From Figure Dream to Dream Figure: Day 32

A lot has happened on my rollercoaster 7 week bodybuilding expedition since my last post! I am now 32 days in and am pleased to say that despite a massive wobble last weekend, where the idea of standing on a stage holding poses that are not nearly as easy as they look virtually paralysed me with fear, I am now positively looking forward to my first contest in 2 weeks time! My tan is booked, music chosen, and I'm pleased that my clean and jerk and snatch have continued to improve, which is more than can be said for my ability to walk in very high heels (compulsory for the figure class I'm doing, but not that complimentary to my still slightly sticky ankle)..

I'm amazed how much I've enjoyed the discipline of dieting and training, even though my calorie intake has dropped significantly in the last couple of weeks in order to be ready for the comp. Although 7 weeks seems like a long time, I've realised why people generally prep for a lot longer - getting lean is one thing, but getting ripped is quite another, and I am having to diet aggressively to see distinct changes in my physique as the big day approaches. Having always considered myself reasonably muscular, I have also found myself looking in the mirror and thinking I look a bit weedy; a not all together disatisfactory feeling, although the point of the competition is, of course, to have muscle!!

Posing wise, as previously mentioned, I had a complete and utter meltdown. I may be a leo, but I am definitely not a natural strutter or poser, and one particular pose, the lat spread, seems to elude me almost completely. I always thought I had relatively good scapular control, but apparently not... Indeed, late last night was the first time I momentarily managed to spread my lats, by which time I had exhausted deltoids, nail marks and bruising to my obliques (self inflicted in an attempt to contort myself into position) and an aching back. My heavy lifting sessions are WAY easier than this... Bruce Lee obviously found it a bit more natural than I... :)



And so there are now just over 2 weeks to go until my comp and I am excited to see what I'll look like at the end of my 7 week preparation stint. There is still a hell of a lot of practice to be done both on my walk, poses and routine to music (the last time I did a routine to music was in the school house gym competition, where, if I recall correctly, my piece de resistance was a succession of backward walkovers... I don't think I'll be attempting that again this time around...).

This weekend I am heading up to St Albans to watch my first bodybuilding show and hopefully pick up some tips for performing well on stage, as well as sorting out my bikinis! And that is where I will leave this post, the terrifying thought of standing on stage in a micro bikini, with everyone watching... the things I put myself through.... :)

Char

3 Common 'Healthy Diet' Mistakes

We all know that in order to drop body fat and keep it off, you have to combine an effective exercise program with good nutrition, but there a some really common mistakes many people make when it comes to constructing their healthy diet plan, which seem healthy, but actually could be hampering results. Below are the top three mistakes that we see people making when they first come to the club. See if any apply to you, and try the recommended adjustments, it might just be what you need to start dropping those pounds!

1) Most people don't eat enough protein, which means that they tend to fill up on carb and fat dense foods, which in combination can spell disaster for your fat loss efforts. The beauty of protein is that it has what's called a high 'thermic effect of feeding' - it requires a large amount of energy for digestion, and thus keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Good quality lean protein will also provide the essential amino acids required for you to build, repair and maintain lean tissue, the metabolic 'machine' of your body, as well as producing important molecules such as enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters and antibodies. Consuming protein can also increase levels of the hormone glucagon, and glucagon can help to control body fat. Glucagon is released when blood sugar levels go down, which in turn causes the liver to break down stored glycogen into glucose for the body. It can also help to liberate free fatty acids from adipose tissue, which means using your body fat for energy instead of it hanging around your midsection!

A general guideline for protein intake is, for women, 1 serving of lean, complete protein (20-30g) with each meal, every 3 hours or so, and for men, 2 servings of lean, complete protein (40-60g) with each meal, again every 3 hours or so. You can ensure you are eating enough protein in your diet by having a whey protein shake for breakfast, one post exercise to assist with muscle recovery and regeneration, and again prior to bed to prevent overnight catabolism (muscle breakdown). Remember that, rather than making you look bulky, lean muscle tissue is your best ally when it comes to fighting fat.

2) Another common dietary mistake people seeking to drop fat make is that they only eat three times per day. Thanks to tradition, this has been ingrained into our society as the best way to eat, when actually it leads to long periods between feedings and subsequent peaks and troughs in blood sugar, with the result being hunger, poor food choices, catabolism, and fat storage. Snacks have also developed a bad name due to the absolute wealth of poor quality snack foods available, but in reality they are pretty much essential to maintainable body composition change. Start thinking about your meals and snacks as 'feedings' and, eating small amounts every 2-3 hours, you should be aiming for 5-6 feedings per day. It's essential to remember the above point however; quality, lean protein is your friend, so include some at each feeding and bulk out with plenty of veg (primarily green) and other unrefined carbohydrate sources (starchy carbs such as bread, rice, pasta etc are not your fat loss friend and should be kept to a minimum, preferably only after training when insulin sensitivity is high, glycogen stores are depleted, and the body is better able to process these food structures in a useful manner rather than storing them as fat for a rainy day).

3) One of the most common dietary mistakes people seeking fat loss make is a dependency on fruit, which, whilst nutrient rich and a good source of carbohydrate, is nevertheless packed with fructose (not a problem in itself unless consumed by the truckload) but can trigger other sweet cravings. In addition, fruit tends to be more carbohydrate dense than vegetables, which can prove problematic for those who are less carbohydrate tolerant and prone to fat gain. Therefore, aim for a ratio of 4:1 vegetables to fruit in your daily diet, and aim to consume fruit at breakfast (fantastic in a smoothie with whey protein and oats) or post exercise, when, as explained earlier, insulin sensitivity is elevated.

Do let us know if you have any questions regarding this post in the comment box below; we're here to help you get body you want!

From Figure Dream to Dream Figure: Day 11

Today is day 11 of my preparation for my first figure competition on August 14th, and progress has been good so far. My first weigh in and measure last weekend resulted in 3.5lbs and 2cm off my waist in week one, so I am now eagerly awaiting the next measure on Saturday (and my cheat meal, which I have had planned all week! :). I need to drop around a stone of fat without compromising muscle mass by mid August, so I am on target so far. Definition is starting to appear across my upper body and abs, although I still have a lot of work to do in getting my left leg (the one I broke) back to the same size of it's none atrophied counterpart!

I have now got into a routine of preparing 7 meals a day, which is actually much easier than it sounds when the habit is formed, and much of it can be done all in one go... I usually spend about 60 minutes cooking in the evening, but with a protein shake with oats blended in for breakfast and 2 of my other meals also comprising of protein powder, I only really have 4 small meals to organise. My diet is on the repetitive side to say the least, but it doesn't have to be that way, and is more a choice on my part as I find it easier to stick to when I have similar things each day. It is important however to mix it up a little, however, to ensure I continue to get all the nutrients my body requires to function optimally whilst training hard.

Training has also gone well this week, although owing to the fact I will be away this weekend, I've had to lift 4 days on the trot, which isn't ideal, and today I feel neurally fatigued, although owing to the split nature of my program my muscles feel surprisingly good. Whilst geared towards hypertrophy, my program definitely doesn't resemble a traditional bodybuilding program; Sprint drills, olympic lifts, med ball circuits and multi joint movements form the bulk of my training, which will also help me hit my goal of having my ankle fit to run a 10k before the year anniversary of my triple fracture in November (my surgeon said it would be 18 months before I was running again, so aiming to prove him wrong!).

Fortunately, I have gained a new cardio buddy in the form of Phoenix Pro member Jemima, who is preparing for her trip to Everest base camp next March, so we have been putting the world to rights on our early morning power walks! I also managed to persuade my girlfriends to have an uber healthy dinner together last night, where I think everyone was surprised how much they enjoyed salmon with tikka seasoning (A-MAZING!), lots of boiled veg, herbal tea, and lot of laughs!

Today was the first day I've really had any cravings, but with such a time sensitive goal to achieve, there is no way I will be succumbing! I've also been hugely motivated by the Phoenix Pro members this week, who have been kicking butt in the gym and posting some fantastic results... go team!

Char

From Figure Dream to Dream Figure: Day 3

Today is Day 3 of my journey to my first ever figure (bodybuilding) competition, and so far, things have been pretty plain sailing, although I appreciate it's early days! I'm fortunate in that my colleagues at Phoenix Pro have all undertaken a whole variety of weird and wonderful diet strategies in the past, so my rather basic but plentiful food regime has barely raised an eyebrow at work. My friends also seem rather intrigued by the whole endeavour, and my school mates, who are a rowdy bunch at the best of times, are adament they want to come and support on the day... although I'm not sure whether I'd find the heckling game raising or not!!

Having lifted for the past three days, today I had a break, although my morning power walk with my training partner Ludo (who actually sustained an injury on said walk!) was still in place. Fortunately by this afternoon Ludo had made a complete recovery, having milked whatever it was that stung/ pricked/ left no mark whatsoever on him for all that it was worth...



I'm actually really enjoying doing steady state exercise for a change, and whilst it isn't the best mode of exercise for people with limited training time on their hands, it is low impact, great for burning calories whilst avoiding catabolism (muscle breakdown)and in my case loosening off DOMs (delayed onset muscular soreness) hampered quads following a heavy squat session on Monday!

I also went to visit my awesome massage therapist Philippa today, who ironed out my quads, ITBs and adductors (which, having ridden professionally for many years, have an iron rod type quality and a fascial structure that is fairly unique to riders). It's important to stay on top of this, as such adhesions and facilitations in the fascia can adversely affect biomechanics, which isn't ideal when the aim is a well balanced musculature.

This evening I did a hot yoga class at my brother and his girlfriend's Red Hot Yoga studio in Guildford, which I actually found pretty challenging.. I'm not the most flexible person in the world (although I did recently win the cornflake box game on a hen party in Ibiza!), so I should sleep well tonight :)

Overall, I'm finding the process so far easier than expected, and am totally loving having a serious goal to aim for again. I hope I continue to enjoy it as much over the next 7 weeks!

Operation Beefcake: Day 1

For those of you that don't know me, my name is Charlotte Ord and I'm the owner of Phoenix Pro Fitness, the best fitness club in Surrey!

Unfortunately, having broken my ankle late last year, I haven't been up to my usual sporting exploits this year (triathlon, horse riding, half marathons etc) so I felt it was about time I got myself a goal! As my team and I advocate to our members at Phoenix Pro it's SO much easier to stay focused and on target if you have a target to aim for. Indeed, you HAVE to hang the target if you stand any chance of hitting it.

Bodybuilding is something I've been really impressed with for quite sometime. I think it's easy to look at the end result and cast a judgement on whether you think it's attractive/ functional/ worthwhile etc etc, but you only have to take a closer look at the rigorous regime that competitors have to commit to to realise that the process poses a significant challenge both mentally and physically. This is muscle sculpting and fat loss at it's most extreme, and it doesn't come easy!

There are two people who really got me thinking seriously about giving it a go myself:

British Bodybuilding Champion Annie Ottey (my coach! :), who I first met on a course 2 years ago and whose dedication and refusal to accept anything but her very, very best was apparent right from the start and in everything she did....



And Nicola Joyce, a fitness writer friend of mine who yesterday competed in her first ever bodybuilding comp and absolutely nailed it, winning both her class and best presentation!



Whilst the title of this blog (and indeed the name of the hypertrophy program I have written for the endeavour) is very tongue in cheek (I think it will make me smile even when the going gets tough), the process itself is pretty serious. The training is intense, and the diet strict. With only 7 weeks to go until my first comp, I am cutting preparation time about as fine as it can get, so the race is on to be in shape to stand on stage...

I'm convinced that going through this process will teach me things that will ultimately help me to help our members, and at Phoenix Pro, that's what we're all about.

I'll keep you posted!

Char

Operation Figure

Operation Figure