Pro/Am Contests Blog

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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!

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.

BiologyBabe’s journey to Team Universe NYC!
FIVE weeks to go!

Check BiologyBabe out on Justin TV for a Live Q&A this Friday, for more info click here.

At five weeks out from my first national level show, I am feeling pretty good, considering!   I am still losing scale weight every week, this week’s update isn’t quite a full week from the last, 5 days I believe, so the results and the photos may not reflect all the progress that was made.  I was injured as I said in the last update, so lost almost a week of training in the gym, so I am a little pissed thinking that had I been able to bust ass I would be down an additional pound or two.  I was completely on track diet wise, and water wise and managed several cardios that week as well.  We cannot undo what has been done, or vice-versa; so I can only make up for it over the next week.

Although everything on me is leaning out according to schedule, going to a national stage is not like going to a local show.  I cannot take the chance that my ass will not come down a lot more, and a lot more so than any other show I have been in.  I know from competing that I personally really start to look dialed in at 3 weeks out or so… but again being Team Universe, being all the way in NYC and with so much riding on it, I need to be 150% of what I was on-stage before.

For this reason, my cardio is increased to an hour fasted 6 days a week, and an hour post work out or in the evening, six days a week.  I am also doing HIIT for those cardio sessions four times per week, in addition to sprint training (12 cycles at 50 yards each), and boot camp classes I have to attend.  My diet is being stripped as well, again and am now having fish like last week, every night for my last meal, and also on low days for my 5/6 meal, which was lean chicken.  I am still taking in veggies, all green and have cut out sugar free jello, pop/soda, and additional things like crystal light in my water, diluted or not I cannot afford it anymore.  I was only eating maybe one jello or having a diet pop every other day and am sure the ramifications of that were negligible, I still feel I must get rid of it.  I was also drinking up to 8 cups of black coffee (with Stevia) a day, but am now down to five over the course of an entire day, and its killing me in the late afternoon.  I may need to take caffeine tabs towards the end, as its not the caffeine I don’t want it’s the tiny amount of kcals I get from that coffee and that its drawing water from my body.

I am keeping up on the water like a champion, guzzling 1.25 gallons per day, NOT including the water mixed with my shakes.  I am not heading to the restroom every ten minutes like when I started competing, I think us ladies learn to train our bladders!  I don’t salt my food, or eat terribly salty items as most of my food is whole and unprocessed, but I am extremely sensitive sodium and with all the extra water I feel this also flushes any of that excess sodium out.

I have a photo shoot scheduled for 11 days before my show, here in Denver with a very popular stage/drama/theater photographer, Norman Dillon.  He has never done fitness/physique for fitness photography.  He is a sought after photog for … drag, burlesque, theater, stage, and the like.  Think, Burning Man, or Day of the Dead, or vaudeville.  He is brilliant and imaginative, and we will be doing a classic fitness-y shoot, and then will be doing something dark, and fantasy based with my burlesque alter-ego (stage name: LuLu)… but while I am very fit!  I haven’t done this before, worked my character into my Figure competition body, but it should come out brilliant! I have another as a model for a photography major friend of mine, so I will utilize that shoot to do the classic sexy, muscle shots!

I also have a shoot with Dan Ray in NYC and possibly another one in the works currently with Mike Eckstut.  I have done photos shoots, a lot this past winter, but again never while fit, always for pin-up ~ very different although I would love to blend the looks for my shoots in NYC.  Picking out something over the top sexy to wear is half the fun of that!  I can’t wait to have some professional photos in my portfolio that relate to fitness!  

I received my Swarovski rhinestones and will start stoning my suit this weekend, and will be doing our first tan comparison since I have all of my product; new ProTan in the spray bottle and the new JanTana formula Ultra Dark.  I am still waiting for my copy of my NPC card, and have to get it before next Thursday! That’s the entry deadline, and I have it all ready to go… after that date the entry fee doubles from $100 to $200!  Sent out for that over a month ago, don’t know what is holding it up!
I will be at BodyBuilding.com headquarters in Boise, ID on August 27th and will be stopping by JTV! BodyBuilding.com’s weekly web show where they chat with various people, athletes, models, competitors, and even recently, heavy metal band Chimaira!  So please, log on at 1:00 (3 EST) and let’s chat about my prep, your prep, training, bodybuilding.com, or whatever!  I will be sure to include some pics in my update for that week, (will be the 3 weeks out update) and maybe a little video or two!
This week I included several, short, clips via YouTube of leg, delt and ab training and some step mill here in Denver at the Armbrust PRO Gym, they were filmed at 5 ½ weeks out, so a few days before the progress photos from this week…pardon the audio… wasn’t trying to impress anyone!  I also want to mention I was not taping, so the few zoom-ins, aren’t my doing!  I will note to self to not wear all black next video!  

Although the only change is fish, I underlined the change, here is my diet for this week; and since my training in the gym hasn’t changed I won’t be logging it in this update!  You will find my progress photos and stats below, forgot to take these, so just went with what I had one, dropped my pants and said go, and it was a high carb day ~ and for some reason I am tipping over in the last one, but they work!

High Days -
Meal #1 – 1.5 scoops Gaspari Myofusion + 1/2 c oats dry and mixed into shake or made with water+ 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Emerald Balance Super Greens Powder
Meal #2 - 6 egg whites (1.25 cups liquid egg white) + 1/2 cup oats dry or made with water
Meal #3 – 1.5 scoops Gaspari Myofusion   + 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Emerald Balance Super Greens Powder
Meal #4 - 4 oz lean fish + 2/3 c asparagus + ½ cup oats OR ½ cup whole grain rice OR 4 oz sweet potato
Meal #5 – 6 egg whites (1.25 cups liquid egg white) + 3/4 c veggies
Meal #6 - 5 oz lean fish + 2 cups salad greens

Low Days -
Meal #1 – 1.5 scoops Gaspari Myofusion + 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Emerald Balance Super Greens Powder
Meal #2 - 6 egg whites + 3/4 c broccoli, chopped
Meal #3 – 1.5 scoops Gaspari Myofusion + 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Emerald Balance Super Greens Powder
Meal #4 – 4 oz lean fish + 1 tsp natural peanut butter
Meal #5 – 6 egg whites + 3/4 c green beans
Meal #6 - 5 oz lean fish + 2 cups salad greens + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Peri Workout - 5g BCAAs,  5g glutamine mixed in water

  
As always the up close and personal iPhone back shot
Always seems to look better!

See you next week, my update for 4 weeks out will be in early and then I’ll be visiting you directly from BodyBuilding.com and JTV!!  

Height: 5’5.75
Weight: 131 lbs (- 1.0 lbs.)
(Last on-stage stage weight was 128.6 lbs; 13.5% BF)
Body fat: 14.6%
Shoulders: 40.75
Chest (over nipple measure): 35
Bicep (not flexed): 11.0 (-.5)
Waist (at navel): 26.8  (- .2  inch)
Hips (at widest point): 36.5. (- ¼ inch)
Tuck (glute/ham tie): 21.10 (- .20 inch)
Mid-Thigh: 22.10 (-.20 inch)
Calves: 14.75

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!

BiologyBabe’s Journey to Team Universe!
Combination updates; 7 & 6 weeks out!
BiologyBabe 7/6 weeks out Part Two!

This week’s update is a combo of weeks 7 as well as week 6; this is for a couple of reasons, one I was injured quite badly in an unrelated “incident” and was out of commission for a few days.  I didn’t do cardio or hit the weights at all; but I remained spot-on my diet, and drank tons of water and suffered no physique-related back sliding in its wake; the other reason is that with both kids starting back to school when I am 5 weeks out, getting things ready for everyone is an all encompassing event.  I am the household concierge, attorney, secretary, chef, trainer, chauffer, warden, judge, and of course the one everyone dumps all their daily issues, problems, and BS on.  This is par for the course of being a parent, however being a parent AND prepping for a national figure show, its what makes us that do so little warriors in our own right, that’s for damned sure.  So enough about the little things, and onto this past two weeks of prep!

My diet has been cut a lot; I have removed a lot of fat, BCAAs and coffee.  I am seeing visible progress daily in my abdominals, quads, hips, and back and this is always very motivating.  I am stable energy wise, again so long as I have a meal every three hours without fail.  I am now eating six times a day as opposed to five, I am getting really hungry almost immediately after eating, and therefore increased to eating every 2.5 hours, and had to add a small 6th meal, in order to not be awake 18 hours a day, and not eating for nearly five of that.  I spread the portions out accordingly, so not eating more calories, just more protein and less fat. I am also eating fish every night for my last meal, sometime my last two if I run out of chicken or extra lean ground turkey breast; I know bodybuilders that live exclusively off of fish, even boiled fish, for the last several weeks of prep, its boring, but it sure as hell works to get you as lean as possible!

Aside from the few days I spent incapacitated in the middle of week 6, my work outs have been really productive and my lifts strong.  I have decided this week to give up the endless repetition training, and gear towards lifting as heavy as possible each day I lift, and lifting 3-4 sets to failure.  This will not result in hypertrophy as I am much to calorically deficient for that to occur at this juncture in my prep, but I feel it will lessen the stress on my joints, to perform less repetition, they will start to burn and nag me all the time, at about 4 weeks out if I am not careful.  I also feel training heavy for these last few weeks, according to my daily strength levels, will help me to preserve as much muscle as possible.  Although the current judging standards are not calling for a lot of muscle mass on a figure frame, I do carry a lot, and on contest day I can look really stringy, and I certainly don’t want that!  I tend to keep all my leg muscle, and all my glute, most of my back and delts, but my arms and my face and my upper abs are just deflated looking, hate it.

Sprint training is still in full effect.  An awesome moment was when my husband decided to try a few intervals himself, and was winded and almost sick after 3 full on 50-yard sprints that entailed about 60 seconds of rest max between each!  I do anywhere from 7 full 50-yard sprints, to 12 in one session!  He said he didn’t think it would be so difficult to run barefoot through grass for 50 yards!  I think I have convinced him, that being a drummer that utilizes a double-bass set and plays very fast music, sprinting is something that would greatly benefit him and his ankles, knees and endurance!  I have been sprinting only twice per week, my hams and lower/mid glutes are exceptionally sore for days and days afterward, and finishing them off with bleacher/stair running just burns like fire and my legs are constantly harder and harder!  You can check out my specific sprint training regime in my past week’s updates!  Pretty awesome results for such a simple activity!

A few things I get to do this up and coming week is use a sled in the field which is another great way to activate those glutes and hams, its this big flat table looking thing, that sits in the grass and weighs over 50 lbs alone, but can be plate loaded several ways, and then you push it, while bent over in a pyramid type position, in a straight line as fast as possible, like a bent over sprint while pushing a lot of weight!  It was so freaking effective the first time I tried that I convinced the assistant coach at my son’s school to leave it out on Fridays so I could use it at the track!  Excellent!

Here is what I have changed and decided to do as far as training for the next few weeks!
Cardio is at 12 sessions a week, doing 60 minutes as soon as I wake up, and another 60 minutes either immediately post work out, or in the evening a few hours before bed.  Doing that much cardio, even steady state at a low intensity gets me all revved up for a few hours and I cannot sleep.  So I am sure to do it at least three hours before I lay down, which is always between 12-1 AM, no matter what I try to do, that’s when I hit the sack.  Considering I am back up no later than 6:00 AM, ever… most days I am up at 5:15, I need to get more sleep and soon!  However my sleep cycles are naturally very, very fluctuating, but I seem to function for a long time off very little sleep, and I rarely sleep well, as in without waking.  It would be nice, but since becoming a parent, I have never again slept, well.

I include sprint training as cardio, but since it isn’t an hour, usually 20 minutes of sprinting, 20 of stair running, and then I do another 20 walking back home from the school, it’s a slower walk, but all uphill and over 1 mile; so together, that is what my PM Cardio will be on a sprint day.  The rest of my cardio is done primarily on my StairMaster 4000PT at home, unbelievable machine that I love; and on the StepMill at the gym, or the ARC Trainer at the gym.  I use intervals every day, in one of my cardio sessions, most of the time its 3 minutes at a moderate pace, HRR 130-135 then a burst to 160 HRR for 45 seconds.  Not too difficult to catapult that HR on the stairs, but on a treadmill… doesn’t happen.  I don’t consider these daily cardio intervals to be HIIT in its technical form, as I am not going “all out” and killing myself during the fast portion, only increasing my heart rate for 45 seconds then returning to 130-135 BPM for 3 minutes or so.  

I was pleased to see that when I finally joined the Armbrust PRO Gym, here in Colorado, that a giant blue banner bearing the BodyBuilding.com logo, announcing the gym as Gym of the Month~July 2009!  Awesome place for sure and they are letting me bring my video camera and anything else I need!  Thanks Dillon and Heather, it’s a great place to work out, excellent physiques everywhere you look!  I just joined last week, and will be filming my fist in-the-gym work out this week, to be included with next week’s updates!

BiologyBabe 8 weeks out!
BiologyBabe 9 weeks out!
BiologyBabe’s 10
Weeks Out!
BiologyBabe 11 weeks out!
BiologyBabe’s journey to Team Universe!

BiologyBabe’s Journey to Team Universe
8 weeks out!

My work outs in the gym this week were really limited; I spent only three days and worked nearly my entire body.  I am starting to get exhausted and tired and hungry but not defeated yet.  I wanted to focus on a lot of good sprint/stair work out this week; so every day I was not at the gym, with the exception of Sunday, I was at the track at my kids’ school.  

It’s a great track, less than 2 years old, and the running [portion, the actual track is made of recycled tires, and this is bouncier and more forgiving to a child’s (and to mine) joints and feet, it took some getting use to though.  It’s a full size football field and I use the center grass from one end to the other for my sprint training; I don’t use the track itself other than to walk.  The bleachers that are included in my sprint day are off to each side of the track, so pretty convenient.

• So my track and sprint training is on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday this week.
• The sprinting interval portion lasts a total of 30 minutes; the added bleacher/stair running is and additional 15 minutes at the end.  My sprint intervals look like this
• Walk length of field, moderate pace
• Turn and sprint as fast as possible, long strides all the way to the opposite end of the field
• Stop, turn and walk back, upon reaching the end immediately turn and begin sprinting again.
• The sprint intervals and the rest intervals are very short here, and the stride is very long.
• I continue this until I have reached 30 minutes of continuous training.

I then go to the stairs, that are next to the bleachers and run up and down them non-stop for 3m, then I rest for 1.  I continue this until the active portion of my bleacher running (not the rest periods) have reached 15 minutes.

These work outs have been really exhausting that’s for sure.  I have some really cool footage of my son and I racing for intervals, if you want motivation, try sprint racing a sixteen-year-old boy that doesn’t want to be beaten by his thirty-three-year-old mother!  I always have one kid or the other with me, especially during the summer, so it’s nice when a gym has child care for kids under twelve.  My daughter practically lives at the gym with me, so when I switch to the new gym that doesn’t have one, I will have to train at five or six in the  morning when my son can babysit his little sister, as my husband is on the road four days a week, and away from home.  This has never been to much of a challenge, if there is something to be done at the gym I will find a way.

As I mentioned I am going to quit the 24Hour Fitness I am currently at, and head over to the Armbrust Pro Gym, owned and operated by IFBB Pro Heather Armbrust and her husband Dillon Armbrust; formerly the Colorado Pro Gym.  It’s less expensive, much, much more equipment (10,000 sq feet!) and there are competitors and beautiful physiques everywhere!  It’s certainly motivating to see others competing and actually lifting weight and using more bodybuilding geared equipment.  In addition they allow cameras and videotaping, it’s impossible to write a really great article and include any decent photos when I can’t even take a progress photo of myself at my current gym!  I spent weeks chasing down the PR rep for our local club hear just wanting permission to come in at 3 or 4 in the morning when absolutely no one was there, and video tape 4 or five exercises; told them what it was for and why and that nobody would be mentioned, harmed, etc… no go.  They are sticklers, so I’m leaving.  I gave notice, they tried to sell me some stuff…and give me training! Ha! I held out and said no, I want to go to the other gym anyway, seriously nice equipment and great community of people there.

I have been absolutely ridged on my diet, haven’t even wanted to cheat.  I am slowing a bit in the scale weight loss, but this is normal.  I am getting leaner by the day, and my clothes have all officially started to get looser, baggier and nothing fits quite right.  My thighs still won’t fit comfortably into my tiniest competition weight pants, but my normal clothes are all just way too big.  So this is the point where I get really excited about going!  I have met several girls recently and a few male bodybuilders that will be heading to NYC to compete as well and a lot of people from the various forums that I know are going to be there; I am excited to finally put a lot of real live faces to these names and usernames!

Here is what my diet looked like this week, similar to last, but a few tweaks have been made.  Calories are definitely getting slashed this weekend!

3 Low Days, 1 High Day; Repeat
High Days
Meal #1 – 1.5 scoops WPI + 1/4 c oats
Meal #2 - 6 egg whites + 1/2 cup oats made with water
Meal #3 – 1.5 scoops WPI 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Emerald Balance Greens Replacement Powder
Meal #4 - 5 oz lean turkey breast + broccoli + 4 oz sweet potato
Meal #5 – 6 oz lean fish, green beans, olive oil

Low Days
Meal #1 – 1.5 scoops WPI + 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Emerald Balance Greens Replacement Powder
Meal #2 - 6 egg whites + 3/4 c green beans
Meal #3 – 1.5 scoops WPI + 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Emerald Balance Greens Replacement Powder
Meal #4 - 5 oz lean buffalo + 1 c spinach raw
Meal #5 – 5 oz lean chicken breast + 1 cup spinach raw

Per- Workout - 5g bcaas, 5g glutamine and 3 grams creatine in at least 20 oz water
*1 tbsp Bragg’s Aminos prior to bed.

Weights - training with weights 3 times per week, with one day of rest between each
*Sprint training on days that I am not at the gym

Water - 1.25 gallons per day.
Supps - divided evenly throughout the day
  *Multi-vitamin 2xday
  *Calcium 2xday (1200)Green Tea Extract 4x day
  *Vitamin C; 3g pure Vit C Powder (TP)
  *Leucine - 5g with each shake
  *BCAA -15g with peri- w/o shake
  *R-ALA 600mg/day
  *6 Fish Oil (1000mg each)
  *3 Evening Primrose Oil (1300mg each)
  *Natrol Biobeads 1xday

Cardio - 12 sessions of cardio this week.
6 of them in the am for 60 minutes
6 of them either post workout /evening x 45 minutes
Gym Work Out A/Monday
Unilateral dumbbell row, bent over
4 sets 10 reps @ 40 lbs each
Regulation Push Ups
4 sets 10 reps
Iso-High Row/Hammer Strength
4 sets 10 reps w/ 90 lbs
Incline dumbbell press
4 sets 7 reps w/ 35s
Wide Grip Pull Ups, no assist
4 sets to failure (avg. 6 per set)
Bent over lateral deltoid raises
4 sets 7 reps, slow
Seated Calf Raises, plate loaded
4 sets 10 reps w/ 50 lbs (my calves are already large, need them to be defined)
Post work out cardio x 50m ~ Group X Everlast Boxing Class (difficulty level 6/10)

Gym Workout B/ Wednesday
Ballet/Sumo style squats w/ 35 lb plate overhead
4 sets 2o reps, squeeze glutes all the way up every rep
Prone Leg Curls, slow and squeeze at top of every rep
4 sets 12 reps @ lower weight than normal; 60 lbs
Gym walking lunges holding 20-lb dumbbells in each hand
4 sets, 25 paces non-stop forward line
Floor Abs
Standard crunches; 4 sets 20 reps
Lying Straight Legged Raises; 4 sets 20 reps
Oblique Crunches; 4 sets 2o reps
Post work out cardio x 45m Step Mill, level 7, 8

Gym Workout C/Friday
Standing dumbbell alternating curls
4 sets 7 w/ 30s
Decline barbell skullcrushers
4 sets 7 w/ 45 lb barbell
Cable Curls, EZ Bar
4 sets 10 reps @ 75 lbs
Cable/Rope Tricep Kickbacks
4 sets 7 @ 45 lbs
Dumbbell shoulder Press
4 sets 10 reps w/ 35s
Front DB Raises
4 sets 10 reps w/ 22.5s
Bodyweight Triceps Dips (no assist)
4 sets to failure (average
V-ups (abs)
4 sets 6 reps, hold 2 seconds at top
Rope Crunches, moderate weight, squeeze hard at top
4 sets 20 reps @ 30 lbs
Post work out cardio  
Elliptical Trainer, level 5, incline 10% x 45m

Last but not least, here are this week’s progress photos!  I am getting a lot of “nice arms” and “great back” suddenly, although this seems to always happen around this time too!  Doesn’t mean it doesn’t help!  Coming along nicely and I am still progressing and feeling healthy, just tired!

Check out my progress and see you next week!
Height: 5’5.75
Weight: 134 lbs (- 1.3 lbs.)
(Last on-stage stage weight was 128.6 lbs;  13.5% BF)
Body fat: 15.00% (-0.25%)
Shoulders: 40.75
Chest (over nipple measure): 36
Bicep (not flexed): 11.5
Waist (at navel): 28.0  (- ¼  inch)
Hips (at widest point): 37.0 (- ½ inch)
Tuck (glute/ham tie): 21.50 (- ¼ inch)
Mid-Thigh: 22.50
Calves: 14.75 (- ¼ inch)

BiologyBabe 9 weeks out!

BiologyBabe’s Journey to Team Universe NYC!

Life Happens…

Let me start by saying that the summer contest fever has certainly begun in Denver!  We have gained several new Figure, Fitness and Bikini IFBB Pros that are right here from Colorado!  I am so motivated on this prep by going over the contest footage and the photos!  Another way I like to stay motivated is by attending all local shows, well, Damon and I arrived 15 minutes prior to a SOLD OUT show.  I was upset, hungry, the smell of the ProTan, I just couldn’t believe it.  From what fellow competitors have told me, and what our ever working promoter mentioned, the show was really good, the placing as always controversial as there is never a universal understanding or consensus to judging in Figure specifically.  It certainly is a very subjective judging process.  Having prepped with a head judge and another Colorado State NPC judge I know it is nearly impossible to intentionally throw any result; as often one will overhear a pissed-off second place ranking bodybuilder.  The highest and lowest scores are tossed immediately and it would just involve so many people.  I only mention this because here at my local shows there always seems to be a pot being stirred about a recent result of a heavily watched up and coming star on the scene.

This past weekend, my best friend, and my former team mate Siobhan Labbett competed at the Colorado State Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and now…Bikini Championships; she placed 2nd in open class  and looked phenomenal, having put on nearly nine pounds of quality lean mass my opinion had her higher, but I respect the decision of the panel.  Siobhan is a citizen of Canada, but has been here and on a work visa for over 4 years now; and so although she is nationally qualified through the NPC here in the United States, she is only eligible to compete at the IFBB North Americans until she gets her citizenship, which she is working on now!  

Now,  we don’t compete in the same class, she is 2 inches taller than me , and long and lean ~ I am shorter,  and I like to think more muscular! In all seriousness, we have now competed together three times after I begged her into training for a show alongside me and she did, placing 2nd at her first NPC Figure show!  Now she and I are both demons in the gym and are not there to socialize!  It is imperative to have a good training partner when prepping; it’s not advisable to go at it totally alone.  A partner who is as knowledgeable as you are, that has the same gym-etiquette, and attitude about training that you do.  This can be an invaluable resource to a competitor.  

I also attend the Rockstar Mayhem Metal Festival the next day, all day… man if I would have known the place was set up this way would never have paid so much money when all we got to see well, was Slayer.  Good enough.  Let me tell you it is no easy task to find contest friendly food at an all day metal/death metal festival.  They only allow a sealed water bottle (I brought a liter) and that’s it.  So I took some really good advice from years ago when I read an article by Layne Norton on this site, I had two little 3 oz boiled chicken breasts in my bra, yes in my bra… nothing else lives in there anymore anyway; I shredded the chicken, put it in a baggie and stuffed that thing.  No big deal; squirted a mustard packet on the first one then was dying and used a packet (9g) of raw honey.  I know my prep is going well when 9g of honey causes my *veins to pop after 5 minutes!  I also slammed about 2 scoops of Xtend and Leucine on the 15 minute drive to the venue.  Oh and Layne didn’t stuff his chicken breasts in a bra, his were in his pocket at a concert, but nonetheless, great idea Str8flexed!

Body Composition Results-Taken on
July 20, 2009

Height: 5’5.75 ~ this looks to be either class C or class D at Team Universe!
Weight: 135.3 lbs (- 1.5 lbs.)
(Last on-stage stage weight was 128.6 lbs, 13.5% BF)
Body fat: 15.25% (-1.0%) I am not sure about this number this week)
Shoulders: 40.75
Chest (over nipple measure): 36
Bicep (not flexed): 11.5 (+ ½ inch)
Waist (at navel): 28.25 (- ½ inch)
Hips (at widest point): 37.5 (- ½ inch)-Finally!
Tuck (glute/ham tie): 21.75 (- ¼ inch)-Finally!
Mid-Thigh: 22.50 (- ¼ inch)-starting to come down!
Calves: 15

I am very pleased with the visual results I am starting to see.  In my progress photos a lot of my definition is lost, this is from having to set the camera timer, walk Peggy Bundy-style in my hooker heels across the kitchen and strike a pose before the damned thing beeps!  This results in having to retake the photos over and over until they are not so blurry. I am noticing my delts are starting to become very striated already, not something they want in NPC Figure; this is remedied on stage by simply not flexing them.  I am noticing my vastus lateralus peeking out, my abductors showing, and my back is definitely cutting up, I have received numerous comments this week on my back and well, um, my bum!  It is certainly starting to narrow finally! I am noticing my abs appearing as well, but often once I have done my first cardio, the definition has smoothed out already, it’s the leanest in the very early morning.  At this point in my prep I am tending to notice changes on a daily basis, and if I don’t I am at the computer calculating why and how to remedy the situation.  In the next few weeks I am going to start taking my progress photos outside at the gym, or in my backyard, watch out neighbors!  The natural morning sunlight is very unforgiving and will show every detail of one’s physique.  Definitely not for the shy, but who’s shy?  I am trying to win a Pro card here!  
OK, now onto this past week’s progress and training!  I noticed my overall cravings are down a lot; this means my blood sugar is stabilized for the most part.  Once my blood sugar drops, I get bitchy and hungry and in the past would often binge, sometimes on clean foods sometimes not.  I think the timing of meals, every 3 hours, never more than four, prevents this fluctuation in blood sugar and thus cravings.  I have been cooking for three days worth of meals every weekend then every Wednesday.   For my family I build regular foods like lasagna, casserole,

and enchiladas; then I turn around and I prepare 15 separate Tupperware’s of perfectly portioned and digitally weighed meals.  
In the morning I often just drink my International Egg Whites with a little tsp or so of stevia mixed in.  The egg whites are pasteurized, so safe and refrigerated; I love them.  It doesn’t fill you up, they sure create a lot more volume cooked, but I just cannot eat any more cooked egg white, I don’t care what fancy thing is tossed in.  
Here is what my nutrition looked like this week, you may notice it’s pretty different from last week; I spent several hours going over it, Googling articles and researching past prep plans and data to do this right, overall I am pleased with the effects on my body, energy and mood balances.
The Diet! 9 weeks to go…
Meals every 3 hours no matter what!
128 oz (1 gallon) fresh, plain water every single day!
*ALL fruit has been removed
*ALL mixed, colored vegetables have been replaced for green exclusively.
Low Carbohydrate Days
Meal 1 -(immediately after AM Cardio) 1.5 scoops WPI, 1 tsp Leucine, 1 tsp Emerald Greens Powder, 1 tsp sugar-free fiber powder (supps: 1 fish oil, 1 BioBead, 1 evening Primrose oil)
Meal 2 – 5 egg whites (1 cup liquid egg white)+ 1 whole egg, ¾ cup chopped asparagus (supps: 1 fish oil, 1 R-ALA, 1 multi-vitamin, 1 Lysine)
Meal 3 – 1.5 scoops casein/night-time protein (wpi may be used if necessary) + 1 tsp Leucine + 3g Vitamin C Powder + 1 tsp Greens Powder (supps: 1 evening primrose oil, 1 R-ALA, 1 fish oil)
Meal 4 – 5 oz lean chicken breast/extra lean turkey, ¾ cup chopped asparagus, broccoli, shelled soybeans (cooked) (supps: 1 fish oil, 1 R-ALA, 1 evening primrose oil, 1 Lysine, 1 multi)
Meal 5 – 5 oz lean beef, 2 cups mixed salad greens w/ cucumbers, broccoli (raw, chopped), shelled cooked soybeans, 1 tbs balsamic vinegar or ACV dressing (supp: 5mg Melatonin, 1 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar)
High(er) Carbohydrate Days
Meal 1 -1.5 scoops WPI Protein + 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Greens Powder + ¼ cup oats (raw in shake or cooked in water)
Meal 2 – 6 egg whites (1 ¼ cup liquid egg whites) + ½ cup oats made with water, stevia/splenda blend
Meal 3 – 1.5 scoops casein wpi + 1 tsp Leucine + 1 tsp Greens powder + 3g Vitamin C Powder (supps: Evening Primrose Oil, R-ALA, Multi-vitamin, Lysine )
Meal 4 – 5 oz. lean chicken breast/extra lean turkey + ¾ cup chopped asparagus (supps: 1 fish oil, 1 evening primrose oil, 1 multi-vitamin, 1 Lysine, 1 R-ALA)
Meal 5 – 6 oz LEAN fish + 2 cups mixed salad greens w/ cucumbers, broccoli (raw, chopped), shelled cooked soybeans, 1 tbs balsamic vinegar or ACV dressing (supp: 5mg Melatonin, 1 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar)
May have 1 sugar-free Jell-O OR 1 Diet Pop per day only if needed.

Training my ASS off… literally!
Cardio x 12 sessions (5 fasted in the AM/5 in the PM or post work out)
Sprint/Bleacher x 3 sessions (30m Sprinting intervals; 10m bleacher runs)

Saturday
AM Cardio x 40m
BB Squats
135 x 8 135×6 135×5 (this is my last set of BB Squats until this prep is over! No more heavy legs!)
Super-Set the following
Incline DB Chest Press
35s x 8 35s x 8 35s x 8
Reverse Grip Seated Iso-High Row (back)
90×9 90×8 90×7
Bodyweight Triceps Dips
1×8 1×7 1×6
High Profile Wide Push Ups (off smith machine bar set at thigh height)
Triceps EZ Bar Press downs
75×9 80×7 80×7
40m PM Cardio before bed (at least 90m)

Sunday
AM Cardio x 40 minutes
Pre-exhaustion (hams)
BB Deadlift Romanian
115xF  115xF  115xF
Prone Leg Curl
60×10-12  60×10-12  60×10-12 ~ squeeze reps
Prone bent knee uni curl
40-50 x F 40xF  40xF  40xF
Super-set the following
T-Bar Row
50xF  50xF  50xF
Standing DB Supinating Alternating Curls
25s x F 25s x F  25s x F
Superset the following
Straight Arm, Straight Bar Press downs
70×10-12  70×10-12  70×10-12
Cable Bicep Curls
65xF  65xF  65xF
Decline Abs w/ 25 lb plate
3 x 10
Roman Chair bent knee raises
3 x 10 (or F)
Post work out cardio, step mill x 45 minutes, easy intervals
Monday
AM Cardio = Sprint training @ track x 30m; 10m bleacher running; 20m fast walk/jog)
PM Cardio x 45m w/ Siobhan Step Mill, no intervals (level 5-6)
Tuesday
Intervals AM Cardio x 40m
BB Squats
135 x 8 135×6 135×5
Super-Set the following
Incline DB Chest Press
35s x 8 35s x 8 35s x 8
Reverse Grip Seated Iso-High Row (back)
90×9 90×8 90×7
Bodyweight Triceps Dips
1×8 1×7 1×6
High Profile Wide Push Ups (off smith machine bar set at thigh height)
Triceps EZ Bar Press downs
75×9 80×7 80×7
40m PM Cardio before bed (at least 90m)

Wednesday
Pre-exhaustion (hams)
BB Deadlift Romanian
115xF  115xF  115xF
Prone Leg Curl
60×10-12  60×10-12  60×10-12 ~ squeeze reps
Prone bent knee uni curl
40-50 x F 40xF  40xF  40xF
Super-set the following
T-Bar Row
50xF  50xF  50xF
Standing DB Supinating Alternating Curls
25s x F 25s x F  25s x F
Superset the following
Straight Arm, Straight Bar Press downs
70×10-12  70×10-12  70×10-12
Cable Bicep Curls
65xF  65xF  65xF
Decline Abs w/ 25 lb plate
3 x 10
Roman Chair bent knee raises
3 x 10 (or F)
Post work out cardio, step mill x 45 minutes, easy intervals
Thursday
AM Cardio = Sprint training @ track x 30m; 10m bleacher running; 20m track jog)
PM Cardio x 45m no intervals (level
NO GYM
Friday
AM Cardio x 45 minutes
Plyometric Training
20 Burpees
20 Squat-jumps
20 lunge-jumps (alternating)
Clap-push ups
Jump up/down off bleacher (bottom)
Complete one entire set without stopping; rest 60 seconds, repeat.
Do this a total of 5 times AFTER cardio work
PM Cardio x 45 minutes, backwards on treadmill, incline 10%, speed 3.0

In Summary
Well, there it is, nine weeks out from the Team Universe stage and chugging along nicely!  This week did not end favorably with job interviews, but I am continuing the good fight!  I need to work!  The tanning hunt fell short when the DarqueTan I was eyeing turned out to be filthy, and very unsanitary.  I happen to be a stickler for germ-free environment (no germaphobe) when I pay so much to lay completely nude on a glass bed that ten others laid nude on that same day!  So there is little selection here of good, quality tanning facilities, but the search continues!
On other issues though, I am happy to say that the plane tickets for Damon and me to travel to NYC for the show have officially been purchased! There is no turning back now that’s for sure!  Got a way to get there, a hotel to stay in… all I have to do is keep my physique morphing daily and continue to diet and train like it’s a  job, because until I bring home a Pro card, it’s the only job I’ve got!  I have never been to NYC , so this is an incredible way to see it for the first time!
See you next week with some great news about a cool little thing I am going to be doing out at BodyBuilding.com headquarters very soon!  Stay tuned!

[ BiologyBabe 10 Weeks Out ]

BiologyBabe’s journey to Team Universe NYC!
Jaime’s prep at eleven Weeks Out!

This week’s body composition on 07/04/2009

Height: 5’5.75
Weight: 139 lbs (- 2 lbs.) (Last on-stage stage weight was 128.6 lbs, 13.5% BF)
Bodyfat: 17% (- 1.0%)
Shoulders: 40.75 (- ¼ inch)
Chest (over nipple measure): 36
Bicep (not flexed): 11
Waist (at navel): 29 (- ¾ inch)
Hips (at widest point): 38.25 (- ¼ inch)
Tuck (glute/ham tie): 22                
Mid-Thigh: 22.75 (- ¼ inch)
Calves: 15

This week has been a roller coaster for sure!  I turned 33 on June 30th and it was the worst day of the year so far!  Our move to Florida has been abruptly canceled and suddenly were stuck sort of spinning in the wind here; we had made big plans but then the job transfer/promotion fell through for my husband.  He still has his job here and that’s fine with us, it’s a decent one, but he is gone from home several nights a week and he’s on the road.  It’s easier for me to adhere to my diet during prep when he is gone.  I don’t have to suffer through hiding in the bedroom and surfing the web whilst he enjoys pizza rolls and pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice creams.  

I am still job hunting for a position anywhere in the fitness/wellness field.  Here in Denver, no one is hiring, another con of staying around; it’s still hard to justify a luxury like personal training in the economy in Denver, so gyms and the like just aren’t in need of more staffing.

It’s nice to not be working sometimes because I am totally focused on my cooking, eating, training, sleeping, and repeat.  I take care of the kids, who are nine and sixteen, but they are at least 50 percent self sufficient.  My son Brandon, 16, will cook dinner during my prep, at least 3 times a week, so I don’t have to smell or be near the foods.  When I am closer to stage day, Brandon hides the breads, cereals, and other readily available carbohydrate laden items in his bedroom at night!   The fact that he just obtained his learner’s permit to drive is also adding stress!  However, all the help,  I appreciate it, and I need it, I hate to say I am an awful compulsive eater.  I have very good self discipline, so long as certain rules are always followed.  It is a constant and tedious struggle though, make no mistake.  My daughter Aiyanna, 9, is the little devil on my shoulder, pointing out the candies and the Girl Scout cookies, and the Dairy Queen Commercials, always “forgetting that Mom can’t have this stuff”.

Now due to this sudden change of plans, I won’t be living in Florida and driving to NYC in September, my husband and I are currently trying to figure out how we could work out getting flights to NYC, and my Mom gets to fly here from Florida, to stay with the kids and the two dogs while we’re gone; wow, this is tiring just reading, but it can be done!  So the tentative plan, is to fly to NYC on Thursday evening sometime, because I must be at the check-in hotel at 9 AM on Friday for athlete check in for NPC Figure; we bring our suits, our NPC card, Driver’s License and Proof of Citizenship/Birth Certificate.  I cannot wait to see who I meet just at check in.  It’s actually the night before, but there is a last minute final check in on Friday we are trying to make!  Then its to our hotel, currently a ten minute walk from the venue, one of the major hotels suggested by the promoter Steve Weinberger on the entry form for Team Universe in NYC, now the hotel could change, again these are all tentative, but it doesn’t cost to reserve a room, so I was smart and did so weeks ago! In any event, it’s important to be close, no driving in NYC that’s for sure!

I have also taken a lesson from a master seamstress and corset maker, how to properly stone a velvet posing suit with Swarovski crystals, and buying the special effect AB stones, I can encrust my entire suit for under $100.  So I will begin that project as soon as the stones arrive!  I have bedazzled many a costume for burlesque and stage performance, but never with quality stones and fabric.  My bottoms are being adjusted by well known suit designer Christine Marsh; she created and stoned them originally, and she is lengthening the sides of the bottoms, apparently I have short legs and a long torso.  Who knew?
Here’s how my diet looked this week!

3 low days in a row, then 1 high day (carbohydrates)
Water: 1 gallon EVERY day
Coffee: Max of 3 cups per day in the AM; 1 in the PM pre-work out/cardio only; mixed with Stevia/Splenda only to sweeten.
Low Days
Meal 1 – SuperShake
½ cup Greek 0% Yogurt
1 TBS millled Flax Seed
1 TBS SuperGreens+ powder
1 tsp L-Leucine
2 scoops Gaspari MyoFusion Chocolate
10 blueberries
Meal 2 -1 cup liquid egg white, 1 whole egg
½ cup chopped broccoli
Meal 3 - 4 oz extra lean ground turkey, rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped green beans
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Meal 4 - 4 oz chicken breast, ½ cup chopped broccoli, ½ cup lettuce, ½ cup spinach, 1 roma tomato, chopped,
1 TBS balsamic vinegar, ½ TBS olive oil, 1 tsp flax seed milled, sprinkled on top
Meal 5 -1.5 scoops casein/whey protein, 1 tsp SuperGreens+ powder, 1 tsp L-Leucine
High Days
Meal 1 – ¾ cup liquid egg whites, ½ cup dry oats made with water
Meal 2 – 1.5 scoops Gaspari Myofusion-chocolate + 1 tsp SuperGreens+ Powder + 1 tsp L-Leucine
Meal 3 – 3 oz extra lean ground turkey, ½ cup mixed vegetables, ½ grapefruit w/ Splenda/Stevia
Meal 4 – 4 oz fish, 2/3 cup rice, 1/3 cup black beans (rinsed), ½ jalapeño
Meal 5 – 1.5 scoops casein/whey protein blend + 1 tsp SuperGreens+ Powder + 1 tsp L-Leucine

My supplements and dosages have not changed this week and are as follows:

Pure Fish Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, R-ALA, L-Lysine, Udo’s Choice Enzymes, Natrol BioBeads, Emerald Balance Greens Powder, AST MutliPro-Vitamin, Bragg’s Amino, BCAAs, WPI, Creatine Mono, L-Leucine, Vitamin C powder, Gaspari Myofusion Protein Powder, VPX ZERO IMPACT! Protein Bars.

During my work out I only drink a BCAA powder with water; as long as I have eaten a meal within the last 90 minute or so before my gym training, I will be fine with a peri-workout BCAA cocktail to sip on; and then I am sure to eat my next meal within 60 minutes of leaving the gym, again pre-cook and put your next meal in a throw away type Tupper ware and bring with you in a car-cooler and you won’t ever worry about missing a meal!

This is my second week of three days of low carb straight, and it is really showing in my training.  I am losing reps like crazy!  I seem to be able to lift the same amount of weight in every exercise I do, but each of my sets is down at least 2-4 reps; going from 3 sets of 12, to more like 3 sets of 7, then 5, then 4… it’s frustrating.  I am sure to lift now on my high carb days, generally my lagging parts, hams and biceps; and I don’t do anything but cardio on the third low carb day in a row, and I am already starting to need a 30 minute nap every few low carb days, and I am only 11 weeks out!  It’s not at all abnormal to get a nap in here and there and if you have time during a prep, by all means take advantage, because the extra rest can do nothing but help your body to recover.

My work out this week changed a lot, here is what I did

Sunday- TOTAL REST (walk dogs only!)

Monday
AM Fasted Cardio x 40 minutes on the Stairmaster at home
Wide Grip Pull Downs, no thumb grip 4 x 9
Standing Biceps Cable Curls w/ EZ Bar 4 x 9
Seated Low Grip Row 4 x 9
Standing, alternating Dumbbell Curls 4 x 9
Hanging Straight Legged Raises 4 x 9
Post Work Out Cardio on StepMill x 45m

Tuesday
AM Fasted Cardio x 40 minutes on Stairmaster
Seated Incline DB Flys 3 x 12
Body weight triceps dips, hanging 4 x 8
Cable Crossovers 4 x 9
Triceps Cable Press downs 4 x 12
Straight Legged Raises (floor) 4 x 20
Post Work Out Cardio x 30 minutes on StepMill

Wednesday
NO AM FASTED CARDIO
Pilates x 25 minutes ~ advanced (for posing and posture and core training)
Track Sprints: can be done on treadmill, but much more effective outdoors.
On the grassy area of a field in the center of the track, go to one end to begin.  
Sprint AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, as though running for your life, all the way to the other end of the field.
Walk back normally to the starting point; this should take about 1 minute.
Sprint again, as fast as you can to the opposite end, taking long strides.
Repeat this sequence for the allotted amount of time; when done right, this should wear you out in 30 minutes no problem!
Evening Yoga x 30m (for posture and relaxation and stress reduction)

Thursday
AM Fasted Cardio x 40m on Stairmaster
Deadlift 4 x 7
Hamstring Curls (Prone) 4 x 12
Bent Knee Unilateral Glute Extension 4 x 12/side
Standing Cable Abduction 3 x 12/side
Walking Barbell Lunges in gym 3 sets, 20 steps
Box Step Ups w/ 20lb Dbs each side 3 sets, 20 steps total count
NO POST work out cardio

Friday
AM Fasted Cardio x 40m on Stairmaster
Seated overhead DB Press 4 x 10
Standing lateral DB raises 4 x 6/side
Standing Front DB Raises 4 x 10
Face down, rear deltoid flys 4 x 10
Decline Crunches w/ weight plate (25lbs) 3 x 15
Decline Crunches w/ no weight 3 x 15
Glute/Ham Raise Bench 3 x 10; slow
Post work out cardio on StepMill x 45 minutes

Saturday
AM Fasted Cardio only
Pilates x 25 minutes; advanced (for posing and posture and core training)

Well that’s the recap for eleven weeks out!  This next week I will be picking up my suit from Christine Marsh, and then stoning my suit, planning to completely encrust it with Swarovski bling, I can’t wait to see how it comes out!  I will also be hunting the best deals for tanning here in Denver so I can get started on that; it’s mid-July and I am still day-glow white, got to get on that tan.  Just for good measure I never tan my face in the tanning beds; drastically increases the aging process, I just keep it covered and use a bronzer and make-up on stage day! It is important to use the make up when you are up there; so many women compete and spend a ton on their suit, hair and then the body is a lovely bronzed brown and atop it sits a stark white face!  Not good, won’t be happening to me!

I will be kicking the training up a notch this coming week, and when my new laptop arrives I will be able to include some candid video as well as a few clips of training, eating and life in general when you’re entire life is all about perfecting the human form!  Planning a few experiments with tanning, there’s a new JanTana Ultra dark product I have to try, and some practice covering a lot of tattoos with Dermablend, still getting it right!
Thanks for following me along my journey, and please stay tuned, it only gets better!

The Journey Begins, check out the first part of my journey here.

2009 NPC Team Universe information.

This years Team Universe will take place September 18 - 19 in New York.

For more information you can contact:

Steve Weinberger or Bev Francis
Powerhouse Gym
235-C Robbins LN
Syosset, NY 11791

Ph: 516-933-1111
Email: bevsgym@optonline.net

From http://www.hardbody.com/news/2009/02/18/2009-official-bikini-qualification-announcement/

Please note that for all 2009 National Bikini contests except the 2009 Junior USA Bikini Championships, an athlete must have competed in an NPC Bikini event prior to entering a national contest.

The following must be provided with your entry:
• NPC Bikini Contest Name
• Date Of Contest
• Contest Promoter
• Your Height Class & Final Placing

This includes:
• NPC JUNIOR NATIONAL BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS
• NPC USA BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS
• NPC TEAM UNIVERSE BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS
• IFBB NORTH AMERICAN BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS
• NPC NATIONAL BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS

Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full contest coverage from this competition right here.

2008 NPC Team Universe Results. Check out the results from the 2008 NPC Team Universe contest here. [ View Team Universe Results ]

2008 NPC Team Universe Photos Check out the pictures of the 2008 NPC Team Universe.  See pictures of contestants, crowds and competition! Prejudging Photos: [ Men’s Bodybuilding ] [ Fitness Routines ] [ Women’s Bodybuilding ] [ VIEW ALL PICTURES ]