Annaruthus Member

I agree with pac_. It depends on the goal, but more importantly, it depends on the individual. I know I can get away with eating more carbohydrates than some people because my body isn't super sensitive to them. As a result, no carb diets are terrible for me; they just make me unhappy. I don't see notable progress on a no…

I got mine from suitsyouswimwear.com (its in my photos). Bikini bite does the trick, or double sided tape. Suitsyouswimwear makes custom suits, and they have you send in your measurements and pictures before they make the suit. No matter where you order though, the best thing you can do is to order early enough (if you…

Hello chicas. I have been in this group for awhile, but it did die off during the latter half of 2013.

Just a note about some comments I've seen about weight lifting here: Initially weight training does not burn a lot of calories. Although if you do a circuit mixed with some plyometrics, you could burn 300-400 calories in an hour. What is important about weight training is the after effect. You get the most benefit from…

Great post! For the running though, I would recommend that at least one of those sessions be at the length of the test. Generally speaking, a person can run 2 miles at a faster pace than they can run 4 miles. Running the length of the test once per week is also a great way to gauge if someone is getting faster.

It's a fantastic journey. When you get tired, remember why you started!

I'm not selling a product. I'm requesting help.

A strong support network is key. Having people around you who understand your goals is important. People who understand that one cookie COULD hurt what it is you are trying to do. When I'm not in competition prep mode, my husband joins me in indulging, but he never lets me go to far. This means I can actually relax,…

Stiff Legged Deadlifts Barbell Squats Single Leg Romanian Deadlift Single Leg Bulgarian Split Squats Barbell Hip Thrust Barbell Glute Bridge These make up the majority of my leg workouts each week. I've seen great growth in the last 6 months :-)

I lift for an hour 4 days per week, do yoga 3-4 times per week (1 hour), swim 2-3 times per week (20-30 mintues), and other cardio 2-3 times per week (20-25 minutes). Obviously, I double up. Not too much cardio in there. The swimming works my muscle really well too, so it is somewhere in the middle in my opinion.

Cellucor's L2 diruetic always works best for me. Some people carb up, others carb deplete. So far, I have carb depleted until the night before/morning before prejuding. Like I'll add some sweet potatoes to dinner, and have oats in the morning before the show with breakfast. The carbs fill the muscles out. When you eat…

I agree with Kbarrett24. Not saying you have to be perfect to get on stage, but if you are trying to lose more than 10lbs, then 8 weeks is too close to do it, in a relatively healthy way. You want to gradually approach stage weight (really body fat, because weight looks different on everyone), not drop in on it like an…

Posted on your blog: Girl you did great! Your shoulders look really good, and you definitely leaned out well for figure. Once you figure out how to flare those lats, your front pose will be awesome. It took me awhile to figure out how to actually flare them. I did it after a lat focused day in the gym. They were easier to…

You can try adding in more fats. Fats are calorically dense. Also, its something you have to work up to. Gradually make more food available, your body will adjust, and you will burn more of it. Healthy fats though!

Alrighty, the body is in its best position to build muscle when you eat an excess of quality calories. So you need to figure out what that number of calories is for you. Once you do that, here is what else you need to do: Protein is: 1 gram per pound of body weight, then multiply that number by four. That is the number of…

Another thought too, As I have gotten further into my cut, I have changed my macros, and when I eat certain foods, but not the amount of calories. Week 17 of my cut (counting down to comp): 30p/40c/30f, with the same calorie range, and I had brown rice or sweet potatoes with dinner. At week 12-13 I started having large…

Blah, I apparently brain farted when I read her post before. So anyway, what I really think about what you asked :-): I'm cutting as well, and most people find that they do not have the same amount of energy while on a cut to lift as heavy as they do when they are bulking or maintaining. My calorie range is 1800-2200…

Depends on what you are doing with the calories. GENERALLY SPEAKING, burning more calories than you are consuming does not incline your body to "bulk". Excess calories promotes an internal environment in which muscle can grow. EXTREMELY GENERAL STATEMENT! Truly though, it depends on what your training plan looks like.

You looked good girl! Gotta smile more next time, even in Figure. Also, try and pick up on more of the little things you can do on stage to draw more attention to yourself, but your posing was pretty good! How long are you going to prepare for Figure?

1. I try to stay within 10-15lbs. I find that psychologically, it keeps me fairly happy because I can still see my abs. If I get to heavy (happened once) I feel unhappy with myself. 2. Personally, I would pick a few, but stop at whatever show qualifies you for a national show. I was prepared to compete in August, but…

I did 3 shows between April and June this year, so I feel your pain. If I hadn't had such a long break inbetween my last competition and Nationals, I would have just waited until next year. See if you can't fit in a day where you carb up (cleanly) and get nice and full. You may bloat a little bit, but all the carbs will…

Thanks I appreciate it!

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There are actually two exercises. One is called a Barbell Hip Thrust, which involves a bench under the upper back. The Barbell Glute Bridge is done on the ground :-) Thanks for watching my video!

Good luck girl! I'm training up for NPC Nationals in November!

Hey Joy, you can do it, but it will require some serious time management on your part. Nutrition is a large piece of it, since you have to eat enough to fuel your workouts, but not so much you stall or reverse your fat loss. The key is to finding that perfect balance. You want to eat as much as possible, while still…

Well, since my previous posts, I've gotten my fitness nutrition cert in addition to my PT cert, and I will tell you that low calories and high cardio is NOT the answer. You need to eat food that fuels your workouts. Cardio will play a substantial role, but if all you do is cardio and no weight training, or too much cardio…

I actually just started as an online coach.

This mostly refers to your spray tan you will get before the show. If you don't prep for the tan properly (moisturizing and exfoliating like it's going out of style), or manage to do irreparable damage to it before you go on stage, you can have a mottled appearance. Your spray tan will most likely lessen the appearance of…

I've competed 5 times, and I have NEVER had a bad encounter with the other girls backstage. In fact, during my first show, they were so helpful, and so now at all of my shows, I have tried to be just as nice and helpful.