Hello Movie Star

"Hello Movie Star!" That's what David said to me the other night when I walked in the door from training with Roy and he handed these to me. The flowers were not for any special occasion.


But, today is a special occasion, it is my birthday, I am 51 years old, and some days I really do feel like a movie star.


And others...well we won't talk about those!


I look back and realize that I started my "fitness" journey when I was just turning 40, I wanted to change how I looked, and I sure did. Nothing happened overnight, nothing was easy, I slowly lost some of the fat I wanted to rid myself of, and I just as slowly learned what form of exercise I liked. 

Weights

Weight training can and will transform your body and your mind. Running will too, but you won't have arms like mine! 

It is important to decide what you want your physique to look like, and then train for that. Wanna be straight, lean and skinny looking? Run non stop.

Want solid, firm, feminine muscles? Then lift weights. And don't tell me you are worried about getting "too big and bulky"...Do you know how hard I try to get bigger? It is not easy, not easy at all. You cannot get "big" without massive amounts of proper food and drugs, you do not have the testosterone necessary to do that. 

Sure, I know many people who believe I am way too muscular, and they are certainly entitled to their opinion. (wrong as it may be)

Maybe you want muscles but not as big as mine? Well that should be fairly easy, I am in the gym 7 days a week, and three of those days I am there twice a day. So....maybe you can lift 5 days a week? 3? It will make a difference, I guarantee it.

Nutrition- that is a huge part of this metamorphosis. Proper nutrition, along with learning nutrient timing is key, in fact, I lifted for a very long time and never made it over that hump until I started eating properly. It takes time to become second nature though, it takes years.

I have been lifting now for 10 years, and eating properly for about half that length of time, and I am very happy I have embarked on this, it has become my life, it's part of my everyday routine and always will be. 

I look better than I did at 40, maybe even 30. And I plan to keep lifting and learning for as long as I am able.

Find your passion, you are never too old to start!

Observations at the Gym and Life Lessons

I was staying at my father in laws house last week, and of course didn't want to skip the gym, so I visited the one in his area. I had been there before with Alicia, she lives across the street with him and has been taking very good care of him since my mother in law passed away in February.

When Alicia and I went, we had only chatted over email and Facebook, it was fun to meet her in person, she was filled with excitement about learning something new. I remember as we pulled up to the gym she looked at me and said "I have a feeling we aren't going to the ladies part of the gym" and I exclaimed that I had never been to a gym that had a separate men's and women's section, so she can rest assured we will NOT be going to the ladies section!

On Friday I walked into the "men's section (and by the way, it is Alicia's regular part of the gym now!) and started lifting, it was back and bicep day for me.

I noticed two men, huge chests, spotting each other as they did set after set of bench press, and with some really good weight on the bar. Both of them had wide, massive, impressive chests.

Then I did what I always do. I looked at their butts.

They had none. Not one between 'em!

I see so many men who spend so much time on developing a massive set of pecs, only to ignore the rest of their bodies, sad. 

It's like women who think they can go out and buy silicone breast implants and not worry about their rolls of fat on their stomachs, or their huge saddle bags. They will run around in a tight t-shirt but wouldn't darn don a bikini.

Sorry, it's a package deal and good packages are compact and tight.

I notice a woman on the decline bench, doing ab crunches. She has a cell phone in one hand and transfers it back and forth as she crunches.  What on earth is going through her mind? 

As I put on my clothes in the locker room that same women looks at me and speaks. She nods her head at me and says:

"How long do you have to work so your arms look like that?" 

For the first time in my life I don't hesitate. 

"10 years" I said.

I wasn't trying to be mean nor was I trying to discourage her, but I have worked hard, and I continue to work hard. To have someone hold their cell phone while they do "crunches" and then even ask me how long it took me to get where I am was just too much. 

It's not just the time, it's the effort, the dedication, the passion, the diet, the self critique, the constant criticism (upon request), it's so much more than a couple crunches on a Friday morning. 

It's my life.

The day before we had rested my mother's ashes in the niche. It was a beautiful military memorial in a quiet cemetery. Smooth, cool Italian marble and a rough, strong rock on top. Then a bronze bayonet and helmet embedded in the rock. A fitting place for a strong woman.

There was a saying on one of the niches that has stayed with me.

Cherish yesterday

Live today

Dream tomorrow

This helped me through the rest of the day, and I continue to think about it still. We can all use this as we live, as we mourn, as we lift.

Dancing in the Gym

I really do have a good time in the gym! I feel right at home, I feel confident, I know what I am doing.

I believe that one reason is my years of training with others. I listened and learned. Now, I am well aware there are many poor trainers out there- ones who do not really understand the whole concept, how the nervous system has as much to do with a successful lift as does the grip and the breathing and the tempo, it's a science!

I also think that my fascination with the science and my love of reading has helped, I read some wild and interesting books on training.

But even if you aren't concerned with how your brain makes everything work, or how the neurons fire, maybe you just want to go ride a bike and chat with your friends. Then power to you! That's a heck of a lot healthier than sitting in a bar downing vodka grapes!

Saturday morning I was dancing in the gym, literally! I was having so much fun, I felt strong, I felt alive, I felt invincible.

I went to be early the night before - that's really important!

I had my music cranked, and since I was training arms that day, it's not like I had huge lifts when it is leg day, I would dance in between sets.

A few women smiled and threw their heads back, they enjoyed seeing me have fun, and I didn't care what anyone thought, because I am having fun being Kristy!

2010 NPC San Francisco Championship

Saturday I competed in the 2010 NPC San Francisco Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Championships.
If you have been following me, you know this, you know all about the weeks of preparation, the diet, the weight training, the cardio. The emotional ups and downs. There is so much to say about the day, I cannot possibly do it in one post, but I will give all the highlights, and then elaborate later. This show was a milestone for me personally. It marks the very first competition that I have prepared for completely on my own. I stopped training with SC and FP back in May, and then had a show in July, but I had seen FP a few times so felt I wasn't really on my own at the time. 

This is really important to me not just because I want to do it on my own, but because, due to two different sets of circumstances, I was  not able to train with my two long time trainers and that can be a devastating blow for any athlete, and I was not going to let it get the better of me. I needed to learn that I could do it without them. 

I have learned that I can not only do it without them, but I can do it damn well!

This show was old hat to me, It was at the same location that I have done at least three other shows, so I knew the hotel, the road, the stage, everything. I was feeling great!

I checked into the hotel in the late afternoon, I didn't have to tan until 6:45 pm. I still had to put sheets on my bed, make sure I showered first and ate, so I got there early.

I am having fun posting on face book, I have cheesecake for dinner and also for breakfast, this makes other woman mad (understandably). Why am I eating this? It certainly does not make sense? But, there is so much to write about this that I will wait to do it till later.

I wandered down the hall to Jan Tana's room for my spray tan. I knock on the door and it is quietly opened, I slip in then it is shut quickly. They have four pop up tents set up and they are spraying two women at a time then two dry at a time.  We are all naked, save our plastic shower cap to protect our hair...I am talking with Christina, she is one of the two tanning technicians, I know her, we are jabbering away as she works.

There is a cute really outgoing girl in the tent next to me asking all sorts of questions, it is her first time. Christina tells her everything she needs to know, but it isn't enough, she is worried, it's all new, I pop my head over and say "don't worry, I will help you, I can show you whatever you need to know, I have been here a zillion times".  Off we go our separate ways, and I will look for her in the morning.

I get to the auditorium  early and all ready, I had awoken early and couldn't sleep, so why not get ready in the good light? Last show the dressing room had no light bulbs, today it was lit like the Taj Mahal!

Immediately I was greeted by other women coming in, excited voices, tentative whispers, so many different feelings and energies.

I knew that I would be seeing several other friends there, women I have met from competitions, and we now stay in touch on facebook. I am looking around, I am excited, yet a bit hesitant at the same time.

I connect with some wonderful new women, women that I can say will be in my life again, they were that influential. I will write about them later. 

I felt very much at home, I know this setting, I was just here in May at the Contra Costa Show.

I competed in the Masters 45+ and the Unlimited C division (5'2" to 5' 4") which means I am doing double time! Two "show times" and then two shows, so a total of four times on stage, it is stressful, exhilarating, tiring, exciting, you can name all of the high strung emotions, and it is there.

I felt really good, I felt good about my own personal preparation, training, conditioning, then I look around and see so many sleek, buff, cut, pumped bodies, I am blown away! Where are these women in my day to day life? They are no where around me that's for sure! I placed 3rd put of 11 competitors in the masters 45+ division, then 4th out of 9 in the unlimited "c" division, I was thrilled!

I have been in three shows each year for the last two years, and in every show (save one) have come away with two placings, one I only placed once. What's the significance? I will tell you, it is huge. Every single woman who even walks through the door of that auditorium has accomplished an amazing amount of personal feats. Every woman has trained harder than she wanted at some point in the last few months, she has ensured she has eaten only the best, most nutritious foods, at the appropriate times, forsaking treats, only because she had her focus here.

More women will walk away without a trophy than will walk away with one, more will go home without a symbol of their hard work, of their perseverance, of their commitment.That shouldn't diminish their  accomplishment, yet I am afraid it does. I know that most will carry it in their hearts, yet it must be difficult to feel that it wasn't enough when they have given every ounce of their being just to stand on that stage. 

Each has spent countless hours at the gym, past the point of exhaustion, because she had committed to this event, she has told herself over and over that she is looking great, she is on the right track, she is beautiful, she is strong she is capable, she will not fail.

I met wonderful women, touched base with others whom I had not seen since past shows, others I only see through facebook, I felt very much at home and among friends. I was pushed and cajoled about doing nationals- I have qualified every year- this is a level of show higher than the local level, but I have never felt that I was ready, either with my posing or with my conditioning.

I am thinking though, I have lots of things running through my head. I can do anything I want, yet I don't know what I really want right now.  I still think I am going to stick to my resolve about getting bigger, putting on as much mass (naturally) as I can, and then assessing my options.

But that's the beauty of being an independent, intelligent adult, I can change my mind if I want right?

How far ahead are you thinking?

I am prepping for another competition, and when I get home and I am starved! Time for meal number 5 and it cannot be fast enough. I had my red snapper, brown rice, asparagus and mushrooms.

David and Cooper are feeling a little slighted about now, as they usually do when it gets this close to competition time and my diet is really rigid, so I made a very tasty pasta sauce for them with Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano. Topped with pecorino cheese, they enjoyed it.

I sit with them while they eat.

Talk got around to school and how we, as parents need to help Cooper make the right decisions and keep him on track, so he will grow into a responsible, successful, happy adult.

He didn't think we had to do that, he said "If I cannot figure it out right now myself, then I never can!", but I beg to differ.

I told him that he really shouldn't be able to right now, he is only 16. I said "You are probably thinking about as far ahead as tonight, and what you and your friends will be doing after dinner". He smiled, then laughed and nodded his head.

He looked at David and asked how far ahead he was thinking. I said "I bet you are thinking about as far ahead as the weekend, when you can relax a little".

  Again, I got a smile and agreement.

They both looked at me and were a bit afraid to ask, but they asked me how far ahead I was thinking. I was fast to answer because it's really been on my mind quite a bit.

6 months.

I am thinking about 6 months from now. I am planning how I will have changed in 6 months and wondering what I will look like and how I will feel.

I have been planning to take a break from competing for a while, at least 6 months. But that doesn't mean stopping the weight training, oh not at all. In fact, I am attending an Olympic weight lifting class Saturday at Catalyst Athletics in Sunnyvale. They have a weightlifting team, I am thinking of joining them.

I have already spoken with them, my skill level will need to be evaluated. I have done some Olympic lifting with SC, he  competes himself, but I haven't done enough to excel. I just may though, with a bit of private one on one coaching. I want to take time off from the rigid diet and see how much muscle I can add in 6 to 8 months, that means serious weights and serious food. I will have to get past the mental block of gaining weight, that's the hard part, but I think I can do it.

That means, I will be able to actually eat some of that pasta I make for them next time!

The only thing that may hold me back is a little problem called work. Training starts every night at 4:00, I may have a difficult time adjusting my schedule. 

The class was great- here is my new shirt. No one will know what this means unless they are familiar with Olympic lifts, I think it's pretty funny.

Lifting Straps

I love these straps! I don't wear gloves when I lift weights, although I used to. When I started training with SC, it was in a college athletic facility, so it was pretty much a testosterone filled room. Lot's of sweat, loud rap music, dirty socks on the ground, paper cups all over, bowls of chalk....yes chalk. No one wore gloves and I was not about to either.

When I would do heavy dead lifts, or RDL's my hands got slippery, so I was told to go stick em in the chalk. I used to hate the feeling of chalk, it's like fingernails on a blackboard. But I like it now. I used to like to plunge my hands in it, smack them together to see the white cloud then get chalk all over my quads.

When the deadlifts got really heavy, say in the 225 range, plain chalk just didn't do the trick, that bar was heavy and my hands just couldn't maintain the grip very long.

That's where these beauties come in! My gym has "lifting straps" but they are no good compared to these. Lifting straps are not sneered at like gloves are. "Real men" don't wear gloves I was told, but they can use straps. The problem with regular straps is they have a loop that you put your wrist through, and they tend to tighten up and cut off circulation, or they have a long hanging piece that just gets in the way.

These are from Ironmind and they are called "sew easy" lifting straps. They are cut and sewed together to provide the exact amount of fabric needed to just wind around the Olympic bar and stop you from loosing your grip.

I keep them in my gym backpack and take them with me everyday. I have loaned them to a couple guys and one of them has now bought his own!

If you are a serious, heavy lifter, I highly recommend these straps. Visit Ironmind and order some today!

Peace

Peace, what makes you feel at peace? I have found that I am a creature of habit, oh this is not a new revelation, but it becomes more and more evident every day. I thrive on structure, on routine, on set ways of doing things.

Don't get me wrong, I love surprise and I enjoy being spontaneous, but I am at my best when everything goes along as planned and when I am in control.

I have realized that I cannot always be in control, and that is OK, I need to learn to accept that. A long time ago I stopped worrying about things that I couldn't control, that only causes frustration and stress. If you cannot control or change it, is there any point in worrying about it? NO.

This really hit home when I was sick. As I write this, it has been 29 days since I became ill. I am definitely getting better, I think I shall be right as rain in only a few more days. I have actually gone the last three days with only a slight headache when I wake up, and once in the evening. They have been extremely mild and I am still on medication, so it will be a thing of the past soon.

During my illness I would get many people asking what was wrong? Why don't they have a definitive answer? This is crazy, it's going on so long. They were all very concerned, and I love them all for caring, but I just wasn't that worried. I mean, I was sick, and seeing two doctors, what good would it do me to worry about it? So I didn't.

But I found myself worrying about not being able to lift weights, this walking stuff is for the birds! I tried to tell myself that I shouldn't worry as it was out of my control, what good would it to for my health to add additional stress? So I grew to enjoy my "short" 5 mile walks, it was actually very peaceful and relaxing. Especially early in the morning when no one is awake yet. I would listen to pod casts from the "Natural Bodybuilding Radio" channel, and got lots of great tips and ideas.

Now, I am back to my regular schedule. I am up at 4, off to the gym, then to work, I love all of it. This weekend I prepared a huge batch of vegetables for lunches and spent 2 1/2 hours in the gym on Saturday morning, my favorite thing to do, and that didn't even include a steam or shower! I am lifting, and lifting heavy. I feel good, I feel at peace again.

Maria is the Winner!

Recently I wrote about my friend Maria. She and I entered the 2010 San Jose NPC Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Championships together and had a blast!

This was Maria's first Figure competition, and it came at the end of a personal transformation she had been making for months. Back on January 1, 2010, Maria entered the Max Muscle MaxForm 2010 Transformation contest.

She started at out 165 pounds and by the time our competition rolled around on July 10, she was 122 pounds of tight, hard muscle, she looked fantastic! Maria worked very hard, adhering to an extremely rigid diet, weight training every day, doing cardio sometimes twice a day, she was a driven woman.

Maria called me and announced that she had won! Out of over 7,000 entrants, she was the winner to represent Max Muscle for the upcoming year!

Maria will have a photo shoot, she will appear in print media, she will have her life size likeness displayed in every Max Muscle across the nation, she will make appearances at events, she will be the face of Max Muscle! Oh, I believe she also mentioned that she won $25,000.00 too.

I cannot express how very proud I am of her accomplishments, she shows that with hard work and determination, we can all transform ourselves to be who and what we want to be.

I wasn't sure if she still wanted to enter the San Francisco show on October 2, I thought she might be tired of the dieting, so I could relax a bit. Now I realize, she will probably be on a diet all year long to keep up her demanding schedule with Max Muscle, I guess I better get started too!

Her story is heartwarming and touching, read about it here at Max Muscle.

What Motivates You?

 

We are all motivated differently, but it seems quite evident me that motivation is really an internalized function. I think if you ask people who are successful and appear to be motivated, they may not be able to always give you a specific answer about just what does motivate them other than to be the best they can be. They have a drive, a need, a passion that only they can fulfill.

People ask me how I can keep getting up early every single day to train, don't I get tired of it? No, I don't. I live to train, I love to train, I feel most alive when I am in the weight room lifting weights. I am often oblivious to those around me when I am there.

I talked to SC the other day, he was my trainer for 3 1/2 years. Due to some logistical issues, we had to stop, but I hope to start up again soon with him. SC called to tell me about his vacation, we hadn't spoken in about 3 weeks.

It was great to talk with him, I told him about my competition, he told me about his trip. I went to the gym the next morning and as soon as I loaded the plates on the squat rack, I thought of him and I added more!

Just talking with him on the phone motivated me. When I was training with him, my weights went up every single week. You are not progressing if you are doing the same thing over and over, and I was doing that to myself. I knew I could do better and I knew that if I was lifting with him, I would be lifting more.

Find someone that motivates you.

I do get a great deal of motivation from reading, reading of others successes, failures and attempts. I have included some quotes here that motivated me, hopefully they may inspire you.

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
– Hellen Keller

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

“We don’t see the things the way they are. We see things the way WE are.”
- Talmund

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
- Dr Wayne Dyer

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
- Thomas A Edison

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.”
- Zig Ziglar

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
- Winston Churchill

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
- Muhammad Ali

“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.”
- Peter Drucker

“Success is what you attract by the person you become.”
- Jim Rohn

“It isn’t what the book costs. It’s what it will cost you if you don’t read it.”
- Jim Rohn

And last, but not least:

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Creatine

 

Creatine is one supplement that we should all take, at least those of us who weight train.

For some reason, people are afraid of creatine. I have learned in my life that people tend to fear what they do not know. Let me educate you so you will no longer be afraid.

Were you aware that creatine is not banned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or the International Olympic Committee (IOC)?

I have taken some information here from the Mayo Clinic:

Creatine is naturally synthesized in the human body from amino acids primarily in the kidney and liver and transported in the blood for use by muscles. Approximately 95% of the body's total creatine content is located in skeletal muscle.

Creatine was discovered in the 1800s as an organic constituent of meat. In the 1970s, Soviet scientists reported that oral creatine supplements may improve athletic performance during brief, intense activities such as sprints. Creatine gained popularity in the 1990s as a "natural" way to enhance athletic performance and build lean body mass. It was reported that skeletal muscle total creatine content increases with oral creatine supplementation, although response is variable. Factors that may account for this variation are carbohydrate intake, physical activity, training status, and muscle fiber type. The finding that carbohydrates enhance muscle creatine uptake increased the market for creatine multi-ingredient sports drinks.

Published reports suggest that approximately 25% of professional baseball players and up to 50% of professional football players consume creatine supplements. According to a survey of high school athletes, creatine use is common among football players, wrestlers, hockey players, gymnasts, and lacrosse players. In 1998, the creatine market in the United States was estimated at $200 million. In 2000, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) banned colleges from distributing creatine to their players.

Creatinine excreted in urine is derived from creatine stored in muscle.

Enhanced muscle mass / strength

Several high-quality studies have shown an increase in muscle mass with the use of creatine. However, some weaker studies have reported mixed results. Overall, the available evidence suggests that creatine does increase lean body mass, strength, and total work. Future studies should take into account the effect of different individual fitness levels of study subjects.

You can go to the Mayo Clinic's site for a great deal more information.

I thought these two short videos were interesting, if you are going to take creatine, make sure you do it correctly so you are not wasting your money, and you can reap the full benefits.

Slosh Pipe

 

I made this slosh pipe. It is a wide piece of PVC, with one end capped and glued, the other end has a screw cap. It is to be partially filled with water, so when you attempt to hold it, it "sloshes" back and forth, it is quite unstable.

Once filled 3/4 with water it weighs about 38 pounds.

I read about this in Dan John's book Never Let Go, A Philosophy of Lifting, Living, and Learning. I loved this book, I enjoy Dan's writing. Dan is a coach, a teacher, a philosopher, his book is described this way: Coach Dan John breaks down the most complicated concepts of strength training and high-performance athletics in a no-nonsense, yet clever and motivating manner. Workout routines, Olympic lifting guidance, Highland Games, track and field and Strongman events are all covered, in addition to weight training philosophy for the general public.

He writes with humor and common sense, it all just sounds so logical when he lays it out for you.

So in his book he talks about this slosh pipe, and how he and his buddies train with it, they do farmer walks, squats, just about anything. I decided I needed one so I could wrestle with the beast in my backyard.

The pieces were cheap, it cost less than $20.00 to make. I took it to show SC, he liked it too and handed it to one of the guys on the baseball team to try out. It was pretty funny because they all said it would be light and easy to hold. Surprise, it was like it was alive! The water moves back and forth and you really need to brace your core to control it.

I emailed Dan and sent this picture, he responded back that he was delighted to hear I made it.

If you want an interesting piece of equipment to train with, I suggest making one, and if you read Dan's book, you can get the simple instructions and learn quite a bit at the same time.

Kai Greene

Kai was a special guest at the San Jose show, here is Maria on the left and me on the right. He is a big guy, and to give you an idea just how big he is, Maria is 5' 5" and 122 pounds, I am 5' 3" and 120 pounds (we are both wearing 5" heels) and Kai is 5' 8" and 302 pounds....of solid muscle. Check out those hands, he could probably easily touch his fingers together wrapped around one of our waists!

Kai was a very kind and gentle person, we talked for quite some time. I quickly felt that bodybuilding was almost a religious experience for him, and when I looked at his site and read his bio, I understand why. Here is a bit about Kai.

I was born July 12th in Brooklyn, NY. At the age of six, I became a ward of the state of New York due to a problematic home environment. For the next ten years, I would be in transitional placement moving from several foster homes to institutional placements. It was within this environment I found weight training as my refuge.

Deep inside of my soul, there resided many talents that few people were aware of most importantly my burning desire to be a visual artist. My two worlds would eventually meet and interconnect as my own body became my subject of study. I became my own living model. I utilized my own physique to gain a greater understanding of space and movement, creating works of art that became increasingly detailed and complex over time.

My exponential growth and development drew the attention of my 7th grade English teacher. Since my school conduct was far below the expectations tolerated by the facility that housed me, I was introduced to the idea of teen competition. Because of my enthusiasm and desire to measure my physique against competitors my own age, bodybuilding became the behavior modification tool that would prevent me from becoming a so-called "statistic".

The beginning of my bodybuilding career helped me to build my confidence and the belief in my own ability as a bona-fide competitor. I spent the better part of my middle school traveling to different shows and taking teen titles. After taking second for the first time in my young competition career, I decided to take a hiatus to pack on some real muscle and re-emerge as a force like no one had ever seen.

It was at this time that I was introduced to what would become my home and institute for competitive education, 5th Avenue Gym. It was in this small basement gym in Brooklyn, NY that I met some of the most impressive natural athletes the world had to offer. It was here that I would soak up the knowledge that would provide me the ammunition necessary to destroy the biggest bodybuilding monsters.

Before my 19th birthday I turned pro with a natural organization, and held the distinction of being the youngest natural professional bodybuilder in the world. My pro status allowed me to take my competitive aspiration to a larger stage.

I won every professional title that organization had to offer. In the summer of 1997, I set my sights on gaining professional recognition with the IFBB. It was brought to my attention that in order to gain pro status I would have to first qualify through their amateur organization called NPC.

My competitive career with the NPC was filled with mixed success. As a natural athlete, my goal was to win the Team Universe and acquire pro status with the IFBB through the Amateur World Championship. In 1999, after two unsuccessful attempts, I won the heavyweight division and overall title at the Team Universe and was invited to compete at the World in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Recognizing that I had placed fourth out of dozens of the world's best competitors, I was still disappointed. I took a four year hiatus to re-group and continue the never ending work on developing my physique. I was determined to take my rightful place in the pro ranks.

The nay-sayers said that it couldn't be done, and I began to believe them. I went to school and focused on developing my talent as an artist while continuing to use my own physique as my artistic learning tool. I continued to do what had always brought me great comfort and feelings of stability and consistency; I trained and trained hard, but not for the purpose of anything but my own peace of mind.

In 2004, it was brought to my attention that the NPC Team Universe had become a Pro-Qualifier for the IFBB. Though I had been away from the competitive scene for five years, I committed to myself that I would return to reclaim my title as Team Universe overall champion and ascend to the IFBB pro ranks. As a result of my dedication and desire to overcome the ever-surmounting odds against me, I arrived from my home in Jacksonville, Florida to NYC's Tribeca Performing Arts Center to do damage. On August 8th 2004, the judges recognized the physique that I labored for so many years and awarded me the heavyweight and overall championship by unanimous decision. My day had finally come. After 16 years, I finally made the transition to the IFBB Professional ranks.

Back to Reality

 

It has only been one week since my competition, and I have already gained 11 pounds. Now I know a lot of that is glycogen in my muscles and water retention from all the sodium, so some will quickly fall off. It is emotionally and psychologically difficult the first two weeks. A competitor will go from looking ripped, fat free, tight, tan and simply beautiful to looking like an average person in just a few days; however it is really hard to accept.

I think it is very important for others to know how hard it is to achieve this look, not only the weight training and the diet, but the emotional difficulties. If it were easy, you would see a lot more people walking around like this everyday.

It is not possible to hold the "competition" look for long, I suppose that I could hold it for a bit, but it would be a struggle. One of the incentives that allows you to even carry on each day is the fact that you know once the competition is over, you can live like a regular person again.

I completely let loose for a week, and that means I allow myself to eat and drink whatever I wish, so of course my body soaks it all up like a sponge.

My stomach was tight and flat a few days ago, it now jiggles and is round, I am still amazed how quickly it transforms!

The other night I was reading a fitness magazine, and the "pro" bikini competitor said she was 118 competition weight and 120 off season. This is the kind of stuff that upsets me and it makes people everywhere feel like failures. The "pro" is not being truthful, we all fluctuate a few pounds, so why is she making it sound like her weight doesn't fluctuate between seasons? I have never met anyone who competes who doesn't add several pounds in the off season, that is the only way to add muscle and maintain sanity.

In a couple days I will go back to my diet and I will stop drinking again, save an occasional glass of wine, and I will then drop a few pounds, as I slowly adjust I will mentally accept my new body, a "real" body that is still fit and healthy.

I actually think I look best right in between, not my thin 120 pound competition self, and not my current 131 pound soft self, but right around 124 pounds. I have some curves and muscle, but not much fat. I should be there in about three weeks I think.

I have three sizes of clothes in my closet because of this process, so I never need to go buy new things, I just move into the next size up or down.

This is when I start getting excited about lifting again, as you must take in more calories to build muscle, although to add lean mass and not just fat mass, those calories should be from healthy foods, not junk. I am training hard, and plan to train my legs three times a week to grow my quads. I have been reading and studying, and I know I can do it.

I just need to remember the same thing I tell others:

"It's the journey, not the destination, enjoy the trip"

Maria and I

 

Here we are in our beautiful matching suits! It's OK that they are the same fabric and rhinestone pattern because we are different height classes, so we will not stand next to each other on stage. We have the same suit maker and she does a great job.

Maria and I met in May of this year. I was on the stair stepper about two weeks prior to a competition and one of the trainers came up to me and asked if I could help train a gal who was going to enter her first competition in July.

I explained to him that I was only two weeks out from my own and just didn't have time to spend on anyone other than myself at the present time, I was trying to fit in my two a day sessions and hold down a full time job and take care of my family. He said maybe I could just give her some pointers, mentor her, after all "you look fantastic and can really help her"...well of course that did the trick. I gave him my card and told him to give it to her and have her contact me.

Maria emailed me about a week later. We agreed to meet and I would give her some NPC magazines to look at to see what the judges wanted, and we could do some practice posing.

We became fast friends after that. What's so interesting is our age difference, we are 28 years apart! I am 49 and Maria is 21, but we have a common interest, a passion that we share and that is what creates the bond that holds us together.

Over the last few months we have met for posing, a bit of lifting, diet talk, suit adjustments, make up comparisons, and she invited me to her University graduation party where I met all of her family and friends.

Having someone to plan and hang out with at a competition makes it all so much more fun. I feel that I have helped her quite a bit with my knowledge of what to expect and how things work, I have been in several so it is all very familiar to me. I introduced her to lots of other competitors and made sure she was calm and collected the whole time.

Maria has helped me too, I was ready to quit, tired of the politics, the preparation, the waiting, the drama, the disappointment and she gave me something to look forward to and I saw it all through new lenses. Maria gave me a new sense of purpose and enthusiasm. I had more fun at this competition than any of the others, and it was because of Maria.

We had a great time together, and are planning to enter the San Francisco show in October. The break will give us time to gain some weight, add some lean muscle mass, relax and recharge.

I am very proud of her accomplishments, Maria has worked harder than most people you will ever meet in your life. On January 1, 2010 she was 165 pounds, and with a strict diet, dedication to cardio and weightlifting, she has become a stunningly beautiful and successful figure competitor.

We discuss "clean eating" and drool over goofy things like peanut butter, jelly, honey and quinoa. We are getting together soon so I can give her some clean eating cooking lessons before she heads off to medical school in August, I will sure miss her.

Maria entered the MaxMuscle 2010 Transformation and is now one of the top 20 finalists out of over 7,000 entries! You can see her gallery of her personal transformation.

Here is a short movie of our day, turn up your speakers and experience the fun!

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Deltoids

 

My favorite muscle(s) to train, I love nice, big round deltoids! Many try to achieve this and few do. The reason? They don't train all heads of the deltoid.

You have the anterior (front), medial (side) and posterior (back) heads that all need to be trained to achieve this nice round look.

The seated dumbbell press will work all heads, but this is not enough to get that round cap. The Arnold press is fantastic and should be included as part of your routine, this will work the anterior and medial heads.

For the anterior (front) you can do:

Front dumbbell raise
Plate raises
Front barbell press
Upright rows
Incline dumbbell and barbell press
Incline dumbbell flye

For the medial (side) you can do:

Side dumbbell lateral raise (starting DB from your side not in front)
Cable lateral raise (raising arm from the side not across the front)

For the posterior (back) you can do:

Bent over lateral raise
Bent over cable lateral raise
Bent over barbell row
Incline bench lateral raise (face down)
Reverse peck deck flye (this is a machine)
Lying side lateral

There are many others, this is only a short list to give you an idea. To properly train shoulders you need to devote time, and many reps of different exercises.

Remember that these are small muscles and can be injured easily. Once you injure your rotator cuff, it can be extremely difficult to ever heal it. This is not the time to try to impress those around you with your strength. Training shoulders twice a week may even be too much for some, so take it easy and never train them more than twice a week, no matter how tempted you are to rush it.

2010 NPC San Jose Bodybuilding & Figure Championships

 

The day is almost over, it's 11:00 pm and I am sitting here with my HUGE glass of water and a nice glass of champagne.

I have eaten a cookie that the expediter Keith gave me backstage, my Doritos's, some milk duds and half a banana ("M" needed the other half, she was cramping up).

I came in 2nd place in Master's 45 and over and 5th place in open "B" division. I had a super fun time, I met lots of new friends and connected with friends from previous competitions. I even met a woman from my gym who was in her first show.

The setting made it easy to spend time together as a group, we were in a small ballroom, the pump up room was the make up room, was the tanning room, was the lunchroom.

As usual, there were an incredible number of beautiful bodies, all tanned and oiled and full of muscles, it's fun to eat rice cakes and watch oiled men pump up.

The demographics are changing, I have noticed it in the last few shows, but this one was more evident. The "Bikini" division is new, I believe it started in 2009, in fact, when I was in my first NPC (National Physique Committee) show, I witnessed the debut of the very first woman to win her bikini "Pro" card- yes there are "Pro" bikini competitors!

Because Bikini is still a fledgling, the industry has not yet decided the "look" they desire as the "perfect bikini competitor" and this means that women are not quite sure exactly what the judges want.

What I have noticed though, is that the division is growing in leaps and bounds, overtaking Figure at times!

Figure is fast becoming an older woman's sport, it takes a great deal of muscle maturity to have the look they want. It takes a lot of time in the weight room. Your shoulders must be at minimum 15 inches wider than your waist, and your hips must be at least 5 inches wider than your waist or you cannot place in Figure, you do not have the symmetry they are looking for. If you are not at that point, you can step down to Bikini, there are no set guidelines such as this yet for that division. A Bikini gal cannot step up as easily to Figure though as she will typically lack the width in the shoulders and carries more body fat.

I am sensing that because of this, we will be seeing more younger women who are fit and want to compete in Bikini, while the older women who have lifted for years and wish to maintain that will continue in Figure.

Tonight my Masters over 45 division had 9 women in it. The Masters 35 to 44 had even more. The open divisions were smaller, maybe half the size. Bikini was the largest group there.

At first the energy was incredible, the Figure gals and Bikini gals all chatting together, the male bodybuilders spend time pumping up alone and the few female bodybuilders are completely alone. Then as it got to be later in the evening, the competitors started getting tired, and thirsty, and wanted to get it over with. It is such a long day.

Now, I am getting ready for a long, hot shower and will watch the brown dye swirl down the drain, it will take some time to get it all off. Then some pizza and pinot noir with David and Cooper.

Then, sleep, blissful sleep.

Showtime

 

I am writing this Friday afternoon, my second competition of the year is on Saturday, the day you are reading this.

I sat down on my bed to rest for a while, I am tired, there is so much physical and emotional preparation that goes into each one of these, until you have done it yourself, you cannot even come close to imagining it.

The highs are oh so wonderful and the lows are so very dark. Everyone rides the same road up and down, but feeling alone many times.

The diet is what is most difficult for me. I love lifting weights, and can do it for hours. I mean a friend can call up and say "let's go lift weights!" and I jump at the chance.

The diet is hard because you are so alone from everyone else, they all eat something different and at a different time. You are constantly cooking, yet you cannot eat what you are cooking until your scheduled time. It's not the food that gets me down, it's the fact that eating is a communal event, a way to share life with people, I often feel I am not able to share this experience.

But that will all change very soon. I am at the home stretch, I just had my last "diet" meal.

I haven't trained since Tuesday, you have to stop a few days before, and I haven't slept in, I have gone into work early since I will be out so long, I have to catch up.

I took Friday off, went into the club at 7:30 to check my weight, I am at 120 pounds, I wanted to come in at 120 to 121 so I am perfect! On July 1 I was at 122 pounds and 4.80% body fat, so I am guessing I am about 4% right now.

Hair cut at 8:00am (see above I like the bangs!)

Manicure and pedicure at 10am (I am boycotting fake nails, I grew my own out and they look lovely), now I don't have to struggle with them all day and then soak them off.

Cooked my meals for the show, steak, chicken, rice, asparagus.

Packed everything I will need to take with me even though there is no hotel involved, it's almost like the days of an infant with the darn diaper bag and everything but the kitchen sink in it.

Took off my make up and will shower soon then down to the hotel for my spray tan. I talked David into going with me, he can sit in the bar and have a cocktail while I am tanned. Let him get up close and personal to everything.

I am looking forward to dinner. I reduced carbs for a few days, then added them back, now I am trying to saturate my muscles with glycogen. I will have RARE steak, baked potato, asparagus and a nice slice of homemade cheesecake. I made it a couple days ago, Kim told me to have it Friday night so I look full and round, I couldn't bring myself to buy an inferior product when I know I make such a good one. Plus my son loves it and will eat the rest. A win win for everyone involved!

One last meal of 3 ounces of chicken and then to bed early.

I will wake up, eat steak and potato and start the stage make up. Put on my suit and jewelry then sweats and flip flops and head down to the Convention Center. I will probably stop by and pick up "M" in her hotel room, see if she needs any last minute assistance.

Then we will head over to Exhibit Hall 3 and wait for the athlete briefing and registration. We have to check in at 8:30 but none of the figure competitors will even go on stage until 11:00 at the earliest, all of the bodybuilders go first.

The first show is open to the public (paying of course) and is called pre-judging, but there is nothing "pre" about it, this is where they decide who gets what place. You are almost sure to know what place you are in by where they line you up for the final look. Some women get so discouraged here that they don't bother to come back for the evening show.

Everyone up on the stage has busted their butt for months, they all look great and it takes guts to stand up there in front of everyone. I have a great deal of respect for every single competitor who does come this far, no matter where they place.

Pre-judging will end late, after "lunch" time and then we have a few hours to rest before the evening show. I may hang out in "M"s hotel room for a while, but will most likely drive home for a quick lay down.

Back at 6pm for the athlete brief and we go through it all over again, but this time with a huge audience, lots of lights and music, an emcee and trophies are awarded. The only placings the judges don't know until the evening show is the "overall" winner.

The overall winner for figure is selected form the first place winners of each open height category. All of the first place winners will be lined up and compared side by side. The overall winner is awarded an Excalibur sword, is featured on the posters for the following year and usually considers going on to compete at the National level.

Then, I kick off those 5 inch heels, rip open my Doritos and eat them while chugging a huge bottle of water, you can't have much all day so you are dying of thirst. After the Doritos I break open the Milk Duds and strip off the suit.

Naked women will be standing all over in the locker room, make up smeared, tans blotchy, eating every kind of junk food you can imagine, huge smiles, hugs and laughter, some will be shrieking and dancing.

"M" wants to go out to Original Joe's for dinner, it will be about 11pm and I know I will be tired, maybe I will go, maybe I will go home.

David will get home before I do and will be waiting with cold champagne for me and a big hug and kiss.

And then a long, hot, steamy shower and one more piece of cheesecake.

Wilce Family Winery

This is my husband David and the winemaker for Wilce Family Winery. He has been making wine for over 15 years. I help, but not much, it's pretty much his deal. I will help harvest our grapes, haul and weigh, measure and scoop, and sometimes help bottle. I do of course taste and give feedback too!

David entered 4 wines in the Orange County Fair this year and won 4 silver medals! Results are in (page 15) from the Orange County Wine Society. I am very proud of him.

It is rather funny that our hobbies are so completely different, but it also allows us to engage in something that we both have a passion for. I honestly believe that we all need a "passion" in life, something that gets us excited to wake up and look forward to.

I want to say thank you to David with all of my heart. I could never do what I do without his unwavering support. It's not easy living with someone who competes, the constantly changing diet, buckets of cooked food overtaking both refrigerators, eating schedule that must be adhered to no matter what is going on, bathroom breaks because all the water (makes a simple one hour road trip considerably longer), and having to sit through hours and hours of bodybuilding shows, just to see me for a fleeting few moments.

He lives the competitor's life whether he wants to or not!

My son says that David's hobby is much easier than mine. He said "Dad gets to sit around eating snacks and drinking wine and Mom has to diet and lift weights all the time"

Out of the mouths of babes!

Living to Die?

 

You read that correctly. I am asking you to consider something very carefully.

Are you living to die or dying to live?

They are completely and utterly different.

Your daily activities, hobbies, interests and work all contribute to this, but so does your eating habits, exercise, and leisure activities.

Yes, it is difficult to eat a clean, healthy diet most of the time. It takes planning, shopping, preparing, packaging, toting, the list can be endless.

It is sometimes a pain in the neck to get up early to go to the gym before work or to find the energy to get yourself there after work to exercise everyday.

It is a drag to bypass the alcohol when everyone else is enjoying it.

It is hard to avoid fattening and unhealthy foods like sweets, fried foods, baskets of bread with butter, fatty meats, need I continue?

I take the time, I make the effort because I want to be healthy and independent as long as possible. I am Dying to Live.

I imagine, since I have known people who have experienced these things that it is also very hard to watch your children reach their arms up to be held, yet you cannot because your weight has prevented you from bending over to do so.

Or to sit on a blanket, watching friends play Frisbee at the beach, and you are completely covered up because you are self conscious about your weight.

Or to struggle walking up stairs, and feel like you cannot breathe.

Or to have an oxygen mask because you have emphysema.

To worry about the complications of diabetes, which are too numerous to detail here.

I consider this Living to Die.

It is your choice, neither one is easy, they both have their difficulties.

I will continue what I have been doing because I am Dying to Live.

Sucker Punch

I like to read T-Nation, while there are many articles that really seem to appeal more to the the males in the weight room, I do usually find interesting articles that have a lot of information on nutrition and diets, and these things are not so gender specific.

Recently I read an article by Dr. John Berardi, called Sucker Punch: By Dr, John Berardi. Dr. Berardi is the author of my favorite cookbook Gourmet Nutrition.

You can go to the link above if you wish to read the entire article, or you can read the excerpt here that I was most interested in. He describes what it is like to be training and preparing for a Bodybuilding competition. In my eyes, and in the eyes of anyone else who does this, preparing for a Figure competition is the same.

Dr. Berardi:

The first is discipline and mental fortitude. Preparing for a bodybuilding show is really misunderstood; it's a mental battle more than anything. You basically over-train and over-diet for 16 weeks, and as each week passes you get leaner, but more worn down mentally and physically.

By show time you can't think right, can't move properly, and you're literally counting down the hours for it to be over.

Every single ounce of your being wants to quit, and that's why so many people that intend to compete never do. It's that mentally draining. But for those who endure, you come out the other side with a renewed sense of confidence in your ability to tackle any challenge – no matter how long it takes and how much you have to put into it – and I think that's a valuable life lesson.

I published an article on TMUSCLE called the Get Shredded Diet, and in it I talk about how every two years or so I go on a really intense fat loss program. Part of the reason I do this is to exercise those mental muscles of discipline and perseverance. I do think it's possible for these muscles to get "flabby."

So for me, the value of working those muscles has translated into everything that I do, whether it's growing a business or working with clients; I tend to be a lot more patient, more willing to put in the time doing behaviors that I know will lead to success, even when that success hasn't arrived yet and I might just be feeling crappy. I think that's really critical.

Next is the correlation between behavior and results. This is something many people miss when they're goal setting. You can set goals and write them down, but the most important thing to realize is that most goals are outcome oriented, and you need to engage in specific behaviors to achieve those outcomes.

My bodybuilding days taught me that when my behaviors matched my goals, I got the results I was looking for. I know this seems like a no brainer, but you'd be amazed at how many people miss this. It doesn't matter how strong your intentions are, if the behaviors aren't there, the results won't be there either.

The cool part is that once you really get this concept, you can work backwards. So, if your results are shit, it's not that there's something wrong with you, it's that your behaviors aren't correct. Fix 'em and the results will follow.

The third is mentorship. When I first started bodybuilding, a guy named Craig Bach took me under his wing. He taught me how to eat, how to train, and how to set goals. This all happened at a very influential time, when I was 18 years old, and it really set me on course. The bottom line is this: there are people more experienced than you, people with more knowledge than you, and if you aren't seeking them out and learning from them, you're an idiot, plain and simple.

This really sums up so much of what I say here, set goals, stick to them, seek out knowledge, work the brain.

I have 9 days left.....I don't start counting the hours yet.