May 2013
2 posts
April 2013
4 posts
Thoughts
LIFTING does not make you “bulky”…. CUPCAKES make you “bulky”. What lifting DOES do is make you STRONG, LEAN, BIG (if and where you want to be..eat..), and MAINTAIN A HEALTHY METABOLISM. All these crazy no-carb-ever-diets with all-the-cardio-ever and light-weight-high-rep things you hear about and do…..are going to ultimately shut your metabolism down. SHUT IT...
Getting LEANER with WHITE FISH
Happy Friday! I have switched my primary protein source for the balance of my prep for this upcoming competition. I am about three weeks out, and still looking to tighten up really draw in the waist as much as possible. The best way for ME to do this is to switch up protein from turkey/chicken to predominately LEAN white fish - my body responds really well to this. It keeps me feeling full...
March 2013
2 posts
Training: Personal Progress
Hello! Happy Spring. :)
I wanted to briefly check in regarding progress and make an important note…. I would not have realized that I have changed so much had I not been keeping up with photographs. I have my clients send me photographs bi-weekly and I keep a file for each of them. I compare their photos and progress week-to-week when I make changes to training, nutrition/supplements,...
Powerlifting: Improving Your Bench Press, Part II
Hello!
You may be thinking, “there are too many articles about how to improve my bench….why would she publish another?”, but I am the type who learns best by practice and repetition. Maybe some of this is redundant, but that should let you know how relevant it is.
If you missed my first article, I went into greater detail than I will here, mostly about form and sprinkling a little...
February 2013
2 posts
Powerlifting: Improving Your Bench Press
*REPUBLISHED*
Hello!
Before I get into the content of the article, I want to preface with a couple of things….. if you are not a competitive powerlifter or even interested in the sport, this does not mean you cannot benefit from this information. I included “powerlifting” in the title of the article and its’ corresponding video for a couple of reasons. When I first became...
Why You Should Always Lift HEAVY (and can still...
Top of the AM to you! :* I am terribly excited to publish this article, and I hope you are able to learn something from it. O:)
Let’s take a look at the importance of training with heavy weight, regardless of your goal to either cut excess body fat while maintaining current tissue and conditioning, or to make gains and add muscle mass.
The first concept to understand is that there are...
January 2013
4 posts
Fitness: Gluteus to the Maximus (Part II)
photograph by J&M Hill, SC State Champs. Myself on the far left and two other competitors :)
Hello & Happy Monday (everybody’s favourite day, right!!?)…. for those who know me even just a little, you are probably aware that I am a diehard admirer of booty and squats. Everybody has their thing!, and for me, it just happens to be strong glutes and heavy squats. It really says...
Happy New Year
Losing fat may be hard….. Gaining muscle may be hard….. maintaining composition may be hard….. …..but it is all -always- worth the hard work. You will only get out of it what you are willing to put into it. Choose your idea of “hard” and get going…..no better time than now. A “new year” should not have to be the turning point, but if it is,...
December 2012
6 posts
Blocking Cortisol and eliminating stress
Good morning….
*TIP OF THE DAY*
Free yourself from stress. Relax.
Which is worse - mental or physical exhaustion? Your body says BOTH.
When you are neither resting (day(s) off from the gym) nor Sleeping, your body releases more cortisol - a Hormone that triggers catabolism. That is the absolutely opposite of what you want. In similar fashion, stress generates cortisol production as...
Carbohydrates and Growth
*TIP OF THE DAY*
Eat most of your carbohydrates cusping training.
Who does not want more lean muscle mass? I see no hands up, interesting!! ;)
If you want to build a physique with more size and balance, you have to eat. Training is not enough.
Muscle generation is quite a process, one which requires fuel and stimulation simultaneously. If you are not eating enough to grow, you simply have no...
November 2012
1 post
October 2012
2 posts
Fitness: Core Training
How STRONG is your CORE??
If you cut an apple in half, you are going to get seeds and core in both pieces, no matter which way you slice it. Your body is the same way. Your CORE is a balance of the back, sides, and front of the body, although a lot of folks will refer to “core exercises” as “working on abs”. Imagine training biceps heads and neglecting direct attention to...
September 2012
1 post
September Giveaway: Quest Bars!
Hello! I hope this meets you well….happy September! Fall is sneaking in and I am so excited. I really do not care for hot weather, and gee whiz has it been ever humid and toasty here this year!
I am really excited to share a personal favourite of mine with you this month. I have had the pleasure to work for a nutrition company for a couple of months now, and I got my first shipment of...
August 2012
7 posts
Besse Cooper (age 116): Her secret to longevity
“I mind my own business, and I don’t eat junk food.”
It really is that simple, isn’t it?
Lifestyle: Staying Consisent
When I miss my fish oil and EFA, my joints and brain tell me….
When I miss my chromium pico., my blood sugar and cravings tell me….
When I miss my thermogenic and l-carnitine (particularly on days I am unable to sleep!), my energy is so-so at best….
….When I am doing really well with a routine and I miss a day, my entire body knows it and I am immediately thrown off...
July 2012
15 posts
Always forward.
We, as human beings, are designed to continue moving forward. We are crafted with the ability to constantly improve and seek new adventures. In order for our journies to be fulfilling, there will be struggles along the way….but think about it, what good is any reward that was not earned by a little blood, sweat, and tears?
Whatever your motivation to move foward is, find it and use it to...
You are what you eat.
Abs are made in the kitchen. Abs are made in the kitchen. Abs are made in the kitchen. Abs are made in the kitchen. Abs are made in the kitchen. Abs are made in the kitchen. Abs are made in the kitchen.
When you process an idea several times over, it gets stored in your brain and will linger as a memory. Give the above statement another peep if you only glanced at it….it is worth committing...
Make the most of your time
You have too much to do to be spending your valuable time doing the following:
+ harvesting stress + explaining yourself or your choices to naysayers + dwelling over the past + wishing you could change instead of creating opportunities + expecting the ducks to always be in a row + blaming other people or elements for shortcomings + being more faithful to excuses than to challenging tasks +...
Are you having a hard time sticking to your clean...
The TASTE (generally the temptation or reason you are off-track) of food truly does not last long - literally..the digestion process starts right away when food enters the mouth and the saliva begins breaking it down.
The RESULT (how your body responds, ie. using the food as fuel or storing as fat and stress) lasts much, much longer.
Ask yourself WHY you are breaking from your diet or goals in...
Leave the excuses at the door
Sunday evening, rolling into a new week….
It is time to walk through new doors, and sometimes that means closing others and also opening your mind to learn new things and grow in new ways.
Leave the excuses and thoughts of failure at the door as you walk through. From this point on, you will finish what you start….so start something great.
Make yourself your very best.
Cheers (w...
Nutrition: Lean, Low-Carb Breakfast
Top of the morning & happy Friday. Today is one of my low-carb days in my current carbohydrate cycle. I am having 1/3 of a large grapefruit, 3 egg whites, 1/4 of a yolk, and 3-4oz extra lean top sirloin. The grapefruit is the only intentional carb in my diet today..the rest will come from greens.
I always follow my super-high carb day/s with one like this (the other days being low to...
“If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is...”
– JM Power
June 2012
11 posts
Nutrition: Cinnamon Streusel Protein Hotcakes
Hello! If you are bored with your clean diet or tired of eating the same breakfast every morning, try these cinnamon streusel protein hotcakes! I made a couple of them this morning to share with my friends pre/intra-workout. They are pretty delicious and packed with a powerful serving of complex carbohydrates, protein, and a smidge of healthy fat. Remember that having those slow-digesting...
If you are what you eat, I am a rainbow.
:)
Competition Season: - Spring, + Summer & Fall
Hello and happy Friday!
As Spring comes to an end and Summer is here, I wanted to wrap up my experiences thus far for the competition season. :)
As of now, my next projected competition that it is to come is in August, followed by dates in September October and November. The August date is the largest bodybuilding competition in the state, and it truly is a wonderful event to be a part of...
