturous. Yeah, yeah. If it was easy anyone wouuld do it. I get your forum signatures. I just can’t fathom such shallow masochism.

Everyone wants to know when my next competition will occur. September 23rd of Never-again. Eating is too much fun as is having energy and not wanting to kill every human in sight. Moreover, whether all of you fabulous bb.com-ers want to admit it or not, I have found that you have to juice or go on some illegal supplements to truly gain a competitive edge. I may get some backlash for saying that but I believe in honesty. I’m not willing to take a risk at this point by putting odd substances in my body. I’m keepin’ it naturally BAMF.

Shreddage of the back workout

1) warm up with assisted close grip pull ups - 2 sets

2) incline DB row with twist / one arm row with shoulder pull - 3 sets

3) bent over (all the way) row - 3 sets / reverse pull up (with smith)

3.5) machine low row - both arms then 1 arm - 2 sets

4) right/left/both wide grip pull up - 1 set / close grip pull (arms straight) - 3 sets

5) low row with handlebar thing - 3 sets

6) 1 arm pull down - lat focus - 3 sets

7) 1 arm row with handle, twist - 3 sets

8) pulley overhead row (works the side) - 3 sets each side

Deliciously deadly.

Shreddage of the back workout

1) warm up with assisted close grip pull ups - 2 sets

2) incline DB row with twist / one arm row with shoulder pull - 3 sets

3) bent over (all the way) row - 3 sets / reverse pull up (with smith)

3.5) machine low row - both arms then 1 arm - 2 sets

4) right/left/both wide grip pull up - 1 set / close grip pull (arms straight) - 3 sets

5) low row with handlebar thing - 3 sets

6) 1 arm pull down - lat focus - 3 sets

7) 1 arm row with handle, twist - 3 sets

8) pulley overhead row (works the side) - 3 sets each side

Deliciously deadly.

Competition style has me workin it rough.

but anything good in life is gonna be tough.

A routinized day measured in sets and ounces,

Sweat pours from the skin, hits the metal and bounces

Down on my face, a reminder of strength,

the tenacity, courage and heart that I vent

through the push, the pull, the seemingly endless grind,

at the core, I never forget to keep the end means in mind.

Why be like everyone else? From a mold of ubiquity?

I choose muscle and strength in my non-conformity.

In an attempt to keep my mind productive, rather than stalk people on Facebook or tap into my anxiety through compulsive Googling, I have been trying to limit my laptop use. In fact, I usually give it to my boyfriend to borrow. Therefore, my blog may be like the top of the food pyramid, used sparingly. However, I want to note a few things I did wiht my trainer yesterday.

1) quarter hamstring curls (targeting the glute/hamstring separation)

2) wide lunges with toes facing nearly perpendicular, body facing the pad, on the stand up squat machine

3) walking lunges followed by the plate slide (hold a 10 lb plate, squat then move a 10 lb plate laterally on the floor - 10 times each side) *****ing KILLER at the end of a workout*

Training is tough…must rest is needed, ya’ll!

Fitness is tough work. Getting into shape and maintaining it is even more difficult and requires a lot of discipline and sacrifice. I’ve been meaning to post on this issue for a long time - the reality of body building and fitness in general. **** those magazines and advertisements (and almost ALL of them do this) that glorify the "Easy Way to Chiseled Abs" and "15 minute Perfect Butt Workout" and "The Amazing Fat Loss Pill." Although I understand the money-hungry, pun intended, idea behind those schemes, they misinform the mostly ignorant public. FITNESS COMPANIES need to get real. There IS NO EASY solution to getting into shape. This needs to be drilled into people’s heads. If you want to gain muscle or look lean or lose weight, you have to CHANGE every aspect of what wasn’t working for you. You have to WANT IT. You have to tell yourself to shut the **** up when your brain is telling you to dig into those fries or eat an entire bag of cookies. It’s about BEING DIFFERENT and not letting our cultural norms dissuade you from what YOU want. Our entire society is ****ing OBESE because our lives revolve around eating the fastest and easiest to prepare garbage. I get tired of people saying they are too busy to eat healthy. I am a middle school teacher, involved with after school activities, taking grad classes and I am still able to go to the gym and eat clean because I make time for it. I’ve made it a PRIORITY no matter what. Sure, there are times when I’d love to eat pizza, ice cream, cookies, or a huge plate of loaded nachos. Those things taste freaking AMAZING! It’s okay to cheat once in a while but I know if I subsist on those things then my body and mind will become another conformed and fat American. I’ve learned to find enjoyment in my hobbies rather than rely on crappy food to make me feel good. Besides, clean food does taste good if you take the time to spice it up and find creative ways to add flavor. Like I said before, we are al human, and need a cheat meal here and there. I guess I’m just fed up with everyone wanting this simple and easy solution to get into shape.

Here’s what you need to do: You need to work your ass off in the gym (and I’m NOT talking about just running on the treadmill or using the Eliptical.) Take a cardio class or throw in some interval training and start using weights. Pick up a magazine and try one of the workouts. Action conquers fear. One tiny successful step will change your outlook and your drive. Ask a trainer or a gym rat for help if you don’t know how to do an exercise. Also - don’t be afraid of the muscle heads in the gym. NO ONE CARES IF YOU’RE OVERWEIGHT OR OUT OF SHAPE. I’ve found that the one time where you SHOULDN’T CARE how you look is in the gym….you are there to work so that you look amazing outside of the weightroom. Besides, most gym rats (including myself) are focusing on themselves. Worry about yourself and your goals. Most important, change what you eat and so whatever the hell you need to do to stick to it. I’m training for a competition right now and it’s ****ing tough. Do I want to grap a bag of chips and chow down? **** yeah. Do I want an entire plate of girl scout cookies topped with ice cream? You bet. However, that shit won’t help me reach my goals. I’ve put pictures of my favorite body builders all around and keep the picture of what I want to look like in my head. That visualization really helps me focus. Being fit is tough but well worth it and NOT because I need compliments or care what people think. It’s about making myself feel good and knowing that I am unafraid of being different. Believe in yourself and you can do anything if you are willing to really work for it blood, sweat, tears and heart adn soul. 

Training today was not as body-crushing as last weekend. However, I still feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack truck. Masochism at it’s finest, folks. We predominently worked back and hammies. I learned a cool new ab move - attatch two grips to a low pulley. Put your feet through each one and then do weighted double crunches. (Bring your knees up and crunch simultaniously.) We did three sets of 12-15. Also, we did knee to standing on the Bosu ball for three sets of 15 to work the core. Totally killer at the end of the workout. Backwise - three way pull ups keeping both hands on the bar supersetted with seated pull (keeping the shoulders blades together) then right into a fast straight arm pull for three sets of 15 each. Straight legged deadlifts were followed by hyperextensions. I also learned to warm up with one arm rows on the bench….making sure to pull up the lat first before completing the entire move.

Phew. I also got my new diet which was pretty similiar to what I was eating before. The major difference is my post workout meal. No starchy carbs.

Gofish198’s blog was not quite the artistic impression I intended so yes, I changed the name. Besides, I named my blog after the card game "Go Fish". I was going through a period when I was really into playing poker and I thought it was ironic. However, that whole poker obsessions was in part due to my ex and well, we all know the correlation between mind and body so it had to go. Even after two years, I don’t need to be reminded of that **** wad. Because I loved fitness and wanted to compete, he used to tell me I was going to grow a penis from all that working out. What a bitch. (By the way, I do have a nice set of BALLS which have been my driving motivation to reach my goals in life! So ha!) I had to take off Thursday and Friday from the gym not only because of fatigue but due to long ass rehersals. The show was amazing last night and well worth the time not spent lifting. Seriously folks, this whole low-carb thing is rough. There have been a few times where I felt dizzy and even a little drunk. That part was kinda fun though, it’s like being out of it but still conscious. TODAY however, I am pumped. I’m working it spin style first for cardio then completing a whole-body circuit workout. I am starting to see some changes in my physique, mostly getting leaner and some more muscles showing through. I still have to get my legs more cut. It’s a hard knock life, ain’t it? My trainer has my new diet and workout ready. I can’t wait to train with him tomorrow. I’m still anxious about finding a suit….I’ve spend copious nights up until one in the morning scowering the internet in hopes of finding that Dream Suit. I have a few sites in mind but I KNOW I have to get up on that shit ASAP. Oh, and a quick shoutout to English_Mike who left my first comment in my new blog. How mint is that? Keep on keeping on, babe!

people are awed by my inability to succumb to the societal pressures of eating carb-loaded, saturated with fat foods. Like, me not eating a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or a big fat piece of cake that some ****wad made is the ****ing end of the world. No. It’s called discipline. It’s called sacrifice for a goal. It’s called not being a dumb shit and doing what everyone else does.