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Gerri| Posing & Training...What's the Connection? |
| 02.07.2010 13:18:59 | |
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My husband Dan, and I just finished a good back workout this afternoon. We do an exercise (I call it "pullovers") using the cable stack and a wide bar. You stand in front of the stack, grip the wide bar as wide as you can, thumbs over the top of the bar. Your stance is chest out, back arched, feet together. You bring the bar down to shoulder level, then press/pull the bar towards your legs, engaging your upper lats during the movement. This is a great finishing exercise for a back workout. Dan and I always "spot" each other by keeping our fingertips on the lat area...to make sure we are using the correct muscles during the movement. One thing Dan noticed on me today, was how "wide" my lats looked and were during the movement of this exercise. When we were done, he had me mimic the exercise and then pull myself into repose. After doing this a couple of times, he had me go over to the mirror - so I could see the "width" that he was talking about it. What a difference I saw! We decided we were going to incorporate this a bit into my posing practice when I'm getting ready for my national shows this year. It also got us to thinking and talking about how using good form while training could translate into good form while posing. Obviously we have to have a "mind/muscle" connection when posing, and if you think about it...if you have GREAT form in the gym while doing your training, you should be well prepared to have good form while posing. Give this some thought the next time you're in the gym training. If you're checking your form in the mirror...make sure you are using good, strict form while lifting. I always tell my clients that it is "quality not quantity" when getting your training done. If you nail down the quality (i.e. good, strict form), the quantity (managing heavier weights) will come along. When posing...think about how you practice. Do you rely on the mirror to tell you that you're doing it right? Where is the mirror going to be when you're up onstage? I don't use a mirror, and we don't let our clients use a mirror when they're working with us. My mind and Dan are my mirrors when I practice. When our clients come to us for a posing session...we expect them to think the same way and use their minds first, then us as their mirrors. Ultimately the fans at the show will be your mirror...once you've captured in your mind how your posing should look. Make the connection! Tags: |
| What Does this Sport Give to You? |
| 01.19.2010 04:04:48 | |
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As a competitor of many years (the last 7 years being at national level), I never fail to hear endless rants and raves about how someone got "ripped off" in the judging, or how it's their trainers fault they didn't come in the way they should, or one excuse or complaint after another. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of complaining that goes on, and the personal lack of accountability for how someone looks or whatever. Granted, if you hire a trainer...they should be giving you their best, but we as athletes have a responsibility in this too - to do our very best with the tools we are given or purchase. That being said, rather than complain about what didn't happen or what I didn't like, I'd rather focus on what this sport has given to me. Because of this sport I have met a lot of really great people...from all over the world. Starting right here in the northwest I've gotten to know many of you in the bodybuilding circuit, and made some good friends over the years. At nationals, I get to see my buddies whom I've made friends with when I stepped up to national level in 2002, and even though we may see each other only a couple times a year, we have a blast at the shows...sharing our food, helping each other out backstage, and just sharing some camraderie. It's something I really look forward to! Because of this sport, I'm a stronger person, physically, emotionally, and mentally. I like being a strong female...in all aspects. It has given me more confidence in myself and my abilities to do all kinds of things. It gives me balance in my life, not only making me healthier physically, but it helps to combat the stress of my job as well as everyday "life stresses." As an athlete in many sports, I never achieved the satisfaction in them that I have through my pursuit of bodybuilding. Because of this sport, I've gotten to travel and see more of this great country than I ever thought I would. I've been able to work booth's at the Arnold and Olympia Expos and meet tons of great fans of our sport. Not to mention, pick up a sponsor or two, be a "calendar girl", work with many great photographers, and get free products. What a blast I have had so far! And this sport brought my husband Dan and I together. He is the best part of my life, and what more could I ask for to top off everything else that I've received through becoming an athlete in this sport. It's so easy to focus on the negative and the "have nots." Instead of going that direction, take some time to think about the "haves" and the positive benefits you've gained as an athlete through your journey. Whether you're just starting out, or you're a seasoned veteran of the sport, stop and reflect on what you've gained. I'll bet you find the list of gains all the way around is much greater than what you haven't got. email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it website: www.gerridavis.com
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| The Season has Begun!!! |
| 01.07.2010 12:54:02 | |
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It's amazing how as bodybuilders, we learn to think and measure our lives in terms of "weeks out" now! I remember a time when I talked about doing something "in a few months" or "next year." Now it's in terms of how many weeks away I am from Nationals or the USA's! Our local season is ramping up and it's now 14 1/2 weeks out to the Emerald Cup. Still plenty of time to really think about your prep for the show and determine if you've got everything you need to get ready. Do you have your diet planned? Your cardio? What about suits? Are they ordered? And posing practice...when are you going to start that? So many questions and so many things to think about in getting ready for your show. If you've never used a coach or trainer before, now is a good time to think about getting a coach to help you with your prep. As we get closer to the show, I'll write more on the topics of precontest nutrition, cardio, posing, etc. But even if you read everything you can get your hands on, you still may find that you need that experienced, seasoned set of eyes to look at you and make sure that your physique is coming in correctly and on time. A good coach can offer you constructive criticism and help you dial in to bring your best game to the show, and many athletes find they do better having the guidance of an experienced coach. To find the right coach/trainer for you, look for someone with competition experience and some years under their belt. Ask around and don't be afraid to ask the coach you are considering to give you references that you can check out. Ask them about their experience with other competitors, and how their competitors have done. Ask about what is included in their fees - some will offer package prices for your show prep. Make sure that your needs are covered in your investment with the coach you choose. If they're good, they wont hesitate to mention their clients to you, and be able to show you who they've been successful with. Good luck to all of you as you begin the season and your journey to the Emerald Cup! email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.gerridavis.com
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| Two Weeks Out! |
| 09.20.2009 03:02:39 | |
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The show is quickly closing in...and it's amazing what goes through our minds as competitors - as we think about putting in the last few training, cardio, and posing sessions, and what else we can possibly do to "fine tune" our physiques to bring our best forward. I think back to July and where I was at two weeks out from Masters Nationals. I can remember being so tired one night that in between doing my sets of floor crunches, I could have easily fallen asleep right there on the gym floor. I remember being so tired, that I couldn't wait for Dan to get me through my posing practice so I could sit down on the couch and just chill for awhile. And I can remember wanting something really sweet and yummy to eat...and KNOWING that I still had to wait another two weeks until I could have it! I'm sure many of you are experiencing the very same things. But we know that we have to be tougher than that, pick ourselves up, and keep plugging away through those sets and reps, through the posing practice, and staying true to the diet - to bring in our best package and perfect those cuts and definition. Tags: |
| Getting Ready for the Big Day! |
| 09.08.2009 04:10:05 | |
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You're now four weeks out from your big day and the Ironman. It's never too early to start planning for the actual show day and all the things you need to have with you at the show. Most bodybuilders have their "pre-contest" rituals in addition to their dieting, training, cardio, and posing. I for one, am a planner and very "routine" oriented. I like to have things well organized on the day of the show, and know that I've got everything I need to be stage ready. One tool that I give my clients (and have been doing so since 1990) and that I like to use consistently is my Contest Bag Checklist. I've created lists for both male and female bodybuilders (needs vary slightly) as well as the figure competitors. The checklist takes the guess work out of making sure that you've got everything in your bag for the show, and that nothing gets left behind. We all know that carb-depletion takes it's toll on our brains and memories, so having the list is definitely a big help in ensuring that nothing important gets left behind. Having worked behind the scenes at many shows - as well as competing myself, I've seen one too many competitors get to the show and are missing their music, forgot to put their posing oil in the bag, or didn't pack any pump-up food. This just adds additional stress to what should be a fun time and one that you are well prepared for and enjoying. For any of you that would like to have a copy of my Contest Bag Checklist, please feel free to contact me at: www.gerridavis.com and click on the contact button on my site. You can email me from there, and I'll be happy to share my list with you. Tags: |
| Are You Posing Yet??? |
| 08.24.2009 10:22:49 | |
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Alright athletes, you are now 6 weeks out from the Ironman…YES, just 6 weeks! It’s interesting how we bodybuilders live our lives in terms of how many weeks out we are from the show. At 6 weeks out, your show prep should be very well under way. Training and diet are on track, you’re cranking out your cardio, you’ve got your posing suits or trunks ordered, and getting all the little details taken care of. Question is, how much are you devoting to your presentation onstage? Are you practicing your posing at this point? Where is your focus…on your quarter turns and mandatory poses, or more on selecting your music and getting the choreography down for your free posing routine? Another question is have you “learned” to pose? As a competitor and trainer, the advice I give the most to new athletes and even seasoned athletes is to hire someone to teach you to pose. It is money well spent, and you won’t regret investing the time and money. Von Ray Johnson, a familiar face to all of us at our regional shows and long time NPC judge told me a long time ago (way back in 1989 when I did my first show) how important presentation is, and how judges look at your stage presence. His comments and advice stuck with me all of these years, and I try to share the importance of that advice. It’s fine to look at videos and pictures to learn posing, but honestly there’s nothing like having an experienced coach/athlete help you learn the poses properly. They become your mirror and can critique you – to improve your posing and stage presence. My husband Dan and I “tag team” with our athletes’ on their posing sessions. We drill them through their quarter turns and mandatory poses,spend additional time on teaching them to transition through poses and “flow”, and work together choreographing routines to music that “suits” the competitor, and presents the physique in the best “light.” We always start our clients on their posing no later than 8 weeks out from the show. If you’re “green” and have no experience with posing at all, you may want to start even sooner. Check around with other competitors and get references on who you can work with for posing. I recommend you spend at least an hour to an hour and a half per week with your posing coach. Find a coach that will have you pose without the mirrors. They will teach you to “feel” your poses and better prepare you for the stage – where your mirrors are the judges and the audience. For “homework” Dan and I have our athletes’ practice their quarter turns and mandatories every day, in addition to 8 minutes of “transition posing” and practicing their routine. Our expectation is that our athlete will show up to their appointment ready to show us what they have practiced. We continue to spend the entire time drilling them over and over again, and perfecting the posing and routine. Critiquing and finessing the posing continues right up until the show. So if you haven’t incorporated posing practice as part of your contest prep regimen, and your training & cardio yet…start NOW! At six weeks out, you can still practice your way to being polished onstage and having excellent stage presence. For more information about contest prep contact me through: www.gerridavis.com Tags: |
| Back to the Gym & Other Training |
| 08.13.2009 12:12:46 | |
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Well, I'm back to the gym after nearly a months rest following Master's Nationals. Dan and I actually started back in last week, got through three nights of our workouts, took a night off and snored on the couch while we "pretended" to watch TV and then went hiking at Mt. Rainier last Friday. What's cool about planning for the hiking is that we get a killer leg workout and cardio in one workout all while taking some seriously spectacular scenery! Last year we hiked up on the mountain itself climbing to over 7,000 feet. Let me tell you...if you want to feel SERIOUS BURN in your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves - take a hike! Try the Alta Vista Trail up at Paradise. Climb to Panorama Point, and then continue your hike on the Upper Skyline Trail. It is a kickass workout, plus it gives you an excuse to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (on whole wheat!) once you get to the top. Of course our hikes have been during the off season, but we also carry protein bars (VPX Zero Impact Bars are INCREDIBLE!), trail mix, and lots of water! Getting back to last week's hike though...we decided to stay lower in the park this time as the mountain was socked in. As we entered the park and drove past Longmire, I noticed the temp drop to 53 degrees, and of course we're both in shorts and t-shirts...LOL!!! Well we did bring our hiking boots, thick warm socks, and jackets...so we were fine clothing wise. We decided we would check out the Comet Falls Trail at the recommendation of our chiropractor. It was a 1,400 ft climb in 1.8 miles from the trailhead. Needless to say...once again we had one heck of a good quad, hamstring, glute, calf, and LUNG workout! The trail gets a little rough...lots of roots and jagged rocks, but Comet Falls is absolutely worth the climb...even on a drizzly day! We got to what we thought were the falls (and what is quite beautiful) and stopped briefly to rest. Then Dan noticed a sign that said Comet Falls 200 feet with an arrow pointed uphill. Soooo...we decided to climb another 200 (plus) feet to see what we could see. IT WAS WORTH EVERY STEP! Because it was so socked in, we couldn't see where the water actually started to fall from the cliff (the falls are 300 feet), so it looked like the water was fallling from the sky. It was spectacular to say the least, and I can only imagine what it looks like on a beautiful, clear sunny day. We got as close to the falls as we could (about 20 feet away) and the wind coming off the falling water as it splashed into the shallow pool below created it's own blustery weather. We were both in awe of the sheer power of nature and the beauty we found at the top of that climb - we can't wait to go back! I guess I have a point to make here - to all of us "hardcore gym rats" and that is - don't limit yourself and your training to just the gym, the treadmill, etc. Take a look around you and plan a "training/play" day to try something different. Experience nature and all of it's raw and powerful beauty. Let nature beat up your quads and your glutes, and add some cuts and tone to those hamstrings and calves. Trust me...it's a HARD workout, but one that brings some incredibly satisfying rewards - not just in terms of conditioning and fitness but also relaxation, peace, and scenery that takes your mind off the workout. Give it a try! Tags: |
| Achieving Muscle – Magic or Basics? |
| 08.02.2009 09:31:33 | |
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Some of my favorite (?!) questions that people ask me on a regular basis is “How long did it take you to look like that?” "Is there some kind of pill I can take to get muscles like that?” “How do I get like that in 6 weeks?” These questions come from men and women both. Typically the men want the “magic formula” that will have them looking like some Greek Adonis in a matter of weeks. Women ask for more information, maybe wanting to work and streamline a specific area, or they just want a firmer, toned body. I’ve been asked some of these questions so many times, I’m beginning to think of creative ways to answer them – like “2 weeks, and lots of Flintstones chewables!” All kidding aside, I always try to give people good, honest information when they ask for advice, and some of the answers I find myself consistently providing are stick with the “basics.” Good nutrition, a good basic weight training program, some type of cardiovascular exercise and adequate rest. I also tell them that there is no “magic” when it comes to achieving a muscular physique. No amount of supplements with glossy labels, a sparkling ad campaign, and a muscular pro is going to produce the “magic” results that people want over night. No amount of “talk” about how you want to look like that, or how you used to be 200 pounds and able to bench 350 (while you’re standing there – all of a buck twenty-five, soaking wet), and no amount of wishful thinking is going to get you there. It takes hard work, discipline, blood, sweat, and tears – and the basics. It takes quality workouts – not quantity i.e. “I work out for 3 hours a day and do a full body workout each time!” Honest answers are hard for a lot of people to hear – when they’re seeking the quick and easy answers. I myself like to stick with the basics – free weights, basic movements, and my personal choice is to go “heavy and hard”. While that doesn’t work for everyone, and some people’s bodies respond quite well to lighter weights, high reps, or lots of machine work, for me it’s the tried-and-true approach. I am also a stickler for using good form – thus the “quality not quantity” mindset. It isn’t the amount of time you spend in each workout, but the quality of the workout itself. I truly believe that if you use proper form, the quantity (or increase in poundage) comes with time. When I got my start in this sport over 16 years ago, I was fortunate enough to start out with a good trainer who not only constantly corrected my form, but also practiced what he preached. He set a good example in the gym when doing his own workouts, and I learned a great deal just by watching him. I’ve always tried hard to convey that message to my clients, and also teach by “setting the example.” I follow a relatively simple training program – working each body part only once a week. This way, I get maximum recovery, and can continue to push myself with heavy weights and at high intensity. I find working one body part once a week keeps me looking forward to each workout as well. I also work three or four sessions of cardiovascular exercise in each week – usually 40 minutes in duration. This adds to the calorie burn that carrying a lot of muscle mass already creates, and keeps my respiratory system healthy. Pre contest, the cardio sessions usually increase – sometimes up to two hours per day, six days a week. As for the rest of my plan, I also stick by good basic nutrition – year around. I keep my protein intake high, the carbohydrates moderate, and the fat low, supplementing my diet with adequate vitamins and nutrients, and lots of water. While I allow some fat gain in the off-season, my gains are typically minimal in the fat department, and greater in the lean department with this type of nutrition. Sure, I eat “goodies” in the off-season – life would be pretty boring without some treats. But my rule is I have to eat the good quality food first, and then if I still think I need a treat – I can have one. The quality of the fuel you put into your body is reflective in your skin, your muscle quality, and your overall health in general. You have to make your eating regimen a lifestyle, and for many it is a major lifestyle change and not easy to do. We live in a society of “fast” everything. We thrive on the convenience of easy access to fast food, and don’t take enough time to put quality fuel into our bodies. I once heard someone say, “Most people take better care of their cars, then their own bodies. They put premium fuel in the gas tank, to get optimum performance from their car, but put junk in their bodies.” If you think of your body as a high performance machine, doesn’t it make sense to put quality fuel in the tank to feed the machine? Not only will your gains be better, but also you’ll find you have increased energy and better health in general. The other part of the basic formula required is heart. By heart, I mean passion. Passion for the sport, passion for the training, passion for the lifestyle that accompanies bodybuilding and achieving the muscular physique. I always tell clients that when it comes to training and competing, I can only give them the tools they need to help build the body and achieve their goals. I can’t reach inside of them and put the passion there. I can motivate and inspire them, but only they can want it so bad that they’re willing to do what it takes to get there. That kind of passion comes from within and it grows with each new change in the body, with each time you lift a little heavier, with each workout you finish satisfactorily. It comes from discipline and dedication, from getting yourself out of bed at 4:45 am to do an hour of cardio, from bypassing that dessert, and having an extra helping of steamed vegetables instead, from going to the gym on Friday night, instead of going to the bar for a beer with the gang. And it comes from those who come up and ask, “How can I look like you?” When you hear that, you know that all the hard work, the discipline, the passion, and sticking to the basics – pays off. When it comes to bodybuilding and weight training, I don’t think there are any “magic” formulas. The magic is in the hard work and following your heart. Tags: |
| Big G in the House |
| 07.29.2009 13:25:36 | |
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It is so great to be a part of this community! I'm excited to blog here and hope I can add some interesting tidbits to the site! I'm just coming off a great finish at the 2009 Masters Nationals - I placed 2nd in the Over 35 Heavyweight Women - my best placing ever at Nationals! I'm thrilled, and I want that first place and pro card so bad I can taste it! LOL! I've decided not to do any more national shows this year and instead get back to the gym and focus on "honing in and refining" my physique for my attack on Masters Nationals next year.