some advice?

[TheSwal]

Hi, I'm looking for some advice, tips, info on training for sports endurance and why the hell am I not leaning out!!?

First off, I've been playing roller derby for 2 years and I have practice 3-4 days a week (equals about 6-8 hours of practice a week). I work out at the gym 3-4 days a week (2 with the trainer, 2 on my own) doing 30 minutes of cardio and an hour of strength training. I am 28 yrs old, 5'4" 135lbs, 20% body fat. I eat a pretty clean diet, avoid processed foods, drink lots of water and stick to a 30/30/40 ratio (cheat meals once or twice a week)

I am coming off of an injury to my PCL which happened in February and have been working with a trainer in order to get my endurance and recovery time back to what it was before my injury (i'd also like to see some improvement!) I've kept up with my regular skating schedule while out on injury...I just haven't been doing any contact drills or scrimmaging.

I've been wanting to train for a figure competition for quite some time now but I have a huge problem with leaning out. I put on muscle quite easily but my body LOVES to stay at 20% bf! I can't cut my carbs too much because I have no energy to play! I tried it once before and it was a total disaster! any suggestions? I'm confused! I'm also new to posting on the ef board!

 

[Bikini Mod]

Hi and welcome to the boards! My but you DO have a delima...

My first guesses with the info that you have provided?

Too much cardio for an extended period of time will actually SLOW your metabolism and you have to keep doing more and more once your body has adjusted in order to keep the same metabolic rate.

Your diet may not be as clean or appropriate for you as you think.

I made THE SAME MISTAKES myself until I broke down and hired a trainer for my first bbing competition. The basic principles that I learned from her took me through competing and fitness modeling and through the following years. I used to say that I was pushing 40 and now it is pushing me yet I have managed to maintain near same bf and fitness levels regardless.

And before anyone says, "But you were ALWAYS small."

NOT!

So then post up your diet please so that we can guide you.

Also please post up the intensity and frequency of your training/cardio for the past say 4 weeks or so.

Sorry to be a pain but when you get to your particular issues the smallest adjustment could make a HYUGE difference.

 

[TheSwal]

so my typical workout week. I have a hard time writing down specifics because my routine changes ALL the time. so this may be a bit too vague....

Monday: PM cardio for 25 minutes (elliptical or bike on a cross country setting)
1 hour with trainer - she changes my workouts all the time. We do a combo of regular weight lifting, plyometrics, interval training, etc.

Tuesday: Roller Derby Practice from 7-10 pm. We do combinations of drills. Endurance, sprinting, agility, hitting, falling. My heart rate goes up and down like crazy over the course of 3 hours.

Wednesday: Same as Monday.

Thursday: Roller Derby Practice from 8-10pm - Full scrimmage practice - about an hour of endurance drills (sprinting, falling, 40 laps in under 10 min)we play a full 60 minute game. intensity is pretty high!

Friday: rest

Saturday: AM Cardio for 30 min on elliptical or bike on cross country setting.
Upper body weight lifting routine. Two exercises per muscle group (usually 2 sets of 15 or until failure)

Sunday: AM Cardio same as Saturday. Lower body weight lifting routine. Usually one to two exercises per muscle with an emphasis on Quads due to my injury.

Sunday Night: Roller Derby practice from 7-10 pm. Advanced skills practice. Similar drills to our Tuesday night practice, Higher intensity.


typical day of eating:
6am - 3 hardboiled egg whites
8 am - coffee with cream and splenda. Low fat yogurt and banana or some kind of high fiber cereal with skim milk
10 am - protein shake or protein bar
12 pm - grilled chicken or turkey meatloaf, sweet potato, salad. homemade salad dressing (lemon, shallots, dijon mustard, olive oil, S&P)
3pm - veggies and hummus
6pm - Lean protein, vegetable, starch - similar to lunch

maybe my servings are too large? I try to keep an eye on them!
I like beer and I usually have 2 on thursday night. I drink wine occasionally on saturday nights with my "cheat meal"

Thanks!!

 

[Bikini Mod]

OK... waaaaaaaaaaay too much intense activity.

Go here www.fitday.com it is VERY easy to use the calculator and enter the food you are eating in a day. It will give you a good idea of the calories and breakdown of macro nutrients.

This is a GOOD START!!

As soon the a couple of the other knowledgeable ladies give their input you will be well on your way!

 

[TheSwal]

oh wow! TOO MUCH??

I get gassed during games so quickly, I figured I was a slacker! My husband trains like a maniac so I feel like the lazy dude.

I use www.thedailyplate.com for meal tracking....I just started doing this last week

I have a big game on May 17th and a tournament at the end of June so I have been really trying to up my intensity.

once my season is over (end of June- September) I can focus more on burning fat rather than building muscle endurance. I'd REALLY like to be able to do a figure comp in fall 2008 or early 2009!

 

[Mandy Polk]

You need more protein at your 6AM and 3PM meal. Two cheat meals a week are probably holding you back.

 

[fitness-rubber]

Hi and welcome to the boards! My but you DO have a delima...

My first guesses with the info that you have provided?

Too much cardio for an extended period of time will actually SLOW your metabolism and you have to keep doing more and more once your body has adjusted in order to keep the same metabolic rate.

That was my initial thought as well...

 

[TheSwal]

Thanks for taking a look at my routine!
I've found it to be such a challenge to eat correctly for this sport. As you can imagine, getting smashed around for an hour takes a lot out of you!

Not sure if anyone is very familiar with the derby, but I am primarily a jammer and need muscle endurance in order to be able to skate faster than everyone else, recover from both small and giant hits and make quick explosive movements to get around my opponents.

Its just such a dream of mine to do a figure comp and then come back to derby and really intimidate people with my muscles and have the skills to back it up!

I appreciate your tips....I'll be adding more protein in the am and cutting back on my cardio/intensity come the end of the season. I've always been inspired to keep training from reading this board and checking out everyone's transformations! Hopefully that will be me one day!

 

[Bikini Mod]

For Figure you really don't need "all that much muscle". It isn't like bodybuilding. I am thinkin that you most likely have all the muscle you need to "intimidate" LOL Base on your description here I am thinkin that I would most likely be afraid of you - skates or not! hehehhee

I am thinkin that the question here is, "What is more important goal?"

 

[TheSwal]

unfortunately for me in roller girl world, nothing about me looks intimidating


anyway, the most important thing for me is sports performance and second is leaning out and getting in figure comp "shape". I just haven't figured out how to juggle it yet or how long it's going to take me.


I'm hoping that the trainer will be able to get me to let go of some of this body fat!