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9 weeks out.

Wow. 63 days. Not a lot of time AT ALL! It’s quite nerve wracking actually. I’m trying not to let it get to me, because with stress comes cortisol, and we all know how counterproductive that is; especially during contest prep.

The diet has been going well so far. But I’m encountering some resistance from my body…allow me to elaborate: During my last prep, I had this ‘phenomenon’ whereby I would get up in the middle of the night, go to the kitchen, have a small snack, and then go back to bed. When I’d wake up in the morning, some days I would find an empty jar of peanut butter, an empty box of cereal or even the container that ONCE held chicken for tomorrow’s meals. The scary part was, I couldn’t remember doing ANY of it. I always thought I slept through the night; until I started finding traces of these “night eats” the following morning. It was EXTREMELY off-putting and frustrating, because my diet would be spot on during the day, but then I’d lose my progress by sleep-walking at night. No one could diagnose the issue. I went to a BioSignature modulation expert, who told me I was waking up in the middle of the night because my cortisol was high, and Growth Hormone output (which is secreted in your sleep) was low. She told me to take 10g of Glutaform (Scivation’s Glutamine) before bed. I did that, and the issue went away at about 4 weeks out. But it could have gone away because my body was just so depleted and run down at 4 weeks out that it NEEDED sleep, and overrode any decision to eat at midnight.

The reason I’m telling you guys this is because the “night eats” have come back. I know this whole thing sounds really silly, but I can’t even begin to tell you how frustrating it is for me. I dedicate 2 – 3 hours of my day weight training and cardio, and I METICULOUSLY weigh and measure every morsel that goes into my mouth during my waking hours. So you can imagine how angry and frustrated and UPSET I get over the fact that I can’t control what happens in my sleep. I’m debating trying to the Glutamine protocol again, because I WILL reach my goal by the end of this competition.

Oh! That reminds me, my goals have slightly changed. One of my best friends is a former NPC regional champ, as well as a model, motivation speaker and soon to be published author. We’ve been doing a lot of talking lately about my goals for the future. She’s been in and around the health/fitness industry long enough that I trust and value her opinion. We’ve decided that my goals for the Online Bodybuilding Federation challenge are now slightly different. I’m thinking about doing some fitness modeling, so I’m going to ease back a little on my diet between now and June 3rd. The goal for June is to come in looking like a fitness model (Lose roughly 15 more lbs in 9 weeks), and for JULY, I am going to take it to the next level, and look absolutely, make people do a double-take, ab veins up to your chest, chest veins down to your abs SHREDDED! This way, I can have two different "looks" taken for photoshoots, and then ‘the powers that be’ can determine which one is more suitable for the mainstream.

So the plan is to come in around 10%bf for June (abs, delts, back), and then 7-8% (abs, delts, back, chest, LEGS!!!) for July. I have 3 competitors that I am training for a July show (1 fitness competitor, 2 male bodybuilders), and I am going to book my shoot for July 10 (the day before the show). So…who knows? If I look good enough, I MAY throw my hat in the ring…I can’t afford to slack anymore. There are no more excuses for missed meals, extra calories, protein bars or slacking on cardio. We’ll see what happens…

Motivation

This is a great segue into “How to Stay Motivated”.

Last week, it hit me. Like a sledgehammer in the face. REALLY FRICKIN HARD. I ate too much that wasn’t part of the plan. It wasn’t like an all out food orgy (you might know these 5000 calorie binges). A couple nights ago, I had ~3000 cals (only about 1000 over my usual). What was different this time, was how I FELT while I was eating it….

I was talking about Phoenix Moments with you guys in the last installment, and was thinking that maybe I hadn’t had mine yet for the OBF. I just couldn’t find my step, you know? I follow the instructions, but can’t see the bigger picture.

A few days ago, I found my answer. I concluded that for the last 2 years, all my eating has been for my mom. I’ve always blamed her for my failures. We don’t exactly have the most solid relationship. In that past, I was happiest when I was in control of my food, and didn’t let her little nuances get to me. I needed to find that place inside where it’s just me, my discipline and my willpower, rather than my struggle to please her and not feel like I’m worrying her if I diet (I guess that happens when you have an ED for 8 years). See, that was my problem. I was outwardly driven/focused. I was too focused on pleasing HER, that I was neglecting my own feelings. That is to say, if she and I were having a good day, my food would be good. If we were fighting, I’d binge…I’d "get back at her" by destroying my body.

As much as I hate to say it, though it’s clear as crystal, the anorexia was TOTALLY inwardly driven. Clearly I wasn’t doing it for anyone else but myself. I wasn’t thinking about anyone else but myself. It was me and my willpower. I have found that spot again, but at a much healthier place. Trust me. I’d never go back their again.

See, as of last week, neither her, nor our relationship, nor how food is affected by emotions are the focus anymore. My ideal bodyfat, and being comfortable in my own skin vs. wondering what she’s thinking when she looks at me is what’s important. It’s hard to stay focused on your own goals and willpower when they come from within, but easier to do it for someone. However, the problem arises when that someone else screws up…which they WILL ALWAYS inevitably do. And I binge eat so that my mom and my friends won’t think I’m slipping into an ed again. But that screws me up big time. A part of competing is disordered eating (NOT to be confused with eating disorders). So I have to learn to live with that, and the questions/comments/concerns about myself. But from now on, it’s "Who gives a f***?! They’re not living in this body! I AM!!! So I’m going to do with it what I want!" I have found myself again…I have found my own competitive drive.

You all need to find your INNER motivation and drive in order to be successful. Because superficial outside sources are constantly changing and manipulating themselves. They’re unstable and unreliable. But you will always have YOURSELF to count on. Use THAT as your motivation to be the best you can be.

In the next installment of this OBF series, I will talk about how to stay motivated, why we shouldn’t use the term “Weight Loss”, and why social support (like the Forums on bodybuilding.com) could mean the difference between a first place finish and a last place finish. As always, feel free to check out my online journal for daily updates, nutrition, workouts, and information! Jaim91’s journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=115155531

By: Robert Saladino

The basis of the warm up is to elevate the core body temperature so muscles become more pliable. Muscles are like elastic rubber bands, the hotter they are the more supple they become. It also holds true the colder a muscle is the more difficult it will be for the muscle to contract and lengthen. It makes sense that if your body is warmer you are less likely to injure yourself while exercising.  Studies show as body temperature rises ultimate strength and greater strain can be found in muscles (ability to deform and stretch before tearing begins in muscle). The greater the body temperature the greater increase in cellular metabolism which ultimately means more blood flow and oxygen are available to the working muscles.

Warming up also prepares the nerve impulses to be enhanced with more sensitivity of nerve receptors. This sensitivity means the muscles/nerve connection will be enhanced and have a greater ability to fire faster impulses during the workout. Warmer muscles are more apt to produce an increase in range of motion that whole rubber band thing again.

There is a physiological benefit as well that many fail to recognize. The body has a delicate system of defensive sense organs called proprioceptors, mainly the muscle spindle and golgi tendon organ.  The muscle spindles are located in the muscle tissue itself and are responsible for letting you know when your stretching the working muscles to far. The golgi tendon organ as you might have guessed is a tendon organ that senses when an excessive amount of tension develops. When tension is too high the golgi organ shuts off muscle contraction to protect the working muscle. These sense organs are elevated through proper warm ups.

Last but not least there is a mind-muscle connection that needs to be addressed. Going straight into heavy exercising can have detrimental effects on performance by not preparing the mind properly. Warming up is the vehicle of relaxation and concentration just before intense exercise.                

So the next question is what is a warm up? Any light cardio movement such as a stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical, and walking in place for 3-5 minutes will be enough to raise your temperature.

Dynamic warm ups can also be a valuable tool against injury. These movements mimic whatever exercise your about to perform except on a much lower intensity. For example:  a dynamic warm up of the bench press would be 1-2 light sets of 10-20 reps with a weight that feels fairly light even upon reaching the last rep. If you want fewer injuries always remember to warm up properly.

Robert Saladino. MS, CSCS, CPT., has helped hundreds of his clients reach and keep their fitness goals. He is one of the top Personal Trainers in PA; visit  www.mountainfitnessbyrobert.com  for a ton of free information regarding exercise, health and diet. If you are someone who is trying to lose weight, gain muscle or just want to get more healthy and fit.

Bodybuilding.com has some special guests in town for a few days to do some informational training videos, articles and such.

Please welcome Obi Obadike and Kendall Wood to Justin TV for a live chat.

Obi and Kendall will be on Justin TV tomorrow, Friday, June 26, 2009.
Come join the chat and ask any questions you have from 12:30-2:00 p.m. MST.

For more information click here.

To join the chat click here.

Hey guys!!!

I’m 11 weeks out today, and feeling pretty good. I came back from the Arnold Classic a little discouraged because I’d gained weight over the weekend (I blame it on myself…not anyone else. I USED TO have 0 willpower when it came to protein bars, not anymore).

Keep in mind, I was working at the Scivation booth all weekend, and we were SUPER busy selling gym bags and Vasocharge. I will give you an approximate breakdown  of what I ate over the course of the weekend (Friday – Sunday). I kid you not. What you are about to read is EXACTLY what I ate every single day. It totaled roughly 2000 calories, which is about my maintenance level, but ~250 -500 more than I am supposed to eat according to my CHA diet.

Breakfast:

Entrée size Garden Salad at Bob Evans
2 scoops Scivation Whey protein
2 ounces mixed nuts

Lunch AND Dinner

About 5-6 protein bars (Or ~2lbs of samples from the hundreds of booths)

Midnight Snack

Entrée size Garden salad at wherever Team Scivation was eating (Red Lobster, Bob Evans, Max & Erma’s)

So there you have it. I am human. I cheat. But as a good friend once told me, “It’s not about falling, it’s about getting back up.” I got back up Monday morning, cleaned up my diet, and haven’t looked back since.

As I told you last week, there are a couple things I want to talk about in this week’s installment of my OBF transformation series. First of all, I took my “BEFORE” pictures last week. If you check out my OBF journal,  I want to let you know in advance that this is NOT what you will see 11 weeks from now. You have my word.

I’m a little embarrassed by what you will see there.  I have, what we like to call in the competition realm “Post-Contest Blues”; it’s the SLIGHT depression that competitors feel because they’re no longer in contest shape. Yes, I understand that for a woman, it’s not necessarily healthy or ideal to maintain contest shape all year round, but I don’t see why that gives me permission to have gained 15 pounds since my last contest. I will touch more on “Maintaining your condition” in a later installment.

CARDIO

The first point I’d like to touch on is my cardio. I started off at 14 weeks out with 30 minutes, 4 times a week (ie. On weight training days), and High Intensity Interval Training 2 times a week (ie. Tuesdays and Thursdays). For my Steady State cardio, I usually keep my heart rate between 130 – 150bpm, which corresponds to about 65% - 85% of my max heart rate. I use a heart rate monitor most of the time when I’m doing cardio so that I can track how hard I’m working. For SS, I like to use the elliptical, the treadmill or the Stepmill. ANYTHING but the bike. I find that if I spend too much time on the bike, my legs either don’t get cut and stay the same size, or lose a little muscle and end up looking flat. So I avoid that kind of cardio whenever I can. My HIIT protocol involves 15 intervals of 15 seconds work and 45 seconds rest. I then cool down for 5 – 10 minutes at the end. Sometimes, I incorporate something called “TABATA” training instead of my HIIT. That’s when you perform an exercise at MAXIMAL INTENSITY for 20 seconds, then take a 10 second break. Then go another 20 seconds on, and 10 seconds off. You repeat this 8 times for a maximum of 4 minutes total. It’s an amazing way to get a great workout in if you’re pressed for time, but still want to exercise and accelerate your metabolism. As my weight loss plateaus, or if I start to gain, my trainer will increase my cardio as he sees fit.

My Phoenix Moment

I first read about “Pheonix Moment/Theory” from someone named  Chris Sugart. I will quote part of the article here, as I think it’s important for everyone to read. And I know for a fact (and I certainly hoep) that it will resonate with some, if not ALL, of you. It begins, “The pattern of success is clear. Regardless of their primary physique goal — rapid fat loss or massive muscle gain — those who ultimately succeed always begin the same way: They get pissed off.

That’s the first stage of what I call Phoenix Theory. In mythology, the phoenix (or Bennu bird) ends its life-cycle by bursting into flame. From its own ashes, the fiery bird is reborn. I’ve discovered that those who make jaw-dropping physical changes usually follow the same basic path. Their achievement leaves a trail, and you can follow it… if you dare. You see, with all great successes comes a dark side. The Phoenix Theory of body transformation involves four key stages:

1) A traumatic event leading to a sudden realization and awakening
2) Anger and a firm decision to change
3) The physical transformation itself
4) Continued progress fueled by fear of regression”

So basically, the premise is that you need an awakening (be it a rude comment from a co-worker, an objective look at your own reflection, a blood work profile gone awry, etc.) in order to be rebord, and refreshed so that you can truly tackle and OWN the task in front of you. I had my Phoenix Moment at 12 weeks out, and never looked back.

Looking to the Future

My weigh in this week went, more or less, as planned. I lost 1lb. Which isn’t bad, but I set my sights high on losing roughly 1.5 – 2lbs per week. So I asked my trainer if we could bump the cardio up a little, and we did. I’m now on 35 minutes steady state cardio 4x/week, and 2 HIIT days (15 intervals) 2x/week. The good news though, is that my skinfolds and measurements are down; which means that I am losing fat. When doing skinfolds, mere milimetres could mean the difference in a couple %-age points of bodyfat lost. So I know my body is going in the right direction, albeit a little slower than I’d like. I don’t know what my bodyfat percentage is exactly, but at this point, I would hazard a guess that I’m in the early – mid teens (maybe somewhere between 13 – 15%). I can see my abs and my quad cuts are starting to come though. I’m guessing 13 – 15% because the legs are usually a tough and stubborn place for women to lose bodyfat, so I know I’m starting to get lower.

In the next installment of this OBF series, I will talk about how to stay motivated, why we shouldn’t use the term “Weight Loss”, and why social support (like the Forums on bodybuilding.com) could mean the difference between a first place finish and a last place finish. As always, feel free to check out my online journal for daily updates, nutrition, workouts, and information! Jaim91’s journal: Here

Here are some videos of my workouts this week:

80lb Upright rows

12 pushups with 45lbs on my back

Rear Delt pulls with 60lbs/hand

Stay tuned for Part 5!

Jed Reese, Bodybuilding.com’s Operations Quality Manager has transformed himself and is leading a new way to life.

Jed has always been in shape and exercised regularly, but recently he took up the idea to do a 12 week contest prep like diet and training schedule. No he is not competing but took it that serious and with the help of Kris Gethin he is the same great guy but in an all new body. Check out more of Jed’s Journey on his BodySpace here.

Check out the full article here.

Competition Countdown Part 3!

Hey everyone!

As I write this, I’m 13 weeks out from the OBF Spring Spectacular, and one day away from my trip to the Arnold Classic. I should mention that I have all my food for the weekend packed, as I don’t want to take any chances at this point in the competition with not having the time to go grocery shopping for my diet. What IS my diet, you ask?

This is a great segue to introduce what I’m doing in terms of a nutrition plan for my competition.

I’m a Certified bonafide member of the “Carb Haters Anonymous” Club. I know I may receive some backlash for what I’m about to post, but you have to remember that I’ve been dieting for a while now (on and off), and I know what works best for my mind and my body. Yes, I’m 21, and yes, I have a fast metabolism and train hard. So in theory, carbohydrates WOULD BE an okay source of fuel for my body. However, when I’m using them to diet or bulk, I just don’t feel as lean or as energetic.  And so, the majority of my calories come from fats and proteins, with my only carb meal of the day coming from oatmeal post workout. See, carbs add up fast. We know that consuming 400grams of Fruity Pebbles cereal can be done in a heartbeat. This leads to the famous CRASH that occurs when your blood sugar drops after these carbs have come and gone out of your system. This is usually what causes people to have to nap after lunch at their desk at work.

I am one of those people.  I have read enough studies, and done enough self-experimentation to know that for me, Scivation’s CHA (Carb Haters Anonymous) diet provides the finest fuel for my body and mind. I’m about to use a cliché here, but bare with me for a second…For me, comparing carbs to fat for energy is kind of like comparing automobile gasoline. If carbs are 87 octane, then fats are racing fuel! While a racing car can probably run on 87 octane, it will not be running optimally. But on racing fuel, BOOM, pure SPEED AND POWER. The same goes for your fat burning and muscle building and preserving engine. Give it carbohydrates and it will surely run, but then it will CRASH! Give it HEALTHY fats, and you have yourself a lean, mean, fat burning and muscle building MACHINE! I want to be that lean, mean fat burning machine.

I should add, however, that I still consume an abundance of veggies (mostly broccoli, green beans and brussel sprouts) to get my vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. These veggies also help with the acid/base balance in my body, which I consider crucial for optimal health. Not to mention, they really help with satiation!

A typical day’s diet for me:

1600 Calorie Plan

Meal 1       4 Egg Whites
3 Whole DHA eggs
                35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 2 5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
               18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
        ½ cup oatmeal OR 4 ounces sweet potatoe OR ½ cup brown rice
             35g protein, 15g fat, 30g carbs

Meal 3       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 4       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 5        5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

Meal 6       5 oz Lean Meat (Fish, Chicken, Beef) or 1.66 Scoops Scivation Whey
                18 Almonds or 6tsp Peanut Butter or 3 oz Avocado or 3tsp Olive/Flax/Enova Oil
             35g protein, 15g fat

***I add 3-6 servings of vegetables spread throughout as many meals as I want.

** Meal 2, where I add the carbs, is usually post workout; I  tend to work out in the morning. If I workout later in the day, then I just move the carbs around.

To prevent my metabolism from crashing, and to prevent a crash of leptin/increase in ghrelin, I incorporate a “reefed” meal once a week on Sunday nights. It consists of:

• 1. 1.5 cup steamed green beans or 12 oz asparagus = 15g carbohydrates
• 2. ½ cup oatmeal (measured dry then add water and microwave) = 30g carbohydrates
  2 tbsp raisins = 15g carbohydrates
• 12 almonds or 2 tsp Smart Balance Light butter spread - used in oatmeal = 10g fat
• 3. 8 oz yam or sweet potato = 60g carbohydrates
  2 tsp peanut butter or almond butter = 10g fat

So there you have my nutrition plan in a nutshell. Every Saturday, I sent my weight, measurement and pics to my trainer, who evaluates them, and determines what, if any, changes should be made to my training, nutrition or cardio protocols.

In the next part of the series, I’m going to talk about my cardio regimen and what motivates me inside and outside of the gym. Last night, I had something called my “Phoenix Moment”. In the next installment, I will introduce this concept to those of you who don’t know what it is, and how it could possibly change your life (OK, I may be exaggerating a little, but it will certainly be the kick in the butt you need to start being INWARDLY focused/driven, and get yourself aligned with your personal goals.)
Until then, please feel free to drop by my workout journal, and take a look at what I do, how I eat and what I train on a daily basis: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4701513

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 4!

Competition Countdown Part 2!

Hey guys and gals!

I’m back with the second installment of my Road to the OBF Spring Spectacular competition. In the first installment, I gave you an introduction, told you a little bit about myself, where I come from, what I’m doing, and where I’m going. I also included some pictures describing my “journey” from anorexia to amateur level bodybuilder.

As of writing this piece, I’m exactly 14 weeks out and couldn’t be more pumped. The competition officially starts in 2 weeks, but I wanted to get a headstart on the dieting process because I haven’t trained or dieted “Contest Prep style” since my last show in November. So I decided to slowly start easing into it 2 weeks ago. The way I see it, is that this isn’t just a Transformation Challenge; it’s a competition. I’m not getting up in a posing suit against other competitors with Dream Tan and PAM, but I am trying to beat out at least a dozen other hardcore females who are probably working and dieting just as hard as me. So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with dieting a little longer, and trying to bring the best package I can. No one has ever been penalized for being TOO conditioned, right? Right?  *Fingers Crossed*

Training

I’m currently using the Antagonistic Training Sytem (A.T.S. for short), created by Derek Charlesbois. As I stated before, this is my second week on the plan, and I LOVE it so far. I will give you a little explanation of what A.T.S. involves. The norm when it comes to bodybuilding training is to focus on one main muscle group per workout; you know, people have chest day, back day, arm day, etc. In addition, working large muscle groups like back and chest together is often discouraged because people tend to think that you can’t stimulate one larger muscle group enough if it has to share time/volume with another. Contrary to this latter belief, Derek thinks working muscles with opposite actions (antagonists) together is a very productive way to train. What he means is not a super-set per se, but rather alternating between sets of antagonist muscle groups, resting between sets. For example, performing one set of bent over rows, resting one minute, performing one set of bench press, resting one minute, then start over, going back to bent over rows. Using this strategy of muscle pairing he created a workout program called The Antagonistic Training System (A.T.S.)

Utilizing A.T.S. not only saves you time in the gym by allowing you to work two muscle groups in the time it normally takes to work one muscle group, but studies say it may also increase your performance. While your back is working, your chest relaxes. And vice versa. So after a hard set of chest, your back will be somewhat more relaxed, and ready to lift a heavy load again.
For A.T.S. we are going to increase the number of sets per exercise each week just like on The Scivation Tri-Phase Training
Program:

Week 1 = 2 X 6-10

Week 2 = 3 X 6-10

Week 3 = 4 X 6-10

Week 4 = Start back over at 2 sets per exercise

Increasing the number of sets per exercise each week will challenge the body, leading to accelerated gains in muscle growth. In addition to increasing the number of sets per exercise each week, I will always strive to increase the weight/load you lift. This is another key factor to muscle growth. I will run the cycle for 6-9 weeks.

Monday- Back & Chest Antagonist Workout

Wednesday- Biceps & Triceps Antagonist Workout plus Forearms

Friday- Quadricep & Hamstring Antagonist Workout

Saturday- Delts & Traps/Mid-Back/Rear Delts Workout & Core

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 3!

Introduction

What am I doing?

As of the writing of this article, I am 100 days-8 hours-58 minutes (Thank you, Facebook Countdown), from the Online Bodybuilding Federation’s Slamming Spring Spectacular Competition (www.obfbodybuilding.com). The competition officially starts March 9 – 13, and ends May 31 – June 3. There are two categories “Bulking” and “Transformation”. I will be entered into the Female Transformation category, as I’m planning a serious, 14.5 week cut. Contest prep style, ladies and gents. Just because I’m not getting up on a real stage doesn’t mean this isn’t a real competition. Quite the contrary. This is serious.

Why am I doing this?

Maybe you’ve thought about competing before. Maybe you’ve thought about taking your physique to the next level. Maybe you want to join the ranks for that 1% of people who take their weight training, dieting and cardio so seriously, that they want to show it off to the public by means of a competition. Or maybe you’re already a competitor, and you’re bitten by “The Bug.” I fall into the last category. I can’t get enough of the stage.

A Little History: Who Am I?

It’s ironic that the pastime that brought me to bodybuilding is the same past-time that
almost killed me 8 years ago.

In the year 2000, when I was 13, I was going through the same thing that most girls were
going through; body image issues, self-esteem issues, boy problems, puberty and all that
fun stuff. My problem was that the body image issues hit me harder than it did most girls. It went from counting calories, to restricting calories, to purging calories through exercise. It was an unhealthy lifestyle that consumed every iota of my being from the time I was 13 until I was 15.

For those 3 years, I was getting progressively smaller and smaller, but no one would say anything because I was still so young and the subject was
taboo. My mother and father begged me to eat, but I was genuinely scared of gaining an ounce. I weighed myself compulsively, and couldn’t walk past a mirror without checking myself out from the side to make sure I was smaller than the last time I looked.

At 15, it got to the point where I was hospitalized for 40 days in an inpatient unit and spent an additional two months at an outpatient clinic. I decided that 3 years of the illness was enough; I thought my demons were banished. Once I got out of hospital, I decided to take up weightlifting. I wanted to turn my new mass into muscle. Unfortunately, I had no
one to mentor me or teach me the rules of lifting. So I did what most women at my gym were doing…cardio.

Every morning at 5am, and every night at 7pm, I would sneak off to
the gym around the corner from my house because my parents didn’t want me burning any additional calories. I also exercised during my lunch hour at school.

Needless to say, it wasn’t the most constructive way to get through grade 11 and start off grade 12. It was in January that I started poking around on bodybuilding.com. I also had to start thinking about what I wanted to major in when I went to university in September. I found kinesiology. It was a match made in heaven. I could learn all day about physiology, anatomy, nutrition, Fitness Assessment and then graduate with a degree that made me a “Professional” Personal trainer. It was around the same time that my friends, who were now worrying about my health, started telling me how lean and small I was getting. Rather than taking this to heart and doing some productive about it, I took it as a compliment, and used it as fuel for my raging fire.

I decided to compete in a bodybuilding show in June of 2005, my graduating year. I was hard as rock and as lean as a twig. The mirror, which was NOT my friend at this point, had convinced me that I looked more like Jay Cutler than Kate Moss, and that it was my
destiny to shine on-stage. I was 5”7, 104 lbs and 5% bodyfat. I won that show, and unfortunately, was bitten by the competitive bug. I wanted more. So I went on to do 7 more shows in the course of 2 years.

It wasn’t until my last show in October of 2006 that I realized something was wrong; one of the highly respected judges, who had taken the effort to get my cell phone number from the contest promoter, called me to ask if I was O.K., and if I was eating. He told me I had amazing potential for this sport, but people couldn’t see past the frail looking girl
onstage. I just sat in my car with tears streaming down my face, because what I was doing finally hit me. My friends had abandoned me, my parents were scared that they were going to lose me and the sport that I loved didn’t have a place for me anymore. It was time to make a change, for real this time. I promised myself that I would not compete for as long as it took to get myself healthy.

I started on a long and arduous journey, otherwise known as, a bulk. From October of 2006 to July of 2008 I ate an average of 3000 calories a day, mostly coming from clean carbs like oatmeal and sweet-potatoes, and complete protein sources like ground beef and
chicken. I subsequently went from my lowest weight of 96 pounds, with 4% bodyfat, to 65 pounds with 16% bodyfat. I was still relatively lean, but nowhere near where I wanted to be for a competition. It was time to enlist the help of professionals who knew that they were doing.

The Derek Charlesbois section in the bodybuilding.com forums always struck me as something like an Elite club of friends. Everyone was so helpful, encouraging and
dedicated, I was almost scared to approach them, but I did, because I knew that Team Scivation was the best, and I needed the best. Within weeks of my working with Derek, my physique was undergoing changes that I’d never have expected. I couldn’t stop talking about how happy I was to be working with such a solid, genuine Team. I competed in my first show in 2 years at a LEAN 138lbs with 8 – 10% bodyfat.

Jaime Filers Competition Countdown 2!

You work out regularly, eat right and so on. But you just don’t have those huge quads you’ve been trying for and don’t know what else to try.

Well, lucky for you there’s Bodybuilding.com here to bring you all the information you need to get huge ripped up competition ready legs.

For the latest in Quad training ideas check out this article by Brad Borland.

Have you ever seen Ronnie Coleman squat or leg press? How about Branch Warren’s intensity level during a leg workout, or Jay Cutler flexing his legs onstage in peak condition? Mighty, well built quadriceps is a true sign of utter power on a physique.

Huge, thickly developed, sweeping quads can dominate a bodybuilding show, differentiating you from the rest of the pack. It can make all the difference between a balanced, well proportioned aesthetically pleasing physique and a top-heavy, stick-legged candy apple body.

Now, we can’t all possess professional bodybuilder-sized quads, but we can develop big, thick, well proportioned, and separated quad muscles that would be impressive by any standard.

Don’t get caught years from now wishing you had trained your quads a little harder or dedicated more time to them. I can not tell you how many trainers in gyms workout with pants on in the dead heat of summer just to hide their lack of dedication and development regarding quad training.

[ Read the whole article here ]

THE REAL WAY TO GAIN MASS…NO FAD DIETS OR WORKOUTS HERE… JUST HARD WORK!
By: Jonah Gardner

I have recently been asked numerous times, questions like; how was I able to bulk up and then cut so easily?  What’s your routine?  What kind of diet do you follow? So I am writing this article for the people who are in need of guidance… from someone who has been there.

I want to start off telling you a little bit about my bodybuilding background.  I started messing around with weights around the age of 13.  I would lift for a few months and then lose interest and maybe pick it back up again a few months later.  I followed this sort of “routine” all the way up through high school and then kind of gave it up for a few years.  I never got big or really changed my physic at all, as you would expect from this type of routine.  Throughout adolescence and my early twenties, and up until I seriously got into lifting I weighed about 145lbs.  At 5’9” that’s not very big at all… in fact it is a little on the scrawny side.  

At about the age of 24 I really started to get into bodybuilding and really had the mind set that I wanted to get healthier, stronger, look better, and gain weight.  So I kind of jumped right in and started doing it.  I was starving for knowledge.  I would ask tons of questions, to anyone in the gym who would listen, read magazines, books, articles on the internet and anything else I could get a hold of.  I was feverishly attempting to learn the best way to go about lifting and bulking up.  Needless to say I learned a LOT in the past couple of years, some of it good and unfortunately most of it bad.  With that being said, I would like to save you the time and effort and tell you exactly what worked for me.

First I feel it necessary to briefly talk about your mindset.  There is absolutely nothing easy about physically changing your body!  The sooner you realize this, the better off you will be.  You will have to look at food in terms of nutritional value instead of taste, you will have to make going to the gym top priority over everything else, and you will have to make sure you get enough sleep every night.  If you do not have the discipline to pass up that bag of chips, or a night out with your friends because you have to go to the gym then you should stop right now. Bodybuilding is not for you.  Without the right mindset you will NOT be able to bulk up or cut weight.  Period!  So if you think you have what it takes… lets get started.

Bulking

The first thing I would like to talk about is dieting.  The bulking diet in my opinion is a lot more fun then the cutting diet but it still takes the discipline I talked about above.   You will have to get used to eating and eating and eating!  Remember when it comes to bulking if you aren’t eating enough, it doesn’t matter how much you lift in the gym, you will not grow.  With this diet you can be pretty lenient on what you eat.  I never ate anything that offered no nutritional value such as sodas, candy, donuts, cookies, cake… things like that.  However I did eat things like pizza, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, burritos, sub sandwiches…. Things like that.  Basically what I did is make sure I get at least 30 grams of protein while eating around 600 calories every 2 hours.  I really didn’t care about anything else such as fats, carbs, etc… just as long as I got at least 30g of protein and the 600 calories.  You will probably have to work your way up to this much food and that’s where the discipline comes in.  Trust me there will be times when you look at the clock and can’t believe you have to eat that much again.  If you stick with it you will get used to it and see some amazing results. Another side note about eating this much is after a month or two is you will get used to this, and grow as much as you can, and you’ll have to up the calories some more.  With this diet it is mostly up to you what you eat, but, if you have a choice always go with the healthier thing for example whole wheat spaghetti instead of enriched wheat flower… things like that.

Now for the routines that worked for me.  A lot of my routines are determined by how I feel.  I would go to the gym, say on Monday, and know I needed to work my chest, so I would bench and incline then I would decide which chest exercises I felt the most comfortable with.  A lot of times you know what you want to do before you get to the gym… but you don’t always feel like sticking to that routine half way through.

Another important thing to bring up is lifting HEAVY, a lot of people I talk to believe they are lifting heavy but in reality they can lift a lot more.  For example if you usually curl 50lb dumbbells by your last set you should be trying to curl 75lbs.  Another reason to lift heavy is because you will be eating a LOT of food.  If you’re not lifting heavy you will gain more fat than necessary.

One last note:  You need your sleep.  Sleep is equally as important as working out.  Think about it… you will be tearing your muscles apart.  They need to heal in order to get bigger.  So don’t over look sleep, you should be getting at least 8 hours. Trust me on this one.

As always you should be warmed up before you start lifting! 

When I first started noticing results I was following a routine like this:

Abs everyday!!!

Mon & Thur

CHEST

Always:
Bench Press – sometimes substitute with hammer strength bench, but not often!
Incline Press – sometimes substitute with hammer incline bench, but not often!

I would then mix 2 or 3 of the following in depending on how I felt:

Dumbbell pull-overs
Dumbbell flyes
Cable crossovers from the top and bottom
Fly machine
Decline bench

I would do 4-5 sets of each usually doing something like 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 (reps)
It is VERY important to lift HEAVY.  Otherwise with all the food you are eating you will gain more fat than muscle.  For bench press and incline press you always need a spotter.  If you don’t use a spotter that means your not lifting heave enough.  Make sure you find someone in the gym you trust to spot you.  If your doing it right by your 3 set you will begin to fail towards the end of your reps.

BACK

Always:
Deadlift
T-bar rows
Hammer Strength Lat Pull Downs
Hammer Strength Row machine

I would usually throw one of these in depending on what I felt like doing:

Cable rowing machine
Back flyes (dumbbell or machine)
Dumbbell rows

Again, I would do 4-5 sets of each usually doing something like 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 (reps)
It is VERY important to lift HEAVY.  Make sure you wear a belt for the dead lifts and t bar rows.

Tues & Fri

BICEPTS

Always:
Dumbbell curls
Barbell curls

I would also add in 2-3 of the any of the following exercises –depending on how I felt.

Isolation curls (dumbbells or machine)
Concentration curls
Incline curls
Cable curls
EZ bar curls

Again, I would do 4-5 sets of each usually doing something like 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 (reps)
It is VERY important to lift HEAVY.  Otherwise with all the food you are eating you will gain more fat than muscle.  

TRICEPS

Always:
Tricep push downs (with rope or bar of some sort)
Overhead cable extensions (with rope or bar of some sort)
Dips – always 4 sets of 30

I would also add in1-2 of the any of the following exercises –depending on how I felt.

Overhead dumbbell extensions
Dumbbell kickbacks
Standing tricep extensions (with tricep curl bar)

Again, I would do 4-5 sets of each usually doing something like 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 (reps)
It is VERY important to lift HEAVY.  I would also about once a month either do buddy curls or run the gauntlet on the dumbbell rack.  

Buddy Curls: (you and a buddy get a ez-curl bar with about 60lbs on it and basically you start at 5 reps than your buddy immediately does 5 and then go to 6 all the way to 15 and back down to 5.  The only rest you get is when your buddy is doing his set.  These can also be done with an “imaginary buddy” because most people won’t make it through the workout.  You can substitute just about any exercise for this…. For example every once in a while I would do this with bench press and squats.

The Gauntlet:  Go to the dumbbell rack and start with 25lb dumbbells.  Do a set of 5 curls then move up to the 30lb dumbbells.  Continue increasing weight by 5 lbs until you can’t do anymore, I’d usually max out at around 75lbs(just to give you an idea)  then work your way back down to the 25s and repeat.  Again you can substitute just about any exercise for this.

Wed & Sat

Legs

Always:

Squats
Hamstring curls
Extensions

I would also add in1-2 of the any of the following exercises –depending on how I felt.

Leg press
Hack squats
Squats on the smith machine
Lunges

Calves

Any calf machine at the gym will be sufficient. Think about it, if you’re squatting 455lbs your calves are getting worked.

I would do 4-5 sets of each usually doing something like 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 (reps)
It is VERY important to lift HEAVY.  

That is the basic idea of my routine.  Again a lot of it goes by how you feel.  Now I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.  I’m not saying if you don’t “feel” like going to the gym its ok.  You still should go, however, if you are feeling worn down, make it a lighter workout.  After about 4 months of a routine like this I changed it to basically one muscle group per day.  I would do chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, arms on Wednesday, and legs on Thursday.  Take a day off and then repeat.  Remember you need to listen to your body, if you are worn out don’t try to max out on the squat rack!!!

That’s it for now, I hope this is helpful.  I will include my cutting diet and routine in the next article. Thanks for reading.