The I Love Carbs Blog

It’s been one heck of a ride thus far!  I’ve been switching up my training every 6-8 weeks since the beginning of the year.  I went from high reps, focusing hard on lagging body parts, and went to moderate reps. Now I’ve been doing compound training for a few weeks, and have been lifting heavier than ever.  As always, I stick to strict form.  I’ve hit lots of PR’s as of late.  Just to name a few, I’m pressing 50lb. DB on my decline chest presses.  I’m squating 205.  I have now graduated to body weight dips.  YAY!  And my stiff leg dead lifts are at 225lbs.  My focus for this off season has been to put on some size in my quads, work on my abs, and thicken my back.  My goal is to keep feminine lines, while adding on mass.  I have one killer coach that has a great program for me. 

I’m getting antsy to start leaning out, but it’s not time yet.  I’m still eating two cheats per week.  And my bodyfat is still under control.  Coach is a mad scientist with the diet, and I love that.  Everything is structured, and everything is answered. 

Along with my training, I’ve been baking.  My latest was catering my own daughter’s Sweet 16.  I also had the pleasure on baking cupcakes for my fellow teammates who competed in the Europa Orlando show.  I wish I got a picture of it.  There’s no other sight like seeing these buff athletes devour cupcakes!

I also had the privilage to do a small training recording for                    p r o b o d y b u i l d i n g . c o m (sorry for the spaces….bodyspace won’t allow me to type in the site name unless I space it this way) I started with a short interview, and then worked some delts as a training tool on the web site.  I’m not sure if or when it will be on the site, but that was prety cool. 

My wonderful hubby and I celebrated our 16 year anniversary today!  I can’t imagine where the time went.  We started our marriage at a very young age, and have gone through so much together.  He is my love of my life, my best friend, my everything…love you honey! 
Okay, mushy stuff over.  I had a brutal workout tonight.  I went with my hubby and he was there when I needed someone to talk me into going that extra mile.  My trainer has me doing a ton of quad work to help define them.  Actually, all of my workouts have a high volume of exercises, 3 sets each, and a 10, 8, 6 rep.  I love it.  Tonight I did squats, leg presses, hack squats, smith machine front squats, leg extensions, 3 sets toes pointed in, 3 sets toes out.  I finished the training with Suzanne Summer’s favorite, the abductor/adductor machine.  I had a little time left while waiting for hubby to finish his training, so I ended up doing 18 minutes on the elliptical.
My diet has been good.  I’m eating 8 meals a day.  The food I’m consuming isn’t hard to keep up with, it’s the meals that I have trouble with.  I think I need to set my alarm to remind myself when it’s meal time.  It’s a super clean diet, with a cheat HOUR every Wednesday and Saturday.  Yeah, a whole freaking hour!  I had to ask my coach about it to define what a cheat meal would be.  Anything I want for an hour.  I’ve been pretty good, and not going crazy with it.  I know if I do, it’ll be more work for me later on when it’s time to lean out.  My cheat meals so far have been a burger with fries.  Tomorrow is going to be a dozzie of a cheat meal!  Hubby and I have a double date and I am going to not care about it.  Our good friends are also celebrating their 16^th anniversary as well.  I meet with my coach and meet the team crew on the 17^th, so I’m super excited about that.  We’ll have my evaluation before the team training.  Afterwards we have a social at a restaurant.  Maybe he’ll be nice and be a bit lenient on my diet while in Vegas. 
I’m not sure if I’ll train tomorrow or Sunday.  My training schedule is 5 days on, 2 days off.   It’ll depend on if I have time to fit it in.  Either way, my last training day this week will be back, traps, forearms, and side abs. 
 

Is it just me, or would you guys pay a Personal Trainer that looks, well…nothing like a personal trainer?  I’ve been at my gym for about 2 years now.  And within that time period, I’ve seen PTs come and go.  I’ve watched them train their clients.  A couple of them have been there way before I started.  They walk to the walk.  I see them squeezing in their own training time, because it’s important as well.  Then, there are the others that I feel almost afraid for their clients.  There’s one PT there that was with her client.  He was pretty over weight, and maybe in his 50’s?  It was difficult to tell how old he was, but mainly, he was certainly out of shape.  He clearly needed to start out at the very basics.  She has him doing walking lunges.  The guy looks like he’s about to have a heart attack.  Then later I notice she has him doing some funky shoulder exercise on the cables.  He goes to do his first rep, and immediately grabs his shoulder and has this look of pain on his face.  NO GOOD.  I’ve thought about someday being a PT.  The joy to motivate others in something that I’m passionate about.  But I feel that I first have to really understand it inside and out.  Like with any business, you have to have that passion and understanding of your work.  If not, it shows.  To me, I would do research on the PT that I hire before having them train me.  And the first thing on their resume you should look at is their own body.  Let’s face it, if they’re going to train you to be in shape, and live a healthier life, shouldn’t your trainer live that way too?

Last night my 8 year old daughter trained in her gymnastics gym for 3-1/2 hours.   She was trying out for the team.   I’m not familiar with gymnastics, but she would either make the USA team level 3 or 4.  The difference between the levels is the competitions.  Level 3 competes locally, while level 4 athletes travel for their competitions.  I told her to go out there and have fun, and do her best.  She wasn’t nervous at all.  It was just another practice day to her.  A day she can spend time with her friends and do what she likes, gymnastics.  As I sat there watching her tryouts, I’m hearing the other moms whispering in their daughter’s ears before they head out for tryouts.  They’re telling their daughters they BETTER do well…I’m paying a fortune for this, so you better make the team…You need to focus out there and not screw up and goof around like you always do!  I was sad for these young girls.  If you’re not having fun training, what’s the point?  Physical activity is enjoyed by an individual because they have passion for it; they have a drive to move forward.  Parents like these are killing that passion for their children!  So what if they don’t make the team.  They’re out there busting their butt 3 days a week, 3 hours each training practice.  And today was awesome.  I think the coaches may have done this purposely for the parents to appreciate the hard work and effort they’re little girl endure.  Today was parent participation night.  We did what our girls do when they train.  We were put into groups and did our rotations with our daughters.  I don’t know about all the parents that were involved, but the ones in my group were whining about how tired they were, when is it going to be over, I want to quit already!  How can they be so hard on their children when they can’t even do 45 minutes of it?  I think my hubby and I teach our girls to do their best…even though sometimes our best isn’t good enough.  At least you have no regrets.  Second lesson is that training needs to be fun, and positive.  You get so much more out of it if you enjoy it.  The passion and drive then follows.  I took a training day off for this, also because I have not had a day off this week yet. 
I did back yesterday.  LOVED IT!  I was able to do 135lbs on my cable pull downs with the parallel bar,  120lbs for my seated cable rows,  125lbs on my bent over barbell rows, and  55lbs on DB rows.  I also ended it with 45 minutes of low intensity cardio.  I kept my heart rate at 135-140bpm. 
Tomorrow is my final training day before vacation.  I have shoulders and traps.  I’ll most likely throw in cardio after the weights. 
Hopefully I can make it into the gym at least twice on vacation.  If I can, I’ll probably do an entire upper body workout one day, and then lower body the next time.  I’ll add in cardio with those days as well.  There is a pool and the entire beach to do some walking on, so I will be able to stay active.  I’ll be enjoying the eats as well.  With family coming out 3 of our vacation days, there will be some splurging happening. 

Oh yea…I’m chilling until the New Year.  You know how everyone starts off the New Year by saying they’ll go to the gym more, eat better, blah, blah, blah.  Same old resolution.  Well, that is mine.  I can’t wait to start on the new training and diet program.  Although I’m enjoying the time off, it will be exciting to start on my goals for 2009.  I have a LONG bulk ahead of me.  I know I’m already thinking how much weight I’ll put on.  It’s a mind trip when you go from lean to “beefy” as my hubby puts it.  I think it’s almost time to bring out the next level of clothes.  Yes, I have levels I go through.  I’m just at the end of my lean level clothes.  I tried keeping some control of my weight.  I’ve been doing okay.   I am splurging with all the holiday baking I’ve been doing.  I’m going on a week vacation next weekend so I have to look somewhat decent in my swimsuit.  After talking to my coach today, he said not to worry about the diet until after the New Year.  Enjoy my holiday and we’ll meet up afterwards. 

So tonight I trained legs.  I started with hammies tonight.  I typically don’t start with them.  I did Lying Leg Curls and then my favorite, Stiff Legged Dead Lifts.  I was able to do 145lbs.  I moved on to Leg Extensions, and maxed at 150lbs for 8 reps.  Then over to the Leg Press and finished at 360lbs.  I did the Squat Machine since the free weight area was taken up.  Those were ok.  I wish I was able to use the free weights instead.  I wanted to do some cardio but had to get home.  I did 45 minutes last night.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  Tonight’s training was a hodge-podge workout.  It started off great, but there was some gym drama that happened and that kind of off set my workout.   Nothing drastic, but I ended up having to talk with someone about a matter and that got my muscle cooled off. 

Next weekend, I’m off to the beach!  Not only is my entire family coming out to visit, my hubby’s family will pop in one of those days.  His dad loves to fish, so he’s bringing the fishing poles.  Last time we were at the beach fishing, he caught a bottlenose shark on the shore.  It kind of looks like a hammer head shark.  My little one is so excited about fishing.  Hopefully she’ll catch something.

I’ve been waiting to tell everyone about great changes that have been made with my training.  I’m so excited to announce that I am now part of Team Body Tech.  I have a trainer that will guild me through this sport and lead me in the right direction.  Although I owe so much thanks to my former trainer, I felt as though I needed someone to basically hold my hand and lead me.  There were so many times I felt overwhelmed.  I am a person that needs a plan that I can picture what the next 2-3 steps will be.  My new trainer takes the guess work out of my comp preps.  Although I do not have the luxury of having my new trainer in the same gym, I honestly like it that way.  He’s about 2 hours away and we plan on having me come in every 3 weeks for check-ins.  Something that I will have to get used to is a training program.  Right now I’ll be on a 5 days on, 2 days off split.  I have been following my hubby’s plan he writes for me.  I guess what it comes down to is that everything was so relaxed with my contest prep, now things are going to be very well structured.  And I feel like I’m starting from square one again.  My trainer is going to have to learn what my body likes and doesn’t like.  But…this is going to be awesome and I am excited to be part of the team! 
I start my official off season training/diet next week.  I’d better get in one cheat meal before I get down to business J
Today I trained shoulders/traps.  I haven’t done cardio in awhile.  It’s been about 2 weeks maybe?  I’ve got to fit that in.  I will be putting on weight this off season, but keep the body fat in check, and lift heavy to build those muscles. Oh man….I’ve got to bring out the off season clothes. 
I am so excited about the holidays.  I’m leaving for vacation and will be staying on the beach for a week.  My entire family will be coming out to visit.  I think it’s been at least 13 years since all the siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, grandparents, etc. have been together.  I’m looking forward to the break.  To be able to chill out by the pool side, walk on the beach, hang out with my hubby and girls.  
Here’s my shoulders/traps work out:
Warm up: 
2 sets: DB Side Laterals: 15lbs x 12
Seated DB Presses:
1- 20lbs x 10
2- 25lbs x 8
3- 30lbs x 8
4- 35lbs x 6
Cable Up Right Rows:
1- 80lbs x 10
2- 100lbs x 10
3- 110lbs x 8
4- 120lbs x 6
DB Side Laterals <super set> DB Front Raises:
Sets 1-4: 15lbs x 10
DB Shrugs:
1- 30lbs x 12
2- 35lbs x 10
3- 40lbs x 10
4- 50lbs x 8
5- 60lbs x 8
Hammer Strength Shrugs:
1- 180lbs x 8 (too much weight, did not have good form)
2&4- 160lbs x 8

I got some pictures back today from the shoot.  I had picked out 57 images, so it will take some time for the photographer to edit them. Here’s some that are finished.  I love the lighting.  These were taken 4 days after contest prep. 

Well…let me just say that it was fun.  The hub and I met with the photographer today.  I meet him in the gym and he’s a super cool guy.  He made things comfortable for me.  I admit, I was a bit nervous.  Ironically, I don’t like attention upon me…*yeah, that’s why I got into competing in bodybuilding*  But having the camera set on you and knowing the person is looking into the lens at YOU is just not my idea of comfort. 

We got there and it started raining.  We waited it out for about 20 minutes and like all Florida down pours, if you wait about 15-20 minutes, it will stop.  The backdrop was the state park forest with the springs gleaming with splashes of shadows from the trees and sparkles from the sunshine.  I took some posing shots in my suit, and some with a dress, and some with workout clothes.  It went great…all except for all the dang mosquitos!  I forgot how horrible they are here.  If you get anywhere near trees and water, you’ll be eaten alive.  Luckily, I had my tanner on, so you really couldn’t see the bites on me.  It was pretty bad.  I finally got used to the idea of shooting and then it got dark quickly.  Darn that time change!  We got some great shots, and I can’t wait to see them.  The hub was impressed as well. 

The season is finally over and now I can chill out and train.  I felt so completely lost after my first show.  My body went through shock and rejected food, I slept for days, and was out of it.  This time, I was able to manage being lean and not get cankles again, and I didn’t feel fatigued.  My mini goal for the rest of the year is to keep my body fat down and lift heavy.  After the new year, well, that’s a different story.  I will be bulking and am thinking on doing a show in October.  That will give me plenty of time to put on some growth.  It gave me a idea this time about what body parts I’d like to improve on.  Yes, I know, there’s ALWAYS a body part to improve.  I can see my weak points, and strong points, and will start building straight away on the wheels   Everything else will not be over looked, but my legs will be trained especially hard.  The list is long,but mainly my legs are the key.

Keep training hard!

I’ve gone through a roller coaster of emotions.  From complete utter sadness for missing call outs because of being sick, to frustrations, embarrassment, anger, to isolation.  I got my butt into the gym today.  I was avoiding it somewhat just because I knew the people there would ask "what happened?"  and I just didn’t want to talk or think about it any more.  But, time to face it and move on.  Things happen in life, and for whatever reason, it wasn’t meant to be.  I realize that the people that have been involved have watched me dedicate 15 months of my life to train to compete have been my support system.  They’ve been caring and have comforted me and helped me snap out of it!  It felt good to be in the gym and train again.  I had good energy and just tooled around with a back workout.  It wasn’t structured, but for just getting back into it from dieting down and the horrible weekend, I felt pretty strong.  I’m looking forward to hitting the heavy weights again and building some muscle.

Tomorrow, I have a photo shoot.  A friend of mine is a photographer.  He was there at the show to take exclusive pictures, but..well, you know the story.  So, my hubby and I are meeting him at a state park to take some pictures.  I haven’t gone crazy eating, so I’m still in good condition.  To be honest, I was afraid to eat too much sodium and get cankles!  I’m a little nervous since I’ve never done this.  I’m glad hub will be there. 

Speaking of the hub…he just went through a great lean out. He bulked up to about 215 and leaned out to 176!  Holy moly.  We’ll be bulking together for the next few months and he may even compete!  OH YAY!!!  How exciting to be able to experience this with him.  He’s the one who has taught me everything about weight lifting.  Bulking will officially start after the holidays.  I’m hoping to watch my diet until then.  As you know, I can bulk with the best of them. lol.  (I’m writing this as I’m eating a yummy dark chocolate hazelnut biscotti I baked) bad..very bad!

I’ll post some pictures after I look at the proofs. 

Keep training hard everyone!

First of all, I’d like to thanks you all who stopped by to wish me good luck and have given me support.  It really meant A LOT!  I was spot on for the show this past Saturday.  UNFORTUNATELY, it didn’t work out.  I can’t stress how disappointed I am with it!  But, it is a good lesson learned. 

I came in hard, tight, and dry as ever.  I was mentally prepared to get it on, and kill it on stage.  The unfortunate part was my body said, "oh no you’re not ready!"  I woke up at 5 a.m. and felt real dizzy.  I figured it had t do with water depletion, and needed to eat my first meal.  Not quite that easy.  I started seeing black and had to lay down or it was lights out.  After about 15 minutes, I got up and ate, and felt a little better.  My hubby finished putting my tanning on and I continued on with my prep.  I was determined to drive on.  After arriving to the show and sitting through the athlete’s meeting, I starting feeling faint again.  My coach told me to eat my next meal, and sit and relax.  I ate, and sat a while.  But it was time to get up and finish preparing.  Getting my sugars in and pumping, etc.  It was then I started throwing up.  I got sick a few times.  Getting closer to call outs, I asked the girl who kept us girls in check with the show schedule how much time I had left, she told me about 20 minutes until they call out the Women’s Open BB class.  So, I made my way back outside to throw up before call outs.  This is when it got really sucky!  In actuality, I had 5 minutes to call outs.  As I’m dry heaving outside, the girl came out am rushed me to the side stage.  My class was already in their relaxed pose.  The head coordinator said it’s too late for me, they’ve called out my class.  He then said I’m finished.  I said, "are you joking?"  He said NO!  That was it…I called my coach and he met me on the other side of the stage.  I broke down in tears.  Disappointed in myself, embarrassed, frustrated that I put all that time in my training and dieting, I felt I let people down that supported me, and came out with this outcome!  I met my family and we headed back to the hotel.  The rest of the day my body cramped up.  My legs would cramp up so bad I was in the verge of tears. 

I took it easy, and drank about 1-1/2 gallons of water, ate about 6 apples, took a ton of multi-minerals, and got some carbs in me.  I’m feeling MUCH better today. 

My lesson learned is that I’ve got to prepare myself better than this.  What is it worth preparing for a show that I’m going to kill myself over?  I came in better condition than my previous show.  My weight dropped, bf% dropped, I looked lean, and my muscles filled out just right for the show, but I can’t push it to the point of getting sick.  So, looking at the bright side, I have accomplished my goal coming in better conditioned, minus getting up on stage.   Now, I have to learn to move past this and plan for a future show next year.  My hubby has been so loving, supportive of me and comforting.  It’s time for me to move past this and focus on my training.  Thank you all again for the support you’ve given me.  I will be back bigger and stronger!

I will leave with this verse:

PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13, I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.