Tell
us a little about you?
Fitness has always been a natural part of my life. Growing up in
Pittsburgh, PA along the rivers provided a great environment for
swimming and slalom water skiing to be a big part of my life. In
addition I was active in Judo and briefly in gymnastics.
Although I participated in weight training intermittently for
the past 10 years, it wasn’t until just over two years ago that
I met a personal trainer who was involved in training and
competing in Figure. We worked out for several months when she
stated that I should compete, and I ended up placing 4th in my
first show. Since then, I have placed as high as 8th at the
National 2007 North American in Master’s. My goal is to continue
to train harder in hopes of making it to the Professional IFBB
level in the near future.
What
workout plan works best for you?
A solid combination of weight training and cardio I feel not
only provides me the physical conditioning, but assist in
keeping excess pounds from accumulating during the “off” season.
I find it’s much easier to prepare for shows by staying within
10 pounds of contest weight throughout the year, and further it
is easier mentally and physically on the body to keep a clean
diet.
What
kind of weight training routine do you follow?
My weight training routine consists of splitting the legs into a
two day workout, concentrating on the hamstrings and quads
separately. The reason for this is that my legs are the hardest
body part to respond to the stimuli and actually make grow. All
the other body parts I hit once per week and have two off days,
which permits the muscles to heal properly prior to breaking
down again. Of course I train abs practically every other day to
keep the mid section toned. My typical routine resembles the
following:
Day 1: Legs (hamstrings)
Day 2: Chest, Triceps
Day 3: Back, Biceps
Day 4: Off
Day 5: Legs (quads)
Day 6: Shoulders
Day 7: Off
I suggest 3 to 4 different
exercises per body part, trying to keep things different and
interesting each time, and 8-12 reps depending on the exercise.
I believe in super-setting exercises every few workouts in order
to break down the deep muscle fibers more thus creating greater
gains.
What
Nutrition Plan works best for you?
Diet is one of the key ingredients in attaining the body you
desire and achieving results. First it’s important to eat every
3 hours, which is necessary in order to keep your metabolism in
check. Hint - prepare meals in advance to avoid the temptation
to “snack” or eat unhealthy and always have a cooler or a proper
meal replacement (protein bar) available. The diet I utilize
consist of approximately 2100 calories on season, and about 2500
calories during the off season. The break down is about - 200
grams of protein and carbohydrates and limited fat (less than 40
grams). Supplements include; vitamins, minerals, fat burners,
amino acids, COQ10 and flax seed oil.
My
Diet and Nutrition Intake
As mentioned my total calorie intake varies slightly between on
and off season, however my typical meal planning resembles the
following;
Meal 1:
Protein Shake w/flax
Meal 2:
½ cup oatmeal w/wheat bran
Raisins
Meal 3:
Fish
1-½ cup green beans
Meal 4:
Chicken, turkey, or red meat
3 oz yam
Meal 5:
Fish
1-½ cup green beans
3 oz yam
Meal 6:
Protein Shake
Raisins
Meal 7:
Protein Shake w/flax
Peanut butter
Water 1 gallon to 1-1/2 gallons consumed throughout the day.
Would you like a Diet &
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Very clean and boring!! However in order to maintain the body I
desire these are the sacrifices… Further although I’m not a big
fan of cheat meals, satisfying the cravings once a week is
permissible.
What’s the best way to achieve those “SixPackNow” abs?
My opinion is to maintain a clean diet as shown above and to
train abs on a regular basis. For my ab training I do hanging
leg ups to target the lower abs, followed by weighted ball
crunches to hit the mid’s and uppers. 6” leg raises and leg
scissors also work and strengthen the mid-section. The main
thing is don’t give up. Remember, all the working out in the
world will not supplement for a clean diet in order to get those
abs to show…
Top
Five Tips for Staying in Condition:
1) Diet - learn to eat
small healthy portions regularly throughout the day and drink
lots of water.
2) Patience – stick to a
training program and make it habitual. Often people loose
interest or don’t see results, simply because they don’t give
the body time to respond. Training is a long term commitment.
3) Utilize both cardio and
weight training to achieve the results you desire and mix it up
to keep it interesting. Use the treadmill one day, then the
stepper the next. Try the elliptical and other cardio equipment
or go outside for a brisk walk/run instead if the weather
permits, 20-40 minutes 3 times per week… Cardio is the necessary
evil, keep it fun…
4) Avoid becoming a
“talker” in the gym. There’s a difference between asking someone
for advice and socializing. Socialize after your workout, in
order to get the most out of your time. The weight training
should easily be completed in less than 45 minutes, if you
focus. Plus it gives you the time to accomplish other things in
your day.
5) Know when to rest!
Muscles grow during rest and often people become addicted and
begin training 7 days/week, 2 hours/day and start tumbling
backwards. STOP and re-examine your routine periodically to
prevent burnout.
“Do it for yourself..”
Enjoy your workouts!!
Tina
