THOUGHTS OF A FITNESS FREAK

As you know, I have been on the Gaspari products for a week and a day (I think, I’m old, short term memory loss)  My assesment is going to be that it’s a good company and I am happy with all the products.  Okay, not so much the strawberry intrapro, vanilla is better, yet to try chocolate. 

Overall, I have more volume in my bis.  This is probably my most noticeable area.  My arms are lean, so the definition is easier to spot. I think my peaks are higher on my bi’s and even my tris feel more solid.  I am fighting lean a little bit because I am still 12 weeks out from my next show.  I know most women start going lean now, but I am still trying to gain some overall size.  The cellmass is creatine based.  I do well with creatine and have been using it since the beginning in April of 06.  I cycled off it and this creatine of Gasparis needs no loading.  As you know loading can be a pain in the ass 4 times a day, because if you miss one dose, you are thinking, "should I reload?’  It took a little getting used to at first because I am not huge on the lemony thing.  Also, as a smaller person you need to drink the superpump250 in about 25 oz of water, then drink the sizeon while working out, thats 50 oz of liquid.  A tough task for those not used to drinking alot of liquids.  I have adjusted pretty well within the last week though.   I was slacking on my water intake because I had upped it for awhile and when I dropped it, Iwas a little dehydrated. You have to be very in tune with your body if this is the lifestyle you choose.  I noticed because my knee looked dry and also the skin on the back on my hands too. So I am upping the liquids.I am trying to hold off superlean for another 8-10 weeks at least.  I weigh about 118 and I only want to drop about 5 lbs, this will happen in thelast week beforecompetition. I am no  longer doing the Nov 3rd show.  I have a wedding to attend. There is another NPC , I yhink it’s October 27th in Rhode Island.  I may try for that one if I can get a ride.  I would never take the minivan for fear it may break down and there I would be on the side of the road, freaky tan,dehydrated, looking like I just crossed the friggin Sahara. ……

Oh, I saw Monica Brant getting ready for the O on bb.com.  They have a video of her in the gym ,go check it out . Her lats and shoulders are to die for.

fern

Ah, the afterthought muscles.  Okay, perhaps not the abs, but the forearms and calves.   Some people tell me they NEVER train them seperately.  I train everything.  I did go gangbusters on the abs because the other day while doing legs I leaned up and got THE WORST abdominal charley horse!!!  It has happened to me before and even at work when I leaned down to get a pen I dropped under my desk.  It sticks out, partially from under my ribs and protrudes probably an inch by 2 inches.  I have an unnatural rib flare due to scoliosis and it goes right over that area.  It took about 3 minutes to go down and relax.  First time it happened I really thought I blew an intestine through my abdominal wall.  So, I went light on abs, except for cable crunches.  Ireally threw them out there at 120 lbs.  It’s cables though and the weight distribution is different than standard crunches or machines.  I never do regular sit ups or crunches.  Too hard on the neck and back and totally useless in my opinion.  As for forearms, I use the ez bar and curl out from behind my back, I also do raises out in front of me and then hanging my wrists off a bench.  Calves, I do donkey, seated, light weight standing (only 140 or so) because that compresses the spine (yeah, I have a gap in my spine too)  and the new nautilus machine.  the new machine was odd at firsat, but gives a full range and is as smooth as silk.  I was wondering if perhaps there was another exercise that involves raising the front of the feet, to get the front of the lower leg.  let me know.  I am willing to try new things for the greater good.  peace out!! 

I have to first say wazzup!!!!??? I am so wired, it isn’t funny…..yea, it is.   I did my superpump250 x 2 scoops pre workout, saved a little sp in the bottle and added the sizeon and more water.  It cuts the sweetness and gives it a zesty flavor.  Anyhoo, I did chest and tris.  I always warm up on flat bench and proud to say I am back up to 135!!  Wish I had a spotter, maybe I could get more?   As usual, I hit up as many machines as possible.  I got 115 on my pec flies (up 15lbs)  Single arm cable (similar to cross overs, but SINGLE arm) up to 70lbs.  Behind the head tri extensions on cables with the rope was 50 lbs.  I feel great!!  I tried to add at least 10 lbs to everything tonight.  I tell you, supps are the way to go.  I was in a hurry to get there and forgot the video camera.  I’m a dork.  I am telling the truth when I say suddenly the weights I have been using as my max, seem a little easier.  Gaining strength feels good……the pump is not to be compared with much else on God’s green earth.  I suppose I am a little obsessed with the gym, but I have been a mom for 20 years and it’s pretty much all I was.  I raised kids and went to work.  I used to wonder when I was going to find a "hobby"  or career that I loved.   Something to look forward to everyday, but now I know the answer.  Even if you don’t love to lift, find something else you love,  it makes all the difference in life.  I don’t care if it’s stamping and scrapbooking…like NIKE…just do it.  

I am also aware that I am sometimes a little controversial and opinionated.  Let me just say that we all have opinions.  Chances are no one will change yours and you won’t change theirs. If we all thought alike, the world would be damn boring.  I love a good debate, but bring you wits, cus if you come in my yard, my dogs may bite. 

We all put ourselves on public display here.  Sometimes we are encouraged, sometimes not.  If I was going to bow down ( I have been close) to everyone who didn’t like me here, then, I would have been gone a long time ago.  I once removed all my blogs here.   So, you guys, say what you want to say…have a voice.  You all know by now I was married to someone who didnt give a crap about anything I had to say, by age 36, I had enough.  Don’t just sit there…..you are a person too.  People are either going to like you or not……

I was talking to my new polish powerlifter friend tonight.  he tells me that its strange in America.  He wants to know why men do not talk to women in public.  He said after he spoke to me, men asked him who I was..he was like, "why don’t you go ask her?"  Granted, I don’t always say hello to others, but I try to smile and acknowledge them at the least.  You CAN talk to the opposite sex without them thinking you want to sleep with them, can’t you?

Okay, I’m rambling.  I gotta go, kid is crying.  he is 7 and probably was jumping on the bed and fell off.

Okay, day off…total boredom. I am doing the Gaspari religiously of course. I hate being with the superpump, but didn’t really want to use it on my day off.  I  would be like a madwoman, scrubbing my toilets with a toothbrush and vacuuming the dog.  That stuff is like liquid energy.  I took the size on and am going to bed soon.  Sleep to grow!!!  My diet was on today.  It was a carb up day and I will drop over thew next couple days. 3 day cycles work pretty well for me.  As for the Intrapro, I mix 1/2 strawberry, half/vanilla.  I have stated before, I don’t have a sweet tooth and this tones it down a bit.  I mix with water, so it may not be as tasty as it could be, but lets not split hairs. Ice cream tastes great, but it certainly isn’t good for you.  To me, broccoli and turkey burgers are like ice cream and I eat it every day. 

I will jack up on the products tomorrow.   Blogging is so much more interesting on training days!! I don’t think I have used it on chest and tris day yet.  I am hoping to be smoking like a cherry bomb when I walk out of the gym tomorrow night.

As for the stuff to share.  I have a real possiblity of being in a major muscle magazine.  it’s new to me, so I am not getting my hopes up…okay, maybe a little.  I will give you the details as soon as I know them.

one more thing….a female on this site is more "plastic" than you know…..can you guess????

I’d like to discuss bodyfat today.  I see alot of women who have 26% or higher posted.  Where are you getting these numbers? If you are using a bodyfat scale, throw it in the trash and get some calipers.  I was probably 14% when I first got my  scale and it said 26%!!!!  They are so off, it isn’t funny.  The battery died on my calipers, so I don’t even know what I am right now. That’s probably a good thing because at one time I was a little obsessed with checking and being as I bruise easy, I had bruises where I was checking.  Looked like I had some disease on my thigh and upper arm.  It’s a good thing to know if you are just starting out and you think you are not making any body changes. If you are lifting, you may be gaining weight rather thasn losing weight, but losing fat simultanously. I gained 10 lbs in my 1st 4 months at the gym.  I wasn’t very worried about it because I was looking better and my jeans still fit, but I did go from 114 to 124!!!  I am now hovering at 118-121. My scales battery is dead too, but I check at the gym. 

I may be about 10% bf right now.  I hold most of it in my lower back and my thighs , just under my butt.  You can’t see in so much in my pics, but that’s just strategic flexing and posing.   I’m going to start seriously leaning out for comps at the end of next month, maybe the middle.  I lost my butt last time and I don’t want that to happen again.  I’m taping butt exercises today and well as quads.  Stay tuned and get off those scales!!! 

I didn’t do a full ab workout.  I was running late and had to have a shake and then the superpump250 one right after the other.  Big sloshy mistake on my behalf.  I tried doing incline situps, but got a little nauseous, so I swithched to doing pretty much all shoulders.  My smith presses were pretty good at 85 lbs.  I got them easy.  I guess I did mostly presses and then some lateral raises with lighter weights but I rotated from the front and side to hit anterior and lateral delts.  I did a chest press type of machine, but it raises high and over head, so it hits delts pretty good.  I used cable for lateral raises, but me and leverage on shoulders do not get along.   I can’t seem to go heavy on the cables in this manner.  I also have this move where I bend over and do cable rows with an arm bent to the side of me. Hard to explain really.  I use the arm opposite of the handle, pulling up and outward.  Single arm presses on the hammerstrength are up to 55-60 lbs.  I also threw in some upright rows at 85lbs and some bent over db rows at 40.  I know its a lat move, but it gets the shoulders too.  Oh yeah, I did the step mill for cardio.  Its a real butt kicker. 

George K from bodyspace sent me some cool t-shirts.  I will post a pic sometime.  He makes them and you can check him out in my videos.  He has a show coming up in 2 weeks.  Kick some butt George!!!!! Fantastic physique and a fantastic personality to match. Here’s a link to his myspace where you can see his shirts.  http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=165399053  

Gaspari products are going good.  My stomach is kind of sensitive to introducing new things but I am hanging in there.  Yet another good workout, just when I think I may be a little tired, it kicks in.  I am not even using my fatburners right now because I feel like I am taking them already.  Trying to maintain right now.  I am not going to get much growth unless I really pack on the lbs and it’s just not happening.  Hopefully, the Gaspari will inspire some new gains……….

I’ve  ”met ” some new people here who added me to their friends lists.  Thanks guys!  You are all great and I am really glad to know you all. You inspire me to stay motivated and when I am feeling down, I come here for a pick me up.  I see bodyparts in you that I envy and it makes me try harder to achieve what I want in myself.  Keep on doing what you are doing and remember we are harder on ourselves than anyone else can ever be.

Fern

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I took the Superpump  a little before my workout, double scoop for extra pleasure and size on for drinking while working out.  Let me tell you ladies and gents….SUPER-PUMPED is an understatement!! My bis are kind of skinnt normally, I have peak, but I find them rather thin.  Tonight I had a serious fullness that made me feel like a superstar.  Vascularity thru the roof!  I am pretty vascular normally, but this is an enhanced version.  Arms, shoulders, chest……yum.  I worked back and bis.  I’m curling 20-25 lb dbs pretty well  now. I really took my time and curled slower than normal on my later sets.  Warm ups are always at warp speed.  Seated cable rows jacked to 110 tonight and the same with lat pull downs.  Honestly, I could do more,  but if I hurt myself, I’m screwed.  I’m trying to work smarter rather than harder, though I love hard work.  

I met a new man tonight.  No, not that kind of "met".  He was a big guy, I guessed powerlifter and was dead on.  He is from Russia or Croatia judging by his accent and he said I look like I compete.  I was flattered of course because he is on the ‘fitness’ circut.  He did mention his wife and we talked about veneers for teeth for a little while as well as competing. 

As for the rest of my workout, it was pretty pumped up and full of energy.  Good to know because I was low on carbs, yet somehow managed to get some energy from the new supps.  Maybe it’s a love for the gym?  Maybe because it’s my place to escape to sometimes.  So nice to put on your headphones and forget the outside world for awhile.  Of course I have to come home to a house with 4 crazy little boys in it , tearing stuff up, but the endorphins make that tolerable.  I’m pretty easy a mom and auntie..the little buggers love me. 

Hm, not so much more to report here.  It was a normal day at work dealing with people and their teeth.   And people’s insurance….hate insurance companies…..they all suck.  Other than that, living and breathing is a blessing.

Oh, one more thing.  Some fights were scheduled over at the casino here.  My brother walked by Jeff Monson several times…..I am so jealous.  I have a crazy crush on him. Turns out the fights have been postponed, so maybe I  will get my chance to meet him someday. His traps are unreal, you have to check him out.

Later peeps……….make love, not war

all my friends here rock!!! I have never met so many nice and hard working people in my life!   I also leg pressed 320, breaking my high of 300.  I’m going for 400………………….maybe the new supps will help?  I’ll write later.  I have to get my butt to work.  I am doing back bis and lats.  May take the camera and film some lat stuff.  I think they are left out of most workouts and it’s a shame because they make your waist appear smaller if you build them up.

Yes, this stuff certainly does get you jacked and moving for your workout.  I did 2 scoops tonight and felt like I had a couple fatburners.  It has a good bite, like eating one of those sour patch kids….so pucker up.  It hard to say anything about the sizeon right now.  I did hams and like I said last night, I think it’s going to take time.

One thing I would like to mention, my workouts sometimes make me emotional.  Maybe it’s because I feel flat and soft today? I am hyper critical of myself and when you are in the gym, you have to see yourself everywhere because there are mirrors EVERYWHERE……….

There was this woman in my gym last night.  She was HARD, she had quite the fit body and I sooooooo wanted to hate her because I want to be hard too.  Maybe not ALL the time, but this chick was lean and had runners calves.  My legs are always last to go lean.  Upper body is cake, got striations in my pecs and a split bi, but damn, I want those lean legs.  I want to see what’s under there after 3 months of lifting heavier and working smarter.   Yeah, yeah, only 3 months……big whup. I got one or 2 shows to do in the fall, then it’s time to get nuts……then April of 08 is showtime again.  That gives me a solid 5 months of mass building.

What else?  Oh, yesterday I went all day with my underwear inside out.  My proud moments………..or Alzheimers?

Alrighty then…………….products:

Intrapro……protein shake PLUS.  I do read the labels.  This stuff has got vitamins and other protein drinks do not.  Far too many to list, about 25% of RDA in a single scoop, using 2 scoops I am getting extra vitamins. Taste isn’t bad , but I mix with water and ice ……just suck it down.  I have strawberries and cream.  Yet to try vanilla. I will get into the advantages of the BCAA’s and sustained release later.

Superpump 250:  Supposely provides super pumps and skin tearing vascularity.  I was pretty jacked after I took it.  I am pretty used to this type of product, so I may use more than one scoop next time.  I’ll try 2, I burned it up pretty quickly and was delayed in getting to the gym.  It tasted pretty good, super fizzy.  I did have some good pumps.  I did tri’s and chest tonight.  I am pretty damn vascular still.  Yep, the chicks a roadmap……..

Size on: drink during the workout and before bed on non workout days.  I believe this product will take time.  It was pretty sweet for me ( I don’t have a sweet tooth, so I will just add more water to it)  I have responded pretty well to creatine in the past and hopefully this will get me some gains. 

I did have pretty good energy tonight!  I benched 105 easily and ended up doing a least an hour and 1/2 of alternating chest and tris.  Like I said, creatine does me good!! 

Stay tuned……….no word on whether ‘Getting hardcore with Msfitness’ is a do-able title for my series.  I didn’t want to aim solely for the female audience, and I think everyone new in the gym feels like a geek for awhile, sharing info knows no sex………plus if a mom of 4 can achieve her fitness goals, anyone can, right?