LisaTaubenheim’s BodyBlog

An old saying my mom used when you try and make something exceptional out of something ordinary…..

Im not sure this is a good analogy for what im doing, but its the first that came to my mind..  How to turn a Bodybuilder into a figure girl??

I have spent the past few weeks studying this, and looking for others who have done the same. I can not find anyone who has takin this direction. It seems that figure girls move into bodybuilding quite often… They see their bodies potiential and like the overall development of muscle and decided to take it a step beyond the figure arena…. What I have, is fully developed musculature that needs to be elongated and less developed.  Oh. Some of you may be wondering why I would take this seemingly backward direction ?  I have a heart valve condition that is made worse by lifting very heavy weight… and lifiting heavy weight is what it takes to build the kind of muscle required to be a competitive bodybuilder…I do love to compete, and I was looking for something…

You know how some people just sort of stick out in your memory for some reason? Well 2007 Orange Country Muscle Classic, I was competeing as a bodybuilder… I took a seat in the audience after the women had finished… I saw the most stunning figure walk onto the stage… She was a petite women, a little shorter than myself, but had the most pleasing lines and small well developed muscles… I thought, "this women will take the show".  She did not.. I think she took 3 in her class… Her name was Dr. Margrete Nagreti, and I never forgot her.  Well 2 years later, backstage at the 09 USA in Las Vegas. I was looking at Margret nagreti in the Light weight division… She  was beaming from ear to ear holding the first place trophy she had just received for winning her class in Womens Bodybuilding…. So I was right about her from the begining….

I wish I would have stoped to talk to her… ask her about her move from figure to bodybuilding… asked if she had any advice for me going into a field she had left behind…..If your out there Margret, drop me a line…. Anyway, in the meantime I will keep training for longer, smaller muscle and hope to turn this sow’s ear into a silk purse….:)

I have been in Love with bodybuilding for over 20 years…The quest for beautiful muscle and an eyecatching physique…

 Even as a young child I admired Strength…Powerful animals, Huge storms, monuments of nature, like big mountains, rushing rivers and redwood trees…. Anything that was big, strong and made me feel in awe! So I guess it was natural for me to be drawn into the world of big and strong….Bodybuilding

  It wasnt enough for me to just have a powerful physique… I wanted to compete…To be put forth in front of judges, to be compared to other women, side by side… who has the better package. They are looking at muscle size, density and fullness, Symmetry, asthectics and an overall superhero, but femenine physique…

Well, timing is everything! I now have the symmetry, the fullness of muscle and on a good day with the right lighting, astheticly pleasing. But Im 46 years of age… My skin no longer has the desire to hold my flesh as tightly as when I was 30. I love to compete, but at what point do we stop ?  I dont want to make a fool of myself, but does it matter ? At what point in your life do you make the descision to stop ?  That is why they have a masters division… To compare Apples to Apples. I suppose this year will be my last to compete in an open class… There are very few competitions with a womens masters class.

So I will go and do my best appearance as an apple among the beautiful oranges and peaches of youth….

One day at the gym, a women whom id admired for her incrediable endurance on a bike, approached me and asked " I want to know what drives you "?  I was a little unprepared for this question from her…Why would she be asking me this when she is so amazing herself ? I told her I train to relieve stress and I feel better about myself when I exercise….but she wasnt buying it, I could tell.  We all excell in different arenas and I have excelled in the art of building my physique, and im sure its not just by chance that its happend…Its about passion, re-enforcement and commitment.

  The first time I picked up a dumbell in the gym, I felt its resistance against my muscle, I was intrigued..So I went back and did it again… and again. I love the feeling of resistance..Something about moving weight and feeling the muscle work beneath my skin brings me serenity in a day filled with many uncertainties…The slow, methodical movement of weight, brings me clarity, gives me time to focus on the task at hand….I love my time lifting….When it is not your passion, you find ways to get around it and avoid it….not me,  I selfishly long for my time alone with weights…and when I dont get it, I long for it…and wait patiently for the time when I feel the resistance…

 I guess this may have been what she wanted to hear…

I think I fell in love with the feeling of resistance and as a result, I have evidence that I wear like armor…

When I was a kid, Disney put out a movie called " Fanastia". One of the characters was a beautiful elephant, who didnt know she wasnt graceful…..I totally get Her!!!!

When I was at the Arnold Classic this march, I saw the most amazing creature…. Elena from Russia. She won the Arnold Amatuer and her Middle weight class… A Ballet dancer, tuned Bodybuilder. She was absolutely stunning to watch..So poised and graceful. Iv never seen a bodybuilder pose with such beauty ( well maybe Diana Dennis)… She floated onto the stage, every move was precise and flawless as though she were dancing, not posing…. I want to learn this!!! So the minute I got home, I called a dance teacher…. and so my journey to graceful body language has begun……. See you at the USA !

Lisa xxoo

Everyone handles stress in a different way…I drink wine..and this turns a perfectly level headed women into a Carb seek missle..One glass OK two glass brings on the Ak-Mak craving…. For those of you who have the pleasure of Ak Mak know what im talking about LOL!!!!  So this morning Im filled with self loathing and remorse, because I was looking forward to have a real cheat meal this weekend.. My neice and Nephew love pizza and I would have loved to join in the eating festivites, but it will have to wait until next week….I must forgive myself now and go for my walk. Have a great weekend everyone…. Let the eating disorders begin…Cheers!

Lisa xo

I have a new goal set for June 13. I have two competitions this summer and I want to look better than I ever have at a comp.The hardest part of contest prep for me is the getting rid of the fat in those places that is challenging for most women. I dont even need to tell where that is…..So my methods have been all over the map in the past years… Iv tried reduced calories, No Fat, low carbs low fat, high protein no carbs… you name it, Iv tried it… EXCEPT for what im going to try now….. Upon nudging from a friend, Im going to try a cycleling of carbs over a 5day period. High carb day being 125gms, to 100gms to 75gms to 50gms and a No carb day PHEWww and then,Im really nervous about this but im going to have a cheat meal on my 6th day and then start again. I will have to tweak it to make it work for me.  I have lived for the last year on a diet consistantly of no more than 100gm per day of carbs. This works well for a maintanence diet and Iv not put on much fat this year. I am strong for my training yet still fit in my jeans, its great, but my metabolism is stagnant and I fear of slowing it even further…. So Im head first into carb cycling and hope it does the trick for me… It works lovely on my friend. He has a drop dead gorgeous physique and does it all natural with diet and exercise…. So Ill have a go at it myself………

Cheers

Lisa