Toni
photo by: Reg Bradford
Saturday, February 19, 2011
It is all in the PLANNING!
So ... I have been sick for the last couple of weeks and thought maybe this is a good time to touch on how i deal with training through various 'obstacles'...one being sickness. Sorry the BLOG has suffered in this time frame too!
1) Sickness
2) Un-Forseen events such as weather/school closings/kids home sick!
3) Vacations/out of town meetings
1) SICKNESS: My Philosophy in general, is that: neck up...no fever...and manageable with over the counter meds...gym training as usual.
*( please note..no one wants to spread sickness at the gym, however I find it is between the gym and Wal Mart that I catch colds...so I can't live in a bubble).
Yes you may feel week, you may feel blah, but it is important to maintain scheduled lifting and cardio days even if it is a light 'going through the motions' workout, and a long walk o n the treadmill. I find that my energy level comes and goes thru sick days, and while prepping for shows it is inevitable that i will have some sort of cold/adversity to keep me from my 100% workouts.
2) WEATHER! ( weather/school closings/kids home sick) So your local meteorologist and you are not seeing eye to eye when it comes to training..what do you do?! How do you manage?! Key as always is to BE PREPARED! Yes, it is winter. Yes, it will snow...question is WHEN..EASY! pull up the Weather Channel online on the tv...watch the news. Iphone that info. Then make plan and preparations for terrible weather. You and everyone else will be heading to the grocery store of staples like toilet paper, milk and bread....make sure you are stocked on proteins, greens and clean carbs too! Prepare your meals to take with you in case you get stuck out of the house, and have a weekly plan for cardio alternatives and lifting alternatives. I some times see weather delays as a perfect opportunity for well needed REST! However, the diet needs to be in check, and there needs to be a definite plan of attack for a week calling for SNOW, ICE, RAIN ...what have you. Adjust your workouts around the weather, rest on the days you are isolated, and don't let it destroy weeks and weeks of hard preparation!
3) VACATIONS/ OUT OF TOWN MEETINGS
This is also something where i feel you most likely KNOW well ahead of time what is coming ...so all you need to do is PLAN FOR IT! Plan for meals out, days lacking full throttle gym and or cardio. Know that you have complete control of what you are eating and how to order straight from a restaurant menu! Keeping control of your intake is key on vactions and out of town business trips, there are moments where it may be OK to indulge and treat yourself. But be honest to what you are eating, why you are eating it and how that will effect your contest training and prep. I always stay at hotels with a gym, so that no matter how LAME the workout equipment may be, there is no excuse!Use it and get creative with what you are dealt! Cardio can be as easy as walking on a treadmill, or the BEACH, or laps at an outlet mall, or lunges down the hotel hallway. You may be 'off' of regular training routine, but again PLAN for it and you will not be unravelling weeks and weeks worth of hard work!
What does it all come down to? PLANNING and PREPAREDNESS...be prepared for it all. There will be times that nothing goes as planned, but the small amounts of detail you have created for your Plan B or EMERGENCY back up will make life easier. No one's contest prep is without adversity.
1) Sickness
2) Un-Forseen events such as weather/school closings/kids home sick!
3) Vacations/out of town meetings
1) SICKNESS: My Philosophy in general, is that: neck up...no fever...and manageable with over the counter meds...gym training as usual.
*( please note..no one wants to spread sickness at the gym, however I find it is between the gym and Wal Mart that I catch colds...so I can't live in a bubble).
Yes you may feel week, you may feel blah, but it is important to maintain scheduled lifting and cardio days even if it is a light 'going through the motions' workout, and a long walk o n the treadmill. I find that my energy level comes and goes thru sick days, and while prepping for shows it is inevitable that i will have some sort of cold/adversity to keep me from my 100% workouts.
3) VACATIONS/ OUT OF TOWN MEETINGS
This is also something where i feel you most likely KNOW well ahead of time what is coming ...so all you need to do is PLAN FOR IT! Plan for meals out, days lacking full throttle gym and or cardio. Know that you have complete control of what you are eating and how to order straight from a restaurant menu! Keeping control of your intake is key on vactions and out of town business trips, there are moments where it may be OK to indulge and treat yourself. But be honest to what you are eating, why you are eating it and how that will effect your contest training and prep. I always stay at hotels with a gym, so that no matter how LAME the workout equipment may be, there is no excuse!Use it and get creative with what you are dealt! Cardio can be as easy as walking on a treadmill, or the BEACH, or laps at an outlet mall, or lunges down the hotel hallway. You may be 'off' of regular training routine, but again PLAN for it and you will not be unravelling weeks and weeks worth of hard work!
What does it all come down to? PLANNING and PREPAREDNESS...be prepared for it all. There will be times that nothing goes as planned, but the small amounts of detail you have created for your Plan B or EMERGENCY back up will make life easier. No one's contest prep is without adversity.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Top Question from last week: What does my diet look like?
PRE CONTEST:
What Nutrition Plan Has Worked Best For You?
(A Sample Day of Each Meal Eaten Throughout Your Training)
The following is a BASIC plan that i have done while prepping for a show. So this would mirror a bit of my PRECONTEST prep for 15-12 weeks. It does change through out the timeframe, so this is a sample/example. I will adjust things Depending on my energy levels, weight, and daily exercise, and # of weeks out.
MEAL #1
6-10 egg whites with salt
1 cup spinach
6-10 egg whites with salt
1 cup spinach
4oz Sweet potato
MEAL #2
50g About Time Protein Chocolate
1 slice Ezekial Bread
MEAL #3
6oz chicken with 1-cup asparagus or steamed broccoli
1/4 cup quinoa
1/4 cup organic tomato sauce
MEAL #4
6oz protein (tilapia/chicken breast/turkey breast/ extra lean ground beef) with a raw spinach salad
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
MEAL #5
6oz chicken with 1-cup asparagus or steamed broccoli (or 10 egg whites w/ salt for protein source)
Meal #6
50g About Time Protein Chocolate
Every other day I take in extra fats in the forms of Natural Peanut butter (2-4 tbsps a day with protein shakes) and ¼ cup of raw unsalted almonds or cashew. On those days I do not add extra salt to foods. I vary this diet every 2-3 days: high fat/ high protein days with days of high fibrous carb vegetables/ high protein. I eat one cheat meal for whatever I am craving once a week up until 4 weeks out from a competition. I vary my carb sources, and move to more fish for proteins closer to shows and take down my carb meals to strictly around BIG workout days.
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