|
 Dr Buff
|
| Get Into Auto-Pilot |
| 02.04.2012 07:18:00 | |
|
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 |
|
|
| Dr Buff
|
| Super Bowl or Super Feast? |
| 02.01.2012 13:24:30 | |
|
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 |
|
|
| Dr Buff
|
| If It Ain't On The LIst, Don't Eat It! |
| 02.01.2012 00:10:03 | |
|
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 |
|
|
| Dr Buff
|
| Time to kick it up a notch... |
| 01.26.2012 06:26:16 | |
|
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 |
|
 Julie
|
| Got Obstacles? |
| 01.19.2012 02:47:29 | |
|
“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 |
|
|
| Dr Buff
|
| Pavlov's Dog Theory applied... |
| 01.18.2012 14:49:57 | |
|
Yesterday afternoon one of the independent trainers who leases the use of my facility had one of his clients in. The trainer’s client was nice. Talkative but nice. I was in the middle of my workout and I guess he didn’t quite understand gym etiquette rules – the number one rule being “You don’t talk to a person in the middle of a set, especially when he’s in full contest prep mode for the Emerald Cup”! Newbies…gotta love em, huh? N-E-Whooo…after about the 4th time of me ignoring him (I’m never rude or mean…I just continue to ignore people during the set, and when I’m done I casually look over and ask, “Did you say something?” By the 3rd or 4th time they usually ‘get it’…) he left me alone until the end of the workout. Then came the flood of questions. Now mind you, this is not my client. I, for the most part, deliberately stay out of the gym when other trainers are in there to avoid awkward situations such as this. But sometimes life gets in the way and I’ve gotta get my workout in when I can get it in, and yesterday was one of those days. The conversation first started off in the form of a statement…
Him: “You’ve got a great gym here, Dave!”
Me: “Thank you…appreciate it…”
Him: “Really nice – love the layout, pictures, sayings, and especially the privacy! I hated going to that other gym we used to train at.”
Me: “Thanks…”
Him: “Hey, can I ask you something?” (This coming while his trainer is standing right there…the trainer looks at his client, then me).
Me: “Yea…what?”, I cautiously reply. I’ve always been of the mindset that I don’t ‘steal’ clients from other trainers, and because of that philosophy, I shy away from answering questions from new lifters who have trainers. No, I’m not egotistical – far from it! But I do have a Master’s Degree in this field and over 37 years’ experience as a trainer, competition coach, and competitor, going up against an early 20-something, 2-day certified trainer in my own gym – game over if I want it to be.
Him: “What’s your take on cardio? I mean, how much do you do and what do you think I should do?” His trainer now has that deer-in-the-headlights stare as he looks at me…
Me: “Personally, I do 45 minutes every day – been doing that for years…but for you I recommend you ask your trainer. He can answer that for you”. The trainer kinda breathes a sigh of relief…
Him: “Yea, but we’re in the same age group (we’re both in our 50’s) so I was wondering if I need to do something different because of my age…”
Me: “[Your trainer] can answer…that’s an easy question…”.
I tried to get out of the gym but the client kept asking questions. I kept referring him back to his trainer, but this dude was really pushing for answers. I even tried to defer the conversation to the trainer but he was in over his head. Finally the client started talking more than asking questions, so I just listened. He got on the topic of foods (doesn’t everybody?) and said, “I gotta tell ya, Dave, one of the best meals to have for dinner is…” and then goes off on this in-depth explanation of food preparation with wild hand gestures, wide-eyed looks, excitement, animation, and all the other adjectives. I listened for a few minutes as he described how to make an Italian dish with yada, yada, yada…finally I stopped him.
Me: “You’re a food addict.”
Him: “Huh?”
Me: “You’re a food addict…you’re addicted to food! Listen to you – you’re getting more and more excited as you talk about and describe how to make the meal.” He looked at me with this incredulous look. “You’re Pavlov’s Dog.” Laughter…
“I’m serious – you’re Pavlov’s Dog theory in human form. You’re literally salivating as you describe the food dishes. You’re so excited it’s crazy!”
Him: He pauses for a second as he’s thinking…”Wow! I never looked at it that way! Yea…I guess you could say I’ve got a love affair with food…”
We continued the conversation for a few more minutes and then I bugged out. After I came in the house I realized that at the seminar I held this past weekend 3 of the participants got up to share their story and they all said the same thing – “I’m addicted to food!” Now this is no revelation to me. I mean, I deal with people and their foods on a daily basis. But with everyone dialing down for the EC and Vancouver, I thought it might be a good thing to see if you too have a ‘Pavlov’s Dog’ mindset.
Do you constantly think about your next meal? Are you literally foaming at the mouth as you count down the minutes to ‘chow time’? If so, you might be Pavlov’s Dog! Do you post to FB every time you get ready to eat, while you eat, and finish eating? If so, then you just might be a Pavlov Dog. Are you on a weekly cheat meal (a better question is why in the world would you need a cheat meal this far out?) and all you can do is talk about your cheat meal all week long leading up to your cheat meal like it’s your last meal on Death Row? Yea…you know it…you’re probably a Pavlov Dog. Are you looking at every McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, and every other fast food sign you drive by with unabashed wanton lust in your eyes and mouth watering? You just crossed over into the Pavlov’s Dog Zone. Do you get a ‘contact high’ every time you pass candy, chips, or donuts? Bow-Wow…
C’mon people, it’s just food! While I can appreciate a good meal, especially a good home-cooked meal, the thought of food is not all-encompassing and literally orgasmic to me. Food is fuel, pure and simple. It’s energy to allow me to replenish what I just expended or get ready for what I’m about to do. I don’t have a love affair with food. Now I know this isn’t gonna sit right with a lot of you, but you’ve gotta understand the task at hand here and how the mind works.
If all you do is think and talk about food during your contest diet, you’re gonna have one hell of a hard diet! Yes, we’re gonna talk about it, yes, we’re gonna get sick of the foods we eat, and yes, we’ll be so glad when the contest is over. I’m not gonna sit here and lie to you and say that the commercials won’t become more appealing as I get closer, and that pizza contest night will be oh so good, but as long as I’m on task, they’re bearable. But the one thing I’ve learned NOT to do is continually talk about food to every single person I meet during the day. I don’t blast out on FB to all who’ll listen (and to those that don’t really care as well) every morsel that goes in my mouth. If all you do is think about food, talk about food, and write about food, then food will be a major issue for you. Self-fulfilling prophecy will kick in for many – they’ll sabotage themselves because they’ve got food on the brain. You’ll start justifying a small piece of this, a little bite of that, a slice or taste of this…and the next thing you know it’s showtime and you’re still 5-7-10 lbs. away from stage look, all because of your Pavlovian ‘addiction’ to food.
Your thoughts instead should shift to how you’ll look contest day. See yourself as you want to see yourself onstage that morning, and I promise you the foods and meals will be more bearable and tolerable. Talk about anything BUT foods. Learn to control your foods and your thoughts about foods rather than let foods control you. It’s hard. For many it’ll be a learned behavior. It’s sorta like learning how to speak positively and upbeat instead of negatively and gossipy. It CAN be done. It’ll take work, but once you learn to change your thoughts and focus by changing your behavior the food issues will fade…and your onstage look will improve!
If you find yourself breaking out into a sweat, getting anxious, excited, all shakey, almost panting and turning in circles over the anticipation of your next meal…I got a bone for ya…I’m just sayin…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 | Dave Patterson | Mindset | Thoughts | setbacks | Visualization | disciplined |
|
| Jen B |
| The Dreamer Vs. The Fear |
| 11.11.2011 00:28:21 | |
|
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 |
|
|
| Jen B |
| Doubt Will Kill Your Dreams |
| 08.23.2011 03:38:13 | |
|
Coming to this site, looking around, I am so grateful to be here writing to you. I look at the photos, I read the articles of those in the industry and I wonder what am I doing here? Who wants to hear about my challenges when you see all this success? I posted my first post and then hid, wondering if I should continue, let alone blog on one of the top competition sites! I want to thank Elaine Craig Wright for pushing me, she didn't do much. A simple post on my Facebook page. (New friends welcome) Short and sweet "Missing you on the blogs!" That simple post made my day and pushed me to face the self doubt and open up to this journey. How am I going to grace the stage if I'm already hiding from the computer screen? :) Good news!! The doctor has given the OK to run, yup, thats it. But check out my new running kicks!
No more than 30 minutes a day, try not to break a sweat or get out of breath. Really? To hear that as an athlete, a fitness competitors soul is not an easy pill to swallow. I try to look forward and not backwards, though at this moment I have to look back. I was on a no activity order from the doctor. 30 minutes is a long time from nothing! So here I am 7 weeks later finishing up the 5k training program and running a steady 28 minutes with no breaks! I know, doesn't sound like much but from where I was this is GIGANTIC! Bad News!! My body is in a recovery mode, still not super excited over my exercising and putting extra demands on it. It is holding onto the weight, actually I have gained another 2lbs. Though I do have to say my husband was checking out the tone in my legs the other day! It is so hard to understand how 7 weeks of running and I gain 2lbs. For those of you that have dealt with adrenal fatigue and hormone imbalances you know the frustration, for those that haven't it is close to absolutely impossible to push weight off while in recovery. As I need to improve my nutrition and trying to learn as a runner now, or runner in training. Resources and recommendations gladly accepted! So where am I now? Where am I headed? I am fighting the doubt and the fear. I am fighting and keeping my eye on the prize. I am running a 5k in October, I know not the stage but even the title holders started somewhere. I have talked with a few amazing competitors with very big hearts that have gone through what I am going through and successfully manage it and compete. It took them a long time too. It is hope and motivation to hear stories of those dealing with the same conditions that I am. It can be very lonely out in the world and when we isolate ourselves it may seem as if we are in it by ourselves, that nobody could possibly understand. No matter your situation that is wrong! There are people out there that want to love you, support you, and help you succeed. Thank you to Elaine for dropping a kind reminder that somebody does want to hear about the girl that isn't on stage YET. *smile*
~Jen B.~ Tags: Emerald Cup | Figure | Fitness | Bikini | Mindset | Thoughts | training legs | Dreams | Visualization | illness | goal setting | Dedication | desire | sacrifice | motivation | inspiration | succeed | crossfit figure cardio contest prep | nutrition |
|
| Diane
|
| One Day Closer - We CAN Do It! |
| 04.14.2010 00:30:03 | |
|
So I'm all pumped up! I'm actually surprised at how much energy I have right now! I've been working my butt off and blasting through depletion workouts, yet I'm still feeling energized. I think it is MENTAL energy more than anything...The excitement and joy that I'm feeling about the ECUP is helping my body push through my workouts. And OF COURSE the Lord is helping me! I've been blasting my Worship music as I train and do cardio and it is helping me stay strong! There's nothing like Point of Grace, Big Daddy Weave, Third Day, Casting Crowns and Mandisa to get me through my workouts! I see my workouts and cardio as my way to Praise Him and Thank Him for ALL that He has blessed me with, so my Worship music seems to be the perfect fit! So that's where I'm at as far as energy goes! Of course I still hit my "walls" throughout the day when I feel tired and weak, but I remind myself of my goal. Overall - I'm feeling great! I thought I'd share with all of you a thought/moment I had today as I was driving into work. I started to drift into my world of worry...Wondering how I would look, how my competition would look, what the judges would think etc etc etc...You know the drill. Well I stopped and pushed those thoughts out. BE GONE DOUBT AND NEGATIVITY! I recognized that thinking like that would not get me anywhere...So I instead brought in encouraging and positive thoughts. I began to go through my last year...I took note of all the changes and improvements that I have made since the 2009 WA Emerald Cup! Pictures alone will show you the difference in both my physique and my spirit! Not only do I have more muscle and am leaner than I was at the ECUP last year, but I am filled with more confidence, joy and LIGHT than I was a year ago AND THAT is truly such an amazing thing...That is what counts. Yes - I want to win. I want to win REAL bad! BUT I'm also SOOOO very proud of myself and thankful for all the progress that I have made over the past 12 months. I've stayed zoned in on the BIGGER picture for my life and have sculpted and built a stronger and healthier body/mindset along the way! So honestly...This is what it is all about. It is about pushing yourself to become the BEST you - Inside and Out! It's about looking back and thinking WOW! I really did it...I really put in the effort and made the changes that I wanted to make for myself. The competition itself is simply my chance (and yours of course!) to show case all of your hard work..all your sweat and tears along the way! It's your chance to really "test out" all the effort you've put in and show people what you are really made of! So that's that! I'm feeling healthier and stronger than I ever have before and I have NEVER EVER been so filled with Joy from our AMAZING creator - I have never felt so close to the Lord and have never felt so thankful for all that He has done in my life and in the lives around me and THIS is exactly why I feel so darn excited and energized! All I have to say is that it has been an AMAZING journey and I'm SOOO thankful for everything...Every little thing along the way! Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: 2009 Emerald Cup | Mindset | Thoughts | Journey | Emerald Cup |
|
|
| Diane
|
| Visualization is KEY! |
| 02.27.2010 01:20:07 | |
|
So we are once again ONE STEP CLOSER to the stage! It's absolutely insane how fast time flies. I seriously feel like it was JUST Christmas and now it's pretty much March and the days until we step on stage are getting SOOO close! I'm in the midst of all my planning for the show... I just booked my hair appointments, scheduled tanning appointments with John and Roxana and scheduled make up with Jen Turnbull! Plus I had Holly alter my hot pink suit, so now it looks EVEN better for the show! Overall, I'm very excited and I love planning all of the little minor details. Make sure that you are carefully planning all of these details and try to get as much planned and done NOW as possible. The last couple weeks of training and prep will be crazy and the last thing that you'll need to worry about is how you're doing your hair etc. SO get planning...deliberate and careful planning brings results! My lifting has been great for the most part. I had a slightly 'weaker' day on Wednesday...It was one of those workouts where I was just not feeling the weights...It was frustrating...especially since I KNOW that I can do it, but my mind tends to get tricky on me sometimes. It's easy to let your mind tell you what you can and cannot do and it's important that you realize that you can physically do A LOT more than you think you can! Physically lifting weights is the easy part, but mentally getting into the game is tough. That's why I think it is so crucial to "train the mind" just as much as you train your body! I know I've mentioned this before, but MIND GYM By Gary Mack is an AWESOME book! I read it while I was prepping for the Ironman and I absolutely love that book! I refer back to it constantly and it has helped me realize the importance of mental training. One of my friends has a quote listed on his page... **Everything you do, every single decision you make, either takes you one step closer or one step further from your goal. You either grow or you regress; nothing stands still**It's so important to REALLY understand this when prepping for a show. Bodybuilding is a 24hr/7days/week kind of sport. You have to literally make decisions through out your entire day that will affect your progress as a competitor. Everything from sleep, water, supplements, food, training, cardio...EVERYTHING can greatly influence your progress and I think it is crucial to approach every single minute of your day with your goal in mind. Each choice you make is going to either move you ahead or move you backwards...Which way do you want to go? Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane
Tags: Goals | Mindset | Mind Gym | Gary Mack | onstageimage@yahoo.com | vision | Visualization |
|
|
| Diane
|
| Ready to Rock and Roll! |
| 02.13.2010 01:33:39 | |
|
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 |
|
|
| Diane
|
| In The Zone! |
| 12.23.2009 00:06:12 | |
|
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 |
|
|
| Diane
|
| Write Down Your Goals! |
| 11.20.2009 23:39:47 | |
|
Alright so I found something that I HAVE to share with you guys! I was going through all of my old emails!! I have a terrible (yet sometimes useful) habit of saving all my emails so I have MANY pages of old emails. Well, I figured it would be a good time to go through and clean out my INBOX. Well, I came across a powerful email that proves the importance of goal-setting and WRITING down and reviewing your goals frequently. The part of the email that I'm going to share with you was written September 4th, 2008, a month before my first show. So here it is... 3. This amazes me because a year later I DID accomplish my goal -- I placed 1st at the 2009 WA Ironman!! My old trainer, Brent, made me write out my goals on a consistent basis and he taught me to stay focused on these goals. So that's what I did. I wrote out my goal for a year down the road and I specifically stated HOW I was going to achieve that goal....and guess what?! I accomplished exactly what I wanted to accomplish. Boy was all that goal-setting worth it! This shows precisely the power of setting goals and writing them down!! Put together an online file or a journal of all of your goals...Write them down SPECIFICALLY! Write down exactly what you will do to make those goals come to life! Setting a goal is not nearly enough. You must put yourself into action and determine HOW you are going to make it happen. Then focus on that each and every day until you finally achieve the goal. So I've been staying focused on my training/prep. My cardio the last few days has been awesome. I'm busting my butt right now and continue to improve as each week passes! I'm still dreadfully sore from my back session on weds! Let's just say it hurts to lift up my arms because my lats are so sore!! I think this is the most sore that I have ever been -- I'm most definitely taking all of my glutamine and needed protein right now to help my back muscles recover! Today I'm meeting Peter at Snap for shoulders!! Little by little, I'm building that beautiful CAP. So that's about it for now... I'm excited for Tanji's workshop tomorrow -- It should be a BLAST and I cannot wait to see all the girls! It's always so great to meet all the women competing and hear their story! Everyone has their own journey and their own reason for competing and I love getting to know where everyone is at in their journey. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: Mindset | focused | commitment | goal setting | Goals |
|
|
| Diane
|
| Stressed, But Staying Strong! |
| 11.16.2009 23:47:56 | |
|
So I haven't been on here very much lately. Let's just say that my life is SWAMPED right now. I think that my crazy schedule is finally catching up with me and I am more stressed out than ever remember. More than anything, my school schedule is really getting to me. I've had four exams over the past two weeks and I have one more tomorrow. On top of that, I have one group project and three papers due within the next three weeks. All this and 30 hours of work and training...Whew! So to say the least, I'm busy :) This is when I really need to remind myself how much of this is mental. I'm ultimately in control of my stress levels. It's all about how I react to everything on my plate. I could either look at everything that needs to be done and become very discouraged or I could look at everything to do and claim that I will get everything done and just do it! So that's what I need to do. Just do it. That's all there is to it....There's no point in worrying or stressing out because that won't get my work done! So I'm going to press into the Lord more than ever and get it all done :) So "off season" is going great. I've been training my butt off with Peter and the girls at Snap Fitness! I've been lifting heavy and I'm getting stronger, so no complaints there! I also started working with John and Roxana Kreklo for my diet. I'm very excited to be working with them...They are amazing people and I feel so blessed to be working with them. It's amazing how the Lord has put such amazing people in my life. My trainer, Peter, is a strong Christian and he shows his faith in all that he does. He has helped me so much over the past year and I'm very thankful to be working with him. The Lord has also helped me cross paths with John and Roxana...They too are strong Christians and I have enjoyed seeing the Lord shine through them! So overall, I'm feeling very happy with where I'm at right now. My training is kicking major butt and my diet is going amazing as well!! I'm ready for the next several months of prep...Even though it's going to be my most difficult time to prep with my school schedule, I'm ready for the challenge. It is what you make it right?! So that's that. I have a busy week ahead of me, but that's just fine! I'm excited to go to Tanji's Workshop this coming Saturday. For all of you Bikini, Figure and Fitness gals, Tanji holds a yearly workshop that covers all aspects of competing. She has several people within the industry come help out and it's a great opportunity for everyone to get a head start on prep for the 2010 season. She is holding it this coming Saturday in Bellevue. If you're interested in going, contact her through facebook or her email, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I'm very excited for this and I think it will be a great way to end my stressful week :) **“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.** --Vince Lombardi Believe in yourself and commit to making the most of every day ahead of you! For all of you prepping for Spring shows, before we know it Spring will be here and we need to be ready!! So make it happen and BELIEVE that you can make it happen! Other than that, enjoy the ride :) Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!
Tags: Mindset | Thoughts | determined |
|
|
| Diane
|
| How Bad Do You Want It? |
| 08.31.2009 23:03:34 | |
|
I haven't been on here in several days... I had a VERY busy weekend. I got a lot done and trained hard, but boy was it exhausting!! Friday was a tough day for me. It was one of those days that tests how bad you REALLY want to train for a show. It was my day to load up on healthy carbs and I was VERY happy to finally eat my sweet potato! It tasted so good after several days of very low carbs. While I was so happy to finally eat a good amount of carbs, I was soooo tired. I honestly didn't think I'd make it through my day of work. My whole body felt weak and tired and normally I can push through it, but Friday was a whole different story. Since I was feeling more exhausted than ever, I really didn't want to go to the gym. All I could think about was my bed. BUT of course I still went into the gym...But let's just say I didn't have too big of a smile on my face when I got there. Pete could tell that I was really not feeling the gym. When we were about to start training I told him that I wasn't going to be able to train. I couldn't believe it. I actually wanted to quit before I had even started. This is VERY unlike me. Thank goodness for Pete. He reminded me of the bigger picture. He reminded me that I'm doing this all for God and God will give me the strength. In the end I DID finish my workout and even finished up with cardio. I was so thankful that he pushed me to keep going. It's not like me to give up so easily, so that's when it's crucial to have a great support system and also remind yourself WHY you train. As I mentioned in a previous blog, the REAL reason why you train is something that you constantly need to remind yourself of to keep yourself moving when you really don't want to. It's easy to look at those tough days as bad days. I mean realistically I didn't train 100% because I was so darn tired and so darn negative. I didn't even give myself a chance to train before I decided I wanted to quit the workout. Doesn't make much sense does it? BUT! I think it's important to look at those days as good days. As long as you don't give up, it's a good day. Even though it wasn't my best workout and even though I was a tad bit grumpy the whole time, I still did it. I still pushed past what I didn't want to do and did what I NEEDED to do. It's those moments that really allow you to shine and learn. It allows you to fully realize how amazing the journey really is. Without struggles, it would be so boring. So overall Friday was tough. I seemed to be somewhat of an emotional wreck...But I pushed through it and had an amazing workout on Saturday. I woke up Saturday morning and did my cardio. After cardio I went home and cleaned cleaned cleaned! I've been so busy lately and it's really starting to show in our house. None of the laundry was done...None of the dishes were done...etc. So I kept myself busy and got a lot done. Then it was back to the gym!! I went to LA and lifted. Once again, it was not that busy. I was very thankful because sometimes it can get PACKED in that gym, making it difficult to get everything done. I finished up with more cardio and REALLY kicked butt on my cardio!! I've started drinking Chain'd Out through-out my day, especially before and during cardio, in order to prevent muscle breakdown. Chain'd Out is a ALRI Amino Acids Supplement. It's a drink mix that tastes DELICIOUS!! I have the Strawberry Banana and Appletini...Tasty and packed with Amino Acids! What more could I want ;) Oh the simple things in life that make us competitors happy! After the gym Saturday I headed to the Mariners game with Barry and some of his friends. His best friend is in the Marines and has been stationed in Hawaii since coming back from his tour and so it was fun to see him and his family and gf. I kept my will power strong at the game. All the garlic fries and hot dogs sure smelled delicious!! The tough thing about sporting events is that there is good food EVERYWHERE. Ha! There's no way to escape it. There's always someone sitting/standing/walking near me that has delicious smelling food. But I'm happy to say that I snuck some good food into the game and stuck to my water and protein! Then Sunday...What a great day. Sunday is always my favorite day of the week. It's my time to go to Church and celebrate God with my family. It is always awesome to see my family. I have been blessed with such amazing parents and siblings and I'm the happiest when I spend time with them and Barry. It was my day to rest and trust me, I thoroughly enjoyed my time to rest. I ate VERY clean and just enjoyed the day. Simply Wonderful! Today is legs and I cannot wait!! It's nice to know that each week my thighs, glutes and hamstrings get a bit tighter. There's nothing better than seeing the results from all of your hardwork!! The results WILL come eventually if you put in the time, that's the wonderful thing about training. There's no maybe. If you do the work, you WILL see results!! So I'm excited to go the gym and work my booty off, literally ;) I'll finish up with cardio, of course. We're getting closer. Before we know it, the show will be here!! I cannot wait!!! Everything is coming together and I could not be more thankful for the way things are going. Plus the team is doing excellent. All the guys and gals at Snao training for the show are kicking butt. It is everyone's first show and they are all SOOO ready!! Can't wait. For all you country fans out there...Tim McGraw's song, How Bad Do You Want It? is great! Some lyrics from the song... People always ask me, "Son what does it take to reach out and touch your dreams?" To them I always say.. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Is it a fire that burns you up inside? How bad do you want it? How bad do you need it? Are you eating, sleeping, dreaming with that one thing on your mind? Cause if you want it all, you've got to lay it all out on the line. I think that says it all. If you want it, you've got to go after it. You CAN make it happen, but only if you put your goals/dreams into action. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: ALRI | Goals | Mindset | disciplined | legs | persistence |
|
|
| Diane
|
| I've Already Been on Stage...In My Mind |
| 08.25.2009 23:02:07 | |
|
Cardio felt amazing this morning. I think it's because I had a relaxing and restful night last night. Yesterday was legs. Amazing! My sister met me at Snap and Pete trained us. We did a variety of combinations consisting of lunges, squats, deadlifts, leg extensions etc...Overall, it was a great workout. My left knee has started to bug me...Don't really know why. I'm hoping it will go away soon. Sometimes my knees will be slightly sore after a long hike or a bunch of running, but this is a different kind of pain. All I can do is do as much as I can. I will continue to push myself hard during my training, but will stay aware of when my knee pain is too much. It's tempting to just push through the pain as hard as I can, yet I don't want it to get worse. I'm completely confident that it will heal quickly and I'll be back 100% soon enough! After my workout, I got a massage and boy did it feel SOOOO good!! I love getting a massage after leg day because it helps with my recovery...Plus it gives me a chance to relax ;) So I got home at 6:30 last night and literally prepped food quickly and got into bed. I was in bed by 7:00 and just vegged out. I watched CSI (My Favorite Show) and just relaxed with my dogs. I think I turned the TV off and fell asleep by 8:30. Overall, it felt soo good to get into bed early and just relax. I get so caught up in training that sometimes I forget to rest. Rest in necessary for success, so I'm trying my best to fit it into my schedule. It's funny because even when I'm resting/relaxing from training...my mind just keeps thinking about training. If I'm not at the gym or physically prepping for the show, my mind is always preparing. I visualize being on stage and kicking major butt. I visualize my fit, toned and tight body...Soon enough I will literally stand on the stage that I've been standing on in my mind for the last couple months. Once the Ironman comes, I will be both mentally and physically ready. Once I run through it enough times in my mind, I'll step on that stage feeling as if I've done it a million times already because I have...In my mind. So anyways, today is Day 2 of no carbs. I'm still feeling great. Once again, a lot of it is mental. As I write this I'm guzzling down my protein shake. It's a simple shake...1.5 Scoops Whey, Water and Ice...Yumm :) Oh the simple things in life that make me happy! I also packed several containers of chicken/tuna with Spinach. Spinach and Broccoli will be my only carbs this week...and that's still not that much!! But a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! I'm also going to play with my water intake this week to make sure that I can get it right for the show. As many of you already know, it just takes discovering what works best for YOUR body...Not your fellow competitor's body, but YOURS. So that's what I'm going to do. Once I get a few more competitions under my belt, I'll have an even better idea of what my body likes and dislikes. Well off to work I go. After work I have a chiropractor appt. My Chiropractor is in Bellevue and he is AWESOME. Dr. Owens. He has saved me from my headaches that I used to always get. I go see him once every two weeks...He fixes me right up! If you ever need a chiropractor, I would totally recommend him! Anyways, so I have my appointment with him and then off to the gym I go. Today is chest!! Whoo!! I absolutely LOVE lifting chest...It's such a great feeling to get stronger and stronger with every workout. Then I'll finish up with my last bit of cardio for the day. **They will rise highest who strive for the highest place** Latin Proverb Strive for your highest goals. Strive for Excellence. Strive for Perfection. While no one is perfect and we'll never reach perfection (Thank Goodness) it will bring you to your fullest potential to try. Keep at it. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: vision | Visualization | Chest | Stagetraining legs | Mindset |
|
|
| Diane
|
| A New Routine: A New Chance to SHINE! |
| 07.20.2009 22:43:17 | |
|
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 |
|
|
| Diane
|
| Almost 100% - It's Been a Test of Faith! |
| 07.17.2009 07:43:08 | |
|
So the Lord has really been testing my faith! The last time I was on here I had a killer sore throat, but was confident that I'd be feeling better by morning... Boy was I wrong! By about 10:00 that night I had a fever and an even worse sore throat. My throat felt so swollen that I couldn't even get any medicine down there without basically killing myself. I tried my best to get some sleep, but was having a really difficult time falling asleep. By morning, I was feeling my worst. I tried to lay in bed all day, but was so hot and cold from my fever that it was difficult to get rest. Plus one of my dogs kept wanting to sleep right on top of me. He's such a lover...A pitbull. Most people really look down on the breed, but he's amazing! I think he was trying to comfort me, but it wasn't really working! So overall, yesterday was awful! BUT I had to keep my faith and my confidence strong. So that was my day yesterday! I stayed in bed all day long...the only time I got up was to go to the bathroom! Today I'm feeling almost 100% better. I've been drinking lots of water and my fever is gone. I still have a tad of a sore throat and feel somewhat weak, but I know I'm past the worst of it. Thank you Lord!! It's easy to keep praising Him when everything is going great, but it takes true faith to keep praising Him even when things are going bad! Reminds me of that song, "I'll Praise You In This Storm" It's a true test of faith and reminds me that I need to be praising Him, no matter the circumstances! So that's what I've been doing! Depending on how I feel when I get up tomorrow morning, I might do some light cardio and then I'll be off to work. I'm planning on hitting the weights after work to catch up where I left off. Tomorrow will finally be SHOULDERS!! Whoo!! I was getting all prepared for shoulders a couple days ago, so now I'm really ready! For most people, a couple of days of being sick is no big deal, but man, all I can think about is all the progress I need to be making for the show. When you only have about 79 days till competition (not that I'm counting), two days is A LOT! But I'm going to do the best I can and hit things strong when I'm feeling 100%. I'm also very happy that I'll be feeling good enough to go to the WA State show on Saturday! I was worried I might be too sick to go, but I'm super thankful that I'll be feeling all healthy by then! It should be great to see the prejudging! I can't wait to watch the bikini gals! Well, I'm off to feed my dogs and get myself some food as well. I'm planning on showering and then getting in bed SUPER early tonight so that I'm ready for my day tomorrow! Each day is filled with so much opportunity to make great progress, so I'm happy to say that I've done the best I possible could today to prepare for the show. Tomorrow will bring another day of improvements for the show! I'm taking it day by day! **Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises** - Demosthenes Each opportunity is so amazing and so crucial for our success. It's easy to blow off a small opportunity as a waste of time, but they all add up to an amazing and blessed life! Diane This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tags: setbacks | Mindset | Thoughts | Bikini | WA State Show |
|
|
| Diane
|
| Train Your Mind: Get Results |
| 07.12.2009 06:11:17 | |
"We all have conversations going on inside our heads, I call it self-talk. Every athlete hears two competing voices. One is a negative critic, and the other is a positive coach. Which voice we listen to is a matter of choice. Which voice do you hear? Which is louder, the negative critic or the positive coach? You can choose to listen to the voice that offers and reinforces positive thought. It has been said that thoughts become words. Words become actions. Actions become habits. Habits become character. Character becomes your destiny." - Gary MackI would agree that the majority of each competitors success or failure is due to their mindset. You can lift every day, but if you're not lifting with a positive outlook, I can almost promise you that you won't get GREAT results. It's funny how the mind works and I'd love more knowledge on this subject. All I have is experience and what I've learned from other people, but even that is enough to prove to me how important our thoughts are. My trainer always says, "What You Think About, You'll Bring About" This conversation came up when I asked him why I could eat somewhat clean and still workout after show and quickly re-gain a chubby stomach, whereas my sister could eat like crap and not workout right after the show and not gain any weight. While of course the way our bodies work has something to do with this, but Pete brought up an excellent point. While I normally let my negative voice speak louder when it comes to my stomach, my sister eats without thinking about gaining weight or getting a chubby tummy. She is carefree, in that sense. I thought about what he said and he was right. The last year I've made great progress...I'm lifting heavier, I've gained more muscle mass and overall, I've lost a lot of fat! BUT even though I've made that progress, I still continue to dwell about my "chubby tummy" It is my problem area for sure, but that doesn't mean I should constantly focus on my stomach in a negative way. Instead of allowing the positive coach in my head push me to believe that my stomach WILL lean out wonderfully, I allow the negative voice to insist that I'll always have a chubby stomach area. So since my goal is to come in leaner, especially around the mid-section, at the Ironman, I NEED to believe that I will lean out wonderfully. I need to match up my goals with my thoughts. If I keep insisting that I have a tummy, I'll never get the cut abs that I want. So today will be day one of REALLY working on my thoughts regarding my stomach. What's funny is I actually have really positive thoughts towards my training, except for my stomach. SO it's going to take a lot of work to get my mindset right, but without a good mindset, I've got nothing. Today has been great so far! I met a couple gals at PooPoo Point in Issaquah and we hiked up to the main look out. It's a great hike. It's pretty steep, yet not too long. SO it works out perfect for me to fit in as a cardio session on the weekends. Luckily we got there at about 8:00am, so we beat the hot heat! We made sure to keep up a good pace up the mountain. It's nice to be able to sneak in different types of cardio here and there. Plus it gets my glutes firm ;) I'll head into the gym in a bit to lift. Saturdays I normally just pick whatever muscle group I feel like doing. Last Saturday I did chest and biceps, but I think today I'll do shoulders. When I do shoulders, I do them alone and heavy!! I really need to put on muscle in this area and so far staying heavy and without any muscle groups has been working great! M-F I hit each muscle group once, so Saturday is my day to hit something extra! Well, I'm out!! I'm starving and need to feed my body!! Eggs sounds great...I'm still craving them like crazy. Weird, but good I guess! Tomorrow is my day of rest. I'll be at church in the am, then spending the rest of the day with my amazing fiance! Remember to really work on your mindset. There's so much emphasis on physical training in this sport, but not enough on the mental aspects of it. If you're spending three hours in the gym a day to lift, how long are you spending to train you mind? 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: Determination | Goals | Mindset | Thoughts |
