Keke’s BodyBlog

Man, I feel like it has been ages since I blogged last … wait … it has!!! I appreciate all of the messages I’ve received saying that you’ve missed my daily blogging! Makes me feel real loved and supported!  So what have I been up to you ask?  Well, I continue to train about 5 days a week. That’s my goal, so as far as I hit the gym 4 times I am feeling great. So far, I’ve been good and have made it 5 days each week. Tonight is an off day as I am going to see a play in the evening. So, it will only be a 4-day workout week. Tomorrow is going to be serious tho’. I’ll be training with Camillia up at another Goodlife that has real stairs we can use for cardio. I think I blogged about it in my July 2^nd blog. Doing real stairs is an amazing workout. We’re gunning for 45 … and may even push it to 60. She’s prepping for a couple of shows this fall, so I’m trying to help her push it!  My focus now on the gym is more in the way of cardio. I keep up with the weights, but focusing on light weights, high reps and really concentrating on the movement. So nice slow and easy. I’m still loving that Stepmill routine that I mentioned in my last blog. I’ve added to it, and truss me I’m getting a wicked 60 minute cardio session.  The 2 weeks following the show, I must have re-introduced something into my diet that caused me to bloat a lot. It actually got quite uncomfortable. So this week, I took out one of ‘Muscle’s’ contest meal plans and stuck to it, and supplemented with a few other items; namely fruits, frozen yogurt, cheese, rice cakes w/ peanut butter and jam and as of today I am feeling a whole lot better. I’m no longer bloated and think I have an idea what caused it. I tell you … and I blogged it once … Knowledge is power, yes … but it’s the application of that knowledge that is the true power. I just had to take it one food item at a time until I was able to figure it out. Now I know … so it’s either eliminating completely or eating in moderation. 

I’m also on the whole getting the right vitamins, so I’ve worked with a nutritionist on the natural supplements that I should be taking daily. I’ve actually never felt better.  With my energy levels back up to where I’m used to them being, I’m like an amazon women … I’m getting stuff done at work, around the house, and not feeling the least bit tired / exhausted. Man, when you have your health you have about everything you need!!!!  I have to send a shout out to Ardene … she is a Myspace user that has religiously read my blogs and encouraged me along my journey. Well … as this small world would have it … I worked out at the Brampton Goodlife yesterday, and just as I was leaving I see this familiar face walking towards me … I’d be damned … it was Ardene!! How amazing is that! It was so great meeting her and it actually felt like I knew her! I had to give her a hug and all! Hey Ardene!!!!!  Time to get off to start my day! I promise not to be such a stranger and blog more often that I have been lately. 

“Being the best that you can be is possible only if your desire to be a champion is greater than your fear of failure.” – Sammy Lee  Have a great day! Cheers,  Nke

Hellllloooooooo!!! Remember moi? I’m back from my little hiatus. I’m feeling GREAT, PUMPED and READY to take on new challenges and achieve more goals.
Since the last show, I’ve really just been about spending good quality time with my hubby, friends & family. I did not go crazy on the eating and really just treated myself to some of my favorites on occasion. My focus right now is to bring my BF% up to an acceptable ‘preggy’ making range which is probably where I sit right now. I’m about 10 lbs heavier than my on stage weight. This for me is very practical and maintainable.
So far, I’ve been able to maintain it by continuing to eat clean and graze here and there when I feel like it. Of course the training is also a factor. Following the last show, I gave myself a few days off and then went back for one week just for cardio. I started doing this wicked intense routine on the Stepmill. It’s a 22 minutes. It’s a graduated workout, and is fairly intense. Following that, I go on the Treadmill to complete the hour. I wanted to switch up my cardio to shock my body abit so it does not get used to the Stepmill.
That was the first week. Now, I’m back at the gym. I’m hit it 4 days last week. My focus is to maintain weight and carry lean muscle. So, I focused on my cardio at the top of my workout and then weights using the ‘low rep, high rep’ technique. My rests between sets are quick so I’m getting some really good pumps. In fact, I feel like I’m hitting the muscle better than when I was pushing the heavy weight. At first, the weight feel freakin’ light, but once I get to that 20^th, 25^th, 30^th etc. rep, I’m feeling it big time. By the time I hit the 3^rd set, I may not even make it up to those rep numbers. As its summer time, I’m trying to keep my workouts short … in and out of the gym in 2 hours tops!
The official results are in for the CBBF World Qualifiers … my last show. They even posted the judges scores. It was actually a really close finish for me. The 1^st place score was 27, and I was scored 29. Would you believe 3^rd place score was 62. That’s a huge gap. So, in the end it really came down to 1^st and 2^nd. I’m actually quite happy to see that. It wasn’t much that kept me out of first place!!! Ha-ha …. The have also posted pics of all the top 3 finishers for each class. You can check this all out at www.cbbf.ca. Click on ‘results’ to see the scores or ‘photos’ to see the pics.
I’ve started working with my girlfriend Camillia. She wants to compete this coming Fall, so its her prep time now. Yesterday, we met up for leg day, and oh boy!!! … and I sore today! I’m am sooooo sore! The leg workout itself was an easy one for me as I’m just working on staying toned. It’s hard to keep the weights light, but I’m committing myself to keeping with it. What did us in was our cardio. It was a new Goodlife gym we went to. I noticed that they had a little crook that had a set of stairs that led to the fire escape. It was a 12 stair flight, and you’re gurl here had a light bulb moment ….. I decided we were going to run up and down the stairs instead of doing the Stepmill. That workout was serious!!! We were back and up them for 30 minutes. It was an intense session and really worked the glutes and the quads. It felt great and I’m thinking of now working out at that gym at least once a week so I can do them. Stupid me forgot to stretch following our workout so, I am super sore today. I’m going to have to do some stretching when I get up later ….
Get up later you ask??? … yeah, since I’m back to eating clean and all, it means making sure to fit in all my meals each day. So, I’m sleeping in today but had to get up for meal #1. I took the time to write this blog and now it’s time to go back for round 2 of shut-eye. We went out last night to and got back early this morning … y’know dem club hours time ….
I’ve also haven’t stopped the meal prep routine, so protein is packed and ready and when I wake up next I’m make up the crabs and add them. The only change I’ve done is the veggies. I steam them fresh a day or two prior and not for the week like I used to do when I was training for the shows. My hubby is prepping for a marathon, so he’s into the regular meals too … so now I’m packing double the amount of containers. Our 2^nd fridge is packed solid with Tupperware!! Ha-ha.
Anyhoo … have a blessed Sunday. I’m back to blogging, so I’ll see you back here soon.
Cheers,
Nke