I've been wanting to write this post for a long time, about how IMPORTANT it is to be completely present in MIND while exercising. When it comes to strength training certain muscle groups, it is difficult to always utilize the correct muscles, and to be aware if another muscle group starts compensating during the exercise. I will use the SQUAT as my example here, with my OWN personal "A-HA" moment:
Alright, back pedal 7 months, January 2012. I had been running like a mad woman, running 25-30 miles a week! I loved it, but unfortunately decided I HAD to make some changes because my ass had FLATTENED. I knew what I had to do. Squats, lunges, deadlifts===heavy, old school leg and glute building. However, each leg day, I would indeed cripple myself after sets and sets of squats, and saw glute development over the course of a few months, but not the type I was hoping for. Here's what I realized a couple of months ago: While I was indeed engaging my core, maintaining proper form, and squatting super low and wide to target the glute muscles, I wasn't mentally connecting with the glutes throughout the movement, and not intentionally squeezing the life out of the glutes from the very bottom of the squat to the top. Once I started really SQUEEZING the booty throughout each rep, with each exhalation--is when I started to notice some REAL change. This might sound REALLY dumb, but next time you are frustrated that you aren't seeing the muscle growth you want, evaluate your mind-muscle connection.
How to evaluate:
If doing an exercise that you usually add a lot of weight to (like the barbell squat,) see what muscles you are using throughout the movement WITHOUT weight. Mimic this action once you add weight. After evaluating my own issue, I realized that I can squat over 135lbs if I recruit my quads for ample assistance, but I do not WANT any muscle growth in my quads. Therefore, when I try to exclusively recruit the GLUTE muscle fibers, I squat 95lbs. And I even do sets with 65 pounds, with high reps, to feel the burn of the intense contraction at the bottom of the motion that drives the weight up.
Other exercises worth paying more attention to:
--Leg raises. Whether lying on the ground or hanging from a bar, it is helpful to really connect with the lower abdominal muscles and entire core to avoid hip flexor discomfort. The legs are VERY heavy, and THAT is why this can be a great abdominal exercise IF you recruit the abdominal muscle fibers, and utilize the power of muscle contraction to raise the legs, rather than straining the hip flexors.
--Tricep dips. Depending on how you angle your body, you can also use these to target the pecs. Regardless, it is important to NOT shrug your shoulders up to your ears--putting dangerous strain on your rotator cuffs and overcompensating with the strength of your traps and shoulders. Maybe swallow your pride, and do dips off a bench, with your feet on another bench. I feel that this targets my tris better, because I am not struggling with the initial motion, whereas unassisted triceps dips are HARD for me to perform with complete range of motion.
--Deadlifts. The deadlift is the absolute king of exercises in my book. Shoulders, back, glutes, hams, abs, and grip are ALL involved here, and therefore it can be the best body-shaper in the world. (move over spanx.) However, depending on HOW you perform it, different muscles will be required to do more work. I use deadlift variations to target different muscles, but mainly use them to lift my glutes and build my hamstrings. Therefore, I keep the slightest bend in my knees, and prepare to squeeze my glutes and stiff hamstrings to drive the barbell off the floor.
--Rows/pullups: If using these movements to build muscle in your BACK, make sure you engage the LATS, and don't pull the weight with your ARMS.
I could go on and on. Of course with compound movements, "going through the motions" and moving the weight up and down WILL result in muscle growth, but maybe not as much as possible. It is important to focus on the mind-muscle connection to avoid injury as well (such as the rotator cuff risk in unassisted dips performed incorrectly.)
A great way to IMPROVE the connection between mind and muscle is to practice POSING. Posing and flexing requires you to intentionally flex a certain group of muscles. So if you didn't have enough reason to take pictures of yourself, START. The better you get at posing and flexing certain muscles, the stronger the connection will become between your mind and your body. I can flex one side of my abs and not the other. One butt cheek at a time. Just from practice, and it enables me to connect WAY better, and avoid injury during heavy weight workouts.
So next time you are about to workout, evaluate what you are FEELING with each rep. There should be SQUEEZING happening, true muscle contraction. and BREATHING!
Now go pick up some heavy shit!!!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Overdoing it
Are you one of those people who just LOVES to push it in the gym? The type to suck it up and pound out a workout no matter HOW SORE you are? Well, the bright side of these traits is that you will likely stick to a fitness routine of some kind for life! BUT BUT BUT BUT.... you can NOT do that if you consistently OVERTRAIN your body and run yourself into a physical rut.
I am a VERY laid back person, but when it comes to releasing tension--i am the most INTENSE person at the gym. Therefore, I'm one of those people (even before I decided to prep for a competition) to bust through sprints even though my legs are aching. When I first got into fitness, I refused to take a day off. I worked out 7 days a week for 3 months STRAIGHT. You bet I worked myself into an injury and got sick. Sure, during the process I was getting faster on the treadmill, and doing more reps with heavier weights. But as soon as that overtraining point set in, all of my physical progress was halted, because i had to spend time rehabilitating muscle damage!
Since that first instance, I am AWARE of overtraining, however---I didn't fully learn my lesson. I now take a day off from all exercise each week, but 6 days of intense training is still limit-pushing in my book. One thing I've learned to do is to do some "recovery cardio" instead of all out balls-to-the-wall intervals when i can barely feel my legs. In fact, (for me) it is BETTER to do some "recovery" cardio the day after heavy leg training, rather than just lay off cardio for the day. I think that actively MOVING my lower body (at a lower intensity) helps to improve circulation and relieve leg muscle soreness. "recovery cardio" is a good time to hop on the elliptical instead of the stair monster.
With this said, I am 7 weeks from my first show, and am starting to "overdo" it. The difference here is that I am aware that I am STARTING to push it to far, and understand that I need to fix my cardio schedule to accomodate my two days of leg training+plyometrics. For example, on Tuesday, I trained glutes and quads (think squats, lunges, step-ups, kettlebell swings, plyos). Needless to say, after squatting up to 135lbs and then continuing with a LONG leg workout, my legs were ACHING the day after. What did I do? Wednesday, I got my ass on the stair monster. I was in so much pain, I ended up doing 15 minute intervals, and doing an upper body circuit in between. That got me 45 minutes of stair monster work, and did 15 minutes of low-intensity ellipting at the end of my workout to relax my legs. (After doing 60 jump squats...don't ask) Then comes THURSDAY (today) I wanted to CRY this morning when I rolled out of bed at 7 to get ready for work. My ENTIRE body is in pain. SORE and heavy. After working from 8-12, I spent 35 minutes trying to "recover" on the elliptical. I barely broke a sweat, despite the incline on the highest setting with challenging resistance. I usually sweat just THINKING about cardio, so I know something is off when I don't sweat.
I look pretty good for 7 weeks out, and if I continue on my contest prep as planned, I have no doubts I will look my best on stage. I just have to keep reminding myself that I have made this many changes in 6 weeks, so the next 6-7 weeks should bring more change, and hopefully the RIGHT changes. My inner thighs, glutes, and hams SHOULD be in pain since I'm trying to change them and firm them the MOST. I can deal with the pain, but I need to keep it manageable so that I can HEALTHILY continue on my prep. If you are trying to change your physique, be it weight loss, muscle building--don't OVERDO it. If it feels like a metal rod is sticking through your spine, it won't kill you to pedal on the elliptical instead of doing your planned monstrous workout. And for the record, there's nothing wrong with taking 2-3 days off the gym, ESPECIALLY if you're trying to build muscle. Even for fat loss, you need REST, or else your body might make sure you NEVER lose that stupid fat!
And I cannot end this post without a nutrition plug:
Please feed your body accordingly. If you are putting in MAX EFFORT in the gym, EAT something, damn! Have some carbs---they don't make you FAT. If you're a carbophobe (like many naturally soft people,) try limiting starchy carbs to 1x a day (ex: morning oats), And eat lots of veggies, even of starchier variety (like zucchini, carrots.) I will be the one to promise you, it won't make you FAT. When you need to lose the LAST 5% bodyfat in order to be shredded, worry about carrots. Until then...Eat your veggies.
Fun fact: If you calculate my daily carbs, its OVER 1g carb/ pound of bodyweight. And I'm LOSING fat.
Summary of this post:
Go to the gym. When you get there, bust your ass. Done ass busting, eat something. When your muscles get sore, rest them or do some easy exercise. Then eat some veggies. Repeat this for successful and safe transformation.
I am a VERY laid back person, but when it comes to releasing tension--i am the most INTENSE person at the gym. Therefore, I'm one of those people (even before I decided to prep for a competition) to bust through sprints even though my legs are aching. When I first got into fitness, I refused to take a day off. I worked out 7 days a week for 3 months STRAIGHT. You bet I worked myself into an injury and got sick. Sure, during the process I was getting faster on the treadmill, and doing more reps with heavier weights. But as soon as that overtraining point set in, all of my physical progress was halted, because i had to spend time rehabilitating muscle damage!
Since that first instance, I am AWARE of overtraining, however---I didn't fully learn my lesson. I now take a day off from all exercise each week, but 6 days of intense training is still limit-pushing in my book. One thing I've learned to do is to do some "recovery cardio" instead of all out balls-to-the-wall intervals when i can barely feel my legs. In fact, (for me) it is BETTER to do some "recovery" cardio the day after heavy leg training, rather than just lay off cardio for the day. I think that actively MOVING my lower body (at a lower intensity) helps to improve circulation and relieve leg muscle soreness. "recovery cardio" is a good time to hop on the elliptical instead of the stair monster.
With this said, I am 7 weeks from my first show, and am starting to "overdo" it. The difference here is that I am aware that I am STARTING to push it to far, and understand that I need to fix my cardio schedule to accomodate my two days of leg training+plyometrics. For example, on Tuesday, I trained glutes and quads (think squats, lunges, step-ups, kettlebell swings, plyos). Needless to say, after squatting up to 135lbs and then continuing with a LONG leg workout, my legs were ACHING the day after. What did I do? Wednesday, I got my ass on the stair monster. I was in so much pain, I ended up doing 15 minute intervals, and doing an upper body circuit in between. That got me 45 minutes of stair monster work, and did 15 minutes of low-intensity ellipting at the end of my workout to relax my legs. (After doing 60 jump squats...don't ask) Then comes THURSDAY (today) I wanted to CRY this morning when I rolled out of bed at 7 to get ready for work. My ENTIRE body is in pain. SORE and heavy. After working from 8-12, I spent 35 minutes trying to "recover" on the elliptical. I barely broke a sweat, despite the incline on the highest setting with challenging resistance. I usually sweat just THINKING about cardio, so I know something is off when I don't sweat.
I look pretty good for 7 weeks out, and if I continue on my contest prep as planned, I have no doubts I will look my best on stage. I just have to keep reminding myself that I have made this many changes in 6 weeks, so the next 6-7 weeks should bring more change, and hopefully the RIGHT changes. My inner thighs, glutes, and hams SHOULD be in pain since I'm trying to change them and firm them the MOST. I can deal with the pain, but I need to keep it manageable so that I can HEALTHILY continue on my prep. If you are trying to change your physique, be it weight loss, muscle building--don't OVERDO it. If it feels like a metal rod is sticking through your spine, it won't kill you to pedal on the elliptical instead of doing your planned monstrous workout. And for the record, there's nothing wrong with taking 2-3 days off the gym, ESPECIALLY if you're trying to build muscle. Even for fat loss, you need REST, or else your body might make sure you NEVER lose that stupid fat!
And I cannot end this post without a nutrition plug:
Please feed your body accordingly. If you are putting in MAX EFFORT in the gym, EAT something, damn! Have some carbs---they don't make you FAT. If you're a carbophobe (like many naturally soft people,) try limiting starchy carbs to 1x a day (ex: morning oats), And eat lots of veggies, even of starchier variety (like zucchini, carrots.) I will be the one to promise you, it won't make you FAT. When you need to lose the LAST 5% bodyfat in order to be shredded, worry about carrots. Until then...Eat your veggies.
Fun fact: If you calculate my daily carbs, its OVER 1g carb/ pound of bodyweight. And I'm LOSING fat.
Summary of this post:
Go to the gym. When you get there, bust your ass. Done ass busting, eat something. When your muscles get sore, rest them or do some easy exercise. Then eat some veggies. Repeat this for successful and safe transformation.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
12 weeks to failure
So, being that I'm on a standard "12 weeks contest prep," I've been thinking a lot about how a lot of people expect to make INSANE transformations in 12 weeks. Is it possible? hell yeah, look at all of the bodybuilders and fitness competitors who get absolutely shredded in as little as 4 weeks. However, most competitors who take 8-12 weeks to get into contest shape do not STAY in contest shape all year.
Therefore, you should never put such a strict deadline on your own physique goals unless you are stepping on stage or doing a photo shoot, etc. If you are truly looking to change your lifestyle, set SMALLER goals. If you are currently walking around on the soft/chubby side, your body likes being there. It's your MIND that doesn't. If you're currently scrawny and want to add serious muscle, don't expect to get those shapely and muscular curves after 12 weeks of "clean bulking" and heavy lifting. The human body is incredibly complex, and no matter how strong-willed you might be, you might not be able to convince your muscles and fat cells and metabolism to cooperate with your desperate physique aspirations.
Rather than trying to drop from a size 14 to a size 6 in a matter of months, try to schedule 2 extra cardio sessions per week, and swap some starchy carbs for an extra serving of green veggies everyday. Give your body AT LEAST 2 weeks to adjust to this before adding more workouts or depleting more fats and sugars from your diet. Once your body adjusts, maybe experiment with a TRX workout, or boxing, or a session with a personal trainer, and swap out fruits for vegetables in your diet. Again, GRADUAL changes. For people trying to PUT ON weight--don't just eat and eat and eat until you're sick. Add calories GRADUALLY so you're skinny body can acclimate itself. Build your calories with your strength. As you increase your caloric intake and continue to practice in the gym, you will be able to lift heavier and see muscle growth and results.
The reason I am emphasizing the importance of making gradual changes to your lifestyle is because I know what it's like to benefit from them. I've been on this health and fitness journey for about 2 years now, and over the course of those years I've become a great runner, lifter, pole dancer, blogger, and personal chef ;) No matter how many times I tried to "get skinny quick" via shape magazine throughout highschool, it never worked. Why? Because after 2 weeks of depleting and going crazy, my body wanted to shut down! Once I finally grasped the idea of making gradual changes, my body reacted the way i had always WANTED it to. When I reflect on the past 2 years, I don't feel that I was trying to "lose 10 pounds in 10 days." I have been trying to slowly and steadily build the body I've always dreamed of. I've surpassed previous expectations, and created NEW physique goals. NOW I'm preparing to step on stage the TINIEST I've ever been, with far more symmetry and muscular development than I had as a teenager. So this 12 week contest prep is not my "lifestyle change," it is simply to go from sort of lean to shredded on stage.
After my shows, I WILL gain back 4-5 pounds almost immediately due to water weight and simply eating. It is NOTHING to worry about, because it is part of how the human body WORKS! Without leaning out VERY slowly, the body will think it is depleted (such as the case for many competitors including myself.) 12 weeks is NOT a long time. Like I said, it has taken my body two years to be comfortable at a lean and muscular size 2-4, rather than a fluffy size 8-10. Give yourself TIME to evolve, and ENOY the process. Oh, while you're at it---eat some extra oat bran for me ;)
Therefore, you should never put such a strict deadline on your own physique goals unless you are stepping on stage or doing a photo shoot, etc. If you are truly looking to change your lifestyle, set SMALLER goals. If you are currently walking around on the soft/chubby side, your body likes being there. It's your MIND that doesn't. If you're currently scrawny and want to add serious muscle, don't expect to get those shapely and muscular curves after 12 weeks of "clean bulking" and heavy lifting. The human body is incredibly complex, and no matter how strong-willed you might be, you might not be able to convince your muscles and fat cells and metabolism to cooperate with your desperate physique aspirations.
Rather than trying to drop from a size 14 to a size 6 in a matter of months, try to schedule 2 extra cardio sessions per week, and swap some starchy carbs for an extra serving of green veggies everyday. Give your body AT LEAST 2 weeks to adjust to this before adding more workouts or depleting more fats and sugars from your diet. Once your body adjusts, maybe experiment with a TRX workout, or boxing, or a session with a personal trainer, and swap out fruits for vegetables in your diet. Again, GRADUAL changes. For people trying to PUT ON weight--don't just eat and eat and eat until you're sick. Add calories GRADUALLY so you're skinny body can acclimate itself. Build your calories with your strength. As you increase your caloric intake and continue to practice in the gym, you will be able to lift heavier and see muscle growth and results.
The reason I am emphasizing the importance of making gradual changes to your lifestyle is because I know what it's like to benefit from them. I've been on this health and fitness journey for about 2 years now, and over the course of those years I've become a great runner, lifter, pole dancer, blogger, and personal chef ;) No matter how many times I tried to "get skinny quick" via shape magazine throughout highschool, it never worked. Why? Because after 2 weeks of depleting and going crazy, my body wanted to shut down! Once I finally grasped the idea of making gradual changes, my body reacted the way i had always WANTED it to. When I reflect on the past 2 years, I don't feel that I was trying to "lose 10 pounds in 10 days." I have been trying to slowly and steadily build the body I've always dreamed of. I've surpassed previous expectations, and created NEW physique goals. NOW I'm preparing to step on stage the TINIEST I've ever been, with far more symmetry and muscular development than I had as a teenager. So this 12 week contest prep is not my "lifestyle change," it is simply to go from sort of lean to shredded on stage.
After my shows, I WILL gain back 4-5 pounds almost immediately due to water weight and simply eating. It is NOTHING to worry about, because it is part of how the human body WORKS! Without leaning out VERY slowly, the body will think it is depleted (such as the case for many competitors including myself.) 12 weeks is NOT a long time. Like I said, it has taken my body two years to be comfortable at a lean and muscular size 2-4, rather than a fluffy size 8-10. Give yourself TIME to evolve, and ENOY the process. Oh, while you're at it---eat some extra oat bran for me ;)
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Saturday workout BLAST
Alright, today's workout was sick. Had to post it. No frills, just a fucking hard workout
You will move between the treadmill and the free weights and cables
Treadmill: 10 mins
2 min warmup: 4.0-6.0
minute 3: incline 5/speed 5.0
minute 4: incline 6/speed 6
minute 5: incline 7/speed 7
minute 6: incline 4/speed 4
minute 7-10: incline 2/speed 6.5-7.5
(make sure to finish a mile + in the 10min time)
Cable circuit: 3 sets of 20 reps, increase weight each set.
Tricep rope push down
Rear delt face pulls w/rope
bent over stiff arm lat pulldown
**50 mountain climbers end each set**
Treadmill: 10 mins: this is a sprint/recover set. Incline set to 5%
minute 1: slow jog @5.0
minutes 2-10: alternate 45sec sprint @8.0+, recover at 4.0 45 sec
end with 45 sec recovery walk and 0% incline
Weight circuit: 3 sets of 12,15,20 reps. Start with heaviest dumbbells, decrease each set. Bicep 21's remain 21 reps though
Seated lateral raises
Barbell Bicep 21's
Standing shoulder press
Treadmill: 1.5 miles as fast as possible
my time: 11:48
1 minute cooldown
Studio: 3 sets 12 reps
Medicine ball burpee
Hold medicine ball and do squat jumps
plyo pushups
feet on towel, hands on floor--crunch knees in between arms
DONE. Contest mode is on, and I'm still killing it! continually ramping up the pace and pushing my limits, despite the cuts in my diet!
Next time you get on the old faithful treadmill, hike up the incline ... guarantee you your "jog" will get you better results.
Tomorrow I FINALLY have my coveted day off. And oh boy am I ready. Just need to do LOTS of foam rolling....as usual.
Much love.
You will move between the treadmill and the free weights and cables
Treadmill: 10 mins
2 min warmup: 4.0-6.0
minute 3: incline 5/speed 5.0
minute 4: incline 6/speed 6
minute 5: incline 7/speed 7
minute 6: incline 4/speed 4
minute 7-10: incline 2/speed 6.5-7.5
(make sure to finish a mile + in the 10min time)
Cable circuit: 3 sets of 20 reps, increase weight each set.
Tricep rope push down
Rear delt face pulls w/rope
bent over stiff arm lat pulldown
**50 mountain climbers end each set**
Treadmill: 10 mins: this is a sprint/recover set. Incline set to 5%
minute 1: slow jog @5.0
minutes 2-10: alternate 45sec sprint @8.0+, recover at 4.0 45 sec
end with 45 sec recovery walk and 0% incline
Weight circuit: 3 sets of 12,15,20 reps. Start with heaviest dumbbells, decrease each set. Bicep 21's remain 21 reps though
Seated lateral raises
Barbell Bicep 21's
Standing shoulder press
Treadmill: 1.5 miles as fast as possible
my time: 11:48
1 minute cooldown
Studio: 3 sets 12 reps
Medicine ball burpee
Hold medicine ball and do squat jumps
plyo pushups
feet on towel, hands on floor--crunch knees in between arms
DONE. Contest mode is on, and I'm still killing it! continually ramping up the pace and pushing my limits, despite the cuts in my diet!
Next time you get on the old faithful treadmill, hike up the incline ... guarantee you your "jog" will get you better results.
Tomorrow I FINALLY have my coveted day off. And oh boy am I ready. Just need to do LOTS of foam rolling....as usual.
Much love.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
My mind's telling me no....
But my BODDDYYYYYY is telling me yeeeeesssss
Ok. Now that I've used an R.Kelly reference (kudos to those of you who instantly knew), time for a blog of thoughts.
While I am definitely noticing changes in my physique, my mind does NOT want to allow them to happen. It's like my stupid female brain saying, "whoa there, why are you stripping more fat from your body, you need to have some kids. You are a girl, you need FAT on you."
Example: I was doing cable chest flies and presses the other day, and all of the bones in my sternum area are starting to show, and the cuts in my shoulders as well. Naturally, I know its not a big deal--actually, I like it, and know that means I'm losing body fat. But my mind is like whoa there skinny, not so fast..
So what happens? Even though I LOVE that I'm making progress, and gradually speeding up the fat loss process, I find myself UNCOMFORTABLY hungry sometimes, to the point where I feel as if I'm underfeeding myself (even though I track everything, so I know its not the case.) Due to the fact that I have 2 competitions to look forward to, I DO NOT give into this hunger. It's hard, somewhat painful, but it usually subsides if I distract myself. These are mindgames. If I weren't training for a competition, I would never force myself to starve until my next meal--but that is likely why I never lost that FAT I wanted to.
My advice to non-competitors (who are trying to lose a few pounds) is this: if you find yourself hungry out of your mind AFTER waiting 20 minutes, you need to feed yourself. Evaluate the calories and macronutrients of your daily diet, and adjust. Maybe even adding 1 teaspoon of fat or some fish oil supplements to each meal will fix your hunger issues. And eat your damn green vegetables (other colors are cool too.)
And my advice to people who are simply trying to put on muscle: EAT. self-explanatory.
I've been in a slight funk with my blog lately, because there is SO much I want to write, but I don't feel the mind power to sit down and tackle it. I lose focus when I try to write a post. My mind is so focused on my training and stressing about how far I have to go in the next 7.5 weeks to look good enough for ME on stage. I refuse to be one of the girls on stage that shouldn't be up there. The one that everyone in the audience thinks, "yikes."
Don't kill me for this, but having a naturally lean midsection is a slight curse when it comes to contest prep and diet. Every morning, no matter what I ate the day before or sodium or carbs or no cardio etc, my abs look pretty good. If I cut carbs, sodium, and water over 48 hours, and tanned, my abs would look just fine on stage. With that said, I have to constantly remind myself of everything else with FAT to lose. This causes a bit drama because I refuse to talking myself into believing that I'm fat. That isn't healthy. I might not be fat, but I sure got some ish to lose--particularly in the muffin top department, inner thigh, and I majorly have to tighten my ham/glute area. This is where contest prep has to be approached as strictly business. I have to lose the fat and get everything super lean because this is a TASK, not because I hate my body and want to be different. Not everyone understands this, hence why competing isn't for the weak-minded. I wasn't ready for this business-only approach a few months ago. After lots of thinking and objectively studying the sport of bodybuilding and athletics in general..it's just a part of the equation. Scrutinizing every single thing you eat and time spent in the gym is to excel in the competition, not to send yourself into a self-deprecating tailspin.
With all of that said, I killed my hamstrings for an hour and a half today. I spent 65 minutes on the stair monster yesterday. I'm going out on a limb and saying that training is going well.
News: I got an iPhone, follow my instagram: lizbrody
Love!!!
Ok. Now that I've used an R.Kelly reference (kudos to those of you who instantly knew), time for a blog of thoughts.
While I am definitely noticing changes in my physique, my mind does NOT want to allow them to happen. It's like my stupid female brain saying, "whoa there, why are you stripping more fat from your body, you need to have some kids. You are a girl, you need FAT on you."
Example: I was doing cable chest flies and presses the other day, and all of the bones in my sternum area are starting to show, and the cuts in my shoulders as well. Naturally, I know its not a big deal--actually, I like it, and know that means I'm losing body fat. But my mind is like whoa there skinny, not so fast..
So what happens? Even though I LOVE that I'm making progress, and gradually speeding up the fat loss process, I find myself UNCOMFORTABLY hungry sometimes, to the point where I feel as if I'm underfeeding myself (even though I track everything, so I know its not the case.) Due to the fact that I have 2 competitions to look forward to, I DO NOT give into this hunger. It's hard, somewhat painful, but it usually subsides if I distract myself. These are mindgames. If I weren't training for a competition, I would never force myself to starve until my next meal--but that is likely why I never lost that FAT I wanted to.
My advice to non-competitors (who are trying to lose a few pounds) is this: if you find yourself hungry out of your mind AFTER waiting 20 minutes, you need to feed yourself. Evaluate the calories and macronutrients of your daily diet, and adjust. Maybe even adding 1 teaspoon of fat or some fish oil supplements to each meal will fix your hunger issues. And eat your damn green vegetables (other colors are cool too.)
And my advice to people who are simply trying to put on muscle: EAT. self-explanatory.
I've been in a slight funk with my blog lately, because there is SO much I want to write, but I don't feel the mind power to sit down and tackle it. I lose focus when I try to write a post. My mind is so focused on my training and stressing about how far I have to go in the next 7.5 weeks to look good enough for ME on stage. I refuse to be one of the girls on stage that shouldn't be up there. The one that everyone in the audience thinks, "yikes."
Don't kill me for this, but having a naturally lean midsection is a slight curse when it comes to contest prep and diet. Every morning, no matter what I ate the day before or sodium or carbs or no cardio etc, my abs look pretty good. If I cut carbs, sodium, and water over 48 hours, and tanned, my abs would look just fine on stage. With that said, I have to constantly remind myself of everything else with FAT to lose. This causes a bit drama because I refuse to talking myself into believing that I'm fat. That isn't healthy. I might not be fat, but I sure got some ish to lose--particularly in the muffin top department, inner thigh, and I majorly have to tighten my ham/glute area. This is where contest prep has to be approached as strictly business. I have to lose the fat and get everything super lean because this is a TASK, not because I hate my body and want to be different. Not everyone understands this, hence why competing isn't for the weak-minded. I wasn't ready for this business-only approach a few months ago. After lots of thinking and objectively studying the sport of bodybuilding and athletics in general..it's just a part of the equation. Scrutinizing every single thing you eat and time spent in the gym is to excel in the competition, not to send yourself into a self-deprecating tailspin.
With all of that said, I killed my hamstrings for an hour and a half today. I spent 65 minutes on the stair monster yesterday. I'm going out on a limb and saying that training is going well.
News: I got an iPhone, follow my instagram: lizbrody
Love!!!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Go Shawty...its your birthday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!
What am I doing for my birthday? Well, to start--I did INTENSE cardio at 7am at the track (heart pumping out of chest. Total of 100 burpees done throughout, 20 sprints UP the stairs, 4 laps (sprint all-out the long way, walk the short turn), 30 jumps onto the lowest bleacher step, and a cool-down), and had my weekly double serving oat bran treat for breakfast (and a tablespoon of PB happened after). I plan to do an upper body circuit workout later as well. No cake, no cheats for me today. I wish I was craving something, but I'm NOT! So I'm sticking to my same exact schedule and eating plan...with an extra big can of lo-carb monster for later ;)
Anyway, I want to share a BIG secret with you today. Today, August 13th, marks 8 weeks out from my FIRST NPC BIKINI COMPETITION!! I know, I know--I've been sort of talking about this since I started prep 4 weeks ago, but haven't exactly declared it. Kind of like when a woman first finds out she is pregnant, and doesn't tell people until the second trimester--right? Okay, fine, that's my analogy!
With 8 weeks to go, I'm really settled into my routine, slowly thinking about adding intensity and volume in the cardio department so that I don't deplete my calories much more, since I'm keeping them way lower than I was before I started prep! I became more or less obsessed with bodybuilding as a sport over the course of the year, and finally decided that i HAD to be one of those girls on stage.
I was having a hard time deciding between figure or bikini, and finally went with my heart and chose bikini. Here is the current miss bikini OLYMPIA, Nicole Nagrani--and I'm pretty sure she's MY AGE:
I thought my hourglass shape would adapt better to the bikini look, despite these HUGE muscles I've built over the past year and change...trying to tone them DOWN now. I am SO excited that I have finally come to a stable place in my life where I can diet down and manipulate my calories and workouts without having feelings of self-doubt or insecurity about my size. Throughout the winter and spring, I knew I wanted to be on stage in a bikini, but wasn't mentally ready. After losing a lot of weight and becoming a much stronger athlete and self-proclaimed gym rat, my body and mind both NEEDED a break. I trained harder than ever, but allowed myself fruits, accidental spoons of peanut butter, and didn't think twice about it because I was tearing up the gym 6 days a week.
While I still have a long way to go, I feel good about the subtle changes I've seen since I started dieting and eating the same exact thing every single day. My carbs are still moderate/high, and I am never really hungry since I eat SO much broccoli and green beans. I am committed to getting my ass on stage the HEALTHY and natural way, and ultimately want to look the best I've ever looked--not just impress some NPC judges.
I am so fortunate to have a phenomenal support system from my amazing MOM, TINA, VAL, KELVIN, BRIT, and every single blogger/friend who reads my blog and encourages me. While a lot of people don't understand WHY anyone that is ALREADY fit would want to diet down for months to stand in front of a panel of judges in a piece of sparkly spandex, it is just something I can't wait to experience. Competing is only the tip of the iceberg in the sport of bodybuilding. There is something about the intense hours of training, pain, soreness, sweat, cold vegetables, tablespoons and food scales--overall DEDICATION, that is so rewarding. Not to mention, I plan on keeping my well-rounded schedule of pole, sprints, heavy weights, circuits, and regular cardio to get that stage body. I am not working with a coach or trainer. I'm doing this all on my own. I will give credit to Pauline Nordin (fighterdiet.com) for my contest diet, although I amended the plan due to allergies to dairy and nuts.
I am SO happy I shared this news with my blog for my birthday. No longer a teenager, I am celebrating my 20s with no cake, just trying to build MY cake for the back pose on October 13th ;) Stay tuned for plenty of updates. Here are some photos I've taken recently. My waist is currently 25'' and hips are STILL right under 37''!! what the heck...I have 8 weeks to lose SOMETHING off them! Well, I'm not going to complain about that on my BIRTHDAY!
I might not be celebrating my birthday like most people, but this is my passion, and I'm content with spending this day like any other, with the addition of some lovely family members joining for dinner later--where I will eat my green beans and chicken breast.
Happy birthday to me!
What am I doing for my birthday? Well, to start--I did INTENSE cardio at 7am at the track (heart pumping out of chest. Total of 100 burpees done throughout, 20 sprints UP the stairs, 4 laps (sprint all-out the long way, walk the short turn), 30 jumps onto the lowest bleacher step, and a cool-down), and had my weekly double serving oat bran treat for breakfast (and a tablespoon of PB happened after). I plan to do an upper body circuit workout later as well. No cake, no cheats for me today. I wish I was craving something, but I'm NOT! So I'm sticking to my same exact schedule and eating plan...with an extra big can of lo-carb monster for later ;)
Anyway, I want to share a BIG secret with you today. Today, August 13th, marks 8 weeks out from my FIRST NPC BIKINI COMPETITION!! I know, I know--I've been sort of talking about this since I started prep 4 weeks ago, but haven't exactly declared it. Kind of like when a woman first finds out she is pregnant, and doesn't tell people until the second trimester--right? Okay, fine, that's my analogy!
With 8 weeks to go, I'm really settled into my routine, slowly thinking about adding intensity and volume in the cardio department so that I don't deplete my calories much more, since I'm keeping them way lower than I was before I started prep! I became more or less obsessed with bodybuilding as a sport over the course of the year, and finally decided that i HAD to be one of those girls on stage.
I was having a hard time deciding between figure or bikini, and finally went with my heart and chose bikini. Here is the current miss bikini OLYMPIA, Nicole Nagrani--and I'm pretty sure she's MY AGE:
While I still have a long way to go, I feel good about the subtle changes I've seen since I started dieting and eating the same exact thing every single day. My carbs are still moderate/high, and I am never really hungry since I eat SO much broccoli and green beans. I am committed to getting my ass on stage the HEALTHY and natural way, and ultimately want to look the best I've ever looked--not just impress some NPC judges.
I am so fortunate to have a phenomenal support system from my amazing MOM, TINA, VAL, KELVIN, BRIT, and every single blogger/friend who reads my blog and encourages me. While a lot of people don't understand WHY anyone that is ALREADY fit would want to diet down for months to stand in front of a panel of judges in a piece of sparkly spandex, it is just something I can't wait to experience. Competing is only the tip of the iceberg in the sport of bodybuilding. There is something about the intense hours of training, pain, soreness, sweat, cold vegetables, tablespoons and food scales--overall DEDICATION, that is so rewarding. Not to mention, I plan on keeping my well-rounded schedule of pole, sprints, heavy weights, circuits, and regular cardio to get that stage body. I am not working with a coach or trainer. I'm doing this all on my own. I will give credit to Pauline Nordin (fighterdiet.com) for my contest diet, although I amended the plan due to allergies to dairy and nuts.
I might not be celebrating my birthday like most people, but this is my passion, and I'm content with spending this day like any other, with the addition of some lovely family members joining for dinner later--where I will eat my green beans and chicken breast.
Happy birthday to me!
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Weekend treat: Heavy iron
After a week of good workouts and LOTS of attention for the glutes and hams, and hours logged on the stair monster, Saturday plan was: AM Fasted cardio, 45 minutes moderate intensity.
I woke up, took BCAAs and glutamine, got ready, and drank coffee on the way to the gym. I ended up kicking my ass on the stair master for 50 minutes, which is more moderate-high intensity ... no elliptical-like boredom or ease on that machine. I don't know what it is, something about my work ethic always leads me to the hardest workout possible. Both Octane ellipticals were vacant, but there was a stair monster available...and it just called my name. I'm addicted to the hard work. The need to peel my tank top off after 3 minutes of warming up on it (Yes, I'm one of those people who works out in just a sports bra sometimes. I just get too damn sweaty! It's not to show off, especially because the stair monsters are in the back of the cardio equipment..I'm not parading around half naked...though there's nothing wrong with that if you look the part and are working your ass off.)
I digress...
I bumped 50cent for almost my entire workout, and then ended with Ying Yang Twins. I found myself damn near booty popping up the stairs...it keeps me going! Lol.
Anyway, I went home and had my breakfast, and couldn't stop thinking about how my shoulders haven't felt SORE or torn apart in WEEKS. I just had this urge to train heavy, and all day it was bothering me. I also think, subconsciously, I wanted my pre-workout monster and post-workout shake and rice cakes..just maybe. So, At 5pm, I suited back up and headed back to the gym, determined to tear my delts apart, and also hit triceps a little bit.
Picking up 25lb dumbbells and pressing them over my head felt amazing. No neck pain (injury is definitely gone) whatsoever. I've lost a bit of strength since I stopped training heavy about 3-4 weeks ago. The last heavy shoulder workout I had, I was pressing 35's FINALLY...for 5 reps. Today, I used 25s for 4 sets of 8 seated shoulder press. I used to FLING 25s...and I was challenged by them today. I did standing shoulder presses, Upright rows (with the 40lb barbell instead of the 20 i've been using,) and more lateral raises than one could imagine.
Highlight of my workout:
I set up for push-presses, I warmed up 2 sets of 10 with the 45lb bar, then put a 10lb plate on each side. I put it up for 8 reps NO problem, then a set of 6, then set of 4, then dropped back to the 45 for 8 extra reps.
If you aren't a fan of training shoulders, this post is probably incredibly boring for you. If you're anything like me, this post has you itching to train those delts and hit them from every angle possible. It felt so good to see the veins in my delts and arms pop out, and for the caps of my shoulders to actually FEEL hot from the burning muscle. I was on cloud 9--it's made of iron and rains sweat in case you've never been there.
I will definitely enjoy my day off tomorrow, and I'm thrilled that I treated myself to an extra workout today--unless you're sore and tired and severely overtrained, I don't think its EVER a bad idea to have an EXTRA workout, even if you didnt PLAN for it to happen. Just like if you planned to workout, and feel absolutely incapable and too sore to perform, you CAN skip the workout and just do it the following day. Listening to your body works both ways. The neck injury I had told me to back off the heavy weights for a couple of weeks, and I'm not going back to my former heavy lifting routine just yet, but my body was CRAVING the iron, just like you might CRAVE sugar..
I'm so happy I can't stand it. And for the record, my new egg protein powder tastes like Swiss Miss Hot chocolate...too bad theres 420mg sodium and therefore i will NOT be purchasing it again..it's the yummiest thing in the WORLD.
Tomorrow I'm treating myself to time alone in the city to walk around, shop, get steamed broccoli from whole foods (not that excited about that part), and just spend time in my favorite neighborhoods...and do some shopping for my birthday :)
Happy weekend!
I woke up, took BCAAs and glutamine, got ready, and drank coffee on the way to the gym. I ended up kicking my ass on the stair master for 50 minutes, which is more moderate-high intensity ... no elliptical-like boredom or ease on that machine. I don't know what it is, something about my work ethic always leads me to the hardest workout possible. Both Octane ellipticals were vacant, but there was a stair monster available...and it just called my name. I'm addicted to the hard work. The need to peel my tank top off after 3 minutes of warming up on it (Yes, I'm one of those people who works out in just a sports bra sometimes. I just get too damn sweaty! It's not to show off, especially because the stair monsters are in the back of the cardio equipment..I'm not parading around half naked...though there's nothing wrong with that if you look the part and are working your ass off.)
I digress...
I bumped 50cent for almost my entire workout, and then ended with Ying Yang Twins. I found myself damn near booty popping up the stairs...it keeps me going! Lol.
Anyway, I went home and had my breakfast, and couldn't stop thinking about how my shoulders haven't felt SORE or torn apart in WEEKS. I just had this urge to train heavy, and all day it was bothering me. I also think, subconsciously, I wanted my pre-workout monster and post-workout shake and rice cakes..just maybe. So, At 5pm, I suited back up and headed back to the gym, determined to tear my delts apart, and also hit triceps a little bit.
Picking up 25lb dumbbells and pressing them over my head felt amazing. No neck pain (injury is definitely gone) whatsoever. I've lost a bit of strength since I stopped training heavy about 3-4 weeks ago. The last heavy shoulder workout I had, I was pressing 35's FINALLY...for 5 reps. Today, I used 25s for 4 sets of 8 seated shoulder press. I used to FLING 25s...and I was challenged by them today. I did standing shoulder presses, Upright rows (with the 40lb barbell instead of the 20 i've been using,) and more lateral raises than one could imagine.
Highlight of my workout:
I set up for push-presses, I warmed up 2 sets of 10 with the 45lb bar, then put a 10lb plate on each side. I put it up for 8 reps NO problem, then a set of 6, then set of 4, then dropped back to the 45 for 8 extra reps.
If you aren't a fan of training shoulders, this post is probably incredibly boring for you. If you're anything like me, this post has you itching to train those delts and hit them from every angle possible. It felt so good to see the veins in my delts and arms pop out, and for the caps of my shoulders to actually FEEL hot from the burning muscle. I was on cloud 9--it's made of iron and rains sweat in case you've never been there.
I will definitely enjoy my day off tomorrow, and I'm thrilled that I treated myself to an extra workout today--unless you're sore and tired and severely overtrained, I don't think its EVER a bad idea to have an EXTRA workout, even if you didnt PLAN for it to happen. Just like if you planned to workout, and feel absolutely incapable and too sore to perform, you CAN skip the workout and just do it the following day. Listening to your body works both ways. The neck injury I had told me to back off the heavy weights for a couple of weeks, and I'm not going back to my former heavy lifting routine just yet, but my body was CRAVING the iron, just like you might CRAVE sugar..
I'm so happy I can't stand it. And for the record, my new egg protein powder tastes like Swiss Miss Hot chocolate...too bad theres 420mg sodium and therefore i will NOT be purchasing it again..it's the yummiest thing in the WORLD.
Tomorrow I'm treating myself to time alone in the city to walk around, shop, get steamed broccoli from whole foods (not that excited about that part), and just spend time in my favorite neighborhoods...and do some shopping for my birthday :)
Happy weekend!
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