Dropping and increasing pounds in all the right places.....

Another week of prep under my belt and I'm feeling fanfuckintastic!

I checked in with Noel over the weekend and my weight was down a solid pound from last week..now sitting at 149.2lbs! First time I've been under the 150 mark in what seems like forever :) Another round of pics done and again, I can see weekly changes. I am starting to see some pec separation, delt striation and oh yes, even a little abs (in the morning, then they run and hide like the ground hog LOL!) No tweaks to my program as of now, still dropping with plenty of food and NO cardio! BOOM! *happy dance*

Even as my weight is dropping, even as I get leaner and tighter..my training is still fuckin rockin! I hit a few PR's over the last week or so and I am on cloud nine. The most notables were my 290lb pulls for a pair of singles..I was ecstatic over it and according to feedback from my video, I shoulda went for the 300 cause I would have had it...next time I go for max, Imma pull that fucker! I also hit a PR of 160lb on my bench, it was pretty smooth too, so I know I'll smoke my next attempt..and to set off a week of PR's was my morning squat session where I hit 235 for 3! Unfortunately, my spotters can't video tape at the same time...the only downside to an empty gym lol

Overall, I feel great! I'm happy with how my physique is progressing, I'm getting shit done in the gym, my energy is up, I'm sleeping well (for me, anyway lol) and I am thoroughly enjoying the journey I am on. Will the time come when I'm bitching and complaining..Hello, of course..this is me but I am in a really good place right now, so Imma soak it up while it lasts.


Random musing from my head......

There are many people whom we cross paths with in our lives who won't understand the things we do and why we do them, but that's OK..it's not for them to "get". Live the life YOU love, for YOU and YOU alone. Those who care for you, those who love you don't have to understand it, but if they're worth your time, they will support you. I am happiest when I'm driving to the gym, singing along to my music into my pre workout bottle..It's simple, it's me and I love it. If you're on board, hop in next to me and enjoy the ride...if you're not, get outta my way cause I ain't got time for that.

Covering all the bases..

Another week down and things are moving along...

I had my check in with my coach over the weekend and it was yet another successful one! After only dropping just over a half pound the previous week, I was pleasantly surprised to see a solid drop of 2.2lbs this wkend. I'm sitting at 150.2lbs, 18 weeks out. I have to admit, I'm such a nerd and I find the shifts in the scale really interesting..The progress and changes in my physique are clear just by looking at myself in the mirror as well as in my pictures. My body is beginning to get it's shape back, seeing some separation and my waistline is sloooooowly making it's comeback...but the most mind blowing thing is that I actually have somewhat visible (oh so fuckin faint lol) ABS! WTF?!? At 150lbs?! Color me fuckin shocked and thrilled :))

I've been getting a ton of questions as far as what my program is like and all that good shit. In my previous prep blog I have given details as far as my exact meal plan, training and cardio programs entail, I have decided to not give so much detail this time around. One of the things that always seem to happen is people see someone having success, watching their progress and then want to just copy their program and end up following to a T what someone else is doing. Prep programs SHOULD (I say should, cause that isn't always the case) be designed for the specific athlete in mind..therefore, what I'm doing is based on MY body, MY metabolism, how it responds ect..

Now, with that out of the way..Lemme say that I am lovin my program =)

My training hasn't varied from the off season..I'm training on a 4 day split, still going heavy and running 5/3/1 for my main lifts and hitting PR's along the way...most notable was hitting 150 on my bench and pulling 275 for 5! Due to some hip tightness/achiness, I reset my squats going a bit lighter, focusing on getting deeper..hit a deep 225 for solid 8. One slight change has been going a bit lighter with military pressing :( I've been having a little discomfort in my left delt so I'm lightening up the pressing for a bit, but still able to rep out heavy lateral raises at 40lbs for sets of 10..No slackin on dem boulders! Feeling strong while dieting FTW!!!!

As far as my diet goes, I am eating a variety of foods..all of which I ENJOY..I am not one of those people that are eating fish and asparagus at every meal..unless you actually love it, then by all means, continue. I'm eating higher protein, moderate/highish carbs and lower fats..egg whites, chicken, oats, fruits, dairy, salads/greens etc and NOM'n the fuck outta it. I do keep it pretty simple, as prepping food for the week can be a pain in the ass when I have TOO much variety and let's be real..I'm fuckin lazy as all hell in the kitchen.

The one aspect of this prep which is greatly different than every previous prep is that I am currently doing ZERO cardio...ZERO, NONE, not a hot fuckin second and I'm dropping fat/getting tighter/leaner! Not doing any cardio is very strange for me..I've never began a prep without some form of cardio, it just feeling bizarre but I ain't complaining..Let the diet do the work, hold onto my muscle and Imma enjoy this cardio free fun while it lasts **BIG SMILE**

And lastly, my supplementation..I supplement year round, so prep is no different...

My daily staples include:
Champion Nutrition's Multi-V, Omega 3 Fish Oil, Performance BCAA's, ProFlex Advance Joint Support, Liver Cleanse, Muscle Nitro PM, Power Creatine, Power Glutamine, Adrenol8 (pre/wo) and Pure Whey (post/wo and also in my yogurt..yummy!)

http://www.championnutrition.com/

Pictures are worth a thousand words...

I have one solid week of prep under my belt and I have to say...It feels FANFUCKINTASTIC! There really is just something about flipping the switch that ignites something in me, the drive, the passion..all of it just seems to know when it's "Go time" and my brain switches to another level. If I could channel this energy into other area of my life, I'd really have my shit together lol

One thing that I have over come (hopefully for good) is my obsession with the scale, the anxiety of seeing a particular number, literally losing sleep the night before a "weigh in" or what I think I "need" to be etc..I went months without even stepping on it, of course with prep under way, it's now part of my weekly routine...yes WEEKLY, not DAILY or jesus fuck..MULTIPLE times PER DAY! It's a tool to track my progress, along with pictures. Over this first week, I can SEE and FEEL a difference in my physique..I seem to be dropping a bit of the fluffiness and look a bit tighter. Not necessarily "leaner" but I can see more shape to my physique. The most noticeable areas are my waistline and face..the two areas that weight (be it fat or bloat/water..gain or lose) is immediately noticeable. 

Now, with that being said..The scale showed a SLIGHT drop. I'm down to 152.4lbs so just over a half pound. Was I hoping for more? Of course..Hello! But, since I can SEE changes, I am finding the numbers just fascinating...No stress, or panic..just information and interesting information at that. As prep progresses, I hope that I can keep my perspective on the scale cause it has made a WORLD of difference in my sanity...Let's cross our fingers and toes on that one ;-) Along with my weight, I sent progress pics to my coach and we're rolling along.

As I mentioned in my last post, the progress pics for the time being (until I SEE real progress lol) are just sent to my coach, but I did snap a quick back shot in the mirror over the weekend and I was SHOCKED at the progress I've made. Clearly, since I've ripped clothing, got stuck in some shirts and cant zip a dress I know I built up my back (width and thickness) but without someone taking pics, it's tough to really get a gauge of how far I've come..As much as progress pics fuckin BLOW, when you take a step back, it really is incredible to see the work that you've done and how far you've come. I have much work ahead, but I am really proud of what I've accomplished thus far.....

2012: 17wks out, 127.8lbs

2013: 19wks out, 154.2lbs

So, there it is..pictures don't lie..Hard work pays off and the scale aint nothing but a fuckin number! Yes, I was definitely leaner going into my prep last season at 17wks out vs. 19wks out this season but the gains were worth it and now is the time to see what's under there!

Let's the games begin!

I had one hell of an off season, physically and emotionally. It was my first attempt at doing things on my own, while I had some help and picked brains along the way it still gave me an incredible opportunity to really learn a lot about myself..I am confident that I am rolling into the 2013 season at my best place yet. 
The off season is officially a wrap and I couldn't be more excited to get prep underway. 

It's on........

Ok, so the question I have been asked a bazillion times: What show are you doing?
My sights are set to step on stage in 20wks at the NPC Atlantic States in NYC. Obviously the goal is to bring a bigger, fuller and harder physique to the stage..the best ME yet and of course a national qualification in Women's Physique would be nice too ;-)  Now, this is dependent on my body, how it responds etc..if I'm not ready, there is another show in Philly a few weeks later that I have on my radar. While 20wks SEEMS like a lot of time, as we all know it flies and will be here before I know it. This weekend I sent the first round of pics to my coach, he made some slight tweaks to my program and we are on our way. 

I've got Noel Fuller guiding me, Champion Nutrition is fueling me for another season and now it's time to get shit done!

 I'll be updating Noel with pics and stats weekly and I'll of course keep ya updated on my progress but no more public pics until I'm 14-16wks out so until then...here ya go:

Stats: 5'4" and 153LBS

 










 
So, that pretty much sums it up!
As anyone who has followed along my previous preps knows this is just the first of many babbling entries. There will be tears, panic attacks..I will think I'm fat, too skinny and even just skinny fat lol
The crazy train is just leaving the station, hop aboard and come along for a hell of a ride <3



                           "Did you live like a dream come true or did you just survive?"

Hello 2013!

The holiday season has come and gone (FINALLY) so now is a good time to slow down and catch up for a bit...

I am not one for "New Year's Resolutions" and all that shit but yes..I do set goals, things I want to work on, accomplish or whatever I've maybe been putting on the back burner. 2011 and 2012 have been two of the most difficult and life altering years of my life so I am more than ready to slam the door shut (and deadbolt that fucker) and welcome 2013 with open fuckin arms!

I survived the holidays, celebrated..did the whole party thing, dinner etc..I enjoyed, treated myself and now it's full steam ahead towards the 2013 season...........

I have not been "dieting" but aside from some Xmas NOMZ I have been keeping my diet clean overall. I got my ass on the scale over the weekend and my weight seems to have stabilized. I've been holding steady at 150-151.something or other over the course of the last few weeks. Even thought the number hasnt changed, I do feel like my body composition has shifted a bit..a little less fluffy and a little more solid, so GO ME! I've been training on a regular schedule/routine which is the key to success for me..my lifts are going well and I'm physically feeling good, a little tightness/aches and pains here and there but as a whole I'm feeling good to go. After a few months of getting back into a routine again, while I've been training I havent been doing any max attempts...ummmmm cause my belt still didn't fit :/ So I started using my training partner's (another plus for training with men LOL!)...til this morning when I got MY own belt on...unassisted!!! Over the last couple of weeks, since I'm feeling good I decided to do some heavy squatting and was able to hit 225 for sets of 5 which just felt good to have that on my back again..Of course, that was going to make me give some heavy pulling a shot...after getting 275 with relative ease, I got a little over zealous and figured to give 300 a go...epic fail..but, I was able to pull 245 for 6 this morning so I am confident that if I get back to consistently working on it, my 300lb DL will happen sooner rather than later...

Now with the new year fully underway, I have just 2...count them, 2 weeks left of my offseason! (((GASP)))

I've got my eyes set firmly on June, at one show or another depending what I'm ready for. The boss says prep starts in 2 weeks and what he says goes :) I'll have starting stats, pics (ugh!) and all that good stuff in the coming weeks so for now, it's same shit, different day...

Hope everyone's New Year is off to a fabulous start, leave 2012 where it belongs and let 2013 be the year you go after what you want...No more talking, start taking action <3

Who? What? When? Where? Huh huh huh?!?!

I have been getting a TON of questions with regards to my goals, competing, what I'm doing, what my plans are etc so I figured I would at least give ya'll a little glimpse into my head and where it's focused...consider yourself warned ;-)

Yes, training is my lifestyle and it's a daily part of who I am and at the end of the day, it's a step forward in the progression of myself physically, mentally and emotionally...but it's also about setting goals and not only reaching them but sometimes even surpassing them. With everything I've had going on the last few months, the grim reality that I may not take the stage next year became a sobering possibly..til I stood the fuck up and said "FUCK THAT"!!! This is what I do, what I love and I'll be damned if some bullshit will get in my way...sure shit comes up, but..I always...ALWAYS find my way around, over or strait fuckin through it!

Now, saying I was upset about the slop weight I put on would be a bit of an understatement (ya think??)..It makes me fucking miserable. So I took control of things, buckled down and dropped a little over 8lbs of that. Once I decided that I am not giving up on next season, I started trying to plan my course of action. I have my sights set on a hitting the WP stage again in June 2013!!!!

And then my mind starts running....

Do I continue to drop fat to feel comfortable? Do I keep trying to put on more muscle?? Why keep wasting time cutting?? That's ridiculous really..Doing cardio and dieting in the off season are a recipe for disaster..I KNOW THIS! WTF?! It's enough to make my head spin. I've been basically going at it on my own, with some advice and help from friends along the way but once I decided to compete next season, there was no doubt I needed to hand the reigns (and all the thinking) over to someone else.

I started working with a new coach, Noel Fuller a couple of weeks ago and the first thing he did is tell me to stop fuckin doing cardio ((GASP!)) and then he increased my macros!!! OMFG! As much as I don't wanna add another fuckin pound, my goal right now is to get my metabolism humming along...eat, train and grow. I still have time before I would have to start "prep" for a June show...Now's the time to take advantage of the last bit of my off season. No cardio..none, not a hot second (YAY!!!!) fueling my body well...good, productive food..NOT pints of ice cream and throwing it down in the gym.. Over the last week or so, yeah...the scale was up a few pounds but that's to be expected. More importantly, I can see the composition shift in my body...I feel a little more "solid" and less "flabby" if that makes sense lol  

Anywho that pretty much sums up where I am right now..

Still fully focused on making gains, doing work for what's left of my off season then I'll strip it all down for June!

What can I say, I love it...it's what I know :)

Lions, Tigers and Numbers...OH MY!!!

It's been a month since I've been back into the routine of life...
I have a solid month of training and nutrition under my belt and I feel like myself again.

This weekend, I got on the scale for the first time in a month. I'm not getting swept up in the number itself, it's just a tool to gauge my progress and to make sure things are moving in the right direction. I was pleasantly, but not so surprised to see an 8.6lbs drop. I can see the change in the mirror, the shape changing and physically I FEEL much better than I did a month ago so I knew there would be a shift in the scale. 

As history has proved itself, I can become a slave to the scale and to the "magic" number. I do intend on weighing myself every few weeks or so just to gauge that things are moving in the right direction. I have target numbers that I am shooting for, but it's not anything I plan on obsessing over. I have a guesstimate of the amount of body fat I am carrying so I'm shooting to get a feel for what my "comfortable/healthy" weight is. I feel 100% confident that I will not become a slave to the little evil box, but I take it as a piece of information just like logging my workouts or anything else. 

Now, lemme ramble for a hot second....

Numbers have the ability to drive people INSANE! I mentioned how much I lost, but I thought about not disclosing my actual weight...I'm not embarrassed of it or anything like that. Sure, I've never weighed this much, but I've also never carried this amount of muscle mass so really, it's all relative. The problem I have is the way people (mostly women) compare themselves to each other..I am guilty of this as well. After losing 8.6lb, I am down to 151.4lbs. I am standing at a towering 5'4" so just because we may be the same height, similar structures etc that doesn't mean we will carry the weight the same and just cause X amount of pounds looks one way on you, doesn't mean it will look the same way on me..See, what I'm getting at. I get asked by a lot of women, what I weigh, what my stage weight is, blah blah..but the reality is, IT DOES NOT MATTER! In addition to the scale and weight, clothing size is another thing..I am guilty of getting caught up in the size of my jeans, tops etc but seriously who the fuck cares!?!? With vanity sizing, brand, styles and all that bullshit..Especially the way clothing is designed, if you have ANY sort of muscle and shape, finding something that fits and looks good is no easy task..therefore, the size on the tag is meaningless. I am a size 9 for those who have asked..This is the largest size I have ever worn but I can honestly say I feel the best I have in a long time so really, why fuckin give a shit about the size?!

We are all shaped differently, carry our muscle and our body fat differently so while we can look to one another as inspiration, motivation etc...the truth is we are all unique and our genetics play the most important role in what we look like so comparisons are an exhausting waste of time and energy. 

So there are the numbers in black and white for ya....I'm 5'4", 151.4lbs and a size 9..BOOM! 

In closing, cause pictures are fun............

Fall 2011: 130lbs, Size 3

Fall 2012: 152lbs, Size 9