Train Clean, Eat Dirty

I am back! After a 6 year hiatus I have decided to resurrect my blog and share the myriad changes I have been through. For those who did not follow me years ago, I wrote a daily blog on dieting, eating clean, competing, training, and managing to stay lean and on track while working full time and raising a family. 

I found this draft below from 2015 and threw a recent photo from yesterday up with it. It was back in 2015 that I started moving away from "clean eating" which had consumed so much of my life for so many years. Here I am in my new home gym (well a year and a half old). I have a lot to say. It won't be daily any longer but it will be interesting. 

and on to the post....

No, I did not get that backwards. yes, I know you usually see it "Eat Clean, Train Dirty", but I don't believe in that.  What does that mean (to me) anyway?

   Eat Clean, Train Dirty

Eat Clean:

Consume the same old "clean" foods over and over until sick to death of them. Chicken breast, brown rice, asparagus, almonds, broccoli and tilapia. Deprive yourself of every human desire for anything salty, fatty, sweet, gooey, sticky, crunchy or just plain mouth-watering-delicious.

All.....The....Time.....

Train Dirty:

Ingest drugs, many not intended for humans, most intended for clinical or therapeutic reasons (as opposed to building muscle, shedding fat). Not interested in health, only in achieving a certain look.

Eat Dirty, Train Clean 

Eat Dirty:

Consume any foods, anything that makes me smile and feel good about life. Mostly things like cheese, garlic, almond butter, fruit, breads, butter, lamb, beef, pork, vegetables, salt, sugar, cereal, white rice, sauces, whole eggs, bagels, chocolates. Live like a normal person.


Train Clean:

Train and maintain my body naturally, without drugs. Strive to be healthy and strong, while looking awesome at the same time.

Choose which one you prefer, I know what I want!

As an update to this post - someone asked me if I used to take drugs, PED's, diuretics, etc. The answer is no, absolutely not. I actually stopped competing due to the widespread use of drugs in the sport. What I did do is "eat clean" for many, many years. My comparison above was mainly due to the fact that you will see so many "clean eaters" but they are also pumping their bodies full of dangerous drugs specifically so they look better. There is no concern about health, only how they look. I will have a future post regarding this soon! In the mean time, work hard, and enjoy the food!

A Woman Belongs In The Weight Room

A lot has been going on in my life. I am sure everyone has just as much going on in their lives as I do, but we all handle it differently don't we? I think as I get closer to a competition, my focus becomes laser sharp, I concentrate on the task at hand and I start operating on auto pilot. I pretty much do one thing and one thing alone, I have to.

I have so much to do because I am training twice a day, every day. That means every single morning I am at the gym when it opens (5am on weekdays, 6am on weekends). Then two weeknights a week I train with Roy, and on Fridays at noon. The other weeknights I am on my treadmill at home or back at Gold's to train shoulders, or do some cardio, and on weekend afternoons I schlep back to the gym for posing, routine practice and cardio.

Weekends are jam packed with food shopping, cooking, weighing and packaging. And then since you cannot cook all the food for a week, it gets done again in the middle of the week.

All my supplements need to be re-stocked into the daily containers for the week, I have five different ones, pre training, post, lunch, dinner, bed. 

And don't forget that little thing that seems to suck up most of my time, it's called a full time job. Yes indeed, a lot of people do all this, don't have a job and still say they don't have enough time!

It's almost like having a child again. The "thing" needs constant attention. But just like a child, I love it. Absolutely love it!

I thought that after my son left home I would have so much extra time, and somehow I seem to fill it right up! Just gotta figure out how to get out of working full time and then I would have enough time in my day!

I feel so at home in the gym, especially this one, Gold's in Campbell. It's big and open, huge high ceilings, lots of old equipment and all the free weights and benches I could possibly want. There are three cable crossovers, two dual cables, a Glute Ham Raise and five squat racks; five!  The only thing it is missing is a sled and a full set of kettlebells. I know so many of the people by name and they are all welcoming, encouraging and fun to joke with.

I love when some of the guys will come up to me and say things like "You didn't look like this a while ago, what's going on?!" Then I have to explain the competitions and "the process", and it all starts clicking in their heads why I am so intense in the gym, I am on a mission.

People ask "how can you do that?" or "How do you find the time?" and my thought is how can I not? I believe we all find the time to do what we really want in life, we MAKE the time.

It's my passion in life. I have found it and I am lucky.

My body starts changing considerably the last few weeks. These were taken on Saturday, April 6, 2013, 5 weeks from the competition. The body fat has really dropped quite a bit, and I don't have much more to lose, maybe one pound at most. I never really had much to lose anyway, but a small amount makes a huge difference on a small person.

I had hydrostatic testing done again, the day these pictures were taken. I am at 7.1% which means I have lost a pound of bodyfat and I actually gained 1/2 pound of lean mass. This is great news as it is so easy to lose muscle when dieting, it's actually my biggest fear. I have a whopping 8.85 pounds of fat on my entire body. I like to concentrate on the lean mass though, I am almost all muscle, 117.15 pounds of it.

Here is the latest test:

My training has changed a bit now, I am doing higher reps with lower weights, targeting the shoulders. Everything else is about the same, it's just rounding out the shoulder area so I actually have to split my training into two workouts each of the two days I train them. I cannot fit it all in at once, and it is not good to work that long without rest and fuell anyway, so Tuesdays I do half the workout before work, then back to the gym after work to do the rest. Fridays I train shoulders with Roy, then eat and head back to my gym to finish off with the cables on my own again.

I have had some feedback from Michelle Brent, IFBB Pro about my posing and have made changes, she has been a great help. Below is a video of the latest mandatory poses, and we chatted again after she saw this about a few tweaks I will be incorporating.

I have a few pangs of anxiety here and there, but for the most part I am excited and looking forward to the event, to the day where I finally get to see my finished product, have fun with all the friends who will be competing along side me and then celebrate with friends and family afterward.

Moving into the Physique division has been an exciting change for me. I prefer more muscle and less bodyfat than what a Figure competitior carries, it suits me as a person. I like how I look.

Having attainable goals are often something people only have in their work lives, and few people actually have measurable goals established in their personal lives. I find that by have goals like this for myself, I have a better sense of direction, purpose and fulfillment in my life.

Not everyone needs to compete, it's a difficult process to go through and it's not for the thin skinned or whiners, but for those looking for an amazing way to interact with a lot of other like minded people who have a passion for training, it's a great way to prove to yourself just how wonderful you really are. 

Train hard!

Cardio

I think it's a four letter word to be honest! How much cardio should a person do? There is no set answer nor is there a right one. It all depends. It depends on the person, their caloric intake, their other training or sport and their goals.

But it's mainly about THE GOAL.

A while back I wrote that I would be increasing my weight training and decreasing my cardio "because I didn't like how cardio made me look". One of my readers asked about it, "what did you mean, you didn't like the way cardio makes you look?"

Let me explain. I think too much cardio makes most people look tired, ragged  emaciated and skinny. If you want to insult me, tell me I look skinny. Skinny is not attractive in my book, it is synonymous with starvation and eating disorders in my mind. 

The problem is, most people don't know when to stop doing cardio. They think it's the magic ticket out of the realm of fat. But it's not, take it from me. 

These pictures were just taken the day I write this. In fact, I almost always use current pictures, (I will tell you when they are older ones); it helps me see where I am everyday and it "keeps it real"; you see me year round as my physique changes and fluctuates.  You don't just see me at my best (but then you know that already huh)?

I think I look great- I am very happy with my physique right now. I am not dieting, in fact, I am enjoying quite a range of foods and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich moments before sitting down to write. (That was after a can of tuna mixed with a mashed up hard cooked egg and a huge spoon of dill pickle relish. Dill pickle relish has no sugar like sweet does).

My goal right now is to add muscle, lots of muscle. It is a difficult endeavor for a woman, we just don't have the necessary muscle building testosterone like men do. It is proven that you need a surplus of calories to build (fat or muscle); and you need a deficit to lose (fat or muscle). Anyone who tells you that you can add a significant amount pf muscle and lose fat at the same time is trying to sell you something, I guarantee it.

Yes, there are methods of "body re-composition"  where you can increase lean mass and decrease fat, but this is mainly for extremely overweight people. When you are at my level, where i have been training for a long time and my physique is fairly dialed in year round, it's more fine tuning and it's not as easy.

I look around at people who lift, then they head up to get their cardio in. These people are either competitors who are trying to lose fat (and they will probably do a second cardio session the same day), or they are people who never look any different. Their cardio wipes out all the hard work from their lifting. Many of these competitors will end up looking like they "dieted too long" when their competition rolls around, and it's because they did too much cardio.

A couple months ago I cut way back on cardio, and I stopped all steady state cardio altogether. I am doing "cardio" 2 times a week for 30 minutes, that's it! 

And I look like this.

I have been riding a spin bike with my gymboss, so I am basically doing intervals on a bike. I cannot tell you how important this little electronic gadget is, it ensures you stay on task and don't cheat. I set it on 3 minutes off (seated ride) and then 1 minute on (standing, hard pedaling, butt hovering over and just touching the saddle, all the power coming from my quads). There is a loud beep and a vibration (I need all the help I can get because my music is so loud) for 5 seconds at each start and stop point.

I am actually seriously considering eliminating all cardio for a while. It would be interesting to see how I change!

I still lift every single day, and on Wednesdays twice a day! So I am still quite active, in fact I am in a gym, lifting 70 minutes a day (2 days a week) and 120 to 150 minutes a day (the other 5 days a week, usually split into two sessions). Yes, that's over an hour on my "short" days and 2 1/5 hours on the "long" days.

This is the first time in years that I have done this, and I like the results. I look full, muscular, healthy and lean still. 

I think that eliminating most of the cardio has allowed my body to grow the way I want it to. And as I mentioned, I am not dieting, but it certainly is not a free for all! During the entire month of October I strayed into the Halloween candy only one day at work, that was it for candy.  I have been adhering to my typical diet where all food is weighed and measured, but I allow myself to eat with the family several times a week (when I am not lifting at night with Roy). 

How much was I doing before? A lot compared to now, but not a lot compared to many other people I know. I would do steady state cardio (treadmill or stairmill) for 30 minutes 5 times a week. In addition, I was running stairs and jumping rope at lunch 4 times a week. I will start in on this again, but not until I get closer to a competition, when I need to drop all the extra fat (and yes, I do have fat that needs to go for a competition).

I have replaced my cardio with heavy lifting. I train hard, as hard as possible every time I am in the gym. And Roy ensures that my weights go up, no stagnation, always improvements.

It shows that sometimes we can have blinders on about our training and diet. I have relaxed the diet a bit and cut way back on the cardio and I couldn't really be happier with the results.

Think about your cardio and training, and then assess your results. Are you happy? Have you been "busting your butt" yet not seeing the results? Maybe it's time to make a change. Yes, it was a bit frightening, I was sure I would blow up like a balloon, but I didn't did I? Not even close. 

Drop me a line if you want to chat about it and I will give you my honest opinion. I don't recommend making drastic changes if you have an event on the near horizon, such as a competition, or a wedding or vacation. But if you are ready to make some positive changes, think about it.

Set a goal and

Lift Hard.

A Glorious Day Lifting

Here is my new "bigness",  all 130 pounds of it! These pictures were taken Monday afternoon, before I went to lift with Roy. In yesterdays post I was whining about how "big" I was feeling, and I'm over it now!

Sorta

I feel more in control now and that's the biggest help. I find that if I don't feel I can control an issue, then it's a problem for me. I am not talking crowd control, not talking saving the world, I am talking me. Controlling my actions.

I have the wheel again

Oh I am still trying to add mass, and I have done quite a glorious job with that haven't I? LOL! I am now actually back to portion control and I feel I can take care of any back sliding I did. It won't take long, wait and see. Of course, I have been on vacation, and will be again all next week, so the food fest continues, but I know what I need to do. 

Monday and Tuesday were what I call a Glorious Day Lifting, I felt wonderful and you know what? When I feel good I look good! Monday I was sore from sprints, I am sore all the time these days and I think we need to de-load soon, I need a break, at least my body does.


It was "hammies" with Roy, so that meant I would be doing very slow back extensions holding a 14 pound bar over my head, I can feel it in my lower back, glutes, obliques, upper back, my core. Oh it hits the entire posterior chain, I can feel it as I shake near the end of each set. 


Then off to the Glute Ham Raise, the devil's child. I love to hate it, mostly love though. The distance is moved closer, so the knees are resting more toward the middle of the pad, less ability to use leverage this way. I surprised him I think, I hit 10. Then I hit 11, then he said go for 13, I did.


He then said it was too easy and the next time it gets moved closer. He measured it for me, I repeat this on my own later in the week, I need to get it right when he's not there, and I will.


Tuesday when I woke up I felt strong, and I felt better since I now had a plan, I felt like I was on course again. It was chest day, not my favorite but I have two more weeks Roy said.


Dips, I warmed up then found a weight belt and added 15 pounds. Yes, it's not much, but I am doing 5 sets of 10, and I am going all the way down and slow. I am doing them right. I time my rests, 2 1/2 minutes and then I hop back up.


Bench press. Again, I am working on the eccentric move, I warm up then it's 95 pounds. 5 sets of 10, slowly, slowly. I start the stopwatch and rest it on my belly as I lift. I am aiming for a slower set, but this is a hard one for me. I still did better than last week and that is all I can ask for. 

Improvement

Then I get one shoulder exercise because I am so worried about losing size in my shoulders, Roy throws it in to placate me I think. Single arm press. I do 5 sets on each side, 30 pound dumbbell. Concentrate on the eccentric, I am aiming for a minimum of 75 seconds time under tension. One arm is stronger than the other, always.

I pat myself on the back, reminding myself that I am trying to add mass, I am not on a competition diet so I cannot except to be the lean gazelle I am so used to. It's OK, I feel good, I look good.

Bring on Friday for another Glorious Day Lifting (x2).

Respect for my Passion

It was the 4th of July, I was off work for the day but would hit the gym as soon as they opened for 30 minutes of cardio and calve training, then I would meet Roy at BodyComp Personal Training Gym in the afternoon to train quads. I love days like this, I feel so alive and accomplished.

I am progressing right along as planned, adding size but keeping bodyfat low, as you can see in my picture above. The diet still puzzles me, I will be writing more about it later, but I managed to avoid all starches now through the last weekend, none at all.

As I left Gold's Gym, another member stopped me, he is  young guy, an MMA fighter and fairly ripped, not someone you would call a couch potato by any means. "Hey- you are pretty much a professional right?" he asked, and he didn't wait for a response. He started asking me about my training, what my split was and how often I train each body part. We talked about it and he explained that he thinks his MMA is counter productive, he is staying small due to the sheer energy expenditure of the constant conditioning that MMA requires.

I told him how I was struggling a bit, I feel like my shoulders have lost much of their size, I have always been so proud of my massive shoulders, but I am training my chest right now with only a very little shoulder work thrown in. I will go back to training shoulders again in a few weeks, but right now I need to stop, so I can work on other body parts. I looked him in the eyes and said "You just may need to give something up", he nodded his head and agreed, he didn't want to hear it, but he knew it already.

He thanked me for my time, and walked into the gym, the conversation heavy on his mind. 

I appreciated this fellow for the fact that he engaged me in a meaningful conversation and wanted my advise, he saw me as a knowledgable  lifter, someone who has been able to accomplish what he is struggling with.

I felt really good after our conversation, almost "validated". I don't need anyone to validate my actions, but I think we all feel better when we beleive that people take us seriously. My daily exercise is not a hobby, it is a part of my existance, it is one of the things that makes Kristy, "Kristy".

There are those who find my devotion to the gym and my lifting "cute" and an entertaining hobby, and they wonder when I am going to come around and act like everyone else, or perhaps get bored, start eating like a "normal" person and find something more worthwhile to do.

Never.

The glutes and legs are growing, my goodness most of my pants are too tight and uncomfortable now in the butt and thighs, it is my goal but it's still rather funny. When I met Roy on Wednesday he remarked "Well your legs and  glutes are bigger, or maybe it's the shorts?" No, it is the shorts you see here, the same ones I have been wearing and they cannot shrink, they are all man made fibers, I have grown, just where I am trying to. We laughed about it and he said "You said you wanted a 'shelf butt' so when you have a 2 inch ledge that you can set a coffee cup on, we will quit". Until then, I am destined to having sore glutes, quads and hams for a bit longer.

I am proud of my lifting, proud of my accomplishments and prod of my determination and drive. It's unfortunate that everyone cannot see how important it is and respect it, but I won't let that stop me, I will contnue to surround myself with people who do share my passion and together we share a mutual respect.