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Julie| Eat Like Your Competition Is Watching |
| 02.05.2012 23:10:30 | |
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I’m a black and white person, especially when it comes to contest dieting. There’s no gray area on my nutrition plan. It’s very specific. It’s all written down. Unlike a map, there is only one route to get me from A to B, I can’t take detours and I can’t utilize shortcuts. I have to follow the plan as it’s written so I achieve the desired results. Willpower is not something that some people are born with and others are not. Willpower is a habit, just like almost everything else in life that determines if you’re going to be successful…or not. Contest dieting is a mental game that requires willpower…a habit that comes with practice. When I started competing 3 ½ years ago it was definitely not as cut and dry to diet as it is for me today. I needed cheat meals to help me mentally. My body didn’t need them but my mind did. These days I don’t do cheat meals during contest prep. So how do you develop the mental strength and the willpower to stay true to your diet? I have a lot of mental chatter that goes on in my head so I use it to my advantage. In fact, I was just telling Elaine yesterday at the gym that I tend to have really good workouts when I train alone (nobody take this personally!!!) simply because the mental chatter that goes on in my own head is what drives me the most and pushes me to those last few reps I maybe wouldn’t have done. Things like: “Would the winner quit now?” or “Everybody’s watching…you gonna get those last 2 or not?” or “Do you really want to walk away from this set knowing you didn’t give it your everything?” I hate letting myself down, so this talk usually works very well for me. A while back I started telling myself…TRAIN LIKE EVERYBODY’S WATCHING. A few weeks ago I realized this carried over into my kitchen and so I started telling myself… EAT LIKE YOUR COMPETITION IS WATCHING If I imagine one of my competitors is sitting in my kitchen watching every move I make, I guarantee you there is nothing going in my mouth that isn’t supposed to be there. Being surrounded by a ton of “non contest” foods in my home, I have come to rely heavily on mental strategies to help me stay on task. Imagining the watchful eye of another figure competitor who will be on stage with me has been the best strategy I’ve found so far.
And if you’re reading this thinking…”I wonder WHO she imagines!!” My competition has no face, no name…she just IS. After all, my competition is really MYSELF. I’m not competing with any specific person. Just doing everything in my power to bring my A game! Today is Super Bowl Sunday and many of you have families and obligations that require you to attend some sort of Super Bowl function that will likely include an array of junk foods and drinks. Maybe you have planned this as a cheat meal but maybe you are staying on task and packing your own foods. If you are in a position where you are attending a non-competitor friendly function today…try EATING LIKE YOUR COMPETITION IS WATCHING. It may just make the difference for you reaching into the chip bowl…or not. Remember your goal. That food may taste good but it probably comes at a pretty high price that you just don’t need to pay right now. A big shout out to all the ladies who come out to Julie Michaelson Training yesterday for posing class! The positive energy and enthusiasm was infectious! Thank you to Elaine for being a wonderful instructor and to Diane Rudholm at ABB/ON and Shannon at BSN for the samples and goodies!
Be Fearless. Own Yourself.
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…in relentless pursuit of the GOLDEN tiara www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl Tags: contest prep | diet | training | Posing | Mental Strength | 2012 Emerald Cup |
We got the Emerald Cup "green band" mojo goin' on!! Register and get YOURS!!| Keeping It Real |
| 02.03.2012 23:11:38 | |
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I’ve made it a habit in my life to focus on the positive and not dwell on the negative. As a result, a lot of people think that my life is without struggle and that things come easy for me. I have a very small circle of incredibly amazing friends that I feel safe and comfortable enough with to share the tough times, the struggles and all the happy stuff that surrounds it all. This last week has been particularly challenging for me as a mother. You will frequently read me write about how amazing my 4 children are and how much I absolutely love them. Rarely will you hear me speak of the challenging times that I face as a single mother of 4. But let me be real with you…this week was rough. It was one of those weeks where I could honestly say that while I love my kids more than life itself, I did not like them in many moments of the week. Before I ever filed for divorce I knew that I would be doing the parenting thing totally solo. God bless my parents…if it weren’t for them I probably would have stayed married out of necessity. They are an integral part of my “parenting team” and I am blessed beyond words to have them in our lives. Even still, raising them primarily by myself, dealing with all the day-to-day stuff alone is really, really hard. This week I have been dealing with behavior issues at school for my youngest 3. It has been frustrating, exhausting and sad. It’s been a week of…”this is a problem and I have absolutely NO idea how to fix it.” It’s in moments like this that I feel really alone and like a failure as a parent. As I search for answers and search for help, I am also responsible for growing and maintaining my business as well as preparing for the Emerald Cup. I have competed for many reasons in the past…to escape the misery of my marriage, to distract myself from the painful divorce process, to prove to others that I was good enough, to be my very best self. And now, I do it because I want to. I do it because it’s the one thing in my life that’s just for me and about me. I do it because I really, really want to win…for me. People often wonder why I do an hour or more of cardio at 4 o’clock in the morning. Well, it’s the only time I have to myself. It’s the only time I can zone out, process and map out my day. It’s my hour of “me” that doesn’t take anything away from anyone or anything else in my life. After all, what else do you do at 4am? You sleep. So, I can take this hour guilt-free. Sort of sad, I guess, but it is what it is. It’s the way my life is right now. Being focused on my contest prep feels really good to me because it’s something I can do for myself. Having the structure of my nutrition plan and following it to a “T” and working my training plan gives me an element of control that I often feel is lacking in my life. The gym is also my primary method of “therapy”. I work out a lot of my “life’s sh*t” in the gym and I always come away feeling empowered and stronger and ready to take on whatever curve ball life is tossing me at the moment. I welcome the challenges because I know they make me stronger and they help me grow into the person I’m supposed to be. The 4 loud kids yelling “yay mom” in the front row 77 days from today…those are MINE and they are my PRIDE, my JOY, my LIFE (and often my fast road to insanity…but I love them like crazy!!!) Thank you to my parents and my amazing friends who help me carry my load! “It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.”
~Julie~ FEARLESS, with cape in hand…RELENTLESSLY pursing the golden tiara!! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl l
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| JM Supplement Regimen |
| 01.31.2012 12:42:47 | |
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I am often asked about the supplements I use. To be honest, I am kind of a supplement “minimalist”. For a couple of reasons…first of all, I believe that nutrition is king and training is a very close second. Secondly, I don’t buy into the hype that many of these supplements claim. Therefore, I am very particular about my nutrition and training and use supplements to replace the things I cannot get from food sources. I am a minimalist in my own supplementation and in working with clients as well. If your diet’s not right, there’s nothing a supplement can do to fix it.
So…what DO I take? In order of priority, here’s what’s in my supplement arsenal:
If I were to be sent to a deserted island and I could only choose one supplement to take, CapTri would be it! CapTri is a MCT oil that is immediately burned as fuel, unlike other sources of dietary fats. CapTri is essentially “pouring gasoline on a fire” in terms of your metabolism. I consume 4-8Tbsp of CapTri depending on my current goals. CapTri allows you to keep your calories high, while staying lean. 2. Whey Protein Isolate I like Dymatize Elite Whey protein isolate but I also rotate Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey into the mix on occasion (usually if there’s a great deal on it). A whey protein is a must in any diet – competitor or not. Most people don’t get near enough protein in their diets and a solid whey protein is a quick and easy way to get more. I never do cardio without drinking a whey protein shake first. 3. Vitamins/Minerals As a physique competitor, I really believe that Parrillo’s Multi-Vitamin and Mineral/Electrolyte formula are extremely important as they are specifically formulated for the competitive athlete who is really pushing the heavy weights and sweating a lot thru cardio. These vitamins are designed to be taken multiple times a day. Depending on my current nutrition program I take them anywhere from 3-5 times a day. 4. Fish Oil Fish oil has numerous health benefits from possibly having anti-cancer effects to being extremely beneficial to fetal brain development. But, as a bodybuilder…” These beneficial fats encourage the receptor sites on muscle cells to increase insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to release less insulin. In turn, fat storage tends to be limited, and insulin performs its intended job: channeling carbohydrates and amino acids into muscle tissue.” (John Parrillo) As you can see in the picture, I use Costco’s Kirkland brand fish oil and like them just fine. 5. Vitamin C, B Complex, Pantothenic Acid (B5) I take a TON of vitamin C for no real proven reason other than I feel like it helps give my immune system a boost. Same with the B Complex, which I also find gives me an energy boost as well. I take 1500mg of Pantothenic Acid (B5) each day to promote healthy adrenal function as that is something I’ve struggled with in the past. With a high stress life, I try to take measures to keep my adrenals from being too pissed off at me. 6. Dymatize Elite XT Now, we’re getting to the good stuff…”dessert.” I don’t always use a blend protein, but if I’m still at a point in my plan where I can have something before I go to bed, I love Dymatize Elite XT. It’sthick and it’s really tasty! It’s one of the treats I look forward to after a competition. 7. Parrillo Contest Cookies These probably belong higher up on my list as I cannot live or diet without them. I use these all the way up to competition day. They are a low net carb cookie. I love them, think they’re delicious, however, I’ve had people with “normal” taste buds try them and I usually hear something like…”THOSE aren’t cookies!!!” Hey, when you’re hungry, you love pretty much anything. 8. Optimum Nutrition AmiNO Energy Okay, 100% honesty here…I drink this during cardio. It doesn’t make me faster or leaner or stronger. It just tastes good and it has caffeine. I don’t drink coffee before I hit the gym at 4am, so sipping on AmiNO Energy during cardio helps with the little caffeine jolt and for some reason, I don’t enjoy water at that hour of the day. I’m not sold on the idea of BCAAs being necessary during cardio. I do it anyway.
What about a fat burner? I am NOT a fan of fat burners to “burn fat.” I am, however, a fan of fat burners as a source of energy when my calories and carbs are low and I need it to get through my workouts. I do not use fat burners until I absolutely need them in my contest prep. Usually I need them sometime between 3 and 6 weeks out from a competition. As soon as the contest is over, I drop the fat burners and give my body a break. Again, nutrition is king. If your diet sucks, there’s no supplement that is going to correct it.
Diet first. Training second. Supplements…are just that…supplements to your nutrition and training plans. ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand...in hot pursuit of the GOLDEN TIARA!! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl
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| Leaving Base Camp |
| 01.27.2012 23:55:11 | |
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12 weeks out…it feels more real at 12 weeks out. As in, if you weren’t serious before, you better be serious now. I’ve used the last couple weeks to really refocus myself, eliminate distractions and really get dialed in on how I want these next 12 weeks to go down. I always view contest prep as a journey in personal growth. At the end of the contest prep period I am usually changed in some way or another and have learned more life lessons that really have nothing to do with bodybuilding. That’s why I love this sport…because it gives me the opportunity to learn and realize what I am capable of, how strong I am (not just in the physical sense) and reminds me that there is always, always room to be better in every facet of my life. These next 12 weeks are going to be very exciting. I am thrilled to have 5 athletes who will be competing in bikini and figure at the Emerald Cup. Watching them in their journeys and transformations is incredibly inspiring and rewarding for me. Seeing their determination and dedication makes me want to do better for them and for myself. With still 12 weeks to go I am already so proud of each of them and know that when they reach the summit of their own journey they will be transformed in so many ways they never realized. I wrote a post last fall about rappelling down the mountain. For me, post contest and “off season” is just as critical as contest prep. Keeping myself as healthy and balanced in mind and body as possible is a necessity if I am going to be competing. I tend to take things to extremes (all the people that know me personally that are reading this are laughing right now...zip it!!!) and while that is sometimes a benefit for me in my life, it isn’t always the case. Definitely when it comes to competing. My goal for the next 12 weeks is “slow and steady”, “one foot in front of the other.” I’ve got my plan and I am ready to climb. It’s really exciting to make the climb when you know you have prepared, planned and done everything in your power to set yourself up for a successful expedition. In case you’re wondering about all this mountain-speak…YES, someday I would love to trek to Everest base camp. It’s on my bucket list.
"Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top; it is the willpower that is the most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given by others..it rises from your heart" Junko Tabei (first woman to successfully climb Mt. Everest) ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand...on a mission for the GOLD TIARA!!! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl
Fellow blogger, Cindy and me showing off our competitor bands...I mean, GUNS! Tags: |
| Don't Eat That!!! |
| 01.24.2012 23:18:57 | |
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Food temptation is everywhere, all the time. I live with 4 kids. Naturally, they don’t eat a competition diet so it’s safe for you to assume that we don’t all eat the same meals. Meaning, there’s kid food in my house. It’s on Pandora every 15 minutes during my workout…Mike Walsh and his wife Gail Parker and how they make their day better by eating at Panera Bread. You can’t even make a run through Costco for chicken, eggs and veggies without getting stuck in a traffic jam every other aisle over the sample of the day. Is one bite really going to hurt? Is just one meal really going to make or break me? Well, yes and no. Personally, I believe that “cheat meals” are more or less mental breaks for those who have a hard time holding diet. Your body doesn’t need junk food when you’re dieting down. You may need to give your metabolism a boost in calories but how often do you see people choosing to eat more clean calories to achieve that? Not often. Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good cheat meal…pizza and chocolate cake or DQ Blizzards are among the top of my list. But I find when I keep my eyes focused on my goal and not what sounds tasty at a given moment, I can stay on track. As with everything in this sport, I believe that nutrition and staying on task with the diet is all about “mind control.” What helps me the most is having a solid plan and simply following my plan meal by meal, day by day. If, say, a cupcake is not on my meal plan for a given day, I don’t get to eat one when I go to a birthday party with lots of yummy cupcakes. It takes the thinking out of it for me. I look at the cupcake and think to self: “Is this on my plan? Nope. Guess I’m not eating this today.” I make it sound simple, right? But it’s not, is it? Because your mind is telling you that you really want and need to eat that cupcake. Next step, ask yourself… “If I eat this cupcake, how is it getting me closer to my goal?” I ask myself this question before I put anything in my mouth that is not on my plan. If the answer is “it’s NOT” then I usually roll my eyes at myself, sigh and put the food down. Having a goal and a plan is critical to success. My biggest fear is letting MYSELF down. I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks, I care what *I* think of myself and if I eat something that’s not on my plan I’m usually pissed at myself for awhile. I don’t like being pissed at myself and I definitely will NOT let myself down once I have committed to a goal and a plan. Is your goal meaningful enough for you to feel mentally, physically and emotionally invested in it? Is your plan solid? I truly believe that if you can answer YES to both of these questions you should be able to master the mental game when it comes to your nutrition plan. If you can’t, then it’s definitely time to re-evaluate. Almost 12 weeks out…don’t waste any time. If you need to make a change, do it NOW!!! “Strength is a matter of a made up mind.” John Beecher Is your mind made up?
~Julie~ Fearlessly hunting down the GOLD tiara…wearing my badass cape, of course! This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl |
| Got Obstacles? |
| 01.19.2012 02:47:29 | |
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“Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” ~Vince Lombardi It’s no secret: I am NOT a fan of the snow. For various reasons but the top 2 would be: being trapped indoors with 4 children for several days and not being able to work. For people without children a snow day sounds blissful. Come hang out at my house for a day with my foursome and you’ll probably wish for rain to come and wash away the snow STAT!! I will say that the snow has been a nice excuse to sleep in the last couple of days. I should qualify that I use the term “sleeping in” quite loosely. I have been up by 5:45am every day this week. But it sure beats my usual 4am wake up time. The roads and the gym have been empty and it’s actually been kind of nice.
Something I notice among clients and gym friends and people in general…when the daily routine is thrown off by something like a snow day, not only does the workout often get sacrificed, but almost more importantly, the nutrition goes by the wayside. If you are preparing to compete in the Emerald Cup in just over 13 weeks, now is not the time to allow yourself to be derailed by a little snow! It’s really important to stick to your nutrition plan, eat all your scheduled meals and don’t use the snow as an excuse to “junk out.” This week feels a lot like a holiday…but it’s not. It’s important to remind yourself of that, stay focused on your goals and stay on track. Have you allowed the weather to impact the quantity and/or quality of your workouts? You shouldn’t. Where there is a will, there’s a way! You might need to find a ride to the gym, you might need to find a way to do your cardio at home. But trust me, if you really want it bad enough you WILL find a way to get it done. What’s stopping you and more importantly, WHY? Use this time to rest, while still keeping your nutrition and training on track. The next 13 weeks will be grueling if you’re doing it right so take advantage of a little down-time to get some extra sleep, sneak in a nap or just get more prepared for the days, weeks and months ahead. A goal that you are committed to achieving will not allow room for any EXCUSES!!! Stay focused and recommit yourself if you need to…and if you’re heart’s not in it, give yourself permission not to do it! ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…committed to the GOLD Tiara!! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com, Twitter: @IrieFitGirl Tags: Emerald Cup | Craig Productions | Figure | focus | Julie Michaelson | Goals | Mindset |
| Oh, but I DO!!! |
| 01.13.2012 23:01:30 | |
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HUGE Nike fail…the t-shirt that reads…”I don’t do high heels.”
I, of course, had to buy it and fortunately I found it on the clearance rack (surprise!!!) at Nordstrom so I didn’t have to shell out much for it. At 14 weeks until the Emerald Cup I cannot deny it, I am really looking forward to slipping on the stripper shoes and struttin’ down the catwalk…uh, yeah…CATWALK!!!! Elaine’s (rather brilliant) idea for the Figure & Fitness ladies on Friday night! Ok, so here’s a secret…every mother fantasizes about struttin’ the catwalk in stripper shoes and a barely-there bikini. Hah! Okay, maybe not so much. I have to admit, before my first competition in 2008 I was pretty freaked out about the whole stage, heels, bikini thing. After all, what married, mother of 4 does that sort of thing?! Right?! It’s certainly not the majority that much I know for sure. But once I did it I was hooked. I say it often, this is about the journey, not about the moment on stage, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find that moment on stage extremely powerful, meaningful and very rewarding. It’s the moment when you get to show off everything you have worked so hard to achieve over the last several weeks, months and years. Behind those stripper shoes is a lot of really, really, hard work that many spectators do not realize. All the glamour that you see on stage is a far cry from what goes on behind the scenes: in the gym and in the kitchen. In the gym I get called “one of the guys.” But on stage, in the shoes, I am definitely not “one of the guys.” Here's a link to my bench press video from Tuesday night in the "T-Zone" with the boys: http://youtu.be/PO6h1VbkdKQ 14 weeks until this tomboy gets to go “all girly” and strut it on the catwalk. I LOVE walkin’ in those things!! I can’t wait! PS…from here on out each of my blog posts will include a picture of me AND my green “accountability band.” It's kind of like "Where's Waldo", but not really. It never leaves my right wrist! If you don’t have yours yet, get registered so you can get one. I can attest – it really helps to keep you on track!
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl
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| "Let's See How Far We've Come" |
| 01.12.2012 13:26:16 | |
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It’s a Matchbox 20 song…if ya didn’t know. My favorite band, led by my favorite artist of all time. In fact, I should put it on my playlist for tomorrow morning’s cardio session. I had coffee this afternoon with Elaine and during our conversation we discussed my blogs – both here and on my business (www.juliemichaelsontraining.com) and personal (iriefitgirl.blogspot.com) sites. I decided to take a look at what I was blogging about when I first launched my CP blog 2 years ago this month. As it turns out, I actually have a blog dated, January 11, 2010.(http://www.craigproductions.com/component/idoblog/viewpost/318) It’s interesting to read it because it’s rather vague and it sounds very much like something I could write today that would sound very much like my life as it is today. However…BIG however…my life is so very different and so much has changed for me. I remember those days in early 2010 very clearly. Waking at 3:30am to do a quick cardio session, shower and head off to work by 5am, leaving my kiddos in the care of a nanny. I would work until early afternoon, come home, take a brief nap, pick up my kids from preschool and head off to the gym to do my lift and second session of cardio (which often got skipped out of sheer exhaustion). After the gym we’d all come home, I’d feed the kids, do the bedtime routine, catch up on household chores and try to grab a few moments of quiet time to myself before turning in sometime around 11pm. Elaine and I talked about where I was 2 years ago at this time, still navigating through my divorce and I told her that in hindsight, I really had no idea what the repercussions were going to be, I knew I wanted a change. I knew that my life could be better and that I was willing to take the risk. I didn’t know how bad certain things were going to end up being, I just put on a blindfold and jumped off a cliff, hoping and praying that I would land on my feet. And knowing, that as long as it didn’t kill me, as long as I was still living and breathing, I was going to be ok. And I am. Two years later, jumping off that cliff was the best thing I ever did. It gave me a second chance in life. A chance some people aren’t willing to give themselves for fear that the risk will be too great. The one thing that has remained constant (well, besides my perpetual laundry) has been “the iron.” I have wonderful, amazing friends, but the iron, it’s always there and it always listens and it never offers unsolicited advice. It just LISTENS. It doesn’t get pissed off it I yell and cuss at it and throw it on the floor. My friends…they don’t like that so much. The iron…it doesn’t know the difference between tears and sweat. I still have really rough days sometimes, that’s just life. But no matter if my day is bad or good, the gym, the weights, the iron, it’s always there for me. I guess that’s why I love this lifestyle so much. It makes me feel strong when I’m weak. It reminds me that no matter how far I’ve come I always have room to grow. Whether I feel like putting my everything into gearing up for competition…or just training because “that’s what I do”…the iron doesn’t care. Two years ago, I was in contest prep because I felt like it’s what I “should” do, not because it was what I had a burning desire to do. I pushed myself beyond exhaustion. This January when I walk into the gym to do my lift I am invigorated, re-energized and focused. It’s my burning desire and I love it. I would go so far as to say I even crave it. Sometimes it helps to take a quick look in the rear view mirror and see just how far you’ve come. Maybe you haven’t come all that far and maybe you’ve come miles from where you were…as long as you’re moving forward I’d say you’re doing just fine. Risk change…feel the fear and do it anyway! Happily, January 2010 is no longer visible in my rear view mirror. I landed on my feet and hit the ground running…and I’ll never look back… “Out of need springs desire, and out of desire springs the energy and the will to win.” - Denis Waitley
*Coffee time with Elaine @ Starbucks...notice the GREEN BAND!! :) ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @IrieFitGirl
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| The Daily Work |
| 01.09.2012 11:42:08 | |
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“If it was easy, everybody would do it.” I think I love bodybuilding mostly because of the mental challenge it gives to me. It is a sport that takes so much persistence and determination…and discipline. Not everybody is willing to do it and I think that’s what I like about it. I like being part of a minute percentage of people who will do what it takes to do this sport well…genetics aside (I was not blessed with “bodybuilder” genetics). Bodybuilding is not about that moment on stage when you’re standing up there after weeks and months and years of hard work in the gym and in the kitchen. Bodybuilding is all those moments leading you to that moment on stage…every set, every rep, every cardio session, every meal, every bite. It’s in the small things, the details…it’s in the “hard stuff.” I showed my dad a video a few weeks ago of me lifting in the gym. He couldn’t believe it. “Wow!!! I don’t lift that heavy!” (My dad is 71 and has been in the gym at 5am every day that I can remember…this little apple don’t fall far from the tree!) I would venture to guess that most people have the same lack of awareness as my dad as to what goes into this sport. So what is my point with this whole post? Well, I do, of course, have a point as always…stay with me. This morning my alarm went off at 6am. Sunday morning. My one and only day to sleep in but I needed to get up and get going as early as possible with a fully loaded to-do list today. When the alarm went off I hit snooze. Twice. My body was tired. I’m still spending much of the night coughing like crazy and trying to kick the last of this cold. When my alarm went off for the THIRD time I convinced myself to shut it off and just let myself rest. I fell asleep for another hour, waking up and still wanting to sleep but knowing I really had to get going…my cardio and to-do list were waiting. For me, these are the moments that separate the dedicated and the disciplined from the rest of ‘em. Do you talk a big game or do you actually PLAY a big game? I am a player and I will do what it takes to be as good as I possibly can at my “game.” For me, that means getting up and doing the work when I’d rather sleep in. It means eating the meals that I know my body needs at that particular point in time. Yes, pizza frequently sounds a lot more “fun” than green beans and chicken breast. I am human, after all. That said, I am willing to make the sacrifice of “fun” for a lean body that could pass off as one that has never given birth before…or at least not 4 times. It’s a lifestyle of discipline, dedication and really, really hard work. Day in and day out. Not just sometimes, but all the time. The best part of this sport is that it carries over into pretty much every other area of life. If you can be extremely disciplined and driven in one area of your life you can do it in any other area you so choose. That’s why I love it. The day-to-day “work” of being a bodybuilder, constantly trying to lift heavier, tweak my nutrition, get better results…it’s hugely rewarding…if you’re willing to put in the work. When I was training for the 2011 Ironman, Dave Patterson made me a poster that said… “I may say I will, I may say I won’t, but I’ll never say ‘I can’t’” It’s true of me and whether you’re a physique competitor or not, hopefully it is true of you in whatever area it is you wish to excel. I CAN…and I WILL! Have a great week! ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…GOLD TIARA, I am coming to get you!!! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl |
| ONE-OH-FIVE |
| 01.06.2012 23:34:57 | |
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One-oh-five…105…that’s how many days there are until the 30th Anniversary Emerald Cup Fitness & Figure Competition (in case you’re slow with math, that would be one-oh-six for the bodybuilders, bikini gals and physique guys). I am really happy to be positioned so much differently than I was 15 weeks out from the Washington Ironman…with 30lbs of fat to drop before stepping on stage. I’m only 5lbs away from where I like to start peak week (well, except for that one week every month when I sit about 8lbs up…got to love bein’ a girl!), so right now I’m just cruisin’. My calories are still pretty high and I’m enjoying heavy lifting right now and trying to do as much building as I possibly can before the calories and carbs start tapering off and my strength takes a temporary hiatus. This week I really cleaned and tightened up my diet and started carb cycling again. It’s pretty crazy how quickly you see results when you know what works for your body. Okay, enough about me…as I was doing my second round of cardio last night I was watching a first-time competitor out on the weight floor and noticed someone chatting her up. Considering that she is “my girl”, I’ve heard stories from her already about the gym dudes offering up their 2 cents on her contest prep. As I was watching her it made me think of how much unsolicited advice I got when I was a newbie competitor. I still get it, but now I have the knowledge and the confidence to either a) smile, nod, ignore or b) if the advice is coming from a real duchebag I usually have something snappy to say to get rid of them. For those of you who will be stepping on stage for the first time, this is the best piece of advice I can give you: get a coach, one coach and follow only the plan from that ONE person. If you take advice from this person and that person and the gym dude that thinks he knows everything about anything, you’re going to get VERY confused and you’re going to get yourself all messed up. You won’t know whose advice is the “right” advice and if you’re like most you will take bits and pieces from all of them and get messed up. A PLAN is critical. One plan, from one person. Tune everybody else out. Smile, nod, say “thank you” and then let it go right out the other ear. If you don’t dial in for the competition the way you had hoped, lesson learned. New coach next time. But always, always, ALWAYS zero in on one coach! If you are working with PROFESSIONALS, they will always defer to the coach you are already working with. Good trainers and coaches will not step on one another’s toes. That’s a pretty good sign of what you’re dealing with right there. So that’s my pearl of wisdom for you rookie competitors at 15 weeks out from the Emerald Cup. If you’re going to go…GO ALL IN and do it RIGHT!! “Out of need springs desire, and out of desire springs the energy and the will to win.” - Denis Waitley ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…in hot pursuit of the GOLDEN tiara www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl |
| Gathering Strength for the Journey |
| 12.30.2011 23:55:33 | |
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Today marks 16 weeks until the Emerald Cup Fitness & Figure Competition on April 20, 2012. Today is the second to last day of 2011, the second to last day to get in a kick-ass, hardcore, intense, focused workout before we head into a brand new year. Are you taking the week off or are you making these last few days of 2011 push you stronger into the New Year? On Christmas Eve I came down with a sore throat. Knocked me on my ass that night. I put my kids to bed at 8:30 and crashed on the couch only to be awoken by my 8 year old son about an hour later, informing me that I needed to go upstairs to my bed or Santa wouldn’t come. I purposely stayed on the couch so that I would have to get up to go to bed, which would mean I would have to wake up to play “Santa” after the kids finally fell asleep. I felt great when I woke Christmas morning but by about 8pm (and lots of dessert later) I was heading downhill fast. All week I have been fighting this virus. With my kids on winter break and things slow at work this week I figured this was a good opportunity to taper back my hours, catch some sleep in the afternoons and dial back on my workouts a bit. Problem is, unlike those people who will look for any excuse not to workout, I am one who will look for any excuse to workout. “Okay, I still have a pulse…I can train today.” Sometimes this is to my detriment. I try to follow that whole “neck up” rule on sickness, but honestly, unless I can’t stand up or am puking, I train. It’s an obsession, a compulsion, whatever you want to call it…it’s me. It’s just what I do. It’s the way I’m made. I have, however, made a point to dial back the workouts. Used the cardio to sweat out the virus and made sure that my nutrition is really clean and on-point so that my body is getting all the nutrients it needs. I’ve been religious about making sure I get all my vitamin supplements in me and have indulged in the afternoon nap (granted, it’s not quite as restful when you have two 5-year-olds poking you in the face asking “Mommy, are you sleeping?”) I am resting up to gather strength for my 16 week journey to the 2012 Emerald Cup. I refuse to succumb to illness after this virus is gone. 16 weeks going in strong and coming out victorious! I will be training hard and training smart. I will do everything that needs to be done to be at my best on April 20th! “Make rest a necessity, not an objective. Only rest long enough to gather strength.” Jim Rohn ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…ready for the journey to claim the GOLD tiara! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl
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| Laser Focused |
| 12.27.2011 23:57:24 | |
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December 26, 2011 “Along with a strong belief in your own inner voice, you also need laser-like focus combined with unwavering determination.” It’s time. 115 days until I will step on stage at the 2012 30th Anniversary Emerald Cup. This contest is my “goal show”. It’s very personal. It’s about no one and nothing other than doing something that is important to me and challenging myself to being nothing short of exceptional when I step on stage. Exceptional is in the planning, the preparation, the discipline and determination, the vision…the “laser-like focus.” I want to win, make no mistake about that. I want to take first place so badly I can taste it. I’m also well aware that this is a very subjective sport and while I will train and prepare with everything I have, with my whole heart, I know that unlike running a race, taking first place is beyond my control. What is within my control is being on task, doing what I know I need to do to look my absolute best. When I look in the mirror, when I see pictures of myself on April 20, 2012 I will be more exceptional than ever before. 115 days…I’m giving myself a good long contest prep. I was in the gym with my friend, Matt, last night. The evening after Christmas it was pretty much empty and we had the place to ourselves. With Christmas being behind us, Matt and I started discussing my Emerald Cup prep strategy… “It’s time for you to eliminate all distractions. It’s time for you to be laser-focused again. This is about YOU now. You need to tune out everything else and focus only on that golden tiara and what you need to do to get there.” I’m finally at a point in my life where I can be laser-focused on something like contest prep. I’m finally in a position where my kids are a bit older and don’t require as much of me as they did a couple years ago (ie: having to get off the stepmill mid-cardio session to go to the gym daycare and clean up a puddle of pee off the bathroom floor from a potty-training toddler). I’m single, so I don’t have to worry about my significant other taking issue with me eating chicken breast and green beans for the 27th night in a row. I don’t punch a clock and I own my own gym, so as I work towards my own personal goals, I can also be driving my business goals at the same time. It’s kind of perfect…don’t ya think? This is MY time. I intend to give these next 115 days every bit of discipline that I have. I will be nothing short of 100% prepared. For me to be anything short of laser-focused on this next leg of my journey is cheating myself and I refuse to do that. When I stand on stage, I will stand there knowing that I did everything within my power to present the best of ME…for me, that will be winning. My inner voice says “GO!” Distractions: eliminated! My determination has never been so strong and I AM…laser-like focused!! Thank you to my friends for being the most amazing “support crew” a figure competitor could ever ask for! I am grateful and blessed by your support! 115 days. Are you doing what YOU need to do? ~Julie~ Fearless with cape in hand…laser-like focused on the GOLDEN TIARA!! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter @iriefitgirl YouTube: IrieFitGirl
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| One More Round |
| 12.22.2011 07:01:09 | |
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Do you ever have those days when you wake up and just want to hide under the covers and never come out? Or crawl into a dark closet and stay there forever? Or drive away from your house and children and entertain the possibility of never coming back? Or is it just me? I don’t have them very often. In fact, I don’t recall having them since I was going through my divorce 2 years ago. But this last week it hit me and it hit me really hard. I am fortunate that I have an amazing (A-MAZING!!!) group of friends who time and time again, help me keep my head above water when I think I’m about to drown. I have learned to rely on them for strength in my own times of weakness. And I continue to be blessed with new people in my life who are a huge source of strength for me. This week I have relied upon my friends heavily and as always, they have pulled through. They have believed in me when I’ve ceased to believe in myself. Today when my alarm went off at 4am I hit snooze. I don’t hit snooze. Ever. When the snooze alarm rang 10 minutes later I reset my alarm for 4:30am. Again, this is something I don’t do. I didn’t want to get up at 4:30. I entertained the idea of staying in bed until the last possible moment before I would need to get up and get dressed and go to work. Reminiscent of the days when I would roll out of bed in the fall of 2009, rinse off in the shower, throw my dirty hair into a ponytail and go to work. Just the thought of reliving that time was depressing. I would force myself to get up. My body felt tired. Exhausted. How was I going to muster up the energy to bust out 60 minutes of cardio? I drank my protein shake and nearly gagged. Made myself put my shoes on and get in my car. When I got to the gym the parking lot was more empty than usual (it’s always “empty” at 4:30am) and I was kind of kicking myself…”See?? Everybody else is taking Christmas week off!!! You coulda stayed in bed. You shoulda stayed in bed.” As I fired up the stepmill my legs felt heavy. My whole body felt heavy. “Just 30 minutes”, I told myself. By the time I was 20 minutes into it I was starting to feel better. I had made the mental shift from “woe to go” and my mind was going a million miles an hour and I was logging my brainstorms into my iPhone. After 40 minutes I switched over to the elliptical for another 30 minutes. I was a sweaty mess by the time I finished. As I wiped down the machine I realized…”THIS is why I love the gym.” When I feel like I can’t face life, when I feel like I don’t have what it takes, when I feel like the weight of the world is going to force me to my knees, the gym reminds me…I’ve got this! I can. I will. Never quit, never give up. Fight the fight…one more round… “You become a champion by fighting ONE MORE ROUND. When things are tough you fight ONE MORE ROUND.” ~James J. Corbett ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand thanks to my amazing friends! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl |
| 18 Weeks - Dear Santa... |
| 12.16.2011 23:59:20 | |
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I'll take a gold tiara, please. Delayed delivery (say, on April 20th) is perfectly acceptable. I've been really good and am working really hard....pleeeeeaasee...
“Opportunity follows struggle. It follows effort. It follows hard work. It doesn’t come before.” ~ Shelby Steele
18 weeks, Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, My 37th Birthday, Easter…and then…EMERALD CUP 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!
I just made it sound like we have a lot of time between now and the Emerald Cup, but 18 weeks is nothin’…it’s going to fly by and before you know it, you’re going to be backstage getting spray tanned, eating rice cakes, wishing you could guzzle some water, doing pushups in hooker heels trying to get pumped up. Time never waits, so you better be doing what you’re supposed to be doing to be as prepared as possible come April 20th/21st.
Everyone prepares for contest differently and for different lengths of time. I have chosen not to take an “off season”. I have chosen to stay strict with my diet and very focused on my training. I have a very clear vision of what I want my body to look like on April 20th and I am committed to doing what I need to do to make that happen. I may not have the best physique on stage, but guaranteed, my body will look as good as it possibly can.
At 18 weeks out I thought I’d share with you what is pretty “normal” in my life. I always hear the “I don’t have time” excuse. Usually this comes from people with fewer kids than me, with a husband/wife at home to help out. Excuses never fly with me. It’s the one thing I cannot stand. A trait that I’ve probably always had, but was strongly reinforced by Dave Patterson, the king of “don’t give me your bullshit excuses.” It also dawned on me as I was talking to physique competitor, Keith Baker, yesterday…bodybuilders are among the busiest people I know yet we manage to make the time to eat clean and train like beasts. Keith is a father of 4, works full time, coaches his kids’ sports, just launched a supplement company (probodysupplements.com) and competes at the national level. People like us are definitely the wrong audience for the “I’m too busy” excuse.
As you all probably know by now, I get up at 4am every morning and knock out 60-70 minutes of cardio. It’s the only time I can do it and it works well for me and…I like it! Well, last week, my daughter, Hannah (5), had the flu. I was up with her all night, changing and laundering bedding, rubbing her back, holding her hair back…you know, doing that thing moms do when you have the stomach flu. I was pretty much awake all night. At 3:45am I got dressed and did my cardio, half asleep, I think. I had planned to take a nap with Hannah in the early afternoon, but I had too much work stuff to do that it just never happened. That evening I sucked down some AmiNO Energy and got my lift in. I was cranky as all get out, so luckily it was back day and I could work it out on the weights. (Something about ‘pulling’ that is a great release for me). By 9:30pm I was toast. Fortunately, that next night we got a few more hours of sleep, but not a full night. And then the next night we had a replay of the stomach flu. It was quite a week. I kept wanting to roll over in bed and say…”honey, it’s your turn”…only to realize in my groggy state “oh yeah, there is no ‘honey’ in this bed, it’s all me.”
To keep my nutrition on track, I plan like crazy and am a creature of habit – I know what works, so I repeat success every day. I eat the same things every day. It makes planning very easy and on my tired and foggy days it makes it much simpler for me. I usually spend 2 days a week shopping and 2 days a week cooking in big batches so I have plenty of food to cart around with me. I am always on the go, so I eat on the run more often than not. (Another excuse I love: I can’t eat that way because I’m not usually at home.) People often ask me if I get bored eating the same foods and my answer is always no. I don’t eat for pleasure, I am eating to fuel my body. When you shift your thinking about food it isn’t important that your food is less than “entertaining” to your taste buds. Don’t get me wrong, I love food. And like most bodybuilders, I can tell you the best places to eat a great cheat meal and get a crazy-good dessert. But day in, day out…I eat for FUEL.
My days are jam-packed beginning to end. Keeping track of myself, my business and my 4 children is constant busy-ness. There is never a dull moment. While some people might argue that I really don’t have time to train as much as I do, I would say I don’t have time NOT to. For me, training is my sanity. It’s the one thing that gives me reprieve and allows me to sharpen my mind again. Having a goal, a vision, to focus on really energizes me and gives me a sense of purpose.
18 weeks…make them count for YOU!
Be Fearless. Own Yourself. ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…going for GOLD! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl |
| Watch THIS!!! |
| 12.11.2011 04:51:29 | |
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I was at Gold’s today doing my morning cardio and one of the “gym dudes” that I’ve known for several years now that I only see on Saturday mornings came and chatted me up for a few minutes. His first remark when he approached…”Your shoulders are getting to be like love handles.” Uhhhh, ok…this is good…I hope. In his “professional” assessment of my physique he said this is very good and that he can see I’m making good progress. I just love my “gym dudes” and their “professional” opinions. Mmmmhmmmm. But really, I am grateful for all the support and encouragement I get from the folks at the gym. It’s like I have my own crew of cheerleaders. When he walked away I realized, once again…everybody’s watching. As a competitor, this pretty much just comes with the territory. Your fellow gym members watch you shred down to contest shape and then they watch what happens to you after a show…whatever that may be. “Wow, Julie’s obviously been hittin’ the cookies hard”…or…”Are you getting ready for another show?” When you take your body to extremes, people watch, people take notes. People appreciate. People judge. People criticize. (and for the record, Julie has not been hittin’ the cookies) I know that people are watching me…in the gym and out. I know that people were wondering what would happen to me in the “aftermath” of post-contest. After undergoing such a huge transformation as I did for the Ironman, it’s not surprising that people are staying “tuned in” to see what’s going to happen. So to that I simply say…Watch THIS!!! Watch me all you want. Watch me get ready to look even better than I did last time. Watch me condition my body to be in peak condition for the Emerald Cup. To help the “viewers”, my buddy Matt has been taking training video of me at Gold’s. It’s fun, it keeps me motivated and pushing hard. And I hope that it inspires those women out there who are afraid that lifting heavy will make them “bulky” to lift heavy weights. We’re trying to put up at least a couple videos every week, so check out my YouTube channel and subscribe! I’ll be doing some stuff with Elaine coming up and will also be posting some other fitness/nutrition videos in the near future. http://www.youtube.com/user/IrieFitGirl 19 weeks to go!! It’s going to fly by, so stay focused, keep training hard and ENJOY the journey because in the end, that’s what this is all about anyway! “The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.” ~Bobby Knight Be Fearless. Own Yourself.
Fearless, with cape in hand…eyes set on the GOLD, baby!! www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl You Tube: IrieFitGirl |
| LIFE is a CHOICE |
| 12.07.2011 02:51:20 | |
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I was reading the news of the death of bodybuilder, Steve Kapper, yesterday on Elaine’s Facebook page. I was reading the following comments by one of Elaine’s Facebook friends and it really got me thinking: “This lifesyle is unnatural, your bodies are freakish and unnatural. I feel awful for this man's family, but you folks are all overlooking what happened and it sounds like you are justifying your own behavior by casting blame away what really caused this: your lifestyle and your ‘sport.’” We [as a society] are quick to place blame anytime something negative happens, anytime something doesn’t go the way we want for it to go. We are quick to blame, quick to judge and slowwwww to take responsibility for our own actions and CHOICES. I’m not just talking about sports or bodybuilding, I’m talking about LIFE and this is just a really good example. As a competitor who has played this game smart AND stupid, I am here to tell you that the times I have put my life at risk (and I have definitely done that well!) it was by my own CHOICE, my own reasons and it’s impossible to blame the sport of bodybuilding for my stupidity. Anything in life that is worth doing likely has an element of risk involved. You have to weigh that risk and determine if it is worth it for you, personally. All sports have risks. Obesity has risks. Anorexia has risks. Drinking alcohol has risks. Driving a motorized vehicle has risks. Walking down the sidewalk has risks. Procreating has risks. So what should we do? Hide out and not take risks? Judge, blame and criticize? You get my point. The death of Steve Kapper is tragic, to say the least. To blame it on the sport of bodybuilding, calling it ‘freakish and unnatural’ is pure ignorance. I have yet to see the details of the cause of his death, but it is possible to compete without putting your body in jeopardy. Overtraining does not lead to death…unless you have a pre-existing health condition. Overtraining itself is not deadly. Contest dieting does not lead to death. Contest diets are probably among the healthiest nutrition plans you could consume. Foods purchased at establishments such as McDonalds, Jack In The Box, Burger King, etc have been known to cause health risks that can potentially lead to death. Natural bodybuilding does not lead to death. I cannot comment on physique enhancing drugs because I am a natural bodybuilder with no experience in that arena. However, I would venture to guess that used incorrectly they could pose health concerns. I am proud to be a physique athlete. I am proud to compete in Craig Productions events – where I actually HAVE been the subject of the EMT’s attention. The CP staff took one look at me on the couch backstage at the Ironman and said “I’m getting the EMT to check you out.”…”No, really, I’m good.”…”Nope, I’m getting him anyway.” They are THAT careful. I am a bodybuilder…by CHOICE. Be Fearless. Choose YOU! ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…relentlessly hunting down the GOLDEN tiara www.juliemichaelsontraining.com twitter: @iriefitgirl Tags: |
| Working It Out |
| 12.04.2011 12:09:30 | |
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I crave morning cardio. Even on cold, wet, dark mornings, I crave it. It’s the one hour of my day that is completely about me. I can listen to whatever music I want. I can think about whatever I want. I don’t have to play “whipping girl” to my 4 children during that hour. I am just me, alone with my thoughts and my iPod. I’ve worked through a lot of life sh*t doing cardio. It’s been my release all of my adult life. I started running when my first child was less than a year old. As her dad and I were going through our separation I would run like Forrest Gump. I’d leave our Greenlake house and end up somewhere in Magnolia. When I’m doing cardio I get so lost in my thoughts I can lose track of time and just go forever. There are many mornings when I have to tell myself I have to leave and go home and get ready for work. This last week there were a couple of mornings that I wanted to stay in bed. Not because I didn’t want to do cardio but because I was feeling really down and sad and just didn’t feel like facing life. But I always know that dragging my ass out of bed and getting to the gym will help. After a rather tearful hour on the stepmill Tuesday morning I realized that when I started that my spirit was feeling very weak, very defeated but by the time my hour had passed I had worked through my “stuff” and had reframed my thinking and was feeling stronger and ready to deal with the situation at hand. The gym is my sanity. If I’ve had a really crappy day and need to work off some aggression, I’ll try to find a way to do a “pulling” workout as somehow that seems to give me more release than anything else. Or legs. Some people drink. Some people eat. Some people get massages. And some people…train. My guess is that many other bodybuilders feel the same way about the gym which is one of the reasons we are so passionate about what we do. Life is always giving us new lessons. I seem to keep getting the same one – apparently I’m a slow learner so until I learn my lesson it’s going to keep coming at me. I think I get it this time and I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out what to do with it. Challenges are always going to be present in our lives. How ya gonna deal with it? I think I’ll always choose to process through physical activity which leaves me feeling stronger and capable of dealing with whatever it is I’m facing. I feel lucky. I feel very fortunate to have the gym to work it out, figure it out and twist anything negative into a positive. 20 weeks. There’s nothing that will come my way that will defeat me. Nothing will come my way that will stop me from getting where I want to go. I know where I’m going and nothing and no one is going to stop me! Stay focused. Keep your eyes on the prize (whatever your prize(es) may be). Be unstoppable. And remember that the only person’s opinion that matters…is YOURS!!! The only person you have to prove anything to…is YOU!! “There is only one you for all time. FEARLESSLY be YOURSELF.” ~Anthony Rapp
~Julie~ FEARLESS, with cape in hand www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl
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| Hello Holidays! |
| 11.27.2011 03:42:10 | |
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This was my first Thanksgiving in 10 years without children. My kiddos are still small – 5, 5, 8 and well, 15…not small, but still my baby…so it was very strange to have them away from me on a major holiday. I was talking to my son on the phone in Florida on Thanksgiving afternoon and I told him I missed him and he asked if I was having fun. I had to tell him, it wasn’t the same without him. To me, it didn’t feel like a holiday without my kids…just another day. It’s strange, really, I kind of felt like a spectator just watching the world on Thanksgiving. While I enjoyed having a little relief from the rigors of parenting, surviving the holidays “sharing children” with your ex-spouse is difficult. I was fortunate that I spent part of the day with my parents, sister and some extended family and then spent the afternoon and evening with the Craig family and their other “adoptees” for Thanksgiving dinner and several rounds of Mexican train, a domino game. After coming in last a few rounds into the game I decided it was time to go. I’m not a sore loser, but I was tired and I was losing. Not a good combo. And then Brad says…”What’s the matter, you don’t like to lose?” No, I don’t. “Well, you could definitely make it up this next game. Just ONE MORE.” (He sounds like my kids when they say…”just 5 more minutes!”) Despite the major food baby I had in my belly, I stuck around. After all, somebody had to coach Aaron in order to keep the game moving…”You can play a 1 or a 5. You either have it or you don’t. Let’s go!” The man would look at his dominoes as though he was willing them to change…talk about holding up a game!! I am blessed. The Craigs have only been in my life for about 3 years, but they have become my family. When I arrived at their house on Thanksgiving afternoon I was doing everything in my power just to hold myself together. I just wanted to cry I was missing my babies so much and the day just felt weird. But as soon as I walked in it was like everything was just fine and I got my happy back. The warmth and love and positive energy that is always in their home will turn any day into a happy day! We put down some food! The traditional Thanksgiving dinner (although no sweet potatoes because no one knows how to make “dirty” sweet potatoes – only bodybuilder style – so we went without) and a lot lot LOT of desserts…pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, brownies, ice cream, peppermint bark…Oh my! I ate a little of everything and a lot of peppermint bark. After all, I didn’t want to have any regrets Friday morning. You know…”Dang it, I shoulda had that brownie when I had the chance.” Nope, no regrets I went hog wild!
Alright, so, the food fest is OVER! We are 21 weeks out from the big day – 30th Anniversary Emerald Cup Fitness & Figure! I don’t know about you, but I do not consider myself “off season”. I am still keeping my diet tight and am training hard. Aaron and I were talking on Thanksgiving about what can be accomplished in the 27 weeks I will have had between the Northern Classic and Emerald Cup. I really like the way he put it…”You’re polishing the gem.” While the likelihood of putting on any significant size between now and then is slim to none, I can fine tune the details. “Shine up” the areas that need the most work. And as I’ve already said…those would be my glutes, my delts, my biceps, triceps, chest, calves…okay I’m kind of kidding. Targeting the glutes and delts with a vengeance right now. I am currently doing morning cardio at 4am Monday thru Friday and I get to sleep in on the weekends and do it at 7am on Saturday and Sunday. I lift in the evening and usually follow my lift with a second session of cardio. I supplement with Parrillo’s CapTri, so I keep my calories pretty high with moderate carb intake, high protein and low fat. This nutrition approach works well for my body. And no, I don’t find that cardio burns muscle. I follow the Parrillo principles which entails a substantial amount of cardio with the proper nutrition. It’s not for everybody but it’s what works for me. My current training split goes like this: Sunday: Delts Monday: Legs Tuesday: Back Wednesday: Chest Thursday: Delts & Legs (emphasis on the glutes & hams) Friday: Arms Saturday: cardio only When do you rest, people ask me. I usually rest from about 10pm to 4am each night. As long as my body is feeling good, I’ll keep pushing on. After all, think of all the resting I can do when I’m dead. J Welcome to the holiday season, people! Use those extra calories to train hard and heavy! I am having a BIG leg day today and following it up with a little post-workout Blizzard with Thacker. I figure I better do something BIG to earn all those simple carbs.
21 weeks…Make them count!
Be Fearless. Own Yourself.
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…huntin’ down the GOLD tiara www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl
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| Forgiving Me |
| 11.23.2011 04:12:20 | |
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“Wheredya get the third crown?” Asked a client in my gym this morning. I told her I was going to blog about it and she’d have to wait to read it. After studying it closely she proclaimed that it was the same as the tiara I won for my 2nd place figure finish at the Ironman. Client: “Oh!!! It’s for figure!” Me: “Nope.” Client: “Well, it came from Craig Productions, I know that much for sure.” Me: “Yep. Wait for the blog.” If you weren’t there you probably don’t know and even if you were there you probably don’t remember and I wouldn’t blame you. For the last 18 months I’ve tried to remove the whole event from my memory as well. At the 2010 Emerald Cup Elaine Craig awarded me the “Inspiration Award” tiara. I guess she thought it was kind of a big deal that here I was, freshly divorced (all of 14 days from receiving the judge’s seal of approval) and raising 4 kids on my own and training for a competition. I didn’t think it was a big deal. I wasn’t into it. I was tired. I was hurting. I wanted to be invisible for awhile, to crawl in a whole and hide. Lick my wounds and heal. I hadn’t had time to do that. With 4 kids depending on me I had to be strong and I had to do a lot of “sucking it up” to keep life moving forward (albeit slowly) for all 5 of us. I felt like everything in my world was falling apart and it was everything I could do just to hold it all together. I was feeling far from inspirational. I would go 5 days without washing my hair. Usually by day 4 or 5 my friend Michael would kindly remind me that my hair was getting nasty and greasy and that it might not be a bad idea to wash it. I was getting sick – a lot. Not just the sniffles but vomiting and fevers that would last for days. Being in the thick of our divorce proceedings I was constantly fielding calls and late night texts from my ex that would leave me in a crumpled pile on the floor thinking to myself…”I can’t take this anymore.” Everything during this time was uncertain – would my kids and I need to find a new place to live? If so, where would that be and what could I afford? I was hating my job and working for a man that reminded me of my ex-husband in just about every way. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t have it in me to compete that spring. I was tapped out. Completely. There was nothing in me to give to anything or anyone. Grateful that February day when my good friend, Butch, talked me through whether or not I should compete and I decided I should not. But I later decided to do it anyway…I felt like it was expected. (Lesson: if you don’t have a burning desire to do something because it matters to YOU, don’t do it!!) I messed up. I wasn’t lean. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have the time or the heart to do what needed to be done to put my best physique on stage. But I got up there anyway…looking like crap. When Elaine gave me the inspiration award I wanted to hide. I didn’t deserve it. I hadn’t earned it. Did that body look like a body that was tiara worthy? Did that body look inspirational? Hell no!!! This has been the way I’ve felt about that tiara since that April night in 2010. It’s not on display. I don’t talk about it. I’ve hated myself over it and I’ve punished myself over it. Until yesterday. I looked at the “inspiration” tiara yesterday morning and all of a sudden I realized…as a matter of fact, I did deserve that tiara…for every reason stated above. I deserved it for leaping without knowing where I would land. I deserved it for doing what I needed to do for my children and myself no matter what the cost. I deserved it for putting one foot in front of the other and never allowing myself to be defeated. My body was not tiara worthy, but my strength of spirit never faltered. And yesterday I looked at that tiara in a different way…the symbol of my survival, my determination to thrive and pick up my life and live my dreams. I brought the tiara to my gym yesterday and placed it with the two I earned for my physique at the 2011 Ironman. And in doing so I realized, I have finally forgiven myself and I can finally let it go. "To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you." ~Anonymous In relentless pursuit of the GOLDEN TIARA...because it matters to ME... ~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl
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| Transforming |
| 11.21.2011 13:04:15 | |
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A year ago I was pushing 170lbs…my heaviest non-pregnancy weight ever and just barely below the 176lbs I weighed the day I gave birth to my son. After beating myself up for months trying to lose the weight, I finally gave in and surrendered and stopped trying to kill myself to get back to my fighting weight. I wanted to compete last fall, but my body had no plans of letting me do that. Finally, I surrendered and when I did my life completely changed.
What was my “5 Year Plan” quickly became my “Right Now Plan” and I began putting together my business plan to open my own gym. Within 5 weeks of this dream becoming a possible reality, I was signing the lease on the space that was soon to become my second home…and my happy place. When my focus shifted from what was wrong with me to what was right with me my body started to return to normal and I dropped down to 160lbs…still not my normal maintenance weight of 140-145. With my focus on my new business I had no desire at all to compete and I was glad for that. My 2010 competition experience really messed with my head in many ways and it took me a good while to stop hating myself and forgive and move on.
This past June on Father’s Day morning it hit me while I was at the gym doing cardio…”I’m ready. I want to go all in. I want to shed these layers and get back into my ‘power suit’.” It came out of nowhere really. I hadn’t been toying with the idea of competing all that much and all of a sudden I knew that I was ready to commit to the process with a wicked determination to WIN!
During the weeks of “uncovering me”, I noticed that people treated me differently. Not those who know me well…they treated me the same no matter how much I weighed. As the pounds started dropping and the fat started melting away it became harder to get in a workout uninterrupted. The “gym dudes” who wouldn’t bother me at all during a workout now took a newfound interest in me and wouldn’t hesitate to interrupt me (I wear headphones and am very focused…that’s the “DND” unless you’re a friend.) Not just in the gym, but everywhere I went people treated me differently. Heads turned. Maybe it was due in part to the fact that I felt better in my own skin. I owned myself. When I was going through it at the time I really thought it was everybody else treating me differently for the way I looked but now that I’m more removed from it and have settled back into the body I am most comfortable in, I think it was just me. I think having my body back gave me my confidence back. My outsides finally matched my insides again and I’m sure that changed a lot of things about me.
I needed to hide. Once my divorce was final I needed the layers. I needed the time to heal, I needed the time to prove to myself that I was more than just my body. And that I didn’t need my body to define me and who I am. No matter what I look like on the outside, I will always be the same me on the inside. The layers gave me a sense of protection that I needed after what I’d been through in my marriage. I find that…when I work with overweight clients…we all put the layers on to protect ourselves from something or to keep from facing something and when we’re ready, with help or on our own, we’ll shed the layers.
My girlfriend is training for her first stage appearance. She’ll be competing alongside me at the Emerald Cup in Masters Bikini and is about to undergo her own transformation. She said to me the other day…”I can’t wait to see what’s under all this.” And when she said it I became acutely aware of how this transformation she is about to go through will change her. But what it will not change is the fact that she is an incredibly amazing person, who, no matter how many layers, is perfect just as she is. And in seeing that when I look at her I am able to see it in myself too…and it’s nice to give myself that gift of being just a little less critical of ME.
“About all you can do in life is be who you are.” Rita Mae Brown
Just bein’ me…Being FEARLESS, owning myself!
~Julie~ Fearless, with cape in hand…still sporting my super cool tiara and ready for my golden upgrade www.juliemichaelsontraining.com Twitter: @iriefitgirl
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