My start in Body Building

I am often asked how I got started in Body Building, what motivated me, and how strict my diet was. 

The photo below is from my very first Body Building Competition. I took First place in my class and was also the Overall Women's Champion. Let me tell you, this was the fourth most incredible moment in my life. (My daughters have the top three ranking!) 

In the fall of 1997 I started training with a personal trainer (now my husband) basically to improve my form and learn proper lifting technique. After about a month of training with him and completely changing my eating habits, other people starting noticing significant changes and asked me if I was training for a contest. Not knowing exactly what they meant, I asked my trainer "what is this contest" everyone keeps asking me about. After he explained what it entailed I was intrigued. He explained that it required a lot of hard work, time & discipline. That wasn’t enough to deter me, I wasn't afraid of the work involved, I just wasn't sure parading on a stage in a tiny bikini flexing and posing was something that I wanted to do. Nevertheless, I decided that I was going to do it. 

I had been training for about 2 months when I decided the day before Thanksgiving that I was going to enter my first amateur bodybuilding competition that was coming up in February of 1998. I was going to be 30 that April and I thought this would be my next accomplishment.

So began an even stricter eating regime and a grueling workout schedule. I was not going to let anything get in my way, and I remained focused and dedicated, giving it 100%  for the next 3 months.  

I started taking photos each month to track my progress. Back then people were not taking videos with their phones and posting daily pics in the gym.  I kept a journal of everything I ate, drank (which was only water, nothing else), and did during the day (3 years worth, which I still have in boxes in the barn. I joke that one day maybe I will publish a book). 


The next step was choosing music and putting together a routine. I decided on a song by Eric Clapton, "You Can Leave Your Hat On." Having absolutely no dance experience myself, it was necessary to call in a professional. I had a fabulous and very patient choreographer who put together a sexy, feminine & dazzling routine for my 1998 Flint Mid Michigan performance where I was the overall winner. I also competed in the 1998 Natural Michigan with a similar routine to the same song. The next year I had a new sassy routine for the 1999 Great Lakes Natural (My favorite part of this video is hearing my daughters yell "go mommie" throughout it.)  On top of everything else I was doing, I then had to schedule time for tanning, while working on my routine and learning the poses for the contest which was rapidly approaching. 

The support and kindness I received from everyone who helped and cheered me on those last few weeks was awesome.

The day of the contest I was so nervous, but I was ready and prepared. That day was a whirlwind of emotions. More than 70 people including my family, friends and many members from the gym that I trained at were out in the audience cheering me on and hollering my name. The morning entailed pre-judging where you go out on stage and are compared to all the other women in your weight division (I was in the middle weight division). There are a number of required poses you are expected to do. Then, you have about 60 seconds to go on the stage as an individual and do your own posing routine for the judges. In the evening, that is when the real fun happens. You have 90 seconds to go out and perform your routine (that you saw in the link above) for the audience and show off all your hard work. I went out there on that stage and performed my heart out.

At the end the event we are called back out on stage to announce the winners. I remember two women already congratulating me before anything had even been announced. I was the only competitor on that stage from a different gym. When they announced my name as the first place winner I can't tell you how amazed and surprised I was. Then, I had to go back out on stage and compete against the other two women in the other divisions (light and heavy). All I heard while I was out there were the screams and cheers from the audience all yelling my name. I went out there and boy I made sure that I was going through my posing routine front and center, the judges weren't going to overlook me. I had come this far and I was determined to go all the way! My heart was pounding so fast when they handed my award to me; words can't even express what I felt. I was just overwhelmed to have so many of my family and friends around me to share that incredible moment with. 

The discipline and hard work paid off.

During the time while I was preparing for the contest, I ate 6-7 small meals a day. I trained twice a day with my trainer, rode the Airdyne bike 3 times a day for 20 minutes every six hours for my cardio (and I’m not talking about a leisurely ride, they left me breathless). I would practice my routine over and over. I practiced it forward, backwards, in the dark, to music, not to music, blindfolded; I had to be prepared for anything that could happen while I was out on that stage. 

Chicken, fish, egg whites, hard boiled eggs and oatmeal, along with plenty of fresh vegetables & salads made up many of my daily meals. When I first had to make modifications to my eating habits, I wasn't sure that I would be satisfied. You'll be amazed to find out how satisfied you are when you control your portion sizes and eat every 3 hours. It takes a little getting used to at first, but after a few weeks it is like second nature. Preparation is key! I always made sure that I had plenty of meals prepared ahead of time and kept a cooler of food with me at all times. This way, I knew I would never miss a meal and I could stay on track. 

Healthy, clean eating habits, plenty of cardio, yoga and weights are a necessary combination to meet your goals. The weekly deep tissue massages were a welcomed treat.  I wouldn't have made the progress I did had I neglected any one of these areas. 





Overall, this was an absolutely incredible experience. Shortly after competing is when I decided to pursue my certification in Personal Training and start helping others lead a healthier and fitter life. After my experience with this, I saw how my hard work and determination affected the lives of so many others close to me. Family and friends started changing their behaviors and engaging in more physical activity and making healthier choices all around. Some ask me if I will compete again, well we will just have to wait and see.

1998 Flint Mid Michigan

Overall Women's Champion

1999 Great Lakes Michigan 

February Fitness Challenge

With the start of the new month approaching in a few days, there will be a new challenge. Keep up with all those burpees, push ups & squats for the remainder of January and get ready for some core work!  Those of you who like a challenge know how to increase the load or the intensity to fit your activity level.

An AMRAP is "as many rounds as possible". So, on Saturday's you will do as many rounds as you can of the 3 movements for 20 minutes. Start your timer...begin doing the noted sit ups, v-sit ups and plank. At the end of 20 minutes how many did you complete? Let's say the first week you did 4 full rounds and you did only 5 of your V-sits when you reached 20 minutes. You would have completed 4 + 15 reps.

Here is a V sit up

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Eating Clean

What do you have for breakfast? Today I found a new way to enjoy my eggs in the morning. I took 1/2 cup of egg whites (13g of awesome protein & no fat!) and whipped them, then added some chopped spinach. I poured this into the waffle maker and topped it with Frank's Hot Red Sauce. The texture was perfect (different, but turned out as I had hoped). I can't wait to try this again with my banana & eggs. Stay tuned!

I couldn't even finish all of it. That made my dog happy. 

My outdoor playground

How cool is it to have your very own outdoor fitness playground? VERY COOL!! 

And it's even better when you get to invite your fitness friends over to join you. 

Bring your group out to train outdoors! 

This is The Leviathon by our company -The Big Bad Rack 

40' hand over hand, 6 20' rope climbs, 16 wallballs targets, Salmon Ladder, Parallel Chin, Battling Rope hook ups, & plenty of space for chin ups & squats.

There are many tires for flipping, along with a 1/4 mile fitness trail with rock climbing walls, log jumps, chain climbs, straw bale jumps, chin up rack, and tire runs all within a beautiful wooded setting. 

Rain or shine, you are bound to have a great time. 

Here are some links to some video trailers of groups working hard & having fun.

CFM Adventure WOD 2013

Basketball Team

586 CrossFit

In less than 6 hours the New Year will be upon us. There were a few monthly challenges that did not get posted onto the blog last year, but I wanted to make sure I started off the New Year with a challenge. With all the challenges that I post you do not have to worry about having a gym membership, or any fancy equipment. The only thing required is a desire to change and a few minutes of your time. If you find it difficult to stay on task with your workouts, why not reach out to a friend or family member to help keep you accountable. 

Resolutions and setting goals are another big deal as we close out one year and look forward to another.  Some of us take this time to reflect on those lists we made 12 months ago and check off the goals we accomplished and ponder the ones we did not. If you are sitting there making new lists for 2015, be sure to set realistic goals and a plan for reaching them. Begin small by setting a goal that you would like to accomplish in the next few weeks and then set a goal for something you would like to accomplish in the next 3 months, in 6 months, in 9 months and by the end of the year. Don't forget to make a plan on how you are going to accomplish each of those goals either.

Good Luck & Have a Happy, Healthy New Year!

No Equipment Necessary

The September Challenge makes it very easy to get in your workouts just about everywhere. All of the exercises this month are designed with your own bodyweight. YOU are the perfect gym! Each week there are different challenges, so you can time yourself if you want to to see if you can get a better time by the end of the week (remember, don't sacrifice your form). I have incorporated rest days into the schedule, these are great days to practice yoga, meditation, or prepare meals ahead of time for the next day.

August Challenge

Do you ever really think about the food you put into your mouth? During the month of August, I challenge all of you to keep a record of everything that goes into your mouth for the next 31 days. At the end of each week take a moment and a RED pen and review everything you have written down. Circle anything that you need to eliminate from your diet (pop, diet pop, beer, wine, cigarettes, candy, fried foods, butter, processed foods, etc.) and try not to consume that the remainder of the month. You might be surprised by how much sugar you consume, or how many cigarettes you smoke on a daily basis. 

Try to replace white rice with brown rice, white potatoes with sweet potatoes, whole milk with skim milk. Ask yourself these questions: Are you eating enough whole grains? Are you eating enough vegetables? Are you eating small meals every three hours? What do your portion sizes look like? Do you skip breakfast and have a huge dinner? How big are your dinner plates? How many times do you chew your food before you swallow it? Do you chew? OK, that last one was suppose to be funny, but on a serious note...slow down! Enjoy your food and get in the habit of setting your fork down between bites. 

Try to identify patterns or feelings that might steer you into eating certain foods, or activities that may lead you to drink or smoking at certain times of the days. 

Here are some links you might find useful to get started: 

EXAMPLE FOOD LOG

HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU EAT

Don't get caught up in the latest "diet". It is important to eat 5-6 small meals everyday spaced out about every 3 hours. Everyone has different dietary needs and if you have concerns, you should consult with someone who has a degree in Nutrition (www.personaltrainerforhire.com) who can help you with the correct portion sizes based on your goals and activity levels. 

A simple thing to keep in mind is if it comes in a box don't eat it. If it has an expiration date, you don't need it. 

The next part of the challenge is to work on your cardio during the month increasing the frequency and intensity each week. The fourth week, you will choose an alternate form of cardio to do once a day for twenty minutes, something that challenges you or that you do not do very often or did not do the first three weeks of the month. For me, it might be jumping rope for a full 20 minutes or running, because I usually ride the bike for the majority of my cardio work. 

Good Luck!