Why I love Figure

Competing in bikini or fitness can be within anybody’s reach. But competing in figure is not something anyone can do. Comp prep begins many months, or even years before your 13 or 10 week diet to strip fat.

You must focus on creating a feminine and graceful physique while building muscle and symmetry. You need to visualise how you want to look, including your body, hair, face, skin, figure suit…everything, down to the finest detail!

Your stage presence and posing should be effortlessly graceful and confident, so you need to practise every day for weeks before a show. You need to believe that you are going to succeed no matter what life throws at you. You must train with maximum intensity, prepare all your meals and eat with ultimate precision if you want to stand on stage with a winning physique. A womans’ body naturally tries to hold onto fat. This this reason you need to enter contest prep for figure with a lot more effort, patience, mental stamina and perfection than what you would training for bikini or fitness as you are expected to display a lower level of body fat in this category.

Competing in figure was a dream of mine for over ten years and I finally made it come true this year. My ultimate goal is to be one of the best natural figure competitors in the world and I know with more work and time I will succeed in this.

I am third from the left. This was my first competition ever. I entered Figure International Novice at the INBA All Female Classic where I placed 1st!

The past few weeks!

Hi all!

Some of you may be wondering why I haven’t been posting as regularly. Well the truth is I have been busy preparing for my first figure competition.

This is something I am extremely excited about. I am 26 years old and I have been lifting weights consistently since I was 14. I am absolutely, 100% passionate about  bodybuilding. I feel that it is one of the most fulfilling journeys you can ever take yourself on. I believe that your inner reserve of strength and perseverance that you encounter along the way is amazing and once you uncover your real, mental strength you feel empowered to achieve anything you want in life.

My comp prep has been easy for a few reasons. I love this sport and I feel extremely fortunate that I have the opportunity to participate in it on a daily basis. I have been eating extremely clean for many consistent months and years. My 12 years of old school weight training mean I have a lot of muscle mass so my main concern is just balancing out my physique and stripping fat. I only surround myself physically and mentally with people who lift me up, not put me down. And lastly, I want this more than anything.

One place I find inspiration is on Robby Robinson’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RobbyRobinson.TheBlackPrince?fref=ts . Robby is an extremely nice guy, has a wealth of knowledge and all his life’s work is a real legacy to the sport. A few weeks ago he posted this quote, ‘Faith sees the invisible, believes the impossible and receives the incredible’. I immediately placed that message as a background on my phone and used it as a reminder to keep going and persisting, regardless of what I saw in the mirror. More to this, I received his book, The Black Prince: My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle vs. Hustle (which you can find on his website http://www.robbyrobinson.net/books.php) and I will post a review once I have read it.

In the meantime, I am remaining disciplined and focused on my ultimate goal and dream. My wish is that you feel just as determined and gain the courage to really chase after what it is you want.

So below is a picture of me four weeks out from my first figure competition taken 3 days ago. I have already noticed more changes since I took this which just goes to show, you can achieve anything as you try your hardest, visualise and just keep going!

 

 

 

 

The REAL cause of heart disease and premature death!

Ok Paleo friends, I know most of us have done our research and are well aware about the great cholesterol myth! Cholesterol DOES NOT cause heart disease! Back in the 1950s Ancel Keys put forward the lipid hypothesis. The short clip below will fill you in on Keys and his findings.

There are FOUR indicators that cause heart disease and premature death.

1. Inflammation. Chronic inflammation of cells places stress on your vascular system and eventually leads to disease.
2. Oxidation. Damage to cells, protein and fatty lipid structures such as hormones will eventually lead to disease.
3. Sugar. Infringes on efficient functioning of every metabolic process in your body, for various physiological reasons. Excess and constant sugar consumption will eventually lead to disease.
4. Stress. This response to internal and external stressors raises stress hormones in turn causing cells to age and this process feeds almost any form of infirmity. Constant, elevated stress will eventually lead to disease and can be the biggest killer of the lot.

How can you eliminate your risk factors for heart disease and other metabolic diseases?

Eat, live and breath Paleo!

Paleo is not a diet, it is a lifestyle. Paleo eating is extensive and there is no limit to how many recipes you can devise or how delicious your food can taste. Food that was present 10,000 years ago and food that is IN SEASON is what you should be eating! Why? Because it is embedded in your DNA. Our bodies evolved on this food and so making such choices will enable optimum gene expression. An abundance of organic fats, vegetables, fruits, animal protein and water should be the only thing on your menu.

A little word on stress…Our ancestors knew how to prevent stress and reduce it before it became a problem. This is because they knew that living in a stressful state was not advantageous for survival, staying alive and being a valuable member of any tribe. In this modern day world it is important to do things daily to reduce stress.

• Practise yoga, Pilates and stretch everyday.
• Meditate daily.
• Do the things you love. Always make time to fulfil your interests and passions.
• Be true to yourself. Only make choices that resonate with your core values and make you truly happy.
• Speak up. Let others know how you are feeling. Don’t bottle your emotions.
• Nurture close relationships with family and friends. They are your support network and will be there for you to turn to when you are stressed and need help.
• Practice gratitude daily. At the end of each day write a list of everything you are grateful for. This simple exercise will also help attract abundance and positivity in your life. Do it before you go to bed and you will fall asleep feeling peaceful and optimistic about the future.

So there you have it. Now you know the REAL causes of heart disease and premature death. Tell everyone you know, family and friends. Go buy some organic butter and organic coconut oil right now and put it on your vegetables and meat, because fats are essential for the absorption of vitamin A,D,E and K AND for healthy cell structure and hormone production. Cholesterol is an AMAZING thing. It is a powerful antioxidant in the body and vital for the integrity of every cell in the body. I love cholesterol and I am grateful for it’s anti-oxidative, protective qualities. I wouldn’t be alive without it.

Read more about these four causes here http://jonnybowdenblog.com/cholesterol-myth/

 

 

Overweight, fatigued, depressed? Read on to find out what you should be eating…

Our primal ancestors lived off the land. They were intuitive, highly skilled hunters and gatherers. Food was natural, chemical free and unaltered. Fortunately your DNA has only evolved 1% since this era dating back 10,000 years ago. You can use this knowledge to your advantage and only consume food that you know will  allow optimum gene expression.

So what is natural, chemical free food? Clean food is whole and unaltered, for instance, fresh vegetables pulled out of the ground or full fat, raw milk.

It does not include

• Rancid, hydrogenated oils like canola oil, vegetable oil and other seed oils.
• Processed, packaged food.
• Processed food containing sugar in the form of fructose, high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane sugar…any form of refined, toxic sugar!
• Food that contains artificial sweeteners, preservatives and colours.
• Any food that is genetically modified. Do your research and be informed. Do not believe scientists who tell you that GMO is safe. Your body does not agree with food that has altered DNA. You do not need a special qualification to figure this out.
• Animals that are fed grains and injected with an array of anti-biotics and hormones. Cows for example evolved by eating grass. If you eat grain fed beef you will not be as healthy as you should be as the cow you eat was sick. Moreover, our primal ancestors ate wild animals that contained no  injected toxins.

Keep the above points in mind and share this article with your family and friends.

The path to a disease free life and lean body is this simple. Avoid all the above like the plague and if it grew in the ground, walked on the earth or flew in the sky then eat it. Ditch the government endorsed food pyramid that was funded by the agricultural industry, which is designed to make you unhealthy and fat. Look back  to behaviours in our human history to realise what you need to do to be effortlessly healthy and have optimum body composition.

The Paleo approach to eating and living is the only sure fire way to live in a body that is full of energy, health and vitality. Make the change right now and you can start to see a difference in as little as a matter of days.

How bad do you want it?

Picture your dream body. What do you see? Chiseled abs, tight legs and toned arms? That type of body, like the one in the photo above is earned. This type of transformation won’t just happen. You must engage in behaviours that this person would have, such as eating clean every day, week after week, and training with 110% intensity  in every session. It is not impossible, it will take time, you will have to persist and the reward WILL be worth it! Also remember that if it was that easy to look like this, everyone would look this incredible. Hard work plus commitment always pays off!

Start today because a year from now you would have wished you did. Email me to find out how I can help you take your body to that next level. resultstrainer@live.com

Fat Blasting Workout – Undo Holiday Damage!

When it comes to exercising for fat loss INTENSITY during the session is what matters!

This post doesn’t suggest that you can eat what you want this Christmas, then train and it will all be ok! You still need to watch what you eat! Calories do not count or matter. What matters is how food influences your hormones, as it is they which determine if your body stores or burns fat and produce health promoting or health damaging effects to the cells of your body. 

Do not forget your Paleo roots and eat hydrogenated, rancid, toxic oils such as canola and vegetable oil! Do not eat so much refined sugar that you start to feel sick!

What you can eat, is a bit more of what you normally eat or what falls into the Paleo category, such as, more root vegetables like potatoes on Christmas day or a Paleo friendly dessert.

So to get the most out of your training over the holiday period, here are some strategies to implement that mobilise as much stored glycogen and fat as possible! 

1. Choose weight training instead of long, slow distance cardio. Weight training uses far more energy during the workout and also after for growth and repair of muscle cells.
2. Select compound movements to perform with weights. These type of exercises will use more energy than isolation exercises.
3. Perform bouts of high intense cardio movements between sets, i.e. burpees or skipping.
4. Perform high intensity cardio, for instance, a 20minute running interval session. No longer than 10-20minutes. If you can go for longer you are not working hard enough. Note, HIIT is not for people new to exercise or pregnant.

Fat Blasting Holiday Circuit!

1. One chin-up + one push-up X 15
2. 1 minute skipping
3. One D.B squat + one D.B shoulder press X 15
4. 1 minute burpees
5. 1 D.B walking lunge + 1 D.B bicep curl X 20
6. 1 minute kettlebell swings
7. Kettlebell squat to overhead press X 15

Perform in order from 1 to 7, 3-4 times. You should sweat, your heart rate will increase and at the end you should feel physically exhausted.

Who inspires you to stay in shape over the holidays? I always look up to Erin Stern to train hard, eat clean and stay disciplined at all times!

 

IMPORTANT, DISCLAIMER: This workout is for intermediate to advanced trainers. Seek clearance from your physician prior to commencing any physically activity including this program, especially if you have a heart condition, diabetes, injuries and any other form of infirmity. This program is not suitable for pregnant women.

Tip of The Day – Sweet Cravings

When you feel like something sweet, do not despair!

It is this very point that a lot of people forget about clean eating. They grab the nearest sugar laden food because the thought of living another minute without something sweet seems impossible! My quick fix is a cup of loose leaf dandelion tea with fresh lemon and a few drops of organic stevia.

If you find you are constantly craving sweets you need to do one or both of the following,

1. Eat more fats. If you eat enough fats you will not crave sugar. Eat at least 1 teaspoon of organic fats with each meal. Put organic butter on your vegetables, sauté food in coconut oil and dress your salads with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.

2. Come to terms with the real reason you are craving something sweet. This would be emotional. Are you stopping yourself from reaching your ultimate goal for reasons like a personal belief that you’re not worthy to be completely happy? Or are you masking other uncomfortable feelings with food that makes you feel good?

Whatever the issue is that keeps you going back for more, find out what it is, because really, enough is enough. If you are one of these people, take the following on board.

You have lived every year up to now with the same food and lifestyle patterns, giving you the same body that you’re not satisfied with. It is not too late. Live the rest of your life in the best shape of your life. Plus, continue living in the healthiest body you have ever had.

You do not need a new year to make changes, but it just so happens 2013 is literally just over a week away. Make the changes now and start living like the person you need to be to have the results you deserve.

Tip Of The Day- How to say no to food during the holidays!

Over the Christmas and holiday period we will all be attending lunches, dinners and parties. Unfortunately not all our friends are Paleo devotees and will not prepare food that we want to eat! So how do politely say no to food you know is not good for you?

My easy way out is to tell the person ‘thank you, I would love to taste this food but I am allergic!’ This is actually true for because I have coeliac disease! So the up side is I am not lying!

I also eat a high protein and fat meal before I go out so I do not crave to eat anything I shouldn’t.

How do you get around this? Post your strategies in the comment box below! 

The Ultimate Key to Success

The ultimate key to success is discipline! Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.

Whether or not you transform your body and get it to that next level will come down how you implement the strategies required to get lean and build muscles.

Top level athletes know this. For instance they,

• Eat clean each day, week after week, only choosing to have ‘free’ meals when their body has earned it and when it will be mostly beneficial in promoting adaptations at the cellular level for fat loss and muscle gain, i.e. carb cycling. 
• Get plenty of quality, uninterrupted sleep. Turn off your phone and put it away when you go to bed. The world will carry on without you and you are not obligated to reply to every text, call or email straight away. You have a life! 
• Learn to say no! It is ok to decline a social invitation or other forms of requests if you do not have the time or mind space to full-fill them. 
• Educate themselves on topics that will assist them on their journey, for example, refreshing ones memory on the mechanisms of ketosis for fat loss and why it’s the most effective way to get lean. 
• Only associating with like-minded people and maintaining friendships with others who have similar goals. Do not waste your time with emotional vampires who drain your energy. The road to brilliant success will be more challenging if you take on negative vibrations from others. 
• Expect to succeed and you will. If you believe you will win, you definitely will. This is a no brainer because you will make it that there is no other way for it to be. 
• Lastly, you should know that when you begin to value yourself to the highest degree and demand success because you know it’s your birthright, all these points will happen easily and naturally.
• This is how I conduct myself and live my life. I always thought that I was lucky because I know that everything I do, I do well and I always end up with what I set out to get. But I now understand that it is not luck. It is determination, a desire to never give up on what I want most and a sense of appreciating everyone else around me and wanting them to rise with me and realise their dreams too. 

Train With Me!