I can't believe I am three weeks away from my pro debut!!! And what's even MORE amazing is that I am still getting stronger and setting personal records! My shoulders are by far one of my weakest areas, so it's been slow seeing strength gains in that area. BUT, I did two sets of 25 DB lateral raises last night! YAY!
My legs are also gaining a lot of their strength back that was lost last summer (since I basically had to take the whole summer off from training to heal the injury). Getting close to 400 again on the leg press AND I was able to do 115 lbs on the leg extension machine for the first time this week.
I have my days that I am completely exhausted mentally and physically, though. Not gonna lie. I got tears in my eyes during a calf workout this week! Calves!!!!!!!! What the heck?
But I am determined and committed to my goal. Not to mention, the progress I see every time I take pictures keeps me motivated to PRESS ON. Motivation changes from day to day. Commitment is what gets my butt to the gym.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Personal Record and other thoughts.....
SO, it amazes me that despite being so close to my competition, I am still setting personal records and getting stronger with each workout.
Yesterday, I curled 25 DB's for the first time! 1 set of 6 is all I did, but that's better than none!
Since I'm all about figuring out life's lessons that I can learn while bodybuilding, I have been thinking a lot this week about persistence. I found this about persistence and thought I'd pass it on:
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
- Calvin Coolidge
"Persistence is the ability to maintain action regardless of your feelings. You press on even when you feel like quitting.When you work on any big goal, your motivation will wax and wane like waves hitting the shore. Sometimes you’ll feel motivated; sometimes you won’t. But it’s not your motivation that will produce results — it’s your action. Persistence allows you to keep taking action even when you don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore you keep accumulating results.
Persistence of action comes from persistence of vision. When you’re super-clear about what you want in such a way that your vision doesn’t change much, you’ll be more consistent — and persistent — in your actions. And that consistency of action will produce consistency of results."
I've had to think about this a lot lately and the thought that keeps coming to my mind is, "Ok, Christina. You've prove you can be insanely disciplined, determined and persistent in this aspect of life. Now do it with another...."
SO. Master's degree, here I come!!! :-) Oh, and here's some more progress pics.
Yesterday, I curled 25 DB's for the first time! 1 set of 6 is all I did, but that's better than none!
Since I'm all about figuring out life's lessons that I can learn while bodybuilding, I have been thinking a lot this week about persistence. I found this about persistence and thought I'd pass it on:
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
- Calvin Coolidge
"Persistence is the ability to maintain action regardless of your feelings. You press on even when you feel like quitting.When you work on any big goal, your motivation will wax and wane like waves hitting the shore. Sometimes you’ll feel motivated; sometimes you won’t. But it’s not your motivation that will produce results — it’s your action. Persistence allows you to keep taking action even when you don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore you keep accumulating results.
Persistence of action comes from persistence of vision. When you’re super-clear about what you want in such a way that your vision doesn’t change much, you’ll be more consistent — and persistent — in your actions. And that consistency of action will produce consistency of results."
I've had to think about this a lot lately and the thought that keeps coming to my mind is, "Ok, Christina. You've prove you can be insanely disciplined, determined and persistent in this aspect of life. Now do it with another...."
SO. Master's degree, here I come!!! :-) Oh, and here's some more progress pics.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Progress Pics
Been awhile since I have posted progress pics and I wanted to give ya a sneak peek at what's to come at my next show!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Can-do Candace!!!
I would like to thank Chick Fil A for putting something of value in their kids meal. I stumbled across a book about a girl named "Can-do Candace" who, despite being "handicap," decided that she was going to run a race! And she did!!!! It wasn't about winning for her. Just doing her best and finishing was all that mattered to her, and because of that, she and everyone around her realized that she is in fact a WINNER.
Anyway....I needed to read that today. For one thing, I am going to use it in my classroom whenever I have a kiddo tell me music is hard, or they can't play that instrument. (WE'll have to come up with a masculine form of it so the boys don't look at me like I'm crazy...Can-do Carl!? hehe)
But for another thing....I have managed to cut out one of my HUGE vices as far as my drinking habits go during this contest prep...everyone has that ONE thing they "can't give up." Mine was just two. Diet drinks and coffee. Earlier in the summer I gave up the diet drinks. I went through withdrawals for about 3 days, but I felt so much....'lighter' after that. The coffee is not bad for me...it's the stuff I put IN the coffee that is. The fake stuff.
Why? Well, besides the fact that it's basically poisoning our bodies (I mean, why else do people experience headaches when they stop drinking diet drinks all of a sudden?), it is sweet and it tricks our body in to thinking that it's sweet, just minus the calories. Why does that matter, you might ask? When that happens, it can trigger an insulin release inside our body, which actually slows down fat loss. So besides the fact that the diet drinks make us feel bloated, they are also highly confusing our bodies and messing with our fat metabolism. So. I am on a quest for the last 8 weeks of my contest prep. A quest to be Can-do Chris(tina) and officially give up ALL artificial sweetener. Not gonna lie. Coffee tastes BAD without it. But I think I will get used to it! Or maybe I will end up switching to tea. OR, I will add more milk and just count that in with my daily calorie intake. I'm interested to see how this will change things!!!
Here's a couple articles about it, too...
http://aspartame.mercola.com/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-dangers.aspx
It's worth thinking about, for sure. Be a Can-Do Candace today and get rid of poisonous habits or thoughts in your life!!!!
Anyway....I needed to read that today. For one thing, I am going to use it in my classroom whenever I have a kiddo tell me music is hard, or they can't play that instrument. (WE'll have to come up with a masculine form of it so the boys don't look at me like I'm crazy...Can-do Carl!? hehe)
But for another thing....I have managed to cut out one of my HUGE vices as far as my drinking habits go during this contest prep...everyone has that ONE thing they "can't give up." Mine was just two. Diet drinks and coffee. Earlier in the summer I gave up the diet drinks. I went through withdrawals for about 3 days, but I felt so much....'lighter' after that. The coffee is not bad for me...it's the stuff I put IN the coffee that is. The fake stuff.
Why? Well, besides the fact that it's basically poisoning our bodies (I mean, why else do people experience headaches when they stop drinking diet drinks all of a sudden?), it is sweet and it tricks our body in to thinking that it's sweet, just minus the calories. Why does that matter, you might ask? When that happens, it can trigger an insulin release inside our body, which actually slows down fat loss. So besides the fact that the diet drinks make us feel bloated, they are also highly confusing our bodies and messing with our fat metabolism. So. I am on a quest for the last 8 weeks of my contest prep. A quest to be Can-do Chris(tina) and officially give up ALL artificial sweetener. Not gonna lie. Coffee tastes BAD without it. But I think I will get used to it! Or maybe I will end up switching to tea. OR, I will add more milk and just count that in with my daily calorie intake. I'm interested to see how this will change things!!!
Here's a couple articles about it, too...
http://aspartame.mercola.com/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/12/03/sucralose-dangers.aspx
It's worth thinking about, for sure. Be a Can-Do Candace today and get rid of poisonous habits or thoughts in your life!!!!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Another life lesson learned.....
Something my trainer, Sean McCauley, told me awhile ago when we were discussing my posing issues was "Amateurs practice until they get it right; Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong."
I have thought about that a lot since then. He is SO right and I have really tried to develop that mentality when practicing my posing. If I get a pose right when practicing at home, I do it again to see if I can get it right again! Pretty soon (hasn't happened yet), my brain and my muscles will just automatically know what to do and it will become instinctive.
I found myself quoting him, though, while teaching a violin lesson today!!!!! I love teaching private lessons because every student is different and I can challenge them all no matter what level they are on. One of my students was working on a really hard excerpt today and her fingers were fumbling through a passage; so out of the 16 note passage, we took 4 and played them over and over until she got it right at least twice (not just once). Then we added 4 more notes, and did it over and over until she got it right at least twice....you get the idea. That's when I told her what my trainer had told me and her eyes lit up when I said it! It's like she "got it", too.
I was so stoked when I realized that even though this is a life lesson I have kind of already been putting in to practice during my own violin practice sessions, it is one that applies to LIFE and anything that is a challenge!!! So, what is YOUR challenge? Don't give up on it!!!! Just keep practicing! Don't settle for the ONE TIME of getting it right...do it until you KEEP ON getting it right. Pretty soon, it will be a habit.
I have thought about that a lot since then. He is SO right and I have really tried to develop that mentality when practicing my posing. If I get a pose right when practicing at home, I do it again to see if I can get it right again! Pretty soon (hasn't happened yet), my brain and my muscles will just automatically know what to do and it will become instinctive.
I found myself quoting him, though, while teaching a violin lesson today!!!!! I love teaching private lessons because every student is different and I can challenge them all no matter what level they are on. One of my students was working on a really hard excerpt today and her fingers were fumbling through a passage; so out of the 16 note passage, we took 4 and played them over and over until she got it right at least twice (not just once). Then we added 4 more notes, and did it over and over until she got it right at least twice....you get the idea. That's when I told her what my trainer had told me and her eyes lit up when I said it! It's like she "got it", too.
I was so stoked when I realized that even though this is a life lesson I have kind of already been putting in to practice during my own violin practice sessions, it is one that applies to LIFE and anything that is a challenge!!! So, what is YOUR challenge? Don't give up on it!!!! Just keep practicing! Don't settle for the ONE TIME of getting it right...do it until you KEEP ON getting it right. Pretty soon, it will be a habit.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Life lessons learned.....
..........through bodybuilding!!!
As with ANY sport or competitive hobby, perhaps when you REALLY think about the big picture, the greater value over winning are all the life lessons learned through the process. I could seriously write a novel about all the life lessons I have learned so far from years of playing soccer, playing violin, singing, going to auditions, applying to colleges, then for jobs, and now competing in bodybuilding. Obviously there's the life lesson that hard work DOES pay off. Regardless of any outcome, the rewards of working hard and reaching a goal are obvious. This weekend, I was reminded of a few more life lessons. So, here we go.
1. You win some, you lose some. It's just a simple fact of life. The wins motivate you to win AGAIN. The losses force you to re-evaluate, make changes, and not let it happen again. The losses keep you humble. The wins make you proud. Everyone loses at something every day. It's not about the loss, though. It's about what you do AFTER the loss; the stand after the fall, the shake off after the hit.
And then, in the process of the "losing re-evaluation", there's the whole concept of....what did I REALLY lose, anyway? A title? Bragging rights? Maybe I should think about what I WON! This weekend, I won more friends, more experience in the sport, memories with my mom and sister and Laurie, another competition to add to the list, another GOAL met (do another competition before pro debut), a better physique than my last show.....ok, you get the idea, I have other life lessons to talk about.
2. I know it's cliche and we've all heard the quote a million times over. But, it's true. "NO ONE can make you feel inferior without your consent." Am I going to let one panel of judges who doesn't know me from Adam tell me that I don't have what it takes? NO. They are humans just like me. And while they are certainly qualified to be my judges, I am not going to let them tell me that I do not meet the criteria when I know I came in at my personal best, worked as hard as I possibly could, have the BEST of the BEST training me in all aspects (training, nutrition, and posing). I refuse to let the opinions of other people deter me. I value the input, the constructive criticism and certainly appreciate the motivation that this insanity has given me. All that to say, I have a choice in this. I could choose to let this bring me down or to bring me up. I choose to keep my pride and dignity and not let the opinions of a panel of judges make me feel like less of a person.
I think that's it for now. I will try to keep this theme recurring...Life lessons learned....
As with ANY sport or competitive hobby, perhaps when you REALLY think about the big picture, the greater value over winning are all the life lessons learned through the process. I could seriously write a novel about all the life lessons I have learned so far from years of playing soccer, playing violin, singing, going to auditions, applying to colleges, then for jobs, and now competing in bodybuilding. Obviously there's the life lesson that hard work DOES pay off. Regardless of any outcome, the rewards of working hard and reaching a goal are obvious. This weekend, I was reminded of a few more life lessons. So, here we go.
1. You win some, you lose some. It's just a simple fact of life. The wins motivate you to win AGAIN. The losses force you to re-evaluate, make changes, and not let it happen again. The losses keep you humble. The wins make you proud. Everyone loses at something every day. It's not about the loss, though. It's about what you do AFTER the loss; the stand after the fall, the shake off after the hit.
And then, in the process of the "losing re-evaluation", there's the whole concept of....what did I REALLY lose, anyway? A title? Bragging rights? Maybe I should think about what I WON! This weekend, I won more friends, more experience in the sport, memories with my mom and sister and Laurie, another competition to add to the list, another GOAL met (do another competition before pro debut), a better physique than my last show.....ok, you get the idea, I have other life lessons to talk about.
2. I know it's cliche and we've all heard the quote a million times over. But, it's true. "NO ONE can make you feel inferior without your consent." Am I going to let one panel of judges who doesn't know me from Adam tell me that I don't have what it takes? NO. They are humans just like me. And while they are certainly qualified to be my judges, I am not going to let them tell me that I do not meet the criteria when I know I came in at my personal best, worked as hard as I possibly could, have the BEST of the BEST training me in all aspects (training, nutrition, and posing). I refuse to let the opinions of other people deter me. I value the input, the constructive criticism and certainly appreciate the motivation that this insanity has given me. All that to say, I have a choice in this. I could choose to let this bring me down or to bring me up. I choose to keep my pride and dignity and not let the opinions of a panel of judges make me feel like less of a person.
I think that's it for now. I will try to keep this theme recurring...Life lessons learned....
Friday, July 22, 2011
Ready or not...
...........Here it comes!!!
I leave for Macon in about 3 hours to get ready for competition #2. The last week has been spent "peaking" and beautifying!!!
New hair (well, fresh color, I should say), waxing, pedicure, manicure, microdermabrasion, workouts, posing practices, monitoring sodium, drinking "special" water ;) ;), depriving myself of carbs, etc.
No matter what happens, I want to have fun. I do have to admit that I have a lot of mixed emotions heading in to this weekend. I'm less than two weeks past a called-off engagement/break up, it was a year ago this week that we had made our relationship "official", etc. But on the other hand, I'm excited to go meet new people, to see friends who will be there to support me, to just....have the whole experience again!
I guess b/c of all that the last few weeks have held, I am lacking the confidence I had going in to my last show. I know it's crazy because I have drastically improved from the last show. I am 7 pounds lighter! WOW! I have made improvements in my physique since the last show, so I should be proud of that alone. My posing is not anywhere near where it should be, but it's good and it, also, is better than what it was. I have learned from a pro, so I need to be sure of that and that what I learned will show through. I have done all I can do. Dieted. Worked hard in the gym. Practiced posing and walking around in heels. What else can I do? Just go strut my stuff and not let ANYONE or ANYTHING steal my joy.
"The joy of the Lord is my strength..."
Will post pics upon my return....thanks for reading.
I leave for Macon in about 3 hours to get ready for competition #2. The last week has been spent "peaking" and beautifying!!!
New hair (well, fresh color, I should say), waxing, pedicure, manicure, microdermabrasion, workouts, posing practices, monitoring sodium, drinking "special" water ;) ;), depriving myself of carbs, etc.
No matter what happens, I want to have fun. I do have to admit that I have a lot of mixed emotions heading in to this weekend. I'm less than two weeks past a called-off engagement/break up, it was a year ago this week that we had made our relationship "official", etc. But on the other hand, I'm excited to go meet new people, to see friends who will be there to support me, to just....have the whole experience again!
I guess b/c of all that the last few weeks have held, I am lacking the confidence I had going in to my last show. I know it's crazy because I have drastically improved from the last show. I am 7 pounds lighter! WOW! I have made improvements in my physique since the last show, so I should be proud of that alone. My posing is not anywhere near where it should be, but it's good and it, also, is better than what it was. I have learned from a pro, so I need to be sure of that and that what I learned will show through. I have done all I can do. Dieted. Worked hard in the gym. Practiced posing and walking around in heels. What else can I do? Just go strut my stuff and not let ANYONE or ANYTHING steal my joy.
"The joy of the Lord is my strength..."
Will post pics upon my return....thanks for reading.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)