ONE HELL OF A ROLLER COSTER RIDE

First things first. I’ve had one friend receive some devastating news and I want to let him know that I’m thinking of him and this family and I hope to god that everything will be ok and treatment is successful.

Working, Training, Dieting, Working Dieting Training. This is my life at the moment and I’d compare it to a roller coaster ride and this week I’ve been on the big dipper. Training and dieting to compete as an athlete (this is what I will call myself because I can) is different to your average person wanting to lose a few pounds. Timing, nutrition and rest are of paramount importance if you want to be the best that you can. Last week I was riding on the high and thrill of the slow journey of getting higher and higher but at the start of this week came the big drip. On a roller coaster you’d be screaming with excitement but I was screaming because I wasn’t seeing the changes. Then mid week BAM! I went to train with Dave Lewis at Upfitness (www.upfitness.co.uk) put on the usual attire came out did a couple of warm up reps and then I looked at myself in the mirror and fuck I was looking lean on the upper body. Even Sarah Lindsay, one the trainers also at Upfitness (Sarah is a three time Olympian, representing Great Britain for over a decade in the highly competitive sport of short track speed skating) also said that I’m looking awesome. There you have it, proof that if you follow the plan, stay true to yourself and don’t let anything, and I mean anything in your life get in your way.

Training is great and the 5 day split I love. Training at my local gym is still the epitome of my week due to the amount of muppets that seem to be coming through the doors. Now don’t get me wrong there are some good and great people in the gym, people who actually work on their physique, train hard, lift with good form. There is still only one man who squats with good form and that’s with his arse to the grass and can you believe it that every other person in the gym tells him that his technique is wrong. Skinny twerp hasn’t been too bad this week, he’s still rather annoying trying to chat to me but I think I shut him up when I started doing wide eccentric pull ups with extra weight round my waist. I actually sent a text to Dave to thank him for putting the chin up’s back in the program as I love them, not because I’m good at them, I’m ok but it’s because I’m not good that I want to get better and plus they are the king of exercises for building upper body strength. The most annoying twat award this week has to go to the man in the sauna trying to chat to me about his boxing career. This conversation actually started because I asked him to take his plastic bottle outside as opposed to having it in the sauna where it was melting in the heat and realising toxins which I really didn’t want to be breathing in. Mind you I think there are worse things in that sauna that I was breathing in! He proceeded to tell me how he was a champion boxer 7 years ago and blah blah blah I just turned off until he said that I must run loads to look the way that I do. I laughed hysterically and said yes that’s right I run to look the way I do and that he must be a champion boxer to look the way he did. He looked quite proud until the penny dropped that I was being sarcastic.

Dieting is coming along a treat. I thought I would find it harder this time round but I kind of know what to expect, the only things that Dave has me doing differently is having wild meat in the morning and the wave cycle of carbohydrates which are in the form of brown rice or brown rice pasta. I am very military about my eating so it’s not that hard. I have split my meals up into 6 portions and eat every 2.5 – 3 hours. Even off season I still clean I just increase my carbohydrates and I have cheat days. I have my next set of photos and biosignature on Monday and here Dave will be able to tell if he needs to change my diet and I will be able to see if all that body brushing is paying off.

Morning cardio is.............well it has to be done. I’ve brought the new Lady Gaga album as it has a good beat because first thing in the morning I need something. I’ve not only just woken up I’m also leaving the house with no makeup on and this in its self is a challenge. I will say towards the end of the week I’m actually starting to enjoy it. I’m thankful this is during the summer months.

My major task is to really get on with posing and getting my bikini sorted. If you want to compete its not cheap but well worth the roller coasters ride.

If you have any questions please email me and thank you to everyone who has messaged me, complemented me so far and who is reading this blog. I have said that you don’t need to follow but if you could I’d be grateful. This week is picking up and I can’t wait for the next set of changes, plus I have my PICP Level 1 course at the end of the week (www.charlespoliquin.com) and I get to see my favourite strength coaches Derek Woodske www.derekwoodske.com/Poliquin_Strength_Inst.html  and John Conner www.isipersonaltraining.com/strength-trainers-ireland bring it on!!

End of Training week 3

Its half way through week three and so far it’s still going well. Ok so I may have had a few ups and downs. I’ve been given a new programme and to say its challenging would be an understatement. It’s a 5 day split with two days off. Now I love a challenging programme but with a full time job and morning fasted cardio added in this week I’m going to have to make sure I’m organised. One thing in the middle of the week that I didn’t account for was some random drunken phone call at 1.51am! This was on the morning of a 5am wake up, my 1^st new leg session, (a tear was shed at the end), a full day at work where a vicious dog (the owners were so proud - FW!!) had swallowed stone and it was stuck in the intestinal wall and I was covering a combat class for my lovely friend Orly after work. Revenge was had though. I replied to the drunken message with a text at 5.05 and we removed the stone from the dog. Life always turns out sweet and if you cross me I will name and shame you!

If you know me and have seen me train then you know I’m focused. Don’t speak to me or interrupt me or take the weights that I’m using. So here’s to my first arm session, I’m set, I’m ready, I’m focused and I’m at my local gym. I’m starting with the scott curl and, yes you guessed it this skinny little young twat comes over and asks if I know how to use the scott curl just as I’m setting up the bar. I look up and ask if he’s joking? I’m not small and even with my insecurities (we all have them) I look like I train. I reply with stating that I have more muscle in my leg than he does on his whole body. I give him his dews as he did come back later and apologise but I think someone told him that I’m the crazy bitch. After this he then proceeds with telling me how he’s going to gain 10kg of muscle and he’ll do it in 4 years which he seemed to be really proud of. I think I laughed the entire way home. It really makes you think of the level of the personal training information that these aspiring PT are receiving. My course still uses the old food pyramid!!

It’s now the end of the week and I’m pleased with my progress so far. I’ve dropped to from 14.5% to 10.5% body fat and my weight is 47.7kg with just a few tweaks of the diet and some supplements. I mentioned before that I am following two protocols; one is a gut repair which consists of various enzymes, supplements from Charles Poliquin and a bucket load of glutamine. Now a vast percentage of the population suffer with some form of digestive issue along with low stomach acid. This has been brought about by bad diets, artificial additives in food and drink, pesticides, lifestyle, stress, high or long term antibiotic use etc etc. Poor gut health leads to poor digestion of food and intolerances as well as many other conditions and can contribute to plateaus in training, so, as I want to still add on the muscle mass whilst I’m dieting I’m taking in that glutamine by the bucket load. The other is an Estro Detox. All I’m going to say on this one is when I pee at night; I can make the bathroom look like there’s a radiation leak.

Diet; I am LOVING my wild meat in the morning. I had bison and ostridge for the first time and I really like the gamey taste. Some people don’t get why I eat meat for breakfast (I still eat steak off season) but then I don’t get why people eat toast which contains rat and mice piss and shit? Carbohydrates are being reduced and it’s now hitting me. I’m feeling low and emotional. I think the last three days have been the worst so far, just with the emotional feeling. I would like to say a great big THANK YOU to everyone at Pinner FF, on Thursday night and Friday morning you were all brilliant and so supportive. Friday morning crew gave me the push that I need to get through that session. I love you all at Pinner xx

If you would like information on the supplements that I use please ask or visit www.charlespoliquin.com where you can find out all about information on supplements, nutrition, and training and about PCIP and Biosignature Practitioners.

End of Training week 2

Time fly’s when you’re having fun and I can say that I am indeed having fun. So first of all I’d really like to say thank you to all those people who messaged me with their comments of support and motivation. Jackie from FF Pinner, Jordan who I meet at the Biosignature course in Sweden, Chris Heron, JC from W10 performance (great gym with cute guys which is a high point of my list when choosing a gym.....I need motivation don’t I??).  I am a very driven person (my flat mate says that I’m a little OCD but apparently all high achievers do have some form of OCD so I took that as a complement), there are times however when I would like to just snuggle up in bed or on the sofa with a big roast chicken, roast potatoes with all the trimmings but then I know in three months time I will be doing just that. The hard work and effort that it takes will be worth it and that is why I am here.

Training is going very well, I still have those moments where I think that I need to do more, more is better, then I take a look at all those fat people in the gym who spend a minimum of two hours training per session, day after day and it brings me back to my senses. There is NO WAY IN HELL that I want to look like that. Ever since I started training under a PICP strength coach I have done my fare share of research, every question is based on ‘Why?’, and since placing my faith with PICP trainers I have seen the dramatic change in my body, and not only my body shape but how I feel. Ben Siong in Melbourne was my first trainer (www.trainasp.com) and Dave Lewis of Upfitness (www.upfitness.co.uk ) is my trainer now. Ben was the first, he really changed my perception of exercise and introduced me to proper weight training and Dave has taken it to the next level, a lad with exceptional talent! Many people ask if I compete I must be down the gym all the time and eat loads of rice. After I’ve stopped laughing at the misconception of weight training I advise them that each of my 4 – 5 work outs per week NEVER last longer than an hour and if they ever do, which they don’t it’s because some big chested, skinny leg twerp at the gym has been getting in my way and trying to ask me questions because I look like I know what I’m doing or they try to tell me that I shouldn’t be doing weights like that (actually that has only happen a couple of times and I thinks it’s because I almost smashed the Olympic bar in to the guys face and then word got around about a crazy bitch in the gym). It’s about the right training with weights at the right rep range, right tempo and the right of weights. There is so much more and I have so much to learn and I am thoroughly enjoying it. That was one reason why I did the Biosignature course in Sweden because I was asking so many questions that I thought why not go and do the course and find out the information for myself. I’m now taking my PICP Level 1 in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait.

Also I’m typing with sore shoulders today, actually if someone poked me in the shoulder I would kick their butt and only because I can’t lift my arms to be able to slap them in the face. I won a competition for a free session with Tom Crudgingon at Body Development in Bath (www.bodydevelopment.co.uk ) and this man knows his shit. I drove to Bath and the first thing he asked about was my diet, training, accident history etc. Tom knows Dave so he’s happy with my training, diet had some tweaks so as soon as I get my order from Osgrow I will be having a rotation of Spring bok, Kudu, Ostridge and Kangaroo in the mornings and then a rotation of white meat for the rest of the day. I’m off the fish at the moment which I’ll post in my next blog where I’ll mention my protocols. As for the accidents he told me something which I already knew and should have had it seen to by now. My neck and shoulder alignment is out, so much that Dave has called me wonky shoulders in the past...lol. I think this was when I fell of the boat and landed face first on concrete. My face was a little muddled up after that one!! One thing I didn’t know was that if my upper spine is out then my lumbar spine will be out and if they are out I will not grow in the shoulders or in the legs. WTF! Now I put some impressive numbers in to my squats for someone of my size and build, some people may not think it’s much but when I squat my arse is to the grass. This week my priority is to see a good Chiropractor. Another task that needs to be started is body brushing to get rid of those toxins under the skin. I don’t want cellulite but unfortunately I have it. This morning I started brushing those thighs.

So here’s for week three and I say bring it on!!

My Journey...

Should I, shouldn’t I? I’ve spent the last three weeks thinking about writing a blog. Do I want another ‘to do’ thingy on my list whilst I have already so much on my plate. I work full time, studying for my PT certificate, studying for a Practice Management Certificate, completing my level 1 Bio-signature and PICP level 1, as well as training and dieting for my 2^nd Figure competition. Then I thought, if I did, who would want to read it, who would want to know about my ‘Journey’, talking about the ups and downs of dieting; the discipline of the training and how truly, madly and deeply in Love I am with training. Then I read an article by Derek Woodske, a story...So here is my blog. I’m going to update weekly but please excuse me if I miss a week.

I’ll give you a bit of history first...

I’m not one of those people who have been into fitness or sport my whole life. The only bit of sport was horse riding as we owned 3 horses at one point. Life had generally been good, brought up in a nice village, brilliant sister, worked and lived in London. Just before I got married I wanted to be in shape so I signed up at the local gym, even getting myself a PT. That was my first taste of ‘The Gym’ environment and I loved it, so much so that I quailed as an ETM and started teaching. The last 10 years haven’t gone well, I’ve had two almost fatal accidents, my marriage failed and the passing of my two dogs was the last straw. I couldn’t handle it anymore so I decided to sell my property and leave to travel Asia and wherever my heart desired. Five months in covering 5 countries and now in the land of down under, Australia. Finally I was with my best friends Maggie Butler, Katherine Geczy and Christina Riolo. I was happy. Actually no I wasn’t completely happy. I’d felt like I had eaten my way round Asia, I had had a great time doing it but was now paying the price. What I didn’t know was that I was a coelic with a dairy intolerance. I headed to Melbourne and decided to settle for a few weeks, just to get myself sorted and whilst I was there I might as well join the gym and start to get back in to shape because there was no way in hell I was coming back home fat! My first session........I was fucked; I couldn’t even run for 10 minutes or lift an 8kg weight. It was pathetic. Then I saw the figure of my dreams. Now, girls don’t float my boat but this girl had the figure I wanted. Like the girls on the cover of oxygen magazine. I looked up, took a look at the guy who was training her, went straight to the board, found his picture took his card, gave a call and booked in for my first session in mid January 2010. That was the start of it. Ben Siong is a PICP level 3 and Bio signature level 1. First of all he got my digestion under control, changed my diet and introduced me to GVT. It was Ben who talked me into training for my first show. It was something that I always wanted to do but thought that I could never do it. I was wrong. During those weeks of training I stayed focused and so determined that I just wanted to do well for myself and for Ben. We managed to get me ready in 18 weeks, (see www.trainasp.com for my before and after pictures). That was it I was hooked.

Once back in the UK I found Upfitness, a gym in London Old Street run by Nick Mitchell and all his trainers are PICP and Bio signature certified. He paired me with Dave Lewis, a phenomenal trainer and that is where I have been since September 2010. We’ve, worked on strength phases, isolation and GVT.

Sit back and enjoy and if I start to get pissy and moany tell me to just suck it up!

Training week 1 & 2

Weight - 47.4kg

Fat % 14.5%

It’s finally here, the countdown has started, and the journey has begun. I’m actually now half way through week 2 due to taking my time deciding on whether to write a blog or not. This is not a time to be stressing, so I’m not! Week 1 went well, had my biosig done, pre photos taking (OMG a bit shocking) and diet given. As I’m still quiet lean my diet isn’t as strict as I thought it was going to be and I’m happy I still get to have my steak of a morning and on a carb rotation. The first non carb day was a bit of a challenge as I’d trained legs with Dave and about 5pm it hit me but this is what I love. I’m missing my rice pudding already!

I’ve had up and downs already but that’s life. Juggling work, studying and training in 24 hour days will be hard at times but being organised is what I’m good at. Week 2 hasn’t been great, I came down with a very bad cold which is taking some time to fuck off but as I’m on a gut healing protocol and an estro protocol I’m detoxifying my little arse off so my immune system is somewhat challenged. I’m also feeling a bit nervous now with questions such as have I gained enough muscle, have I eaten enough, will those bits on the outside top of my thighs come off, etc, etc. Dave is great, he just tells me to shut up.

The one thing I wish I did have is the support of my family. You see they just don’t get it or that I just haven’t talked to them about it in the right way. They don’t even know that I’m going back on stage. My sister will be happy for me but only because she knows how happy this makes me. I’m not doing this for anyone else I’m doing this for me because I love it. This is the direction that I want to head in both as a Figure competitor and as a career.