Why I Got Started

I used to be able to look in the mirror and like the girl I saw, and one day that same girl reflected a tired, pale-faced, dry haired, “skinny-fat” girl with some obviously noticeable bad habits and unpleasant attitude toward life and everyone in it. I knew things had to change.

I was a single parent of two kids, lead an unstable life, and felt that nobody would ever want that type of baggage, especially looking and feeling the way I did. When you do not like yourself, nobody else can either. Also, I knew if I couldn’t put forth positive energy, I would never get anywhere but farther down.

I had heard two years prior through my constant flipping through of Oxygen magazine about the results people were getting by changing their lifestyles through health and fitness, and also how to obtain “free” information, help, and support on health and fitness through Bodybuilding.com’s BodySpace members. I actually thought these people had this healthy lifestyle because they were already millionaires and had nothing better to do with their money than use it to look good. Not true! Everybody can look and feel good no matter what your financial status is.

Click To Enlarge.
I Learned How To Obtain Information, Help, And Support On Health And Fitness Through Bodybuilding.Com's BodySpace Members.

How I Did It

I started cleaning up my diet and implementing weight training into my daily schedule with examples I obtained from my BodySpace friends as well as a few other fitness magazines I liked to read. I had already tried what I thought would be easier with “speeder pills,” hanging out with a younger crowd, and so many more embarrassing things to try bringing back that youthful look and feeling and only felt worse.

I set new goals with scheduling photo shoots and purchasing pieces of clothing I wanted to look good in. It worked…just this past March 2010 I even entered my very first figure competition and placed 8th. (All with free information)

Click To Enlarge.
I Even Entered My Very First Figure Competition And Placed 8th,
All With Free Information.

Supplements

Some favorite supplement companies I have are BSN and Gaspari Nutrition. I tend to switch between these two product lines to keep my body guessing.

• BSN Lean Dessert or Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion
• Opti-Women Multivitamin
• Potassium
• Flax Seed
• Green Tea

Diet:

Meal 1:

• 1/2 cup dry Oats
• 1/4 Blueberries
• 1 tbsp ground Flax Seed
• 5 Egg Whites
• 1 cup Green Tea and Water
• 1 serving Opti-Women Multivitamin
• 1 serving Potassium

Meal 2: Post Workout

• 1 Protein Shake with 1-½ scoops of BSN Lean Dessert or Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion
• 3-4oz Sweet Potato
• Dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice

Meal 3:

• 5oz Grilled Chicken Breast
• 1/2 cup Brown Rice
• 14-16 Asparagus Sticks

Meal 4:

• 5oz Tilapia
• 1 cup steamed Broccoli
• 1 small Red Baked Potato

Meal 5:

• 1 serving Salad with Tomatoes, Onions, Cucumbers, and Bell Peppers
• 1/4 cup Almonds
• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Meal 6:

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt and Berries or
• 2 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter with an Apple or Celery Sticks

Meal 7:

• 4-5 Egg Whites
• 1 tbsp Pico de Gallo Salsa

Training

My training schedule usually changes weekly because I am a hard gainer. If I do not shock my body continuously, I am not able to build any muscle, just strength.

I weight train 5-6 days per week with two of those days focusing on glutes and legs only (2-3 days rest between glute and leg days).

One day a week, usually on a Wednesday, I will do Billy Blanks Tae Bo Ultimate Ab Workout video. As long as I am keeping my core tight during all other weight training exercises, my abs tend to stay tight. Therefore, focusing on or singling them out for any resistance training isn’t a MUST for me personally.

Day 1: Lower Body

• Barbell Squats: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Deadlifts: 4 sets of 10 reps
• Wide Stance Squats: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Dumbbell Lunges: 4 sets of 10 reps
• Standing Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Seated Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets of 10 reps
• Dumbbell Step-Ups: 4 sets of 10 reps

Day 2: Upper Body

• Barbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Rows: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Lat Pulldowns: 3 sets of 8 reps
• One Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Seated Row: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Dumbbell Side Raise: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Military Press: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Seated Bent Over Dumbbell Raise: 3 sets of 8 reps

Day 3: Biceps/Triceps/Abs

• Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 15 reps
• Dumbbell Curls: 4 sets of 15 reps
• External Rotations: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Reverse Curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Tricep Pushdowns: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Skull Crushers: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Billy Blanks Tae Bo Ultimate Ab Workout

Day 4: Lower Body

• Barbell Squats: 4 sets of 12 reps
• Deadlifts: 4 sets of 10 reps
• Wide Stance Squats: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Dumbbell Lunges: 4 sets of 10 reps
• Standing Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Seated Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of 8 reps
• Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets of 10 reps
• Dumbbell Step-Ups: 4 sets of 10 reps

Day 5: Full Body

• Barbell Squats: 4 sets of 12 reps
• Standing Calf Raises: 5 sets of 15 reps
• Deadlifts: 4 sets of 10 reps
• Seated Row: 5 sets of 15 reps
• Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 15 reps
• Skull Crushers: 4 sets of 15 reps
• One Arm Dumbbell Row: 5 sets of 15 reps
• Military Press: 4 sets of 12 reps

Day 6: Cardio

• 1 hour of Cardio such as Elliptical, Cycling, or Plyometrics

Day 7: Rest

Suggestions For Others

Always take criticism as a way to learn more, do not cut yourself short…set reasonable goals and build from there, be open-minded and try new things. Also, just because you are strongest in a particular area or muscle group, do not leave it out of your fitness regimen. Instead, continue to train it regularly and add emphasis to your weakest areas. As always, make fitness fun to get your BEST results. Your rewards will speak for themselves!

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