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.