laflorida3’s BodyBlog

Beating the crap out of things!!!! Been doing MMA for about…5 years now. Mostly Muay Thai & Boxing and a few years into that, grappling/judo stuff. I haven’t trained any in a few months and started about a week ago. Soreness is an amazing feeling. Started training with my boyfriend because well, he was one of those, "If I run a marathon, that means I’m in great shape." people. But all the does is run, run, run. Which is fine, but then we wrestled and he became immediately aware that there are many different types of fitness. My endurance is shit, but I’m working on it and he’s helping because he’s like freaking Forrest Gump with the damn running. I’m helping him in the gym & with the MMA stuff. It’s a good combo.

He had never been kicked in the shin before. My shins are pretty hard from Thai Boxing, but I bruise incredibly easy still, and end up with huge knots on my leg that I don’t notice are there until I glance down and see a golf-ball sized bump, which yes I have been to the doctor for many times just to make sure I wasn’t injuring myself too badly. Then comes the rub out of the knot after training and my God, the pain never stops. I mean I don’t make faces as much and I just kinda breathe, but it’s an intense pain. (I told my boyfriend this and I really think he thought I was not serious.) So we are blocking some kicks and whatnot, and he is just dying from these kicks, which I am making sure not to do hard because I’m not trying to hurt the guy, it’s just the conditioning for it is pretty intense. You gotta go through some pain and pass a line you didn’t know was there.

We train for a little over an hour, doing Muay Thai, Boxing and some grappling. Then comes the rub-out. It was hilarious. He had his face burried in a pillow, yelling for dear God. Oooooh how I remember those days. Needless to say he has a completely new respect for the sport and the training.

I went on a ramble there, sorry guys. My point is that it is important to cross-train. People try and be so specific in what they do, not realizing to train outside of what they are doing. I know not everyone does it, but some do. Some long-distance runners only run, run, run…Never anything else. I’ve trained runners who have cut some serious time from cross-training. My boyfriend is reaping the benefits, as am I. He thought he was in great shape, and for RUNNING he was, but then we were on the ground and he was in my guard and it was apparent that he wasn’t going anywhere. Help eachother out. Be stronger, faster, everything you can. We are all athletes on here, all with different goals but all wanting the same outcome…Look great naked!! Haha no, just kidding…kinda…

I am so sore by the way. Not an over-sore, but an accomplished sore. My body is happy with what I’m doing.

Life throws curveballs and well, what can I say… my life was no exception!!! LONG story short, my dad is sick & my mom needs my help so it’s back with the parents for a while until they don’t need me anymore!! I start my new job TOMORROW and new training program because the last month I am not going to lie…defintely put on a pound or 2 haha but it happens and nothing is getting me down. Everything is a fresh start right now so I am taking advantage of it!

The hard thing is trying to get my dad to be healthier. The doctors keep telling him he needs to change his diet drastically and stop with the sedentary lifestyle. I’m a personal trainer so you’d think he would take advantage of that… but NOPE. Damn stubborn men lol… all in good time, right?? We can’t change other people, we can just wish them the best.

I’m off to go swimming, and will be back on this site REGULARLY. Also, I FINALLY got my camera back so new pics will be up in a week or so!!

How in the hell do I get started in Fitness/Figure modeling? Who do I talk to? Where do I go? What the hell do I do?

I will be a spectator at my first BB show in June, and plan on making myself look fabulous for the event, so do I just network, network, network?

I just don’t know exactly where to start. Well, I guess I do. I have to start with myself and getting my ass into great shape. But other than that, how do I get my foot in this damn fitness door?

My computer was in repair for the last almost 2 weeks, so sorry for not being on here!!! Long story short…computer crashed on tile floor… started new job at GREAT Italian restaurant… everything is awesome. Other than that, training has been great, everything is good, gotta get some pics up soooooonnn!!!

Headed out to the beach tomorrow. I am excited except for the fact I am pretty damn pale. But whatever, that’s the least of my problems. I have only been taking this seriously for 3 weeks now, and thankfully I started off in "OK" shape, so I am already seeing SOME results. SOME is better than NONE, so I am pretty excited about what the future will bring.

Ever since I was about 14, I have had some larger-than-normal-girls biceps! I couldn’t help it, I didn’t lift weights or anything, I was just stronger and more defined. I remember girls used to make fun of me lol thinking all I did was lift weights in my free time, when I had never even touched one. I used to get so embarassed about it and wear long sleeve shirts in the Florida summer. It bothered me for years and I looked upon my muscularity as a downside. I can’t even explain how happy I am right now. If someone says, "oh wow, your bicep is big!" You know what I say? I say THANKS!!! This is just the way I am. Why should I be ashamed of being FIT???? What the hell is wrong with people nowadays that when a woman has muscles, she is suddenly weird? It used to bother me but not anymore. I like it.

Now, I have some friends who don’t quite understand me. They already tell me I’m in really good shape. They don’t get that I am striving for something more, that I want to be successful commercially and personally. I try to explain it. But this is coming from a few people who are satisfied with their expanding waistline, so I don’t hold them responsible. When I go to family functions and the like, people always say, "Why aren’t you eating this cake, it’s delicious!! You’re only denying yourself the best foods!" I laugh. The best foods? Cake is a best food now? When I think of best foods, my brainwashed mind thinks of eggwhites, oatmeal and chicken breast lol…

My whole point is that unless you have a mindset like most of the people on this website, you probably won’t understand us. And that’s ok. I enjoy wearing a tank top and my cousin saying, "Hey Erica, you’re looking pretty buff!" Even if she means it jokingly, at least I know I’m headed in the right direction!!! This site is awesome and extremely supportive. It’s nice to be surrounded by people with ultimately the same goal…improved health and lives. SO THANK YOU ALL!!!!

I AM a personal trainer, I am just taking time off because frankly, LIFE HAPPENS. There is no way at this very moment I could dedicate myself to any client the way they deserve, but as soon as things get taken care of, that will change. I work at a comedy club right now and am making killer money and seeing killer comedians, so I wouldn’t change a thing about anything.

So here this goes… I get questions about my training and what machines I use, etc. My equipment consists of free weights, barbells and my body. I don’t use any other machine other than the one God blessed me with. My lovely ADHD keeps me from being able to just go from machine to machine in the gym and honestly after all I have learned and experienced, for my goals it isn’t at all necessary to use machines. I run around outside, but not just straight away. I do sprints and intervals, sometimes even attaching a heavy bag and running with it just for that day I feel like I can do it. I do push ups, LOTS of them. I do jumping lunges and jumping squats. Walking lunges, too. I do pull ups, mostly assisted because I’m not as strong as I want to be, but I ALWAYS use the least amount of resistance. I like big movement exercies because it incorporates more muscles and burns more calories than isolation, and that way I don’t have to do QUITE as much boring cardio.

I NEVER do curls, yet my biceps are well developed and strong. It all comes down to your goals. I want to be fit in the way that I can maneuver my body efficiently and quickly, and have good balance, so obviously I would not have the same workouts as someone who is bodybuilding specifically. We all want to look good naked, but there are different ways of getting there. I want to be agile, so why get on the smith machine? I understand it can build some awesome legs, but it does not allow me the proper movements required for agility.

So that’s what I do. I play outside. I throw things. I pick them up.

BUT, despite how you are training, DIET is key. That is why I am not in the shape I used to be in…my "fighting" shape I call it. I fought in Golden Gloves and had a few Muay Thai fights, and my body could do things I only wish it could again. I hope everyone knows that running for an hour a day does NOT help a boxer do anything but lose weight. Running long distances does not help the 3-minutes you are in the ring. They are two completely different energy systems. They only run so much to lose extra weight. ANYWAYS, sorry for that haha… I was saying, diet is the most important factor in the way your body looks. I have adopted the old "you are what you eat" way of thinking, and boy does it help. Feed your body the good things on earth and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. I have a cousin who is constantly begging me to train him, but he won’t trade the recumbant bike for an eliptical, and he won’t change his diet, no matter what I say he thinks he is right. He says he is a vegitarian so he is healthy… so he will eat the french fries but not the burger and thinks he is doing himself a favor. He doesn’t comprehend what I try to tell him. Oh well, some people are just dense.

I have been rambling on, I apologize. I have a lot of energy today and it’s coming out in all arenas. Hope everyone has a wonderful week and good luck and good job to everyone!

I AM a personal trainer, I am just taking time off because frankly, LIFE HAPPENS. There is no way at this very moment I could dedicate myself to any client the way they deserve, but as soon as things get taken care of, that will change. I work at a comedy club right now and am making killer money and seeing killer comedians, so I wouldn’t change a thing about anything.

So here this goes… I get questions about my training and what machines I use, etc. My equipment consists of free weights, barbells and my body. I don’t use any other machine other than the one God blessed me with. My lovely ADHD keeps me from being able to just go from machine to machine in the gym and honestly after all I have learned and experienced, for my goals it isn’t at all necessary to use machines. I run around outside, but not just straight away. I do sprints and intervals, sometimes even attaching a heavy bag and running with it just for that day I feel like I can do it. I do push ups, LOTS of them. I do jumping lunges and jumping squats. Walking lunges, too. I do pull ups, mostly assisted because I’m not as strong as I want to be, but I ALWAYS use the least amount of resistance. I like big movement exercies because it incorporates more muscles and burns more calories than isolation, and that way I don’t have to do QUITE as much boring cardio.

I NEVER do curls, yet my biceps are well developed and strong. It all comes down to your goals. I want to be fit in the way that I can maneuver my body efficiently and quickly, and have good balance, so obviously I would not have the same workouts as someone who is bodybuilding specifically. We all want to look good naked, but there are different ways of getting there. I want to be agile, so why get on the smith machine? I understand it can build some awesome legs, but it does not allow me the proper movements required for agility.

So that’s what I do. I play outside. I throw things. I pick them up.

BUT, despite how you are training, DIET is key. That is why I am not in the shape I used to be in…my "fighting" shape I call it. I fought in Golden Gloves and had a few Muay Thai fights, and my body could do things I only wish it could again. I hope everyone knows that running for an hour a day does NOT help a boxer do anything but lose weight. Running long distances does not help the 3-minutes you are in the ring. They are two completely different energy systems. They only run so much to lose extra weight. ANYWAYS, sorry for that haha… I was saying, diet is the most important factor in the way your body looks. I have adopted the old "you are what you eat" way of thinking, and boy does it help. Feed your body the good things on earth and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. I have a cousin who is constantly begging me to train him, but he won’t trade the recumbant bike for an eliptical, and he won’t change his diet, no matter what I say he thinks he is right. He says he is a vegitarian so he is healthy… so he will eat the french fries but not the burger and thinks he is doing himself a favor. He doesn’t comprehend what I try to tell him. Oh well, some people are just dense.

I have been rambling on, I apologize. I have a lot of energy today and it’s coming out in all arenas. Hope everyone has a wonderful week and good luck and good job to everyone!

I’m getting ready for a nice sweaty lower-body plyo workout… I can’t wait. I LOVE plyometrics. Nothing has changed my body more actually. The pump, the sweat, the feeling that you can’t do one more and you freaking do it… it’s awesome and beyond satisfying. I mean at times I absolutely despise it because I feel like I can’t do even one more but that’s the best time to push it out. Mind over body. It’s amazing the things you can do with JUST your own bodyweight. Anyways, this was a boring post, I’m just damn excited because in about 10 minutes I will be off in my own world doing something I love…and I know you all understand me!!! 

Happy working-out lol and hope everyone is well!!

I am FINALLY getting serious people. My life is changing for the better, and it will only happen with the help of some newfound confidence and health on my part. I’m sticking to the plan and making things happen.

I went to an intense 4 month school for personal training, and after all that tuition I realized I would rather look the part than teach it. Don’t get me wrong, I am well educated in the field and if anyone ever asks me anything I explain to my best of knowledge, but I just don’t want to be a personal trainer at the moment.

Anyways, I am excited to see the transformations in my body that hard work and the future will bring.

I hate cardio. I build muscle pretty easily. Which means I will have to work harder on the cardio because I need to lower my BF%. Ughh. Hate cardio! Oh well, just gotta get off my ass and do it, right?! There is nothing the body suffers which the soul cannot benefit