- FIT CHIK 4 Life - MJ FOX

Well it has been a really busy year so far and here I am 3 days out from Jr. National in Chicago-Shy town.  But before I talk about that lets get in a feel good zone of surpassing ones goal when set.  2008 Jr. USA’s held in Charleston SC. was my first national debut.  I set  goal to place in the top 15.  I am still on a high but realize I must work hard, become stronger and work my stage.  Great learning experience-But now after placing 3rd my standards are higher for self- I hear Jr. Nationals is a tougher show-yeah I know still I rise right.   I am going to take every bit of this next national show and learn.  Top ten is what I must get.  Top 5 would be SWEEET! however I am new in this sport and must learn to put in my time.  But as I put in my time I want to shine still-Thanks for all your support and will feedback on Jr. Nationals in Chicago-MJ-FitChik4Life

Everything you need to know for your next figure show. Figure Prep 101.  I have learned so much from my own mistakes that I wanted to help others.  People ask so much about figure that I decided to create a Figure Prep 101.  February 16, 2008 in Fayetteville, NC- visit www.fitfx.net for more info on it. 

I have seen many bodies that are competition ready however the competitor is not.  I mean you can have a great back but if you can’t bring it out on stage. UGH!! We are hosting a posing clinic  for Figure/Fitness/Bodybuilding in Fayetteville NC. January 19,2008 Learn what the judges are looking for.  What suit color is right- What exactly is asymmetry.  Tanning why do I need to- all these things will be covered.

Visit www.fitfx.net to get more info or email fitfx@fitfx.net We hope to see you there.

Most important thing I believe you should do when training for competition is write it down.  Keep a journal.  Even if you have a trainer.  No one will learn your body better than you IF you pay attention to it.  This is how you will learn after each show what works and what does not.  Look at yourself first thing in the morning and make notes of what you ate and did the day before. All the info I am sharing works for me.  You are welcome to try it but remember it works for ME.   

First 2 weeks of 8weeks.  I tried to get in a 1- 1 1/2gallon of water per day.  I did this by 1 gallon of water and about 50 oz of a greentea/dandilion tea mix with crystal light.  I used vineger as often as possible on my salads.  I always use baby spinach and mixed green leaf and red leafed lettuce.  (note: did you know that spinach can help with muscle developemment.  Its source of iron and magnesium. Both are essential to muscle development. Spinach also contains vitamin C, vitamin B-9  hmm)  I also used lots of high fiber foods.  Sweet peas, pears, pink grapefruit, shredded wheat, green apples.  Fiber works for weight loss, stabalizing insulin levels-which aids in calorie burning.  Fiber is a key part of weight watchers and other weight loss programs that’s why people tend to loose the weight in these programs without exercise.Only problem is they lose muscle too due to the calories are to low and not enough protein. But remember fiber in need lots of water to work it.  You would be amazed at how you waist line may shrink taking in the proper amount of fiber.

OK 

Last 2 weeks I started asparugus at lunch and at dinner.

I had 6 meals per day 3 meals 3 shakes within 2-3 hrs apart.  Last shake about 10pm only one scoop. 

Up until the last 2 weeks I used peanut butter as my fat then switched to almonds.  However, if I cheated with something high in fat I did not take it in I used flax seed oil instead.  I also did not use pb when I had something that was salty for the day. 

The key is to replace one with the other when you do slip up or cheat.

I did long slow cardio mixed with short intense intervals.  I will be adding in a weight training circuit the next time for 2 of my cardio’s.

My pro source was mainly fish-orange roughy, salmon, talapia.  Not much tuna after the first 2 weeks. 

My carbs were sweet potato’s and shredded wheat, oatmeal.

I will be changing this also for the next show. 

As for training. 

Cardio on empty stomach am 5x per week then 4-6x per week in evening.  Sprint work, treadmill at an incline and spinning at home.

Please note I have to really watch my cardio- I can lose muscle quickly. 

After workouts and cardio I take in Glutamine. Powder, raw, and chase it with water.  I find this to be the best way to get it into my blood stream and into the muscle for repair. 

Also I eat all fruits before 2pm.  No carbs with pm meals except veggies.

4 weeks out I started doing 2 low carbs days 1 high carb day then back to moderate carbs.

3weeks out I did 2 low carbs days 1 no carb day and 1 high carb day and then back to moderate carbs. 

This help me prepare my body and train it for comp week.  No suprises to my body it will do what I want it to do the week of the show. Just without the water weight. 

When on low carbs I increased my protien and veggies.

3 weeks out I came off all protien shakes.  Until everything happend with Grandad.  Then my diet got a little rough.  So I had to do the best I could.

Green tea was daily along with dandeliion root tea.  Water weight and fatburning plus antioxidents is why I did this.  It works for me.

As for supplements what I take and why

Multivitamin

Omga 3-6-9 -muscle health and inflamation, cardiac health,

B-complex,( liquid is best, - muscle recovery, stress reliever)

Glutamine- tissue repair

Grape seed - antioxident-

CoQ10- cardiac health and skin oxidizer

BCAA- Muscle growth and repair,

Vitamin C, E, D

Currently not taking fatburners start untill 6 weeks out again.  But this is how I used them the last 8 weeks for the august show: 

Dicanna- Fatburner- 2x per day.Works with metabolism used for the first 3weeks to jump start my metabolism and fatburning

Then started animal cuts-fat burner 2x per day.  I love this pak it has everything in it and it does not give me the jitters.

I will make a blog with my plans for this next show.

got a question-shoot me a reply.

Also we will be hosting a posing clinic, training and diet seminar soon.  Please let me know if you have and interest.

later guys

MJ-fitchik4life

Hey all I did say I would post my training regimen for the last 8 weeks.  How I dropped all this weight and leaned out for the Aug 25, show.  Well first I had to get my mind right. I mean you have to get an addiction for the gym in a sense.  I had to use the gym as my outlet due to so much going on in my life. 
A little tip:  When your about to compete that is when your mental strength needs to grow. 
See life is going to happen to us all.  What I mean is obstacles.  I mean if you have not had and obstacles in your life yet.  Just keep on living -my pastor would say.  Really we all have to live and life is not always easy and to survive you have to rise.  This was my quote that got me thru.  Because regardless of all that was going on the sickness the deaths, Still I Rise.  I had to.  I have to help so any others rise that I had to too.  I had a few close friends 2 to be exact that reminded me that I have to rise for me.  We all need a little push at times.  Even superman had his gal that made him be a better man.  OK. 
I started my training at 158lb 8 weeks out.  It is healthy to loose about .50-2lbs per week.  If you start loosing 3lb per week as a bodybuilder trying to preserve your mass you may just start loosing muscle so to be safe.  2lbs was my goal per week.  I calculated at 2lbs per week times 8 weeks I would loose about 16lbs. that would take me down to 142.  So I know my last show was 133lb and I wanted to be leaner.  The last show I was carrying more water than this show.  So I knew that if I could deplete better I would come into the show leaner.  If I get down to 142lb. then I could loose from 6-12lb water.  This would have me at about 130-136lbs. So I felt good about achieving my goals however it required me to do my part. WORK! 
See when life happens your training can take a dive or you RISE.  meaning you make it happen.  Guys I was sprinting, doing plyos, and lunging the darn hospital parking lot when Granddaddy was sick.  Man I tell you if that aint love.  It was hot, I was emotional, and I was weak because I had to balance my training diet with the hospital cafeteria food. 
Something that helped me was finding Bodyspace and utilizing it.  Some of the profiles have really pushed me.  I mean I am going thru trials but some of the profiles have gone thru some serious trial and still they were rising.  So it told me if they can I can too.  It really helped me, so to all who have been posting there testimonies, I say thanks. 
Ok back to the training. I first started hitting my water.  I did 1gallon per day.  I used most of my past diet but changed it a little. My calorie intake was 1940.  On the norm its 2140 but what I did was created a deficit of 200cal.  Why?  Because if you create a deficit of more than 300 cals per day you can loose muscle.  The goal is for me to keep the little I have.  First I need you all to understand your calorie counts to follow how I did my diet. Many of us train hard but our diets are crazy.  Either your starving your muscle and selves or your feeding them a to much or the wrong amounts or foods.  So here goes.
For every gram of fat it will = 9 calories
For every gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
For every gram of Protein = 4 calories
Also let me add you can go to bodybuilding.com and they have a huge food and nutrition counter if this is going to be to difficult  for you.  But I do suggest that you learn how to understand what’s in your diets and how to use food. Yes, food to help accelerate your progress.
How my diet broke down-
 20% cal came from fat.(20% x 1940 this is my total my calorie intake for the day) = 388
So 388 calories are coming from fat.  In grams that would be 9 calories per gram of fat.  388/9=43.  So 44g of fat is what I am having per day.
Are you with me?
Then I went to my protein source.  My weight was at 158.  My body fat at that time was high so I do not have 158lb of muscle.  I wish.lol. The rule of thumb is to take in at least 1gram of protein per lb.  I did the extreme and did between 1.5 and 2g.. I did a range because sometimes my diet will be low in carbs and other times higher. 
So lets just go with 1.5 g of protein.  Same calculating as before 1.5g x 158lb how much I weighed = 237g of protein. How many calories is that? Well 4 calories =1g of protein remember.  So 237g x 4cal=948 calories.
So now I have 948calories from Protein + 388 calories from fat this = 1336 so 1344 calories are my total thus far. 
Here comes the carbs. 
If I have a total of 1336 calories and 1940 is my daily caloric intake then I will take 1336-1940=604calories left.  This is my carbs.  
I know your like 604 grams of carbs?  Yep.  See what many people forget is muscle need protein but muscle needs glycogen and glycogen comes from your carbs. 
That’s why we carb load before a show to fill the muscle back up so it will be full.  AH HA.  If your still with me and your getting this then you are half way there.
Carbs are not bad, there a good thing.  We just take in the wrong carbs and not enough of the good ones.  Carbs do muscles good lol.
Ok guys I will continue this after my next client but gotta run for now. Will go into what was in my diet next post.  Please feel free to drop a comment, question, or correction.  You are all welcome and I hope this helps someone.   sorry for the spelling I am rushing.

Hey all, this weekend was great it.  I placed 1st in my tall class.  I felt good about the show and yes I am glad it’s over.  No, I did not eat pizza yet or cheesecake and not really craving it.  But I did get some lobster in butter sauce hmmm. It was good.  I received enough dark chocolate truffles to send me back to that first progress picture and baby that AIN’T happening.  So i thank you all but I will be sharing candy with the juice bar girls, thier young and thier little bodies can adjust.  I was suprised at my placing and I am happy too.  I think I am just hard on myself, but you have to be in competition.  You compete against self until the day of the show. I thought I would get 2nd.  I will be doing my next show in 10 weeks. November 3, 2007 Elite muscle.  Looking forward to a better tighter lower body and some calves.  However I am pleased to have my body back.  Again thanks to you all and stay focused, train hard, eat well n often, love the body you are changing.

Tomorrow is my first day back hitting the gym and it will be a moderate TTL.  I ate clean and carb loaded up today pleanty of water and glutamine.  Your body goes thru so much stress from competing that you have to eat well after or you can loose what you had.

MJ- fitfhick4life…changing lives one body at a time.

YEHAW! It’s show time well almost.  18 hours to go.  Thanks to you all for your cares thoughts prayers.  Wow. Just thanks.  Please remember what I have learned over the last 8 weeks of training.  That inspite of what is going all in your life you NEED to STILL RISE.  Take care of that temple that you have been given while here on this earth.  God it feels good to just persevere.  Please check back as I will have details on my training and dieting as many of you have asked me about.  To all of you from the GYM.  I want Chocolate Truffles. lol.  Love you all.  Stay focused train hard, love the life you have or change it. I love you Mom, Dawn,Velma Grace, and Neville.  You are in my heart down here.  To Mr. Bill n Terri you mean the world to us.  THANKS.

MJ-fitchik4life…changing lives one body at a time.  www.fitfx.net

mj@fitfx.net