grace91181’s BodyBlog

I’m feeling a little better today. Just weak from the flu. I’ll probably go to work today, but cancelled my physical therapy appt. I’m now comtimplating doing the OCB show Nov 22 in De Kalb,IL. Carissa told me the show in University Park is not a pro qualifier. It would be a good warmup show in case there’s something I need to tweak for the show in De Kalb. Just depends if we have the money for both shows.  I’m going to think about it.

Today I’m going to try and do some light cardio before going to work.  I feel like I need to do something, but don’t want to do too much.  I’m really looking forward to training with Carissa.  I’ve only trained with my husband, so this is going to be some good motivation even though she’s doing figure.  My husband Reno is the one who motivated me to lift with him.  I wouldn’t be doing these shows if it were’n't for him.  I’ve been on 2nd shift for almost a month, and only get to see him a couple days and only train with him on Sundays.  So training with Carissa is going to be pretty weird to me.  There’s nothing wrong with a little change in my routine, could do me alot of good.

I’m competing in the bodybuilding show Nov 8th, in University Park,IL.  I started off my diet 3 weeks ago doing the cut diet and wasn’t getting anywhere. Plus I hate vegetables, and thats one of the very important parts of  the diet if you want to suceed in it.  I gave it a try and just missed my carbs way tooooo much. So I’m doing 3 low carb days at 130 and 1 high of 180.  Keeping fat at 30 grams and protein at 165 on low carb days and 140 on high carb days. I’m going to try a different workout split this time. First 3 workouts are high intensity working chest/back, then arms/shoulders, and then Legs.  take a day off then work the same muscle groups on different days at high volume.  Cardio I’m doing 4 days of low intensity 40 mins and 2 days of hiit cardio at 22 mins.

 My back is getting much better since I started physical therapy 2 weeks ago. Going with a different approach, really hard to explain but it doesn’t involve any medication just stretching and balancing the muscles out.  Its really hardening my legs up though.

 Today I’m not feeling too hot. I have a cold and I think I’m coming down with the flu.  Really sucks.  I’m going to try and get my hiit cardio in, but I’ve been feeling sick to my stomach, so we’ll see.  I weighed myself yesterday morning and was at 140lbs.  I’m hoping to get down to around 125 my showtime.  My last show I started off at 152 and got down to 134 in 13 weeks.  I think I’ve put on a couple pounds of muscle since last May. So 125lbs is my goal though.  I’m going to put everything I have into this.  This might be my last show for a long time.  Me and my husband are planning on trying to have kids starting this winter.

I’m really suprised that I’m still have a good amount of energy going from 2200 calories to 1500 a day.  My workouts continue to be very intense and I’m getting stronger every workout.  It seems like I’m going up in weight or I can do more reps w/every exercise.  I’m going w/5 day split this week, working each body part seperatly on their own days.  Today was Chest day.  I got through the workout in 30 mins then did 20 mins of intervals after on the elliptical.  Today is also a refeed day woo hoo!!

Flat DB 2 warm ups 40’sx10 30 sec rest 45’sx6

Incline smith 1 warmup 115×10 45 sec rest 125×6

Low cable cross 80×7 80×5 80×3 (drop set)

Standing calf raises 180×20 30 rest 190×12 30 rest 190×9

5 min warmup 20 mins intervals 5 min cooldown burned 300 calories.

I’ve been slacking on my blog.  Been busy w/wedding plans and figuring out the rest of my diet.  Which I have decided to get Layne Nortons assistance with the rest of my contest prep. He is going to help me out tremendously with diet, supplements suggestions, and cardio and last week preperations.  He has me at 130 carbs, 165 protein and 30 fat w/2 refeed days a week where I lower protein to 140 and then up my carbs to 180, fat remaining at 30.  He wants me down to 125-128lbs which I weighed in at 134 my last show.  So I can’t wait to see what I look like at 125 lbs, tight!

7/26 I did 40 mins of light intensity cardio in the a.m. and worked back/hams/and light quad work in the pm.

Rack deadlifts 165×10 30 sec rest 185×6

2 arm db row 60×12 30 sec rest 70×8

underarm pulldowns 115×11 115×5 115×2 (forced reps)

Cable rows 90×7 100×6 80×5 50×4 (drop set)

Squats 95×12 115×10 115×8 45 sec rest bet sets (I’m very weak on squats, i’ve got weak knees from catching for 13 years.

Lying leg curls 100×7 30 rest 100×6

last 15 mins I did light weight w/high reps I did each exercise to failure then moved to the next exercise. Started w/leg exts then to standing leg curls and then 2 sets of walking lunges.  WOOOO that really kicked my ass.  I was so pooped by the end of the workout.

07/27 Shoulder/tris

Military 65×11 30 rest 65×8

Upright cable rows 80×9 45 rest 80×8

DB frnt raises 20×8 15×6 10×4 (drop sets)

Supersetted Standing overhead db ext and cable pressdown 55×6 55×6/90×6 80×6

Kickbacks 15×10 15×10

For cardio I did 20 mins intervals on the bike…..and I made it through the entire 20 mins for the first time.  I felt like collapsing cuz my legs were pooped out but I was so excited that I got through it all.  That definatley kicked my ass.

I’m trying to decide on what color of suit to get.  I have the navy blue one from the last show that my fiance said I should use again.  Which would save me some money but I also want to see something different on me.  Thinking a maroun or drk green.  I don’t know…I have plenty of time to decide.  I’ve also started figuring out my routine which I’m doing it to "EPIC" by Faith no More.  Kick ass song!  Saturday is my off day…looking forward to that!!!!!!!!!!! 

I worked chest/biceps/forearms yesterday.  I had a pretty good workout, intensity and strength were pretty high.  I just feel and look like crap right now.  I’m not on my IBS medication since I’m starting a new study drug in a couple weeks, so I’m pretty bloated right now.  Its so bad that my jeans are tight around my waist when they were loose a couple days ago.  I started taking VPX fiber teq yesterday to get in some more fiber to help w/the constipation.  And my back is hurting pretty bad too.  I have physical therapy today, which I’ve been doing that for 2 months and it has not helped at all.  The pain is actually spreading and getting worse.  So bad that they put me on muscle relaxer and anti-inflammatory. Weird thing is it doesn’t hurt when I lift, only when I’m laying down or sitting for long periods of time and playing softball.  The only things I can’t do when weightlifting is leg presses and stiff legged deadlifts.  Well enough about me complaining here goes my workout from yesterday.

Incline DB press 2 warmups 70×11 30 sec rest 70×8  (go up in weight next time)

Flat smith 135×9 45 rest 135×6

Cable cross 80×12 30 rest 80×8 (go up in weight next time)

Bar curls 1 warmup 65×8 30 rest 65×6

Standing db curls (drop set) 25×8 20×5 15×4 (kicked my ass!!!)

Front wrist 45×12 45×12

Reverse curl 40×8 40×9

15 mins recumbent bike then 15 mins on elliptical followed by 5 mins stretching

Today I don’t lift but will try and do 20 mins of intervals on the bike.  I’m hoping the fiberteq will help out with the bloating.  I know its not from eating right.  I eat so darn clean.  I’ll hopefully have a better day today, its the start of my weekend so at least I have that going for me.  Later

Macros for 7/22 130 carbs/178 protein/24 fat=1448 calories.  Thats been pretty consistent every day.  I’ve lost 2lbs since last Saturday so looks like I’m right on w/the calories.  I haven’t experienced any weakness or lacking any intensity, if anything my intensity is increasing.  I’m loving these high intensity workouts.  I got my workout done in 45 mins thats including ab work.  I was also listening to SlipKnot which gets my ass moving too and it helps that the gym was empty so equipment was available.

1 legged leg ext  (2 warmups) 50#x11/10 30 sec rest 50#x10/8

Walking bar lunges 65#x9 45 sec rest 65#x7

Hack squat 70#x10 30 rest 70×8

Reverse hack (rest pause) 70×10 70×6 70×4

Standing calf 160×15 30 rest 160×11

Seated calf 35×13 30 rest 35×9

I’m not very happy with my calf strength, so I’m going to start working it twice a week.  Maybe low rep 1 workout and the other high rep.  And I hope to god my ass leans out by showtime, last time it didn’t.  I’m hoping the intervals help that out.  If ANYONE has any suggestions sent me a message.  I’m always open to ideas.

I finally got some sleep today.  I work 3rd shift and so I sleep during the day.  The past 2 weeks I’ve been waking up 4-5x a day.  I think my body is just responding to the low cal diet.  But today I only woke up once to go to the bathroom.  I actually got 8 hours of sleep.  Bout damn time!  Today I worked my shoulder/tris/abs.

DB lat raises 10×15# 30sec rest 8×15#

Cable upright rows 10×70# 45sec rest 7×70#

Smith press 12×95# 30 sec rest 8×95#

Supersetted: Cable pressdown 8×90# 6×100# and Weighted bench dip 6×35# 6×35#

Overhead lying db ext 40×6 45sec rest 40×6

I did hanging leg raises, ball crunches, and woodchops for abs Triple set 3×12-15

I also did 13 mins of 15 sec intervals every min as hard as I can.  I really think I need to do the intervals on the off days that way I can do 20 mins of them.  I was just so exhausted after lifting and cardio.  Maybe I should do low-med intensity after my workouts.  Well Saturday is my off day and I think we are going to a large contest between several local bands. Should be alot of fun.  And I’m also watching Smackdown and good lord Dave Bautista is so freaking hot and huge.    He could wrestle with me any day!

Since this my refeed day, I sip on 42 grams wms w/1 scoop purple wraath and 3 extra grams of leucine during my workout.  And when I get home I have my protein shake w/3 grams creatine gluconate.  I had an awesome workout, was full of energy and felt pretty strong.

warmed w/ 2×8 chins (i couldn’t do 4 of them 2 weeks ago) yes!

2 arm incline db rows 10×60# 45 rest 7×60#

Closegrip pulldown 10×115# 45 rest 6×115#

Kneeling high cablerope rows  12×80# 30 rest 10×90#

T-bar rows 8×70# 45 rest 6×70

Supersetted lying leg curls 8×90 7×100 w/standing leg curls 12/15×20 12/12×20

and then 2 sets of reverse lunges until failure.

20 mins med intensity cardio on bike w/5 mins of 15 sec intervals 1x time every minute. Just trying that way of intervals out?  And just those 5 mins kicked my ass.  I’m going to be doing 20 mins of those 3x a week to hopefully attack the fat in my legs.  We’ll see!  I just got done eating my post workout meal 3oz flank 2/3 c corn small red potato. God I love refeed days!

I’ve been making it on 130 carbs a day since last Friday so since I’m working back and hams today, which are my weak areas I’m going to do my refeed today.  I’m going to take in around 230 carbs all good quality coming from either potatoes, oats, apples, berries, ezekiel bread or brown rice.  I just ate breakfast which was 3/4 cup oats 1/2 an apple and 1 cup of strawberries, with 3/4 scoop of protein.  Came to 60 carbs, 20 protein, and then w/cla,fish oil and sesamin 3 grams of fat.  On my refeed day I will keep my protein levels to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.  Protein does not have much effect on leptin levels plus it helps keep my calories lower.

Tuesday I did 30 mins off high intensity intervals on the bike. 5 mins warm up 20 mins of 1 min as hard as I can go then 1 min rest, then 10 min cool down.  And that night I must have slept on my shoulder wrong because the next day it hurt so bad and it still does. Wednesday I could barely raise my arm to eye level, it feels like the front deltoid is strained or pulled.  Its feeling a little better today, kinda helps that I just started taking an anti-inflammatory for my lower back, plus the dr put me on muscle relaxers.  Fun stuff

Since my shoulder and back were hurting on Wednesday I decided it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for me to play softball, so I just did 45 mins of low intensity cardio on the bike when I woke up.  I’m also thinking of using Layne Norton for my contest prep.  I really want to win this show and I’m willing to pay for the help to win.  I want to be right on for this show and I know Layne Norton can help me get there.  I just have to talk my fiance Reno into letting me use him.  We’re trying to pay for our wedding that is June 14, 2008, so he’s thinking about it.  Well I’ll post how my workout went tonigt.  Later–Kelly

Had a pretty good workout today.  These high intensity workouts are kicking my ass more than the high volume workouts.  I was pretty spent after lifting and cardio.

I started off w/flat smith 1 warmup then 10×135# 45 sec rest 6×135#

Incline DB 1 warmup 10×70# 45 sec rest 6×70#

I tried something new 1 arm cable crossovers, since a kid was spending 30 mins doing cable bi’s.  And I’m not kidding either, WHAT AN IDIOT! loL ANYWAYS 8×40# 30 secs rest 8×40#.  They were ok, I should’ve done pec deck instead but I did those last week.

Seated DB curls 6×35’s 4×35’s rest 20 secs 2×35’s rest 10 secs 2×35’s whooo those kicked my ass!

EZ bar curl 7×60# 45 sec rest 7×60#

25 mins cardio on stationary bike 320 cals burned.

My ass muscles are hurting from my leg workout on Sunday.  But thats what I want, thats the area I need to lean out more this time around.  So if anyone has any ideas let me know, I’m always open to new ideas.  Anyways tomorrow is a HIT cardio day. I take Tuesday and Wed off from lifting.  Wednesday I play softball and do cardio only.  Be back in the gym on Thursd and Friday.  I’m also helping a friend from work on a new diet (actually I call it a new lifestyle not a diet). But I’m taking her grocery shopping on Friday and then she starts her detox this weekend.  I’m really excited for her and I hope she sticks to it.  She’s getting over a breakup and wants to start a new life.  Its the greatest feeling in the world to lose the weight and lead a healthier life style.  I keep telling her that she’s going to build self confidence and self esteem.  So wish her luck, she’s got a long and hard road ahead!  Talk to ya tomorrow–Kelly