Vacation Time!

It's almost "that" time. 

Diet Time

And the very, very odd thing is, I am looking forward to it! Can you believe it? Seriously! 


What I am looking forward to are the changes I will see in my body, this is the time when all of the hard work starts to show and become evident. I will start to lose the extra body fat that I have been carrying and the muscle will really start to pop! But of course, that won't be for several weeks will it?


I am in one of my favorite bikinis, that are made by Pin-Up Stars, an Italian company. I just tried it on today (Friday), before training with Roy to be sure I could still wear it on vacation, I think it looks fine don't you? I own 15. I know it's a bit overboard, but they make the most amazing suits. Each is unique, in limited editions every year;  covered in Swarovski crystals, sequins, feathers, beads, tufts, you name it. I have "Nemo" "rainbow", "hot pink", "targets"......This one has polka dots all over the string bottom, and then small cloth petals sewn all over the triangle top, they flutter in the wind.


They aren't cheap, but worth every penny in my mind. If you have been reading a while you know the story of one year during my annual trip to Mexico, many many years ago, my one Pin-Up Stars bikini was stolen during the night!  I was shocked and so upset. The hotel owner very kindly offered to give me one from the shop (I mean it certainly wasn't her fault was it?). As I waived my arms furiously in the air I was telling her that "it must be a very tiny, very small, very nice swimsuit because I don't bust my butt in the gym every single day to wear some old frumpy granny suit on vacation. 

It was plain brown, size large. hmph!

It has been an ongoing joke with the regulars, they all ask if I have locked my suits up in the safe deposit box every evening now. 


So when I returned home I started collecting them in every beautiful pattern and color I could find, hence the "15 Pin-Up Stars", and I am still collecting but only when I see a super hot one!


Here I am last year at this time, I like to compare my physique year to year. I think my shoulders are broader and my back wider now!

Every year at this time I go on vacation, I spend the week lounging on the beach in Troncones, Mexico at the same hotel, Hacienda Eden. Take a look at the link, yes it is right on the beach as the picture shows. I can see the ocean from my ground floor room, lounging in the hammock on the 14 foot patio (room #4).

I will lay on my chaise in the sand, (under a palapa, I am no fool!), drinking margaritas, wine or rum, eating whole red snapper, lobster, shrimp, taco's, and I will wander down the beach to The Inn at Manzanillo Bay for a couple pina coladas. 

I will try to eat healthy most of the time, but I will also enjoy myself, and not fret too much because I know as soon as I return home, the diet starts for the next 9 1/2 weeks.

When I return I will look a bit puffy since I don't typically drink alcohol everyday for a week, but getting right back on track will soon clear all that up.

One of the great things about Mexico is you really can make some good choices and still enjoy the food, but you can make some bad choices too. Like when we go to to Dona Nica's restaurant (no website, in fact, no floor, it's dirt), I will have her fantastic breaded and fried jumbo shrimp. And they are dipped in mayonnaise...and a beer or two. I sit with my feet in the dirt (hard packed), looking at the beach and just eat and sit. She makes great chile rellenos stuffed with mashed potatoes too.

I can also walk down to Marta's in La Majahua, a neighboring town and have fresh caught lobster- it takes a while because the divers go in search of the lobster after we order and start in on the beer!

I can drive to Cafe Sol to see Christain and have some fancy taco's (his are about $2.50 each whereas the stands sell 3 for $1.50). 


Mostly I will lay around and read though, I have a few good books and my new Kindle Fire loaded with all sorts of nutrition, diet, strength training and Milo journals. 


I have scheduled my massage with Anne, she lives in the U.S. half of the year and in La Majahua the other half, she sets up her table on my patio and I have a fantastic massage with the hot ocean breeze caressing my body. Did I say hot? Yes I did. The lows will be 71 degrees and the highs 88 degrees, perfect in my book!


My son is staying behind this time, it will be the first time in almost 18 years that he hasn't gone with us, but there really isn't anything to do so I can understand why he doesn't want to go. 


I will exercise, every single morning though. I wake up before everyone, well, not really, there is usually one or two surfers out at the point when I am there. I run along the beach and do plyometrics. I will actually be able to do my conditioning in the hard packed sand, it is low tide when I get up. After about an hour, coffee is ready, guests start to stir and I grab my spot and start reading until it's time to eat.


Then it is read, eat, rest, repeat. All day long.


I will see you all in a week!

Diet Worries

Friday- I met Roy for shoulder training. The usual chit chat and then I told him I had to start a diet soon, for my next competition and I was a bit concerned. "Why" he asked "Are you afraid of losing muscle?"


And, I hope you can see, I have gained quite a bit training with him, quite a bit! Take a look at these shoulders!

The legs? Looking good too! I actually weigh more than I have in ages. I was at 131 pounds this morning, although I was at 133 earlier in the week, it was due to the carbs I ate- I had a blast on Saturday and ate all sorts of goodies as I tasted wine with David. As you know, your body holds onto water when you consume starchy carbs, so the more pizza I ate, the more I would end up weighing a few days down the road.


But back to my conversation with Roy. I explain : "I am not worried about losing all my new muscle, I am wondering how I will be able to diet. I have cut out so much starch already, I am not sure what to cut out now!"


This was necessary to gain all this weight and keep the body fat low. I weigh 13 pounds more than my last competition weight, but it's really not a great deal of fat. I did a good job in the "off season" I think.


His response?


"Yeah, but you have been going out with your family right?"


Bingo!


That's the kind of stuff that gets you into trouble, but the great thing is, it's also the easiest to remedy! Going out and having wine and food at a restaurant is big calories, I mean BIG! And the reason why it tastes so good is all the butter, oil, salt and fat they add to the food. 


Then I admitted I still have a problem with Peanut Butter- I should join PBLA (Peanut Butter Lover's Anonymous), but I am not ready to let go of my addiction.


Luckily, the diet won't start until after my week in Mexico, which is coming up soon, and I shall enjoy it and not worry- the diet will be ready and waiting for me when I get home!

Where Will I be in 6 Months? (Fitness World Blog)

This is a Fitness Blog World post: Where do you see yourself in 6 months from now...and what about in 2-5 years from now? 


That is always a question people ask at job interviews isn't it? And why do you think people want to know such a thing? I can tell you.


They want to know if you have goals and a purpose, or are you floundering along hoping that things just "work out right".


I know exactly where I will be 6 months from now, I will be in sunny Mexico, at Hacienda Eden, wearing an ever so skimpy bikini, laying on my chaise lounge, reading a book, sipping a margarita, talking with Cindy and Joe!

I will run and do plyos along the beach every morning before anyone else wakes up. Isn't this a beautiful beach? 

We will all enjoy great Mexican food, sitting with our bare feet in the sand and pretty much doing nothing.

I go every year in February, it gives me something to look forward to and a great way to escape the cold, wet winter of California. I have already made my reservations, I have my airline tickets, I only need the rental car and I am set.


In terms of my fitness goals, I see myself continuing on with Roy, and taking advantage of his knowledge to add more size on my legs, yet maintain a low level of bodyfat. My training program always changes, but I am not one to try a new revolutionary idea as seen on TV, then skip onto another one when I don't see immediate results. 


I will be heavier in weight (I am sure), higher bodyfat (not much), and will also have a very, very happy family because I will not be on a "diet" and I will make wonderful foods for them. Life will be post competition bliss for everyone.


2 to 5 years is a different story, some of the events will surely repeat themselves, such as the annual vacation, and I will always continue my weight training, but the big question is,  will I still be competing? 


I cannot answer that right now. I have enjoyed competing on so many levels, yet there are always times when I despise it like a pet that I have adopted, yet must care for and nurture, although it seems to be the devil I have invited into my home.


If I am still competing, I would like to be competing in Women's Physique instead of Figure. This goes along with everything I want about adding more lean mass to my frame, and maintaining a muscular physique. This means I will be in the gym, lifting heavy, eating well, incorporating some of the dreaded cardio, and sculpting my body into the body I want.


Whether I end up on stage or not is not really of consequence, you see, I don't lift weights to compete, I compete to lift weights.


It's all about priorities.


Please take the time to stop by Fitness Blog World and read what all the other writers have to say about their short and long term goals.

Vacation

The other day a friend asked why I started my diet so early when I can lose body fat in only 5 weeks. I do want to clarify that it was a past trainer who coined the name for me, based on her observations of my dieting skills. In addition, although I can lose the fat quickly, a fast loss is never the best way to go, it's far better to do it slowly. I thought I might explain a bit about the reason though.

So this is what I did on vacation.It all started on Friday evening before I even left town- I went to Henry's Hi-Life and had a martini, bar-b-qued ribs and wine.

Then the bar in the airport in Los Angeles between flights.

Then the plane from Los Angeles to Mexico, I was in first class, so that means all the free alcohol you want, and you know what happens when alcohol is free? You drink more! They served a hot croissant with ham and melted cheese, it was good.  Probably not the best quality, but the last time I had a croissant was in July of 2010 in Paris when I stayed with my brother.

By the time I got to Mexico I had already blown my diet for two days! ha ha



Chaise lounge, sun, sand, water and wine by my side, and a few really good books! All day long.

My only exercise was running on the sand for 20 to 30 minutes everyday, before anyone else was up. Or so I thought. One day a man walks by me and says "how was your run this morning?" Hmmm....THIS morning? Does that mean he has been watching EVERY morning? I wonder....

Yes, it was 10 weeks (or maybe 11) before a competition, but that is why I started a diet earlier than usual. I enjoyed myself, and when you are a competitive athlete in a physique based sport, it is often difficult to do this, you constantly feel you should be depriving yourself.

It really isn't healthy, emotionally speaking that is.

Anyone who competes knows why this is a huge deal, those who don't are thinking I have some major issues..I mean I have 10 or 11 weeks to lose a few pounds- isn't that almost three months?!

Yes it is, like two and a half actually. But, when you diet down to lose fat for a competition, you don't just lose weight to drop scale weight, you need to carefully lose the fat, retain the muscle, and still look healthy and firm.

All this while maintaining a full time job (for most of us) and training just as hard as usual, sometimes twice a day. Once the diet starts, you cannot go on weekend benders or it will show in your physique, you really have no where to hide the flaws when you are standing in stage under bright lights, almost naked to the world. And believe me, the world IS looking at you very, very carefully, scrutinizing everything, even your skin tone!

So while I had a great time, I still struggled to eat properly because I couldn't easily have the small meals with the complex carbohydrates, lean protein and massive amounts of fresh vegetables (plain) that I normally would, so I was hungry quite a bit, I mean trying to get by on 3 meals a day when I usually eat 6 is hard. And if I ate 6 meals at a restaurant, I would be rolling myself along the beach!

Whats a girl to do? TUNA!

Yes, I went to the store and bought several cans of tuna packed in water, and it had pull tops! Unfortunately my wine glasses tended to smell fishy afterward, but that's OK, I love fish!

Beach, sand, sun, water, red wine and tuna, a great combination. The tuna ensured I got the protein I needed, and I wasn't so hungry.

I brought some meal replacement bars, but those were emergency only since all of them, no matter what they tell you are really glorified candy bars with a hefty price tag. I ended up eating 2 only.

Me and David.

Check out the glutes! They are growing at a steady pace and soon will have a life of their own! I read an article where someone was discussing how your glutes grow and he made a very intelligent observation, when training the glute muscles, they will grow out (as in behind you), not sideways, and so many women are afraid to train them heavy as they think they will get big butts.

I am living proof that your butt will keep growing out behind, and stay slim on the sides if you lift right and eat properly, I mean it's almost comical in this picture!

Glory to the butt!

Cooper

 

Meet my son, Cooper. He certainly isn't a little boy any longer! We are having fun together on the beach in Mexico just last week.

Cooper is very active, he plays lacrosse year round and also kick boxes.   I encourage him to be active and engaged in sports, I believe it not only keeps youth out of trouble, but develops a well rounded and healthy individual.

Several weeks ago I started to train in an "undulating periodiaztion" format, where I may lift heavy weights, low reps, long rest periods one day, and the next time working the same muscles, I will switch to lower weights, higher reps, shorter rest periods. I have really enjoyed this and I saw results quickly, so I wanted to read more about it.

On the plane ride over I started reading "The Poliquin Principles" by Charles Poliquin, he is credited with introducing this style of training to the world. Hailed as one of the world's premier strength coaches, Coach Poliquin has successfully trained professional athletes and Olympians worldwide.

I loved the book, I am already set to incorporate additional ideas into my training. But the real treat?

Because I was so charged up about this book and the principles, and because Cooper has seen my fast results, he has agreed to let me write up a few weight training programs for him, and wants me to train him at the gym as soon as his spring lacrosse season has ended!

A 16 year old male allowing his mother to train him? Pretty unusual, and pretty darn exciting!

We are going for as much solid mass as we can pack on! I am already doing that myself, in fact, with the training methods Coach Poliquin describes, my shoulders and back have grown to be massive! At least that's what SC said when I sent him a picture last week.

You know what's even more fun about training a 16 year old?   They have so much testosterone surging through their bodies and the need for so many calories,  they can eat stuff like this:

This is a plate of Venezuelan Hot Dogs. Steamed regular white buns, Caspars hot dogs (the best), topped with finely chopped red onion, cabbage, and crushed potato chips. Then a small amount of mayo, ketchup and mustard squeezed along inside.

Have I even had one? You bet! About four years ago...once and it was GREAT! David made this plate up for Cooper and his two buddies who spent the night last night, they devoured them.

Adults forget that our young males need a lot of calories right now, to add muscle mass they need to eat and they need to eat all the time!


Back to serious stuff though. Sunday when i got back into the gym, I incorporated some additional training aspects, I am jazzed, so excited at what the future holds!

Back in the saddle

I got home from Mexico Thursday night, the limo dropped us at about 11:00 p.m. it was oh so cold and wet, what a change. David stayed up and started laundry, Cooper took a very long, hot shower then switched on the TV he hadn't seen in days. I crawled into bed as soon as I could, I was exhausted.

I woke early, it was 5:30 and I couldn't sleep any longer, I crept quietly out of bed and started back into my routine. First, continue laundry. We would be leaving in a couple hours to go see Pop, so there was lots to do. After laundry I would need to pack some clothes for a cold, Central Valley climate!

I bundle up in a coat and go out into the garage to set up my weeks worth of protein drinks for pre-workout (first meal); amino acids for post training; and my branched chain amino acids for fluid during training.

I keep it all on my dryer in the garage, and since I am such an organized creature of habit, and always really tight on time, I find that getting everything ready for a week works well and I have what I need at all times. I can then just grab what I need and go.

I was actually craving a chocolate Lean 1 drink, and was happy to start my day with one.

I drink a Lean 1 combined with other supplements every morning. I also take L-Leucine, caffeine, Beta-Alanine and L-Glutamine.


For my drink while training I have X-Tend branched chain amino acids, and then afterward I take Gold Medal Aminos from Fitness Nutrition, a company started by Dara Torres (Olympic Swimmer).

Here you can see the concoctions all measured out and ready to go. The purple tops are the pre-training protein meal (and the other supplements added), it's like my own Ready-To- Drink, just add the mixture to water in a shaker cup!

The smaller containers in front center are the measured X-Tend (orange) and the medium sized ones on the right are the Gold Medal Aminos.

Every night I take one of each from the basket in the garage, put them on the kitchen counter and when I hop out of bed at 4:00 a.m. I have what I need. I mix my protein concoction with water in a shaker cup and take my supplements with it while I read the sports page, I then mix the X-Tend in my water bottle and take the Gold Medal Aminos in my gym bag to take immediately post training.

Supplements are also in daily pill reminder cases, I have four of them, morning, lunch, evening and bedtime. Again, all filled up on the weekend and the lunch times are carried in my purse, so I always have them.

Anal? A bit, but it helps me to be successful.

Sometimes when the sports page is boring I read my horoscope. I know they are silly and not true, nor can they be tailored for each individual, but sometimes it makes me feel really, really good. Today was one of those days and I know it was written just for me.

It said this:

You'll soon be involved in a project to restore, refurbish, or revive. What you wind up with will be an improvement on what came before.

Interpret it the way you will, I know what spoke to me, and it was immediate. Baby steps, giant leaps, zigs and zags, but all leading me in the right direction.

Three weeks of my diet

Things are moving along right on track! I have lost two pounds in three weeks, I don't have a lot to lose so I want to take it slowly. Losing it too fast results in a look that can be haggard, and your skin can look loose instead of tight and smooth.


Shoulders are looking good! I am starting to get a nice cap, but it will never be enough so I will keep working on them.

The abs are looking better and better as I lose the body fat, as I said before, I never let myself gain very much fat, I don't believe in the old theory that to gain lean muscle you need to pack on the fat. There is no reason to do that. Science has proven that you need to ingest more calories than you expend so you can gain, it has also proven that you don't need to ingest hundreds more calories that you expend resulting in a great deal of unwanted (and un-needed) fat. There is a happy medium, most people just like to use it as an excuse to pig out.

My V taper is looking better as my waist comes in, and I can see that I don't have as much fat on my upper back, an area where many women my age will start to store it.

 

I think the next thing I need is a new camera!

So, I have 12 weeks to go and honestly, I think I may be a bit too lean to start now, so it's a good thing I am going on vacation and plan to enjoy myself, I won't go crazy, but I will eat one of my favorite dishes that Dona Nica makes for me: Camarones empanizados con mayonesa (breaded, fried shrimp with mayonnaise) and a cold tecate!

And of course a few margaritas while watching the sunset on the beach.

Two weeks of my diet

I have been on my diet now for two weeks. I have been good, although I did eat a couple things I shouldn't have.

I took a bite of my husbands rib eye, just needed to compare it to my flank steak. I had a very tiny piece of fried potato slice. That's it, other than that, I have not strayed.

I feel good, and I look good, this will not be as difficult as I was thinking this time around, unless of course my vacation in Mexico totally derails me!

I decided to take pictures with my competition suit on, so I could see just how I look right now. I am happy with my progress. Now my weight has not changed since last week, but I only weigh myself on Sunday and I am in the cycle of my month where I tend to retain some water, so I would not be surprised if I weigh one pound less in a day or two.

I am just back from the gym, after 2 1/2 hours, haven't even hopped in the shower yet!

My body changes so much, I recall when I used to train with an IFBB Pro, that she used to tell me "Every prep is different" and I didn't understand, now I do.

I know I have no definition, but I shouldn't yet, it will come out in good time, after I have dieting for a while, I mean two weeks is really nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I can see that my backside looks a bit soft, and again, that is to be expected. I have a nice V taper, once I lose the fat, the waist will come in and the glutes will be more pronounced and not so "womanly"...they will be hard and tight!

The glute-ham tie in is looking good, no saggy stuff here! Again, when the excess fat and subcutaneous water leaves, the definition will pop.

What I noticed this time around is my body composition is very different. I don't know my actual body fat percentage, SC used to do that for me every week and I haven't seen him in a while, he will check it in March though. And that doesn't really matter yet, it's higher than it should be to compete, so I just have to diet for a while.

But the interesting thing I have noticed is that I seem to have gained a great deal of lean muscle over the last 6 months, and hardly any fat. Totally every one's goal, I know, so I am doing the happy dance.

Just how do I know this? It wasn't difficult to figure it out.

When I compete, I weigh between 118 and 120 pounds, at that time I wear size 0 pants. When I am not competing, and trying to add muscle I get between 126 and 132 pounds and wear size 6 pants (yes I have lots of clothes to accommodate these changes!)

My abs are already starting to show some definition, and this is usually the very last area to show it.

This winter, I got up to 130 pounds and never got into those size 6, I stayed in my 4's. Right now I am at 126 pounds and I am wearing size 0 and 2 pants. I still have 6 pounds to lose, so where is the fat? I am thinking that some of that "fat" is not fat at all, but hard, solid, muscle and I won't have to drop as much weight as usual.

One week of my diet

 

I started to "clean up" my diet a week ago. If you read my post, you would know that I am starting a little early, because I will be vacationing in Mexico where there are mandatory margaritas attached to the chaise lounge in front of my hotel room.

Here I am after one week, now please keep in mind I just got back from the gym and am standing in front of my refrigerator!

I have lost one pound, I am at 126. I think that's a good rate for me to lose at. I haven't increased any cardio, and haven't reduced calories, I just stopped my snacks and bites here and there. Oh, and no more rice cakes with peanut butter...darn!

I didn't gain a great deal of weight over the last few months, and it's all basically right there in my stomach area, but even that looks better than it did last week, let's do a side by side comparison.























Well, the only thing I can honestly see in these is that the "v" cut running down the sides of my stomach is getting more pronounced, but that means the fat is reduced.

I will keep up with the same routine this week, and see how I am doing, I would like to avoid having to add in more cardio yet, as it will only need to increase later.

I am also a natural 'ectomorph", I find it hard to gain lean muscle mass, yet at the same time, I remain relatively thin year round and don't have to worry about gaining a lot of fat.

This means I must be careful so I don't lose too much near the end, and look emaciated.

I always find the transformation part of this so exciting. I love it when I gain and look more muscular, but when I start to lose, a whole new body emerges and I have a feeling of power.


Each day I become more and more focused, things just operate like clockwork. No thinking, it's a well known drill, it's habit.

My body starts to get lean and tight, I can feel the difference daily. I feel like an animal almost, instead of walking I feel like I am silently gliding through the forest, only my eyes moving as I take in the world around me.

I am in my own world, doing what I need to stay alive, to exist, to reach my goal. No one can get in my way, no one can stop me. I am one with myself.

Cleaning up the diet

I started my "diet" on Monday, here I am on Tuesday. I am at 127 pounds and in my opinion, not carrying a great deal of fat. As you can see, my stomach is where it all is, and I have no problems with my hips or thighs, its all right there in the tummy.

I have to lose body fat for a May 7 competition.

I compete anywhere from 118 to 120 pounds, it all depends on how much lean body mass I have. I really worked hard this past winter to add muscle and keep off the fat, I think I did a really good job, but it won't really be evident until I drop down to about 4% body fat, where I get at competition time.

I get unusually low body fat, and yes, it has been verified with calipers and hydrostatic testing.
I have some friends who have gained quite a bit. They will have a harder time losing it. There was a time the school of thought was to "bulk up" and pack on all you can. Some people still hold on to this, but many have proven that you can successfully add mass and not a great deal of fat if you eat properly.

To gain muscle you need to ingest more calories than you expend. That's how you gain fat too. So how do you ensure you gain muscle and not a great deal of fat? You eat the right foods, not a bunch of crap. You also need to figure out how many calories you are expending and then eat more, don't just guess and keep loading up your plate!


Typically a competitor will start their diet 12 weeks out, that gives them time to slowly lose the fat at a safe rate to keep the skin tight and elastic and maintain muscle. Lose too fast and your skin gets saggy and loose, and the muscle drops off with the fat.

I am starting a bit early because I will be in Mexico on vacation for a week, and I am not sure if it will totally trash my preparation or not. I certainly don't plan to diet on vacation, but I will eat healthy as I do year round anyway.

I figure if I start a bit early, maybe vacation won't set me back too far.

So what do I mean by "cleaning up my diet"?

I stick to a good, clean diet year round. When I am not purposely eating to lose body fat (what most competitors like to refer to as the off-season. I don't care for that term, makes me think of a dog in heat), I will eat some things that I wouldn't normally, but not many.

For instance, when my son and husband have ribs, I will have a couple bites. When they are eating chips I might snag a couple as I walk by. I will eat bagels after training, and sandwiches occasionally.

I will eat some fruit, and a glass of wine on weekends.

But now, I won't do any of that. I will stop snagging bites and won't drink any alcohol. Bye bye fruit and bread.

I will adhere to my regular diet and portions, so it's the same thing basically without all the snacks in between. And that will make me drop body fat fairly quickly.

I will start doing a bit more cardio, but never much. For instance, today I walked on the treadmill for 10 minutes, it was all the time I had. If I can drop the fat without a lot of extra cardio, I will.

I still run my stairs and jump rope at lunch, but that is only 20 minutes and is necessary for my sanity, it's about the only time I get out of the office!

I will keep you posted with progress, you can count on me to have more pictures!

Mexico

I am going to Mexico on vacation soon, and the video below was posted on Facebook by the proprietor of the hotel where we stay. It does have some foul language, so be prepared. It's awfully funny though.

Above is a picture of David and Cooper sitting right outside our room,  they were playing chess and looking out at the view. Nice huh?

I do not travel to Puerto Vallarta, in fact, I haven't been there since my son was 3, so that is 13 years ago! It just got too crowded for me, I like a much quieter place, no discos. no lights, and no crowds just off cruise ships.

I travel to a town called Troncones, it is located on the Pacific Coast. We fly into Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa and rent a car, then we drive about 45 minutes north.

It is just almost sunset when we arrive at Hacienda Eden, we stay in the same room every year, so walk directly there. The staff are expecting us, and wave as we walk by, it is a very small place. We will greet Eva the manager with hugs.This is the view from our room.

We drop our bags, kick off our shoes and walk over to the bar and get two margaritas (not sure what Cooper will have this year) and walk out to the beach, sit back on a chaise lounge to wait for the sun to set.

We will probably talk with other guests we know, it's usually about 3/4 the same people every single year. One year we helped rescue and release sea turtles. Sea turtles return to the same beach they were born, to lay their eggs.

My exercise routine will consist of rising every morning by the sun, and I will change into a swimsuit (yes, it's that warm) and run, skip and jump along the water and shoreline. I will do squats, crunches, push ups, plyos. Just be free and active.

About an hour later guests will start wandering out with coffee, I know it's time to go get mine then.

The rest of the time is laying, reading, talking, and swinging in the hammock. I will have a couple 90 minute massages on my patio in the warm breeze. There will be lots of great food at the small restaurants along the beach too.

I look forward to me one week of relaxation very, very much. David does too.

Although I get some activity in, I don't do much and I don't stress about it. One week out of the year is not going to hurt me, I look at it as "de-training" so I can attack the weights with more strength and vigor when I return.

Mexico is safe, there is no need to be afraid, you are missing a wonderful paradise if you skip it!

Christmas Treats, Diet Wreakers

My Christmas gifts from my husband, you can see I am thrilled! In case you cannot see everything, it is two small bags of Doritos, two Jo's Salt Caramels and a book called My Horizontal Life, A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Chandler.

Oh what fun! Smut and junk food!

I will most likely end up saving it all for vacation, our real gift to each other. We go to Mexico every February for a week on the beach. While folks here at home are dealing with wind, rain and cold weather, I am wondering which of my 12 bikini's to wear in the 85 degree sun and what to drink as I lay on my chaise lounge on the beach.

The point of this is really the Doritos though. Some people eat a bag of chips every day. Every...Single....Day.

I eat a bag after every competition and I have two at Christmas. Five bags a year, tops.

In case you haven't looked at the nutritional facts (or lack of) on the bag, let me show you right here why you shouldn't be eating these "snacks"

1 3/4 ounce bag of Cool Ranch Doritos

260 Calories
13 grams fat
320 mg Sodium
31 grams Carbohydrate
2 grams Sugars
3 grams Fiber
3 grams Protein

This is practically a meal in itself, a very, very bad meal. I will put it into perspective for you.

Each of my meals ranges from 200 to 350 calories total.

Each of my meals (other than post training) has 20 to 25 grams carbohydrates total.

Might as well suck on a spoonful of mayonnaise with all the fat in these beauties.

If you are really serious about losing body fat, you should not be eating things like this.  Don't close your eyes and mind and pretend that one little bag won't hurt, it certainly will.

If you are at a place where you can afford it, like I am when I am at 4% bodyfat, then it's not a problem. If your bodyfat is over 20% (women) and 15% (men), get your hands outta the bag for good!

Oh and our vacation spot? Hacienda Eden, on the Pacific Coast. This will be our 15th year there, room #4! It is quiet, secluded, has no discos, few tourists, and great food surrounds us.

I am looking forward to walking down the road to Marta's, on the small cove in the neighboring town of Majahua where we will sit in plastic chairs with our feet in the sand and eat fresh lobster as we watch the fishermen.

The Doritos? I will probably eat them in the plane on the way down.

K. Lo

Surely you have heard of Jennifer Lopez and her infamous rear end?! She is lovingly known as J. Lo. You may like large rear ends you may not, we all have our preference. 

Me? I think you can work on your entire body, have perky breasts, smooth face, golden tan and the most fantastic drop dead jewelry and clothes, but if you have a flat butt you have nothing.

Really? Really!

Women would kill for a nice rear end, a nice high, round, tight set of glutes, ones that protrudes out toward the back, not the sides (in other words, no dreaded saddlebags!)

I have always devoted a great deal of time to my glutes, they respond quickly and that means just as quickly they can fade away...


One day of weight training is devoted to glutes but they are trained with legs too, and nothing is better for your butt than squats, which I do religiously.

Since I am deliberately trying to add some weight, and hopefully it is mostly lean mass, I have increased food and need to take advantage of those extra calories by training smart. 

For the last two weeks I have been running stairs at work during my lunch time instead of at home afterward, as often I was too tired or busy to fit it in. I figured I had already been at the gym for an hour and a half in the morning, so skipping the evening training session would be ok....wrong!


I change into my clothes and jog through campus, weaving my way through all the students until I get the the Event Center. It's a fairly large building, it holds 4,600 people for basketball and 6,000 for concerts, it's sizable!

 

 

 

 

I get to the Arena Entrance that you see above and I run up the stairs, there are 25 of them. I then jog across the top of the building and back down those same 25 stairs.

I do this 12 times. That's 300 stairs up, and 300 stairs down, not to mention the 12 jogs across the rooftop!

 

This is no steady state cardio, this is intervals and it gets your heart rate racing! I don't think there is much better for your butt than running up and down stairs.

Which brings me back to my butt. I went over my friends' house on Friday, he sent a text and asked if we wanted to have margarita's after work. Well, I hadn't had a margarita since February when I was in Mexico on vacation, and it sounded great on a sunny warm Friday.

As I sipped my (one) margarita, I was telling them about my glute training and how successful it has been, and that my butt has gotten so round and hard, that if you stuck a pin in it, it would pop like a big balloon!

We all laughed and I had to demo the look, and that's when I got the nickname K. Lo!

Here are a few stair running tips I have found that seem to work:

Step on every other step. I’ve found that it’s best to run stairs by skipping every other step. This manner of running ensures proper stride frequency and speed of running.


Use your whole body. running and climbing are whole-body movements. Engage all your muscles – not just the legs.


Use the quads. Climb stairs by pushing with your thighs. Make sure not to completely extend your legs – this puts too much strain on your knees. Instead, run by keeping your legs semi-flexed throughout.


The role of the posterior chain. The muscles of the back of your legs – calves, hamstrings (back of your thighs) and glutes (your butt) are responsible for most of the movement that occurs in running and jumping. Don’t make the mistake to push through your knees only. Instead, try to use your posterior chain and extend your hips.


Run on your toes. Just a quick note here – when running try to step on your toes or more specifically the place between your toes and your mid foot. That’s how all animals run – they step on their paws and on NOT their heels.

Use your arms. Make sure to use your arms to help you with the movement. Keep your elbows in, shoulders down (not shrugged) and your arms semi-flexed (like a sprinter).