bounce or no bounce

Two nights ago I did not want to go bust out legs and cardio, let alone get up from cuddling with my puppy and watching American Idol.. I made it, though, because there isn’t an option to NOT go at this point.  After legs I told myself, ‘ok, at least do 10 minutes of cardio’.  Well 10 minutes hit and I was in the middle of a Rise Against song, so it was ok-til the end of the song.  That was at 12 minutes, and well, that random number just doesn’t jive with my time divvying, so 15 minutes it was.  Not a lot of cardio time when you take it as a whole, but 150% more than I first intended on doing!  Tack on some hanging leg raises afterward that I had no intention of doing, and voolah, I felt much better about myself.

Move onto last night, when I saw an old ‘gym friend’ (you know, the people that are always there the same time as you, you start nodding, maybe occasionally smiling in recognition at).  This one actually started talking to Forrest and I this winter when I was trying to bulk up and is a really cool guy.  Anyway, he’d been MIA the last couple weeks cuz of school.  It absolutely made my day when he came over after I was supersetting some wide bent over barbell rows and barbell curls, and said, ‘You know I’m not hitting on you, I know you have a boyfriend.  But you look really good!!’  That’s all it took to put a lil bounce in my step on my way up the stairs to the stepmill, especially coming from someone who has seen my progress. 

So if you ever notice anyone who is busting their bum, or you can tell has made improvements, TELL THEM!  That little comment is all it takes sometimes to make their motivation go from ehhhh to HECK YEAHHH!!! J

Ahhhh time

Saturday I took some time to relax and get a pedi with Bon (Happy Valentine's Day BFF), and took a faaaabulous bodyflow class at Gold's.  With all the lifting it's important to remember to stretch.. and I certainly am guilty of forgetting..all the time.  It also made me realize that my right hip is way tighter than my left.. time to evaluate my form while lifting. haha  It felt amazing to relax that day.  This progress pic was taken on Sunday:  (I know, I'm like an angel with the light shining on me. haha)

It also felt amazing to be out and about while the sun was in the sky!!  Thank goodness the days are getting longer.. the thought of brewskis on the patio..a pool - I don't care which one, any one - .. this is when I miss summer and the beach with my sister...ahhh.  Those are also the thoughts that go through my head when we have to 'visualize our happy place' the last 5 minutes of bodyflow while laying there with our eyes closed.  Whoever invented that part of the class - I'd like to personally thank you.  You are the bomb.com.

Today was a high carb day!!  I didn't keep track, but I'm pretttty sure I'm over 200g (possibly 250) and man do I feel bloated and amazing!! lol  I paired it with shoulder day.  Sooo, please carbs, go straight to the delts.  Thank you very much. Sincerely, me. :)  

Cliffs:

- STRETCH

- take a day to say ahhhhh



Why kill yourself?

The scale boycott continues, and I think for good reason.  Increasing my weight training and my protein intake obviously causes a sweet increase in muscle for me.  I know it is considered very difficult to put on muscle while leaning out, so I feel very fortunate cuz I believe this is exactly what’s going on…up 3 pounds (as of Tuesday, when I decided to boycott the scale) and yet my muscles are popping their heads out and my jeans are getting looser.  I’m sure weirder things have happened in this world, and I’ll take it. 

I was just reading one of Erin Stern’s blog entries from 2 weeks before she became 2010 Ms. Figure Olympia (p.s. loooove her), http://www.hardbody.com/news/category/hardbody-blogger/erin-stern/ and I love pretty much everything she wrote.  She said she felt like she looked like hair on a stick the year before because she conformed to what the ‘typical’ competitor does, which is circuit training and hours of cardio.  Looking at my pics from last year, I feel like I was a very slender/skinny version of what I want to be this year.  It’s a good reminder to keep myself doing what makes me feel like I look my best: lifting heavy, eating some carbs, and not killing myself with cardio.  If you have a pretty dang good metabolism going, why starve yourself and ruin it?  

Me in September, looking flat.                 Erin, in September at the Olympia, def NOT looking flat.

I also realized how much I LOVE when I can see what a competitor eats throughout the day.. so here’s what I ate yesterday:

1/3 c. oatmeal (sugar free flavored packet), 1 scoop of vanilla whey, ¼ cup canned pumpkin (all mixed together after the oatmeal cooks..sooo good)

Low carb wrap (La Tortilla Smart and Delicious brand), 1 T. pb

5 oz baked chicken, 1/3 yam, 1 c. steamed veggies

Apple

1 can tuna, veggies and spinach, fat free Italian dressing

Frozen cool whip w/ sugar free chocolate syrup, and a sugar free jello cup (these little treats keep me sane)

Low carb wrap, can of tuna, 4 egg whites, and fat free cheese

Whey (post-workout)

Protein pancake: 1 scoop casein, 3 egg whites, 1 T. pb, and sugar free syrup

Total:

1680 calories

33g fat

212g protein

134g carbs

This really is a pretty dang typical day.  Add in a sugar free rockstar, some coffee, and bottle after bottle of water with wyler’s light in it… and there ya go.  I’m also not cycling my carbs as much as I will be here in a few weeks.  Back to that why-kill-yourself motto.. J

p.s.  I’m not giving my abs an option of not showing up this time…just fyi. J 

Cardio is gonna keep workin on leaning those hips!

Blurry, but I like the quad sweep poking through. :)

Progress pics 9 1/2 weeks - taken 2/8

A week longer? why yes please!

Last week, as I was entering in the contest dates online at bodybuilding.com (shout out to the best company EVER! and yes, I do have the best job ever), I realized my first NGA show was not on the 9th of April as I originally thought, but rather, the 16th.  First, I was flabbergasted I was even off..I mean, contest prep is all about the countdown, and this is stuff I usually know.. but then I was pleasantly happy about being a week ahead of the game!  Woohoo for being uninformed!!  But anywhoozer, so far, prep is going fantastically. :)  I took these progress pics almost a week ago (oops on updating..)

I feel like I am definitely getting leaner.  My very accurate measuring devices, my pinching fingers, have told me so.  But, of course, there's still a long way to go!  My very inaccurate device, the scale, has actually showed an increase in weight.  Scale, you're pushing it buddy, you're about to be forsaken to the back of the closet, I swear.  I get incredibly motivated when I think about my competition though..  of COURSSSSE I'll be competing against myself, but when I think of someone else working harder than me, I think uh uhhhh girlfriend!! 

I had my weekly glass of red wine while at brunch on Sunday with some AWESOME peeps.  I decided today, though, that that really just doesn't fit my gameplan anymore.  So much for that.  It was fun while it lasted, alcohol, but I won't be seeing (feeling) you til April 30th!  Hasta la vista, baby.  Time to get this shreddedness on overdrive. 

Well, tomorrow.  Today is my first day off in quite a while. :) 

And time for progress pics again soon!  Maybe I'll buck up and do a full body back shot...that's where I'm going to see the most progress anyway..ugh.