unogirl83’s BodyBlog

A good friend of mine shared this with me and I thought it was too awesome not to share with everyone else. It was found on musclewithattitude.com.  Enjoy!

Alligator Stew for a Female Lifter’s Soul
by Erin Davison
I was at the gym the other evening searching for the equipment and the    space I needed to begin my warm-up.

Other members milled around me, presumably involved in their own workouts. The free-weight area was packed. All the benches were occupied. Both power racks, both Smith machines, both cable frames, and all four bench presses were occupied — and every single one of them was male.

Curious, I peeked upstairs at the cardio area. There were my fellow women, all on the ellipticals and the treadmills. Their bodies either had scrawny, boy-like proportions, or they were motherly with doughy, overlapping curves. The women of the gym had allowed themselves to be relegated to the moving walkways.

Or had they relegated themselves?

With a roll of my eyes I elbowed my way to the weight rack and grabbed a pair of dumbbells. Neither of the aforementioned body types was my goal, and ellipticals and treadmills wouldn’t get me where I wanted to go. As I settled into my workout, I thought about the other women in the gym. Most weren’t strong and powerful. Some believed they couldn’t be    powerful; others believed they shouldn’t be powerful.

They allowed themselves to fall for the stereotypes and be swayed by public opinion regarding what they should do with their bodies. At that thought I rolled into a set of pushups and set my jaw. My goal was power.

Plan Your Playlist Well

I have a playlist on my iPod called “Hard Workout.” It’s a 67-song mélange of hard rock, new metal, 80’s pop, grunge, and country. Playing with the Boys by Kenny Loggins is    a cheerful kick when I’m weaving my way through my gym; the frantic    drive of Superbeast by Rob Zombie spurs me on when I’m pushing    for one last rep.

The songs are chosen to be upbeat, motivating, and to get my blood surging. Drowning Pool, Metallica, Velvet Revolver, and other artists’ songs propel me with hot guitars and pounding bass, but sometimes the sheer attitude is what drives me.

A good percentage of the songs are by women with unquenchable spirits: Shirley Manson of Garbage; Amy Lee of Evanescence; Pink; Gwen Stefani of No Doubt. These divas of rock share the throne with the country singer Gretchen Wilson. Her song begins this way:

I’m an 8-ball-shootin’, double-fisted drinkin’    son-of-a-gun,

I wear my jeans a little tight just to watch the little boys come      undone…

The song continues in a declaration of ballsy female attitude. When this song comes on, my chin comes up and my eyes lift. I survey the gym and prepare to make my mark. My shoulders square off and I decide what to attack next. Any reticence I felt goes out the window as I smile to myself and claim a spot next to some muscular guys. My energy spikes and I am ready.

I’m a woman, I lift weights, and I’m here for the party.

Bird Legs Are For the Birds

Women are taught through the media and by society that they should have slender, smooth legs, ideally with thighs that don’t touch. Muscle cuts are frowned upon because they break the line. If there must be evidence of muscles under the skin, it should be restricted to a single gentle curve of the calf.

Our goal is supposed to be those scrawny bird legs that look as if they can barely do the job of lifting themselves, much less a loaded barbell.

Flip through fashion magazines. Get angry about the narrow definition of beauty. Flip more pages and notice how every picture seems to be the same body, even though the faces are different. Rip out all of the pictures of scrawny models. Then rip those pictures to shreds.

This isn’t about being as thin as the airbrushed, PhotoShopped pictures of women who represent 1% of our population. This isn’t about achieving an emaciated, fragile stick-figure. This isn’t about looking like you could be snapped in two by a wayward gust of wind.

This is about the strength and curve of a well-developed muscle, the firmness and definition of a body that has passed all physical tests.

There are two “show” muscles in the back of the calf. One is bisected and blooms magnificently when trained. Just north of the calf are the four quadriceps muscles that flow uninterrupted up the thigh. The scalloping of these muscles will break up the smooth line of the thigh and that’s what we want.

Cut ‘em up, girls. Do your squats and lunges. Burn your glutes on deads and get that perky butt the girls on the treadmills think has to be the product of a plastic surgeon instead of the product of hard work. Use your glorious muscles to redefine what is beautiful.

You Are More Than a Mommy

There is a certain style of woman that represents the accepted look to which we all are expected to devolve. This is a stage most women go through. Call her “mommy,” call her “mature,” call her “grown up.”

I prefer you call her “cop out.”

You know the look: the wash-and-wear clothes. The wash-and-wear hair. The pudgy, soft body that cushions children and disappoints men. The weary face on a body that’s tired from a life of taking care of others instead of herself. The resigned “best I can do” attitude. The woman who has given up being vibrant and vital and alive and has accepted mediocrity as all she can achieve.

Why? Married life and motherhood hand you a list of convenient excuses. Too tired. Too busy. Kids need me. Husband needs me. Need to clean. Need to run errands. Gyms are too intimidating. Buying new clothes is too expensive.

All are excuses that can be overcome, except for the attitude that accompanies them: this is just what a woman’s body does when it reaches a certain age and/or has borne a child.

That one is the biggest excuse of all.

You are more than your reproductive organs. You are more than an inevitable slide downhill to the lowest expectations. Your body wants to move and be strong. Your muscles want to strain, your heart wants to pump, your lungs want to heave and gasp. Your blood wants to burn a path through your veins. Your body wants to achieve its passionate, electric best.

So get off your widening hips and start moving. Never accept    “average” as the best you can do.

Put the “Ass” in Assumption

The average woman is weaker than the average man. So what? Lift heavy anyway. The free-weight room in any gym is typically full of men. So what? Go there anyway. Some people — men and women alike — are intimidated by a woman who is strong. So what? Be strong anyway.

Eyebrows typically lift when an average woman enters a free weight area. Men watch to see what this interloper will do. Eyes track her as she follows her instincts by keeping her head down and scurrying to the far end of the dumbbell rack to meekly pick up the pink 5-pound weights.

The men nod and reassure themselves that all is as it should be and go back to their grunting and strutting. The worst of these bantam cocks go so far as to throw their weights around and drop them on the floor as they peek at our reactions, assuming women will be impressed by their strength or scared of the weight they are lifting. They want you to cower.

No. We will not. Lift your head, go in and break through those assumptions.

Forget those 5-pound weights. Let them watch as you get the 50 pounders and do some lunges. Grab the 100 pound bar and do some deads. Load up your bar on the bench press and squeeze some out. Use the squat rack. Introduce yourself to your muscles and make them work for a living.

This isn’t a free ride, and they’re going to have to earn their keep. Train heavy and train hard. Those men you were so nervous about? They assumed you couldn’t lift when you entered the room. Let those assumptions build a fire in you. Prove them wrong.

Self-Sufficiency is a Good Thing

I was walking down the hallway at a local community college following a girl toward the double doors. She was a student so she was at least 18, but compared to me she was almost miniature. The girl was small, only about chest height to me, and tiny-boned.

She was very thin, with no visible muscle to speak of. As this was pretty much the standard at this college, I was merely watching her to make sure I didn’t bump into the frail thing.

Then we came to the doors and I stood back to watch.

The double doors were outfitted with handicapped levers so that pushing the button on the side would open the door for someone in a wheelchair, on crutches, in a cast — someone who had a disability. As such they were a bit heavier than a normal door, but still could be opened by hand.

I stood back and watched as this girl leaned against the door. Nothing    happened. She leaned again and nothing happened.

Frustrated, she reached over and smacked the “handicapped” button to open the doors and then walked through and went on her way. I stood in the hallway, astonished, and let the doors close in front of me. After a couple of moments I shook myself, put my hand on the door, shoved it open and went through.

Had I honestly just witnessed that? Had I really just seen a young woman without enough bulk and strength to open the door for herself? Was it possible that this young, presumably healthy, mobile, independent young woman was so thin and light she couldn’t overcome a door hinge? I contemplated the idea all day, and I contemplate it still.

There’s such a thing as chivalry, and I’m all for a man holding a door for a woman as a sign of his regard for her. What I do not support is the idea that as women it is acceptable for us to be unable to    open our own doors. Or lift our own suitcases. Or carry our own groceries.    Or pump up a jack to change a flat tire.

We have muscles. We have those muscles so that we can take care of ourselves. Giving up that strength is not feminine. Self-sufficient, powerful, graceful, capable… these are the things that are feminine.

Never, ever, give that up.

© 1998 — 2008 Testosterone,  LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday, I was a different remote location to my gym since I have been in different cities. Well, yesterday the weirdest things happened to me. Here is how it goes: I arrived to the gym and hopped on the cardio to start a 30m session. Now, it’s not common at all for me to do cardio first. However, this particular gym was full and the only machine open believe it or not was a cardio cross trainer, so I hoped on it. I didn’t want to use the full gym as a reason to not train. During the session my heart rate I monitored it on the machine, one second it was EXTREMLY low and the next higher than normal when I do cardio (and we all know how I love cardio so I pay attention to this stuff there).  I just kind of took it as the heart rate monitor being broken.  Well, I did my full session and got off. It was BACK day for me, so I trickled my way over to the Seated Row. Now, this is not hard or anything. I did my first set of 10 reps. then had to stop. For some reason, I felt very very faint, like really flush and very nauseous.  I was working two doors down, so I ran back over there and there I got really sick. I had to sit down about 10 minutes to regain myself. This has never happened to me before either. A few times I felt a little queasy but never to this point or to have this happen. It was really odd. I can’t help but wonder if this is common or not, or does it mean to slow it down some.. I know yesterday, I had a VERY VERY VERY active day, however resumed my normal dosage of supplements, but did consume less calories b/c I was running around.. I think I missed 2 of 6 meals. But I did everything as I always done. Can anyone help me out here? Do you know what happened or why?? Has it ever happened to you?? 

Thanks for reading!! 

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been one year ago (March 5) since I decided to make a life change and incorporate eating right and exercising back in to my life. The first two months were amazing dropping 47lbs. It really sucked in May when I hurt my ankle and was in a cast for so long. While I was out I was able to research supplements and diets, and I did ok with that. But it was meeting Jason P. that I really got a better understand. After consulting with him, I have learned so much. Since he has become an amazing friend to me. He is awesome, even when I ask a million questions, lol. It’s great having someone I can talk to about everything in that area and is not someone that has known me my life, so I can hear what they think. He has kept me thinking positive and helped me when I needed it the most. I got back in to some good routine for about eight weeks which I proudly lost another 10lbs.. This 10lbs put me at a 57lb weight loss in 2007.  Then, my best friend sort of broke my heart. It wasn’t intentional by any means (and no that is no excuse to cover up things for him). He was my best friend though, so it still stung pretty badly. This started a point when I just didn’t feel good enough anymore. Then my career taking of, it has been kind of hard fitting the gym in my schedule. So with the combination of the two, time was very hard and the few days I had the time, I just didn’t have the motivation. I felt well very weak at this point but knew I needed help. Honestly, I have slacked from Jan till I guess you can say the beginning of this month. Sadly, I gained 10lbs back of my 57lb weight loss. This puts me back and only 47lb weight loss. I didn’t feel the weight coming back, but I knew I wasn’t doing what I needed to so I jumped on the scale and saw what I did. I was basically so annoyed with myself; the only person I knew to call was Jason. I basically felt like a failure but he helped show me I wasn’t, especially since I could admit I was screwing up and wanted to change it. With his help and motivation from him I have pushed through a very weak point in my training and diet.  I am trying to learn to change my schedule to give me my “me time”. In the past week and a half I have been very dedicated back on my diet and in the gym.

I can’t believe a year has come and gone so fast. Although, I have had some minor set backs this year, I think I have really come a far way. Everything hasn’t exactly become routine to me yet b/c of the setbacks but this is 2008 and I have time to make it one. I am really happy with where I am right now. I know I can make it to where I want to be. I am still aiming for my goal date of July 1, 2008. I think if I put my heart in to it like it was when I first began last year I can really make it, no not can I WILL make it to the end. I have some really great people in my life that support me and motivate me. Before a few did but not like I have now. They ask me about it, they do not put temptation in front of me, or ask me to go to here and there and skip what I do diet and exercise wise anymore. It really helps to have true supporters behind me. It really is a good feeling to have that.

Well, I think is where I am going to end my blog for now. I will write more again soon.

Take care.

It really kills me that some people think that steroids is the only solution to have the body you want. I could careless what people think, but its nuts that some could that ignorant.
I know this is not a story about me but you know I have to share certain instances that happen in my life. Seriously, I wish people would really wise up to the proper health.

Ok so the other night I went to dinner with a friend to this really assume restaurant. Throughout the course of dinner, while he was chomping down on a huge greasy burger, fries and something else that was fried I can’t remember, he mentioned he wanted to get on steroids to lose weight and gain muscle. So, we all know me I have to stop and question that. He said that its the only way to truly gain the muscle he wants and lose fat. I kid you not this is what he said. I had to stop and look at him, and asked if he worked out, he said no. Well, hello how do you expect to make body changes if you aren’t committed to going to the gym or taking care of yourself. He then mentions that it is the way all of his friends that have done b/c you can’t get the body you want with out it. Hold Up Time Out.. WHAT?!? Are you kidding me? So, I said I have a TON of friends that have great bodies and a ton that I know have transformed their bodies without steroids so his information is false. I said you do you really think you can have the body of a God while you are sitting here eating that nasty fatty fried crap that you are eating and you sit on your ass at home and don’t go to the gym. How do you ever expect to change your body by doing that? He told me it’s rare that he eats like that. LOL. Liar.. I have seen him mow down and entire back of chips, drinks enough soft drinks to hydrate a small country, eat fast food like there a kitchen in your home was never invented, and never once eat one ounce of a vegetable or even fruit. This guy I could not help but laugh. I asked him how he thought I have lost all the weight I have lost without taking steroids and I sure as hell didn’t find a lamp with a magic genie. He said he knows I eat right and exercise but my way takes to long. Well, duh you can’t get a good body back over night,  you can’t get it by sitting sleeping till the late after noon b/c you drank all night and exercise only by walking from the couch the fridge. My way takes work and dedication, which is something he lacks. I kid you not I told him all of this and he still defended steroid use. I told him to knock himself out. But don’t expect the results he wants from sitting on his ass and eating like crap daily. I also mentioned this website and told him to try telling every guy on there with a great body that his is a liar and got his body only from steroids and see the kind of responses he gets. LOL.  I was like ya I guess thousands are liars and well I must be too lol.

Anyways.. This is my little rant for now.. I just had to tell someone lol.

Later.

Yesterday, I was in the gym and doing my warm up cardio just before my weight training. Of course, like most people, I have that wandering eye, so I look around the gym at people while I do my thing. Well, I couldn’t help but notice these two guys cracking up. With that catching my attention, I had to turn the ipod off just so I can hear what the deal is. They only whispered, but I couldn’t help myself something told me to pay attention. As time went on Billy arrived so we began our routine. These two guys started again. Finally, I see one pointing so I look being nosey and there is this guy, working on shoulders rocking his body to pull massive weight. By no means am I a pro but I know better and I am sure you all can agree it sounds wrong, just as I see it was being done wrong. The guy breaks goes in to another room, those boys start talking about it. I just looked at them. I can’t believe they would laugh and point at someone doing it that wrong to a point he could injure himself and instead of helping him just laugh. It is unbelievable to me. So, the guy walked in the room to do another set, here he goes again, so me being the person I am I stop what I am doing I walk over and explained how to do it and show him the proper way. I told him I am not trying to be mean but he could really hurt himself. He thanked me, after that I walked over to the two guys who seem to think working out is a joke or something to do, and told them that no one is perfect and obviously the guy is new, like we all were at one point. I asked what harm is it to tell someone what they are doing wrong instead of making fun of them. It only takes a second. I said here you are thinking you are better than one person b/c he is knew and you have been in here a few times more. It really bothers me that people would act like that. I mean at one point we were all new and clueless but we learned we sought help but some don’t as they do the monkey see monkey do process. I wish someone would have pointed out to me years ago what I was doing wrong, b/c maybe I would have never given up and lost so many years working out b/c I didn’t see results and just ended with a ton of failure.  I wonder if the would have laughed if they saw this guy injure himself. Maybe its just me, but I don’t see it as funny, and I don’t see how people can be so cruel.

Anyways, I need to stop talking about this so I will end my blog here!!

It’s been about a week since I actually posted anything, so I figured it was time for me to update on me a little bit.

Training - Working out is going great. Although I have not been going six days as planned, due to some scheduling conflicts with the gym and well my life really. I know not a good reason, but there are only so many hours in a day. I have been going four days a week. I have noticed I am a lot stronger, which feels great. Billy & I have formulated a new routine, which we will implement in to our workouts today. Well, it was more he than me. Once it’s finalized and I have a copy of that I will post that on here. It’s kind of hard putting things together, since we have different goals in mind. He wants to gain size I am trying to lose it. We are hoping that working out this close together he will find the weight I am losing. LOL!! If only it were that easy right?

Weight - I can’t tell you what I weigh really since my last log. We have decided to do weigh in every other Monday, so next weigh in is coming. Every weigh in is documented.

We have started notebooks that include daily workouts, and biweekly body stats to monitor our progress. I am going to be posting them on here, even if I am not were I want to be or have no real measures. But I do feel its important to own up to how I am really doing the good and the bad.

Diet - I have been working to keep eating healthy and it is a lot easier since I really have no cravings for anything. I really think it has to do with the lipo 6. I decided since I have worked hard to try a cheat meal and well it was so gross to me. Anything bad hurts my tummy and well I just don’t want it. I really can’t eat badly anymore. I tried a diet dr pepper and well it tasted like I was drinking metal. I have not had a soft drink in 3 months, and now well I don’t ever want one again. I will stick to my water, or propel water when I want something with flavor. I am trying to schedule my meals better to get 5 or 6 meals in, with two meals being whey protein. I think me making them 3 hours apart will really help, it’s hard to fit them in, but I am trying to increase them. I try to keep my calories to no more than 1300 a day, which I have been hitting that perfect or off by only 60 above or below.

So far things are going pretty well for me. I can’t wait till the next body log, b/c I can feel changes so I want to see what all the numbers say. I hope they are as good as I feel, but if not its ok to. I am running a marathon so I have time, it would be different if it were a sprint. So, we will just see how things continue. I am sure I will reach my finish line as long as I continue to work hard, eat right, and let nothing stand in my way.

Well, this is my blog for now. See ya!

Well, today is the last day of 2007 and so a fresh New Year is fastly approaching. With tomorrow begining a new year it is hard not to sit back and think of all that was accomplished this year and all that I would like to accomplish next year. This of course means lots of goal setting, and I am not just talking about my fitness goals. This is a brand new year and a brand new start, but not exactly erasing your past instead using your past to live the present and future with a better understanding. So now is the time to set standards but I can’t aim low, I want to aim high. Like they say shoot for the moon, b/c if you fail you will still land amongst the stars. So there is no failure if you give your all no matter what. If you give your all and do it with your heart, that is not failure b/c that means you did what many are afraid to do, as many just give a good shot, but are afraid to give their all b/c of failure. I refuse to be a person that just does enough to get by. Either you can sit back and wait for fate to give you what is your or you can go out and create your own destiny. Here are a few of my many many plans for this year:

1. My love for health and fitness has much expanded there for I have decided to open my own gym. I have meeting set with an investor and owners to discuss opening my franchise of my favorite gym. My meeting the first week of Feb.

2. My weight goal has been reformulated. I decided the amt of weight I still want to lose, can not be done in a heatlhy way with a deadline of March 5, 2008, therefore I have pushed my goal date back till July 1, 2008. Currently I weigh 190, but my goal weight is 140. I have 7 months to lose 50lbs, I know it can be done as I have dropped so much and most of it was in the very beginning. There is nothing that will stop me now!!

3. Have my photography studio completed as well as my final courses in photography to have my second photography degree behind me. I am really excited for this. I already have a triple business major and a real estate license. YES I LOVE SCHOOL!! I want to learn even more!

4. I want to help inspire and motivate as many people as I can. With that I want to include becoming a youth motivational speaker again. The youth of today is wild, they need help, so I want to help even if I only help one it is still helping someone and every one person helps.

5. I plan to continue with my diet and staying strict. I want to completely take control over it without even one craving every for something bad. I have it basically under control, but not completely. I mean I do eat healthy, but we all have our moments, well I just dont want those moments any more I want to completely fight them off.

6. I want to run in at least two marathons this year.

7. I want to get back to running 7 miles a day outdoors like I did in high school.

8. I want more than anything to get at my goal by July and meet all the requirements my boss gave me to be in our 2009 calendar which the photo shoots start August 1. Only two people know of this goal, but right now I want to make it known to all, b/c I want to be held accountable for my goals and what I say.

These are my plans and a great start for now. I am ready to start this new year and embrace all I am setting out for. I refuse to let anything or anyone get in the way of what I want or how I feel. I understand the amount of dedication and work this will take and I am ready for that. I have a huge amount of people that are supporting me here at home as well as here on bodybuilding. I am very thankfully to have the amount of supporters that I have along with the amount of encouragement I receive. I thank each and everyone one of you (you know who you are) for being there for me and helping me through my hardest times and my weakest moments. I thank you all for the comments and inspirational words you have given me since I joined this website this year. I am very lucky to have you all as a friend and backing me up.

Jason P. I must give you a personal thanks here. I can not tell you how much you have helped me. The unlimited instant messages, texts, phone calls, emails, my unlimited question asking, the meal planning, etc. You name it, Jason, you have helped me.. You have helped me more than I ever thought someone could. I have not only realized what I have done wrong, but I have learned the difference in what I was doing, why I should change it and all the benefits from it, not only for meeting my goal but for keeping me healthy during this. I now feel like I am not just doing what I am doing b/c I should be instead I feel like I know why, how and what it does for me. It feels incredible!! You completely rock!!

There are a few more people out there that have helped me, encouraged and inspired me. You all will never know truly how grateful I am to you for that.

Well, I shall end my book of a blog here today. LOL. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I wish you all the complete best and nothing but success in the year 2008. If I can ever help any of you with anything just let me know.

Thanks again. And Happy New Year.

Today, I decided to get on the scale and see what it says. As you all know, I have been on a very healthy diet, I work out at least 5 times a week and now I am on Lipo 6 (that I started one week ago).  Apparently, my body is responding very well to all things now, b/c I have lost 6lbs in ONE week. Granted I know I have done more than that, but this is a good push through my plateau I feel. I really feel that with me responding this great to it, I am definitely in the home stretch to my goal. I am so freaking excited. I am feeling so great today, I can’t wait to see more.

Hey Guys..

Just thought I would update on how I am doing with the Lipo 6 and training with my new guy.  I am not sure if it’s my workouts or the supplement but my energy is outstanding lately. My day job is so brainless and boring (my day job that is not my photography) that I just usually want to go to sleep in the afternoon. Now, my energy level is so high all day I can’t help but do more and stay fully awake and alert. My workouts are stronger than ever (that is also a contribute to the trainer I now work with). My energy isn’t the only thing feeling amazing, but I do. For some reason, I feel happier than ever when most of the people around me aren’t happy these days. I can’t help but smile. My friends and family say its like I am a new person, I guess I am really just happier with myself. I know that I am not near my goal, but who cares the way I feel is indescribable and that is what matters!! I am back to working out 6 days a week. I am usually at the gym two hours, b/c after I work with my trainer I hop up on my cardio machine, put a upbeat song on the ipod and take off.  I have always been great with cardio, but it feels like I am barely on it now. I watch my heart rate to make sure I am doing it right, but the time flies when before I could feel the time. It’s awesome!! I guess I can sum it up to say all is well and it’s all going well.

Well this is my blog for now. Thanks for reading.

Oh one more thing. I got rid of the blonde hair I am NOW a brunette!! Tell me what you think…

xoxo,   ME!!