Journaling My Journey: First Figure Competition

[klhowell2]

So I have decided officially that I am going to compete on April 26th, 2014.

It's a small, local competition in Kansas City put on by a tiny association (AFPA) - but I think it's just what I need to get started. I can go and learn what it's all about, what works and doesn't work for me, and how a competition is ran without spending a lot of money and/or embarrassing myself.

I participated in the Cellucor Strong the Cor Challenge here on bb.com and the thrill of competing (even in an online competition) was exactly what I needed to motivate myself to get to the gym when I really didn't feel like it. I worked my ass off for those 6 weeks and got some pretty good results. I know I have problem areas and weaknesses (I hate working out my legs and sometimes I am a binge eater/drinker) so now I have the chance to slowly rid those stupid habits from my life. As my date gets closer, I think I will be even more driven and intense.

Today I practice posing for the first time (I uploaded pics to my progress photos if anyone would like to critique!). It was difficult! Flexing everything at once, standing in heels, trying to smile.... I'm not very good at doing 2 things at once, so 3 or 4 things at once is a bit of a stretch for me. But, practice makes perfect! And that's exactly what I intend to do, every week!

[klhowell2]

This was my first official day back in the gym - day one of my training for the stage. I was kinda bummed when I got to work and I realized it was going to be one of those Mondays that just lasted forever - I really wanted to get to the gym. Plus I had to deal with the fact that once I did get to the gym it would be after 5pm - my gym is NUTS-O after 5 on a week night... not the greatest time to train.

At about 11am I got so antsy I decided I just couldn't wait - so I went to the gym over my lunch break. This as its pros and cons. While I don't have to deal with as many crazy people, I also have a very limited amount of time to get my workout in. This can also prove to be a good thing though. It means I rest less and push myself harder and faster and transition to my next lift quicker. I always feel like I get a good workout in when I go really hard for at least 45 minutes.

Today I did:
Squats: 4 sets of 10 reps

Superset
Leg Extensions: 4 sets of 10 reps
Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets of 10 reps

Single-Leg Barbell Squat: 4 sets of 10 reps (each leg)


Superset
Barbell Step-Ups: 4 sets of 10 reps (each leg)
Lunges: 4 sets of 10 reps (each leg)


I am definitely not back up to the weights I was using during the Cor Challenge, but I was happy to see I hadn't fallen off a great deal. I always feel like I'm going to pass out doing step-ups and lunges as a superset though (not sure if it's the up and down motion?) - talk about killing the quads!


I had a pretty decent day diet wise.
Breakfast: Oikos Greek Yogurt and 3/4c Kashi on top

Snack: Apple & a handful of almonds

After workout: Cellucor peanut butter marshmallow whey protein

Lunch: 1c homemade beef & vegetable stew and some raw veggies with 1T of ranch dressing

Dinner (is about to be had): Handful of tortilla chips and 2T queso, Taco salad consisting of lean ground beef, 1c lettuce, 1/4c cheese, 1/4c beans, 1 tomato, 1 avocado, and some salsa


I know, Mexican is my Achilles heel - I will beat it some day. I've decided to make small changes in my diet this time instead of going balls to the wall from the get go. I have 7 months - I don't want to burn myself out right away. I know I have a habit of binge eating and I need to make sure I stay satisfied while still trying to stick to my goals. Once I get a bit closer to my show, my diet will clean up dramatically.

Today was a good day. I feel awesome and I had great energy after my workout and throughout the afternoon (even right now I feel like I could go run 5 miles). I forgot how great it feels to get those endorphins going and to feel strong. It's addictive, and I am sooo ready to become a gym junky again!


More awesome news: I got an e-mail today from the gym I attend about an application I put in a couple of months ago (I thought I had been written off, but apparently they are just extremely slow!). I have a couple of opportunities to a least get my foot in the door through group exercise instructing, and I also got an offer for a fitness associate position. I would basically be assisting the fitness director of the gym, which is more an admin role, but I would STILL be in the gym! And with my degree in business, I could definitely see myself diving into the business side of a fitness facility and not just the personal training side (though I am still working towards that! 350 notecards later...).

Things are happening! And quickly it seems! I'm ready. Ready to do this. Ready to do what I love every day and get my life going in the right direction.


Happy Monday, everyone!

[Rypt1]

Good luck! It looks like you are off to a great start.

[jpfaherty]

You have a great starting point! 6 months to dial it in Good luck.

[klhowell2]

Thanks guys ^^^ I appreciate the support!



I think the most difficult aspect of my training is going to be posing. I tried again to work on my back pose, particularly with flaring my lats and going for that V shape. I know I have it! I know I have the muscles! I can do it in a double bicep pose and they look awesome... but I can't seem to get it figured out when my arms have to be on my sides. I watched a few youtube videos today, and a couple of times I managed to make them flare a LITTLE more, but couldn't seem to get it on camera. Soooo glad I decided to start working on this early...

My quads and glutes hurt so bad today! I was supposed to do a flex Friday pose (send in the pic to a gal who collages them together for us, then we all post it on Friday), but my legs hurt so bad I couldn't even flex them! And when I did they looked all soft and yucky.... Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.

Today I did shoulders and back (which may also be why I had a problem flaring my lats!):

3 sets of 12 reps:
Seated Cable Row
Lat Pulldown
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Lat Raises
Delt Raises
Hyperextensions

Then added some HIIT (20min). I may be changing up this workout next week. Either I need to go heavier, add some exercises or add some more sets, because I just didn't feel the burn like I normally do.

Pretty good diet day, haven't eaten near enough. I'm starving and headed to my sister's for some baked potato soup (which I am SURE will not be so great for me! But I definitely have calories to give today).

Breakfast (Post-workout): Cellucor Chocolate Whey Protein
Great Value 90-Calorie Chocolate Chip Granola Bar

Snack: 1 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Lunch: 2 Slices 12 Grain Bread, 1 Can Tuna in Water, 1T Mustard
4 Carrot Sticks, 1T Ranch Dressing

So if we're going off IIFYM, I'm good to go this evening! Haha.... I know, I know... my diet sucks. Haven't had much time to prep and I need to get to the store... Fail to plan and you plan to fail!!!

[Rypt1]

What are your macros and calories looking like? I noticed you did some HIIT. How much total cardio are you doing currently?

[klhowell2]

What are your macros and calories looking like? I noticed you did some HIIT. How much total cardio are you doing currently?

My daily goals (which I am obviously NOT hitting right now) are:
1,500 calories
169 carbs
42 fat
113 protein

My current workout regimen is
Legs (Heavy)
Back/Bi/HIIT
Legs (Bodyweight Exercises, High-rep)/30min Cardio (Medium intensity)
Rest Day (Core)
Chest/Tris/Bis/HIIT
Legs (Light Machine, High-rep)/30 min Cardio (Medium intensity)
Rest Day (Core, 45 min Cardio - Low intensity)

[Rypt1]

My daily goals (which I am obviously NOT hitting right now) are:
1,500 calories
169 carbs
42 fat
113 protein

My current workout regimen is
Legs (Heavy)
Back/Bi/HIIT
Legs (Bodyweight Exercises, High-rep)/30min Cardio (Medium intensity)
Rest Day (Core)
Chest/Tris/Bis/HIIT
Legs (Light Machine, High-rep)/30 min Cardio (Medium intensity)
Rest Day (Core, 45 min Cardio - Low intensity)

With 6 months to dial it in, your calories seem kinda low to me. Workouts look reasonable. Cardio this early looks a tad high but not bad.

[klhowell2]

With 6 months to dial it in, your calories seem kinda low to me. Workouts look reasonable. Cardio this early looks a tad high but not bad.

Well I do only weigh 110lbs. 1800 calories is the highest I've ever set my limit and I struggled to reach that day to day. But you think I should be eating more?

I don't have a problem skipping a day of cardio here and there, actually thought about cutting one day out (like my last leg day). I keep my HIIT between 20-30 minutes, and my medium intenisty consists of jogging or elliptical training.

And thanks for looking it over! Good to know I'm not WAY off track!

[Rypt1]

Well I do only weigh 110lbs. 1800 calories is the highest I've ever set my limit and I struggled to reach that day to day. But you think I should be eating more?

I don't have a problem skipping a day of cardio here and there, actually thought about cutting one day out (like my last leg day). I keep my HIIT between 20-30 minutes, and my medium intenisty consists of jogging or elliptical training.

And thanks for looking it over! Good to know I'm not WAY off track!

Hard to say. I guess it depends on how far out you really a starting your prep and what you target weight you need to hit. With 1500 calories to start, it just doesn't leave you much wiggle room to drop when you hit a plateau. You also have to be mindful of trashing your metabolism with a long cut which can really make dropping weight a struggle. I'm no coach or super expert, each has to know his/her own body. I do know that you should try to start out with the highest calories you can while cutting. Do you track your weight and macros consistently. At 1500 calories, do you maintain, gain or drop weight?

[klhowell2]

Hard to say. I guess it depends on how far out you really a starting your prep and what you target weight you need to hit. With 1500 calories to start, it just doesn't leave you much wiggle room to drop when you hit a plateau. You also have to be mindful of trashing your metabolism with a long cut which can really make dropping weight a struggle. I'm no coach or super expert, each has to know his/her own body. I do know that you should try to start out with the highest calories you can while cutting. Do you track your weight and macros consistently. At 1500 calories, do you maintain, gain or drop weight?

At 1500 I was dropping, but only slightly. At the end of the challenge I cut down to 1200-1300 and saw great results. But I think you are right, because I do tend to plateau. I know I don't have a ton of weight to lose, so it may be better to stay on the high end these first few months. A personal trainer friend of mine told me not to focus so much on calories right now and just lift hard and see where I am in a month or so then go from there. I just use 1500 as my base because it seems feasible for me.

My show is on April 26th. So I'm literally still 27 weeks out. I hope to be at about 105lbs for the show.

[klhowell2]

Day 3 - Still going strong! I actually waited until 5pm to do my workout tonight, and battled the crazy after work crowd at my gym. It took me a bit longer than I would have liked, but I got some extra core work in during my down times waiting on a squat rack.

It is CRAZY how much of a burn you can get by not using any weight at all. I did a small circuit of bodyweight squats (I do these on top of an inverted bosu ball to get a little extra), followed by single-leg lifts (see my workout for the custom exercise), wall sits for 90 seconds, then lunges (25 each leg). I did this circuit 4 times and my quads were killing me, but I was super excited to do my deadlifts and give my glutes and hamstrings some action. However, I soon realized I am waaay out of practice for deadlifts. I did some warm ups with only 65 lbs and noticed my form was a bit off. I added another 20 and decided to keep it there for my 3 sets of 10. So, not happy, but, it's a work in process - I can only go up.

I finished with 20 minutes on the elliptical - glad I did too because it made my legs feel soooo much better. Ready for my rest day tomorrow!

I am really starting to like legs! I can feeeeel fat dripping off me! I know I have a long way to go, but I'm trying to enjoy this journey.


Next stop - NO MORE JIGGLE THIGHS!!!

[klhowell2]

Yesterday was a rest day for me and I am super glad for it. I got home from work and my amazing boyfriend had planned a beautiful evening out for my birthday. He went and bought an entire outfit for me (all by himself, right down to the clutch and perform) and had left a rose with a note to meet him at the melodrama down town. SO much fun and a very special birthday present for me! I am a lucky woman.

However, I definitely jumped off the healthy eating train. Jumped off it and then blew it up! My co-workers took me to my favorite Mexican place for lunch yesterday, then we had dinner at the show which consisted of good ol' American comfort food. Definitely had waaaay too much to eat and today I feel bloated and ugly. Good thing I've got a nice long workout ending with some HIIT (AFTER my birthday pedicure, of course!). I'll post more about my workout later.

TGIF y'all!

[klhowell2]

Wowsa - what a birthday weekend!!!

Friday, after my pedicure, I ended up going home to do my workout (my toes were still wet, I wasn't going to waste a $45 pedicure!) so I didn't have to wear shoes. I got a nice little chest/triceps/biceps in but didn't do any cardio. Then Friday night our softball games got cancelled so we ended up going to a friend's house where everyone proceeded to stuff cupcakes and rum in my face - hard to say no to either of those! But, I STILL got up Saturday morning and went to the gym (even though I am certain I reeked of alcohol and was about to pass out). I got a solid leg workout in then went home to pass out for a few hours. Later that afternoon we went to a washers tournament where more food and alcohol was had (and ANOTHER birthday cake). Needless to say, I felt AWFUL Saturday night and went to be at about 8pm and slept for a good 12 hours. Sunday we had to head out of town to my boyfriend's grandpa's 90th birthday party (yes I am about sick of birthdays), so, more cake and junk food and no time to relax. By the time we got home last night all I wanted to do was curl up and watch the Broncos get beat (ha!).

This morning I woke up with an awful sinus headache and an aching body. I let work know I would be let and I am not sipping my coffee and eating some eggs and oats (trying to get some good stuff in my body).

This just seems to be my problem. Both my boyfriend and I have awesome families and awesome friends. We're constantly out doing something: game night, birthdays, sporting events, holidays... I know I should plan ahead, pack my own stuff, say no to the alcohol.... But I just feel like I'm depriving myself (at the time). Then later on I feel awful and think, "Wow, I should not have done that." I understand healthy living is a lifestyle, and I need to embrace it wholeheartedly if I ever plan to compete on the stage. But I don't want to rob myself of my youth either. I know I don't have to drink to have fun, or eat lots of junk food to feel happy - it's just convenient. I just need to find my resolve. And I think I will start with this weekend. We have our last softball game on Friday and I know plenty of beer will be drank. I need a warm drink that is good for me that I can bring along, and some snacks too so I'm not flying into McD's at midnight when my boyfriend gets the hankering for his chicken nuggets. Saturday I am happy to say I will be going to my cousin's cross country meet, which should actually give me some inspiration to be in as good a shape as I was in in high school (there definitely won't be any alcohol or junk food there either!). During the challenge, it became a habit for me to make good decisions. When it ended, I lost sight of that, and I think I need to start with small victories and work my resolve back up to where it was.

So here's my requests:
1. Can anyone give me some suggestions of something healthy and warm to drink that I can make ahead of time and take with me?
2. Please play for my determination to return, to make good decisions and to know I am doing what is best for my body and my soul.

Thanks, Fit Fam! Go rock out your Monday, unlike me!

[IK9]

I understand what it is like dieting when your significant other and friends and family are not and the toll/burden/etc. that it sometimes has..

But like you said.. you just gotta get back on track and ask yourself how bad do you want this?

I do sometimes feel like I am wasting my youth too considering all my friends are out partying/drinking etc.. but after turning 21 and then turning 22.. it kinda got old really fast

But yeah.. think about what's most important to you.. the stage will always be there and it's never too late

As far as something healthy and warm to drink.. I prefer just green tea, or black coffee.. I mean.. plain, boring, whatever.. adds 0 calories lol.. if you must.. you can always add 1 of those flavored creamers in your coffee.. they have caramel, toffee, mint chocolate.. things like that in those tiny creamer cups

Hope this helps!

[klhowell2]

Thanks, IK9! It's good to know I am not alone (didn't really think I was, but I am all about validation, so thanks for your response!). I think - actually, I KNOW there are ways to still live up my youth while living a healthy lifestyle. Everything in moderation. I just don't have a very "moderate" personality! Haha.

Mmmm, Green tea - good one. May have to look into some different flavors at the store today! Thanks so much! And good luck to you in your fitness goals!!

[IK9]

Yup yup!

[klhowell2]

I went through a short bulking phase (only about 8 weeks), then cut dramatically for 4 weeks. The last two pics are 6 weeks' difference (before Cor Challenge and after).

[klhowell2]

After the slow start to my Monday, I had an AWESOME leg workout after work.

4 sets of 10 reps of the following -

Superset:
Barbell Stepups (40lbs)
Barbell Lunges (40lbs)

1 Leg Barbell Squat (40lbs)

Smith Machine Squat (hate using the Smith Machine but it was the only thing open)
(65lb, 85lbs, 105lbs, 105lbs)

Calf Press on Leg Press Machine (120lb, 130lbs, 150lbs, 150lbs)

Seated Leg Curls (55lbs, 65lbs, 70lbs, 70lbs)

Leg Extensions (70lbs, 80lbs, 85lbs, 85lbs)

Superset:
Hanging Leg Raises (20reps, 10reps, 10reps)
Hanging Side to Side Leg Raises (10 reps each side, 5reps, 5reps)


My boyfriend also got back in the gym last night and I am pleased to say he came home and said to me, "I forgot how good it feels to get a good workout in!" He then started looking on BB.com for a program and is excited to start Get Swole in a few weeks once he feels confident his shoulder is recovered. We also went to the store together last night and stocked up on chicken, rice, whole wheat pasta, and other healthy snacks. We came home and unloaded and I promptly began prepping for today. It feels good to be prepared and back on track!


Today is back and shoulders day with some HIIT - can't wait for 5pm!!


Hope everyone else is having a fabulous week!

[klhowell2]

Had an awesome back and shoulders workout yesterday and was spot on with my meals! Feeling sooo much better already about the direction I am heading and my confidence that I will be able to step on that stage in April and actually compete. Have leg day 2 of 3 for this week today and I'm ready to conquer those deadlifts with a vengeance! Really hoping I see some results in my legs soon from doing them 3x's a week. It is brutal and the DOMS are insane, but I think I am finally starting to enjoy them!

After 9 months of working out pretty hardcore, my thighs are STILL touching. If anyone has any exercises they recommend for targeting the inner thigh, please let me know!

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

[klhowell2]

Solid day today!

Workout:

Deadlift (4 sets of 8 reps)
65, 95, 115, 115

Superset:
Bodyweight squats (4 sets of 25)
Bodyweight walking lunges (4 sets of 25 each leg)

Superset:
Adductor (4 sets)
50, 60, 65, 65 (20 reps, 15 reps, 10 reps, 5 reps)
Abductor
45, 50, 55, 55 (20 reps, 15 reps, 10 reps, 5 reps)

Calf Press (4 sets of 20)
130

Leg Press (wide stance, toes outs) (4 sets of 8)
120, 130, 150, 170

Elliptical HIIT (10 minutes)
1 min res 30
1 min res 55


My diet was not bad either!

Breakfast: Eggs & Oats

Snack: Celery & Carrots w/Hummus, Handful of Almonds & Cashews

Lunch: Spinach, Cottage Cheese, & Tomato Salad

Snack: Granola

Dinner: Turkey Burger Spaghetti (w/Homemade Spaghetti Sauce), Green Beans, & Garlic Toast


I have one more protein shake to drink. I've been trying not to count calories too much, because I know I am already pretty lean. But I have been watching WHAT I eat and how much.

I think next week I am going to start a 5x5 program to try to beef up just a little more before I really lean out. After the COR Challenge I know how quickly results can come and I am getting a little antsy. On top of that, a lot of people have been telling me I am overworking legs, but I don't FEEL like they are overworked, and I really need to get results that I can see. I need to start praying for some patience and just keep after it! I may start the last two phases of Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer again, just to give me some structure. I feel good about the workouts I have been coming up with lately, but coming up with my own for the next 26 weeks may be a little difficult!

Sorry, I am rambling a bit tonight. My thoughts are everywhere!!! Hope everyone had a great day/great workouts. Stay fit, my friends!

[Rypt1]

After 9 months of working out pretty hardcore, my thighs are STILL touching. If anyone has any exercises they recommend for targeting the inner thigh, please let me know!

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

In terms of strengthening your inner thighs, you can do any leg adductor movement or machine which it looks like you are already doing. For what you want, though, you just have to lower your bodyfat. Even then, your thighs might touch if they have good muscle mass.

[klhowell2]

In terms of strengthening your inner thighs, you can do any leg adductor movement or machine which it looks like you are already doing. For what you want, though, you just have to lower your bodyfat. Even then, your thighs might touch if they have good muscle mass.

I just added another round of HIIT and nixed a round of low intensity cardio for my workouts. I'm nervous to do too much cardio because I know i need to get a little bit bigger if i want to be comeptitive in figure. I've been doing every adductor movement I can think of when I do my leg workouts. My bodyfat was right around 12% after the COR Challenge. I could see some daylight between my thighs, but not near where I want it to be. Hoping to be down around 9-10% bf for the competition. I know for me it's more staying on point with my nutrition plan than anything!

[TakedaShingen]

Alright...let's go!!!

I'm in

You mentioned in Rypt's log that you wish more ladies would support, well, I'm not a lady, but I'll support.

Great start so far.

[klhowell2]

Alright...let's go!!!

I'm in

You mentioned in Rypt's log that you wish more ladies would support, well, I'm not a lady, but I'll support.

Great start so far.

Aw, thank you! I will take any help and support I can get and will do my best to send it back your way as well!

[klhowell2]

After reading through some other blogs, I decided you can't really be my Fit Fam if you don't know anything about me. So I'm going to start making things a little more personal. I'll start by telling you a little bit about me and my goals and dreams.

My name is Kati, friends and family call me Kate. I'm 26 yrs old (birthday was Saturday ) and I'm an aspiring figure competitor/personal trainer.

I was always a jock growing up. At recess while the girls played house, I was qb'ing for the guys' pick-up football game. In middle and high school I ran cross country and track and was pretty good at it until I started smoking my junior year of high school (Imagine that! I have since quit smoking, almost 2 years now.). When I went to college I decided to give cheerleading a shot and loved it. But being a cheerleader leaves you a little lacking in the areas of strength and conditioning, not to mention my squad was a big part of the party scene, so beer didn't help my situation either. I gained the freshman 15 and then some. When I was 22, I was sitting at about 123lbs, probably close to 25% bodyfat - not glamorous.

I graduated juco and moved on to Wichita State University where I went to school full time and also worked a full time job, leaving little time for the gym. My stress was at an all time high and so was my drinking. However, I had become so stressed and so busy that I neglected to eat most days and lost close to 10 pounds by way of inadvertantly starving myself.

In 2011, at age 24, my cross country coach was diagnosed with cancer and this kicked my butt into gear. I ran a marathon in his honor and training for that marathon was really what started to turn my life around. I had to be disciplined, diligent, and determined - and I was. I was still not eating enough, but didn't know it. I lost another 5 pounds but couldn't seem to get any of the rest of my leftover "pudge" to go away.

In March of 2012, I met the man of my dreams and we are still together today. I saw him for the first time at my gym and couldn't believe how positively delicious he looked! Since then he has made me more driven than ever to have the physique that others envy and one I can be proud of.

After struggling much of the year to find a program that worked for me, and taking a few breaks every now and then, I stumbled on to BB.com. The wealth of information was overwhelming! I had no idea where to start. For a few months I dabbled in picking my own workouts from the database, but still wasn't seeing the kind of results I wanted. I started reading more and more articles, and found out that I was doing WAY too much cardio (as I was attempting to run another marathon, but that kept getting put on hold due to back and foot issues).

In May of 2013 I finally stumbled upon Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer and my progress skyrocketed. I was scared to death going in being that the first month there was absolutely NO CARDIO whatsoever. But that turned out to be just the jump start I needed to mix up my routine and to let go of my obsession with running for my own sake. I bulked for the first month, started eating the right foods, and lots of them. Then the last 6 weeks of the program matched up perfectly with the Cellucor Cor Challenge on BB.com - my first fitness "competition", so to speak. I had amazing results those last weeks. I killed my HIIT sessions, I lifted harder and with more determination, I never missed a scheduled workout. That's when I decided, I had to compete.

My boyfriend has been a little less than supportive. Since we first met he has not been as diligent about going to the gym and has lost a lot of muscle mass. He doesn't want a "muscular" girlfriend, and I can understand that - I wasn't muscular when he first met me. But, I'm doing this for me and I figure someday he will learn to love it as much as I do. It has also since inspired him to return to the gym. He is starting the Get Swole program in the next few weeks and seems to be excited about that.

I have a desk job working for an oil and gas company in the accounting department. Somedays it's really tough to stay motivated, especially when every other day there's donuts, or cake, or candy, or some kind of goody in the break room. But, I appreciate my job and it has allowed me the freedom to pursue my real passion - fitness training. I have started studing for the ACE certification and hope to take my test before the end of the year. Looking back, I realized I should have majored in SOMETHING to do with fitness, but you never listen when you are a kid and people are telling you to do what you love - you are only thinking about the money. I majored in business administration with an emphasis in marketing and management. I am not even USING my degree today, which is frustrating. But, I know there are many ways to skin a cat, and I will reach my goals one way or another!

Speaking of my goals:
1. Become ACE certified by January 31st, 2014
2. Compete and place in top 5 at AFPA figure show April 22nd, 2014
3. Start my own personal training business
4. Start building a home gym
5. Marry the love of my life
6. Have babies
7. Always be inspiring/helpful/motivating to those around me who are attempting to better themselves


I am a long way from the body I aspire to have. But yesterday I was creeping Dana Linn Bailey's ******** page and saw a picture of her from 9 years ago.... I couldn't believe it. 9 years of hardcore lifting, on-point nutrition, blood, sweat, and tears... It gives me hope and reminds me that this isn't going to happen overnight. Even the fitness pros had to work hard and learn patience to get where they are. Sadly, patience is a virtue I do not posses - but I am learning.



So that's a little about me, or A LOT, I guess. Please feel free to add/follow me here on bodyspace. I do my best to keep up with those in my fit fam and always look forward to meeting new people.


Stay fit!

Kate

[TakedaShingen]

Hell yes!!!

Set the goal. Set the path. Do the work.

...profit!!!

I love the fire. Keep that up.

[klhowell2]

hell yes!!!

Set the goal. Set the path. Do the work.

...profit!!!

I love the fire. Keep that up.

Thanks Chris!!

[Rypt1]

Some awesome goals and aspirations. You set your mind to it and you can do it. Also, remember, like with most things in life, they are a marathon and not a sprint. There will be setbacks here and there but with these failures or setbacks, you learn and grow and improve.

It will be neat if you compete and your boyfriend gets his motivation/fire back and you then compete together at some point. I'd like my wife to do that someday but with where we are in life (young kids), makes it more difficult but we'll get there.

[klhowell2]

Some awesome goals and aspirations. You set your mind to it and you can do it. Also, remember, like with most things in life, they are a marathon and not a sprint. There will be setbacks here and there but with these failures or setbacks, you learn and grow and improve.

It will be neat if you compete and your boyfriend gets his motivation/fire back and you then compete together at some point. I'd like my wife to do that someday but with where we are in life (young kids), makes it more difficult but we'll get there.

That would be nice wouldn't it? Unfortunately he's not really into all of that. He mainly works out to stay in shape - I can't see him ever having the desire to compete. But, I could be wrong! That has happened before .