acureese

@chrisdavey- Thanks! I only mentioned I'm a competitor to explain that I'm aiming for delts that are perhaps more built/defined than some other women might want. I need to go that extra mile...just need to find the best way to get there! :smile: @ margieward82- in my opinion, you ARE blessed, hehe I'm jealous of gals like…

I dehydrated for both shows, but not as much as other women I know who compete- I didn't want to feel nauesous/lightheaded/faint on the stage or between the morning and evening shows! In training the 12 weeks before the show I drank 1 or more gallons of water a day. On the week of both my shows this is what I did: (similar…

Hmm, I love weightlifting, soooo...for a FUN multi-muscle exercise, I'd have to go with Kettle Bell Clean'n'Presses. For MOST EFFECTIVE, though, I'd go with modified Burpees: squat thrusts with push-ups at the bottom of the movement and jumps at top into pull-ups. The whole body's hit and you can do it anywhere there's a…

Hi everyone! I'm really happy to have found this group! :smile: I'm going into my second season of competing and I'm really pumped up about it! (hehe literally and figuratively! ;)) After running half marathons and doing a couple half ironman competitions a few years ago, I decided to change my focus to what I love the…

Definitely IFBB Figure Pro Erin Stern!!:glasses: I also am a fan of Cheryl Brown and Nicole Wilkins! :smile:

I think it's okay to go over some days (cheat meals make healthy eating maintainable!) and a little under on others. It's not about hitting an exact calorie amount every day, but about a balanced bigger picture. For example, if I know I'm going out to a nice dinner on Saturday night and plan on having dessert and a glass…

I LOVE them. Start out easy with them though, because they/the running form takes getting used to. I started walking in them and doing run/walks first. Prior to using them, I could jump rope for up to 45 mins at a time so I thought my calves would adapt very quickly to these shoes- hehe not so much! It took me about a…

Grunting when pushing through some hard/last reps is totally normal and not unexpected gym behavior in my opinion- heck I do it, too! No reason to be self-conscious about it. :glasses: That being said, I do try to keep from being TOO loud and hope that others will be courteous and do the same. There are some guys who yell…

As mentioned by others, I use it as a spaghetti, yum! I love how easy it is to bake (I usually half it and then bake them face down on the tray). Tastes better in my opinion, and mixing it with veggies and a low sodium tomato sauce= a delicious meal that gets lots of veggies into your diet, is high in fiber and vitamins…

First off, is 1200 cals/ day the amount you should have daily without exercise? For example, when you burn 400 cals, do you add that to your intake? You should, because you don't want to under-eat. Your body will think it's going into starvation mode and hold onto whatever it can. Second, how are you eating your calories?…

I'm training for a figure competition right now, and yeah same thing for me. Cardio first= not as much strength to lift. Aside from what she mentions, if you're looking to put on muscle/tone up, lift first to get the most out of your workout (I definitely don't lift as heavy if I do too much cardio first), then use what…

I also like stiff-legged deadlifts and balance ball glute raises with hamstring curls in toning the glute/hamstring area. :) Another great all-over leg toner: plyometrics! Squat jumps (regular, sumo and close-legged), jumping lunges (switching lunges with each jump or incorporating a step), box jumps, squat thrusts,…

Hi yusrlee! Have you ever had a 7 point body fat measurement done with a fat caliper? Many gyms and wellness centers offer it Those are more accurate than the online measurements. If that's not available body tape measurements work better than weight and height BMI calculations, too and can be done with a tape measure at…

Hi everyone!!:smile: Sorry I've been MIA, I was visiting back in the states for a bit and traveling for a wedding. Wannabeacullen, that's HILARIOUS!! :laugh: hahahahaha! If it makes you feel better, in real life I don't really like ketchup, so I promise not to steal yours. :wink: And I always share, I'd never hog it!…

Hi everyone! :smile: I've been out of town and am happy to be back! Aaaand I'm flying back to the states thursday so should be able to see eclipse this weekend, so excited!! :happy: thanks for the review on the book KCSpears! I think the book is still available online? Usmc good luck with all the packing and moving! And…

Ooh I haven't read it at all, how is it? :smile: I'd love to hear what people think about it!

Welcome!! :flowerforyou:

Hahahaha JesseD that's AWESOME!!! :laugh: Great job upping the incline btw, whoohoo!! :drinker:

Thanks guys!! I'm happy to hear you had a great weekend to wannabeacullen and usmc! Haha wannabeacullen I totally know what you mean, so much more time on my hands without the food comas to deal with!! :tongue: JesseD I hope your neck is feeling better! Don't worry about having a couple days off from the program, the…

You can definitely lose weight while putting on muscle. The main thing is to realize that the numbers on the scale might not drop as much/fast if you're adding muscle weight, but your body fat percentage will still drop and your clothes will still get looser. (I've lost 10 pounds overall for example, but have lost much…

Hi!! Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!! :smile: I didn't get to go to a gym the last 6 days, but we made sure we walked a lot, and were able to go canoeing one day and on a long hike the other, so that was a nice way to bring it outdoors! :happy: I wanted to share that when we got back last night we had to go to a…

thanks ladies for the support!! :smile: Usmc I totally agree, haha I love reading the book after seeing the movie, that way I can read the "deleted scenes"! :happy: JesseD I do them on my elbows, that way when I'm building up I can put a weighted plate on my back, too! :tongue: I love ending workouts with planks, it gets…

Welcome JesseD! :flowerforyou: I haven't read the Host either, anyone have any reviews to share on it? :smile: I like the idea of a Breaking Dawn challenge too, it'll be fun to have new goals one we meet these ones!! :glasses: Great job usmc! I hear you about the weekends, they're the hardest for me too. Living abroad we…

Congrats KCSpears!! That's awesome!! :flowerforyou: Thanks usmc, yep two more to go, feeling awesome!! I think it's going to take awhile though, I'm trying to put on some more muscle too, so I might gain before I lose. We'll see! :smile: This 8 week challenge from Muscle and Fitness Hers definitely had me sore this week!!…

I like the idea of a cheat meal or two on the weekends more than a cheat day. That way I balance the one cheat meal with healthier foods for the other meals. Personally, I think having a whole day can make you overindulge in too many things...but in moderation aka one meal, you get to have a treat and not undo all the hard…

I understand not eating before running that early, and there are different studies that say different things, so if it's less than an hour and it doesn't bother you I think it's okay (some say it helps burn up any stores you have from the night before). However, I personally always eat after a workout, your glycogen levels…

Welcome funngrl and monmcb!! :flowerforyou: (and welcome to the site monmcb!) Yay for 6 weeks left!! Usmc, don't be discouraged at all, I agree with wannabeacullen, it just means a better number next week!:glasses: Are you putting on muscle? I've maintained the past few weeks, but have definitely upped my weights and put…

I love Tabata workouts!!! :flowerforyou:

I prefer light soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk. Aside from being lactose intolerant (it took me til I was 21 to figure that out! :tongue: ), I've read a lot of research that makes me personally want to stay away from/cut down on dairy. One book if you're interested in reading anything about it (and eating animal…

Have you guys seen the new longer Eclipse trailer? I'm so excited!!!:happy: And I realized I'll be able to see it opening weekend because I'm flying back to the states to visit, yay!! :drinker: