2008 Competition Photo Album

Finally (only 3 months after my season ended!) I've compiled an album of all my fitness routine action shots. Check it out on my public profile link courtesy of Facebook.

Alissa's 2008 Competition Fitness Routine Photo Album

ABCD... Follow Me!

Do you remember The Letter People from PBS, circa 1984? Well, if so, that's where this blog post title came from.

Anyway, I'm excited to let you all know that you can now become a follower of my blog by clicking the "Follow Me" link directly to the right under my profile.

Once you become a follower, you can simply receive my blog updates directly into your profile, eliminating the need to have to bookmark the site and remember to come back and check for updates.

Subscribe to This Blog
Or, if you always use your My Yahoo or My Google page, you can receive a daily feed by subscribing with the orange box icon and link at the top right of the page.

All of Alissa's Info, Updates, Pics, Articles
In addition, it's a one stop shop for all of my sites on the web. Check out my Links to the right to view my personal website, team site, sponsors, various community pages and blogs on the web. It's all here!

I hope you'll join me and thanks for reading!

xoxo
Lissa

New Training Split

Yesterday I kicked off my new split. I think this is the 3rd "new" split I've kicked off in about as many weeks! I was having trouble finding my motivation, plus other things were taking higher precedence. Well, I think the motivation is here to stay. I'm eager to get started on honing my physique over the next 6 months before the start of the 2009 season.

Back & Biceps
Chest & Triceps, Abs
Legs
Shoulders & Calves, Abs

This will be a rotating split. I will take no more than one day off every 2nd day before beginning the next day's training. This will allow me to get get way more workouts in than if I were on a fixed day split. The split will last app. 4 weeks before I add more volume and frequency to my training program.

I will be focusing on detail and shaping, not pure mass building, at this point. I am going for a moderate/high volume, moderate intensity training style that will increase over the coming weeks. I like to be intuitive so I'll change things up as I go along.

After the race on Oct. 6, I will cut my running back to no more than 3 times and no more than 6 total miles per week, to help my hip heal. To keep my cardio up, I'll add in some gym cardio maybe twice a week for 20-30 minutes.

What have I been up to?

When it comes to life in general, I have ADD of sorts in that I can't commit to one thing for too long before it bores me and I have to move on - that is, if it's no longer stimulating or productive for me.

Do you ever find yourself comfortably drifting along in life with a normal routine, when all of a sudden - BAM! - an idea hits you and you realize you have to do it NOW or the chance may never come back? Well, that's what happened to me. One day an idea bopped me in the head and I thought, "Wow, I'm a dumba-- for not having done this, and even more of one if I don't do it NOW!" That idea was going back to school, full time, to finish my Bachelor's and move on to my Masters or Doctorate. I have about 2 years of full-time school left until my BS is attained. I figure at that point I will definitely know what post-baccalaureate education I want to pursue.

The thing about life and ideas is, I am a strong proponent that you should do them for your own reasons and when the timing is right for YOU. Heck, if I followed the leader, I may have had a degree in computer science right now, and probably would have 1 or 2 kids! Not that there's anything wrong with that, but for me my heart was not in it and that leads to a half-a-- commitment and piss-poor results! At this point in my life, I am ready to capitalize on the perfect situation God has given us, to go back full force and get that education done so I can move on in life and in my career. I start next week!

Exercise and competition-wise, I've been keeping up with workouts and eating fairly well, though I've put on more weight post-comp than I would've liked. I have some major hip problems right now, which severely limit my range of motion and restrict my flexibility laterally. Yesterday, I found a great practitioner that will address my entire neuromusculoskeletal system and I am stoked to be working with him! Once I get some movement back through his treatment and my own self-treatment, I can resume my strength and flexibility and work on some new fitness skills for next year. I want to try and compete in June of next year at the Jr. Nationals, then at Fitness Nationals in September (unless they change the dates).

I'm still personal training and writing for added income, but my focus will gradually switch to my studies and rehabilitating my body. So, that's what I've been up to lately!

Can you DIGG it?

Hey guys, I need your help. If I'm one of the first 5 Bloggers to get 200 Diggs on my article, I win a cash-money prize! Please show me how much you love me and click "Digg" on the following link. (You need to register for a Digg account to do so)

Click to Digg The Busy Woman's All-in-One Workout

Show me some love!

For all of you faithful and hardworking clients of mine, I suggest purchasing a shirt to show how much you really care about me and my torture... er training methods!



Or, if you're still a little sore and maybe not so happy with me, you can always go for this one:

Random Fitness Thought

I was browsing some fitness buttons and bumper stickers today and found this awesome one. Had to share it with you all!

I'm on Prevention.com!

Hey everyone! Many of you know that I am switching business gears and focusing more on my career as a freelance health and fitness writer. I've been writing for the past six years, but just really started marketing it and pursuing more frequent work.

One of my latest opportunities is a Prevention.com Buzz Community Contributor (aka Prevention Maven). I am part of a network of women writers who are into health and fitness and are independent staff to Prevention.com. I am very excited about this new opportunity - to promote my writing, to educate others on health and fitness, and to be part of this great community Prevention.com is building. There are tons of resources here; I invite you to check 'em out!

My Blog on Prevention.com

My Prevention Community Main Page

Off Season, baby!

I had a GREAT time at Jr Nationals! Stayed with two new friends and all-around awesome chicks - Dixie and Laticia. Ready to refocus in the off-season and keep on keepin' on. I won't be hitting the stage again until 2009.

I am welcoming the break after 3 competitions in an 8 week period! I am taking it easy this week as I ease into off-season. My biggest concern is controlling the post-show weight gain! I want to get up to 148 lbs. slowly and maintain that off-season weight until next year when I start dieting again.

Cardio: I am leading a Running Club at my gym. We are preparing for the Army Ten-Miler in October, and we're currently running about 2.5/3 miles twice per week.

Fitness Routine Skills: I will resume gymnastics lessons mid-July and practice 1-2 times a week on my own to learn some new strength moves for next year.

Lifting: I haven't defined the next split in my training phase yet, but for the next 1 1/2 weeks I'll be laying off on volume and frequency, doing several circuit-style workouts. After vacation, I'll resume training in mid-July as my first full training phase of the off-season.

Gotta enjoy the summer!
Alissa

3 Days Out!

I am FINALLY getting excited for this show... a mix of positive anticipation and unknown anxiety, but excitation nonetheless. :)

Everything has really come together over the past week. I won't lie, I was worried about not having my physique where I wanted it last week, but I just stuck to everything and waited it out, and I have made some awesome changes in that little bit of time. My routine is, and has, been ready to go and is more polished as well has better conditioning (endurance) from Jr USAs last month. I am mentally ready for a break from competing. Started the baseline diet in February and this will be the 3rd show in 8 weeks. Physically, thanks to my Doctor and putting extra time into supplementation and balanced nutrition, my body feels great. I am a little bored with the same old training but I've kept the fire in the workouts and am ready to bring it to Chicago!

I fly out Thursday and arrive in the afternoon. The best spray tanning crew around will be taking care of me - John and Roxana Kreklo. They did my tan at Dallas Nationals last year and it was beyond awesome. My hair will be done Wed by my local hairdresser, and Laurie St. Michael will be making me up both Friday and Saturday.

This show will be 2/3 over with Friday night! Very odd, so I have to adjust my diet to peak well for Friday. I've been trying some different things and I have a perfect peaking plan and have no doubt it will turn out awesome. This will be the best show for me this season. I just hope to hit my routine well and have fun while I'm out there. Looking forward to meeting new competitors and having some deep dish Chicago pizza Saturday night!

T-2 Weeks Training Schedule

Holding steady with training and diet. Trying to get even tighter before I head into peak week this Saturday. A few changes in the schedule this week to accommodate next week's training. Two-a-days every day this week!

Mon: Running Club (2.25 miles run/walk intervals - 35 min.); Back & Biceps
Tue: Routine Practice; Sprint/Walk-Jog intervals - 15 min.
Wed: Running Club (2.25 miles run/walk intervals - 30 min.); Legs
Thu: Routine Practice; Sprints (6 100-meter sprints with 2-3 minutes walk/recovery)
Fri: Shoulders/Chest/Tris; Routine Practice

*Peak Week begins*
Sat: Run 2.8 miles
Sun: Run 2.8 miles; Legs (80% volume/intensity)
Mon: Short Routine Practice then light/mod run w/ club; Back & Biceps (80% volume/intensity)
Tue: Routine Practice (last all-out); Shoulders/Chest/Tris (80% volume/intensity)
Wed: Short Routine Practice then light/mod run w/ club; Full Body Circuit (30 minutes)
Thu: Sprint/Walk-Jog Intervals - 20 min.; Upper Body Circuit (30 minutes)
Fri: Show Day 1!
Sat: Show Day 2!

Training & Diet - T-3 Weeks

Time is ticking! Feeling good about the changes I've made since Jr USAs. Here's the game plan this week:

Mon: Back/Biceps; Run 2.5 miles
Tue: Routine Practice; Shoulders
Wed: Run/Walk Intervals (with client) 30 minutes
Thu: Routine Practice; Sprints
Fri: Legs; Shoulders/Delts/Tris
Sat: Routine
Sun: Rest

Food for the week:
Carbs M & W at 85g. Tu & Th at 100g. F will go up to 125g.

Weigh in Saturday morning!

Please Vote for Me!

I am entered in the BodySport and Garbage Nutrition model search competition. Voting is open online and you can vote multiple times daily. Here's the direct link - show your favorite fitness blogger some love! ;)

Click here to vote!

Fit Figures Girls Hit the Stage!

I am so proud of my girls... they have been working hard! Congrats to these lovely ladies on their recent accomplishments:

Heather Peterson - NPC Junior USA Figure F Class
Katie Gallagher - OCB East Coast Regionals, Figure Novice Short 1st and Figure Open Short 2nd
Cherri Gregg - NPC, Figure Tall 5th

And coming up soon...

Kerry Potter - May 24, INBF Blacksburg Figure
Andrea Fountaine - June 14, NPC East Coast
Tamra Bullard - June 14, NPC East Coast

Good luck ladies and keep training hard!

Looking Forward

Pressing On from Jr USAs to Jr Nationals!

After a great time and a great showing at Junior USAs (and a few days rest and FOOD!), I am ready to buckle down and charge full speed ahead to the Junior Nationals. Four and a half weeks from now, I will be on stage in Chicago presenting my best routine and best physique. I am eager to beat my conditioning from last year's Nationals, which was my best thus far. It's not that I haven't been working hard up to this point, oh - I have! But with a 4-week stagnation period where I had to tweak and alter to get my stubborn body to release bodyfat, I was left with too little time to peak my physique at the condition I wanted it. It was enough for a win last weekend, but I need to justify myself in Chicago! Goal is to be at least 4 and up to 6 lbs. lighter. This weight guess is on the assumption that I haven't gained an ounce of muscle since November, which probably isn't true, but just in case it is I don't want to under-estimate where I need to be. The adductors and glute-ham tie-in shall be revealed shortly!

Ready to go!

Feeling very good about where I am. Weight is 139.9 this morning. I am much tighter all-around and managed to fill out a great deal by slowly upping the calories over the past 2 weeks and carb-cycling. Last all-out routine practice today and it went great! Got the new moves down to the newly sped-up music. Had tons of energy and noticed no depletion after running through the entire routine. Hopefully I can duplicate this on Saturday!

I'm heading down to Charleston on Thursday early afternoon. It's an 8-hour drive, so with 2 gallons of water for the day there will be plenty of pee breaks! I like to relax and not rush during the last few days, so I'm giving myself that extra day and plenty of time to drive down. Jan Tana is doing my color and EccoGioia is doing my hair, so I don't have to worry about having time to do any of that.

I heard 5 days ago that there were about 17 fitness competitors registered so far. It should be a nice turnout then! 3 classes, maybe about 6-8 girls per class if they are evenly split, but they usually never are. I know I will show better than my last show - I am already better than I was then by far. Hopefully the judges recognize my improvements and hopefully it's good enough in the field to get a top 3 placing! But, you never know these things until you see who is there and how everyone performs that day. I am definitely satisfied with where I am now; at this point it's just about getting my peak right without being too depleted or too flat. I feel great about where I am now - was a little ahead this morning so I was forced to add in some more carbs - oh, darn! :)

Wish me luck, I am ready to have a blast in SC regardless of the placings.

xoxo
Lissa

Looking Good, Feeling Crappy!

Something's going right, because I feel like garbage! The new carb-cycling plan and slightly higher calories is working fantastically. My metabolism is kicking up and I am down another 1/2 lb. (Goal is 139 by Saturday morning, got 1.5 lbs. to go!) Practiced posing today with Heather (she's competing in tall class Figure) and am very happy with the fast progress I've made between last week and this week. Lines in quads and hip flexors are deeper, waist is smaller and tighter, shoulders and arms are tighter and fuller, and glutes/hams are smaller and tighter.

The new changes I made to my routine are working out great. I ran through it twice today on I don't know what energy, and it was nearly flawless both times through. I have yet to try it with the newly sped-up music; that will be done Saturday morning. Only 9 days to go!!!

Post-Pittsburgh & the Way Ahead

Well, one show down, two to go for the season! This was a great warmup, and I have to say 4 weeks ago I did not think I'd show as well as I did. I had a 4-week halt in progress and had to really examine my diet and change things around to re-jump my metabolism. I managed to lose about 5 lbs. during the last 2 1/2 weeks of prep and my show day weight was around 138 lbs. I knew going into it I was not at my best condition, but I still feel that I was presentable. I had a great time performing my newly improved fitness routine, and made a few changes to the end for the next show. So between now and Junior USAs, which is only 10 more days away, the only change is to be very strict on a carb cycling diet and lose as much bodyfat as I can b/w this show and next. I'm already down 2 lbs. since a week ago, and my goal going into peak week this Saturday is 139 lbs. (141.1 today). As I know all too well, you can't force these things and your body responds how it wants. To facilitate as much loss as possible, I'm cycling on 50g, 75g and 100g of carbs every 3 days.

Here's a pic of the fitness lineup at the Pittsburgh show this past weekend, courtesy of Bill Comstock at Muscular Development:

Posing Class, Training and Rotator Cuff

Sunday was my Fit Figures Team posing class. We had a great turnout! 5 women attended the posing (two team members) and one of my girls brought along her training and one of his employees to observe the workings of figure posing. The girls have been working hard, and it's fun to see their physiques progress month to month. It gives me a great chance to fine tune my presentation, as well.

Training is still training. Some days I feel like it, some I don't. Today is a "don't " day, with the crappy weather, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Diet is still going well. Not starving but ready to eat(!) and my cravings are very much under control. Rearranged split this week partly because of injury (see below) and to mirror my training for peak week next week. Here's the outlook:

Mon: Legs; Cardio
Tue: Routine; Cardio
Wed: Back/Bis; Cardio
Thu: Routine; Cardio
Fri: Shoulders/Chest; Routine (short)
Sat: Start Peak Week
*I'll likely be skipping tomorrow night's and Friday's gymnastics classes to let me shoulder recoup. So, gotta sub it with regular old cardio (blah!). Will be doing my routine on the hardwood floor this week to get used to the lack of spring and beating my body into the ground - fun fun!

Somehow, Friday afternoon, I managed to strain my left rotator cuff. NOT COOL two weeks out from a show! I am nursing it, and I do have a lot more range of motion now (about 80%), but I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull off a fitness routine. Seeing my doc Wednesday and my Chiro/Soft Tissue/Rehab guru Friday. I may just have to compete in Figure, which at least would give me an outlet instead of wasting my entire prep so far, but I'd still be disappointed if I couldn't show off my new routine!

Praying and hanging in there,
Lissa

Another week (almost) down!

Yay, I made it through another rough week! Those low low calories are killer, and to top it all off, I got my period on Wednesday, so you know I was craving all kinds of crazy carbs... ah!!!

I haven't weighed in since Apr. 15, but when this post-period water weight goes away I'll check in again. To be honest, I'm actually (for once) NOT worried about my weight. I have seen so many drastic visual changes in my physique, day to day, over this past week that I know I am progressing. Trying to "get to" a certain weight and not getting there can deflate the positive momentum and cause you to have to dig deep for extra motivation, so in this case I'd rather not know my weight.

I do feel that I've done everything I can to prep, and I'm always looking forward (remember, if you look in the rear view mirror more than in the windshield, you'll crash!) and controlling what lies ahead of me, God willing of course. I am really excited to get on stage again, and I am very excited to visit with my Dad and aunts/uncles/cousins, since I haven't seen him in almost 1 1/2 years since the divorce! I miss my Dad very much, and he's one of my biggest role models. Not to mention, going "home" to Pittsburgh will ROCK! I was watching Food Network the other day and they went to this Italian sandwich joint in Pittsburgh and I am like "Oh, we are SO going there after the show!" I hope I remember when I'm up there!

BUSY week this week. Going to Delaware today to train with Tracey. Sunday is our Fit Figures posing class, on Tuesday I'm presenting a 10-minute keynote to my business group, getting my hair done Wednesday, and picking up a banner for the bridal expo a business affiliate and I are working the following Sunday - after doing a makeup consultation on Saturday for my Fit Figures Team! All this, and normal PT clients, contest training, getting my peak week diet ready and show arrangements, and making sure I keep up with my college schoolwork! Only by the grace of God can I manage all this stuff. Only by taking one day at a time do I not drive myself nuts.

To all my clients out there, girls I am always thinking of you and hoping your training and prep is going well. I apologize if I don't always answer emails right away; I'd rather wait till when I have time to give you the full response I feel you deserve. Hang in there; you all are great!

Let me leave you with a great verse that I try to live by on a daily basis (I do fail, but I try my best!):

"If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not (only) for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." Phillipians 2:1-4

Lots of Love,
Alissa

Update

Training went great last week! I'm still feeling a-OK (no signs of overtraining) so I'm kicking it up again this week. On Friday, I'll be heading to Delaware for my final training session with my fitness coach, Tracey Greenwood.

Mon: AM - Back; PM - 4 mile run (36:34)
Tue: AM - Routine (60 min.); PM - Gymnastics class (90 min.)
Wed: AM - Legs; PM - 3-4 mile run
Thu: AM - Routine; PM - Sprints (~25 min.)
Fri: PM - Routine w/ Tracey (90 min.)
Sat: AM - Shoulders/Chest
Sun: PM - Posing Class (90 min.)
*Might add in another run on Sat or Sun depending on how I feel.

Strict diet again this week. I did go up to about 1000 cals Saturday and 1200 Sunday. For the rest of this week I'll cycle between 850 and 1050 every 2-3 days.

Training this Week

Adding in those extra training sessions, I am definitely feeling it. Only Wednesday! I will be fine. :)

Sun: 10 mile run
Mon: AM: Back
Tue: AM: Routine (60 min); PM: Gymnastics class (90 min)
Wed: AM: Legs (60 min); PM: Run 3 miles (26:45)

Rest of week should be:
Thu: AM: Routine (60 min): PM: Interval Cardio (30-45 min)
Fri: AM: Rest; PM: Gymnastics/Routine (60 min)
Sat: AM: Shoulders/Chest
Sun: AM: Run (3-6 miles)

A Great Race!

Well, Dave and I are official finishers in the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler! We raced Sunday, and I stayed with him, urging him on and encouraging him to the finish line. In retrospect, I should've started his training program a month earlier, but I am so proud of him for sticking to it and following through.

We rested the remainder of the day, enjoying tasty carbs such as pasta with chicken and edamame, ezekiel bread, and a bit of pizza.

Today, I am in full force focus on my upcoming shows. Less than 4 weeks until Pittsburgh! Low carb day today, then I will take each day at a time, skating low carb days but going up at least every 3rd day. I hope by employing a more severe carb cycle that my body will respond extremely well and begin dropping weight quickly. I will also add in 3 additional training sessions from here out - a Tuesday night gymnastics class, Thursday night sport-specific cardio, and a Wednesday night run, which was only occasional previously.

I'm definitely excited that my season is coming up. I'm planning on three great shows, with the third being my best yet.

Time's A-Tickin!

Another week down - yay, and... another week less to prepare! Got through the weekend and managed to stay clean and get in a good 7-mile run with Dave. We are ready for the race next weekend! This week, I still want to keep the intensity in my training, but I have to lay off towards the end of the week so I'm rested for the race...

Mon: Back/Bis
Tue: Routine (1 hour, high intensity)
Wed: Legs (about 80% and switching this day from Friday); Light Jog/Walk 30 minutes
Thu: Routine (1 hour, moderate intensity and focus on strength moves instead of conditioning)
Fri: Shoulders/Chest/Tris
Sat: REST

Diet yesterday was higher carbs, so today (Mon) was low carbs. Will stay low tomorrow, go up Wednesday, low again Thursday, moderate Friday and high Saturday in prep for the race.

Carb Intake this Week:
Mon: 50g
Tue: 50g
Wed: 100g
Thu: 50g
Fri: 100g
Sat: 150g
Sun: Big carb breakfast and post-run meal, but CLEAN carbs (oatmeal, brown rice, etc.)

My goal weight for Friday is 143's or lower!

Breakthrough!

Yay, I finally broke through my rut today... and am down almost a full pound. New weight is 145.9 and I'd like to be in the 144's before week's end. No leniency or time to spare... if I want to get to 135 in 5 weeks I've got to be right on the money with the diet. Once I get in it 100%, there's no stopping me! And I have a feeling I'm there right now. I'll report back on my weight early next week, but I expect to be down another 1-2 lbs. by Tuesday.

Today is Leg training in an hour, then gymnastics this afternoon, both sandwiched between two clients. This morning, I was up at 4:30am to attend my Friday AM Coaches Council bible study. Today is also Dave's birthday, so I came home from council and made him french toast with sourdough bread and real maple syrup. Tonight I'll bake him a peanut butter chocolate cake - but none for me!

Low Carbs!

Tuesday - Feeling "fluttery" today... or hypoglycemic. Not sure why, but I ate a bit of oatmeal just now before I head out to gymnastics to practice my routine. This will be a long, intense practice to really work my conditioning. Only one workout today.

Diet should end up being around 90g carbs, and the usual 25-30g fat and 150-160g protein.

Wednesday - Slow day (work-wise) today, so I should be able to lift and run. Will try doubling up to single workout session like I did on Monday. I actually like it and it saves time, too.

Thursday - Will be another intense routine practice day.

Friday - Will be legs and afternoon gymnastics.

Sunday - LOOOOONG run with Dave. We will shoot for 8 miles. This will be our last long run before RACE DAY, which is the following Sunday - April 6!

Early Update

Monday, I had a mini photo shoot, so I trained back and cardio at once (skipped biceps). Held back to about 80% intensity and volume on back so I wasn't too burned out for the cardio and the shoot.

2x8 Pullups

Narrow lat pulldown
3x15, 12, 10

FLEX Seated Row
3x12

Hammer Low Row
3x12, 12, 15

V-Bar Straight Arm Pressdown
3x18, 15, 12

Weight took 30 minutes. Followed by a 2-mile run plus warmup/cooldown (22 minutes). Followed by light stretching 5 minutes.

Photo shoot from 5:00 - 7:00pm

6 Weeks Out

Yay, I finally broke through my rut! I'm down another 1.4 lbs. today - to back where I was on Mar. 8. So I really lost 2 lbs. this week. I really had to kick things into high gear - added an extra 3-mile run, kept carbs and fat lower, and trained twice a day yesterday as well as Tuesday. Today is gymnastics only and this weekend will be a 7-mile run. Hopefully I can keep up this losing streak (ha ha!) and get down another 2 lbs. each week for the next two weeks. That would get me back to a slower goal and make me a little less stressed. :)

This past week's Training:
Mon: Back/Bis
Tue: Routine, 3-mile Run
Wed: Shoulders/Chest/Tris
Thu: Routine, Legs
Fri: Gymnastics/Routine
Sat: 7-mile Run

6.5 Weeks Out

OK, I've been getting bugged, so here's my update! ;)

I gained 2 lbs. on the scale over the past two weeks. Diet has been straight, but I did have some minor hangups with it last week (had to attend two banquets) and training (missed two workouts due to scheduling conflicts and a minor knee injury). I am feeling very tight and lean, my delts are popping out and my arms are extremely tight - can't pinch any fat. Lower abs are finally tightening up, and of course my saddlebags are last to go! It's possible I gained muscle, especially since I look so much leaner and my face is beginning to resemble a kling-on once again, lol.

This week, I added in a second run to help with calorie expenditure, but also to help prepare for the race. Dave and I ran 6 miles last Saturday and this week the goal is 7 miles. So, I just did a short 3-mile run last night. When I train twice a day, I need to space workouts at least 4 hours and two meals apart or I am worthless for the 2nd workout.

Routine is coming together! I have all my strength moves except for one stupid handstand roll thingy. My coach tells me not to give up on it; we won't change it until we have to at 2 weeks out if I don't have it by then. She's right; I trust her!

On Monday I have a photo shoot, so that will definitely motivate me to stay on track with diet this week. I will do an official weigh-in Friday or Saturday of this week. I think I'll do a bodyfat check, too.

Oh, and I passed my NASM personal training exam on Monday - yay!

End of Week 2

I'm rolling right along... finally found 'the groove' again this time! Dave had pizza Thursday night but it didn't phase me - ha! I surpassed my goal weight for week one but fell short for week two:

Week 1 Goal: 147.6 (Actual - 147.3)
Week 2 Goal: 146.2 (Actual - 146.7)
Week 3 Goal: 144.7

I'm not worried. I know that the body does what it does how and when it wants to. I could wake up tomorrow 2 lbs. lighter (hey, it happens to me all the time). So I am continuing to go with the flow. No changes to diet or training, but I'll be careful not to have too many free foods during the weekend, however clean they may be.

Delts are shaping up nicely now that my arms are getting tighter. Top abs are in and obliques are starting to show. Since I stayed lean, my glutes and hammies are MUCH tighter already than in previous years.

Routine practice is going well. My gymnastics coach showed me some great techniques for building my endurance and perfecting some strength moves.

Weight & Date Schedule

OK, here I am at 10 weeks out from the NPC Pittsburgh. I did some number crunching and found that I need to follow the below chart to meet my goal:

-Fri. Feb. 22 – 149.1 lbs.
-Lose 1.45 lbs. per week to reach goal of 135 lbs.
Feb. 29 – 147.6
Mar 7 – 146.2
Mar 14 – 144.7
Mar 21 – 143.2
Mar 29 – 141.7
Apr 4 – 140.3
Apr 11 – 138.8
Apr 18 – 137.4
Apr 25 – 135.9 (Start Peak Week)

Definitely a do-able goal (1.45 per week). I just need to stay focused all week long. The season officially kicked off this past weekend with the Ironman show in California, and this coming weekend is the Arnold Classic. I am excited and fired up about the 2008 season and can't wait to show everyone the changes I've made!

Spinach, Spongebob and School

Hey all, as I type this I am chillin' in my home office, wearing my Spongebob pajamas and eating Meal #2 prior to heading out for gymnastics/routine practice - micro'd egg whites with SPINACH! BTW, I LOVE spinach. Wasn't too hot on it in the past, but on restricted calories you have to love the nutrient density and nil caloric value. 20 leaves are only 40 calories.

So anyway, I am 2 crazy weeks into prep and had gotten off to a rocky start. Birthday, Valentine's Day and a last-minute beach vacation kept me off the path to say the least. But don't worry, I always get it together and show up ready to rock! I just know now that other things are more important, such as family time with the hubby. He knows where I am now and he promises not to steer me off track. :)

School is keeping me busy - I just finished a paper on the contrast between Humanism and Christianity. It really expanded my knowledge of this major worldview and confirmed why I believe what I do. Incidentally, it's been about a month since I've studied my personal training cert. I picked it up with a practice exam today, scoring 75%, so my plan is to test out between semesters at Liberty, which will be around March 14. NASM is definitely more in-depth and comprehensive than AFAA, which is why I chose it for my recertification. My knowledge of kinesiology has been greatly expounded!

HARDBODY B-Day Coverage

The guys over at Hardbody.com were kind enough to give me some B-Day love. Check out the little write up they did for me!

www.hardbody.com/news

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is my 28th birthday! I am starting to "think old," to perhaps coin a new phrase. My mind and body still feel young, however when my life gets another tick mark placed next to it, I begin to ask these questions: What have I accomplished in this past year? Am I living my life to the fullest? Am I serving my God-given purpose or should I be doing more? My belief system assures me that my value and worth does not lie in works or accomplishments, but my Type A tendencies constantly pull me in that direction, like a team of horses pulling the carriage the way they wish despite the driver's best efforts to steer them another direction. I know my life purpose, I know my short- and long-term goals, and I believe I am fulfilling them while maintaining peace and life balance. However, what's in store for me in the coming years? Will I simply go on living this happy little life, or will I help bring people to truth and motivate them to pursue a fulfilling and meaningful existence? I know it doesn't lie on my shoulders, and my humble side assures me that I am not needed for the world to take its appropriate course, but I can't seem to quell these urges and passions. So, I keep trucking on, doing what I think is right but not doing too much that I forget to enjoy the moment. I am focusing on the journey and not the end. Which, when you are assured of your purpose and eternal destiny, is a quite satisfying and peaceful existence.

My deep thought for the day! :)

12 Weeks Out, Routine, Quizno's

Yesterday I ate at Quizno's after driving 3 hours to Delaware, training for 2 hours with my fitness coach Tracey Greenwood, then driving 3 hours home. I had a healthy cheat meal - flatbread grilled chick salad w/ a small cup of broccoli cheese soup, glass of red wine.

I feel ready to start this mess, finally. I tried to "get in the game" last week but wasn't really feeling it after 3 strong days. I have come to terms with what I am doing, but more importantly the "why" and the "how." Those two questions keep me on track and focused during this whole thing. Luckily, my season will only be 4.5 months in total. Staying lean and fit is so easy on you the following year!

So back to routine, Tracey helped finish out my re-choreography of my hip-hop routine from Nationals 07. It was a fun and energetic routine (thanks Tanji Johnson!) but I needed to add more skills and speed up the pace a bit. It's 100% ready to go now, and I am ready to kick it into high gear (good thing I started 2 weeks ago w/ conditioning!).

I have 12 lbs. to lose to get to my contest weight of 135 and 12 weeks to do it. This should be the smoothest, shortest and easiest prep of my career thus far. I'm praying to God that that will be the case.

More later,
Lissa

Current Training

Since I didn't overtrain for Nationals 07, I maintained almost the same training volume and intensity as while on-season. I'm training very frequently right now, and am finally at a point with my physique where I don't have to do a 4- or 5-day split, letting me spend more time working on the routine portion of the sport. Tracey Greenwood is helping me with new moves and re-choreography of my hip-hop inspired routine from 2007.

My lifting and running have been the same as below for the past 4 weeks (since coming out of my strength/power phase). I'd been training gymnastics 2-3x per week but have to back it off to train my routine strength and conditioning. Gymnastics is in there for maintenance and because it's not enough time to learn new skills with only a 2 1/2 month off season twice a year!

Mon - Back/Biceps
Tue - Routine (1 hour), Run 2.5 miles
Wed - Shoulders/Chest/Triceps, Gymnastics (45 minutes)
Thu - Routine (1 hour)
Fri - Legs
Sat or Sun - Run 3-5 miles
*All the running is in there b/c I am doing a ten-mile race the beginning of April.

Ready to Roll in '08!

Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted since Christmas. I've been a busy bee! Trying to sort out all of my priorities (if you know me well, you know that EVERYTHING is a priority for me and that's what gets me in trouble!). Right now I'm training 8-9 times per week, going to school online, studying for my NASM cert, attending business networking classes, working on my business newsletter, and expanding my business to a private studio and in-home training.

In the midst of all of this, I realized that I'm coming up on contest prep! So I grabbed my calendar and realized I'm 14 weeks out! Good thing I've kept up my cardio, kept up my fitness skills, and have stayed lean (only 12 lbs. over). So, here is my outlook for an early, short but packed 2008 season:

April 6 - CUCB Ten Mile Run
May 2-3 - NPC Pittsburgh (Figure, Fitness)
May 17 - NPC Junior USA's (Figure, Fitness)
June 20-21 - NPC Junior Nationals (Fitness)

The Pitt show is for me to requalify in Fitness and to warm-up for Junior USA's. They are now offering Fitness pro cards at Jr. USAs and Jr. Nats this year! Overall, it's 2 less cards for Fitness (they feel the numbers of girls that are qualified to move on to the pros is less, and I agree), but more show opportunities.

My season will be done by the end of June, so I can enjoy the whole summer with my hubby, friends and family, and also concentrate a lot on my business. I REALLY wanted to tryout for American Gladiators this year, and all of my friends and clients were urging me on, but I went against mere feelings and realized my long-term goals would be again put on hold. I might try out for AG in the fall if they go for a third season. Best of luck to all my girls who are currently on the show and who are trying out right now, for season two!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas, as we all know, is the biggest holiday of the year in America. But most people still hide behind the commercialization and forget the true meaning of the American Holiday of Christmas.

Here is the definition taken from Dictionary.com:

Christ·mas /ˈkrɪsməs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kris-muhs] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.

***
I noticed that the new version adds the second sentence, but what they can never do is take away the first. This is THE celebration of our Savior's birth! Whether you are Christian or not, you cannot deny the root of the celebration. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a non-Christian Christmas - it's an oxymoron!


***
Here is my favorite hymn this holiday season. It struck me on the radio two days ago and I had to find the lyrics again. It's called "Mary, did you know?"


Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little boy
You've kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Did you know
That your baby boy will one day rules the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am

Week 3 Training

Fell behind on last week's training so I'm a day behind everything now.

Mon: Mil Press & Shoulders, Calves
Tue: Squat & Quads
Wed: AM - 2.2 mile run (20:06); PM - Gymnastics
Thu: Bench Press & Chest
Fri: Deadlift & Back, Biceps
Sat: Run or Rest
Sun: Rest

Off Season Week 2

Week of Dec. 3 - Dec. 9

Mon: Rest
Tue: AM - Run (2.2 miles, 22:14); PM - Squat
Wed: Gymnastics
Thu: AM - Run (2.2 miles, 20:14); PM - Bench Press
Fri: Deadlift
Sat: Shoulder Press
Sun: Rest

Off Season Week 1

Here's the schedule for this week:

Monday: Squat
Tuesday: Bench
Wednesday: Run day - 2.25 miles on treadmill, 23 minutes
Thursday: Military Press (or Clean n Press)
Friday: Deadlift
Saturday: Run/Walk Cardio Combo (25 min.)
Sunday: Rest

Training - 'Big Four', Gymnastics, Running

Well I had a nice extended break over the past two weeks. I managed to get in 3 workouts each week but took 5 straight days of rest surrounding Thanksgiving. I think that's the biggest break I've had in about a year. :) This week starts the first of my new training phase. I am focusing on three main areas:

Lifting - Big Four - Will consist of the 4 basic lifts: squat, bench press, deadlift, military press and each workout will be followed with auxiliary work for the same and agonist body parts. Days: M, Tu, Th, F.

Gymnastics - I've been wanting to train my routine skills year-round but previously lacked the space, time, coach, and good health. I have all four of these now: my injuries are mostly healed, I am working from home full-time, I have a gymnastics center to train at and a coach available to give me private lessons. I should start next Wednesday and will work with him once a week indefinitely. Days: Wed

Running - To keep my weight down in the off-season and just to stay in good cardio shape, Dave and I are entering the Cherry Blossom Ten-Miler in April. So, I want to start running now and begin building up distance and lowering time in mid-January or so. For the rest of the year I'll try to run just 1-2 times per week (about 2-2.5 miles per session) to maintain, but the frequency will go way up starting in January. Days (not set strictly): Any days I'm available and feel like it!

Nationals Pictures

I had a GREAT time at Nationals! I placed 6th in the deepest class of fitness and was honored to compete among the nation's best. I will report more later, but here are loads of pics in the meantime.




I'm #21. Black/gold sparkly 1-piece and rust red/orange 2-piece.

HARDFITNESS.COM
Routine - http://www.hardfitness.com/competitions/nationals2007/npcfitness/fitnessc/alissacarpio/routine/index.html
2-piece - http://www.hardfitness.com/competitions/nationals2007/npcfitness/fitnessc/alissacarpio/twopiece/index.html
1-piece - http://www.hardfitness.com/competitions/nationals2007/npcfitness/fitnessc/alissacarpio/onepiece/index.html

Comparisons
http://www.hardfitness.com/competitions/nationals2007/npcfitness/fitnessc/comparisonsfitnessc/onepiece/index.html
http://www.hardfitness.com/competitions/nationals2007/npcfitness/fitnessc/comparisonsfitnessc/twopiece/index.html


IRONMAN MAGAZINE
http://contests.ironmanmagazine.com/index.cfm?go2=contests_competitor&CompetitorID=8795
http://contests.ironmanmagazine.com/index.cfm?go2=comparisons&ContestYearID=783&DivisionName=Fitness


FLEX MAGAZINE
http://www.flexonline.com/news/268#
(Scroll down to women's fitness 1 piece and women's fitness 2piece)

MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT MAGAZINE
http://www.musculardevelopment.com/browse/index.php?mode=browse&id=14240&eventcode=1213

BODYBUILDING.COM
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/2932/event/4/division/27/site/1/
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/2932/event/4/division/27/site/2/

6 Days Out

Started peak week today. Weight this morning was 136.5. (Down 3.5 lbs. from my last show 4 weeks ago.) Measurements dropped drastically - went from 37.5" bust to 36", 31.5" band to 30", 37.5" hips to 36", and waist is 26.5". On a 5'7" frame those are pretty good! I feel I've met my goal for conditioning and just need to time my peak right to come in at my all-time best - woohoo!

8.5 Days Out... I am ready!

This has been the best prep experience in my 5 years of competing. I am calm, relaxed, composed and poised to rock the stage in Dallas! I know many of us Type A's get the "more is better" mindset and I did nearly the opposite this year... taking rest days when I should train, adding in carbs when I felt I needed them and eating "forbidden" foods up to 2 weeks out. Well, I will be presenting my most complete, conditioned physique, best presentation, and by far most entertaining, difficult and energetic fitness routine. All while ENJOYING the process (as much as one can enjoy a process such as this!). I have made some big changes this year and I'm pretty sure they will serve me well in the eyes of the judges, but even if not I am very happy and satisfied with all the hard work and improvements that year off garnered me. And, I am proud to say I am doing it as a 100% natural athlete!

On track for Nationals

Wow, I am only 13 days out! What happened in the last year?! It flew by like a vapor in the wind. I can say I have never been this calm and prepared prior to a show, especially a show of this caliber. By God's grace He has brought me through some rough circumstances to mold me and develop my character. Of course, we always like to win, but I am going into the show to have fun and do my best. Hopefully that will result in a pro card, but if not that's OK because I will continue competing and improving regardless. And... I get to throw down for Thanksgiving, pro card or not! wink.gif

It's funny, once I got my life right by putting God first, my perspective on life and every situation has completely changed. Now, rather than changing the situation, I am able to remain neutral in whatever circumstance and know that it doesn't matter what happens, because God is with me, and my eternal life is secure in Him. Kinda makes everything else seem rather trivial from the eternal perspective.

Thanks to you all for being supportive and for keeping me inspired and motivated. We all learn from and feed each other, which is another reason I love this sport!

Progress Update - Since the MD show on Oct. 13, my physique is much tighter and sharper, and I've gone down approximately 3 lbs. (137.7) I hope to weigh in at 135 prior to starting peak week next Saturday. After running my routine at the Yorton, I am confident in my conditioning/endurance, and have been working on fine tuning and cleaning up the flow of the transitions. It's been a great and fairly easy contest prep! For peak week, my plan is to be a bit more generous/risky with my early-week carb-up and start carbing Friday morning so I'm full and tight enough for Friday PM prejudging. Let's hope it works! smile.gif

A few changes to be made

I thought on it for a few days, and with the perspectives of a few good friends slightly altered my game plan for the next 4 1/2 weeks prep for Nationals.

-Leg training: slightly lower weight and up intensity; add plyos and 2nd lower-body plyo workout
-Cardio: 2 full-blown routine practices (currently doing this), 1 mini practice (opt) or Run, Run 3x per week
-Diet: I was VERY low carb before, going between 50-75g every day. I plan to cycle b/c I think the higher days will help me come in harder and fuller. I will go up to 100g probably twice a week.

Other than that, it's just stick to what I do for the next month. I will alter my peak week diet a bit and begin carbing up earlier, and also since prejudging is Friday night it will change some things.

Post-comp reflections & the way ahead

Well, it's two days after my show and I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my life. Why? Other than trying to focus on the anxiety of winning, I already knew going into the show that my true identity and worth was already defined and rooted and would not change based on the outcome of the show. For once, I had no stress and felt joy and peace as I focused on having fun, being friendly, encouraging others, and simply performing my routine with enjoyment. I had time to reflect on my personal journey - the discipline, effort and hard work that, through God-given strength, I was able to endure with very little difficulty and to stay balanced and focused on my personal relationships and responsibilities. Thank God for his grace and strength! I hope to continue to be able to bless myself and others through my passion and love for this sport. It is a blessing that I have been given the physical and mental strength and tools to participate in such a rewarding activity, and to be able to reflect God's glory and be an example of Christ to others.

And once I realized all of this, I decided that my prep will not change over the next 5 weeks until the Nationals. I will "do what I do" and keep working hard and improving, week by week, and hope to have another awesome experience in Dallas!

Thanks for listening and sticking with me through my journey. And special thanks to Heather M. for letting me know she reads (and actually enjoys) my silly little journal. ;)

Alissa

7 Days Out...

Well it seems like I just typed the first entry in here just a month or so ago - wow, how time flies! My warm up show is under 2 weeks away. I debated doing a local show before Nationals... many warn against it as you can "tarnish your reputation" if a black horse shows up and you don't win. Well, I opted to ignore the naysayers for several reasons: first, I wanted my local family and friends to be able to see me compete since I haven't done a local show since 2004; second, I am focusing on competing for fun and not as much heavy pressure; third, it's cheaper!

Anyway, I am so blessed to have my friend Heather doing this show with me. She's a trooper and competed in Late July and early August but is hanging on so we can do this show together! My closest friends and family will be there, so I want to go into this show with no pressure (or as little as possible) and just enjoy the day and reflect on the journey thus far.

As for how I look/feel, I've never felt more composed and at peace, and I believe my physique is on point - not too big/hard but good conditioning. That's all I can do, is control how I come in. My weight today was 139.8 - can't believe my off-season high was around 163 *gasp!* I'm a bit scared to do my own peak week diet, but I've done it all this far so I have to be sure of myself and ignore the doubts and indecision that tries to creep in.

Thanks to those of you who are tracking with me and reading my babbling nonsense.

xoxo
Lissa

Weekly Training

I'm now just under 4 weeks out from the warmup show and 9 weeks out from NATIONALS! Decided to start logging my training on paper so I can keep track of how many sessions of what I am doing, now that I'm increasing the frequency. Running is back in and I am going to add in a 3rd weekly routine practice, once I can get to the gymnastics facility to train.

Mon: AM - Shoulders; PM - 25 min. Run
Tue: PM - 60 min. Fitness Routine (conditioning-focused)
Wed: AM - Back, Calves; PM 25 min. Fitness Routine
Thu: AM - 30 min. Fitness Routine, 30 min. kettlebell conditioning
Fri: AM - Gymnastics; PM - Legs
*Second run will be Wed or Fri

Feeling Great!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while - a few of you have been "bugging" me. ;)

I am doing GREAT. I had my wisdom teeth (all 4, 2 were impacted) pulled 1 1/2 weeks ago and had to stall on diet/training for about 5 days, but I am in full gear and hard-charging now!

This is my 3rd day at the house working from my home office and I can't believe how BUSY I am. I'm busier than I was working at NGB, because I have so many things to do that my brain thought of over the past 6 months and put on hold until I had time, which is now. I am loving it though! It will be a learning experience to find a balance and set my schedule and will probably take a few weeks to find a comfortable rhythm.

OK, about show prep. I am 4.5 weeks out from my warm-up show. I feel a lot different going into this one. I don't feel RIPPED but I do feel lean and tight. It's kind of odd. Maybe the muscle I put on in the off-season is skewing my image of how I should look right now. In any case, I am relaxed, not stressed or worried and will get to see what I need to tweak for Nationals in less than 10 weeks!

My weight as of yesterday is 143.7 and can you believe when I first started with my baseline beginning of June I was close to 160?! For this first show I will aim to come in slightly under 140, perhaps 138. I don't know for sure, I just tweak things as I go!

Fitness Routine is coming together quite nicely. Conditioning is much better than anticipated after a 2-week layoff due to the oral surgery. Strength and flexibility are there, just need to keep it all when I run all-out routines. And that, my friends, is nothing but ENDURANCE and kick-your-butt sport conditioning that makes you want to throw up and/or pass out. But, I LOVE it and would never willingly give up competing in Fitness!

Well, gotta get back to work but I'll try to check in next week with updated pics from my two photoshoots (one 2 weeks ago and one this coming Saturday).

God Bless!
Alissa

7.5 Weeks Out

Last weekend was a great time - Dave and I went camping in the Shenandoah Mountains aka "Blue Ridge." We had two killer hikes on Sunday that he called "stairmaster from hell" and I enjoyed (maybe a little too much!) some hot dogs and S'mores!

I am on the straight and narrow from here on out. I'm down to 146.1 (another half pound) and have been carb-depleting this week for a photo shoot tomorrow. The shoot will be fun, but I'm more eager to see my dieting progress so far since I don't have any pics yet!

Fitness routine is coming together. At practice yesterday, despite carb depletion, I had a crisp routine that flowed with lots of strength and energy. Endurance is still kickin' my butt but that is normal. Got 9 more weeks until my guest performance which is plenty of time to build it up (did it in 3 1/2 last year - THAT was suicide!).

Dave and I made a BIG decision within the past 2 weeks... I will quit my job at the Bureau and come back to working from home full-time with the Fit Figures business, and PT'ing at the gym and in-home part-time. We both feel that this is the direction God is leading me/us so that we can spend more time with each other and focus on keeping our marriage strong and healthy. Being a natural overachiever, I always pull myself in every direction and stretch myself too thin. I didn't realize the negative impact it was having on the rest of my life! I am excited and more than happy to give up my gobmint job if it means peace and stability in my life. Please pray for us that God provides what we need financially as we transition through this major step of life.

Thanks for reading! :)
Lissa

Weekly Update - 10 Weeks Out

Here we go again. Last week went well. Nothing very exciting - what can I say? I'm in the zone, trucking along. Can't do a weigh-in yet since I'm holding a lot of water due to my monthly visitor. Hopefully when I weigh in Friday I will be down around 146!

Routine training is going great. Just this week I really started to notice changes in everything pulling together. Skills are getting better and conditioning is drastically improving. It takes tons of patience to do fitness. You train long, hard hours and have little to show for it until 1-2 weeks later, then you start noticing gradual, subtle improvements.

Everything else is going good and is extremely uneventful - which is the way I like it. :)

Now under the 10 week mark for the Maryland Show, I feel confident that I will come in this season at my best ever. I'm usually 3-4 weeks behind where I am in my dieting right now, so I'm definitely a happy camper. :)

Weekly Update - Monday, July 30

12 weeks out... another week down and another 2 lbs. lost - woohoo! This prep is going GREAT so far. I hope I don't jinx myself. :)

I struggled at the beginning of the week. I figured I'd get in the 140's within the first day, but the scale didn't budge Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday... I finally hit on Saturday, and weighed in again Sunday morning for the new low of... 148.6! So in 8 days I lost another 2.3 lbs. Yeah, I'm happy!

Training is going well. I'm trying to pace myself because my natural tendency is to keep going and pushing harder and for more, but if I do that this early on I'll burn myself out. I got all my workouts in this past week - 3 lifting sessions, 3 routine practices and 2 runs. Intensity was a little lower on my routine practices to avoid that burnout feeling, and so I could focus on little pieces of choreography and repetitions of strength moves. I decided to take this AM off from running, but I feel great and will be back in the gym tonight to train back and abs with my BF Andrea.

Started a new supplement on Saturday - Nutrex NIOX. My client Linda RAVES about this stuff, so I have to see what all the hype is about! It's a liqui-cap NO2 stimulant. I haven't noticed a stimulant effect from it, which is good for me, but I'm not sure it's making me fuller and harder yet. I think it's too early on to tell.

Wish me luck this week! I have another loaded schedule but I have no doubts God will bring me through it.

Weekly Update - Mon. July 23

Well, last week was a good solid week of training and diet that I can check off the list! Got all my priority workouts in and lost 2 lbs.! End of week weight was 150.9. Stayed clean on the weekends but didn't count anything. Had two cheat meals (one each Sat. and Sun.) - Mahi Mahi w/ broccoli & brown rice from T.G.I.F. and salad bar w/ broccoli/chicken/cheese quiche from Ruby Tuesday's.

This week is starting off good too, but today was my first hungry day. I guess you can only get so lean before it catches up with you. But, it's all part of prep. Can't weight to weigh-in this week and see the changes I've made. Definitely tighter already than last week. Middle abs are coming in and hips/thighs are still getting smaller.

Back in Action! (14 Weeks Out)

OK, a lot has happened since my last post. I am over my cold (but I do have lingering sinus congestion) and I spent last weekend in Seattle training with Tanji Johson and her team of experts. It was a blast! She choreographed a PHAT routine for me that I love and it suits me to a T. I also worked with her gymnastics coach and a breakdancing guy to teach me skills to hone some new moves for this season - yeah!


TRAINING

Got back in da gym on Monday with a vengeance. I dunno, something about being around a top 5 in the world fitness pro gives you a little motivation! Monday was Back & Abs, today was my first routine practice and I had a blast. 90 minutes of conditioning, dance, stretching, and drills and I wanted to stay for more but I was too tired (and had to shower & go to work - bummer). So the plan is 3 90-minute routine & skills practices per week, 2-3 cardio sessions and my 3 major lifting sessions (back, shoulders, legs).

I want to start working with a gymnastics coach if I can find one that's a good fit, and I want to take dance classes once a week to keep my body used to moving that way so I flow smoother and more naturally. This week my friend Heather and I will try out a local hip-hop class on Friday - should be great fun!

So, here's the current split. No set days, depends on when I'm not training clients (my second job next to my 9 hour gobmint job).

Lifting Sessions
1. Back, Abs
2. Shoulders, Calves
3. Legs

Routine/Skills
1. 3 90-minute sessions
2. 1 60-minute dance class
3. (Opt.) 1 gymnastics class (will substitute for cardio or routine)

Additional Cardio
1. 2 20-minute runs

That amounts to 9 training sessions per week. One of my routine practices is Saturday AM and Sunday is my only complete rest day.


FAT LOSS

My progress was plateaued for a while and it shot ahead over the past 2 weeks. Here's a quick chart of my fat loss so far:

Apr. 24 - 165 lbs. (max weight after cheat weekend!)
Jun. 6 - 158.5 lbs.
Jun. 23 - 156.3 lbs.
Jul. 11 - 154.7 lbs.
Jul. 17 - 152.3 lbs. (14 & 19 weeks out)


DIET

I am doing a very low carb diet but my energy is still sky-high. I like this approach and will add food in if I need it as my training volume and frequency increase.

Current numbers:
1200 calories
30g fat
75g carbs
155g protein

Week 1 Update

Ah, the week started so great. It appeared that this prep would go without flaw. Then I woke up Monday morning barely able to swallow - I'd already caught my first cold! I guess I wasn't thinking about immunity since it's mid-July and the average temp. is 94 degrees lately! My mistake, obviously. So, I took a week off training (at least I can afford it this far out) and am still fighting off the tail end of the cold. I would like to say I stuck to my diet, but I didn't have the energy between the 4th and 8th, not to mention I figured the extra calories would be good for my recovery.

Since yesterday, I've been back on the diet with a little less food than usual since I'm still not training 100% yet. I head out to Seattle on Thursday and I want to be fully recovered by then. What I can work on in the meantime is my flexibility, so that's what I picked back up with yesterday and will continue today and tomorrow.

My supplementation will change to add in the following immune boosters:
L-Glutamine & BCAA's (twice daily)
1000mg Vit C (in addition to multi-vitamin)
10mg Zinc
Optiflora Prebiotic & Probiotic formulas
Echinacea
Garlic Oil

L-E-T-S G-O!

An old cheer I used to do back in my high school cheerleading days, and a good phrase to kick off my 2007 season prep!

My trip to Seattle was canceled due to flight issues, but I am heading back out in 2 weeks. Today I have slightly under 15 weeks until my warm-up show, then another 5 weeks till Nationals. Here are my beginning stats:

Height: 5' 7 1/2"
Weight: 157.7
Bodyfat: (Omron handheld) 15.0% Male, 21.8% Female
Goal Weight: 140 lbs.

NOTES: By setting a goal of 1 lb. per week lost (conservative), I will reach 143.7 lbs. prior to peak week, then lose approximately 5 lbs. of water during peak week. I will adjust the goal weight as I lean down and see how my body comes in. If anything, the goal weight will go down to possibly as low as 135 lbs. As for bodyfat, I don't track it to keep a goal number in mind, but I do check it now and again to view fluctuations between readings.

TRAINING
My first phase of training, I have already been following for the past 2 weeks to get myself into the groove. Here's the split:

M - PM: Back, Abs
Tu - AM: Routine/Conditioning (75 min.), PM: Cardio (running, 20 min.)
W - PM: Shoulders, Calves
Th - AM: Routine/Conditioning (75 min.), PM: Cardio (running, 20 min.)
F - PM: Legs
Sa - AM: Routine/Conditioning (75 min.)
Su - REST

I get a lot of work for chest and triceps through my routine strength training. However, I've cut out chest, biceps and triceps from my lifting split since I am happy maintaining them where they are, and actually I don't want them to get any bigger. If I feel any of these parts starting to lag, I will re-introduce them into my training program.

My lifting scheme is a moderate volume, moderate intensity program. I lift between 16-19 sets each for Back and Shoulders. Calves get 5-7 sets (planning to increase) and Legs get about 20-25 sets. This will slowly increase week by week during this first phase, and I will have planned back-off weeks before resuming a higher volume and intensity just prior to the competition date(s).

NUTRITION
I will be setting strict numbers for macronutrients that I will keep track of daily through my FitDay online journal. This will let me know exactly what I am taking in so I can adjust my diet up or down based on my body's reaction in terms of rate of fat loss. I will keep fairly clean cheat meals in once a week until they start hindering me from meeting my goal weight. I will also have a higher carb day mid-week (Wed). This structure is a loose version of carb-cycling.

Week 7

Today was Day 1 of my 7th week in this current training phase. This will also be the final week, as I move into full-on contest prep next week! This will be a short and condensed week since I am going to Seattle on Thursday.

Day 1 (Mon) - Back, Abs, Stretching
Day 2 (Tue) - Strength & Conditioning
Day 3 (Wed) - Legs, Calves
Day 4 (Thu) - Cardio, Gymnastics
Day 5 (Fri) - Routine Choreography

I'll do an initial weigh-in on Monday morning to kick off my 15 week contest prep phase. I am ready to go!!!

Moving in to Precontest...

I am like any other human - it takes me a good 6 weeks to form a permanent habit. Knowing this, I like to start my competition training with a mental training starting about 2 months before the physical training begins. This is a time for me to get everything straight in my life, particularly my spiritual and mental self. Getting rid of stress, finishing open projects and not letting myself procrastinate help prepare me for the rigors of contest training.

I also let my body get used to the restricted diet and increased training frequency and volume, both a little at a time. And since my body reacts differently every time I start dieting, it gives me time to create a baseline diet and set the nutrition starting point.

All that being said, I've been "pre-prepping" since around the beginning of May. At my heaviest this off-season, I weighed a whopping 165 lbs., truly living up to my high school nickname "Big Lis"! Taking a full year off let me really dig in during the off-season and add a lot of quality muscle density, size and strength. Now, I don't have to play catch-up on my physique, and I can just coast that in while focusing primarily on my fitness routine, which has always been the weaker of the components for me. After about 8 weeks of pre-prep, I am now tightening up nicely and starting to show off my newly developed muscle. My current weight is 156, which is still high considering I competed at 135 last July. I don't know what my goal weight is - I go by appearance - but I figure it's between 135 and 140. I am going for the "tiny and tight" this year and hope the new size I added won't make me look too big.

This season will officially kick-off next week with a trip out to Seattle to train and learn this year's fitness routine with my coach and mentor, IFBB Fitness Pro Tanji Johnson (http://www.tanjijohnson.com). Tanji is an incredible woman and competitor, taking the pro stage by storm last year, winning several titles and placing top 5 at the Arnold. She will be choreographing a hot new Beastie Boys-inspired routine for me to rock the stage in Dallas!

So, July 1 is the serious pre-contest phase. I'll be doing the NPC Grand Prix MD show in October as a warm-up for Dallas Nationals, so come July I'll have 15 weeks to lean down for the warm-up show, then another 5 to tweak and tighten for Nats if need be.

I invite you all to share me in my journey! This season is a bit like starting from scratch for me. I had a life-changing transformation last year and rededicated my life to Christ. I love competing and still would love to win, but every training session, meal and performance will be dedicated to Him and for His glory! So my personal theme this year is based off 1 Corinthians 10:31:

"Therefore; whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do
everything for God's glory."

Join me as I transform my body and take my athleticism to a new level, as I dedicate my physical self wholly to my God and to His glory!

Thanks for your support,
Alissa

The End and Beginning

Well, I just finished my first full training phase for 2007! After 14 weeks of increasing up the pyramid with excellent strength gains and a solid improvement to my hamstring, I took a 10-day active rest/detraining phase (not by choice, I was traveling to three states for work!), and here I am going into Phase 2. Below are some key pointers to both Phase 1 and Phase 2.

2007 Phase 1: 1 Jan - 7 Apr
Training Length: 14 Weeks
-Focused on regaining strength in legs (due to hammy tear in July)
-Focused on regaining muscle in upper body
-Focused on building up training volume

Key Lifts in Phase 1 (Starting Stats vs. Ending Stats)
Lat Pulldown: Start: 100x10, Finish: 120x8
Deadlift: Start: 106x15, Finish: 215x4
Squat: Start: 135x6, Finish: 195x6
DB Shoulder Press: Start:40'sx4 , Finish: 45'sx8
BB Shoulder Press (Standing): Start:55x8 , Finish: 95x8
Leg Press: Start: 3-45'sx10, Finish: 4-45'sx8
Pullups: Start: 3 sets of 3, Finish: 3 sets of 7, 6, 5

Other:
-Gained mass in shoulders and upper back
-Gained some muscle back in quads and hams
-Increased volume each week. Volume per bodypart tracked:
Back: 13 sets, 20 sets
Shoulders: 13 sets, 18 sets
Legs: 12 sets, 22 sets


2007 Phase 2: 18 Apr - ?
Training Length: Undecided
-Shift over from bodypart-based split to exercise-based split
-Increase endurance/conditioning work
-Increase strength
-Begin Events training
-Begin Fitness Routine training (gymnastics, stretching, skills)

Key Lifts in Phase 2 (as of Week 2)
Bench Press: 135x4 (new PR!)
Dips: 3 sets of 10, 8, 8
Squat: 215x5 (new PR!)

New Training Split Layout
Day 1(Tu) - Bench Press & Chest, Back, Light Hamstrings, Triceps
Day 2(W) - Squat & Legs, Biceps, Calves, Abs
Day 3(Th) - Rest or Cardio
Day 4(F) - Deadlift & Back, Barbell Press & Shoulders
Day 5(Sa) - Conditioning, Full-Body & Events Training
Day 6(Su) - OFF
Day 7(M) - Cardio Conditioning or Gymnastics
*Grip work & conditioning added throughout each session

Week 9 Update, 2007 Preview

The training life is gooooood... heck, life period is good! ROLF therapy on the hammy is helping after just one treatment. I'm deadlifting again, pain-free! Light weights, but happy to be "deading" nonetheless. Job is good, school is school, marriage is great, family is good, friends are great, GOD is great!

Quick summary over the past 9 weeks... Started BB squatting and light KB deadlifting, slowly increasing weight and volume week to week at an excruciatingly slow pace, just to be EXTRA safe. Continued increasing volume for back and shoulders, added ab training back in.

Areas to improve (aka stuff I never feel like training): Flexibility, Abs, Calves

General: My split just changed since for the month of March I am transitioning my training into exercise-based, rather than body-part based. A hectic travel schedule at work will make it tough to stick with anything consistently, so April is up in the air, but May should be a solid month for training.

Sport-specific training: I'm going to start gymnastics lessons after a few more ROLFing treatments and increased flexibility. I plan on taking a few lessons on olympic-style weightlifting to assist with cross-training efforts. I will take dance from a choreographer at my gym in July. I will begin training my fitness routine in July.

2007 Schedule
Nov 3 - NPC Body 1 Maryland State (Owings Mills, MD)
Nov 16-17 - NPC Nationals, baby! (Dallas, TX)

Supplements!

Here is my current and updated supplementation program:

Daily
Multi-Vitamin
Multi-Mineral
Potassium
Glucosamine
Glutamine
Melatonin

Every Other Day & Occasional
Flax Oil or Capsules
Soy Isoflavones
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Acetyl L-Carnitine
CoQ10
XocoMatte (chocolate-based antioxidant)
Alfalfa (nutrients & antioxidants)

With the start of my next training phase (April 2), I will be adding in more strength and muscle building supplements. They will include:

Universal Animal Pak (Multi-Vitamin)
BSN NO-Explode (Creatine) (Pre-WO)
Animal Nitro G (Sugars, Amino Acids) (Post-WO)

Fit Figures Bodybuilding Workshop!

Hi everyone! It's time again to begin prep for the spring 2007 competition season, and we're kicking it off with our first event of the year - a bodybuilding workshop. The event will be held in Woodbridge, VA on Mar. 17, 2007.

This event is open to figure/fitness girls as well, because I believe that to be successful in either of these disciplines, you have to train and eat like a bodybuilder!

Topics include training, nutrition, supplementation, posing, goal setting/motivation.

Special guests include Kareem Petteway (WNBF Pro), Rachelle Cannon (NPC Figure & NPC Arnold Fitness Competitor). We will have a panel of professional figure and bodybuilding guests to answer your questions and offer advice.



Don't miss this this informative and exciting event!

For more information and to register, please go to: http://www.alissacarpiofitness.com/workshop.html

The event flier is attached to this message.

Good luck in 2007 and hope to see you at a workshop!
-Alissa

Week 2

Day 1 (1/12/07 - Fri)
1. T-Bar Row 50x12 75x8 75x8
2. Lat Pulldown 90x12 100x10 110x6/drop/80x8
3. KB 1-arm Row (R,L) 35x8ea. 35x8ea. 35x8ea.
4. FM Lat Pulldown 60x12 60x10 60x10
5. Donkey Calf Raise 120x20 240x12 280x10 300x8 220x8

Back=13
Calves=5
Time=35 minutes


Day 2 (1/15/07 - Mon)
1. KB Swings 35x20 44x15 53x15
2. BB Squat 95x12 95x12 95x10
3. KB Double Deadlift 2-35x10 2-35x12 2-35x10
4. Seated Leg Curl 60x12 60x10 60x10

Sets=12
Time=30 minutes
*Was hard to go easy... had to keep reminding myself. Legs are on a separate protocol from the rest of the body since they are recovering. Can't make it intense, can't do force reps, can't increase weight or volume.

Week 1

This program started on Jan. 4 (Thu). Four completed training days constitutes one training "week."

Day 1 (1/4/07 - Thu)
1. T-Bar Row 50x15 75x8 75x8
2. Lat Pulldown 100x10 100x10 100x7
3. Double KB Row 2-35x6 2-26x10 2-35x6/drop/2-26x6
4. FM Lats (R,L) 50x15ea. 60x12ea/drop/60x8,6
5. BB Curl 45x8 45x6/rp/2 45x4/rp/2

Sets=13
Time=35 minutes


Day 2 (1/5/07 - Fri) *First full leg workout since injury & without pain!
1. KB Swings 35x25 44x20 53x15
2. KB Pyramid Deadlift 53x15 70x12 80x8
3. BB Squat 95x10 135x6 135x6
4. Seated Leg Curl 70x12 70x10(R-20x5) 70x10(R-20x5)
5. Donkey Calf Raise 120x20 240x12 280x10

Sets=15
Time=40 minutes


Day 3 (1/8/07 - Mon)
1. DB Shoulder Press 25x15 30x12 35x8 40x4.5
2. Upright Row 40x12 40x12 50x10 (Right elbow hurts, have to lower weight/pressure)
3. 1-Arm KB Press (R,L) 35x5,4 35x8ea. 44x6ea. 53x3ea.
4. Bent Laterals 12.5x15 15x12 12.5x12
5. FM Shoulder 45x12 45x9 45x7

Sets=17
Time=38 minutes


Day 4 (1/9/07 - Tue)
1. FM Pushup 12, 8, 8
2. DB Incline Press 35x9 40x8
3. Rope Pressdown 35x10 35x10 35x9
4. Leg Extension (FLEX) 60x12 75x10 90x8rp4rp4

Time=25 minutes

Coming along...

Well, I am closer to recovery than I've been in the past 6 months! I did my first "real" leg workout two Fridays ago, and felt pretty good - maybe around 85%. Granted, my volume was nearly cut in half, but it's better than nothing! I've learned a great deal of patience and not to rush things, especially injuries! I am praying to be able to get back on stage in the late summer/fall, and to be in Dallas in November competing at Nationals again. I don't know what God is holding for me in the future, so I will try and roll with the punches and be content no matter what.

I am at least setting a loose training plan for 2007, since I am a planning freak, lol! I have app. 44 weeks until Nationals. Divide that up and you get 3 12-week phases and 1 8-week phase. My timeline goals are to be recovered well enough to resume regular leg training at the end of this 8-week phase (mid-March). Other phase goals are to begin taking dance lessons, and head into phase 2 by taking private gymnastics lessons. I want to be as prepared as possible, so I will condition and recover for the next 8 weeks prior to starting the lessons. However, this is a lot harder with a full-time job that requires some travel, plus going to school part-time. I will do my best to balance all without having to get EVERYTHING done, and without compromising my spiritual and family life.

For those that have read this far, thank you for stopping by my Blog to see what I've been up to. I appreciate your concern! Wish me the best as I wish nothing but the best to you in 2007 and beyond.

Lissa

Week 1, Day 2 - Delts, Legs

Great workout today, though I got to the gym feeling tired and crappy... I left feeling great! :)

Rehab: 5 minutes stretching (AM), chiropractor adjustment (PM)

Start: 1935
Finish: 2010

Seated DB Shoulder Press 30x12 30x12 35x6 35x7
KB Double Press 26'sx6 26'sx6 26'sx8(Push last 4)
Upright Row 50x12 50x12 60x8 60x6,2
Standing DB Reverse Laterals 12.5x12 12.5x12 15x10
Seated Leg Curl 70x12 70x12 70x12
ss w/ Leg Extension 50x12 60x10 60x10

Week 1, Day 1 - Back & Calves

Start: 1610
Finish: 1657 (45 minutes)

1. Wide Lat Pulldown 90x15, 90x15, 100x8, 110x6-drop-90x4
2. FLEX Row 20'sx10, 20'sx10, 20'sx10
3. BB Row (Over)65x12, (Under)65x12, (Over)75x8, (Under)75x8
4. Free Motion Lat Pulldown 60x12, 60x10, 70x8

1. Donkey Calf Raise (Straight)120x15, (Out)200x12, (Out)280x12
2. Seated Calf Raise (Straight)75x12, (Out)75x12, (Out)75x12

Volume
Back=14 sets
Calves=6 sets

Friday & Saturday

Dave and I started walking together... something we can both do at the same pace while my hamstring recovers and he gets his strength back from rotator cuff injury and appendectomy.

Friday: 1.8 mile walk, 52 minutes
Saturday: same as Friday

My Update - Been a while!

Hey everyone (if anyone's still reading this!), hope you are all doing well. I am doing fine. I've been pretty busy lately, although none of it has been fitness related (if you can believe it, since I've lived and breathed fitness for the past 6 years.).

First, I started a new job. Some of you may know I'm a government contractor in Information Technology. Well, my old contract ended Sep. 30 and I was left jobless. Luckily, my old boss forwarded my resume to the CEO of a new company, and I was a direct referral. I interviewed and got the job with the National Guard Bureau, the organization that combines the Air and Army Guard into one entity. Anyway, I work in the Joint Operations Center, which all the state Guard entities report up to for all their operations. My team at KSI is responsible for developing the web application interface that the entire National Guard uses to communicate - track their status, supplies and missions. I am a tech support for the users and am also responsible for web content, training documentation and online help. I just started my 4th week working at NGB and I LOVE it.

In the meantime, I am working on my education as well. I am going back to school in January to finish my B.S. in Business with a specialization in Mgmt. Information Systems. Right now, I am working on several IT certifications, including my Network+ and my MCSA.

Fitness-wise, I am still recovering from my torn hamstring that I incurred in mid-June, 3 weeks before Team Universe. I haven't been able to train legs 100% since the injury, and have had to cut my training volume back to about 25% of what I had been doing - it was hard, but I now know it is the best thing for me in order to recover the fastest and fullest. I am just getting over a cold, but now that my job is on a set schedule, I will be training in the mornings, before work, and will lift 3 days a week and try to get some sort of cardio in - such as a morning walk/jog - twice per week.

My competition plans, although very loose right now, are to be at Nationals in Dallas next November. This will depend on many factors, two of the most important being 1) a full recovery of my hamstring and 2) a vast improvement in my fitness routine skills, which I hope will come in the form of gymnastics (I plan to take lessons once I am healed).

So, I haven't dropped of the face of the Earth, and I haven't "quit" competing, I'm just taking a short break to rest, re-focus, and come back with a better attitude (and a better routine!).

Thanks everyone, love you all!

xoxo
Lissa

Wed, Aug 23

Phase 2, Week 2
Day 3 – Kettlebell Training (demo at gym)

0545: 1/2c oats, 1/3c cottage cheese, 2 oz unsweetened soy milk, 1.5 tsp flax oil
0830: Pure Protein bar
…

Supplements - same as yesterday, plus 1/2 packet BSN NO-Explode pre-workout

Tue, Aug 22

Phase 2, Week 2
Day 2 – Cardio, Abs
…

0545: 1/3c oats, 1/2c cottage cheese, 2 tsp flax oil
0800: Kashi Go Lean nut roll (5g fat, 28g carbs, 6g fiber, 12g protein)
1000: 2/3c cottage cheese, 15 raisins, 1/3c oats
1220: Tuna Salad, 2 saltine crackers, Diet Dr. Pepper
1450: 1 medium plum, 1 cheese stick
1630: 1/2c cottage cheese, 4 oz CC yogurt, wheat germ, 1 tbsp peanut butter
1720: 1 bowl Raisin Nut Bran, 4 oz unsweetened soy milk
1930: Luna bar
2055: 1 egg, 3 whites, 2 slices turkey bacon

Supplements: Added Lipoic Acid and Soy Isoflavones to supplement program today.
Shaklee Multi-vitamin/Mineral
L-Glutamine, 2-3 5g doses
CoQ10, 2-60mg doses
Melatonin 40mg
In Food: Flax oil/ground flax seed, whey, casein/soy, wheat germ

Mon, Aug 21

Phase 2, Week 2
Day 1 – Back, Shoulders
…

Last week ended with a killer leg workout! Strength is not fully up yet, but the hamstring is noticeably improving (albeit very slowly). Calves are still sore from Friday, so I’m bumping them back to tomorrow.

I’m tightening the diet back up this week… weight gain was pretty controlled over the past 5 weeks of my off-season, but it’s creeping up a little too high for comfort right now, lol. I may count macros/calories, but for now it’s just 1-2 less meals, smaller portions, and limited complex carbs. Cheats will be kept out until the weekend.

0545: 1/2c cottage cheese, wheat germ, 4 oz CC yogurt, 1/2c Nature’s Promise bran cereal, 1 tsp flax oil
0845: Kashi Go Lean Nut Roll (5g fat, 28g carbs (6g fiber), 12g protein)
1130: 2/3c cottage cheese, 1/3c oats, wheat germ, cinnamon
1345: 4 oz chicken breast, salad, Wishbone spray dressing, 1 medium plum
1630 Pre-workout: 1/3c oats, 1/2 scoop MHP Probolic protein, 4 oz soy milk
*Train 1815-1915*
1920 Post-workout (snack): 20g MHP Simply Whey, 2 rice cakes w/ 1 tbsp honey
2100: 1/2c cottage cheese, 4 oz CC yogurt, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 small zucchini

Thu, Aug 17

Half day at work today because it's our company picnic (which I'm not attending, but I still get out of work - ha!).

Off from weights, tonight will be cardio, abs & stretching. Hamstring is slowly getting better.

Phase 2, Week 1
Day 3 - Cardio, Abs

0550: 1 packet low-sugar oatmeal, 1/4c oats, 20g MHP Probolic, 4 oz unsweetened soy milk
0845: 1 container CC yogurt, 3/4c cottage cheese, wheat germ, raisins, ground flaxseed, 1/4c oats
1100 Lunch: egg salad on whole wheat, 1 container SF Jell-O, Diet Pepsi

Wed, Aug 16

Phase 2, Week 1
Day 2 – Kettlebell Strength Training
…

Today’s Diet
0525: 2 Kashi whole grain blueberry waffles, 1/2c cottage cheese, SF syrup
0750: Pure Protein bar
0950: EAS RTD, Kashi Peanut Butter bar
Lunch: Egg salad (1 whole egg, 2 whites, salt & pepper, 2 tbsp light mayo) on whole wheat, 1 container SF Jell-O
Pre-workout: 1/2c cottage cheese, 1 container CC yogurt, 20 raisins, 1.5 tbsp wheat germ, 1/4c oats
Post-workout: 18g whey protein, 1 bowl Raisin Nut bran cereal w/ unsweetened soy milk
Dinner (1945): 1 black bean veggie burger, brown rice/black beans, 1/2 avocado, 1 container SF Jell-O pudding & 1/4c cottage cheese

Supplements
Upon waking: CoQ10 60mg, Glucosamine 1200mg
AM: Shaklee multi-vitamin pack (multi, B-complex, Vit C, E-Complex)
Pre-workout: NO-Explode ½ packet
Post-workout: 5g Glutamine, Shaklee multi & B-complex
In food: Protein blends - whey/soy/milk in Pure Protein bar & EAS RTD, whey protein shake & soy protein/isoflavones after workout
Before bed: Glucosamine 800mg, Melatonin, CoQ10 60mg
…

Tue, Aug 15

Phase 2, Week 1
Day 1 – Back, Shoulders & Calves

KB Clean n Jerk 2-26x15 2-26x12 2-36x10 2-36x10
T-Bar Row 50x15 75x10 75x10 50x10
Seated DB Shoulder Press 2-30x15 2-35x10 2-40x8
Wide Lat Pulldown 90x12 100x12 100x10
DB Bent Laterals 2-12.5x15 2-15x12 2-15x12
Seated Close Cable Row 70x12 80x10 80x10
Seated Calf Raise 45x20 45x15 55x15 65x12
Back=10 sets, Shoulders=10 sets, Calves=4 sets
Duration: 75 minutes

Today’s Diet
0545: 1/2c golden flax cereal, 4 oz unsweetened soy milk
0800: Pure Protein bar
1115: Tuna salad on whole wheat, 1 container SF Jell-o
1400: OS Trim meat stick, 1/2c cottage cheese, 1 container CC yogurt, 1.5 tbsp wheat germ, 20 raisins
1630 Pre-workout: 1 packet low-sugar oatmeal + 1/4c oats, 1/2c cottage cheese, 5 pecans
1915 Post-workout: 1 packet N-Large MRP
2100: 1/3c cottage cheese, 1/3c golden flax cereal

Supplements
Upon waking: CoQ10 60mg, Glucosamine 1200mg
AM: Shaklee multi-vitamin pack (multi, B-complex, Vit C, E-Complex)
1700 Pre-workout: L-Glutamine 5g, NO-Explode ½ packet
1915 Post-workout: Shaklee multi-vitamin and B-Complex
Before bed: L-Glutamine 5g, CoQ10 60mg, Glucosamine 800mg
In food: Soy isoflavones, soy protein and ground flaxseed in golden flax cereal and soy milk, eaten at meals 1 and 7; Protein blends - whey/soy milk in Pure Protein bar, whey/casein in N-Large shake

Tue, Aug 15

Phase 2, Week 1
Day 1 – Back, Shoulders & Calves

KB Clean n Jerk 2-26x15 2-26x12 2-36x10 2-36x10
T-Bar Row 50x15 75x10 75x10 50x10
Seated DB Shoulder Press 2-30x15 2-35x10 2-40x8
Wide Lat Pulldown 90x12 100x12 100x10
DB Bent Laterals 2-12.5x15 2-15x12 2-15x12
Seated Close Cable Row 70x12 80x10 80x10
Seated Calf Raise 45x20 45x15 55x15 65x12

Today’s Diet
0545: 1/2c golden flax cereal, 4 oz unsweetened soy milk
0800: Pure Protein bar
1115: Tuna salad on whole wheat, 1 container SF Jell-o
1400: OS Trim meat stick, 1/2c cottage cheese, 1 container CC yogurt, 1.5 tbsp wheat germ, 20 raisins
1630 Pre-workout: 1 packet low-sugar oatmeal + 1/4c oats, 1/2c cottage cheese
1915 Post-workout: 1 packet N-Large MRP
2100: 1/2c cottage cheese, 1/3c golden flax cereal, 1/3c cottage cheese

Supplements
Upon waking: CoQ10 60mg, Glucosamine 1200mg
AM: Shaklee multi-vitamin pack (multi, B-complex, Vit C, E-Complex)
1700 Pre-workout: L-Glutamine 5g, NO-Explode ½ packet
1915 Post-workout: Shaklee multi-vitamin and B-Complex
Before bed: L-Glutamine 5g, CoQ10 60mg, Glucosamine 800mg

August Update

I haven't been on in a while. I've been spending some quality time with my husband, family and friends, and just enjoying the rest of the summer! I have been consistent with my workouts, but I am balancing everything and focusing more on my relationships right now. Eating is always nice, too! :)

It's been over a month since the Team Universe. I've learned a lot, changed a lot and ate a lot! Seriously, my body and mind are very much rested and my injury is slowly recovering. In fact, the main focus of my training right now is to slowly rehabilitate my torn hamstring so that it doesn't get any worse. The last month of training was a sort of detraining period, where I went down in volume and also focused on treatment of my injury. I would say my hamstring is about 20% improved. The range of motion is slowly coming back, but it still takes a good 20-minute warm-up to get there. Patience is definitely a vital part of this process!

The areas I am looking to improve for my next show are my routine – it needs increased difficulty – and to add some size to my calves, and to just continue training my physique the way I have been… which is prioritizing my back, shoulders and quads. I would like to increase my flexibility, which was at its best ever prior to my injury, and increase my abdominal strength to be able to perform more difficult presses and planches. I am also seriously looking into taking gymnastics classes, but that will have to wait until the injury heals.

So for now, my main focus is on weight training, to maintain the strength and size I have, and using cardio, stretching and other techniques to maintain an off-season weight and to rehab my injury. I haven’t done any routine training since the show. This week, I actually start my new training split. Here is the layout for the new split:

Mon – Back & Shoulders
Tue – Cardio & Rehab; Calves & Abs
Wed – Kettlebell Strength Training
Thu – Cardio & Rehab; Calves & Abs
Fri – Legs

My Tue & Thu workouts are my flexible days, so they can be added in to another day if I can’t make it in due to a work conflict or similar appointment.

Aside from training and eating, the rest of my life is filled with my IT system administration job, which is a contract position to expire Sep 30, so I am again in job search mode. I am looking to switch from DMS (messaging administration) to a technical writer, which is much more fitting for me and conducive to two of my loves in life – information technology and writing!

I am still staying active in the industry by doing demos and tours for my sponsor, MHP, and hope to be a part of the athlete team repping at the Olympia and the Arnold, if my schedule allows. I will be attending all the local shows and either offering my services backstage or judging the events. I will also be scheduling some photo shoots and guest performances towards the end of the year, so keep an eye on my website schedule for updates.