Pro/Am Contests Blog 
"To discuss and review the various Pro & Amateur shows worldwide!"
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Archive for September, 2009
Saturday, September 19th, 2009
Posted in Pro/Am, NPC Team Universe
Saturday, September 19th, 2009
Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full contest coverage from this competition right here.
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2009 New York Pro Figure Results.
Check out the results from the 2009 IFBB New York Pro Figure here.
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2009 IFBB NY Pro Figure Coverage
Check out the pictures of the 2009 IFBB New York Pro Figure. See pictures of 2009 IFBB New York Pro Figure Competition!
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Check out the 2009 New York Pro Main Page right here. See photos and results from the New York Pro Mens, 202 and Womens shows.
Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, New York Pro
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Posted in Pro/Am, FAME
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full contest coverage from this competition right here.
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2009 INBF Capital City Natural Results.
Check out the results from the 2009 INBF Capital City Natural Competition here.
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Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, Other
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
It was great to see some old friends and to make some new ones. It was an honor for us to host your Nationals.
Even after a few women had to pull out due to injury there was still the largest turnout I have seen for Nationals. This was also the first year for the middleweight division.
The first event was the log press. The LW used 110 lbs, MW 130 and HW 150 lbs. In the lightweights Glendy Randall who had just made her transition from power lifting pressed 6 reps. Lydia Knurek did an amazing 9 reps but it was LW pressing phenom Kelly Picchione who did an amazing 10 reps for the win with alot of time to spare.
In the middleweights, the 130 lb log proved to be a bit much with none of the athletes completing a rep.
The heavyweights had a stacked group of pressers with newcomer Christine Lafex getting one rep, Amanda Alpert with 3, Kimberly Berbrier with 6 and powerhouse Kristin Rhodes presses a staggering 10 reps for the win.
Second event was the Axle dead lift on tires.LW had 300, MW 310 and HW 320. The lightweights pushed each other with some amazing dead lifting here with Sarah Jackson getting 7, Lydia Knurek for 8 and Glendy Randall for 9. But is was Kelly Picchione with 10 reps who took the win.
Middleweights had some great dead lifters with Mary Jacobson grinding out 11 reps, but it was past Nationals champion Margaret Boyle who did an outstanding 13 reps for the win.
The heavyweights also had some great dead lifters but it was Kristin Rhodes who took the win with an easy 7.
Third event was the Tire Flip which was a course of 50 ft down and 50 ft back. LW used a 350, MW 450 and HW used a 650.
In the lightweights only Lydia Knurek and Sarah Jackson finished the course, but it was Sarah Jackson’s time of 53.47 who took the win.
None of the middleweights finished the course but Kristen Martin flipped the 450lb tire 65 ft 10 in for second and Beth Grauer 72 ft 6 in for the win.
The heavyweights had their work cut out for them with the 650lb beast. Kimberly Berbrier did 32 ft and Amanda Alpert 40 ft but it was Kristin Rhodes who took the tire 50 ft with time to spare for the win.
The fourth event was the Farmer’s Walk. Course was 100 ft with a turn at 50 ft. LW used 150 lbs, MW 170 lbs and HW 190 lbs.
The lightweights were very close with Sarah Jackson finishing in 19 seconds even and Lydia Knurek in 18.82. But it was Kelly Picchione with a time of 17.34 who took another win.
Middleweights saw three finishing the course. Margaret Boyle finished with a time of 41.5 seconds and Mary Jacobson with 37.66, but it was Beth Grauer who took the win with an amazing time of 27.25.
The top two heavyweights were Kimberly Berbrier finishing in 18.53 and Kristin Rhodes flying through the course in 16.38 seconds for another win.
The last event was the Atlas stone over bar set at 44 inches. LW used a 150 lb stone, MW 180 and HW 200.
Lightweights had some great stone loaders with Sarah Jackson getting 8 and Kelly Picchione getting 9, but it was Lydia Knurek who threw the stone over for 12 reps.
Middleweights had a tie for second with Samantha Libby and Margaret Boyle getting 5 reps. Beth Grauer took another win with 6 reps.
Heavyweights proved that the 200 lb stone was not a problem with Kimberly Berbrier and Audra Lee Boltin getting 4 repos, Christine Lafex getting 6 reps and Krystle Neves getting 7 reps. But it was Kristine Rhodes who did 11 reps for a sweep of all five events and now 3 time Nationals champion.
I cant say enough how great these women did with these events/weights. We had many veterans and newcomers alike who did an outstanding job. Cant wait to see what these women do next year!!
Top three placings were :
LW -
1st - Kelly Picchione
2nd - Lydia Knurek
3rd - Sarah Jackson
MW -
1st - Beth Grauer
2nd - Margaret Boyle
3rd - Mary Jacobson
HW -
1st - Kristin Rhodes
2nd - Kimberly Berbrier
2rd - Christine Lafex
I want to say a huge thank you to Willie and Dione Wessels and all of our help. Without all of you the contest would not have been such a great success!
Additional thanks to all of the flloor staff, judges and the rest of the crew: LW Pro Strongman Mike Gill, Dave Bourgeois, Steve DiLello, Kevin Delaney, Sean Griffin, Brian Mahoney, Zach Gipson, Jason Arrendondo, Chris Manley, Matt Murphy, Matt "Extra Medium" Buchine, Dave Kinahan, Carlos Amatea, Jim Pierce, Harley Davidson, John Sullivan, Lauren Cohen, Jane Stabile, Erica Constanza, Pam Bello, Erica Linden, Lisa LaVorgna, Carolyn Little, Tony Mercadante, Mike Occipanti, Stacy Poste, Anthony Winston.
Also to Derek Poundstone and Kristen Nelson for coming and taking pictures and signing autographes for everyone. It was great having you!
Also a big thank you to our sponsors. Your continued support is greatly appreciated!
Bodybuilding.com
Met-Rx
Ironmind
APT Pro Wrist Straps
USP Labs
Ultimate Nutrition
Bear Naked Granola
ANC
Just Be Natural
One Body Nutrition
Keyem
Silver Fox Restaurant and Functions
Dr. Squat
Powerlifter Movers
Bova’s Bakery
Perform Better
Flex Now
Chris Hug, PC
George C. Ferullo, CPA
Results Fitness
DP Signs
Hope to see you next year!
- Nate, Murph and Laura
Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, Other, Strongman
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
There was a great group of Teens this year and it was an honor for us to host your Nationals.
The first event was the log press. The LW used 190 lbs and HW 220 lbs.
The lightweights had a tie for third with Carlos Reyes and Joseph Aguila getting 7 reps, second was Bobby D’ Agonstino with 9 reps, but it was Alex Truman who pressed an amazing 15 reps for the win and also set a new NAS record.
Heavyweights were also stacked with some great pressers. Mike Mastelli pressed 8 reps, Joseph Rodriguez 9 and Tyler Schuman pressed 10 reps for the win.
Second event was the Axle dead lift on tires.LW had 400 and HW 500.
Lightweights had some outstanding numbers with Joseph Aguila getting 10, Jim Mitchell 12 and Bobby D’ Agostino 15. But it was Alex Truman who did 16 reps who received another win.
Some of the heavyweights had a tough time with the 500 lb axle and zeroed out. Mike Mastelli and Zaid Zaideh tied for second with 6 reps but it was Tyler Schuman again who took the win with 7 easy reps.
Third event was the Tire Flip which was a course of 50 ft down and 50 ft back. LW used a 450 lb tire and HW used a 650.
Lightweights had some very fast times with Jason Toppin finishing in 45.75 and Joseph Aguila in 41.35 but it was Alex Truman who finished in a lightning fast time of 39.31 who took another win and another NAS record.
Only two heavyweights finished the course. Tyler Schuman getting second with a time of 59.22 and Jacob Harmon getting the win with a time of 57.8 seconds.
The fourth event was the Farmer’s Walk. Course was 100 ft with a turn at 50 ft. LW used 220 lbs and HW 260 lbs.
Only two lightweights finished the course with Joseph Aguila getting it done in 19.88 and Alex Truman yet again getting a win with a time of 15.75.
The heavyweights had some great times with Mohamed Adam finishing in 23.12, Jacob Harmon 20.9 and Tyler Schuman with a staggering 18.68.
The last event was the Atlas stone over bar set at 44 inches. LW used a 240 lb stone and HW 265.
The Lightweights had Jim Mitchell with 11 reps for second but it was a tie for first with Joseph Aguila and Alex Truman getting and amazing 12 reps.
Heavyweights had some very impressive numbers with Patrick Wroblewski getting 8 reps for third but it was Jacob Harmon who threw the stone over 12 reps for second and Tyler Schuman who did and outstanding 13 for another win who stole the show.
Top three placings were :
LW -
1st - Alex Truman
2nd - Joseph Aguila
3rd - Bobby D’ Agostino
HW -
1st - Tyler Schuman
2nd - Jacob Harmon
2rd - Zaid Zaideh
I want to say a huge thank you to Willie and Dione Wessels and all of our help. Without all of you the contest would not have been such a great success!
Additional thanks to all of the flloor staff, judges and the rest of the crew: LW Pro Strongman Mike Gill, Dave Bourgeois, Steve DiLello, Kevin Delaney, Sean Griffin, Brian Mahoney, Zach Gipson, Jason Arrendondo, Chris Manley, Matt Murphy, Matt "Extra Medium" Buchine, Dave Kinahan, Carlos Amatea, Jim Pierce, Harley Davidson, John Sullivan, Lauren Cohen, Jane Stabile, Erica Constanza, Pam Bello, Erica Linden, Lisa LaVorgna, Carolyn Little, Tony Mercadante, Mike Occipanti, Stacy Poste, Anthony Winston.
Also to Derek Poundstone and Kristen Nelson for coming and taking pictures and signing autographes for everyone. It was great having you!
Also a big thank you to our sponsors. Your continued support is greatly appreciated!
Bodybuilding.com
Met-Rx
Ironmind
APT Pro Wrist Straps
USP Labs
Ultimate Nutrition
Bear Naked Granola
ANC
Just Be Natural
One Body Nutrition
Keyem
Silver Fox Restaurant and Functions
Dr. Squat
Powerlifter Movers
Bova’s Bakery
Perform Better
Flex Now
Chris Hug, PC
George C. Ferullo, CPA
Results Fitness
DP Signs
Hope to see you next year!
- Nate, Murph and Laura
Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, Other, Strongman
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
A stacked group of athletes competed this year for the lightweight and heavyweight title of MA Strongest Man.
This was also Jim Murphy’s return to Strongman after receiving a heart transplant. Jim and is an amazing athlete and inspiration to us all.
The first event was the log press. The LW and Master’s used 220 lbs and HW 250 lbs.
In the lightweights Joe Yurkunas took third with 7 reps and there was a two way tie for second with both Dave Memont and David LeGault getting 8 reps, but it was Rick Marrama who would take first with an outstanding 10 reps.
The heavyweights had some great pressers with Dan Gilbert getting 10, Frank Harwood 11 and Justin Warren setting a new NAS record with an awesome 16 reps for the win.
In the Master’s division Edward Collaku had to go it alone after the other competitors pulled out due to injury. Edward pressed the log for one rep.
Second event was the Axle deadlift on tires. LW and Master’s had 500 lbs and HW 570 lbs.
The lightweights had a three way tie for second with Paul Kuokkanen, Rick Marrama and Mike Bompane getting an outstanding 10 reps, but it was Joe Yurkunas who stood alone with an incredible 12 reps for the win.
In the heavyweights Steve Bianchi took third with 6 reps. Daniel Gilbert and Frank Harwood tied for second with 8 reps and Justin Warren made an easy 9 reps to take another win.
Master’s competitor Edward Collaku did an amazing 3 reps.
Third event was the Tire Flip which was a course of 50 ft down and 50 ft back. LW and Master’s used a 650 lb tire and HW used an 800 lb tire
Only three lightweights were able to finish the course.David Petrantonio placed third with a time of 60 seconds, David Memont second in 54.88 and Mike Bompane first with 53 seconds.
In the heavyweights only two were able to finish the 100 ft course. Steve Bianchi placed second with a time of 59.99 seconds and Justin Warren getting another win with 58.43.
Master’s competitor Edward Collaku flipped the tire 55 ft.
The fourth event was the Farmer’s Walk. Course was 100 ft with a turn at 50 ft. LW and Master’s used 260 lbs and HW 280 lbs.
The lightweights had Paul Kuokkanen in third with a time of 23.75, Mike Bompane in second with 22.4 and Rick Marrama with an outstanding 21.15 for the win.
In the heavyweights Daniel Gilbert came close to finishing the course when he lost his grip at 91 feet to finish second but it was Justin Warren who blazed through the course in 21.09 for another amazing win.
Master’s competitor Edward Collaku went a distance of 60 ft.
The last event was the Atlas stone over bar set at 44 inches. LW and Master’s used a 265 lb stone and HW 300 lbs.
The lightweights had some outstanding stone loaders with Jim Murphy, Dave Memont and Paul Kuokkanen in a three way tie for fourth with 11 reps. David Liepman placed third with 12, Rick Marrama took second with 13 and David Petrantonio brought the house down with an amazing 15 reps.
In the heavyweights Eric Dawson placed third with 7 reps, Steve Bianchi second with 9 and Justin Warren busted out 10 reps for the win as well as the title.
Master’s competitor Edward Collaku did an impressive 5 reps.
Top three placings were :
LW -
1st - Rick Marrama
2nd - Dave Memont
3rd - David Petrantonio
HW -
1st - Justin Warren
2nd - Steve Bianchi
2rd - Daniel Gilbert
Master’s -
1st - Edward Collaku
I want to say a huge thank you to Willie and Dione Wessels and all of our help. Without all of you the contest would not have been such a great success!
Additional thanks to all of the flloor staff, judges and the rest of the crew: LW Pro Strongman Mike Gill, Dave Bourgeois, Steve DiLello, Kevin Delaney, Sean Griffin, Brian Mahoney, Zach Gipson, Jason Arrendondo, Chris Manley, Matt Murphy, Matt “Extra Medium” Buchine, Dave Kinahan, Carlos Amatea, Jim Pierce, Harley Davidson, John Sullivan, Lauren Cohen, Jane Stabile, Erica Constanza, Pam Bello, Erica Linden, Lisa LaVorgna, Carolyn Little, Tony Mercadante, Mike Occipanti, Stacy Poste, Anthony Winston.
Also to Derek Poundstone and Kristen Nelson for coming and taking pictures and signing autographs for everyone. It was great having you!
Also a big thank you to our sponsors. Your continued support is greatly appreciated!
Bodybuilding.com
Ultimate Nutrition
Met-Rx
Ironmind
APT Pro Wrist Straps
USP Labs
Bear Naked Granola
ANC
Just Be Natural
One Body Nutrition
Keyem
Silver Fox Restaurant and Functions
Dr. Squat
Powerlifter Movers
Bova’s Bakery
Perform Better
Flex Now
Chris Hug, PC
George C. Ferullo, CPA
Results Fitness
DP Signs
Hope to see you next year!
- Nate, Murph and Laura
Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, Other, Strongman
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Well, this weekend marked the first time I’ve ever competed. I didn’t know what to expect or exactly what the judges were looking for but I used this show as motivation to keep losing weight that I had put on over the years (I lost about 25-30lbs prepping for this).
I was very nervous to say the least… I was so intimidated by not only the girls but the judges, the energy surrounding the event and definitely those stairs leading to the stage!
But, I realized everyone was just as nervous as I was, and all the girls were so friendly and even helped me with the last minute posing questions I had. Everyone was so nice I immediately felt at ease.
I honestly was not expecting to place at all being my first show and all. I went in hoping for the best and knowing that I worked hard to get to where I am with my physique was reward enough. I am not sure I have ever been more excited in my life, I am still in shock that I was 1st place! I know I have weak areas that still need a lot of work and will keep pushing to bring a better package.
I will be competing again this weekend in NY at the Team Universe competition, which to be honest is kind of frightening. I know the show is larger and the competition greater but I will go in with the same hopes as this past weekend, try to relax and enjoy the whole experience of it all. 
Kirstin Lykus
Post by:
KIRSTIN-L
Posted in Pro/Am, Atlantic City Pro, Bikini
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full contest coverage from this competition right here.
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2009 NGA AFBB Flex Fitness Results.
Check out the results from the 2009 NGA AFBB Flex Fitness Competition here.
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Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, NGA
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full contest coverage from this competition right here.
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2009 NPC Atlantic City Results.
Check out the results from the 2009 NPC Atlantic City here.
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Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full coverage of the 2009 IFBB Atlantic City Pro.
Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, Atlantic City Pro, Other
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
If you are thinking of joining Jen and the Phat Camp Team in Hawaii then you better get signed up ASAP!
September 28th is the final deadline to register.
Please know that this is a great camp and the last Phat Camp for 2009. We would love to share this experience with you and a friend.
To register now visit www.GetPhatWithJen.com.
For any questions or more info email Heather Bear at bearclaw@seidata.com.
Just think fun in the sun!
Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, Other
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
BiologyBabe’s Journey to Team Universe!
Here we are, finally down to the wire as they say; my prep is nearly over and I am ecstatic with my results thus far! I am today, over 8 lbs leaner than my previous competition at ten days out, and I feel I have really made some excellent changes in my glutes, hams, and abdominals. I am sad to see my delts have shrunk a bit, as have my triceps and biceps, but my arms are still the body part I get daily compliments on. There is now noticeable separation in my quads, but I know the judges just want those to be peeking through now, not nearly as separated as they use to like.
This update will be brief compared to the last few, so let’s get right down to the business of comparisons! My last body composition was at 20 days out, so just about 10 days ago and I feel like I have made the most significant changes this last two weeks for sure.
Here are my current body composition stats
Weight: 125 lbs (- 4.0 lbs.)
(Last on-stage stage weight was 128.6 lbs; 13.5% BF)
Body fat: 12.0% (-1.6%)
Shoulders: 39.0 (-1.0)
Chest (over nipple measure): 34.5 (- 1/2 inch)
Bicep (not flexed): 10.0
Waist (at navel): 25.5 (- .5 inch)
Hips (at widest point): 36.0.
Tuck (glute/ham tie): 19.75 (- 1 inch)
Mid-Thigh: 21.0 (- 1/2 inch)
Calves: 14.0 (- 1/2inch)
I am really happy with my current weight, this was my last onstage weight, and I still have ten days to go, water to drop, and sodium to manipulate! I am really starting to get my mind focused on the game of competing! The hotel is taken care of, the tickets have been booked for months, and I haven’t flown at all in almost ten years, and have never been to NYC; so to say this entire thing is an adventure, is a giant understatement! This last week or so I have had my suit altered, added over 200 AB Swarovski stones to it, and found a very tiny, very sexy dress for after the show! I have had some challenges this week with sticking to my diet, but I did it, to perfection! After attending three shows, that were all in bars/clubs, it was so hard to watch others slamming cocktails, enjoying chicken wings, and all the other goodies, but in the end I prevailed! This next week will entail the normal sodium load, followed by dropping. I will start the week (7 days out) by increasing my carbs just a bit, and my salt, and then slowly remove them to nearly zero a few days out from the show. I will be increasing my water this week, from 1.25 gallons to 2 gallons per day and begin decreasing this Wednesday night before the show.
This past week has been a steady and effective repeat of the last several weeks
3 days low carb (less than 30 grams)
1 day high carb (bodyweight x 1.0)
5 whole food meals, 1 shake meal per day; no more than 2.5 hours between all meals.
1.25 gallons water
3 cups green vegetable only spread throughout day
NO condiments, NO crystal lite, NO Diet pop/soda, NO sugar free jello or popsicles
I will detail my prep for peak week as its called, work outs, foods, waxing, hair all that stuff we do the last week before the show, in my last update before the big day! I will do this at probably 4 days out and then won’t post any more shots until that morning when I might post just a few really quick before I leave the hotel! Here are my photos for this week, taken at ten days out, and mind you NO make-up and hair in my librarian bun… forgive the mint green walls in the basement room, it has the best light in the house ~ and this week you only get a front and a back shot! More to come soon, now the real fun begins!
Check out BiologyBabes’s full journey to the 2009 NPC Team Universe Competition.
BiologyBabe 4/3 weeks out!
BiologyBabe 5 weeks out to Team U!
BiologyBabe 7/6 weeks out Part One!
BiologyBabe 7/6 weeks out Part Two!
BiologyBabe 8 weeks out!
BiologyBabe 9 weeks out!
BiologyBabe’s 10 Weeks Out!
BiologyBabe 11 weeks out!
BiologyBabe’s journey to Team Universe!
Post by:
BiologyBabe
Posted in Pro/Am, NPC Team Universe
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
BiologyBabe’s Journey to Team Universe!
Four & Three Weeks Out!
Well the time is certainly drawing near and preparations are being made in full force. A lot of things have gone on in the last two weeks, from new ventures, music, food poisoning, a very long drive to visit BodyBuilding.com headquarters and a hilarious chat on JTV! Whew! My prep is on track and going well; I am leaner today than I was onstage last time and that alone greatly increases my confidence. I am still doing a three day very low carb schedule followed by one day high carb. For me low carb is less than 50 grams total, not including fiber from fibrous veggies. My protein sources are primarily liquid egg whites, white fish such as halibut and tilapia and of course chicken breast. I do still use a shake after my fasted cardio sessions in the morning, 2 scoops of Whey Protein Isolate (WPI), a very low carb blend.
My supplements haven’t changed much. I have added liver tabs, but am still taking R-ALA three times a day, fish oils three times a day, 5g Leucine in each shake, and a multi-vitamin; I use the AST Multi-Pro, its two times per day, but I feel it is a really complete multi and a good choice while training so hard. I also continue to take BCAAs during work out and between my meals 4 and 5 when I tend to get really sluggish and weak. Only 5g per serving though. I am also taking BioBeads which helps with intestinal health and digestion; as well as 3g of Vitamin C powder mixed into my morning shake. I realize this is a lot of Vitamin C, far more than the recommended dosage but there is a method to my madness I take this as a form of self medication, will go into that more in another article. I also have added in Glutamine at 10g per whole food meal, just to get my pH balance more alkaline and less acidic; I reduced coffee and carbonated beverages for this reason as well.
Although I had not used a fat burner for the first 8 weeks of my prep, only endless amounts of coffee and caffeine. I have started using VPX Meltdown; I am only using it for the additional energy it provides, and although it is largely caffeine based, I would rather get this in a pill than in ten cups of coffee that also have Stevia in them and with 2 root canals in the last week, I am killing the coffee, not great for the teeth in massive quantities! I cannot take the narcotics they give for dental pain at this point in my prep, so really having some hard times with the pain. When I lack energy, The VPX meltdown is awesome as an energy booster that’s for sure! I was a little shaky when I first took it, but after the second day I was fine, more alert, and it certainly helps shed water as well, so be sure if you try it that you drink up!
As far as water goes I am drinking about 1.25 gallons of pure drinking water. I do still drink coffee, but have cut it off at 4 cups (6 oz.) in the morning, black with Stevia only. At night before a PM work out I will have ½ of a 5-hour energy if I need it, but most times I do. This is partially due to my training three times per day on most week days. I have added in a third cardio, of 20 minutes very low intensity, steady state walking 3 days per week. My joints do not hurt, and I am lucky to not have any training injuries right now. I am lifting at the gym four days per week, doing a track sprint/bleacher run 3 times per week, boot camp fitness once per week and two days per week I do an additional full body power circuit with little to no weight. This seems like a helluva lot of training because it is! I am really happy with my progress and my physique and I know that my legs still could stand to be streamlined a bit , that this is too late in the game for that to happen and now the goal is tightening up everything all over and keeping it tight, and not getting injured.
My diet is a bit more classified now, but I will give you the jist of it and you can likely figure it out!
- 3 days low carb (less than 50 grams)
- 1 day high carb (bodyweight x 1.5)
- 5 whole food meals, 1 shake meal per day; no more than 3 hours between all meals.
- 1.25 gallons water
- 3 cups green vegetable only spread throughout day
*NO condiments, NO crystal lite, NO Diet pop/soda, NO sugar free jello or popsicles (what I missed the most in the hot summer)
My gym training as I said is four days per week. I can no longer lift what I consider to be “heavy” weight. If I do attempt heavier numbers, I quickly burn out after two or three reps, and can hardly get through the rest. I still do a lot of pull ups, I recall years ago reading a quote (that I cannot currently locate) from Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger about doing pull ups to make the back wide; he mentioned that even if the reps were just two at a time, if you had to do 50 sets, it didn’t matter, you would get wide. I think of this every time my shaky elbows won’t let me pull myself up again, at only 3 reps, when just a month ago I was more than able to do 10+ for at least 3 sets and minimal rest.
I was lifting 30s for bicep curls and now am at 22.5s and then can still only squeeze out 7 reps at best. I am intent on getting 4 sets per body part I am working and will have to drop the weight and hide in the corner to lift 15s apparently for 4 sets of 1000. Not really, but I cannot get a pump anymore, on a carb day, after a carb day, I have increased, decreased, and timed my training precisely. It just means I am getting close, and always get weaker as the days come closer to my competition day.
Mentally I am holding strong, if anything competitors go through these waves of emotions about training, and competing, and deprivation and often social isolation. Most of my friend’s are competitors and those who aren’t are extremely supportive if not fascinated by the whole aspect. As I mentioned my entire family and I drove to Meridian, Idaho the last week of August; although we had other business in the not-so-nearby area, there was no way I wasn’t going to take advantage of stopping by. This is an eleven hour drive through the nothingness of Hell. We have a Toyota sedan type car, mid-size, and we had me, my husband Damon, my son, my daughter, and my two 65 lb. German Sheppard’s in one car. It wasn’t that bad, just very long. We arrived a bit later than we had hoped and with absolutely no sleep for nearly 40 hours, I wandered over and got to see the infamous Bodybuilding.com compound. I won’t go into great detail, as I am currently finishing up a small article on my visit, with all the awesome people I was fortunate enough to meet! This is a massive operation, no small deal, so be sure to look for that!
I will say that I left impressed, intimidated, and very flattered; there is no words for how incredibly respectful and hospitable everyone was at BodyBuilding.com. I did a JTV appearance with my husband. It was informative and interesting a little risqué that’s for sure! It was a lot of fun, and after having eaten bad fish in the car, getting sick on the “set”, and no sleep I was in a total daze when we did that, so I am still curious to see how it did come out. We also did some video tips of the day, and a really nice interview out on the grass. There was a conspicuous camera guy following us around and popping out of every corner. Overall it was a fun experience.
My photos were taken on Sunday the 30th of August, at 3 weeks out from Team Universe. They want such a ‘soft’ look for Figure nowadays it seems, a more athletic appearance that I have to remind myself not to look for extreme definition and to focus on the tight, overall, fit and athletic “look”. I have lost a lot of weight and body fat, and been working like mad on fixing an asymmetry in my right and left triceps during a back pose, but apparently I can just hope to pose it out at this point. It’s quite noticeable. This must be my former mommy arm. I did tote my kids on my left hip, along with a 30 lb diaper bag/purse/cooler. I am happy with my progress as I said but really hope to tighten up and bring a really conditioned package to the stage; I am realistic about my placing and my debut at my first national NPC show, but I am going in confident and happy and proud of my hard work and open and willing to take any and all critique from the judges. I am taking this as a learning experience, and a fun adventure I never thought I would take, so whatever happens, it is what it is so I might as well let go and have a good time. Check out my progress photos and next weeks update at 2 weeks will have a great training video with a few extras from my visit! Thanks for following and for the support! Three weeks left to go!
Weight: 129 lbs (- 2.0 lbs.)
(Last on-stage stage weight was 128.6 lbs; 13.5% BF)
Body fat: 13.6% (-1.0%)
Shoulders: 40.50
Chest (over nipple measure): 34.5 (- 1/2 inch)
Bicep (not flexed): 11.0
Waist (at navel): 26.0 (- .08 inch)
Hips (at widest point): 36.0. (- ½ inch)
Tuck (glute/ham tie): 20.75 (- ¾ inch)
Mid-Thigh: 21.5 (- 1/2 inch)
Calves: 14.50 (-1/4inch)
Check out BiologyBabes 5 weeks out article here.
Post by:
BiologyBabe
Posted in Pro/Am, NPC Team Universe
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
USBF Baltimore Natural Pro-Am
Nov. 21, 2009
Baltimore, MD 21234
Contact:
East Coast Power Ph: 410 265 8264
or
Brian@USBF.net
Post by:
Donlon
Posted in Pro/Am, Other
Monday, September 14th, 2009
Posted in Pro/Am, Tournament of Champions
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