My First Competition

[Gofish198]

Hey ya'll! I'm Jen...27 from PA. I am 12 weeks out from my first figure competition! This week marks my first week in dieting. I'm in good shape but probably too muscular right now....need to drop the bf% and work on my glutes. I started a basic diet I got from a magazine and I'm finishing up a month long Tabata training split along with 4 days of 30 min cardio sessions. I've been reading some articles but I need some help! I'm not sure where to start with customizing the diet and how I should train after the next two weeks when my Tabata program is finished. Any help would be appreciated! ;) Jen

[stayfit2008]

good luck! This is the right place to be,..I'm sure you will find some great help in here! btw,..I hope none of your students get ahold of your avatr,..would hate to see them paste it up around school,...;)

[mommysturn]

hey, jen! jen here too! wanted to offer a diet i've been using for a month and a bit. haven't had it checked by a nutri pro and i don't use a pt, so i'm kind of going off my own knowledge, results and the reputation of the couple that provided it on their site.

http://www.sett2win.com/programs/diet.html

i thought a link would be easier than typing it all over again. also, i haven't contacted them yet but i will be soon for contest entry and all that. i'll need guidance on posing but i'm a lonnnnnggg way off to that! ;-)

i had a good layer of subcutaneous fat, typical deposit sites for women especially with children.

since jan 14, i've lost an inch at both waist and hips. 1/2 inch on thighs. (i've noticed fat loss in non measurement sites as well.) i was msurd at 16% bf on 2/16/09 which i'm pleased with because i'm guessing i started at 20%, at least! i'll be using the skinfolds from here on out with the same person just to ensure consistency. the website talks a little about that.

plus, i have only done cardio these last three weeks, and at beginner levels at that. weights have been light as well for same time frame but begin heavy this week. i tell you all this cause i find the diet to be very effective on its own and i'm really looking forward to it's effects with the increased training.

i didn't mean to write all this, but i got excited sharing it with you! oh, and wanted to let you know....i don't use Beverly products like they suggest. i'm sure they're fine, i'm just cheap and not totally sold on heavy suppin'. i use a GNC pro powder when appropriate, take fish / flax oil, a multi vit, a digestive enzyme (which i'm not convinced is working!) and hydroxycut.

oh, and first couple of weeks i was light headed from the reduced carbs but it either worked itself out or i just adjusted the diet a little without really thinking about it. and i was starving all the time! but not anymore. it's become routine, thank god!

you're already in excellent shape, so i'm sure you won't have any probs but i thought i'd run all this by you. i think you'd really like the diet... i am so impressed with it. and it's easy to prep for and simple to follow.

it's my first contest too, so i'd like to ask you for some info in return..... ;-)

what's your training routine for back? your results are awesome!!!!! you look great, i'm glad i won't be in your height class! ;-)

[ModuLock]

Hi Jen! Congrats to committing to a comp. Best choice you'll ever make.

First things first... You're 12 weeks out? Up your cardio to at least 2 x 30min sessions 6 days a week. You should be doing at least 5 weights sessions aswell. If you want to be in shape on stage you'll need to sort your diet out really fast.

If you like you can msg me what you're eating and I can give you a hand. You need heaps of fish and chicken, a little almonds and oats for your b'fast.

Cut all starchy carbs if you haven't already. Also, no dairy (too much sugar for comp shape).

[Gofish198]

awesome site...i recently got a trainer to work with each week so i'm going to show him this! thanks for the compliments! my back is my favorite body part to train. I switch up my routine every few weeks. I usually train back solo and do a lot of supersetting. I switch between high rep low weight and low rep high weight every few weeks, too. I always make sure to hit each part of the back (upper lats, middle lats, lower back) for each workout. Also, I do a lot of pull ups. One arm pull ups on the assisted pull up machine is a GREAT way to get your upper lats to pop. Another area I like to work is the rear delt area (kinda like the back part of your shoulder) I often work these with my back by doing bent over rear delt raises or reverse pec deck flyes. Here's a typical back workout for me....

1) 3 way pull ups (do each single arm then end with a full pull up - that's one rep) 3 X 15
2) good mornings 3 X 10-12
3) bent over row 3x 10-15 (switch your grip on each set..overhand, underhand, wide, narrow)
4) wide grip pulldown 3X 8-15
5) seated row or cable pull 3 x 8-15 (put a cable at it's highest level and with both hands pull it towards your forehead. keeping your elbows up..this really gets the middle lats)
6) pullovers on the bench 3 X 12-15 (I'll add this in somewhere if I'm doing lighter weight higher rep)

I've found as long as I work all the parts of the back...I'm good to go. I also box which helps for definition. A lot of the exercises I got are from this site....check out the exercise section for a breakdown of more exercises by region. I hope this helps! And good luck to you...we'll have to keep in touch and stay motivated!