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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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| Julie N |
| 12 weeks |
| 02.01.2012 02:24:33 | |
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“Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before.” Erich Fromm So far this journey to the stage for Emerald Cup has been amazing; it’s far superseded any of my wildest expectations. I really had no idea how empowering this entire process would be. If competing is something you think you might want to do, but think you can’t, I’d highly recommend you give it a shot! I started back in July with 45% body fat, I had NO muscle definition; I was a marshmallow! My kids called me squishy, I like to refer to it as height challenged. Since then, I’ve dropped a substantial amount of body fat. My perception of what I look like versus what I actually look like is not quite on the same page yet. I still think of myself as “fluffy Julie”, but every now and then I catch glimpse in the mirror of this much thinner and fitter me, it’s AWESOME! Little shameless confession yesterday while at the gym, I was admiring the more svelte me (when no one was looking of course) I couldn’t help myself from flexing those arms to check out those guns (ok, they are wee bitty guns) and even attempted to strike a bikini pose. The whole experience left me feeling giddy. Back in July when I started working with Julie, she advised to pack up all the skinny clothes. I wasn’t ready to get rid of them, but boxing them up outta sight was a good way to remove the distraction. A few weeks ago I pulled out the old skinny jeans, only to find that my old skinny jeans were too big, and so was everything else in the boxes. At this point, my emotional attachments in many ways are now being lifted and freed as I experience this journey. While I hung on to the clothing from my “skinny” days in hopes of getting back in shape, no need to hang on anymore I’m knocking those goals out of the park! Relating back to emotional attachments, losing weight has also dug up some old baggage and really forced me to deal with some of my deeper food and self-image issues. I hadn’t realized just how much I covered myself up to protect myself from fear of judgment. Obviously, this goes far deeper and back to my childhood, but I’ll save that for another post. By having to face the baggage as each raw layer of emotion is exposed, I feel it has strengthened my resolve and conviction to want to live healthier and be my best self. These little milestones, while they may not seem big to some, are huge to me. I each day, each meal, each successfull day on plan, each workout, resisting temptations, I feel stronger in the lifestyle and empowered to do anything. It’s a wonderful feeling! My attitude shows it, I’m much happier at home, more content, at peace with myself, and much more outgoing. As Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a good thing!” Huge kudos and thanks to my coach, Julie Michaelson for guiding me and encouraging me in this process! I couldn’t have made it thus far without her! Thank you to Elaine Craig for allowing me to share my journey with all of you. To all you, best wishes in your journey!!! Tags: Emerald Cup | Bikini | Craig Productions | Thoughts |
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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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| Julie N |
| Chin up buttercup! |
| 01.03.2012 11:35:46 | |
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“The reason people give up so fast is because they tend to look at how far they still have to go, instead of looking at how far they’ve gotten” Author unknown
I’m having a hard time blogging this week. I’m in a funk (I know, way too early in the game to be in a funk). I’m pretty sure it was the 3 way mirror in the Nordstrom dressing room that sent me in a downward spiral. I had a serious freak out moment! “16 weeks to go from this to BIKINI body” OMG!!!!! To pull myself out of my funk, I decided to take a look at some old photos and walk down memory lane and how I got to this point. I needed something to show me HOPE of my transformation. Something to remind myself deep within, that I CAN and WILL accomplish my goals. Something to remind just how far I’ve come from my heaviest (1999 photo below), what progress looks like (2009 photo) and motivation to fuel my fire for the next 16 weeks to get in my best shape ever. Back in 2008, I joined Gold’s Gym in Bothell, and started my journey once again to get in shape. I was doing great; I fell in love with spin classes, body attack, and lifting weights. The weight dropped off. I was 15 lbs. from my goal weight. Life was good on the outside. In 2009, my personal life hit what I can only describe as the “perfect storm”. The “perfect storm” which lasted several years sidelined my efforts with weight loss. Instead of continuing with my diet and exercise, I buried and busied myself in other things as a way to deal with the grieving/healing process. I also buried myself in a nice juicy layer of fat! In 2011, I’d finally had enough and decided I needed to meet with my dear friend and trainer, Julie Michaelson. I met with her in July; I decided it was time for me to finish what I started in 2009. This time I would far surpass my original goals and focus heavily on getting fit and dropping body fat. This brings me to where I am today…. I’ve lost more than 20lbs of fat since training under Julie (even with a trip to France in there where I ate EVERYTHING). For the first time in a very long time, I feel in control of my health and my body. To have the whole process, diet and exercise dialed in, is AMAZING! Each morning I wake up and I can see changes, it’s like Christmas morning, minus the candy! As to the dressing room mirror, it’s a reminder that for the next 16 weeks, I have to give it my ALL. Push myself harder, farther than ever and past the breaking point. This morning’s workout was awesome, I showed that mirror who’s in charge! In less than 16 weeks… me and the mirror, we’ll be tight J. P.S. I dropped an entire size on those jeans!
Tags: Goals | Emerald Cup | Bikini |
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| Julie N |
| Preparing for Battle |
| 12.26.2011 12:08:05 | |
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It’s Christmas evening and we’re winding down at the Norton home. All our celebrations have come to a close. We did most of our celebrating last night on Christmas Eve and this morning. The Christmas morning hustle and bustle this was short lived, but joyful as always! I enjoyed today’s festivities and foods, to the point of stuffing myself silly. I stuffed myself to the point of feeling sick….can’t wait to get back on plan tomorrow. So much so, that I did my meal prep for the next few days this afternoon. I want to make sure there is NO problem getting back on plan on Monday morning. I feel like such a slug tonight, I’m actually really looking forward to early morning cardio! Aside from Christmas being a major holiday to look forward to, it’s been a dangling milestone for Emerald Cup prep. After Christmas the real work begins, for the countdown for Emerald Cup is here. I've never done contest diet or training. I've watched my dear friend and trainer Julie Michaelson compete over and over, and I've seen her suffer. I've also seen her triumph over and over again, which drives my motivation even further! Julie has told me " to prepare for battle" after the holiday. My first thought, is what the hell have I signed up for!!! I just want a fit bikini body. I don't expect a trophy or to even place, I just want to step on stage in the best shape of my life. The truth is, I have no idea just how hard this journey is going to be. I do know this is going to be the one hardest things I've ever done. I have no intent of stepping on stage without giving 100%+. I also have no intent of disrespecting the sport my not giving my all. I say bring it! I'm READY! Time for some REAL suffering! This is going to be one helluva transformation and journey!! I leave you with a image of my youngest. Preparing for a nerf war! If only contest prep was that easy :) Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ! Tags: tiara emerald cup figure inspiratio | Emerald Cup YouTube Julie Michaelso | inspiration | Bikini | cardio |
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| Julie N |
| Done with Average |
| 12.07.2011 08:04:40 | |
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“Being average means you are as close to the bottom as you are to the top.”
I’m done with being average… Hi, I’m new here! Let me introduce myself, my name is Julie, wife and mother of 3. I enjoy working out, hiking, photography, design, gardening, and anything that sparkles. I have to admit I feel a bit amiss amongst all you great competitors and amazing physiques! I’m new to this arena, when I say NEW, I mean it! I’ve never stepped on stage, nor really rocked a bikini. I’m the average flabby mom getting ready to shed some layers and step on stage in the best shape of my life. Emerald Cup 2012 Masters Bikini is the catalyst for me to go all in! For me, this isn’t about winning a prize; it’s about me achieving success. The prize will be my results, discipline and determination to change my life from here out. After so many years of wishing and wanting an amazing body, it’s time for action! It’s time to show moms that you’d don’t have to accept the “mom body” and that is possible to juggle it all. If I can do it, so can you! I look forward to sharing my journey! ~Julie
Tags: Bikini | Emerald Cup | goal setting | inspiration |
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| Jen B |
| Doubt Will Kill Your Dreams |
| 08.23.2011 03:38:13 | |
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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 |
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 Diane
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| Ironman, Here We Go! |
| 08.02.2011 03:16:15 | |
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So first off - For those of you who do not know yet...I am officially competing in the 2011 WA Ironman! I'm starting my prep slightly later than I am used to, but I am so excited to be stepping on stage after taking a whole year off from competing! It has been an incredible first couple weeks of prep as God has continued to stir in me a PURPOSE and PASSION for this show prep. I had a tough time getting back into the groove of prep after taking time off, but thankfully I am becoming more and more stirred up with each day that passes! Tags: Washington Ironman | Bikini |
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| Dr Buff
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| Competition Coaches vs Personal Trainers... |
| 07.20.2011 22:46:14 | |
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There’s a world of difference between a trainer who prepares clients for competition and gym trainers. I just picked up a couple of new competitors who learned that the hard way with their old trainer. I’ve written and blogged numerous times on this subject. Don’t get me wrong, I hold nothing against a personal trainer – heck, I AM one, but first and foremost, I’m a competition coach. I have been for over 35 years. It’s what I do – dial competitors in for shows. I’d like to believe I do it well.
This blog was written by Ivan Ribic, the co-promoter of the Empire Classic in spring and the Night of Champions in the fall. Ivan’s been in the competition game for years. He wrote this on his own site several days ago and I immediately called him and asked if I could post this as a guest-blog on the Craig Productions site. It’s a great read – I literally couldn’t have done a better job myself. Direct and to the point, Ivan cuts to the chase on hiring and following your competition coach. Notice I said ‘COMPETITION COACH – not personal trainer! While Ivan uses the word ‘trainer’, keep in mind that you’re hiring a competition coach, someone who’s been in the trenches, done well, and have the credentials to back it up. Learn the difference, know the difference, experience the difference. Enjoy Ivan’s blog…and take his advice…
“Trainers vs Trainees
Trainers . . . would I recommend them? Absolutely! Even the best trainer would be well served by an expert pair of eyes and an outside perspective if they themselves were competing. Having all the knowledge of diet and training in the world still will not be enough if you cannot look at yourself objectively and make appropriate changes. This is hard to do when you see yourself every day. This is not to say that you can’t compete without a trainer and still do well, but in my experience, the vast majority of competitors who step onstage and look phenomenal used an expert [competition coach] to guide them through the process.
While there are literally thousands of trainers at our disposal, it’s important to remember that different trainers specialize in different disciplines. While your local gym personal trainer might have some experience in competition, the vast majority don’t specialize in it. Taking an average overweight, out-of-shape person and getting them moving is a whole different game than taking an in-shape, active person and whittling them down to contest condition. Before you settle on a trainer, ask them to provide a portfolio of other clients who they’ve trained for competition. If their previous clients looked great on stage then you’re on the right track. If not, you may want to reconsider. Stage competition goes beyond just conditioning as well. A good competition trainer will not only be able to assist with diet and training but also with posing, stage presence, [choreography], suits, tanning and all of the other little details that make a winning physique stand out on stage.
Timing is everything. If you plan to compete, I recommend contacting your potential trainer as far out as possible. A lot of times trainers are called 10 or 12 weeks out from a show. That doesn’t leave them much time to figure out how your body responds and what they need to do to get you where you want to go. There’s nothing wrong with getting in touch with a trainer a year out from competition. Get a consultation, have them evaluate your weak points and then give you some direction on what to work on. While the last 12 weeks are going to be the most critical to your conditioning, the proceeding year is important for building a solid foundation. If you're thinking of competing next spring or even next fall, now would be a great time to start talking to trainers about starting a program.
The most important thing!!!
. . . if you skipped past everything else I wrote, I hope you’ll listen to this: If you’re paying a trainer to train you then do EXACTLY what they tell you to. A good trainer has an entire plan that comes together to produce a final result. Changing any part of that equation, no matter how insignificant you might think it is, will change the final result. This means eating exactly what they tell you to, when they tell you to in the amounts they tell you to. This means doing the same type of cardio for the same amount of time on the same days that they tell you to, etc. If you’re not following part of the program, then you’re not following any of it.
If you let self discipline slip and do something that is not part of the plan then you owe it to your trainer and yourself to tell them what you did so they know what’s happening with your body. I’ve seen trainers pulling their hair out because a client’s body isn’t responding the way that it should only to find out months after the competition that their client was off doing their own thing and not following the program exactly. If you don’t understand why your trainer has you doing something, ask them. If they know their stuff they’ll be able to tell you exactly why.
Keep in mind that people’s bodies respond differently to diet, water, etc. If you are following the plan 100% and step on stage and are retaining a little more water than you’d like to, chances are your trainer will know just what changes to make for the next show and can dial you in even better next time. But what if you’re retaining a little water and your trainer didn’t know about the half bag of Doritos you used to sodium load on Friday? Do you think they’ll be able to improve your condition on the next go-around? Probably not.
Once you’ve found a trainer you want to work with and established a plan, be consistent with it and be honest with your trainer. You’re paying them to help you but they can only do that if you follow the program and are up front with them about the details. Over time, your trainer will understand your body and habits even better than you do and be able to help you achieve a top-notch physique.”
Great blog, right? My sentiments exactly! With less than 10 weeks to go for the Washington Ironman, if you haven’t already done so, NOW is the time to contact me. As your one-stop shopping center, I can help you with diet, posing, presentation, choreography of bodybuilding routines, music editing, suit selection, mental training, and any and everything else associated with competition. Visit my new website at http://www.thedrbuffexperience.com/wordpress/ for more information or call me at 253-576-4859. We’re also accepting new members for TeamBuffedBods. Contact my agent, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and request an information package. Good luck in YOUR contest prep…peace!
The Dr.
253-576-4859 - mobile http://www.TheDrBuffExperience.com http://www.facebook.com/drbuff http://www.facebook.com/TeamBuffedBods "Tell me you will...tell me you won't...don't tell me you can't!"
Tags: David Patterson | Dave Patterson | Dr. Buff | The Dr. Buff Experience | training | competition | coaching | Bodybuilding | Figure | Bikini | nutrition |
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| Diane
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| Ohhhh Feeling So Good! |
| 04.09.2010 03:03:56 | |
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So I have today off from both work and school! This is a first. The funny thing is how quickly I was able to fill up the day with things I need to get done. All last week I was thinking, "Wow...I'll have Thursday off - I can relax, do some cardio, do some lifting, maybe do some hw"...But it sure did fill up. I'm meeting my nutritionists today, then heading to Bellevue to train with Pete,then heading to school to meet one of my groups to start our project...Then most likely by the time I get done with that, it will be time to hit the sheets for another glorious day tomorrow! The good news is that I was able to sleep in until 8:00am! That's LATE for me! And BOY did it feel good! I woke up this morning...drank my ABB Speed Shot Intensity and then off to the gym I went for my AM cardio! My cardio felt amazing to be honest. The first 5 min. were a little rough, but then it was pure drive, determination and fierceness. At this point in time I'm doing whatever it takes to get myself ready to step on stage next weekend. I push all doubts and excuses out of my mind and roll with it. As I've mentioned before, it's like I turn into a robot and just go through the motions of what I need to do. There's no time for contemplating my cardio or training sessions - I just do it. No questions asked...No hesitations...Just ACTION! I'm excited to put together all the details for ECUP this weekend. Since I have school next week (even papers due and presentations) I'm going to get as much done this weekend in order to be less stressed next week. That means that I need to lay out my suit, shoes and outfit for the ECUP this weekend. I need to get my nails done. I'll have to buy some more Crest Whitening Strips and wear those all next week ....Gotta sparkle ;) I'm also going to touch base with my sister and make sure all my hair plans are figured out! My sister works at a salon in DT Bellevue and she's AMAZING at styling/cutting/coloring hair! So she'll be taking care of my hair Saturday morning...Thank goodness because I'm completely wacko when it comes to doing my own hair! Then I have my make-up appointment with Jen Turnbull all scheduled out and ready! She does an amazing job and I'm so thankful that she takes care of my make-up because that is yet another thing that I'm not so hot at! Then of course I have tanning scheduled with John and Roxana from On Stage Image! They always do an AMAZING job and it's nice to not worry about my color on the day of the show. They simply take care of it all and that leaves me with that much less stress as I prepare to step on stage! So I think that's it...For all you women competitors out there...Get ALL these minor details figured out SOON (if you haven't already). The earlier that you can get your hair, nails, make-up etc...figured out, the less stressful next week will be! So for all you ECUP competitors...This is it. It is almost YOUR time to SHINE!! Your time to step up there and give it ALL you've got. I know that you all have been working SOOO hard to prepare for this next weekend and I admire all of you so much for all of your hard work! It has been amazing to scroll through facebook and see all the different posts as people prepare. I honestly feed off of everyone else..You all push me to improve and I'm so thankful that I've met such amazing people! So kick it up a notch...finish up STRONG...both mentally and physically. Get your mindset right so that you can step on stage as a CHAMPION! Being a champion takes a certain mindset and you need to make sure that is all dialed in 100% to really give it all you've got! So dial in...physically and mentally and get ready to rock and roll! I'll keep you all posted as I push through these next several days...I'm excited to see how my body will be changing!!! These are the days, as your body begins to take real shape, that all those days of lifting, cardio and diet are SOOOO worth it!! WHOO!!! Have a fabulous day everyone and train hard...Visualize your success...Believe it. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: Bikini | Snoqualmie Casino | Emerald Cup | cardio | onstageimage@yahoo.com | determined | Visualization |
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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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| 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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| 12 Days!!! Make Every Minute Count! |
| 09.21.2009 22:35:11 | |
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I cannot believe that we're already less than two weeks out from the WA Ironman!! Time has gone by SOOO fast!! Luckily I have everything completely organized for the show. I have my suit, my make-up scheduled, hair appointments scheduled, tanning scheduled...etc. It's all coming together wonderfully! I've been practicing posing almost every single day. I practice whenever I can...Even if it's just a few minutes here and there. I'm feeling confident in my heels and just can't wait for the big day to get here....Plus I'm excited to eat ;) I had an amazing weekend! It was my birthday yesterday, so we celebrated my birthday all weekend long. My fiance jokes around because September turns into my "Birthday Month"...Anyways, he spoiled me. We spent the whole weekend relaxing and it was just what I needed. Yesterday I took the whole entire day off from the gym (Not from my diet of course) and I feel so refreshed this morning. We went to Church and enjoyed a great service with my family and then we headed to my parents house to eat food. My parents are great...They had a bunch of broccoli and veggies out for me. They kept the chips out of my sight and they made me some delicious Orange Roughy. Overall, it was a very healthy birthday. I was able to rest my body and nourish it with all the clean food that my parents put together. I am so blessed. I have such a supportive family and could not thank them enough for all that they do for me. Then I got into bed last night at 7:30PM and woke up ready to go this morning. I literally woke up with SOOO much energy this morning...Reminds me of how crucial rest is when I'm working my body so hard during the week. I headed into LA for my AM cardio and I kicked butt!! If I would have had time, I would have easily been able to do 90min of cardio...No joke. I felt like the energizer bunny...I just wanted to go go go. So I'm pretty happy about that considering I'm 12 days out from the show. Normally my energy levels are suffering right about now, but not this time :) I'll keep a positive attitude about these next couple weeks in hopes of maintaining my good energy levels! Today I also start eating all real food (less protein shakes and more real food and lots of veggies) and I'll lower my carbs a bit. I actually had Orange Roughy and Green Beans with 1/4 cup of Oatmeal this morning for breakfast...Fish? For Breakfast? Yes. It works for me, so I'll just keep rolling with it. After I get off work, it's off to Snap for legs!! I'm expecting lots of lunges, squats and all that fun stuff. As each week passes that I train, I seem to enjoy legs more and more. It used to be a mental thing. I used to have a bad attitude towards training legs...I hated it. But I just decided I wasn't going to think like that and now I actually enjoy training legs. I will also do two more hours of cardio later on today. How I split up those two hours will depend on how I feel. So that's my plan for today...Work for 8 hours. Train legs with Pete. 2 Hours of Cardio. Prep my food for tomorrow...It'll be a good day!! Stay Strong you guys!! We have 12 Days to go!! These next 12 days will FLY by, so make the most of each day ahead of you. It will all be worth it when you step on stage October 3rd feeling 100% ready to go! I know that we can do it :) Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: Washington Ironman | Bikini | Posing | training | legs |
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| Diane
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| 29 Days People!! Make Every Day Count! |
| 09.03.2009 23:01:58 | |
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A big and juicy burger. That's all I could think about on my drive to work this morning. That just means that my cravings are starting to kick in. I drove past a billboard near my house that has a picture of a big burger. Although the billboard has been up there for probably a month now, today is the first day that I REALLY noticed it. Every single morning, I've driven by this and simply looked at it...Just a glance. But this morning was different. This morning I looked at it and really wanted it. It's funny how the mind works. Realistically, my body doesn't need the burger at all (or even want it), yet my mind seems to think otherwise :) So this just means that my cravings are starting up and I'm going to need to stay focused. I need to stay in the zone. I'll keep my mind focused on clean food and intense workouts. That's all there is to it. Sticking to clean eating and intense workouts every day until the show will make that burger so much more satisfying AFTER I have reached my goal at the Ironman. The last couple of days have been great. I've added on another 45min of cardio each day and it's really starting to show. I'm starting to lean out even more. Right now I'm at three cardio sessions a day. Each one is different. Elliptical in the AM, treadmill in the afternoon and then stepmill or running outside at night. So far it is working great for me! Even though I'm doing the same amount of cardio as I have in the past, I'm splitting it up differently through-out the day...Three shorter sessions is working a lot better than two longer sessions. So I'll just roll with it ;) I also went to Tanji's posing class last night. She is so inspiring!! She's getting ready for the big O and I know that she is going to rock it! She looks great!! Not only does she look great, but she seems to be full of energy and spunk! It is always great to work with people like her and Shannon Gill. Both are so inspiring and so full of knowledge. Always surround yourself with people more knowledgeable than yourself. The key is to ALWAYS learn. To learn, you MUST surround yourself with the best. Overall, the class was great and I'm excited to practice my walk and posing over the next month. Us gals from Snap are going to get together once a week to really get everything down 100%. As I've said before, it is all the little things that count! Every step and every pose counts. So practice!! Make sure that you gals are getting all your minor details planned. Have you booked a hair appointment? Have you booked your tanning? Registration? NPC card? Nails? Suit? Heels? Make-up? All of these things are so important...Get everything organized now so that you can enjoy your last couple weeks of your journey!! I better get to work. I need to finish my protein shake and oatmeal. Delicious. Much more delicious than any hamburger I could ever want ;) Stay focused on your goal. We've got 29 days to make the most of prep before the Ironman. 29 days!!! That's incredible. So let's go. Get that cardio done...Lift hard...Drink your water...Eat your food...Visualize yourself on stage...There's no time to waste. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane Tags: Ironman | Bikini | posingfocused | registration | Visualization |
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| Diane
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| Hang On - Finish Strong! |
| 08.27.2009 04:40:06 | |
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Well, so far it has been an AMAZING day!! I was able to sleep in till 7:00am today!! It sure felt great!! I woke up and headed straight to LA Fitness for some am cardio. I kicked butt on the elliptical :) I kept my intensity high and burned A LOT of calories! Whoo!! Let's just say I was drenched in sweat by the end. It feels so great to leave the gym knowing that I did the best that I possibly could. Then I headed home to get ready for work...I made my delicious egg whites!! I seriously STILL crave eggs!! I'm really hoping that this craving lasts all the way until the Ironman. I even stopped by the store on my way to my parent's house yesterday to buy a bunch of eggs...I wanted some sooo bad that I couldn't wait until I got home later that night to eat them. Silly I know...But whatever :) So yesterday's workout was awesome. It was chest. We did a heart-pumping workout that consisted of 9 different chest exercises. We did three exercises together, back to back. We finished our last set up with 30 sec push up holds....Boy was I shaking!! It's tough to hold a push-up position for even 15 sec after doing all the different chest exercises that we did. Overall, it was GREAT! I was sweating and pushing myself as hard as I could...Can't get much better than that! I finished up with 20 min of interval training. While I LOVE listening to Christian music such as Third Day, Casting Crowns etc, I always listen to a couple specific Rage Against The Machine songs when doing intervals. It's weird since Rage is VERY different from my normal music, but it gets me moving fast for my intervals. It's funny how we all have certain music for different types of workouts. Overall, I'd have a very difficult time living without music. After I got home from training I ate some more egg whites mixed with ground turkey breast...delicious. Basically I'm right on track. I'm busting my butt every single day to make as much progress as possible. While I can't always SEE the progress I'm making, I know that I'm making it. It's such a great feeling to be completely confident that prep is going exactly how it is supposed to go! I'm rockin' it and cannot wait for the show! I'm excited to see all of my fellow competitors as well!! There are so many amazing girls that I have met through competitions and I thank the Lord for putting them into my life. They are all so inspiring and we all create a great support system. Thank You Lord! Anyways, I better get back to work! I'm heading to the gym after work for back. Whoo! Then back home I go to prep my food for the rest of the week. Then I'll head to LA for a final cardio session today. I'm adding on another session at night. This will help me to burn that last bit of fat before the show. **When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on so long in the first place** - Unknown. It's too late to turn around now. For all of you Ironman competitors out there...We're ALMOST there. It's going to get tough pushing through this last month of prep, but keep in mind WHY you have decided to compete in the first place. This will keep you moving...Keep you lifting...Keep you running...When you REALLY don't want to. You've come this far...Finish Strong! Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE! Diane
Tags: Washington Ironman | Bikini | focus | Chest | cardio |
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| Diane
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| Every Minor Detail Counts! |
| 07.28.2009 23:05:51 | |
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So I attempted to get back on here last night to go over my thoughts about the USAs, but I was soooo dang hot!! My computer is up in my bedroom and I swear it was like 100 degrees in my room. I got on the computer to start writing my blog and I couldn’t focus because all I could think about was how hot I was. I love hot weather and the sunshine, but oh boy…It sure does make it difficult to fall asleep. I even had cold and wet towels covering me and I still couldn’t sleep. I think I got about 2 hours of solid sleep…not good. Anyways…The USAs!! So I have to say that I’m very impressed! The overall Bikini winner, Kristal Marshall, looked GREAT!! I can’t wait for the day when I have a body like that…I’ll just keep plugging along till I get there. I think she had an excellent balance of muscle and femininity for the bikini look. Her abs were BY FAR my favorite!! I also really liked Jamie Baird…Her overall look was great and I loved the suit color on her. Those were two of my favorites who received their Pro Cards. Another gal that caught my attention was Mary Jamalowich. Her front poses were awesome. She truly looked beautiful. I think if she did a different back pose, her booty would have looked a little better. Posing makes such a HUGE difference. That’s something I’ve learned from Tanji and from looking at countless pictures. You can have an EXCELLENT body, but if you aren’t posing just right for the shape of your body, it can make your shape look completely different. I noticed this with myself at Vancouver and Emerald Cup. My back posing at Vancouver was not that great…It really made my butt look flat. After Vancouver, Tanji helped me come up with another back pose and my butt looked a lot better at Emerald Cup. It is crazy how one little tweak in how you’re standing can completely change your look. Lastly, another gal that caught my attention was Diana Dalghren. I think she had an excellent “look” as well. Her hair, tan and suit color looked great. Although it’s crucial to train hard and diet 100%, I think it’s also crucial to pay attention to all the minor details like hair, jewelry, suit choice, make-up etc…It all has to come together for a win. Well, I could go on FOREVER about things I noticed in pictures/videos from the USAs. Overall, I think the bikini division is doing great so far! Class winners are bringing in toned, lean and muscular bodies. Of course this is less muscular than bodybuilding/figure/fitness, but it’s still enough muscle to show that many of these girls worked hard to get on stage in Vegas. I’m happy to say that the Bikini Division seems to be off to a great start. So yesterday was legs! Let’s just say it was A LOT of work. Our whole workout consisted of walking lunges, Smith Machine squats, walking double lunges, Romanians, leg extension, close stance bench squats etc…We did supersets and kept our heart rates up. Let’s just say that Adrienne and I were SWEATY!!! I was basically soaked head to toe! But it was great!! I love squeezing every bit of juice out of my legs. That way I can go to bed that night knowing I did everything that I could to make the improvements that I need to make. Today is my second day of hardly any carbs. So far, I’m still feeling great. I’m able to handle such low carbs because I know it brings results. If it brings results, why complain? So yeah. I’ve been drinking tons of water, eating lots of chicken and I’ve been keeping up with a good amount of carb-free protein shakes. I’ve got a lot to do today…I leave for vacation on Thursday! I cannot wait!! It’s the only time that I take off all year long, so I’m very excited to spend time with my amazing family and my hunny without work or school to worry about. I’ll still be training hard down there, but with the beach in our front yard, this won’t be difficult. Off I go to work. It’s going to be a busy day! Yesterday we were swamped with this hot weather. As soon as the sun comes out, everyone wants smoothies. I have to agree that Emerald City Smoothie is the place to be with the sun shining (well, year-round in my opinionJ ). **Plan your progress carefully; hour-by hour, day-by-day, month-by-month. Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord’s Light SHINE! Diane
Tags: USAs | training legs | Posing | Bikini | review | Vancouver | 2009 Emerald Cup |
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| Diane
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| Good Luck To Everyone Competing in Vegas - I'll be Praying :) |
| 07.24.2009 23:00:48 | |
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Let's just say that I am sooooo wishing I was in Vegas for the USAs right now!! I previously wrote about how pumped up I got after going to the WA State Show...Now imagine how pumped up for competition I'd get after watching the show in Vegas!! I've been praying for everyone I know that is competing. What an amazing feeling to be getting ready to step on stage in Vegas. I cannot wait for my time to step on that stage! It's easy for me to get caught up in wishing I was competing at a national show NOW, but I have to remind myself that I will get there eventually and it will be in perfect time...even if that time is not now. I always have to remind myself to be patient. I'm so eager to have my "best" body that I tend to forget the time it takes to get there. I need to focus on what I'm doing now to achieve my goals, instead of focusing on the "end" of the journey. So for now...My only focus is today. It's really all I've got.
That’s it for now. Today will be arms…I can’t wait to train with all the girls. Get ready for a HOT weekend. 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 |
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| Diane
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| WA State Pumped Me Up! |
| 07.19.2009 05:51:38 | |
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I woke up this morning still a little head stuffy from my flu. I'm telling you...I've learned to be patient and do the best I can with the given situation. What I thought was going to last 1-2 days, has lasted 5 days! I am happy to say that I got back into the gym yesterday and had a great cardio session. I'm sticking to just cardio until Monday...By Monday I will be fully healthy to start lifting. Tags: WA State Show | Ironman | Washington Ironman | Bikini |
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| Diane
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| Almost 100% - It's Been a Test of Faith! |
| 07.17.2009 07:43:08 | |
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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 |
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| Diane
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| Leg Day: It's a Love/Hate Thing |
| 07.14.2009 10:57:19 | |
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Well today was excellent. I try and focus on the hour in front of me. My goal is to get everything done 100% each hour. By doing this, I'm able to stay more consistent. I drank more protein shakes than usual today, which is weird for me. Most of the time (besides right after lifting) I'd rather eat real food because it seems to keep me more full. I also got in almost two gallons of water. Drinking all my water isn't too much of a struggle. I seem to get in one gallon by about 2:30pm. I feel so much better when I'm drinking this much water. After work I headed into the gym for my leg workout. Training legs is a love/hate thing....I hate doing legs, but I love the results! I think over the past year I've made the most improvements with training legs. My legs were so weak when I started a year ago that it was very discouraging to lift. I kept at it though and now I've learned to enjoy the pain :) Today we did high reps!! It was hard, but nice to have a change. We started off with squats on the Smith Machine. We did 4 sets of 30 reps. Boy were my legs burning! Then after the 4 sets, we superset walking lunges with leg extensions. We again did 30 reps for the leg extensions. After this we did the leg press followed by step-ups. We did 30 reps of leg presses and then went straight into 15 step-ups on each leg. We finished up with a few other exercises and then cardio time! Today was a real treat because I got a massage right after my workout. Trina, the massage therapist at Snap, really worked out my legs and it felt AMAZING!! I really need to make more time for massage...I put 100% into my training and diet, yet don't always allow myself the time to recover and relax. BUT! I'm getting better at this. My plan is to get a massage about every other week for now. It's super helpful for my legs because they always seem to stay sore for a long time! Well, that's it for now. It's almost 8:00pm and I really need to get in bed. I need to get up bright and early...My alarm will be going off at 3:45am and I need to be ready to go after my day! **Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed** Proverbs 16:3 I'm going for the gold - HIS gold. 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: training legs | Bikini | Goals | Determination |
