Aaaah, I love the smell of dream tan in the morning!

Not a lot to report today - I decided on a rest day yesterday. I have been going great guns in training & it just felt right to have a day off. Today wasn't so great, but hey, I can't do PB's every session (damn).  I started running after not warming up properly & my calf started cramping, so I had to stop (that'll learn me eh?) Then I just went & played with the bars: 

3x 10 Front Squats with 20k, 25, 30k

supersetted with Air squats 3x 20 

Dips 2x10

Chins 2x10 

Felt a little bit lost today - didn't feel like doing any cross fit today, so I just practiced doing thrusters with 30kg - I have to watch my left wrist, it went tingly a few times - not so good!

Food has still been good - I felt a few of the old craving pangs yesterday, but I managed to knock them on the head. I am developing a supplement at the moment, a herb that has really helped me to give up the sugar.  Watch this space! 

I have sooo many recipes kicking around (mostly in my head) that I just have to do a recipe book, if only for my own use when I'm getting ready for a comp. Don't worry, I will post my recipe for Jelly slice soon - have to dig it out. 

Thought I'd post some pics from previous comps for some inspiration. My favorite comp (apart from my first, that one is always special) was the NABBA 2004 Nationals - came 3rd & I was soo stoked I placed, I very nearly pulled out at the last minute when I saw the standard of the com

petitors on the day - lucky for me the judges went for the less muscular girls, but I can

 remember looking in the mirror in the hotel saying to my hubby, I can't do this, I've got no muscles!!! It really is all smoke & mirrors up on that stage girls.  I should have had a darker tan - think I just went with a spray tan & a light dream tan. In the last 2 pics I was probably too dark & I made the mistake of asking to borrow another competitor's oil spray - never again! I just looked greasy & it felt disgusting. It's such a journey of discovery & I hope the next time I'm up there, I can put it all together! 

Night all, train hard 

xx

2004 NABBA Nationals

(BIG bum!!! I hate this pic, cos it shows the area I need to work on!)

2006 INBA Melbourne Titles 

(My bum was even bigger in this pic! That's what happens when you only diet for 1 month, slacker!)

Food glorious food!

Thought I would post yesterdays food just as a reminder to me what I eat at 11 weeks out. I won't change things too much - just clean it up a little & add more veggies & remove dairy probably 3-4 weeks out.  

Breakkie - oats, protein powder blueberries, almonds & splash of soy milk & soy cappuccino

My fave snack - egg on wholemeal crumpet (3 egg whites, ! whole egg) with flax oil & fibre drink

Post workout - 1 small apple & half a protein bar & 7 almonds

Yummy winter salad - flaked beef poached in red wine with baked potatoes, mixed lettuce with balsamic & flax oil dressing mmmmmmm.......

Afternoon tea snack - My jelly slice special - this is the ONLY way to eat cottage cheese!! 

Starters - veggie soup & 1/4 roll (I don't normally eat bread at all, so this was a nice treat)

Dinner - poached chicken leg & veggies

This is the sort of food I have regularly. I've tried not having any sweet stuff & it just doesn't work for me, so I have learned to be creative with my food & do a pretty good job of keeping it interesting.  I am not feeling like I am struggling too much at all on this diet - I will give it another 2 weeks & see if I need to change, otherwise this will be pretty much what I eat up to the comp.

I will have a cheat meal or two a week - but this is generally something I make myself, so I know what is in it. I am very vigilant with sugar & would rather increase my fats than sugar as I know how hard it is to give the sugar up again after a binge.  I have the best recipe for sugar free peanut butter cookies....hmmm maybe that will be my next cheat meal!

I'm thinking of doing a Figure Dieting Recipe E-book I just loooove cooking & experimenting with altering food.

I am having a rest day - I was planning on going to the gym, but I am listening to my body & having a day off.  

Train hard & Good night 

xx 

Glad Monday is over...

and I finished it in a great way. After I recovered from my 105 push ups today, I went to the gym & did some running on the treadly then I kicked my own ass again!! I did a PB EVER on deadlift

80KG!!! Wooo hoooo, warmed up with 5x 60kg, then 1x70, 1x80, 1x80 (I had to do 80 twice to make sure it wasn't a fluke :) I was really happy with that. I weigh 49kg, so that's about 160% of my BW....I think? Anyone got a calculator??!! 

Then I celebrated by doing 'the bear' workout - 5 rounds of: 7x deadlift, front squat, overhead press, back squat, overhead press (all in a continuous motion - wicked exercise for the shoulders) I only used a light bar 15kg for this one, didn't want to put my shoulder out, it was feeling a little funny.  

Phew, I'm beat. Good night all. 

MM xx

105 pushups!!!

Holy Crap this was hard - I got to 90 and lost count, so I did an extra 5 at the end! Unfortunately my crappy camera cuts out at 95, so you don't get to see me fall down in a heap after. Great challenge! Will have to do it again sometime.....hmmmm.

I'm having trouble posting the vid, so you will have to take my word for it at the moment!!

xx

It's official!

Well, I gave myself a month of contest dieting & training to see how I would go & I have now proven to myself that I can do this! (again).  

All I want to do is to kick my own arse & turn up in the best condition I have ever been - All Females here I come! This comp by the way scares the crap out of me - I was in the first one they had in 2003 & man, did I sh%^ myself! I was lucky to have placed - I have seen what the standard is & it is HIGH! So I am trying to keep my focus on myself & beating my previous condition & if I come in looking great - I will feel great & have a fun time. If I get a trophy then that would be awesome too. 

Today's training was: 

8 min warm up on t'mill then 12 mins @12km/hr - yay, this was one of my goals!!

I followed with a 'Fran' - did it in 7'29'' not so bad especially after cardio. My shoulder was feeling it a bit afterwards, so may have to ease up on the pull ups. 

Oh and my HRmonitor said my Average HR was 90% and peak HR 94% so not a bad all out effort!! 

Sleepy now, better go to bed. 

Train hard y'all,

MM xxx

Quick update

Measurements are:

Biceps 29.5 (-0.5)

Waist: 67.5 (-0.5)

Butt: 86 (-3.0)

Thigh: 54 (-1.0)

Above knee: 35.5 (-1.5)

Calf: 34 (0)

I'm going the right way, so that is good. Weight today was 49.0 (but that still fluctuates up to 49.9) so not worried about that. I don't want to lose quickly at this stage, steady as she goes.  Not sure what today will bring - planning to get to the gym, probably for a 'Fran' but we'll see if I'm up to it. Will take some pics this weekend & post.  I don't know why but I'm starting to get those pre-comp jitters. I guess it's a good thing, as I have been blase in the past & haven't been strict enough early on, and of course it showed on stage. I think I'm going to reach my goal of looking the best I've ever been this year.  I need to trust in the process & make sure I rationally argue those 'what if's' away. 

My remedial masseur said I had great quads the other day - I was stoked! My legs have always been a weak point & after concentrating on them, I think the work will have paid off! Just need to get the top layer or flab & I'll be shake n bakin' LOL (why can't girls get away with that move eh? :) Maybe I'll do one in the 'free posing' bit he, he oh and throw in a 'most muscular' - very feminine pose that one : P 

end dictation.

mm xx

Mighty Michael WOD - PB woo hoo!

Have had little sleep the last few days.  My little angel has been waking every few hours, boy I forgot how hard broken sleep can be! Had a fantastic workout again - I felt in the need for some speed, so I did a running-core based workout called 'Michael' - which is:

# rounds of: 800m run (treadmill), 50 back extensions, 50 leg raises (I use these instead of sit ups - harder!) I did it in record time - I'm definitely on the improve 24min 55sec, happy to have broken 25mins. My HR monitor said I averaged 84% HR & 92% max HR.  So a good intense one! I LOVE CROSSFIT! 

I did have one of those moments though where you look at yourself & go - oh no, I'm shrinking! My upper body is leaning out & I'm at the 'corrugated chest' stage. For me, I lose fat in this order:

my Chest (bye, bye boobies) 

my abs, 

my calfs,

my tri's, 

my butt 

& finally my thighs.....what can I say, I'm a pear. I think I'm going along steadily, so wont change anything just yet. I have very limited time for my workouts, hence I pack as much intensity in as I can. Gone are the days of steady state cardio for me - I'd rather spend 10 mins blasting it out than humming mundanely to myself for an hour not even raising a sweat. I can't believe I used to go to the gym and just lift weights & not sweat one drop. I used to hate getting hot enough to sweat! Now I have embraced it & looooove that feeling. I should do some measurements & photos again this weekend just to see how I'm shaping up. 11 weeks out I think? 

Nighty night xx

My Arse

Woo hoo, another PB today. I did 15 Rounds of 'Cindy' (crossfit w' out)  in 20mins which is: 

5 chinups = (75 total)

10 pushups = (150 total)

15 air squats = (225 total)

Felt soooo good after this (after I could breathe again) My pull ups are getting a little messy, I need to get the rhythem going as I lose my momentum & I have to start again.  So my new goal for this WOD is 20....hmmm, may take me a while :)

Anyway, back to my arse. I looked at it in the mirror today (LOL, I was just checking to see if I could get away with my pre preggo swimmers, turns out I couldn't) I was not happy with what I saw!! I have been preoccupied with the condition of my front -ab, bi's etc & neglected what was clearly lagging behind (er pardon the pun) Well no more!! I need to work my arse off (litereally)- how can I hold my head high in the gym when this hideous, fleshy dimply, monster is lurking behind me??!! well no more! I have declared war on my butt, that's right I've opened a can of whoopass on my ass, yeah you better be scared....now it's shakin'....oh actually that's my phone, I left it on vibrate....anyway, as I was saying I am now officially on the 'butt-be-gone' ( tm) program grrrrrrr!!! 

Fran-tastic day

Yay, I love Saturday. Would have been even better if I had slept past 4am - was wide awake!

Did a Fra today. I was overdue for this workout, so I didn't perform too well. That and it was a lovely 8 deg in the gym! It is sooo painful doing pullups with freezing cold hands & now my blisters have blisters! Anyway, I managed it in 7.05. (using 20kg bar - the 'crossfit std is 30kg'). My previous has been 7, but with the light bar, so I'm improving - YAY!

Not much else to report - was going to have a bit of a cheat meal, but I don't think my body deserves it LOL, that'll teach it! 

Train hard y'all

xx

Miss Blobby

I feel just a tad bleah today.  Didn't make it to the gym today or yesterday & I'm starting to get the withdrawal jitters! Eating was a bit slack today too - I met up with friends & I made sure I ate beforehand  & was just planning to have a coffee, but ended up with the soup (pea & corn) but I suspect it had some cream in there - sneaky buggers! Then I topped it off with a chic burger from Maccas (no chips or coke - does that make it all better? LOL) I was planning on having a cheat meal today anyway - was going to have drinkies at a friends, but have foregone that now. I did some TABATA squats & lunges yesterday. I avereaged 19 squats per 20 sec - full ones, all the way down & I am feeling it now - ouch! 

We're getting the bobcat again tomorrow, so shifting some more dirt in the backyard. I may just have to excuse myself & sneak to the gym at some stage, otherwise I will be unbearable. 

Nighty night all

xxx

Wednesday's workout

Well I achieved one of my mini goals yesterday. After a 10min warm up @ 8.5-10, I ran for 10 mins at 12 (+1% incl). This wouldn't be hard for most people, I but I struggle with running - so it felt really great that I achieved it. I wasn't planning on doing it, but felt really good after the warm up I just went for it. I was still a bit sore from the deadlifts the other day, I gave my back a rest (3 days with no pull ups ...nooooo!) so I pushed out 100 push ups. I could do 30 straight, but then needed a little rest, so not quite up to doing the 100 pushup challenge! I'll give it a crack on the 27th though :) 

Train hard xx

Posing practice - 12 weeks out

Things you do in your own kitchen during a thunder storm! I was bored waiting for my egg whites to cook, so I did some practice. This has been what let me down in the past not practicing enough, so I am starting early. Feel free to comment, pass judgement, shoot me down in flames....I can take it! LOL! I do respond well to constructive criticism though, so give it to me :) 

There is a good reason that you can't see the rest of me - I'm hiding my problem bits! I get lean up top fairly easily, but I am still working on budging what's down below ; )

Train hard y'all

xx

Anyone joining chocoholics anonymous?

From reading a few blogs, I think we all delved a little too deep into the Easter bunny's basket!! 

I wasn't too bad, but as per my usual form - I kept eating chocolate until it was all gone. I'm sure there must be a name for this condition, but I can actually 'feel' chocolate sitting in the cupboard waiting for me & I just can't not eat it! Hence we don't keep any in this household & I wont put any junk in this trunk for another week! (I'm fine with my weekly cheat meal) 

Today has been a bit of a rest day. I did go to the gym at lunch today, but it was mainly to see how my little bub would go in the childcare there. She had been a bit clingy for a while, but now she's crawling, I think she's getting over it. Anyway, she surprised me & was happy to hand out there & didn't really notice me go! (I on the other hand thought about her non stop & didn't really do a workout) Anyway, I hope she'll be good for me from now on, as I like to go to the gym during the day when it's a bit quieter. Man, I keep thinking it's Monday!

I attempted to also do my meals for the next few days ahead of time - I managed to cook my veggies & prep some fruit & some meat patties before I had to do mummy duties. Will finish off the meat & egg whites tonight.  My basic diet at the mo consists of:

Breakie: Oatmeal/protein powder/blueberries/almonds & soymilk

Morning tea: 3eggwhites/1 egg on wholemeal crumpet & flax oil with mushrooms

Lunch: chicken or meat & veggies & flax

Afternoon tea: fruit salad & cottage cheese & almonds 

Dinner: same as lunch

Snack: cottage cheese, fruit or diet hot choc/jelly - whichever I feel like.

I'm pretty happy with this regime & have been feeling pretty in tume with my body & what I need. I also take fish oil tabs & iron & creatine. I must get some more glutamine as I have run out. 

I took some measurements last week, so I had better post these before another week goes by:

Biceps: 30cm

Wasit: 68cm

Butt: 89cm

Thigh: 55cm

Above knee: 37cm

Calf: 34cm

Ok, so that's kind of my starting point. I'm not expecting a huge change except for the butt & legs with any luck!! My weight is fine - fluctuating around 49-50kg I really don't want to drop too much weight this soon, so will just keep an eye on it. 

Better run. 

Train hard y'all 

xx

 

In the groove

I am starting to get some consistency back - with actually getting to the gym regularly, not my workouts they are never consistent!!! I can't help myself, I just love variety & there is soooo much out there now I have discovered.  My preparation this time around is focussing on INTENSITY. Now a lot of people go on about intensity but dont really understand the concept.  I found this great crossfit article that says it all (I am in the transition from bodybuilding to crossfitting at the moment!) 

"Intensity, as we define it, is exactly equal to average power (force x distance / time). In other words, how much real work did you do and in what time period? The greater the average power, the greater the intensity. This makes it a measurable fact, not a debatable opinion.

Intensity and average power are the variable most commonly associate with optimizing favorable results. Whatever you want from exercise comes faster with intensity. It’s not volume or duration or heartrate or even discomfort. Do more work in less time (without overdoing it), and you’ll get fitter faster." Pat Sherwood.  Find it at: http://journal.crossfit.com/2009/03/intensity-and-its-role-in-fitness.tpl

So anyway, I have had an epiphany in my training in that all the good shit that you want out of fitness - speed, strenght, size, endurance etc comes from intensity. I'm sure in the relatively short time I have been doing proper intense workouts (i.e functional or compound movements under time constraints) I have put on more muscle. And when you think about it, it makes sense. e.g I was doing shouler lateral raises yesterday& I did some at a slow controlled pace (like all good bodybuilders should) slow on the way up & slow on way down. Then I tried to see how fast I could go - not cheating but just going BLAM straight up to the finish position - you should see the striations come out then! And what was happening? I was recruiting more  type II muscle fibres in the first few seconds - which is the ones we all want to hit! So instead of doing slow/controlled & bringing in the extra muscle fibres at the last few reps, I was hitting them first. Anyway, it felt good & I guess time will tell. 

Unfortunately all this has come after nearly 10 years of training LOL!! But I guess that is the beauty of this sport, you are always learning something new, and if you're not, you're not TRYING!!! 

So anyway yesterday's workout consisted of: warm up- 10 chins, 20 air squats, stretches etc 

5 Rounds for time of: 

5 Deadlifts (60kg) & 10 burpees - (these are proper ones with the pushup at bottom, will post a vid of this soon) 

unfortunately somewhere throughout this my bloody watch stopped timing (must've bumped it) so don't know how long it actually took - I'll say 10 mins as a starting figure.

That was fun - so I did some more deadlifts & went to 70kg & just did 2 x 3reps. 

10 pull ups, 

Drop set on lat raises - 20,15,10,8lb (30reps all up)

Then cooled down with stretching. 

Had a cheat meal last night. Hadn't really planned to, but I just went with it - felt my food has been a bit low lately & have been worried that my milk supply was getting a bit low (still breast feeding!) so I went with it. Made homemade hamburgers with homemade mayo - damn nice!! and of course finished off with some easter eggs.  

Happy Easter everyone! Feel free to comment or just say hi - starting to feel like I'm just talking to myself, I guess I am LOL! 

xxx

not a Good Friday, a Great Friday!

I have been in a great mood all day. I was pumped to go to the gym, but I just had one of those sessions where everything felt just too hard. Still, I did it anyway & felt better for going. I am going to start being consistent now that I'm 12 weeks out & will be needing to post more regularly. I took some measurements (will post later as they are in the bedroom & can't be arsed getting them!) I can tell you I weigh 49.4kg at the moment. In the past I have competed around 47-48, but I think my ideal is probably 46-47kg, so I'm not far off.  I think they should have a super short-arse class ha, ha!  

Training today: 

Warm up - walk on t/m 3 mins (I got impatient & the chip up bar was calling to me!)

3 x 10 chip ups, 3 x 10 dips

D/B snatch - 3 x 10 each side with 

20, 25, 30lb dumbells 

These are fun - haven't done them in ages & it felt goooood!

Then with 15lb dumbells (told you I was feeling tired!) I did:

3 x 5 each of deadlifts, front squats, push jerks.

I attempted a litte running after that, trying to master the 'pose' method & did lots of stretching. My hammies are too tight & hip flexors were too. 

Food has been good - am planning to have a bit of chockie at some stage this easter, but won't overdo it (I promise!!!) it will be my cheat meal for the week. 

Better sign off, and get some shut eye soon.  

xx

blah, blah,

I have been quite slack this week - both posting & life in general, well more that I have been busy with other things than blogging.  I spent the weekend in a bobcat taking apart our backyard! It was fun lifting 1.6 tonne of metal around LOL. My baby girl has been sick too, which was a real fright as we didn't know what to do, I'm glad we did take her to the a/hrs Dr on Sun night, as she had a throat & urine infection. Poor little girl. I think she's on the mend now, thank goodness. My diet went to sh^&* of course over the weekend, but have been getting inspired again now. I have finally realised that you have to WORK at motivation, not just wait for it to land in your lap. Thank god for the internet - you can just google all the motivation you need! Not to mention read others blogs. One of my faves is Pauline Nordin - if you don't know her, check her out - totally dedicated to her training & diet and she doesn't even compete anymore! Anyhow, I have a bit of a sinus thing going on & haven't been able to get to the gym in a few days (going to be sooooore when I go back!) 

Train hard y'all,

xx