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 By: Vanessa Rose
Name: Vanessa Rose Nov 2006 March 2007 (After Bulk Up) Sept 2007 (Show Date) Dec 2007 (With New Trainer)
I haven't always been athletic. During my childhood I was always super skinny and I ate horrible. My meals were 100% carbs and bad fats. I was a vegetarian until the age of 16. I then started to eat only chicken for protein, and very little of it. I was 5'10" in high school at 125 lbs. Each day I would eat poutine for lunch and cookies and chips for snacks. Mind you I walked 1 hr to and from school everyday.
  Click Image To Enlarge.Vanessa's Progress. Now comes college and life is different. All of a sudden the weight starts packing on. My high metabolism has changed. I went up to 145 lbs. And I was not working out so it definitely was not muscle.
I decided in 2nd year to start to work out. I used the school gym and started to lift weights. I really had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I liked it. My friend worked at a gym and gave me a great deal on a gym membership. I guess you can say this is when it really all began. I loved working out so much that I went and got my personal training certification. I wanted to learn more.
 Click Image To Enlarge.I Wanted To Learn More. I met a local trainer and started working out with him to get that extra motivation. My friend and I did a group session with him once a week. He even got us ready for our first fitness model show in 2005. When I leaned down I realized that I needed to build a lot more muscle to be able to do well in this industry. Right after my first show I started to work with another trainer that a friend of mine worked with; he worked with a lot of figure/bodybuilders. He got me in great shape for a couple more shows I did that year. It became too far for me to travel so I stopped training with him at the end of 2005. Personal Trainer Articles: I missed the stage. It has been 2 years, so I decided that I was going to compete in my first figure competition in September, 2007. It was a lot different from fitness modeling. I knew I would be competing against a whole other caliper of athletes. I trained really hard the year prior to gain some size, and then the dieting came. Oh how we all hate the dieting.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Oh How We All Hate The Dieting. I was working with a trainer at the time who bulked me up to 173 lbs and 26% body fat. I was never this big and hated it. But I listened to her because I really wanted to gain some quality size. I had a hard time losing all the fat. Being an ectomorph I thought it would all come off so easily. I had to do double cardio 45 min 2x a day, lifting weights 5x a week and eating very little. I did this for over 5 months to get me ready. I was exhausted. But the day came and I was proud to get onstage. I placed 5th out of 15. I was very happy with my placing and look forward to next year's show.
I decided this time around I am going to work with a new trainer. He plans on keeping me around 15% body fat during my off season so that it will be easier for the fat to come off when I diet down; his name is Darrin Robinson from Emerge. I had a chance to meet him a year ago when he contracted me to do his website. I have heard so many amazing things about him. I have also been impressed with the way his competitors look on stage. He is also the supportive and motivating type of trainer, and I think I really need that push. His website is www.timetoemerge.com. I will keep everyone posted on the next phases.
As I mentioned before; I worked with a local trainer to get me ready for my Brantford show this year. She got me really fat in my off-season and it was H-LL to take it off. I had to do double cardio 45 min. for over 5 months. I wouldn't blame her.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Vanessa Rose. I have an ectomorph body and it is very hard for me to put on any muscle. She thought this would be the best way to get me some muscle. It was worth a shot. The diet was the usual of high protein, low carb with sweet potato as my main starch, low fat. But as we got closer to the day the diet became very high protein and really low carb.
I was eating 6x a day, 4 oz chicken, 1 cup green beans, and 1 tbsp of fish oil (just at breakfast). I think I lost some muscle while dieting down. I decided after that show that I was going to work with a new trainer to try a new approach.
   Click Image To Enlarge.I Decided To Work With A New Trainer. I have been working with this new trainer now for 8 weeks and he is amazing. I am eating twice as many calories, lots of yummy carbs, and no cardio. I have gained 6 lbs. of lean mass and lost 2 lbs. of fat. It is amazing!!! I eat 6x a day with his program. Foods are chicken, eggs, egg whites, lean steak. Carbs can be oats, WW breads, pastas... I also eat moderate amount of fat.
Arnold Press: 10,10,12,12 superset with Lateral Raise: 10,10,12,12 Rear Flye: 10,10,12,15 superset with Upright Row: 10,12,12,12 Standing Calf: 10,10,20,20 superset with Seated Calf: 10,10,25,25
Incline Press: 10,10,12,15 superset with Cable Cross Over: 10,12,12,15 Push Up: 3x failure
Squat: 10,10,12,15 superset with Leg Press: 10,10,12,15 Lying Leg Curl: 8,8,10,12 superset with Deadlift: 15,10,10,10 Abduction: 10,12,15 superset with Adduction: 10,12,15 Glute Kickback: 12,12,15
Lat Pulldown: 10,10,12,12 superset with Seated Row: 10,10,12,12 Single Arm Row: 10,10,12,12 superset with Back Extension: 12,12,15
Overhead Extension: 8,8,12,12 Incline Dumbbell Curl: 8,8,12,12 superset with EZ Bar Curl: 8,8,12,12 Palm Up Forearm Curl: 3x10 Palm Down Forearm Curl: 3x10
Lying Crunch: 3x30 Sit-Up: 3x30 Hanging Leg Raise: 4x30
Abs were 4x per week as a giant set. I think I was in an overtrained state. I was always exhausted, I was loosing muscle with the fat. But I guess that is the life of a competitor. My programs would change monthly. Also, added to this was the double cardio daily for 45 min.
I really suggest learning all about the whole experience, and tracking your progress. That way you can see if you are on the right track.
If you plan on competing I suggest working with a trainer, it would be hard to judge yourself. We always think negative thoughts about our own body. You need someone to step out and look at you and judge you. And always have fun. Even when I was exhausted, I still had fun. I am happy to have worked with many great trainers and learn what works best with me. Learn to love to eat clean. Make your food flavorful with spices. I had to eat chicken 6x a day so I had to get creative. I would make tandori chicken, curried chicken, lemon basil, spicy chicken. Spices make it taste so much better!
 Click Image To Enlarge.Keep Trying And Don't Give Up. 
Vanessa Rose Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here! Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
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