|
|
Tanji| Bikini Posing: Keeping Up or Keeping it Classy? |
| 11.01.2011 20:59:57 | |
|
The job of a competition coach is never easy. As a Christian woman and coach to many, I often find myself struggling between leading with my conservative views on posing to trying to prepare my clients to pose and “keep up” with what is winning. I am fortunate that I do not lead Save Fitness alone but have a wonderful staff of coaches who consult with me and we work together to decide what is best for our team. When you’re competitive and focusing on doing what it takes to win, it’s easy to be influenced by what you see. Even as a coach, I can be influenced to lead my clients to pose to the standard that I see at the national level. I travel to IFBB Pro shows and NPC national shows on the regular, so I get exposed and know exactly what is “winning” throughout the year. Unfortunately, I can’t always stop the trend but I learned that we can stop ANY trend here in the NW. It starts at the local level and I am happy that our very own chairman, Elaine Craig took a stand against provocative posing in the Bikini division recently and “reset” the standard that we should keep it classy while working to “keep up”. I tell you all this to make you aware, that many times in your journey, you will be tempted to compromise. You may not even realize you’re doing it. This industry can lead you to a life of fulfillment through health and fitness or down a road chasing dreams and seeking validation while losing yourself in the process. You can certainly win by being authentic and staying true to yourself. Remember, winning is when you truly feel good about WHO you are. Tags: |
| Joy for Joyce! |
| 01.24.2011 18:41:23 | |
|
Imagine yourself running a mile, and in this mile there are 2000 doors to move through. Imagine coming to each door and then having to personally open it before you can run through it.
Now imaging running the mile, and as you approach each door, the door is opened for you, so you are able to continue your pace, not slowing down every time you reach a door.
Basically when you surround yourself with positive people, doors will automatically open for you. The action you offer is the way you enjoy the benefit of each door opening. I do my best to stay positive in all situations and honor people with truth and love in all things. I recently was blessed with the acquaintance of my now, business manager Joyce Vansetters who specializes in Public Relations and Business Management. (www.joycevanseters.com) This was definitely a case of law of attraction. When Joyce and I connected, we learned that we had a lot in common to include our faith, fitness careers and even being military brats. Our personal and professional chemistry was ignited and we are moving forward with great projects for 2011 for Tanji Enterprises. I am excited and blessed to have a business manager who is forward thinking and experienced on so many levels. The most important quality is that Joyce cares about my business and seeks excellence in all she does. We are a perfect fit! Thank you Jesus for this gift of a helpmate!
I’ve often wondered how I’ve done it all these years. By the grace of God, He gave me enough energy and strength to be the athlete, a trainer, a coach, a judge, a promoter, my own publicist and marketer along with writer, model and endorsed athlete. You can read more about Tanji Enterprises at http://tanjijohnson.com/OfficialSite/?page_id=105
There are VERY few women who compete who actually make a full time living with a career in the fitness industry as a competitor. I am one of those people, and do not take it for granted. But it has come with a DECADE of hard work in building my craft as an athlete and coach, commitment to my vision and perseverance through the industry struggles. Romans 5:3 says that “we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope”. I know many people who are enduring the challenges of opening or sustaining a business, contest prep, trouble marriage, recent death of family. Let me encourage you to cling to the promise that your suffering will produce good. It sharpens and refines us.
Stay the course, do not be discouraged! Tags: |
| Long Term Vision, Short Term Mission |
| 01.18.2011 06:57:53 | |
|
Long term VISION, short term MISSION
Last weekend, I flew to Spokane to train with my new Body Practice coach, Steve Atlas. Steve is an amazing physical specimen and creator of the Body Practice (www.thebodypractice.com). Be sure to check him out on facebook or youtube. You will be very impressed with his abilities. More impressive is his approach to fitness and wellness for the body and how he incorporates exercises that promote strength, balance, flexibility and the flow of movement. I have committed to working with Steve for a year as we prepare for the 2011 Fitness Olympia. My goal is to execute new Fitness moves that are beyond the strength level of anything I’ve ever done. This is my long term vision. It can get intimidating at times when I realize how many hours a week of training it is going to take for me to get to this destination. When I train with Steve in Spokane and he demonstrates his ability, I sometimes think “There is NO WAY I’m ever going to be able to do that!” But I am inspired and encouraged by the knowledge that even Steve, some years ago, was not able to do what he is doing now. But he stayed focused on his journey and put in the time. This is what I have committed to do.
I have found that having short term missions will help me in sustaining focus through my year of training. For example, Steve has me working on my upper body strength. One of the exercises I have to do our inverted push ups (hand stand push ups) with my belly facing the wall. I planche forward as I descend into the push up. He can go all the way down until his nose touches the floor. In my first attempt, I could only break 90 degrees in order to come back up. I have to do 5 reps at a time. Two days later, when I did this workout again, I was able to go deeper than the 90 degrees. My short term mission is to be able to touch my nose to the ground. I feel confident that I will accomplish this within a few weeks. Having short term missions keep me focused on my goal. Being the smart lady that I am, I know that the combination of many short term missions will lead me to my long term vision. While in Spokane, I was able to work with some new Save Fitness team members from Eastern Washington. I love being a student and I love being a teacher. Having the balance of being in both roles keeps me humble and able to “pay it forward”. Welcome to Vanessa, Marriya, Heidi and Kathy! We look forward to pursuing our dreams together! Tags: |
| Subjective Judging |
| 01.11.2011 17:25:24 | |
|
SUBJECTIVE JUDGING
I've been judging regional NPC shows here in WA for the last 5 years. I recently earned my national judging status for the NPC and will judge at the national level when I retire from competing. As I embrace this new responsibility, I want to share my thoughts on subjective judging. Everyone has an opinion, and that the opinion of the judges may not be the same as yours. Results will always be arguable because the decisions are subjective in manner. For example, in Figure, the judges are looking for athletic builds, nice skin tone, good presentation, conditioning and symmetry. If a judge is looking at a line up of six girls and no one has the total package, the judge will have to decide what his/her preference is on what looks best with what is in front of him or her. By competing, you are acknowledging that you agree to subject yourself to subjective judging. Not everyone takes the time to think about this and the potential impact it can have on one’s ego and confidence. Be careful not to put your worth into the hands of the judges. It is completely normal and understandable to be disappointed at a placing or with a loss. However, you can choose to be productive with your experience. Set new goals and allow each show to be a part of your progressive journey. Each contest and season is an opportunity to improve and challenge yourself beyond your last experience. A lot can be gained in this journey and it does not have to be validated with a win. Not everyone can win a show; there can only be one winner. Will you let the decisions of the judges DEFINE you? Or will you have the strength to let it be what it is….a set of decisions based on subjective judging made in the efforts to best select the most competitive competitor in the line up on that day. It is so easy to lose perspective when the results are announced. You can decide BEFOREHAND what actually defines your success and progress. Bodybuilding & Physique competitions are most certainly genetic in nature. Everyone can improve what they have, transform their bodies, and sculpt their best physique. But not everyone’s BEST physique is going to be the physique that wins. Let’s take running for example. Some athletes are born with fast twitch muscles while others are born with slow twitch muscles. I think most of us all know which category we fall into. We can all train to run as fast as we can, or as far as we can…however, our personal best will not necessarily be the fastest. The person that trains the hardest is not always the winner. Winning is usually a combination of work ethic, discipline, intensity, and yes….genetics. This is not to discourage you, but rather to prepare you and encourage you to approach competing in a realistic and positive way. Seeking validation through placings can cause emotional sabotage and misplaced identity. Just remember that you are competing in a subjective sport . So place your confidence and your identity in things that you have control over, like your work ethic, your dedication, your tenacity and your perseverance. If you do, you will win before you even show up! I wish you this best this season as you prep. Protect your confidence!
Tags: |
| From a Promoter's Perspective |
| 01.05.2011 07:23:18 | |
|
I am honored to be back on the Craig Productions Bloggers Team. People often ask me what it's like being an IFBB Pro and I believe this answer is different for everyone. For me, it is a big part of my life because I happen to be one of few who actually make a living being a Pro. No doubt, this has been the result of YEARS of hard work as a business woman and entrepreneur and the grace of God's hand in my life and career. Most people know me as a Fitness competitor or trainer/coach to Fitness, Figure and Bikini competitors. But one of my favorite roles is being an NPC Promoter. About 4 years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to Co-promote my first NPC show. This show is now the Vancouver Natural Bodybuilding and Tanji Johnson Fitness, Figure & Bikini Classic. The event is held at the beautiful Skyview High in Vancouver Washington reaching full seating capacity in the past 2 years. In 2010 the show DOUBLED in competitors from the previous year with 235 competitors (and no cross overs except in Fitness and Figure and Mixed Pairs). I believe our show has become the largest regional natural NPC contest in the country!
Promoting a show has really allowed me to serve in my element. I get to network for sponsorships, recruit competitors to compete and constantly scrutinize ways to improve our production to give the absolute best to the competitors and fans who attend out event. My Co-promoter Frank Bohm of Bohm Productions has been promoting the show for over 20 years and has done a fantastic job building a solid reputation around the show. As our show grew, we decided to solicit the help of IFBB Pro Judge Sandy Williamson. Her experience as a judge makes a huge difference in expediting a timely event as well as offering advice to all those involved. I have been blessed to be mentored by great people in the industry to include Brad and Elaine Craig who I feel are the pioneers when it comes to promoting. I support the Emerald Cup and Ironman competitions 100% because of their example in how they run their shows. I am proud that here in the northwest, we work together to promote great contests for the competitors. There are so many elements involved in the production of a contest: - Expenses like Sanction Fees, Trophies, Staff, Venue, Advertising, Guest Posers and more - Managing a staff of judges, expeditors, volunteers, security and venue personnel - Acquiring sponsorships to help pay for the expenses of our event - Executing a schedule of events - Advertising and selling tickets for the events - Promoting and recruiting competitors to compete in your show - Hiring Guest Posers and generating Appearances - Negotiating and selling booth space to vendors at the show - And the list goes on! Being a promoter has been a great learning experience for me. It reminds me of the time I served in the Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer. As officers in charge, we often rotate areas of responsibility in order to be exposed to the full scope of an operation. I am finding that the same is necessary as a promoter. Each year, I pick an area of operation to focus on, ranging from expediting back stage, organizing presenting sponsors, managing the awards ceremony to running the check in process. Each year, I have been able to further my knowledge and gain in experience. Running a large NPC show can be VERY stressful. I remember one year, I lost my Fitness Guest Poser 3 days before the show! Luckily, I was only a week out from the New York Pro and was able to throw my routine and then get back to work. Lol! My greatest joy in promoting has been seeing the fruits of my labor with the Save Fitness campaign blossom over the years as our show now attracts a significant amount of Fitness and Junior Fitness competitors. I am honored to have great relationships with peers such as Carla Sanchez, Monica Brant and Jen Hendershott who also give back by promoting NPC shows. 2010 was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Vancouver USA Championships. If you are looking for a competitive, well organized and drug tested national qualifier, you are invited to compete at our event. It is the first of the Spring season, followed by the best show in the country, the Emerald Cup!
God Bless you!
Tags: |
| 3 Trips in 10 days |
| 07.20.2010 09:38:51 | |
|
Los Angeles- Golds Gym Venice So, I call myself a professional traveler which leads me to get comfortable with traveling and a bit edgy when it comes to giving myself enough time to get to the airport. The main reason for this “edge” is that “my time is valuable to me, I wish I had more of it, and I really don’t want to spend time waiting in an airport”. So I tend to play this game of maximizing my time as much as possible and then gambling to give myself just enough time to make the flight. I know this is crazy, but it has become a very bad habit. Most of the time, I win! And you know how great that feels, relishing over the extra hour of emailing I got in, or that meal I got to eat at home, or the extra sleep that my body needed. With this being said, I notice that I have been giving myself less and less time to catch my flight. I can typically arrive at SEATAC 45min-1 hour before my flight and still catch it…barely. J I am one of those people who prefers to wait until EVERYONE else has boarded before I get on…which is why I can usually make the flight in 45min…LOL! Most of the time! So this particular time I showed up 35min before my flight (This wasn’t intentional but I had trouble finding the parking garage I chose. No wonder it was cheaper…it was WAY further away. Geesh!) So of course I check in and the lady at the counter looks at me like I’m an idiot and informs me that the bag check in cut off time is 40min prior to take off. So, like a 5 year old with an upside down smile, I walk away and proceed to stand in another line to get my flight rebooked. Consequence: I had to cancel my gymnastics session with my coach Richard who is in Pasadena CA. Bright side: I got to go home and spend more time recovering from my last trip. Not sure how much I recovered though….I ended up getting a work out in and answering more emails. I have gotten pretty good at making the best out of any situation. If I could sell this ability in a bottle my friends, I would! J So, that night I get into LAX, grab my rental car and proceed straight to my favorite gym in LA…Golds Gym Venice…the mecca of bodybuilding! IFBB Pros train for free in this gym but this time, I didn’t recognize the guy at the front counter. I’m thinking “Great, how do I let this guy know that I’m kinda a big deal (special quote from AnchormanJ) without sounding like a schuck! So, luckily the moment I walked in I saw Shawn Perine (writer for Flex and Muscle & Fitness) and Max Carlisle who is also from WA and did the music on my Posing and Save Fitness DVDs. They approach me and we share in our excitement of seeing each other as I sign in. The front desk gentleman asks me if I’m a Pro and if I had my IFBB card on me. Does anyone really carry this? I will now! LOL! I felt bad that I couldn’t prove that I was a pro. But I think one subtle flash of the guns did the trick.
So, for my workout, I enjoyed running on the treadmill for about 20 min while enjoying the breeze from the side opening of the gym. I love people watching at this gym. I could probably do cardio all day long. There’s always someone interesting to watch. One time, I saw this lady in her 70s (maybe 80s) working out or maybe she was just walking around saying hello to everyone. She had quite the array of fashion going on with her workout outfit. I was thinking “You go girl! You don’t need to care what anybody thinks! Not even me!” Lol! Fun stuff, truly! Then I hit a good back and leg workout. I train my back with weights doing rows, pull downs and then burn out my legs with some plyos. There was this super tall bench (I have no idea what It’s for) so I got excited and started doing box jumps onto it. This is my favorite thing to do btw. Trying to find the highest surface whether it’s a bench, giant tire, or box in the gym and see if I can jump on it. I love when people look at me like I’m crazy. J My tuck jumps are getting better with this hobby! I head back to my hotel to prepare for my photo shoot with Muscle & Fitness Hers the next morning. This entails exfoliating, shaving, body butter, deep conditioning for the hair, moisturizing the face and a good night’s rest. But before I sleep, I pray. I ask the Lord to give me peace about my physique. I think every model wonders if his/her physique is going to look good enough for the part. I ask him to wake me up in the morning fully aware of the beauty I possess. The beauty that HE, the mighty one bestowed in me. I pray that I am able to embrace every ounce of my sprit and soul and allow that energy and beauty to emanate at the shoot. I thank God for giving me this ability to connect and rely on Him. And with that, I get my beauty rest. J
Los Angeles- Muscle & Fitness Hers Shoot, Iron Gym Santa Monica Gorgeous day! I arrived at the gym and have a mini reunion with the staff since I’ve shot with them several times. I have a new make up artist that I’ve never worked with before but she was great. Cindy, the stylist and the one responsible for picking out my wardrobe is a hoot. I love her. She is so fun to work with and had a great personality. So, just so you know…hair and make up usually takes about 45 min to an hour, shorter for this kind of shoot b/c it’s more of a natural look and the hair’s going up in a ponytail. I always love invading Cindy’s wardrobe rack. It’s amazing. She brings a rack of about 20-30 sets of workout outfits and we, ok “they” pick one. They bring everything…socks, shoes, outfit, and sometimes chicken cutlets J for people that need ‘em like me. Once I’m dressed, a group of them….stylist, make up artist, asst, photographer, fitness editor all get together and look me up and down to determine if I’m good to go. This is always alittle uncomfortable b/c Im thinking “Great, I’m not lean enough” but they’re actually scrutinizing my hair, make up and wardrobe. LOL! Of course I do my best to deal with this by turning on the charm with my fantastic bikini poses and put on a good show for them to get their approval to begin the shoot. J So, we begin. We had to shoot 8 different exercises. This shoot actually went pretty fast and only took 4-5 hours. Most models are amazed at how long it takes to shoot a spread. But there is a lot of detail necessary to capture the right image with positioning, lighting and waiting for celebrities to get out of my shot. I can’t remember his name but there was an actor working out at the gym and he was always in my frame. He’s already famous, yet he HAD to try to steal my little bit of glory! Kidding! He WAS there, but I doubt he cared about being background in our spread. Lol. Modeling for a TRAINING shoot is no cake walk. For this particular shoot “Intense Training Techniques”, they actually wanted me to use heavy weights. And then, of course, hold each rep for a few seconds. We did this several times because my body positioning had to be right, my facial expression had to be appropriate (ya know, intense but not quite the gas faceJ) and the lighting had to be on! For example, they shoot me doing a Pull up. So I’d have to hold at the top of the pull up for a few seconds. Side note: Being in shape and strong comes in handy at times like this J. We had to make me look like I was sweating so the stylist was always spraying water and rubbing oil on me. They don’t even let you pull your own shorts down. They do all that for you. You really feel pampered sometimes, lol. The cool thing about technology now is that we can shoot a bit and then go straight to the laptop, put the zip drive in from the camera and view the shots we just took to figure out what we need to do different.
I was pretty exhausted when it was over so I went to my hotel to nap. I mustered up the energy to meet my good friend Mohamed Mohsen for dinner. Mo is the founder and owner of DreamTan. We had a great time discussing some new projects he has coming up and some that he would like me to be involved in. It’s always inspiring to be in the company of peers who are motivated to make a difference and contribute something great to our society. Tags: Determination |
| 3 trips in 10 days |
| 07.06.2010 13:23:59 | |
|
Trip 1: CHICAGO (17-20 June) I always joke about being a professional traveler because I am probably on a plane once a week and feel like I have family in every state. A few weeks ago, I flew to Chicago for several reasons. My assistant Save Fitness coach, IFBB Fitness Pro Michele Mayberry and I were going to Test Judge the Junior Nationals in Chicago and work our way to becoming national judges. Michele and I have been judging for about 3-4 years. Being a judge gives you trememdous insight as a competitor. Being on the other side allows you to understand what the judges go thru and that it is not always an easy job to rank competitors in a short period of time. The hours are often long, the competitors are many and sometimes you feel like you are comparing apples and oranges. Our evening of pre-judging began at 5pm on a Friday night, and this is after an hour delay due to a power outage at the host hotel. We judged over 260 female competitors and did not get done until 11pm that night. Judging the Fitness routine round was the most stressful because you get 2 minutes to jot down notes, pay attention and form your best opinion about the combination of strength, flexibility, execution, flow, transition and overall performance of a routine. However, before you get a chance to really digest what you just saw, the next competitor is already running out on stage. I think Michele and I took great notes but struggled to have a good system of how to assign value to each of these areas. We learned a lot about setting up a point system that we could use as we watched the routine so that at the end, we could see who had the most points. We caught on quickly and did this for the Figure, Bikini and Bodybuilding. We learned that you not only need to have a “good” eye, but you have to be able to do it quickly and keep up with the Head judge. There were many times that Michele and I had to go back to our notes (in between classes) and try to re-evaluate some of our decisions. As a competitor, the world usually revolves around US and we expect the judges to see every ounce of hard work we’ve put into our physique and performance. While I will say that the best and worst usually stand out right away, everyone else that is in the middle usually DOESN’T. So, my advice to competitors (and I take this advice as well) is not to over analyze your placing if you are not in the Top 5. 6th place and 9th place could have been changed with a whip of a pencil… What you should take away from the experience is that you have work you need to do in order to be more competitive. SIMPLE! Most judges don’t stress themselves out trying to judge EVERY single placing after 5th. This is why placings only go to 15th at the national shows. Most say, “Look, if you didn’t place Top 5, it means you’re average and need to come back with improvements.” Hard to swallow? It shouldn’t be. Out of 20-30 competitors in the class at the nationals, only 5 can be in the top 5. My advice to competitors before they invest the money into competing at a national show is WIN or place Top 2 at a regional or state show first. Otherwise, if you’re going to Nationals for the simple status of being a “national” level competitor, coming back with a 14th placing may be more humble to the esteem than waiting to progress when you’re ready. This is my opinion. J If you’re going for the “experience”, please remember that when you get your placing.
So, all in all judging was hard work. Michele and I also had to take a National Judges Test. We are waiting to see how we did, but after a healthy discussion, we agreed that we would not be dismayed if we didn’t pass. We don’t want to judge national shows until we’re ready…however long it takes. J I was also blessed to be able to represent StrongHold Ministries along with IFBB Pros Alicia Harris and Chaundra Tangi. We held a small prayer meeting for the female competitors at the Host Hotel that Friday morning. Pastor Mike and the other pastors of the ministry travel to the major Pro shows and pray for the athletes. I have benefited from this for the past 4-5 years and it has been a huge blessing to my competition experience and to my life. We just wanted to offer the same support to the competitors competing at the Jr Nationals. We didn’t know what to expect but about a dozen women showed up and we lead discussions covering scripture from Hebrews and shared personal testimonies of our own experiences competing…with and without God. It was humbling to be infused with the emotion, peace and bond that was created between those that attended. When we walked away, Alicia, Chaundra and I realized that we just did the most important thing we could do that weekend….pray for these athletes! And I just thank God for giving us the words and preparing our hearts to support these women. And I am so thankful to Pastor Mike Wenger for being such an awesome mentor and friend to me in the past few years as I've walked in my faith.
My final role in Chicago was to coach and support the 5 athletes from Save Fitness that were competing. In Fitness, we had Tracie Soder from San Jose, Save Fitness coaches Cinzia Clapp from Anchorage AK and Heather Skaar from Portland OR, and Sara Bankemper from Seattle. In Bikini, we had Venus Ramos from LA. Thurs night before the event, we rehearsed our posing and portions of our routines. These women are already a tight family so you could sense the loyalty and sense of family present in their love and support for each other. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these women. They showed up ready to present their best. They set goals, they followed through, they showed up and got it done. And when it was over, they kept their heads held high. After each round, we would get together to “regroup” and “assess”. Part of regrouping after a show is to keep everything in perspective. If you don’t, you can easily let one show be the “end all, be all” and I don’t think your goals or dreams should ever come down to “one” show, especially if you are truly embracing the journey you are on. So, Sat night, we all had a wonderful time celebrating our hard work, new goals and most of all, our special friendship!
So, I get back on a Sunday afternoon and have about 24 hours to rest and prepare for my next trip…. To Los Angeles.
Tags: |
| A Typical PreContest Day... |
| 02.02.2010 15:08:10 | |
|
People often ask what my days are like or what do professional athletes do all day? Well, I do ok, but we IFBB Pros dont bring in the same kind of doe as my NFL counterparts. haha But I do consider myself to be every bit as professional and serious about what I do. So, as a self employed business person, I design my business to allow myself the time I need to devote to my contest prep. And one of the ways that work for me is to work hard and then take time off for me. An example would be like doing all my demos for my sponsors, Gaspari Nutrition the first 2 weeks in Jan. I scheduled sessions with my clients, posing class, fitness practices, etc all in those 2 weeks. Then I left and went to Hawaii for 10 days to kick start my contest prep and focus on me.
This was a typical contest prep day for me in Hawaii: 0800- 90 min of cardio on an empty stomach (Run or Incline Treadmill for 90 min) My knee is recovering from being swollen from the 6 hours of choreography I did last week with my clients. But I was happy to be able to get my heart rate up to the 160s with the use of upper body movement (boxing) while on the treadmill 0945- Eat Meal 1 1000- Shower/Ice Knee (Right ACL gets sore and I have patella brucitus in left knee) 1030-Emails 1100- Rest or Nap 1230- Eat Meal 2 1:30- Heat Pads on legs/knees to prep for gymnastics and routine practice 2:00- Routine practice 2:45- 45 min Cardio 3:30- Eat Meal 3 4:00 Electric Stim Therapy on legs 4:30 Cook more food or Rest 6:30 Eat Meal 4 8:00 45 min cardio followed by 150-200 reps of ABS 9:00 Eat Meal 5 and ice knees 10:30 Eat Meal 6 11:00 Bed It was important for me to get 9 hours of sleep each night in order for my body to recover. In the past, I’d get so busy with clients and emails and running other aspects of my business that I could only get in 5-6 hour s of sleep. After about 2-3 days of hard training and this sleep regime, my body would start to decline in energy and performance. I noticed that resting in between my workouts and getting 9 hours of sleep helped me recover and I was able to maintain high intensity throughout my entire contest prep. This time away was perfect for me. But my work was waiting for me when I got back. haha! Friday night, 10pm Fly in from Hawaii Saturday, 30 Jan 0800- Cardio 60 min 0930- Shower/Eat 1030-1230 Choreography with client from Utah 1230- Save Fitness Meeting with Elaine Craig, John and Roxana Kreklo from On Stage Image and Mark Mason 1-230pm- Bikini & Figure Posing Class (20 teammates showed up and Elaine stayed to assist in the class) while Mark Mason shot everyone's physique and posing pics 3-4pm- More choreography with client 4:30-6:30pm- Max Muscle Appearance for Gaspari Nutrition 7pm- I feel dead at this point, but at least I got my cheat meal that night... 10pm- I CRASH :) This is a typical work day for me. But I am not complaining. The Lord sustains me in all that I do and I try to see everything as a blessing. I got to coach an amazing group of women, visit with good friends like Apple, Elaine, John, Roxana and Mark and then network with even more awesome people at Max Muscle. Have a blessed week my friends. Remember to see the blessing in everything and always do your best. You will have those days where you might miss a meal and lack the energy to push yourself to the limit, but dont give up. Stay the course. Thats what champions do!
Tags: |
| My Road to the 2010 Fitness International |
| 01.21.2010 05:05:03 | |
|
In the off season, my philosophy is to be healthy, active and enjoy life. For me, this does not mean getting back on a strict diet, doing 2 hours of cardio or taking fat burners. Your body is a very smart machine and will adapt and adjust to your eating habits and exercise pattern. When I am 12 weeks out, I gradually increase my output (amount of time worked out a day) to 2 hours a day. So it is important for me to rest more in the off season and give my body a break so that when I do “turn it up” during pre contest, my body responds because it is experiencing a higher level of output. This is why I don’t take fat burners in the off season. I save the good stuff for 8 weeks outs. I am almost 4 weeks out from the Phoenix Pro Fitness. It is time for me to take my output to 3 hours of cardio a day. I flew to Hawaii yesterday and am here to train. My brother has a condo here so I am blessed to be able to come to this beautiful place to train and focus on my preps. After getting 8 hours of sleep, I woke up to the sound of the city of Honolulu. I got on my knees and thanked God for his blessings. I asked him for healing in my knee, which gives me constant problems from my ACL tear a few years ago, and I asked him for endurance as I start my cardio marathon and training. As I went down for my first cardio….I said to myself….”Time for session 1. I am going to work hard to get my heart rate up. I am going to focus on my end result. I am going to endure the fatigue and hunger pains I will experience during my session (my first session is on an empty stomach). I am disciplined. This is who I am and this is what I do”. This is a part of my script. This is how I speak to myself. I am careful to guard my thoughts and keep my confidence in line with God’s abilities. I learned from my experience training for the 2009 Olympia, that His strength and provision is sufficient for me as an athlete. And as long as I keep my identity and abilities rooted in Him, I will have victory. Tags: |
| My Journey to the 2009 Fitness Olympia Part 2 |
| 12.04.2009 04:01:22 | |
|
Nutrition
I love the diet that Pete Grubs, my nutritionist of Construction Zone put me on (www.constructionzn.com). My weight was at 129 so I only had 10 lbs to lose in 16 weeks…very doable. If you are a veteran competitor, I recommend that you stay within 10-12 lbs of your contest weight. This will allow you time to drop body fat slowly and allow your skin time to tighten up while increasing the hardness of your muscles. I LOVE working out and I DO NOT LIKE the strict part of dieting. Pete gave me a diet that sustained my high intensity workouts without depleting me. He uniquely cycled my diet so that I had a high fat day and there were days when I had moderate carbs. It was a diet that was very balanced and provided all the nutrients I needed to burn fat and maintain my athletic ability. I did not drop weight initially (4 weeks) but my body fat dropped steadily. This means that I was gaining lean muscle mass as I was losing body fat. This is a good thing. We were able to do this for weeks, like 6-8 weeks without having to change much. I saw Pete once a week for an assessment. It was good to see him weekly, not only for accountability but to maintain a high level of understanding of how my body was transforming. Everyone needs a second EYE! Another decision I made was to change the way I felt about the food I had to eat on my dieting and my overall connection to food. I used to despite dieting and was always consumed with what I couldn’t eat and would feel sorry for myself and the sacrifices I was choosing to make. This did not make dieting easier. I decided to build a love relationship with healthy food. I cut out pictures of healthy foods from magazine and posted them all around my condo. I posted phrases that were positive like “Eat Clean, Get Lean” and “Eat more, lose fat”. This worked for me. I started putting more energy to making my meals delicious and aesthetically pleasing. One of my favorite meals was a simple egg white omelet with mushrooms, oat s and blueberries on top. I focused on enjoying what I could eat rather than I what I couldn’t eat. And that made all the difference.
I've been working with Pete Grubbs for over 8 years. This type of loyalty is rare in our industry. Clients move from trainer to trainer, and rotate nutritionists like the change is seasons and fashion trends. I learned years ago that finding someone to work with that you can trust, build a relationship with, exchange mutual respect and a shared passion for your fitness goals is important to finding success. Pete and I have a solid relationship. He respects me as a client and friend and listens to me. He takes my concerns into consideration, yet gives me his honest opinion. He also serves as my calming agent. It is easy to get influenced by what others are doing, or the latest diet fad, or simply freaking out in the last few weeks of preps. He keeps me sane. I often go off on a tangent about the things that I am concerned about and he can feel my anxiety increasing. When I’m done venting, he says “Calm DOWN!!!!” I always laugh and remember that I’m letting self doubt seep into my armor. No room for that. I’m very grateful for Pete. He has stood by me all these years. He even flew to Vegas to be there for me for the Fitness Olympia. You wouldn’t think this is a big deal but Pete does NOT like to fly. J
Tags: |
| My Journey to the 2009 Fitness Olympia |
| 11.06.2009 23:05:49 | |
|
Cross Fit I’ve been competing for 12 years, 8 years as a professional. One of the challenges is that I get bored with training if I don’t change things up. I can’t be random about it though. I have to pick activities/sports that will directly impact my physique and athleticism so that I can produce my desired results. In 2005, I started running to bring my legs down and started running marathons. I don’t recommend running for everybody as a means to bring the legs down. I had very muscular and developed legs that had little body fat. I needed to lose the muscle off my legs, not necessarily the fat. So, if you do not have Iegs that are well developed with muscle, you may want to consider training your legs and letting the cardio and diet take the fat off. I began my Olympia preps officially in June. I started doing Cross Fit because it was so similar to how I train as a Fitness competitor. Cross Fit workouts incorporate explosive lifting, plyometrics, bodyweight exercises like squats, push up and pull ups. It increases muscular endurance, stamina, anaerobic conditioning and core work. The workouts are short but high intensity and definitely got my body in shape both aesthetically and conditioning-wise for my routines. Cross Fit worked out great for me because I already have a solid base of muscle on my body and just needed to get a little harder and present that tight, athletic look. For beginners, I would recommend a basic bodybuilding program. I got my legs and great shoulders from all my years of doing heavy squats, lunges and shoulder presses. So, if you are a new Bikini or Figure competitor who needs to put on muscle to develop your physique, do not bypass the basics of bodybuilding…it is the foundation and staple of our sport.
I train at King Cross Fit in Renton (www.kingcrossfit.com). I love these guys that run this box (a term used in cross fit to describe the training facility). They’re like the Filipino mafia except they’re totally cool and would never whack anybody! LOL! They will put you through a grueling workout though, and they pay attention to form to make sure everyone is doing right. At 16 weeks out, my workouts usually included a cross fit workout (less than 30min) or an hour of gymnastics coupled with an hour of high intensity cardio. So, my initial output was only 90min a day. I did cross fit about 3-4x a week. If you are curious about what kinds of workouts I did, just go to www.kingcrossfit.com and check out their WODS (workout of the day) They post the WOD and blog every day. You can even see pictures and videos of some of the training. Its very intimidating at first, but you will get used to the intensity. People think I’m crazy because I train at high intensity in almost everything I do. The key is to do it consistently and break through the wall (the point where you think you’re going to die and convince yourself that you are never doing this again and are ready to quit) and PUSH through it and show up to do it AGAIN! This can be running, plyometrics, cross fit, doing a fitness routine full out, reaching failure in your muscles when you train, etc. If you always give up when it gets hard, you’ll never move up to the next level of athleticism. JUST DO IT….seriously, leave FEAR at home and get it done. Then you can brag about it the next day and go back for Round 2 so you can maintain that rep of yours! J This is how I hold myself accountable. Whether it be a long run (6-8 miles), a routine practice on low calories, a boot camp or a cross fit workout, I try to go into the workout with a mentality of “Im about to kill this workout”. As Im getting beat up by the road, the gymnastics floor or my coaches at Cross Fit, I just keep reminding myself that Im a bad-azz and I focus on maintaining that rep throughout the work out. It works for me. They call it positive thinking . You ARE what you BELIEVE you are….
Tags: |
| Washington State |
| 07.31.2009 01:21:47 | |
|
I thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to do what I love and serve people with my gifts. I love serving as a coach, trainer and mentor. It inspires me but I also enjoy seeing the fruit of believing in others. I love helping people find their self worth. Ironically, your self worth should not be established by your position or titles in life, but by your character. Your characteris challenged and develops during your contest prep. This is why competing is a JOURNEY. I recall working with my clients at MY FITESS Gym in Renton and noticing these two beautiful young women working out. They had nice physiques and seemed very focused in their training. Being the vivacious person that I am, I called one of them out. I remember seeing Dana Strandemo and saying “Girl, you have an awesome physique. Do you compete?...Do you want to?” Its always funny when I do this, b/c the normal response is a look from them like “Are you crazy, who ME?”. And that’s where the seed gets planted. I see the potential in people and love to bring it out. I know that the journey will be worth it, regardless of the placing. Well, Dana and Amber Pederson ended up joining Save Fitness and started to train for Bikini. They learned how to pose, trained with the fitness team and got in incredible shape. You can imagine how proud I was when they both took 1st and 2nd at the Washington State Championships in July. J I just smile looking back….because the seed was planted just a few months ago, and here they were collecting trophies. The Washington State was put on by Williams Productions and they did a great job. They had a fun Mardi Gras theme and the show ran very well. The backstage support and staff was readily available and the show had a very supportive environment. This show is growing so be sure to check it out if you weren’t there this year. One of our Save Fitness members debuted as a Fitness competitor at this show. Her name is Lauren King, and somewhere btw being busy as an attorney, she made time to train for a fitness competition. I love clients like Lauren. She’s very self-motivated, reliable (meaning she does what she’s suppose to do) and takes personal responsibility. These are qualities that will serve her well if she decides to stay in the sport. She took 3rd and impressed everyone with a physique that presented a great total package, her posing was on and her routine was packed with skill. Look out for her, she is making improvements and training for the Washington Ironman! Another Save Fitness member, Cara Thien, came down from Canada to compete. Cara is a mother, wife, and business owner. Are competitors superstars or what? I am inspired continuously by how much a person can do in one day when they make their mind up! Cara performed her best routine to date with a physique that is always on. Cara and Lauren both work with my nutritionist, Pete Grubbs of Construction Zone, so they have him in their corner dialing them in. Cara took 2nd and went on to place 1st at the BCs in Canada the following weekend! She is now training for the Canadian Nationals!! Viko Newman championed through a tough spring/summer after her injury prior to the Emerald Cup. She has had to sustain her focus and motivation all year but she did it. Her physique was tiny and tight and her routine is always impressive. She has this joke about coming in second all the time, but those days are over. She won the Fitness AND the Figure Overall. I don’t have to say that I think Viko is well on her way to become a Pro very soon. No pressure : )
This was a fun day for me to see the fruit of everyone’s hard work. The journey to competing begins with believing in yourself and then committing to all aspects of contest prep. It’s not easy but having a support group and team of people in your corner certainly helps. A nutritionist is highly recommended and if you can afford a trainer or coach, that would be ideal as you will learn so much in the mentorship process. For example, I think Shannon Gill is great with her clients. She’s very professional, thorough and cares! She will coach you through every step and be in your corner and give you the security you need. I tell her all the time how grateful I am to have her in the NW as a resource. She is also an excellent judge and takes notes, but if you need feedback, she is definitely one to approach. Holla if you think you want to try Fitness, Figure or Bikini this Fall. The Washington Ironman is only 9 weeks away but like Dana and Amber, you could be on stage in the blink of an eye! Much love! Tags: |
| Veterans WheelChair Games |
| 07.27.2009 13:54:20 | |
|
I come home for a day and then leave again for Spokane. I was invited to be a special guest at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games by my buddy and close friend Carl Washington. Carl was a trainer with me back in 2002 when I worked at the 24 Hour Fitness in Spokane. He was a Marine and I was an officer in the Air Force so we had the military and fitness in common. He has watched me blossom all these years in fitness, but our bond has always been tight. He served as chairman of this committee and thought of me when they were pondering guests to invite. I mention this because I value EVERYONE that has been a part of my life, past or present. I don’t care what I achieve or where I go, I never forget the people who supported me along the way. Carl is a great example. It was great to be in Spokane because this is where my life in the NPC began back in 2001 when I started competing in the NPC. I used to do the Fitness America circuit when I was stationed in Texas, but there was only NPC when I got to WA. So I started competing in every show (almost) with the intent of winning. I remember thinking that I had to beat everyone in order to earn the right to go to nationals. It just didn’t make any sense to go to nationals and expect to win if I couldn’t beat everyone in the NW! Where has that attitude gone? Don’t get me started… J I’ll let that be another blog….called contest progression. Anyway, Brad and Elaine were awesome enough to encourage me to take my butt to nationals. To my surprise, I ended up winning the whole thing and from that day forward, my life was going to change. I mention this to express that I am VERY grateful for people like Carl Washington, and Brad and Elaine Craig who served me with ENCOURAGEMENT. There are times that we don’t always believe in ourselves, or times where we are just suffering from extreme humility, lol…. But the act of encouragement from someone else can literally give birth to a DREAM!!! I must say that I am so blessed as a COACH to be able to give this gift as I have seen dreams come true (maybe not right away) over and over again! Ok, back to my Spokane trip. So they put me up in the Davenport Hotel!!! WOW!!! The Davenport is a classic older hotel with all the ambiance of a castle. I was so spoiled. That is another perk to traveling and being a guest. I get a day away from my condo with all its reminders of all the stuff I still need to do, lol, and escape in a beautiful hotel by simply experiencing its beauty. Life is good. Carl and I head to the Wheelchair games where I was announced as the special guest…Fitness Pro and American Gladiator and Air Force Veteran. I don’t even get to sit down because before I can blink, there is a line of athletes waiting to get my autograph and take pictures with me. I was so flattered. I got to talk with each of them, and as I became more comfortable I began to ask about how each of them got injured. One particular story was a woman who was enlisted in the Army and got injured in combat, not once but TWICE!!! Her name is Lucritia. I can’t tell you how I felt to hear all these stories and yet witness the attitude of abundance that was prevalent in these games. These folks, in wheelchairs, were playing basketball, rugby, weight lifting, etc. And they were having a blast. When I got back to Seattle and went on my next run….I dedicated my run to the men and women I met. It was easy to run because I just kept imagining how much each of them would LOVE to use my legs to feel the burn that I was feeling! It was such a n inspiring and humbling experience. THANK YOU JESUS for all that you show me! Praise God for giving me eyes to see his beauty and his gifts….. THANK YOU!
Ok, yes, I will be praying mid-blog whenever inspired. J Just a warning. So, I also had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with a wonderful woman named Laurie who was helping Carl with my stay and other errands with the event. She is a great mom, has passion for the sport and went on to win her class at the WA State the following weekend! Go Laurie! And thank you so much for your hospitality! During my stay, I found out that another buddy of mine, Dan Staton, that I used to work with at 24 Hour Fitness in Spokane had recently opened up his own CrossFit studios. (Btw, I have been doing cross fit for 2 months now….blogs on that are coming J ) I am so excited about this and decide to go train with him in the morning before I fly back. Well, I showed up all fired up and bushy tailed and Dan proceeded to put me through the longest CrossFit workout I’ve ever done! It took me 50 min to finish the workout. Most workouts are 20 min or so. Cross Fit is very high intensity so don’t judge it til you try it. Check out his site http://www.fasttracperformance.com/crossfitftp/. If you’re curious about CrossFit, come train with me at www.kingcrossfit.com These guys rock! I had an amazing workout, in fact, I got carpet burn on my tail bone from the 250 sit ups I had to do on his astro turf! That’s crossfit for ya! LOL! So, after I get beat up, I rush back to my beautiful hotel, shower and get back on a plane to Seattle. When I got back, I rested a bit and I think I took the “crazy” pill that day and proceeded to head over to King CrossFit for my 2nd crossfit workout for the day. Yeah, wont be doing a lot! LOL! I just happened to be extra motivated that day….. Some ask, where do you get all this energy to have days like this. My answer….
You have to LOVE what you do. LOVE the challenge, LOVE the competition, LOVE the pain, and EMBRACE Fear… These are just a few reasons that work for me! Tags: |
| Guest Posings |
| 07.27.2009 12:15:53 | |
|
So a few weekends ago, I had back to back guest posings on opposite coasts of the country. That’s a first for me! I flew to Ft Lauderdale on a Thurs night for the Southern States. This show is like the Emerald Cup of the east coast, but not quite as big. Friday night was the womens show and Sat was the men’s show. Cee Jay, the fantastic and legendary suit designer, offered to let me stay with her. She had me picked up in a limo. She gave me the royal treatment. Believe it or not, that doesn’t always happen for us pros, so I am always grateful for the hospitality shown to me under any circumstance. When I got to her house, she was sitting on the steps to her mansion of a house. Wow! She didn’t tell me she had it like that. The guest bedroom that I stayed in had a balcony that overlooked the pool in the bathroom and then another balcony off the bedroom. Lets just say I will be back to visit Cee Jay. Cee Jay will be making my suits and costumes for the Olympia . We stopped by her shop and I finally got to see where all the mastery is done. I met her staff and picked out my colors for the Olympia! We traded my guest posing for her suits, probably a $2500 value. That is definitely one of the perks of being a Fitness Pro. There are opportunities to make money and exploit opportunities because you have a service you can render via your performance. The industry just doesn’t pay to have Figure Pros come to a show unless you’re signed with a company. You may get an appearance fee if you’re a big time Figure Pro like Gina Aliotti but typically promoters are more likely to pay a Fitness pro or bodybuilder to do a guest posing for entertainment. Yes, this is all a shameless plug to recruit more fitness athletes. J www.savefitness.net The guest posing in Ft Lauderdale was a great time. I always get to meet wonderful people who are passionate about the sport and our industry. I am not always the best with keeping in touch via email, facebook or myspace, so when I am making an appearance, this is my time to devote to my fans and enthusiasts in the industry. I left the show at 1130pm and spent the evening with my old roommate from college. I got back to Cee Jay’s house and 0130 and my driver came at 0400 to take me to the airport for my 0600 flight to San Jose. I arrived in San Jose at 1100 and had lunch with my Save Fitness client and friend, Tracie. Then, I gave myself some mandatory down time to rest before the evening show. I performed a new routine that had some “STOMP” inspiration. The crowd enjoyed it! I have to say that performing NEVER gets old. I am so happy to have been doing this for so long that I can actually ENJOY every moment that I am on stage. I can see the faces of the judges and hear the reaction of the crowd. Its like I am driven to FEED them more energy and more attitude. I’m like a little kid fishing for love and attention. It is such a fun experience. And afterwards, one of the things I hold most precious, is the opportunity to speak to the crowd. I do not shy away from this, as there is so much I’d like to share so I never miss an opportunity to inspire or encourage others. This is one of the reasons I love guest posing. I get to speak my mind and people listen. But this is also a responsibility. I got to spend a few days in the bay area working for my sponsors Gaspari Nutrition. I also got to attend my sister Zakiya’s baptism. That was a wonderful event to witness! Then, back on a plane back to Seattle for a day before heading back out to Spokane for the Wheelchair Games….. that will be my next blog. Tags: |
| Being a Role Model to Kids |
| 07.15.2009 15:58:48 | |
|
Tags: |
