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 Dr Buff
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| Get Into Auto-Pilot |
| 02.04.2012 07:18:00 | |
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I cannot take credit for this. This is from Roger and Ally Baker of RAB Fitness over in Kennewick, WA. Truer words were never spoken of a competitor and Competition Coach!
"In case you forgot, here's the thing about being a competitor... you wake up every day knowing that you may or may not see changes in the mirror [or] on the scale... and this does not shake you. It may be WEEKS before you see any changes. Some weeks will be awesome. Some not. Instant gratification is not in your vocabulary. You've heard this before and I'll say it again, THERE IS NO OFF-SEASON! That means that you REALIZE the dedication, sacrifice, time, sweat [and] tears that will go into this even in the dead of winter when no is looking or even paying attention. Now, this isn't something that I can just tell you and you will learn. Only time and experience will teach you this. So, if you are the one that is out there struggling today...take a deep breath, remove yourself from in front of the mirror, and get into auto pilot. Because this is just the beginning and if you stick to the plan.... you will be rewarded... " Roger/Ally Baker – RAB Fitness
Roger and Ally NAILED it on the head with this one! Look, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – if you wanna be a competitor – a GOOD competitor - then you’d better be willing to do what others won’t, don’t, and can’t. It’s not about motivation. It’s not about inspiration. It’s not about the trophy or the glitz and glamour of the night show. It’s not about size and muscularity and freakiness or anything else. Competition is preparation, pure and simple. Oh sure, we end up on stage looking our absolute best (or at least that’s the goal) but the contest is not about the end result. It’s about the journey – it always has been about the journey and it always will be about the journey. Several sayings that I’ve coined over the years and use on my website goes like this:
“Many competitors want to win. Do work first. Do not put the win before the work!” David “Dr. Buff” Patterson
“You’re not always going to win, but you sure as hell better train like a winner!” David “Dr. Buff” Patterson
Do me a favor – re-read Rog & Ally’s post one more time, this time with conviction and purpose. Read it out loud! Take every word to heart because, trust me, they both have! You don’t get to the caliber of either of them without hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. There IS NO instant gratification. There IS NO easy workouts. And there sure as hell IS NO OFF-SEASON! Not an off-season, not an off-day, not an off-hour.
Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday, traditionally a day of feasting and festivities. All I can say is, if you wanna put yourself in the best possible position to take first place, then you’d better enjoy the festivities without the feast! Some of you will get this…many of you won’t. And it will show onstage on April 20th or 21st, trust me. Personally, I’m gonna watch the game, but all by myself, at home, in my chicken and salad and green beans and yams and potatoes and rice infested house. No temptations. No struggles. Just me. Is it worth it? That’s the question each of you will have to ask yourself Sunday morning…”Is this worth it?” What do you CHOOSE to do in two days? Because remember, no one is holding a gun to your head. It will be your choice – it always has been and it always will be. If the choice is to ‘stick to the plan’, then as Rog and Ally said, “You will be rewarded…”. Peace…
The Dr.
David "Dr. Buff" Patterson, MPE, CSCS, CSTS 253-576-4859 - Mobile http://www.TheDrBuffExperience.com/wordpress http://www.facebook.com/drbuff http://www.facebook.com/TeamBuffedBods http://www.facebook.com/thedrbuffexperience "Tell me you will...tell me you won't...don't tell me you can't!"
Tags: Craig Productions | Emerald Cup | Bodybuilding | Figure | Fitness | Bikini | Dave Patterson | Determination | Goals | Mindset | Thoughts | training legs | setbacks | Dreams | Visualization | Journey | Posing | training | intensity | focused | disciplined | drive | work ethic | hard work | persistence |
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| Dr Buff
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| Super Bowl or Super Feast? |
| 02.01.2012 13:24:30 | |
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The rapper-turned-actor, Ice Cube, once said in one of his songs from back in the day, “Y’betta check yo’self before y’wreck yo’self…”. That’s my advice to many of you this coming Sunday – Super Bowl Sunday. For the majority of the world, Super Bowl Sunday is a day of eating, relaxation, trash-talking, eating, watching the game, entertaining, eating, yelling at the guys, yelling at the refs, yelling at (and gettin’ your head knocked off later) your wife…and let’s not forget the most important thing…eating! Ahhh yes…Super Bowl Sunday…having the guys come over, throwing some steaks or burgers on the grill, opening up the bags of Lays Chips, Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, and all the other O’s, along with nuts, dips, beer, coolers, wine, alcohol, and anything else your ethnicity adds in. For many, it’s the life – the day that’s bigger than Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Mom’s Day, and all the others combined. But for the competitor…nada… Well…lemme rephrase…for the SERIOUS competitor – for the competitor who understands the task at hand and knows what he or she needs to do – for the competitor who has committed to achieving his or her all-time best look – for the competitor who understands sacrifice – for the competitor who has said over and over and over again, “This is MY show…”…nada - Super Bowl Sunday is just another day. Personally, I’m gonna watch the game, but I’ll watch it at home all alone. I don’t mind. It doesn’t bother me. I haven’t watched a Super Bowl game with family or company in several years for a couple reasons. One, I like to WATCH AND LISTEN to the game. Do you guys know how hard that is with a room full of black people milling about? We are LOUD! Especially when we’re in a social environment! Don’t believe me? Just ask Elaine Craig or Tony Ruggiero what they thought the first time they came to one of The Dr’s house parties…they were like, “WTH…these people are CRAZY!” That’s how we roll. We have fun. And we’re loud. And because of that, I don’t want ‘em in my house when I wanna watch the game. I love my peoples but I like peace and quiet when watching the Super Bowl so I can hear everything, especially the commercials. I remember one year I had a bunch of people over. The noise level was so intense I went into my bedroom, closed the door, hooked the headphones up to the TV, and watched the rest of the game in there. That’s just me. I don’t need the social interaction to enjoy myself. If you can be kinda quiet and be into the game, you can come over. If you wanna talk the whole game, I’m not the guy for you. Two, the Super Bowl is a complete and total food fest. Every time I either held a party or went to a Super Bowl party, it seemed to be more about the food than the game. With 11 weeks to go this Saturday, there’ll be some of you who definitely need to stay home! You know who you are. Don’t think you can go over to your partner’s/girlfriend’s house and not eat or drink anything and just watch the game like a good little boy or girl…yea…right… You know you’ll be in that dip faster than a pig in space. It’s been my own personal experience and from talking with so many competitors that days like the Super Bowl are ‘traumatic’ to say the least, for many. I know I want to eat. I know I’m GOING to eat. That’s why it’s easier for me to stay home. Even when I took my own food I cheated. To me it was like Thanksgiving…there’s absolutely no way I was gonna be around all of that food and not touch one single bite. And once I started, I gave in to my Thanksgiving mantra, “I’m gonna eat ‘till I get sick…”. Now there’s a select few of you that can tolerate the food and not give in. Not me. And if you know you’re in that category as well, then my recommendation would be to stay home. It’s not worth it. Once you go into the pool you’re gonna end up in the deep end real quick! All joking aside, Super Bowl Sunday is a great day for friendship, camaraderie, and peace of mind. We gather, we enjoy each other’s company, and we party. Nothing wrong with that. But know who you are. And know what you will and will not do. If your mental discipline is not that strong, my recommendation is to forego the fellowship and enjoy the game in the privacy of your own home. I’d hate to see someone ‘blow it’ this Sunday by pigging out thinking they’ve got enough time to dial in when they were sitting on the cusp to begin with. Don’t make your work any harder than it has to be. But if you do choose to party like a rock star and eat like Oprah Winfrey, then be ready for one of two things…harder work or a butt-kicking at the 30th Anniversary Emerald Cup! You’ve been warned…peace… The Dr. David "Dr. Buff" Patterson, MPE, CSCS, CSTS 253-576-4859 - Mobile http://www.TheDrBuffExperience.com/wordpress http://www.facebook.com/drbuff http://www.facebook.com/TeamBuffedBods http://www.facebook.com/thedrbuffexperience "Tell me you will...tell me you won't...don't tell me you can't!"
Tags: setbacks | training legs | Thoughts | Mindset | Goals | Determination | eating | Super Bowl | nutrition | control | focus | discipline | Dr. Buff | David Patterson | Bodybuilding | Emerald Cup | Craig Productions |
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| Dr Buff
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| If It Ain't On The LIst, Don't Eat It! |
| 02.01.2012 00:10:03 | |
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Last blog I promised to write on nutrition, so here we go. Even though I’ve written dozens of blogs and probably hundreds of articles on nutrition over the years, and written quite a few on this site over the past 3 years, there’s always a new competitor who doesn’t know this game. And I also know that one person’s way of saying something just might make sense to a reader over another person’s writing style. What I’m saying is not new, not revolutionary, and definitely not the gospel on nutrition, but if it can help someone, then I’ve done my job. So lemme see if I can help that one person…and perhaps remind others of where they should be and what they should be doing in their own nutrition.
This past weekend we were 12-weeks out from the 30th Anniversary Emerald Cup. At this point, unless you’re roughly 12 lbs. or less out from your show, you should be 100% on task. What does that entail? Well…before I get into that, let me say that the number of ways to diet down are as many as the styles of Martial Arts…everyone has their own style, and they all think their style is the best. I’m not gonna argue with anyone on what the ‘best’ way to diet down is. I’ve said this many times, “All diets work, and all diets fail…”. What I WILL say is, find out what ‘plan’ works best for you and stick to it. Quit jumping from one competition diet to another. That’s why you shouldn’t get fat in the first place – so you’ll have enough time to experiment with different plans until you find the one that works best for you. Secondly, know your body type. That will typically tell you what plan(s) fall in your diet-sphere. Finally, if you need help, find someone who’s knowledgeable in ALL the ways of dieting down – not just the one way in which he/she dieted down. That way, if/when you get stuck, your competition coach will know how to take the appropriate action to get you coming down again.
I’ve seen it too many times before…a trainer who does decent in a show decides to become a ‘competition coach’ and toss his/her hat into the ring. I don’t have a problem with that as long as the trainer possesses enough knowledge and information to help ALL his/her clients – not just the ones built like him or her. Otherwise the competitor client ends up on a cookie-cutter routine or an exact replica of what the trainer does. Not smart. Not good for the competitor. Just last year I picked up 3 people whose trainers, although nationally qualified, didn’t have a clue on how to dial their people down. Sometimes the most dangerous trainer is the brand new one. As my professor, Dr. Hacker, used to constantly tell us, “A little bit of knowledge can be dangerous…”. I’ve helped many a competition coach through the dieting down stages of their clients because they (the coaches) were lost. The client stalled and the trainer didn’t know which way to go with him/her. Heck, even I still get mystified over a client every now and then. But this blog isn’t about trainers, so back on point…
We learned last blog that with 12 weeks to go, one could easily drop 10-12 lbs. of bodyfat on 1 to 1-1/2 hours of cardio and clean foods. 13 to about 20 lbs. would take around 1-1/2 to 2 hours with clean foods, while 21 or more lbs. probably would take at least 2 hours a day. Now I know some of you are wondering or questioning this info…well…I’m a cardio person, so that’s what I do and teach. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know the other ways. If you’re not a cardio person, then you’d better be ready to drop those total calories, and especially those carb calories to lean out. And if you’re a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) person and you’re pushing hard enough (and your calories are dropped enough) you can get by on one session of 30 minutes...but you’d better be ready to bust your butt, and I mean bust it HARD for that to happen. So are we clear on the cardio/no cardio/long cardio thing? I know em all, so if you need any explanation on whether you should use this or that method, holla.
Realizing that everyone is different, and this is just general information, I can’t categorically say where you’re at on the continuum and what you need to do unless I see and comp you. So I’ll use me as an example and everyone can adjust accordingly. I just cut my oatmeal to 25 gm wt with a slice of Dave’s Killer Bread as my starch for breakfast. My protein is either egg whites with some turkey breast (that amount’s classified…) or chicken. I eat what THIS body needs, realizing that I’m not a mass monster, and I know how my body works, and I know my timeline. Since my cardio is still only 45 minutes in the morning, I’m s-l-o-w-l-y dropping my starchy carbs and replacing it with Parrillo Performance’s CapTri – a medium chain triglyceride that’s called the ‘fatless fat’. It processes and acts like a carb in the system, making dieting slightly more tolerable. I only take my starchy carbs so low up to 8 weeks out and then I up my cardio to one 60-minute session. Then I’ll see how the body is responding and stair-step the carbs/cardio cuts until I achieve the look I want. All of this is assuming this ole’ body will hold up to the rigors of contest dieting…
The rest of my meals are simple – protein, veggies, carbs, in that order. I adjust as I need to based upon my timeline. What you have to understand is how to manipulate your macros, meaning we’re all eating protein, veggies, and carbs…the question is, how much do YOU get to eat, and what’s your ratio compared to mine compared to Joe’s, Sally’s, Bertha’s and all the other competitors. Another question you have to ask is HOW MUCH do I get to eat in relation to everyone else? If Big Bradd gets to eat 750 cal/meal and I try to eat what he eats, I’ll blow up faster than your kid’s summer beach ball. Now do you see why I don’t like and don’t do cookie-cutter diets? If no two people are exactly the same, how is it possible for those same two people to be on exactly the same food plan…especially if one is a 5’4”, 135 lb. female and the other is a 5’10” 195 lb. male? It’ll never work. Either one will dial in beautifully and the other will look like crap, or they’ll both be off their macros and neither will dial in to their best look.
Every person I work with, I get as much detailed info on their life and what they’ve done in the past to give me clues into what ‘plan’ will work best for that individual. Some are similar, no doubt, but some are totally way out there. For example, last year I had Gerry Bernabe, the bantamweight overall winner at the Wash. Ironman pretty much doing what he wanted until the final 3 weeks or so. His body was a genetic marvel so the best thing I could do for him was to get out of his way until the last few days and then dial him in. Barb O’Dell, on the other hand, (the Most Inspirational Award at the Ironman for having lost 180 lbs. on her way to the stage WITHOUT surgery or drugs…) had to start doing double cardio sessions 18 weeks out as her body was stubborn in releasing fat. I was wracking my brains trying to figure out how to keep her from stalling as her normally obese body was fighting her every step of the way once she got below 200 lbs. It may seem easy, but it’s not. When you’re dialing in a dozen plus competitors, let’s just say that good note-taking is highly recommended. There’s no way I can remember everyone’s individualized food plans, and when I don’t keep track, it shows!
IN GENERAL, I can tell you that many of you will fall into the 3-8 oz. of protein/meal based upon size, muscularity, sex, lifestyle, etc. Being off an ounce or two over the course of your diet doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal, but it can be the difference between 1st and 3rd come contest day. That’s why it’s important to know your body and understand your macronutrient ratios and amounts. Your veggies are easy – unlimited amounts for the majority of you. If you need an amount, then go with 7-10 oz. (that’s 150-200 gm wt for you metric people). The starchy carbs are the lil’ tricky creatures. Some of you might do well with large amounts, some with literally none, and some dispersed in small amounts throughout the day. Again, it would be unwise of me tell an entire readership what to do and expect it to work for everyone. But I can tell you that once you find that magic number of carbs that YOUR body needs, you’ll know it within a week – guaranteed! And once you find your numbers, then follow it! Don’t be haphazardly changing things up thinking you know better than your coach or you read this or that saying this is what you should do. FOLLOW THE PLAN!!! If you’re doing your own diet, you HAVE to give it about a week to 10 days to see the effects of it. You’ll know in that period of time if it’s working. If not, make subtle changes. If you’ve hired a coach, do what the coach says! That’s the only way your coach can determine what’s working for you and what isn’t.
Well, that’s about it for this blog. I’ve got just some chicken to eat for my last meal. I might have half of a Parrillo Protein bar right before bed…don’t’cha just hate those people who can still eat literally right up to bed and still diet down…peace…
The Dr.
David "Dr. Buff" Patterson, MPE, CSCS, CSTS 253-576-4859 - Mobile http://www.TheDrBuffExperience.com/wordpress http://www.facebook.com/drbuff http://www.facebook.com/TeamBuffedBods http://www.facebook.com/thedrbuffexperience "Tell me you will...tell me you won't...don't tell me you can't!" Tags: Competition Coach | Foods | nutrition | Craig Productions | Emerald Cup | Bodybuilding | Physique | Figure | Fitness | Bikini | Dave Patterson | Determination | Goals | Mindset | Thoughts | training legs | Visualization | training | focused | disciplined | drive | succeed | Dr. Buff | David Patterson | The Dr. | The Dr. Buff Experience | competition | crossfit figure cardio contest prep | coaching |
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| Dr Buff
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| Time to kick it up a notch... |
| 01.26.2012 06:26:16 | |
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12 weeks this Saturday. That’s it. That’s all the time we have. It’s an eternity – 3 months – but it’ll fly by faster than the F-18’s that scrambled out of Portland last summer when President Obama was in Seattle and some idiot invaded restricted airspace…airborne and over Seattle in less than 6 minutes I heard. That’s how fast these 12 weeks will seem to disappear.
If you’ve been on task then you have nothing to worry about. If you knew your timeline and adhered to it, you’re in good shape. But if you’ve been naughty…well…you’ve got some work to do. Let’s take a look at where you should be on the continuum timeline…
If we’re looking at how much fat we have to lose, the formula is simple – we can safely and realistically shed 1.5 to 2 lbs. of bodyfat a week. That should translate into .75 to 1% change in body composition. It’s extremely difficult to drop more than 1% of fat/week unless you’re on the dark side. That’s a blog for another day. But rest assured that a 1% change is quite a bit to change in 7 days…and to do that you’ll have to be literally perfect. The formula is simple – lose 2 lbs. of fat a week with 12 weeks to go – 24 lbs. of fat loss with minimal lean mass loss. If you have more than 24 lbs. to lose, well…you’d better plan on more cardio or even less calories or more drugs to get that fat off!
Even though losing the 24 lbs. is simple, it’s not easy. You’ll have to be perfect – beyond excellent – to make it happen. Losing 2 lbs. a week in my book means doing 2 hours of cardio a day (or expending the equivalent in HIIT cardio in a 30-45 minute period, which is DAMN HARD…) and probably dropping most of your starchy carbs out except for the oatmeal at breakfast. Not fun. Expect to suffer. Expect to suffer hard! As far as I’m concerned, cheat meals are a thing of the past. I know many individuals and trainers will disagree with me, but time and time again, I’ve seen people who ‘cheated’ through their contest diet and people who held their diet, and in just about every instance, the person who held looked significantly better. There’s a great short video out by Dave Palumbo and Kevin Levrone that says it all, in case you think I’m just stupid and don’t know what I’m talking about. Start at about 3:40 and run to the end…it’ll open your eyes if you haven’t already seen it…and it’ll re-awaken you if you have. I know it did and continues to do so for me every time I watch it. It doesn’t ‘motivate’ me, but rather it gets my head on straight on what I have to do to accomplish what I said I wanted to do – come in looking my absolute best for my last show.
I’m not saying that when the time is necessary, you plug in some starchy carbs, such as yams, potatoes, rice, beans, etc. But I am saying that the free-for-all food fest on a Friday/Saturday/or Sunday evening needs to fall by the wayside. Just humor me for a sec, will ya…if you have say, 30 lbs. of fat to drop in the next 12 weeks, why in the world are you taking in unnecessary fat every weekend? I understand the Anabolic diet, the Paleo/Caveman diet, and all the other so-called ‘best-way-to-diet-down-for-your-show’ diets. If you or your trainer wants to do that, and it WORKS for you, then you can click out and be about your merry business. But if you’ve done that in the past and went in your show fat, and you’re wanting to do that again this time, that sounds like the definition of insanity to me…doing the same thing over and over expecting a different outcome.
There will ALWAYS be a small percentage of the population for which ANY crazy diet will work – heck, it worked for the individual who ‘invented’ it…or did it? How many times have you seen a current picture of the person who SWEARS by this or that diet and they’re in great shape because they’ve been following it for years? Unless it’s lifestyle-oriented, I’d be willing to bet very few if any. Diets in which you have to severely restrict calories or do really dumb, stupid things to diet down are setting you up for a tremendous rebound effect post-contest. You’ve worked hard to get in the best shape of your life, and then two weeks after the show you look like a bloated beach whale about to deliver…doesn’t make sense to me. But I digress…back on point…
The goal is to be at a point to where you only need to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs. of fat/week. That makes the ‘suffering’ bearable. If you’re at a point to where you only need to lose about a pound a week, then you’re sittin’ pretty. At this point you still only need one cardio session a day. It could be the 30-minute HIIT (and please understand that a true HIIT will leave you exhausted and dripping water on the floor…) or a 45-60 minute HISS (High Intensity Steady State – you’re working in a range of 80-90% of your VO2 max as opposed to going into your anaerobic zone on the HIIT – if you don’t understand, hit me up and I’ll explain in more detail). Your foods are in order with no cheat meals added in. The goal is to be at your contest look a couple of weeks out and just coast into the show doing the water, carb, and sodium (if you do that) manipulation thing. In other words, you wanna make life easy for yourself. I absolutely HATE to put people on more than 2 hours of cardio a day…all that means is they were behind the power curve by waiting too long to get serious about their contest diet or their foods are waaaay off which usually means they’re cheating. Either way, they just increased their own misery and run the risk of either dropping out of the show or never doing another show again.
Personally, I prefer to stay within 10 lbs. of contest weight. Part of the reason is because I’m old. I don’t want to stretch out my skin any more than absolutely necessary. Heck, in a few more years I’ll be saggin’, baggin’, and draggin’ due to Father Time gettin’ in bed with me…I don’t wanna have him visit any sooner that when he’s supposed to. The other is because I’ve learned. I learned 20+ years ago that as a drug-free competitor, my contest weight, regardless of what I do, is around 160-162 lbs. As I’m aging it’s dropping a bit. But at 57 years old, I don’t expect to ‘bulk up’ in the ‘off-season’ and miraculously gain an additional 10-15-20 lbs. of muscle. C’mon…seriously? If that were going to happen, don’t you think it would’ve already happened?
I’m at 5-6 lbs. to lose to make contest weight/look. That’s assuming I haven’t lost any more lean mass due to aging. Life is good right now. Next blog I’ll go into a bit more detail on what foods you should be eating. As I say to all of my people who are dialing down, “If it ain’t on the list, don’t eat it…” Peace…
The Dr.
David "Dr. Buff" Patterson, MPE, CSCS, CSTS 253-576-4859 - Mobile http://www.TheDrBuffExperience.com/wordpress http://www.facebook.com/drbuff http://www.facebook.com/TeamBuffedBods http://www.facebook.com/thedrbuffexperience "Tell me you will...tell me you won't...don't tell me you can't!"
Tags: Emerald Cup | Bodybuilding | Dave Patterson | Dr. Buff | Determination | Goals | Mindset | training | intensity | focused | disciplined |
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| Jen B |
| The Dreamer Vs. The Fear |
| 11.11.2011 00:28:21 | |
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Anyone else's mind do this to them? I know mine does, and I've been reading, and journaling to overcome it. I have always loved training my body, have put to much focus on that and not enough on my mind. Take a minute to think about your strength not physically but mentally. What do you do to defeat the naysayers of yourself and others?
Dreamer: Check it out, Emerald Cup 30th Anniversary!! Jen do you know what this means...You could finally make it to the stage and your first competition could be at the 30th anniversary of the Emerald Cup!! Its a coincidence, I'll be 30 next year in 2012...2012 is the year of 30!!! Ok, I need to start training now, I have a lot of work to do and need to take it slow. I just started the Isagenix 30 day system and am feeling GREAT! Were on the right track, now a coach!! The Fear: Haha...right Jen. Here you go again, the thoughts overtake you with excitement and I will crush you! You have looked for coaches before, remember how expensive they are? How are you going to pay for that, supplements, suits, music, dance classes, choreography, plane tickets, you see the list doesn't end. Dreamer: If I have not shaken this dream yet I will not let it go. The fight in me is more than I can explain I will do this I WILL!! Ok, lets find a coach... The Fear: See I told you...your looking for coaches, nobody near here, nobody that is going to put the time into you and stay on your back every step of the way. And do you see those price tags...sorry Charlie just not gonna happen. Dreamer: Ok, ways to come up with competition funds? *Thinking*...I will find a way, I have come to far to not find a way and will not let this stand in my way. I wonder if anyone would be willing to invest their time in me to see me succeed? To know where I'm coming from and help me blossom into what I am about to become? Prayer and passion can take a person a long way, and I am digging deep into both right now! Stay positive Jen, it will work out. The Fear: Your hillarious...who is going to take the time to help you, nobody knows who you are, your not a known competitor. If they do know you its because you have tried to start with them and then your body shuts down and they see you quit. No way are they going to reach out and push you! Its not time Jen, its not time. Dreamer: I am tired of hearing its not time. When is it time? So many things in life are never "in time". What I feel in my heart, in my soul, that is what is time. And I know I feel different now, I know I feel strong. My mind strength is growing and its carrying my body further as well! I am a strong woman with motivation and drive out of this world! Some can't believe at what I have done and will do to achieve a goal, to live a dream and inspire others along the way! This is the time! Patiently waiting for my green Emerald Cup bracelet to arrive, I will wear that puppy day in and day out! And one lucky audience member will catch it when I chuck that baby off the stage during my debut!! Check it fear, you are dead, I will catch you and tear you apart! The Fear: Right...to be continued... Tags: Figure | Bodybuilding | Washington Ironman | Emerald Cup | Craig Productions | setbacks | Journey | Thoughts | Mindset | Determination | Goals | goal setting | Fitness | Visualization | Dreams | focus |
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| Jen B |
| Center Stage and Eyes Closed |
| 07.02.2011 13:49:33 | |
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I sit here tonight, ecstatic over the opportunity to be blogging with www.craigproductions.com. Today has been something a bit surreal for me. Small accomplishments in the big picture though steps I have put off for fear of rejection. I sit here tonight ecstatic, yet unsure. I want this to be big, I want this to be real. For me, Jen, to be blogging on the website for Emerald Cup and Washington Ironman feels as if my dreams have come true. To some of you this may be cheesy, well even to me it sounds a bit silly. We are not to idolize, but I am obsessed! The fitness industry has intrigued me for over 11 years now. Sitting on the couch after midnight flipping through cable when I stumbled on a fitness show on ESPN. A former cheerleader, wanna be dancer, and in athletics my whole life I was hooked. These woman were on national television, they had to be of some weird and famous breed. I set them on a pedestal, something unattainable by an average girl like me. At that time I was 17, young and naive. Though our thoughts lead to our actions and our actions lead to our destination. Eleven years later I'm still in the audience, dreaming of standing center of that stage, head high, shoulders back, to close my eyes for a moment and feel the feat of accomplishment. Though the road has not put me on stage yet, I will not be defeated, I will not quit fighting until I am on stage. So I guess this is where it gets a bit personal. I've been a gym rat since high school, loving the smell so stuffy and stinky. Cold hard floors, cardio machines buzzing, weights clinking...paradise. It is not difficult to get me to the gym, its not difficult to get me to push myself. This is where the issue comes in. I might be a bit hard on myself...well ok...I said I was going to be honest, I am very hard on myself. I will take myself to the gym, roll myself up like a back alley cat fight and love every second while I'm there. I am very good at over training, if it was a good technique I would be famous! Several years of this, committing to this show or that show, working with this trainer or that trainer, I always got the same result. I was on cloud 9, pumped and ready to go. Two weeks in I would get sick, I would start having anxiety attacks, weakness, and foggy brain. Yup...aren't those right out of the training manual for OVER TRAINING! Well I never caught on to this, I fizzed out, felt defeated, tore myself apart emotionally and became angry. I tend to live life in black or white, so if I couldn't do it overnight with intense training then I would not ever reach this goal. 5 years or so of off and on choosing shows, starting to train, my body freaking out and me giving up I have thrown my endocrine system into a fit! Now dealing with much more sensitive issues such as major hormone imbalances, adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, 20lbs weight gain, on and on. Turning from doctor to doctor looking for the magic pill. I haven't found it yet but I am starting to realize my body is different, I can't jump into a competition training regiment overnight, cardio has to be done at a lower intensity, sleep is not negotiable, and nutrition is HUGE! So...maybe I'm not that different. I'm rambling on, wondering where to take this blog venture. I am going to take you on my journey through adrenal fatigue, hormonal imbalances, chronic fatigue, and more and right onto to center stage where I promise win or lose I am going to take a moment to stand still, eyes closed, and breathe in the drive, motivation, blood, sweat, and tears of many years fighting my way. Right now my doctor has me laying low, I'm listening for once, trying to be patient. Its hard to look in the mirror and not recognize the body that encompasses such a fit and strong soul. With time and patience, and the grace of God I will be an inspiration to men and women alike. Those that believe that they couldn't do something like that, or that are dealing with physical ailments interfering with their training. It is possible, even for a regular girl like me! :)
Jen
Tags: Ironman | Craig Productions | Emerald Cup | Washington Ironman | determined | WA State Show | setbacks | Goals | Determination | Weakness | persistence | goal-setting | illness |
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| Dr Buff
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| Nothing Great Comes Without Sacrifice! |
| 05.02.2011 05:57:53 | |
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Jack Sandberg, a friend and fellow competitor who resides over in Spokane, posted a short motivational/inspirational video on FB on the bodybuilding mindset and lifestyle. You can watch the whole thing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-GBxpLQsek&feature=youtube_gdata_player. More than just watching the video and seeing the swollen bodies and listening to the music and getting all pumped up over the incredible physiques, I chose to listen to the words they’re saying. Is anything coming out of their mouths that make sense or is it just rambling gibberish. To be perfectly honest, this one was a good one.
If you’ve been a reader of my blog for any time now, you know that I’m into the psychological component more than anything else. Everything starts with your mind. We conceive in our minds. We believe in our minds. And then we go out and ACT on our thoughts in our mind. In the video, Kai Green spoke words of truth – truth that I’ve been saying for years and years. Truth that any athlete with the competitive mindset possesses. Truth that we hear a lot, read a lot, and possibly even quote a lot on FB these days. But speaking the truth and living the truth are two different things. Do you just speak the truth or do you live the truth?
After my last blog I received a text from Big Joe Derousie. I typically don’t get very many responses. My blogs aren’t designed for or written for responses. Many times I’ll even tell you I don’t want a response. I’m more of the ‘in your face’ person – I want you to think about what you’re doing, and even question why you’re doing it, even if it makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. I want you to dig deep within your soul and ask, “Is this what I really want? And am I truly ready to work…no…bust my BUTT for it?” I want you to ‘get it’ – to get the fact that this is not easy, and many times this is not necessarily fun, but the reward at the end is oh-so-sweet even if no other person gives you accolades or compliments you for a job well done. I want you to understand that “The challenge is from within, the opponent is yourself, the reward is private, and the victory is having met the challenge!”
Joe’s text read, “Hey Dave, its Joe DeRousie. Just read your last blog. “To be number one you have to train like you’re number 2.” Bro, first thing I thought of was losing to Roger [Baker] by 1 point at the 09 [Emerald] Cup. I looked great, but was still 2nd. That loss was the best thing that could have happened to me. It pushed me to another level that allowed me to bring that dominant physique to the stage in 2010. I could have just tried to roll with the momentum I build in 09, but wanted to leave no doubt whose show it was last year! Everyone still wants to know what I did to make such a jump in a year. You said it perfect: hard work, discipline, determination, drive desire, focus, and commitment. Can’t beat that stack if you tried!” Well said, Joe!
Kai Green, who is, in my opinion one of the most creative bodybuilding posers out there, had some great lines. You could hear the feeling, the emotion, and the passion in every word he spoke. I listened to him several times and finally decided to transcribe his words and put them in this blog.
Kai’s first quote said, “You need to get to work in accomplishing your own dream – fulfill your own goals. There’s something to be said for the person that stands on the side of life watching other people live it vs. being the person that’s out there doing a damn thing.” Truer words could not have been spoken. You can put up all the quotes you want on FB, but if you’re not working, then you’re not doing. And if you’re not doing, then you’re wasting time! Are you TRULY doing everything you can to make yourself YOUR best? If you set the bar, then dang it, at the very least jump up to it. Better yet, jump OVER it and then reset it! That’s what Big Joe did. I have no doubt that Joe will be successful at the national level, and then the pro level. He doesn’t just talk – he acts!
Jay Cutler (at least I believe it was Jay as they didn’t show the person talking but showed a quick clip of Jay…) said, “There’s no secret to it. If you wanna get bigger, if you wanna get stronger, the only thing holding you back is yourself.” I’ve got a couple of signs in my gym that ties in to what Jay said. The first one is, “The greatest challenge you’ll ever face is your own mind.” The second one says, “The only obstacle preventing you from achieving your goal is the belief that you have obstacles.” Are you guys gettin’ this? I’m not trying to motivate you – I’m trying to get in your head – to get you to understand that you, and only you, are ultimately responsible for the physique that steps onstage. Your trainer is a tool, a resource, a means to an end, but if you put all your trust and faith in your trainer and don’t do your part…well…it’ll show onstage. This leads us to our third quote by Kai…
“You have to save your own life. Nobody’s gonna be your savior for you. So we have to do what we have to do no matter what it is!” Putting this on ‘paper’ just doesn’t have the same impact that viewing it does. That’s why I posted the link. When I watched it I found myself nodding in approval. When Jeff, my workout partner doesn’t show up, I still train. When life situations arise, I handle my business and then I train. Regardless of what happens, I train. I am the master of my destiny. You are the master of yours. Handle y’business!
Finally, Kai ends the talking part with the following quote, “Champions are an example of what happens when you aspire to leave the plane of average thinking…when you dare to dream and you dare to go after that dream and you make these thoughts and ideas become something more than a dream.” We all have to have that internal push, people – the drive, determination, discipline, desire, focus, sacrifice, and commitment. We all possess the power to dream…we must dig deep for the power to succeed! Peace…
The Dr.
Personal Training Systems “There Are No Shortcuts!” www.personaltrainingsystems.net www.facebook.com/ThereAreNoShortcuts This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Mobile: 253.576.4859
Don't give me excuses...give me results!
Tags: discipline | drive | Determination | desire | focus | sacrifice | commitment | motivation | inspiration | succeed | Dr. Buff | David Patterson | Dave Patterson | The Dr. |
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 Tanji
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| 3 Trips in 10 days |
| 07.20.2010 09:38:51 | |
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Los Angeles- Golds Gym Venice So, I call myself a professional traveler which leads me to get comfortable with traveling and a bit edgy when it comes to giving myself enough time to get to the airport. The main reason for this “edge” is that “my time is valuable to me, I wish I had more of it, and I really don’t want to spend time waiting in an airport”. So I tend to play this game of maximizing my time as much as possible and then gambling to give myself just enough time to make the flight. I know this is crazy, but it has become a very bad habit. Most of the time, I win! And you know how great that feels, relishing over the extra hour of emailing I got in, or that meal I got to eat at home, or the extra sleep that my body needed. With this being said, I notice that I have been giving myself less and less time to catch my flight. I can typically arrive at SEATAC 45min-1 hour before my flight and still catch it…barely. J I am one of those people who prefers to wait until EVERYONE else has boarded before I get on…which is why I can usually make the flight in 45min…LOL! Most of the time! So this particular time I showed up 35min before my flight (This wasn’t intentional but I had trouble finding the parking garage I chose. No wonder it was cheaper…it was WAY further away. Geesh!) So of course I check in and the lady at the counter looks at me like I’m an idiot and informs me that the bag check in cut off time is 40min prior to take off. So, like a 5 year old with an upside down smile, I walk away and proceed to stand in another line to get my flight rebooked. Consequence: I had to cancel my gymnastics session with my coach Richard who is in Pasadena CA. Bright side: I got to go home and spend more time recovering from my last trip. Not sure how much I recovered though….I ended up getting a work out in and answering more emails. I have gotten pretty good at making the best out of any situation. If I could sell this ability in a bottle my friends, I would! J So, that night I get into LAX, grab my rental car and proceed straight to my favorite gym in LA…Golds Gym Venice…the mecca of bodybuilding! IFBB Pros train for free in this gym but this time, I didn’t recognize the guy at the front counter. I’m thinking “Great, how do I let this guy know that I’m kinda a big deal (special quote from AnchormanJ) without sounding like a schuck! So, luckily the moment I walked in I saw Shawn Perine (writer for Flex and Muscle & Fitness) and Max Carlisle who is also from WA and did the music on my Posing and Save Fitness DVDs. They approach me and we share in our excitement of seeing each other as I sign in. The front desk gentleman asks me if I’m a Pro and if I had my IFBB card on me. Does anyone really carry this? I will now! LOL! I felt bad that I couldn’t prove that I was a pro. But I think one subtle flash of the guns did the trick.
So, for my workout, I enjoyed running on the treadmill for about 20 min while enjoying the breeze from the side opening of the gym. I love people watching at this gym. I could probably do cardio all day long. There’s always someone interesting to watch. One time, I saw this lady in her 70s (maybe 80s) working out or maybe she was just walking around saying hello to everyone. She had quite the array of fashion going on with her workout outfit. I was thinking “You go girl! You don’t need to care what anybody thinks! Not even me!” Lol! Fun stuff, truly! Then I hit a good back and leg workout. I train my back with weights doing rows, pull downs and then burn out my legs with some plyos. There was this super tall bench (I have no idea what It’s for) so I got excited and started doing box jumps onto it. This is my favorite thing to do btw. Trying to find the highest surface whether it’s a bench, giant tire, or box in the gym and see if I can jump on it. I love when people look at me like I’m crazy. J My tuck jumps are getting better with this hobby! I head back to my hotel to prepare for my photo shoot with Muscle & Fitness Hers the next morning. This entails exfoliating, shaving, body butter, deep conditioning for the hair, moisturizing the face and a good night’s rest. But before I sleep, I pray. I ask the Lord to give me peace about my physique. I think every model wonders if his/her physique is going to look good enough for the part. I ask him to wake me up in the morning fully aware of the beauty I possess. The beauty that HE, the mighty one bestowed in me. I pray that I am able to embrace every ounce of my sprit and soul and allow that energy and beauty to emanate at the shoot. I thank God for giving me this ability to connect and rely on Him. And with that, I get my beauty rest. J
Los Angeles- Muscle & Fitness Hers Shoot, Iron Gym Santa Monica Gorgeous day! I arrived at the gym and have a mini reunion with the staff since I’ve shot with them several times. I have a new make up artist that I’ve never worked with before but she was great. Cindy, the stylist and the one responsible for picking out my wardrobe is a hoot. I love her. She is so fun to work with and had a great personality. So, just so you know…hair and make up usually takes about 45 min to an hour, shorter for this kind of shoot b/c it’s more of a natural look and the hair’s going up in a ponytail. I always love invading Cindy’s wardrobe rack. It’s amazing. She brings a rack of about 20-30 sets of workout outfits and we, ok “they” pick one. They bring everything…socks, shoes, outfit, and sometimes chicken cutlets J for people that need ‘em like me. Once I’m dressed, a group of them….stylist, make up artist, asst, photographer, fitness editor all get together and look me up and down to determine if I’m good to go. This is always alittle uncomfortable b/c Im thinking “Great, I’m not lean enough” but they’re actually scrutinizing my hair, make up and wardrobe. LOL! Of course I do my best to deal with this by turning on the charm with my fantastic bikini poses and put on a good show for them to get their approval to begin the shoot. J So, we begin. We had to shoot 8 different exercises. This shoot actually went pretty fast and only took 4-5 hours. Most models are amazed at how long it takes to shoot a spread. But there is a lot of detail necessary to capture the right image with positioning, lighting and waiting for celebrities to get out of my shot. I can’t remember his name but there was an actor working out at the gym and he was always in my frame. He’s already famous, yet he HAD to try to steal my little bit of glory! Kidding! He WAS there, but I doubt he cared about being background in our spread. Lol. Modeling for a TRAINING shoot is no cake walk. For this particular shoot “Intense Training Techniques”, they actually wanted me to use heavy weights. And then, of course, hold each rep for a few seconds. We did this several times because my body positioning had to be right, my facial expression had to be appropriate (ya know, intense but not quite the gas faceJ) and the lighting had to be on! For example, they shoot me doing a Pull up. So I’d have to hold at the top of the pull up for a few seconds. Side note: Being in shape and strong comes in handy at times like this J. We had to make me look like I was sweating so the stylist was always spraying water and rubbing oil on me. They don’t even let you pull your own shorts down. They do all that for you. You really feel pampered sometimes, lol. The cool thing about technology now is that we can shoot a bit and then go straight to the laptop, put the zip drive in from the camera and view the shots we just took to figure out what we need to do different.
I was pretty exhausted when it was over so I went to my hotel to nap. I mustered up the energy to meet my good friend Mohamed Mohsen for dinner. Mo is the founder and owner of DreamTan. We had a great time discussing some new projects he has coming up and some that he would like me to be involved in. It’s always inspiring to be in the company of peers who are motivated to make a difference and contribute something great to our society. Tags: Determination |
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| Diane
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| Burnin' Something Fierce |
| 05.25.2010 11:38:20 | |
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Big Things Coming...I am incredibly excited to start the next chapter in my life. 13 Days Until My Last Day Of Class 13 Days Until I Can Start Studying To Get Certified As A Personal Trainer (if not earlier) 19 Days Until I Graduate From College 66 Days Until My First National Show in Vegas Woot Woot! So to say the least...I have some exciting things coming up! I cannot explain the joy that I feel about my life right now. It is kind of funny actually because there are a few things in my life that are not going well at all, BUT I am choosing to focus on the the GREAT things coming up and I am choosing to focus on all the amazing things/people the Lord has blessed me with over the past couple years! That's really what it is all about people...Perspective and attitude. You ultimately decide how to live your life...You decide upon your outlook and your attitude and how you react to the things thrown at you. It's your choice...Turn around and avoid the challenges in your life or soldier up and be strong...Meet those challenges straight on. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches and do so with a big thankful heart and a big happy smile. Cliche...I know. But it is SOOO true! So that's where I'm at. I actually just got home from the gym and had a fabulous workout...I mean KILLER workout. I started off somewhat slow and then that fire in me started burnin' something fierce and I finished weights very strong and then my cardio was even more fierce. It made me think of Julie's blog AWHILE back about giving it your all when you have that burst of energy...Heck if you're feeling energized and strong, THAT is your time to truly push your limits. So that's what I did. My 25 min on the stepmill and 10 min on the treadmill left me absolutely dripping in sweat and it felt so refreshing. Nothing feels better than building up my body...Making it stronger, healthier, faster and just BETTER! So I'm pumped and can't wait for my cardio tomorrow AM! Then I'll be heading to work...then to LA Fitness for a Chest/Bi/Tri workout + cardio. Busy day, but as always it will be absolutely FULL of opportunity and I better be ready to rock and roll! Bless you all and please please please spend some time tonight planning how you can get one step closer to your goals/dreams tomorrow. Life is so short and you've got ONE life to live...I hope you are all pushing forward through your life achieving all that you are meant to achieve. We each have something truly special to offer to the people around us and it would be soooo silly for you to not grasp that tight and make the most of it! DREAM BIG! ;) Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane
Tags: Determination | Goals | training | energy | posingfocused | determined |
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| Diane
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| Don't Live With A Bunch Of Turkeys! |
| 03.01.2010 23:57:31 | |
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So it's Monday and I'm feeling fierce, strong and ready to hit it hard this week. I took a break from training this weekend and I think it did my body some good! By Friday of last week I was feeling pretty 'weak'...This was more than the typical "four weeks before a show lack of energy" Instead I was feeling seriously depleted and decided that I would take the weekend off to recover. I felt a little guilty missing my workout on Saturday, but let's just say that I woke up and jumped out of bed this morning with enthusiasm to get my week started. I did my AM cardio and I felt like I couldn't stop...I was feeling completely energized! So was it worth it? Definitely. Although I do my best to get 8 hours of sleep each night and although I always take Sundays off to recover, my body needed a little extra recovery and now I'm feeling completely rejuvenated and ready to hit it hard this week! So speaking of this weekend...I took time this weekend to support Barry's passion: Motocross. After 2 solid years of Barry supporting MY passion of competing, I spent this weekend support HIS. I think that it is crucial to "give back" to those people who have supported you through your competition prep. As we all know, it's a 24/7 thing to train and prep for a show and it can definitely take a toll on those very special people around us as well. So I personally think that it is very important to give those people around us the same support for THEIR passion and THEIR hobbies! So that's what I did and boy did it feel great! We left EARLY Saturday morning and went to Horn Rapids in Richland so that he could ride his dirt bike. He has a race this coming weekend, so it was his time to prepare for his race! So I tagged along and made it HIS day. It was a very refreshing weekend and let me just say that it was BEAUTIFUL in Eastern WA! Sunny skies and 60 degrees! It definitely lifted my spirits and spending time at the track freshened me right up! So my advice...take a good look at those people around you who have given their support to you each and every day of your journey to the stage. Spend sometime helping them with their passion...Support them...Encourage them...I know that this is something that we should be doing anyways, but I think it is easy as a competitor to get completely involved in our little world as we train hard and prep for a show and it's nice to step back every so often and find ways to help the people around you. I already finished my AM cardio and it felt amazing. I seemed to have an endless amount of energy and I definitely pushed myself hard. The stepmill and treadmill have never felt so good! Then after work today, I'll head to Snap and train with Pete and the girls. It's Leg Day Baby!!! Can't wait. As much as I used to hate leg day, I absolutely love it now. It's a true test of my commitment. It forces me to ask myself how bad I really want this and forces me to push through barriers! I'm ready to rock and roll ;) I found this quirky quote and I love it: "It is hard to soar with the eagles, when you're living with a bunch of turkeys!" -Author Unknown Make sure to surround yourself with the best. Get to know someone who has reached a point in their life that you want to reach someday. Strive to be the best and this means surrounding yourself with the best. Surround yourself with people who will push you and stretch you. Take every moment possible to learn from these people and also take time to SHINE for them...to inspire and push them as well! Take a GOOD look at the people that you associate yourself with and ask yourself if you want to be like them...because believe it or not, you WILL become who you associate with! Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: Determination | training legs |
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| Diane
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| 31 Days Until Show Time! |
| 02.25.2010 01:39:21 | |
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So it has been awhile since I've written on here...Again, I apologize! Life has been slightly crazy ;) First off, I went to Elaine's posing seminar on Saturday and it was AMAZING! It is always so great to spend some quality time with other competitors...Each and every gal there inspired me in their own way and I have to say that everyone...everyone!...looks GREAT! It was great to see all of my fellow competitors friends that I had not seen since Ironman in October and it was also great to meet some brand new competitors. I think we had like 6 or 7 girls there who would be competing for their very first time and it's inspiring to witness their focus and determination to learn the ins and outs of competing! Overall it felt great to put on my heels for two hours and get practicing! With the show coming up VERY soon, practice is VERY important right now! All of you competitors, Figure, Fitness AND Bikini, really really really need to be practicing your walking and posing right about now! Make it second nature...You should feel SOOOO comfortable in those heels that you could hop, skip and jump in them ;) I say this because you seriously do not want to spend hours upon hours of training and prep to sculpt a killer bod if you're just going to step on stage and walk around like a penguin because you didn't practice your walk! I think I made my point. So as far as my prep...Things are going fabulous! I've been kicking MAJOR butt during my training sessions and my diet has been great as well. I honestly think the only think that I really need to improve on still is my water intake. It's just not as consistent as I'd like it to be and I REALLY need to work on this! I actually just got home from doing my AM cardio and it felt amazing. That stepmill is becoming my best friend, if you know what I mean! I think that out of the 6 days that I do cardio/week, I do the stepmill 4 of those days. The other two days I spend either at the track doing sprints or doing an 'odd' cardio workout that consists of squats, walking lunges and other sculpting moves! Overall, cardio has been amazing and I'm so thankful that I've kept my mind sharp and focused on what I want to achieve. I start each cardio session with my "Theme Song" and then I begin to visualize myself the day of the show...I visualize my abs, my legs, my walk, my pose...I make sure that I'm visualizing EXACTLY how I want to look on the day of the show! Cardio is my time to do this and I find that it helps me get through my cardio session with unstoppable determination! My diet has been great as well. I've actually been on a depletion for the last few days and it's been different from what I've done in the past, but it is definitely bringing the results that I'm wanting! So I'm thankful that John and Roxana have been helping me on my journey to the stage! They really know their stuff on eating right for a show and it's amazing how much I have learned about my own body since I've started working with them. Today is my last day of depletion and then I'll go back to 'normal' eating tomorrow. Lifting has been going great as well. I've been meeting Pete at Snap and we've been kicking some serious butt! The show is going to sneak up VERY quick and I want to make sure that I'm making the most of every single second that I have with the iron! Plus it has been great to have Pete there to really push me when I'm starting to either doubt myself or feel tired. He always keeps me on my toes, that's for sure! The other girls are doing great as well! It's been amazing to see them learn how to train over the past several months and their transformations have been very inspiring! So that's where I'm am! Getting lean, strong and staying more fierce than ever ;) I'm ready to rock and roll next month and I'm honestly SOOOO excited to step on stage!! SO until next time...Train HARD, eat what you're supposed to eat, drink your water (that's more for me) and get practicing!! We have exactly 31 days until the show...So make the most of EVERY SINGLE opportunity that you have to better yourself! Stay strong...mentally and physically! "We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are." -Tobias Wolff Push through these next 31 days...You have to truly persist in order to discover what you're truly made of. If you really push through, you'll find yourself breaking through barriers that you never thought you could break through. Give it your all. That's all you can do. Once you truly give it your ALL, you'll be able to see what you're really made of! Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: Determination | Bikini | Posing | training | cardio | Visualization |
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| Diane
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| Ready to Rock and Roll! |
| 02.13.2010 01:33:39 | |
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Wow. Let's just say that it is 9:00am and I JUST woke up. To me, this is absolutely insane because I consider sleeping in to be 7:00! I've gotten up at 4:00 every morning this week in order to squeeze in my cardio before I head off to work and I have to say that it feels pretty darn good to sleep in so late for once! I decided to not set my alarm because I have no work this morning and to just let my body wake up when it feels ready! So overall, I'm thankful that I did this because it allowed my body to rest up after all the hard work this week! SO training! I'm officially COMPLETELY in my zone and my workouts have been AMAZING!!! I trained legs on Monday and to be honest, my hammies are still sore!! Then I met with Misty (she's doing Vancouver) and Pete on Weds to train chest and triceps! It was a great workout and it felt so great to workout with the both of them. Since my school schedule is a little crazy and with Pete's busy wrestling schedule (He's the coach at Bellevue Christian), it has been tough to coordinate our workouts together! So, it was great to work out with Misty and see Pete as well! They always push me to my limits and I think it is so great to have those kind of people in your life... Which reminds me...When preparing for a show, who are the people that you chose to surround yourself with? Heck, not only JUST when prepping for a show, but through out your entire life? I strongly believe that you are who you associate with and I've witnessed this in my own life! I remember hanging out with the "wrong" crowd when I was younger and my parents would constantly say, "You are who you associate with!! Do you really want to be like them?" I HATED it when they would say that, but now I am so thankful because it truly taught me that I need to surround myself with strong, confident, optimistic people who are living their lives with shear determination to reach their own goals and dreams!! You see, it is their drive, focus and determination that will be contagious to those around them...Same goes for you..Keep shining because it is going to affect those around you more than you could possibly imagine. So anyways, I was just thinking how incredibly blessed I am to have made the decision to only surround myself with people who completely lift me up, or have the potential to lift me up! Don't get me wrong, if someone is having a tough time and are temporarily bringing me down, I'm not going to 'kick' them out of my life because I will want to help them! BUT! I will not tolerate anyone in my life who is going to waste timing bringing me and my dreams down with them everytime I'm around them! There's just no time for this - I've got BIG things to do and I'm not letting anyone step in the way! So off to I got to the gym. I'm going to kick major butt during my cardio session and then head home to relax and prep my food before I head to Redmond to meet Pete for shoulders!! Oh yeahhh!! My shoulders are definitely making big improvements over this last year and I'm so thankful that both myself and Pete have been working hard to build that beautiful shoulder cap! Bring it on!! "You don't concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done."
Tags: Determination | Goals | Mindset | training partner | Shoulders |
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| Julie
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| Posing Practice |
| 01.25.2010 06:09:50 | |
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I hooked up with Shannon Gill and her team today for posing practice. I met Shannon for the first time last November when doing my photo shoot with Jim Wallingford (www.jimwallingfordphotography.com) after the Northwest Championships show. I really liked Shannon's personality. She's kind of edgy and definitely tells it like it is and I LOVE people like that. When I learned that she offers weekly posing practice in Redmond I was really excited and decided that I'd like to work with her for the upcoming season. Today was my first time practicing with her. I left my suit at home because A) I'm getting a new one and so I figured that was a good excuse and B) the real reason being that I didn't want to wear a suit being "fat". Sidebar: I love how we as competitors are "fat" at what is, by society's standards, athletic level leanness. We're kind of warped that way. At any rate, Shannon had a bag full of suits for me to choose from and made it clear that I was putting one of them on for practice. Dang! I was actually pretty pleased with how I presented in a random suit. It was really exciting and motivating to have the suit on, the heels and be with other figure girls who are in full contest prep mode. It really made it REAL for me that the contest season is upon us and we are all GEARING UP! It's always inspirational to be around others who are passionate about the sport and Shannon's enthusiasm was very much contagious. I'm definitely going to need a few one-on-one's with Shannon and I'll be attending as many Sunday Practice classes as I can - given my schedule with my 4 kiddos! Also, the class is very affordable at only $35/class. If you're interested in attending, check out www.shannongill.com. Alright, so it's Sunday which means meal planning, food-prep and scheduling out my training for the week. It's a busy week with the kids and their activities, so it looks like I'll be shuffling some things around to get my workouts in. I'll probably train at work a few times this week rather than the Gold's by my house just to make sure I get all my workouts in. I've also ramped up my tanning the last couple weeks and am trying to go every other day right now to get as dark of a base as I can. Tanning in the winter = really dry skin. Body butter, here I come! I'm excited for a great week of training - hard, heavy and intense! Here's a great quote for the week: "I KNOW THE PRICE OF SUCCESS: DEDICATION, HARD WORK, AND AN UNREMITTING DEVOTION TO THE THINGS YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN." ~ Frank Lloyd Wright Julie Fearless, with cape in hand. Tags: Shannon Gill | Posing | Jim Wallingford | Determination | Goals | Figure | Bikini |
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| Diane
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| 2009 Wrap-Up and 2010 Goals |
| 12.30.2009 03:22:42 | |
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Alright Guys...First off, I have to admit that I did sneak in some treats on Christmas! My goal was to make it 100% clean through-out Christmas, but I didn't reach my goal! I tried some of my grandma's homemade Banana Bread and some cookies as well. Am I bummed out that I did not reach my goal for the holidays? Yes. BUT I'll continue to stay focused on what I can accomplish TODAY! The good news is that I trained hard through-out Christmas! I went to the gym Christmas Eve for a kick-butt cardio session and lifted heavy! Then I went to the gym with my mom on Christmas and did a killer cardio session. This was not a typical cardio session - It involved hundreds of walking lunges and air squats...Overall I did PRETTY good over Christmas...I stuck to my planned meals and trained hard...Not 100% good, but pretty darn good considering all the tasty food that I was surrounding me :) So that's that...Now I want to focus on my 2009 Wrap-Up and also go over my 2010 Goals...I worked my butt off this last year and I was blessed in so many more ways than I expected! I stayed focused on what I wanted to accomplish in 2009 and I did everything possible to give 100%...Plus I did it ALL for the glory of God and let me tell you...It is the most AMAZING feeling to put forth 100% of my effort to follow God's plan for my life! Of course I'm not perfect and I still have a lot of things to work on, but boy was it an amazing year! In 2009... -I was baptized on Easter and it was the most amazing experience. It was life-changing and I'm so thankful that I committed everything to the Lord -I switched my focus for training...I was no longer training just to look good, but I began training to glorify the Lord and build the strongest and healthiest body possible - This new focus kept me strong through out the year. -I was blessed with the amazing opportunity to blog on here! It has been so much fun to blog and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of Dave's blogs as well! THANK YOU ELAINE AND BRAD! -I successfully started my senior year of college and managed to stay on the Dean's List while training and working full-time. -I was able to experience and be a part of Snap Fitness' new team of competitors. The team was created in 2009 and I feel so blessed to be part of the team and meet/train with such amazing girls! They truly inspire me each and every day! -I won 1st place at the WA Ironman! This was such a blessing and such an amazing experience! It reminded me that all my hard work is paying off and also reminded me that I still have a lot to work to do in order to get to where I want to go! -I signed on with Optimum Nutrition and American Bodybuilding! I have been a loyal fan of their products for the past couple years and I am SO excited to represent such a great company! Such an amazing blessing. -I started working with John and Roxana Kreklo for my diet and I am so excited about my opportunity to work with them. I've made great progress with their diet and I'm excited to see how I progress through 2010 with my new healthy eating plan! -I've met SOOO many wonderful competitors! I cannot explain in words how much each and every person I meet inspires me...I am constantly learning something new from everyone around me and I feel so thankful to be surrounded by such uplifting and inspiring people! -Barry and myself have brought each other closer to God and our relationship glorifies Him more than ever!
Ten Goals for 2010... (1) To get my website up and running within the next couple months. (2) To earn my NSCA CSCS certification. (3) To build up my legs and glutes through persistent and focused training. (4) To build more muscle...More specifically, I want to thicken up my back, bring out my shoulders and sculpt stronger and more defined abs (5) To develop and build my organization - I want to do everything I can to promote weight-lifting to the women and teens in the Northwest (6) To spend more time with my little brother - He is growing up sooo quickly and I need to soak up these moments with him! (7) To better recognize God's will for my life and FOLLOW it! His way is the ONLY way! (8) To promote ON/ABB to the best of my ability through informative helpful product demos and networking (9) To help other girls compete - I want to help them get ready for their shows through constant support, help with posing and any other needs they might have. (10) To win Overall for the first time and successfully proceed to Nationals to win my Pro Card **I have MANY more goals, but figured I should stick to ten for now**
Well that's it for now. I urge you to write out everything that you have accomplished this year and also focus on what you want to accomplish in 2010. This is a great time to review all of your blessings and also commit your plans to the Lord for the upcoming year! Happy New Year and get ready to ROCK 2010! The opportunities are ENDLESS! Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane
Tags: Determination | Goals | focused |
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| Diane
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| In The Zone! |
| 12.23.2009 00:06:12 | |
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There's nothing better than "The Zone". It's a place I reach a few months before a show. My focus is strong and my determination to succeed is unstoppable. Once I'm in "The Zone", I always strive for a better tomorrow. Each day I strive to beat myself and improve in every way possible. It is really an amazing feeling. There's something about putting my heart and soul into training that makes me feel amazing. It creates energy - Unstoppable energy. Yes..I do get tired...I do get exhausted...But it is my mental energy that is never-ending. Once I have that vision for my future, nothing stops me from doing everything possible to succeed. So that's where I'm at. I have both the Vancouver show and ECUP on my mind - All day. Every night I lay in bed and CLEARLY visualize the stage...I visualize every single aspect of the show..My posing..My walk...My hair...Check-in...Pre-Judging...If I don't visualize it, I cannot expect to reach my full potential. That's all there is to it - Strong, Powerful, Thriving Energy and Determination. If that's what it takes to succeed, I'm on it. Tags: Determination | Mindset | Thoughts | focused | drive | energy | vision |
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| Diane
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| Vision Building |
| 08.24.2009 22:27:57 | |
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The topic at my Church, Champions Centre, has been VISION BUILDING. Last week, clarity was discussed and how important it is to know exactly what you want. The point was made that people who know exactly what they want push past fear. When you are focused on your vision for your life, you will be more willing to push past fear to get exactly where you want to be. People who know what they want are ready when opportunity knocks. Basically when you know exactly what you want, it keeps you focused on what must be accomplished and helps you to be ready for anything. That in itself was an amazing message. This week, my pastor went even further to say that in order to build your vision for your life, you MUST be confident. "God does not sponsor confusion" - Kevin Gerald. Overall, confidence is key in accomplishing your dreams and goals. God will not bless those who are lacking faith; confidence is faith. Every single person will meet opposition while trying to accomplish their dream, yet those who are confident in what they are doing will push past the opposition. Confidence is what gets you through opposition. By losing confidence, you're walking away from what is planned for your life. Don't let that happen. Stay strong and decide that you will not sway once you have your vision for your future and your life. As I always say, you've got one shot down here. Don't let your vision go to waste because you fear a little criticism or a little opposition....Just fight through it. There's always going to be something trying to push you down...It's simply a test to see how bad you really want it. So anyways, my weekend was amazing!! I trained my butt off on Saturday! I had an amazing back workout and kicked booty at cardio. Then yesterday I left Church feeling pumped up to start my week. The show is so close and Church always keeps me focused in on what really matters. I don't have time to waste, especially when it gets down to being 5 weeks out...So every little bit of inspiration from God and my family helps! Today is Day 1 of NO CARBS...I'll be lowering carbs until Friday. As I've said before, I do this once a month. It seems to be working out very well for me...So I'll stick to it :) Today is also Leg Day!! Whoo! I always get excited to start my week off with Legs! I also have a massage scheduled after my workout today...So it's going to be extra good!! The massage always helps me to recover and it prevents me from getting stiff and too sore! Overall, it will be a great day. It is what you make it right? Well, off to work I go. I'm anticipating a busy day in the store...Thanks to the sunshine! Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: Visualization | Determination | Goals | focused | legs |
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| Dr Buff
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| Fear is an illusion... |
| 08.06.2009 14:13:56 | |
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America, my legs HURT! Yesterday’s workout was intense, and the pain is definitely talkin’ to me, but I’m lovin’ it. Whoever said no pain, no gain got it right, especially when it comes to weight training. Heh, heh, heh...at my party, my friend – he likes to refer to himself as “Pretty Ricky” - was clowning the bodybuilders who were there. One of the things he said was, “Yea, boyyyy, I felt like working out the other day...I laid down until that feeling went away!” I’ve heard that joke many times before but the way Rick said it cracked us all up! Tags: discipline | drive | Determination | focus | work ethic | hard work |
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| Dr Buff
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| Training Partners - Love em or hate em...you need em! |
| 07.25.2009 14:41:26 | |
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America, I'm pissed! No...not for anything personal (that ain't nunya biz anyway...). I'm pissed because I missed two days in a row due to this nagging arm injury. It's getting better but I decided to take today off as well so I'd be back for sure on Monday. "Make Haste Slowly" I always say. BTW, here's something I heard a while back that was pretty humorous. The first time you hear or read something and you repeat it, you give credit to whomever you heard/read it from - "As so-n-so says...". As you continue to use it, giving credit changes to "I heard..." or "I read...". In time you've said it so many times that it changes to "As I've always said...". I don't have a clue as to where or when I first heard "Make Haste Slowly", but I've been using it so long that it's mine now! Don't hate! Tags: focus | discipline | Determination | training | training partner |
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| Diane
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| A New Routine: A New Chance to SHINE! |
| 07.20.2009 22:43:17 | |
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So today is Day 1 of our new program. We’re starting a new lifting schedule. I love starting a new schedule…As soon as we start a new schedule my body starts to make more drastic changes, so I’m super excited for the great changes. Monday-Friday we’ll lift one body part per day. Saturday will be a circuit followed by posing. Although I’m not competing in Figure at the Ironman, I think it’s important to practice posing. It really helps me to focus on activating each muscle and it’s great way to see my progress. I feel great because I went grocery shopping yesterday and prepped all of my food for the next several days. This time around I bought a lot more veggies than normal. I’m making it a goal this week to double up on my veggie intake. I’m going to make bigger salads for lunch filled with spinach, bell peppers, green onions, broccoli, and cucumbers etc….tasty!! I just feel so much better when I eat a meal like this. Speaking of goals…Every Monday I will try and remember to share my goals for the week with everyone and follow up at the end of the week with results. One of my goals, as I already said, is to double up on the veggies. Veggies serve as an excellent way to stay full and healthy while dieting. I find that if I prep the veggies and store them in the fridge, I’m more likely to eat them when I’m in a pinch with cravings. A second goal of mine is to up the intensity of my morning cardio. I have a difficult time getting myself pumped up and intense for morning cardio since it’s so darn early. It’s tough to climb out of bed at 4:00am and start cardio at 4:30 without being a little sleepy still. I know that I CAN physically handle high intensity morning cardio, but my mind tends to get in the way. I need to remind myself that I can do high intensity work in the AM and my body will follow. My last goal is to keep my water intake high during the weekends. For some reason, my water intake drops on Saturday and Sunday. It might be the lack of routine. I have weekends off from work, so I tend to lose the scheduled routine that I have during the week. When this happens, I tend to forget about my water. So that’s it. I need to keep my water at a little over a gallon EVERY day during the week, even Saturdays and Sundays. Today is leg day!! Whooo!! I’m very excited to get back into the gym for lifting after being so sick. I have to keep my mind strong since I tend to assume that I’ll be super weak after a week of being sick. Although being sick took a lot out of me, I know that I still have the physical strength that I did last week….So again, I’ll push the intensity! Someone emailed this to me and I think it’s great… Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Let your light shine today!! Don’t be scared to let your talents show. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord’s Light Shine! Diane This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tags: Mindset | Determination | training legs | Goals |
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| Diane
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| It's All About Faith. |
| 07.15.2009 10:53:51 | |
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**Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.** Isaiah 40:31 I had to dig up this verse a little while ago and "chew" on it. At about 1:00 today I started to get the worst sore throat. I was bummed, but I still went to the gym and kicked butt! Today was chest and biceps! I can tell that I'm starting to get leaner. My muscles are showing through more visibly now. Thank you Lord! That little bit of progress that can be seen by the eye motivates me so much. I love being able to see how my fat begins to disappear after all this hard work! Sometimes I feel like I'm doing it all without seeing any gains, then one day I look in the mirror and all the fat seems to melt away. Tags: setbacks | Goals | Determination |
