Wendy’s BodyBlog

So, I have to rant. Went to the gym today, determined to do chest and shoulders. I wanted to start off with the bench press, but GUESS WHAT???? All FOUR of the bench presses were in "use" the entire 30 minutes that I was doing my weights workout!!! And it was the slow time of day…2:30 PM on a FRIDAY!!!  Granted, there were some people actually USING the bench press for that exercise, but others were using it as a bench…for triceps stuff, for DUMBBELL CURLS!!! Get off your butt and stand up already! OR use a real bench. Oh, I was SO mad! So I had to go over to a bench and do dumbbell bench press instead of the bar! I know, at least I got it in somehow, but it makes me mad nonetheless!

Anyway… so I called Fitness America today and apparently it is no big deal to  switch from fitness to figure. I was told I can do it when I check in! Good to know. Now I just really have to work dang hard on my physique, which, BTW, has taken a real toll over the past few weeks. First that nasty leg infection which was tender for a LONG time, which made me either 1) unable to workout, even walk, at all; and 2) weary of doing heavy leg stuff or high intensity cardio. And then I had a nasty stomach thing going on where I needed to be close to a toilet or can at all times… Nice, i know.  So I have been out for about three weeks, some lifting here and there, some cardio, but not very consistent at all this month. And I can tell when I look in the mirror in my workout shorts and T-shirt. Oh, veh…. I have SIX MONTHS, which, I am sure, will fly by in no time.

Today marks 6 months out from the show. Now I really feel like I’ve got to kick my hiney into full gear. The other bit of news is that I am considering switching from fitness to figure. Not sure if that’s possible or not, but will find out. Am in graduate school, so the fitness bit is more expensive than I want to deal with right now, with the music and choreography and costume. The other bit is that I’ve already ordered the music, so I’ll have to figure out what to do about that. At any rate, I am 6 months out from SOMETHING!

As the title suggests, I am thinking about becoming a personal trainer and/or group fitness instructor through ACE. I am already working on a graduate degree to become a therapist (or shrink, whatever you want to call it), but I also believe that there is a body-mind-soul connection, hence the interest in personal training/fitness instructor. So, I am curious. I am more interested in the group fitness instructor component. Should I just work on that one certification, or would it be more worth my while to become a personal trainer in addition? Also, I think I would really enjoy teaching group classes, but at the same time would like it to supplement my income some. What is the range of pay for a group fitness instructor? I imagine it’s on an hourly basis? Also, how long do you think I should study for the group instructor exam? I was thinking taking the summer to study, then taking the exam at the end of summer, but am interested in hearing about others’ experiences.

I am now ready to do functional and HIIT workouts again. My leg is no longer tender or bleeding. That being said, having not worked out very much over the past two weeks AND not eating right have, I am sure, taken their toll. I can still fit into my skinny pants, but they are a little tighter in the thighs. Plus, yesterday I was trying on a used suit for the show, and my bf mentioned that I am not as lean as I was two weeks ago, so it’s hard to imagine how I will look with in it for competition weight (which, I am assuming will be anywhere from 5-10 pounds lighter than I am now). So, I am a little discouraged, but what’s a girl going to do but get her a** to the gym and work HARD, which is exactly what I did yesterday with a VERY hard legs day and today with a lifting class (went light on the weights because of yesterday’s workout) and an hour of cardio.  As of the 28th of this month, I will be exactly 6 months out from my show! Have much work to do before then.

My leg has finally healed enough to go back the gym. I am still cautious about doing functional training workouts, simply because that area on my leg is still a little sore, but it feels good to lift again!!!  And what do you know–I pulled a back muscle in the gym yesterday! Obviously came back too hard after pretty much sitting on the couch for over a week. I am joking to my friends that this is what it’s like to be "old" (I just had a bday) — not being able to walk and having a sore back! :-)

Or maybe I should say infected? I have a staph infection on my leg, and even walking is excruciating. I did go to urgent care yesterday, and the doctor cut it open. The doc also said that he sees staph infections ALL THE TIME. I have to say that my leg now feels worse than it did thanks to now having a hole in my leg. So, no gym for me for several days now. It should be feeling better pretty soon, and I can’t WAIT to hit the gym again!

The music for my routine is DONE, and I heard it for the first time today!  It sounds great, and I am really excited about getting my choreography in addition. I am getting the choreography earlier than I need to, but I will definitely need the time to learn it and practice it! I am also in the process of looking at suits and designers. It is definitely feeling like it will happen!  I also decided to sign up for the model division. I figure that if I am working to look my dangest for September that I might as well. Plus, it is much more low key than the fitness routine, so I am not too worried about it.

After continuing to struggle with my diet, I finally decided to cut out sugar from my diet and just have it once per week to satisfy my sweet tooth. No low-sugar jam, no americanos with a shot of hazelnut, no dark chocolate. Also, I am working on cutting out white flour and even wheat (I suffer from eczema and recently had a huge (not to mention painful from the cracking of my skin) breakout unlike any other I’ve ever had, and so of course I start blaming common allergens like wheat and dairy). I HATE extremes of any kind. I think it is SO unhealthy. At the same time, given how I binge on carbs, especially sweets, I think taking a step back will be a good thing. All that being said, I went to a friend’s house today and she had made chocolate cookies (not chocolate chip but CHOCOLATE cookies!) and I enjoyed every last delicious bite!!! And, who knows, maybe I enjoyed it that much more because I haven’t had any sugar for several days now!

I am getting my fat measurements done tomorrow! Finally! I am curious to see how it turns out. I have only done fat scale measurements, so it will be interesting to see how they compare.