8 Weeks Out

Week 4 was terrific! My body is finally accepting the pain and discipline I am putting it through!
I wasn't nearly as tired as I have been, although I have upped my fat burner, and caffeine intake a little, it had to happen~ I was falling asleep at work, and becoming sorta bitchy.

I have already lost 10#, and about 7inches all around! Looking leaner every week!

This week I didn't have to do my cardio on Wednesday, so that also helped a ton with my increased energy! Also, by not having to do cardio for one day I was able to put all my focus into my Leg workout! I really enjoy lifting heavy, and I haven't been able to with my lack of energy and strength diminishing. I was able to go a little heavier than in the past three weeks, and I cannot even begin to explain the feeling of being strong gives me! I LOVE IT! My Leg workout this week consisted of the following:

• 4x20 walking weighted lunges
• 3x12-15 seated leg extension
• 4x15 deep squats
• 4x12 front squats
• 4x15 lying leg curls (super set)
• 4x20-25 hip abductors
• 3x15 straight leg dead lifts(super set)
• 3x15 single leg cable kickbacks
• 2x15 seated calf raises

It was such a great workout, my legs were definitely growing this week! I was also able to workout w/ my friend Lauren this week, which was great, because my workouts are usually pretty lonely. Not too many girls like to lift like I do, and my schedule is so chaotic I never have any workout partners. It was nice and fun to hit the weights with a friend! It keeps it fun and interesting~!

Overall I am very happy with how I am leaning up and looking, and so is my coach! We have some minor modifications to my diet starting for week 5, just adding more food, and less artificals(protein shakes,etc). I am excited to eat more, because my metabolism is fired up! I am constantly hungry, and my diet is very scheduled, and no cheating allowed! So hopefully by adding lean meats instead of a protein shake will help ward off hunger a little more now!

3wks DOWN & 9wks to GO!

3 weeks down, and 9 to GO!!! So excited I'm 1/4 of the way done! This past week again, wasn't easy....

I almost fell asleep at work, I've gone through some serious mood swings and craving, but overall my training is going FANTASTIC!! I have been killing it in the gym!! Defiantly not as strong as I used to be, but getting such a good pump in with the weights!!! "Its not about how much you lift, its about how you lift it!"

For the past 3 weeks, I have been training about 2.5-3hrs a day, its usually split into two or 3 workouts, depending on my schedule and what I can make work.... I always make sure I have plenty of time to get a great lift in, then my cardio fits in when it works. My cardio routines are finally starting to get easier!! My endurance and stamina are finally in full gear! Took me 3 weeks to get there, my coach said it would get better after a week, not for me! lol! Just finally happy my cardio isn't so dreadful now! :)

I took this Saturday off work to catch up on life; and boy am I glad I did so!! Cooking, training, grocery shopping, and working takes up my entire week! I have like 3 weeks of laundry and cleaning to catch up on, and not to mention, just time for some serious TLC!

We Finally received out 6pak Fitness bags last night too!! So excited to FINALLY have these, I ordered them back in March!!!! For those who don't know what 6paks are; they are a meal management system. I purchased the 2 large bags for me and my fiance. They are so nice, and so excited to put it too use!~

Becoming an Athlete: Stage 1

So here I am, finally in prep for my first figure competition, and on the road to finally becoming a Figure Athlete!

I am currently 2 weeks into my prep, and let me tell you, this sh*t isn't easy!!!!!! This is by far the hardest I have ever trained in my entire life! I promise you I will be bringing me A-game Figure to the Stage in July!!!! I cant wait to show off what this body & mind can do!

The first week was crazy! Trying to get on a strick schedule with training, work, eating and cooking, and school was tough!! I was training 3x a day, and eating every 2 1/2 hours... I thought the hardest part was going to be the dieting, ohh was I wrong! My workouts have kicked my ass, and they keep getting harder, I can now sprint on the treadmill at an 8 speed! I went from doing absolutely NO cardio what-so-ever to crazy ass intense cardio sessions! Talk about whipping someone into the best shape of there life, that's what I am doing! My fiance has been the best support ever, I don't know how I would have gotten myself through my cardio sessions without him! He stood on the side of that treadmill until I was finished, pushed, motivated, and helped me get through every grueling minute of it!! I will bee 100% honest, I HATE CARDIO, but it is what has to be done, so I will embrace the pain for the glory!

The first week of dieting went great! Eating clean and scheduled isn't as hard as I had expected, yes I get cravings, and its a boring diet, but being lean is so worth it! I am becoming a better cook, experimenting with different spices to add a little flavor to my meals has had its good and bad experiences, some delicious, some terrible, either way I have to get the food in. I just think; Food is my fuel, not my friend. Some days are harder to gag things down than others, but again its fuel!!!

This is just as much of a Mental game as it is a Physical game.... Pushing myself to these limits has really played games with my head, leading me to think things like, "I don't think I can do this" or "This is just too hard for me", "I must just not be an athlete" and "I cant do this" are all things I hate to hear, and cant believe I was saying, once the words came out, I instantly knew I had to prove myself wrong and Just Do It! I will complain, but I will also push myself to tears if I have too (which I did 3times in the last 2 weeks, my legs hurt so bad I had to skip class one day!) this is what it takes, and this is what I am willing to do and give up to get there!
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Two weeks and about 9# down already! I can already see the changes I have made in my physic, I have finally entered the next stage of my fitness level, and it feels amazing~ Nina