2008 Competition Prep and Training

[Tatyana]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

Thanks Thandie

I think what I am mostly dealing with now are all the psychological aspects of dieting.

I think just saying it is tough at times, does my head in, I am not always motivated helps.

It is funny, I LOVE training.

There always seems to be a point in comp prep when it becomes more of a 'I HAVE to' rather than 'I WANT to' do cardio, eat healthy, go to the gym.

I did manage to get my butt out of bed early enough and get it moving to go for a run on the sea front, and it felt amazing.

 

[Monday1000]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

Make sure you do the NPA qualifier in 2 weeks. The fact that there are lightweight & heavyweight weight classes in the NPA makes it fairer for the heavyweights. I don't remember any heavyweights doing well in recent years in the BNBF - there seems to be a clear look that they go for. (Its a shame the BNBF does not split the class, there are certainly enough competitors.)

You then have 7 weeks to get properly ripped after that..loads of time!

 

[Tatyana]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

Time for my weekly update ::

I must admit, I am still a bit off my mojo and I have been looking at the source of it.

I was really disappointed not qualifying, but I knew if I wasn't in awesome condition that it was a strong possibility.

I am usually quite good at sorting out the all the emotional/intellectual stuff, so I figured that there must be an organic source to my slightly blue mood.

I think this is it.

My diet is really low fat, and my coach had me cut out the red meat and my cocoa about 5 weeks ago.

This really isn't working for me.

I have started to modify my diet again, going back to what I know works for me.

I have changed my carb source: most of my carbs now come from veggies or beans, especially lentils.

By veggies I mean root veggies for starchy carbs, parsnips, sweet potatoes, baby new potatoes, swede, carrots, squashes.

Love it.

I am also going to start carb tapering, especially on the nights I am not training and get a wee bit more fat in my diet.

Not this week, but next week if I qualify, I will have about 7 weeks to get shredded.

My coach also had dairy in my diet, and while I grow like crazy with dairy in my diet, I just don't get that hard look, which is starting to come now that it is gone.

His diet was great for putting on muscle, but it hasn't been working all that well for stripping fat.

I am eating a HUGE amount of protein now, it has gone from about 180g/day on average to about 250 g/day, some days up to 300 g.

I can't wait to see my next blood test results for urea.

Ok, so new stuff

- my blood pressure was 100/60 this week

- I have tendonitis in my right shoulder, my physio did a bit of work and it is feeling better, but not awesome yet, have to take it a bit easy on some exercises

That being said, this week I did manage to move some serious weight on my own for chest.

-My new PB was 70 kg/152 lbs on front squats.

-handed in the final draft (hopefully) of my research project for my master's

-I have started to study for the ACSM PT course. Bloody hell we have a lot of muscles.

-I have been getting my butt out of bed and running most mornings.

This morning I went running with my neighbour, she is great and a really solid and consistent running buddy, and she is up for two mornings a week.

-I am on a new section at work, blood gases, so I am out on the wards and walking most of the day, which is a bonus for getting lean

-I did ride my bike into work on Sunday night, back home Monday morning, it was easy, fast and I burned more calories than I had in awhile. YAH breaks.

-looking at what I am going to do on the off season, I am thinking of trying something very similar to the bodyopus diet.

I have another qualifier in a week, I am still not happy with my condition, I am hoping that this will be a bit of a 'pass' and then I have another 7 weeks to diet for the finals.

Cross fingers.

I may consider doing another federation this year as well, maybe the NAC, they have a big qualifier in November for the Universe in Germany (this is a popular feddie in Europe).

 

[LaBella]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

Hey Tatyana
Are you still gonna do the next qualifier!?

I'm dieting hard myself.. it's going well so far. Will see how I feel in a few more weeks lol.

Good luck with the qualifier if you do it!

 

[OMEGA]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

Please start doing shoulders after Chest from now ON to spare and make stronger you delt complex

also do traps on BACK day please

 

[Monday1000]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

Good luck for tomorrow's qualifier.

 

[Tatyana]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

thanks all. I am about to start putting on the tan, god it takes such a long time.

I have had an interesting week. I am loving the cardio again, and I am a bit addicted to it.

I did an Indonesian yoga/penjak silat class on Tuesday night and it was really, really, really hard. My legs were sore for two days after.

I am going to carry on with it, it was awesome, and works different muscles as well as self defense/martial arts and great for flexibility and balance.

This is the really fun bit. Just like everywhere else in the western world, MMA is catching on big style in England, and a new martial arts shop has opened up on my little high street.

My hairdresser told me about the owner (also on my funky little high street), who seems really cool and peaceful, and he is an instructor of Wing chun/tsun, which I may also try a few classes with my hair dresser.

At work I have been on point of care testing, which is quite an interesting section. While we don't do much clinical stuff or testing samples while on POCT, it is very technical, taking care of a lot of the analysers that are used on patients out on the wards, blood gas analysers, glucose analysers etc.

I am out on all the odd wards people rarely see unless they are very sick, like AE resus, ITU/ICU cardiac ITU, NICU (neo-natal care unit), labour ward, theatres and recovery.

I am walking loads and also seeing a few wonderful sites (new babies and moms), some really disturbing sites in AE/ER resus, and some really interesting bits in theatres (this is cardiac surgery).

It does motivate one to stay in shape.

Anyway, I am really enjoying myself.

The odd bit at work is that we do have an on-call system (basically we are there the entire time though), and this means we need another person to work from 8 am-8 pm to take over from the on call person and hand over them, while most people work the normal 9-5 30.

We now only have 5 people who are doing the 8-8 or extended day shifts, so very short staffed. Not great for fitting in training, it is great for acquiring more annual leave, I think I have three extra weeks from this year alone.

SO, I am going to have a rough work schedule till we hire someone or get our trainees qualified, it will be at least four months.

Anyway, after one of these long days yesterday (and I got up at 5 am to go for a run), I went to the gym even though I was a bit tired.

I dropped a 20 kg/45 lb plate on my foot.

OMG, it was seriously painful, my first thought was that I had broken it.

Of course this was the first thing I did in the gym, so I didn't train.

I almost cried, thinking I wouldn't be able to walk for my qualifer tomorrow, even though there is another one for this federation.

I am fine though, I went for a run today.

I will let you know if I do qualify ASAP, it will be dead embarassing if I have to do another, but it will be a steep learning curve.

My condition is a wee bit better, still not brilliant by any means.

 

[Thandie]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

I'm sure you'll do very well, but want to wish you luck for tomorrow's qualifier!!!

 

[*ebony*]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

Good luck tom. Tat!! You'll do great!

 

[Tatyana]

Re: 2008 Competition Preparation

Hey all,

I have been quiet as I have been a bit sad as I DIDN'T QUALIFY AGAIN!!!!!!!!

I made the conscious decision that while I was in disappointment mode I wasn't going to make any decisions.

Soooooooooooooooooooo, I really do want to get to minimal bodyfat this year, so I am re-assessing what I can do for comps, and there are still a few.

Funny enough, I was sent an invite to another through the post on Saturday.

I am not going to bother with the Natural feddie this year even though they have one more qualifier, it is in three weeks, and there is no way I will be that super lean that is required for the nattie feds.

Today is my last day off my diet.

I haven't been training really, but I have kept up with penjak silat and I also did boxing training Sunday morning.

I have also been doing cardio, I rode my bike into work yesterday night and home again this morning. Amazing that when I am well fed I was back to burning 600 kcals each way

Tonight, I am going to do the Penjak Silat class again, and see what training I can do after if there is time.