THOUGHTS OF A FITNESS FREAK

Killed the pups today.  Super deep squats, plie squats with a 50 lb db. Laying smith squats, horizontal and regular presses.  Standing cable kickbacks and kickbacks on bench as well, leg extensions and leg curls.  Then my legs were like rubber for the first time in a long time.  After all that I decided I had to start wearing heels to work on my stage walk in the five inch jobbers, so I went to the store with some other 5 inch heels on.  Calf cramps galore…….went in walmart, went grocery shopping in 5 inch sandals.  Well, I cant wear my 5 inch clear ones because you look like a hooker, so I wore other ones.   This little girl tells her mom she likes my shoes so I laugh and told her they are hard to walk in and its true…they kill.  I have no idea how some women live in heels.  The 4 inch ones I wore last night actually cut up my feet pretty bad across the tops.  We torture ourselves for cute feet I guess.

 Oh, I have to write a blog on traveling for shows.  I do need to ask a few questions in regards to traveling with pre made food and stuff.   I will do that tomorrow night I guess.

I get asked alot how I got my back so defined…………..this is what I have been doing for a couple years to go from nothing……………to crazy back…….

bent over smith rows, db rows, overhead rows on hammerstrenth, seated rows on hammerstrenth, delt flies, db shrugs, seated cable rows, lat press down, lat pull downs …..I mixed it up with assisted pull ups, standing rows on smith, bicep curls with db’s, curls on pulleys, calf slide machine and calf raises on the smith with a bench under me so I could stretch more………..then I tanned.  So you see, I dont go in and do 4 exercises and leave………..i do pretty much everyone under the sun and then make up some stuff.  I dont get tired because I tend to rotate with a different bodypart to give my main focus a rest.  It takes about an hour, maybe a littloe more.  I didnt do any cardio today except when I had to walk through the casino in high heels.  I no longer have skin on the tops of my feet!!!

We interviewed Scrap Metal tonight, the Nelson Brothers matthew and Gunner…..yep, that Gunner is the biggest flirt on the planet.  They get together with some 80’s band members from assorted groups.  Tonight it was the singer from Vixon, Jimi  the guy who sang eye of the tiger and Janie Lane from Warrent. It was a fun night.  Janie didnt do the interview though……kind of a bummer.  I didnt even get photos this time.  My next big one will probably be Billy Squire and  Lits Ford.  Oldies, but goodies!!!  Seeing as we are A newer show, we aRE  working on contacts and on getting into bigger and more current artists that perform in the arenas around here.    I would love to meet some country artists, but I grew up metal really.  I still listen to disturbed, Theory of a dead man, rage, Hollywood undead, rob Zombie, Papa roach, Buck Cherry etc etc. while working out.  Im a chick, country songs are kind of love songs for the most part. 

Anyway, it was a long day….my fet hurt more now..more than after a show even, if thats possible.

Legs tomorrow!!!  7 days til showtime!!

ok, lil bit of puke in my throat from nervousness…but the flight and hotel is booked and the money order for the fees has been sent for the show.  Im stuck now, no chickening out……..nope. The host hotel was booked, so I got one about 1/2 mile away……no biggie.  I get in on thursday night, register on sat morning, then have all day on friday to hang out with my daughter in the city…check in for athletes meeting on 730 am sat morning, then pre judging 9am after that….then finals at 5pm.  After that, sleeping again and flight in the morning.  We then get a 4 hour layover in NY city to screw off…not so bad huh?  I have never competed far away, except in Boston, but that was by car.  My only freakout is forgetting something essential at home I suppose.  Gotta tell you the only thing that sucks really is the time between check in or athletes meeting and showtime.  Chances are your curled hair looks like crap by then.  Not so bad if I had managed to get into the host hotel which also hosts the show, but I wasnt that lucky as the whole weekend had been sold out.  Now at 1/2 mile away…..may be too risky to try to run back to fix anything if there are no plugs in the dressing room.  Mirrors while traveling are not good.  Often we bring a 4 foot door mirror just to be safe, but I am not bringing it of course. Also my spray tan will not be as fresh as usual seeing as I am getting it days earlier than normal. 

Im nervous…..yep. BUT forcing myself to step out of my comfort zone sometimes is a rush to say the least.  I have to do it though….for me…..just to say to myself that I have competed at a national level.  Pro cards are difficult and few and far between so Nationals is about as high as most of us get.  Im a little intimidated as some of these women my age will have been training for 20 years or have been athletes for alot longer than I have at just 3 years in and 2 years in competitions. Im still considered a newbie…at almost..well, I will be 41 by the time the show comes.  Oh, but no stopping now……..going right to 45 plus figure in 4 years.  Might have a little botox in me by then, but hopefully making 45 look good!!! 

Ok, I gotta roll on outta here.  Posing practice with the new suit.  Tomorrow night interviewing the band scrap metal over at the casino for the TV show.  A compilation of artists from the 80’s getting together and jammin some 80’s tunes from Night Ranger, Mr Big, Nelson, etc.  5 or 6 memebers from the origional bands actually.  it should be fun and yes, I am bringing my camera!! 

Im starting to get in the mode when I kind of focus in on one thing…..competition mode I suppose.  Its probably a bit obsessive, a little smidge of obsession….I admit it.  Part of my motive is inspiration as well.  I may not be the best, the prettiest, the smartest chick on the planet or anything like that……..but through hard work I have achieved many things i never though could happen to me…….this is turn helps motivate other people.  For example.  A guy at the gas station says "can I ask you something?".  He then goes on to ask how often I work out, etc etc and then he goes, "ya, but you are in your early 20’s right?" like he has an excuse because he is about 40-45 and I says, "sorry bubba, I will be 41 next month and I have 4 kids".  He then in turn says, "so I have no excuse right?". Do you see what I am getting at? I, like many others, have conquered adversities that others use as excuses.  Sure, Im not the guy who lost both legs and is now a marathon runner, BUT I am real, I wanted this, and I went out and got what I wanted despite obstacles. I am proud of that…….proud of myself.  The problem is keeping the line between cocky and confidant…….I want to like me without being a douchebag.  I dont sit in front of a mirror reading off affirmations, but once in awhile you gotta say "I AM good enough". 

Ok, enough chatter.  Tonight was light legs.  Trying to get my gym partner to "feel the weights" "to feel whats working".  I forget this sometimes and its something I taught myself to do so I sometimes forget that others are in a learning process still. Like the squat rack……foot placement changes everything.  Butt under the bar, feet out, foot straight, tightening glutes……….all essential.  I even close my eyes sometimes when I am by myself, picturing anatomy or something……..its weird, but it works. Sounds silly, but like someone who makes music or sculpts something doesnt thinks is so weird to do so. 

After about 5 sets we did, leg extensions.  I vary foot positions more on light leg days, same with seated curls.  Did abbductor and adductor tonight, skipped glute isolator and cable kickbacks for a break though.  Did linear hack press, romanian db deadlifts, NO leg press except horizontal machine…..and some calves tonight. 

Im going to buy some of those sandals that build calves soon.  I want to try them out.  I also got some new stuff from bodybuilding.com.   Womens crop top, otomix pants, otomix cross trainers in black (these things are the best!!  Love em, only use otomix for shoes now)  The are high tops, essential for ankle support really. I got the harbinger gloves before, would never workout without them.padded palms………sweet wrist wrap………I swear……..ladies have to have nice hands, its my rule.  I have tried many products here like clothes, so if you want some gym wear..hit me up for hints on comfort.  I also got some tanners and beauty products……will share what I think.  I use all Gaspari stuff, but the vitamins and stuff, I know most of them.  And the best protein bars that are not like glue with chocolate, etc etc.  I cant tell you anything is crap, but may just tell you I havent tried it to avoid that issue.  heheheeeeee………no seriously, I tried alot of stuff and will always let you know what i think if I know. Even bikin bite and flash tape that rips off your skin or glues your butt cheeks together……..

Tomorrow night is posing with my new suit………the gina aliotti suit!!   Im psyched…….1 week to go, ok, 1 week and 2-3 days and counting………

On Sunday I did a few things differently but I think the most effective for making me sore as Hell are the plie’ squats. My only issue if the weight of the dumbbell as 50 has become kind of easy for me.  Holding anything heavier and reracking is a pain in the butt. It bothers my wrists to jack it back up onto the rack honestly.

Last night we did abs, shoulders and calves.

incline situps, kneeling cable crunches, hanging leg raises, bench crunches (weighted) and cable side bends.

shoulder presses on smith, upright rows on smith and military presses.

donkey calf raises and seated calf raises.

approx 4-5 sets of each..moderate weights.  Oh and lateral raises to the side, front and turned into delt flies with the dumbbells. Then seated raises……….smoking shoulders.  THEY are actually a bit sore this morning.  I dont know how my workout partner is doing yet though.

Tonight I may go in a practice posing in my new suit to get comfortable with it.  It helps wearing it a bit to know where you need to stick it to yourself.  Stage wedgies and peek a boo boobies  are not a good thing.  I stopped using bikini bite though and am just using flash tape.  We will see with the new suit.  I think it fits well enough to not move on me too much. 

This weeks food started with shrimp salad (just plain shrimp and romaine lettuce) boiled eggs and boiled chicken.  Im still low carbing.  I have not lost one lb even doing cardio so far.  Granted , its only 20 minutes a day, but DAMN…….I think I reached a plateau, now I have to switch it up somehow. I may just try to increase my water intake to flush fat.  Im still deciding.  I am also still trying to decide which carb is best for me pre show.  Trying to get enough without bloat is the issue. Im not the typical suck in the belly and it looks ok woman.  My ribs stick out too much if I do that.  Im thinking trail mix or something but its kind of gross to me. Dried gummy fruit is not so attractive. Im going for the most carbs in a small volume of food.  I will let you know.

Happy tuesday!