Five Months to First Bodybuilding Competition!

[MaryStella]

i found your log. looks like great stuff!

[marcella]

Great to see your journal!

I didn't miss a journal update for months, then got injured, and started working 12 hour days again....but I'm trying to get back on here when I can.

Keep up the great work!

VB&F is printed and I'll have it in a few days too. Woohoo!

SWEET!

Oh yes, I have seen how crazy busy your schedule is on FB!

[marcella]

Thanks djshrew and MaryStella!

So far the online journal has been a great workout "conscience" for me...can't quit if I know I'm going to have to post what I did!

[MaryStella]

Is great to look back and see all of your progress too. Or see where improvements can be made.

[marcella]

Very true - if I don't record my workouts, I find myself wondering what I did even the day before, let alone weeks or months. Hard to progress if you don't know where you've been.

4/18
Yesterday was an off day: I ran a mile and then did dance practice for half an hour...not as much as I'd intended to do. Since I ran 10 miles last week, I was hoping to make it a habit - now I'll have to catch up somewhere this week. Should be easy with Derek doing morning cardio for contest prep - we can run the hounds at the park. It's impossible to run them on my own what with one young crazy dog running amok and one old surly dog lagging 1/2 a mile behind. And running on a treadmill is a last resort.

4/19


Today was "boring" legs day again, but I decided to push myself a bit on endurance. I figure I'll add reps before I add weight since I need leg definition, not bulk, and my lower back is an unfortunate limiting factor for heavy leg exercises... It's time to change my program up, so I'm thinking of adding back some Tabata sets to my leg routine although I'm sure I'll curse myself for it later.

[marcella]

Ran two miles this morning, so the day is off to a good start! I have shoulders planned for this afternoon and I consider that my most crucial lift. I must, I must, I must increase my...shoulders!

I spent all day yesterday frantically working on improving the diet planning tool that Derek and I use to track our diet so that i can offer it to people both online as a Google Doc and as an Excel spreadsheet. Derek's been getting a lot of nutrition questions from people who want a complete meal plan and nutrition guide and I think it will be a great help to anyone wanting to track their nutrients or lose or gain fat, etc...

It seemed really important to get it done as quickly as possible, so I worked all day on the computer, barely getting any exercise or outdoor time in. It reminded me of why I absolutely hated my white collar job that involved being on the computer at work for 8 hours followed by a couple of hours hunched over study materials afterward so that I could pass my professional credentialing exams. No wonder I was stalled for so long fitness-wise! When I left I immediately dropped about 3% body fat and a 6-pack began to emerge...literally immediately. It must have been a combo of too much ass-sitting and extreme stress that held me back.

Now that I've *almost* completed my ultimate diet planning sheet initiative, I can use it to post here occasionally on my daily diet and make sure I'm eating enough. The text is kind small, I know, but here's a screenshot...



Just realized that I now weigh 115 and not 120 anymore but it doesn't much affect my daily calorie needs since the formula I'm using is based more on lean body mass. Looks like I'm pretty close - I'm sure I eat a few more calories worth of tamari almonds during the course of the day. Quite a bit of protein too, and I even cut out two of my protein shakes a while ago because I like to keep my powder consumption to a minimum.

[lobsteriffic]

I love well organized spreadsheets, I'm such a nerd.

I hear you on the white collar job though. I sit in a chair for around 9 hours a day and I don't move much. I need to start reminding myself to go take breaks and walk up/down some stairs or something.

[djshrew]

Which competition are you doing? when is it? is it in Richmond? I'm not far, maybe some of us DMV folks can come out and show some vegan support =)

[marcella]

I love well organized spreadsheets, I'm such a nerd.

I hear you on the white collar job though. I sit in a chair for around 9 hours a day and I don't move much. I need to start reminding myself to go take breaks and walk up/down some stairs or something.

I tried to make a habit of going down to the first floor and back up to the fifth every time I had to use the bathroom but, exactly, I'd get absorbed in what I was doing and forget to move.

[marcella]

Which competition are you doing? when is it? is it in Richmond? I'm not far, maybe some of us DMV folks can come out and show some vegan support =)

NPA Natural USA Championships - small and local, in Highland Springs, VA which is basically Richmond. That would be awesome if you came out - assuming I'm feeling confident! I figure I'll either want everyone I know to be there or no one I've ever met. Derek's competition (same organization and location) is just a month away and if his (completely unjustified imo) anxiety is any indication then I may prefer the latter!

I told him we could desensitize him to the whole thing by having him get into his posing suit and go through his routine in some public place and get a crowd of our friends to boo him a la The Princess Bride: "Boo! Rubbish! Filth!"

[marcella]

I've been upping the weight and reps on everything: having a goal makes all the difference. I was unaware of how much I'd been coasting in the gym since our photo shoot over a year ago...And eating a lot more is a big help - I can already see my upper body getting bigger and the veins popping in my chest and shoulders when I lift! Strange things for a woman to get excited about, but that's why I love bodybuilding! Strange joys for a strange woman. Anyway:

4/20

Morning: Ran 2 miles at the park

Shoulders



Notes:
I used to do the 30's for Arnold press, and I had a hard time with even the 25's and 27.5's, due in part to the fact that my shoulders were still sore from Sunday's upper body routine, I guess.

I can do a lot more weight on laterals than I had been doing. The front raises are seated and the laterals are standing.

[marcella]

4/21

Morning: Cybex elliptical type thing, 20 minutes high resistance
Weighted decline abs, 3 x 5 x 8
Weighted obliques, 3 x 5 x 10

Afternoon: Upper Body Circuit

I try to keep everything as heavy as I can for 4 circuits, and it's hard.



Followed by 10 minutes Stairclimber

Notes:

The order is messed up: push-ups come after one-arm db row.

I've actually been doing regular lat pulldowns instead of behind-the-neck, whoops.

[marcella]

Catch-Up!

4/22

Ran 2 miles outside

4/23

Usual plyometrics legs day in which I do 3 x 20 of:

Step-ups
Box jumps
Jump lunges

But this time I upped my box jump height to 8 risers for the last two sets; 6 is the most I'd done. It's not insanely high - comes to just above my knee, but for 20 consecutive jumps with no bouncing or wind-up or pauses whatsoever it's challenging!

I know I did some sort of cardio and abs, but I don't remember what...that's the problem with waiting too long to post.

[marcella]

4/24

In the morning, HIIT at the park:

5 30 second all-out sprints with 4 minute walking intervals. Came out to 2 miles. The sprints were hard after plyometrics the previous day and made me legs sore as hell! Definitely going to work more regular and hill sprints in to my routine work on toning up my legs: they're big but far too fat.

Evening - had a hard time lifting that late after being in the hot sun all day. BUT I've gained in strength on everything except triceps. Didn't learn my lesson about leaving them for last, apparently. And I did more weight than I should have on biceps...but it felt fantastic.



Time to completely revamp my program, starting tomorrow!

[SeaSiren]

I just found this ... awesomeness! I may have to come out as well since I am back in the region

Funny shoulders are your weakness and legs your strong point, I'm the opposite .... Right now I could rival a line backer and my legs are lagging .... as per usual!

Will be following!