CRAIG PRODUCTIONS LLC

Well, we are yet another week closer to both Vancouver and Emerald Cup!

Boy does time fly! This is why I ALWAYS emphasize making the most of every single day and hour that you have to prep for a show! It becomes easy to think that you have "so much time" left, but before you know it...It's SHOW TIME! To be exact...I have 40 days until Vancouver and 60 days until the ECUP! I CANNOT wait! As frustrating and exhausting as this prep has been, I ALWAYS enjoy the journey! It's amazing to see my body progress..both in measurements and performance! Every week I improve in one way or another and this is what keeps me coming back for more!! I've had countless people ask me why I don't just maintain...I just think 'Maintain? Maintain? Why would I want to maintain? There's so much room for improvement no matter how hard I train' and that's what makes the sport truly exciting! Why would I want to settle to maintain...Why should I be content with where I'm at? There's no reason. I hope that I am ALWAYS striving for improvement...Even when I'm an IFBB Pro with YEARS under my belt...I will continue to strive for improvement! As I continue to train hard and improve, I am filled with fresh air...a fresh outlook..it fills me with life and I become absolutely HUNGRY to make progress!

So as far as improvement goes!! My shoulders are definitely coming along!! This is an area which I have struggled with and it feels good to see that little cap begin to form as I hold a front pose! It has taken a lot of focus and hard work, but my shoulders are definitely coming along! Thank goodness ;)

As far as my prep...It's coming along wonderfully! I'm hitting it so hard during the week that I am sooooo truly thankful for Sunday to come around! By Saturday, after a morning track workout, I'm definitely ready to rest up for my upcoming week! I know that training gets hectic as the show is approaching, but please please take time to rest and recover!! There's no point is busting it out all "off season" to build if you're just going to do endless cardio with no recovery! So rest...your body needs it!

My diet has been great and I began a new phase this last week. Lots of veggies, a bit more lean beef than usual and more whole grain breads! So far it is giving me more energy, keeping me full and I'm staying lean! So no complaints there! The only thing that I'm really struggling with is my water intake! It's been REALLY tough with school! I sit in class for 2.5 hours at a time and then have a quick 10 min break to get to my next 2.5 hour class...That 10 min gives me just enough time to scarf down some food and run to the bathroom quickly! So overall, I would say that my water intake is my biggest struggle at the moment, BUT it will definitely be my goal for the week to focus on this and get my water intake up!

So that's where I'm at! Feeling great about my prep and I've thoroughly enjoyed keeping up with our other bloggers and other competitors as we all push through our last several weeks of prep! Stay strong guys and gals! Remember: Each day is CRUCIAL...each workout is crucial and I hope that each and every one of you are staying focused on YOUR goals for these upcoming shows!

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

PS..contact me on facebook if we're not 'friends' on there already! It would be great to talk with those people who are following my blog!!

Diane Rudholm

Tags: Shoulders | Emerald Cup