Monthly Archive for January, 2009

Who wants to catch up in Melbourne in Feb?

Published on January 30, 2009 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

I’m coming to a training seminar in Melbourne on Feb 22 which I am really excited about – while there I thought I would open my diary up for anyone who would like to take advantage of catching up for a training session or consult.  I am completely open to what you would like to do, and you can book either an hour or a 2 hour time slot.  We can train, we can do outdoor cardio, or we can chat about diet – or a combination of all.

 

It looks like days I am available will be Saturday (21st February) afternoon/evening and all day/evening Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th.  I will be in the city and we can either train at my hotel (they have a great gym there) or at a Fitness First nearby (if you aren’t a member I presume there will be a cost for that).  Please email me asap (as I need to finalize bookings soon) at sue at idealbodiesonline dot com for costing details or to book a time.  I’d love to see you!

 

Published on January 28, 2009 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Thanks everyone, you are all so lovely!!  As you do, I’ve had a bit of a come-down since my last post – I have been suffering with very bad patello-femoral syndrome in the left knee.  So much so that I was unable to do more than 2 sets of light squats and some walking lunges with no weight, on quad day.  Even training shoulders when doing a heavy military press, I used some leg drive and got shooting pain in my knee and had to rack the bar!  So, that was pretty disappointing as everything I do affects my knee.   I’m ‘crabbing’ up and down our stairs :)   Funnily enough I sprinted yesterday and it felt great after initially warming up.  I’ve been icing after any training, and using Voltaren.  I went to physio today and had it worked on and taped up.  She would prefer me not to squat but, I think I have to – I will if I can anyway.  More stretching of quads required .  It is interesting they have been neglected in that area a bit, as I have been concentrating on posterior chain (hamstring/glute/hip) stretches because of my previous SIJD injury.  I’m finding all my injuries really helpful when designing client programs!!  That’s my positive spin on it.

I am really hungry today.  Will go to be soon so I can stop thinking about eating!  I went to bed at 8pm 2 nights ago, just for a lay down as I felt really tired – I had all intentions of getting up again – next thing I knew it was 5am!!!  I have never ever done that before, not that I ever remember anyway.  I have been getting up at 5am most days, if not, 4am or, a sleep in at 6am!  I’m such the early bird these days.  Which is good in 44 degree heat!!!  OMG how hot is it.  I must say I am so fortunate to have a super duper reverse cycle air cond in our home, so I barely notice the heat unless I go out.  I did my cardio at 7am today and by the time I got home it was already extremely hot.  Off to Melbourne at lunchtime tomorrow in 43 degree heat!!  Nice!!  I have packed my protein, some tuna and salmon cans, have some cooked chicken and beans to take with me on the plane and will buy some strawberries, eggs and cottage cheese when I get there.

Look forward to seeing the new slim version Kerry tomorrow at the airport!

Thought we were in for a bit of a quiet week but suddenly it all went ballistic and now it’s huge!

Well not sure 43 degrees will be very nice shopping weather.  Not that I need to buy anything, but, Lorna Jane is always interesting to pop into :)

I’m so happy with me – part 2 :)

Published on January 24, 2009 in Uncategorized. 17 Comments

24109-side-chest-2.jpg24109-side-triceps-1.jpg24109-back-relaxed-1.jpg

Hehe.  Well why not, I bloody work hard enough!  So, I wanted to see how my lat spread was going – I have a hard time posing it – so got my TP to snap some pics.  Ended up going through most poses, and my reaction to seeing them on the camera was “OMG I look bloody huge!”.   So, have decided now to cut back my cardio by a session this week, and cut 5 mins off my other sessions.  I have got to hold my size as much as possible.

I know lots of people who compete who don’t post pics during their comp for whatever reason (ie because other competitors might see – ooooohh), but I figure who cares really – I know that other people really don’t care as much as some people think think they do!  Like posing suit colour is a big secret.  Well, mine’s pink this time, there ya go.  Excited?  Not.

Anyway, I was just really happy with these pictures – I was really quite surprised.  So I thought I would share.

I’m so happy with me :)

Published on January 24, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

This week I’ve lost 5.5mm over 6 sites with no loss in scale weight!  And that is with a big 2200 calorie carb day in the mix.  How cool is that.  I wonder how much effect Xanabol is having on my results….I am training great, my energy levels are really good considering I’m on 15-20% carbs for 5 days in a row.  I get a bit of a vague/airy kind of feeling in my head (yes yes I know what you are all thinking), but I don’t have cravings, and my hunger is quite controllable at this point.  I am actually quite sure Xanabol has had a great effect on curbing my desire to eat outside of my planned meals.

Anyway, this week’s results means I can keep my cardio the same this week instead of increasing.  Which is good for another reason, forgot to mention that I am headed to Melbourne on Thursday, back on Saturday morning.  My good friend Kerry Mather has been approached by Miranda of the Weekly Times to feature in her column (a story on Kerry’s weight loss journey) and she wants to include Ideal Bodies Online too.  So we have a meeting to have some photos taken together.  This all came about from our IBO Facebook group!  Kerry incidentally, was going to Melbourne on the same day so it’s all worked out well.  Damien is going down for a work meeting so accommodation all sorted which is very helpful.  Nice cheap $50 Virgin Blue fare on the way down.

I went for my walk with Damien this morning.  Now have just finished up a bit of work, and had a 20 min lay out in the sun, followed by lunch and now I think I might need a little shut eye before gym at 2pm.

Ok, more a little later after my training.

Published on January 23, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

It’s almost 10pm and I’m about to hit the sack but thought I would give a summary of my day.  Not very exciting overall.  I did my cardio (I beat my sprinting effort of the other day, this time at 19.2km hour) at about 8am at the gym, as well as some abs.  Chatted with Nadia there for awhile – once we start we can’t stop.  I was starving when I got home!  Another low cal day today, but I made it through with flying colours.  I even allowed myself a glass of chardy tonight.

I took my skirt off today without undoing it so that is another sign things are going along ok. 

We are having a barbie tomorrow night with a few guests, so I will just have salmon I think.  I will probably be in bed early though, I don’t have a lot of stamina on low carbs.  Plus it’s no fun when you are hungry.  I might save a meal to eat later perhaps.  Definitely feeling carb challenged again, another 2 days before I get to indulge again.  By mid afternoon my brain is about bushed.

Tomorrow will be cardio, just low/moderate intensity, and, I think it is chest day again.  Yep, back to start of program, chest and rear delts.  My lats are killing me today!!  They haven’t been this sore in ages, right down low too.  Must have been those low cable rows and must keep doing those as it’s definitely targeting the right places!

I have some knee tendonitis at the moment which is not very pleasant when I walk down the stairs.  I hope it fixes itself by Sunday, leg day!

I paid for my new posing suit yesterday so hoping to have that by Tuesday.  It’s a colour I haven’t worn before, and I’ve gone for a Brazilian cut bottom this time.

Ok, well time for some zzz’s.

Smoked my cardio session!

Published on January 22, 2009 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Yesterday!  My heart rate was on fire!  It was the day after my big carb up and with this new cardio protocol I am using (which is designed to specifically help move stubborn fat), it is recommended to do it the day after the refeed.  So, that’s what I did – it starts with a warm up followed by 5 mins of short, but intense 15 seconds intervals, with 45 seconds rest.  I sprinted on the tready at 19km hour, my heart rate in the 180’s.  Following a 5 min rest, it was then some moderate cardio where I had to keep my heart rate at 130-140.  I decided to use the treadclimber.  I started off at what I felt was a reasonable but not fast pace, 5.5km hour.  After a minute or so I was thinking gee, my heart rate is feeling a bit high, so I spent the next 4 mins trying to get a reading from my temperamental monitor.  When I did, I nearly freaked out, it was in the 160’s!!  So, I wound back the pace, and spent another 5 mins getting my heart rate down to 135.  I had to walk at 3.2km!!!  It was like walking on the spot!!!  How embarrassment!  Anyway had a great 50 min session followed by some abs and burnt some major (for me) calories.  I had a low cal day and I survived quite well but I did wake at 4am which sucked, so I worked til 10am then back to bed until 1!  I told you it completely messes up my day!

Today I trained Back and Triceps.  Another ripper workout.  I am really happy with this program my TP has designed.  So I dropped my deadlifting weight back to 60kg this week for 4 sets of 8 – I’m starting from the ground up again!  My form was horrible last week, I was really feeling it in my lower back.  Today was good.  Followed with chin ups, lat pulls and some ‘bulldog’ rows (on a low pulley, on all fours).  Overhead tri extensions, pushdowns and then bb lying extensions.  Sufficiently buggered!

I am starting to notice small changes in my physique now.  Today I saw forearm veins for the first time in a while.  That’s always rather exciting :)   The carb load hasn’t affected my scale weight – it went up a touch yesterday but back down again today.  I’m just sitting on what I am doing until Sunday – I figure if I’m in the 115’s or even low 116’s then I will go another week or at least a few days on the same food I’m on now.

Well I’ve been a bit busy today, doing a lot of tidying up of things, and, getting my newsletter out.  It’s quite time consuming.  I  haven’t had a chance to answer all my email today.  It’s 8.20pm so I think I have worked long enough today. 

Tomorrow is cardio only and low cals again.  Off to have my cottage cheese, blueberries and walnuts and plonk myself in front of the tube.

Carbs galore

Published on January 21, 2009 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Carb load

Breakfast yesterday.  Sorry, I had to actually start eating before I took the photo :)   So yeah I definitely needed some carbs yesterday though I of course wonder if I need as much as I had, however, it is all trial and error.  I had a bit of a weird experience though.My food intake went like so:

Cardio on empty stomach (apart from 2 coffees -I got up at the ungodly hour of 4am – same today!)

Big bowl of oats, some other cereal (bit sugary), 2 fresh dates, some honey yoghurt and cottage cheese

A big fresh peach, the rest of the yoghurt and the rest of the little tub of cereal above

Trained Shoulders and Biceps – great workout

Straight after training – a scoop of Biotest Surge Recovery

Now, about half hour after having this (at about 5pm) I got lightheaded, very shaky, sweaty, hungry and felt a bit ill – obviously a blood sugar issue with all the carbs and particularly this sugary post workout drink. I downed some egg whites a whole egg, some cottage cheese and lots of salt and in time, I felt better. So I’m obviously very carb sensitive, but I just wonder if it’s worth me having a blood glucose tolerance test after this reaction.

Later in the evening I had a small serve of pasta, followed by Sultana Bran Crunch mixed with low fat natural yoghurt and 2 dates.  I felt sufficiently full but not stuffed.  Now today it’s back to reality and low, low cals.  I’m also upping my cardio as I want to try for an earlier comp.  I got up at bloody 4am again today, I’m really over doing that, it ruins my day!

Had an awesome shoulders and biceps session yesterday.  Military press followed by clean and press, seated lateral raise, one arm lateral raise, ezy bar curl, seated curl and hammer curl.  It was 42 degrees yesterday and it sure felt like it at the gym.  So today is high intensity interval day.  I had planned to go at 6am but I got stuck into work, then I got hungry for meal 1 and now I am almost ready to go back to bed for some more zzz’s!

As for Ideal Bodies Online, there have been some STUNNING transformations come through recently.  My clients continue to do amazing things!  I am in the process of updating my gallery and success stories pages.   I was thinking 2008 would be hard to top business wise but already we have had 2 pieces of good (read awesome) news and it’s only Jan 21!  Obviously I can’t say just yet!

Just watching the Obama inauguration on the Today Show – pretty amazing stuff.

So, ok today I need to get out a newsletter, and chase up a few things on the to do list.  Have a great day everyone!

The importance of enjoyment

Published on January 21, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Today I was contemplating the enjoyment factor of your exercise program and how important that is for you to be able to stick with it to achieve results.  I have really been loving getting outside doing my cardio in this warm weather.  Early in the morning just on sunrise when it’s really hot, is an awesome time to be out and about.  I am feeling strong in my cardio and my energy levels thus far are pretty good.  So I was contemplating my last comp prep in 2006 (well, my last successful one!) when I wasn’t allowed to walk outdoors.  I wasn’t allowed to run either.  Basically I was stuck inside on an incline treadmill - every single day for 16 bloody weeks.  Because that’s what my coach wanted me to do.  And I hated every minute of it.  I got blasted when he read on my blog that I went for a walk/jog (once!!) while in Adelaide ie I had no treadmill.  I also got blasted when he read I was so tired one time that I had to hang on to the treadmill rails while I walked.  Yeah like that’s why I still had some fat on my bum at the end of my prep.  Give me a break!!  Anyway, I just don’t get this ‘don’t run if you are a bodybuilder’ trash.  We might lose some muscle.  Well can anyone tell me the difference between jogging at 140 bpm for 40 mins and riding an elliptical trainer at 140bpm for 40 mns??   Please, really, I want to know.

There was a small boy named ‘Mace’ running amok in the supermarket yesterday. If only I had a can of it…

Leg torture

Published on January 19, 2009 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

How I love it!  After 2 sets of squats I was trashed, imagine how I felt after my entire workout!  I managed a PB today, not in weight but in reps for that weight.  I did 3 sets of 9 at 60kg.  That’s 3 extra reps than my previous best.  My god let me tell you my whole body was screaming – in fact I think I WAS screaming, literally as I pushed out those last couple of reps.  I am lucky to have a great spotter.  I could not have worked harder.  I was very proud of myself!  These were also supersetted with walking lunges, to make it even worse!  After this we did lumberjack squats, I did 3 sets of 12 reps with 37.5kg and reckon my heart rate would have been close to 170 (which is what I sprint at!).  I followed this with seated calf (by this stage even this was getting my heart rate up!), then single leg Romanian deadlifts, seated ham curls and some ‘butt crunchers’ on the hyperextension machine.  We then did our PNF stretches as we do after every session and I am completely convinced that this has pretty much fixed my old groin/hamstring injury that I have had for more than 10 years!

Right so I actually started this post last night but didn’t get around to finishing it.  I was watching C&I channel about some maniacal (sp??) serial killer.

So yep, today I am rather sore and heavy in the lower body.  I was up at 6am (have been going to bed pretty early ie 10pm ish and sleeping really well), and was meeting Nadia at the gym for a cardio session.  I decided to walk/jog there so did that (20 mins), then 20 on the bike followed by some core work, then 20 mins home.  At 9am it was already getting very warm.  I think I might book in for a massage today, I think the pins will appreciate that.

So, as I predicted, I have dropped on the scale.  Yesterday morning I was 115.8 – so completely missed the 116’s.  As always is the case, I bounced up a bit again, and was 116.4 this morning.  But, all good because at least it’s moved!  Had more feedback about my diet structure and concensus is that my carb days are not high enough in carbs/calories.  So I am bumping up to 500 over maintenance – 2200 – oh am I looking forward to tomorrow :)   I have it all worked out – cereal (oats, almond/honey clusters, fresh dates and c/c) for breakfast, a big peach (homegrown from mum’s) and some honey yoghurt, Biotest Surge Recovery (post training), some pasta and chicken for dinner, and more cereal (oats, sultana bran crunch, fresh dates and plain yoghurt) for dessert.  Glycogen stores should be nice and full (for a moment!) after those 300g of carbs.

Gill – thanks, Big Pud would like to meet you :)

Published on January 17, 2009 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Big Pud

Thanks for your comments on the ‘darl topic’.  Yeah Kristin, I agree, ’sweetie’ is even worse.  Rikki, great to hear a guy’s take on it, and good for you for speaking up!!  Eleni, you have more patience than me :)   I don’t mind too much if it’s an older lady who’s doing the ‘darl’ing but when it’s someone your age or younger I want to swat them.  I actually feel it IS rude, not to mention disrespectful!  I guess it’s just a habit for some people but at the same time they should be aware how annoying this is for (some/most) others!

Well one session down, morning run/walk – very nice out.  Training later, chest and rear delts today.  I took my skin folds and I have dropped a massive (ho ho) 1.7mm this week.  It’s rather frustrating and the scale is not being friendly either but, there is a long way to go.  I expect to see something happen this week scale wise.  Definitely feeling a bit tighter and leaner.  I think what happens at the start of the fat loss phase is the visceral (internal) fat goes first – so you don’t actually register much via the skin folds, but, measurements do change, and, you feel thinner (ie the size of your tummy is shrinking underneath – so you can suck your belly in flatter and your waist is smaller and less thick!).  So, I feel like that at the moment plus my fat is spongier and more loose!  We all know that happens when you are actually losing a bit :)   Gotta love the conversation.

Today’s food:

1 egg, 3 whites, scoop of Low Carb Protein, 55g raspberries

Tuna, cottage cheese, veg

Myoplex Lite (post training)

1 cup c/c, 60g strawberries

Not sure – some sort of protein and veg with some good fats.

I am starting to feel quite hungry and a bit carb challenged.  Last night I felt quite weary.  So I figure all these signs are adding up to some scale weight and proper fat loss this week – cross fingers.  Monday night is carb night and I am certain by then I will be looking forward to it!

Had to take Big Pud to the vet yesterday.  Just for his vaccinations.  He’s fine until they try to shove worm pills down his gullet.  He manages to spit them back up every single time.  It was a bit traumatic for him, so they finally gave him the skin treatment.  I’m very proud of Big Pud, he’s lost .5kg since he last visited the vet!!  Everyone tries to tell us he needs to go on a diet – I always say he is just ‘big furred’.  Well, he’s only 6.8kg, tiny!!!  He does have a pouch that any kangaroo would envy, but still, he is pretty fit – I think it’s all the stair running he’s been doing.  Speaking of the big pud, do you like his new favourite spot?  He’s not happy with taking up half my desk space anymore, he’s decided he rather likes my chair instead.  Every time I go off to do something, I come back and he’s made himself at home!!