Arnold Classic Blog – Update 1

2011 Arnold Fitness International Training

Week 1, Day 7

I will be blogging my progress leading up to my second appearance at the 2011 Arnold Fitness International.

Side note: I have been blogging for years, and re-organized my posts – you can search for any competition that I have been in, or click under ‘competitions’ and read about any prep that I have done over the last 5 years. There are even progress pics back in 2006 when I had my son and returned the competitive stage 6 months later. I have come along way since then. I have added quite a bit of muscle – but it is did take a lot of time. You are welcomed to read my progress as well as my post show reflections.

I read the news around the 27th of December that I was on the list of invitees. I did not have access to the Internet so had to hold off for a few days. I knew that if I was invited I would be overseas, and unable to start my diet, so leading up to my vacation I tried to keep on a modified off season diet, so that when I was away the damage would not be too great.

During my vacation, I ate whatever, whenever I wanted. I think I gained about 5lbs. I know I gained weight was things did not ‘look’ the way I wanted them to look. (or I could have been really bloated – lol) I did weigh myself when I got home, and it read anywhere from 128lbs to 134lbs.

So I do have work to do in the next 6 weeks, but it is and will be manageable to come in shape for the show.

After getting back to Canada a week ago, I started my ‘diet’ officially on January 9, 2011. We actually got back on Saturday evening after 30+ hours of travel, and with no groceries in the house, and it being so late all I wanted to do was sleep.

On Sunday I spent the day unpacking, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and prepping my food for the week. I usually take 1-2 weeks to eliminate certain items from my diet, but this time after eating so poorly throughout my vacation I welcomed my clean foods. Traveling 12 times zone is tough on the body, and pair that with lack of water, altitude differences, and eating poor foods, feeling awful is the only expected outcome.

And I felt awful.

Thailand is exactly a 12-hour difference, so all this week I have been up really early, around 2-3am. :0 I do have clients at 5am, so training them was not all that bad; however, by the end of the day I was ready for a 4-hour nap.

This week’s goals for training were:
Get 4 days of weights in.
Cardio 4 days – 20-30mins
Routine Practice 1X – at minimum front half, back half.
At least get my skills laid out in the routine, and ‘set’ it so that I can just rep the crap out of it for the next 45 days.
Get my meals on track with a few ‘extras’ to help the transition.
Posing practice (yes, I still do this)

Right now I feel tired and so sore. The soreness I like (within reason), and I am fighting a cold (sniffles and a cough), slightly bloated, and just overall run down. I know the only cure is sleep. Although my two-week break was good for the body, (and the mind) it is just not evident yet. I expect next week to be better as I will have adjusted better to the time change.

When I get into full diet and training mode, I tend to nap, but right now I just want my body to adjust to the time different and napping always affects the quality and quantity of my night sleep. And anyone who has dieted before knows that the lack of sleep can affect their weight loss – especially when it comes to contest dieting.

I will be starting boot camp classes next week at Bishop’s University and am adding a few new clients so I will be very busy at work. I always like being busy when dieting as the food becomes fuel to move to the next activity and I can stay on track.

Next week, I will be doing routine practice for 2x per week. As long as the quality of the practice remains high I don’t see it being an issue to hold the line there for 2-3 weeks. I need the time for my body to adjust to pounding on the hard wood floor. Pushing my body for more is just a recipe for an injury.

Here are this weeks pics. Feedback is welcomed.

Tamee Marie, my suit sponsor the year, has already finished my suit for the Arnold.  It is amazing. I compare the suit to a wedding dress – most girls do not want you to ‘see’ their suit before the show date. I am like that right now with this suit – I love it.

I will be updating on a weekly basis. Not much happens in 2-3 days although at the end of the prep phase huge things can happen in that time. I am not there yet.

Until next week – happy training,

A.

“You will never win if you never begin.” – Helen Rowland