Category General

Getting Bitten Again

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I honestly thought that my thirst for competing would fizzle out once I earned my Pro Card. It took five years of competing before that coveted goal was met, and I was exhausted from repeatedly hitting the national NPC contest circuit every year. Yet as soon as I hit the Pro stage in Sacramento and Culver City this month, I felt that same drive to compete that I always felt as an amateur. That same challenge to reach a personal best took hold of me, only this time, the stakes were raised significantly. However, even with a low placing, I will always be a Pro no matter what. I have a realistic viewpoint of my potential performance as a Pro, and as a result, I want to make sure that I have a BLAST competing from this point. If the elements all line up, I would love to do one or two international Pro shows next year, and perhaps do a couple of East Coast Pro events. There are a total of THIRTY Pro Bikini contests in 2014, so it will be a banner year for the division!

My Pro debut...here with Amanda Latona

My Pro debut…here with Amanda Latona

Corsets And Binders

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Binding undergarments have played an essential role for women throughout the centuries, molding the ideal female form while also serving as restrictive torture devices. Even as recently as the mid-1960’s, women were obligated to squeeze their bodies into corsets, girdles and other binding devices. Before the advent of the free 1970’s era caused the population to reject constricting undergarments, it was common to see women wear girdles and corsets in an effort to mold the female shape into the ideal hourglass. My mother felt pressure to wear girdles to squeeze her already tiny little body into an even more compact package, molding a 20 inch waist that made men around her swoon. By the time I was born, my mother gave up the notion of manipulating her form in such torturous ways and put her girdles in cold storage. Whenever I would see them in the bottom drawer in her dresser, I would marvel at how anyone would want to wear something so uncomfortable. By the time I reached my 20’s, I developed a strange aversion to tight waistbands and as a result wore dresses most of the time. When yoga pants became popular in the 90’s, I was thrilled because they incorporated a low rise and comfortable fabrics.

Then I began competing in 2009 and realized very quickly how much my body would be scrutinized as I hit the contest circuit. Because I have a naturally nipped in waistline, I never considered that it might translate onstage as wider than it actually was, but with my somewhat narrow hips, I had to consider ratios and angles. By the middle of 2011 I began using corsets and waist trimmer belts to whittle down my waist. My significant other at the time made fun of me, telling me he thought it was pretty ridiculous that I was torturing myself with constricting undergarments. I had to get over my dislike of tight material around my waist. The one thing that kept me going was my desire to attain IFBB Pro status, so I quickly acclimated to the habit of wearing them.

People frequently ask me if corsets and binders work. The answer is a resounding YES, THEY DO. When I am consistent about wearing them, I go from a 24 inch waist to 23 inches, and had actually pared down to a 22-1/2 inch waist earlier this year. If you are a bikini or figure competitor, your waist needs to be as small as possible. Corsets and binders increase intra-abdominal pressure, often relieving back issues, so they are great for low back pain sufferers. They are also fantastic for ladies who are post-partum and who want to get back to their pre-baby body as soon as possible. You can find some very pretty corsets online, but I have a couple of favorites, one of which can be found on this link:

http://www.feelfoxy.com/latex-neon-girdle/

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3929270&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=35-100509697-2

Be prepared for these things to fit VERY snugly! However, make sure you can breathe. If you feel lightheaded while wearing a corset, remove it immediately.corset

The Price Of Popularity

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Justin Timberlake and a fan

Justin Timberlake and a fan

I am beginning to understand why my celebrity friends lament their status and make every effort to remain under the radar. Celebrities have to deal with complete strangers who don’t seem to grasp the concept of privacy. While it is true that being in the public eye almost requires a celebrity to relinquish a good portion of his or her privacy, it is still an invasion when a celebrity cannot even have a nice dinner without some crazed fan gushing all over him. I still recall seeing Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel at a popular Los Angeles restaurant many years ago, with poor Justin essentially trapped by two young ladies who literally stood at his table for THIRTY MINUTES talking his ear off. He was too nice to tell them to leave, but he avoided eye contact, and sheepishly responded to their queries. I have been in similar situations with my celebrity friends when we have been out in public.

Another element of celebrity status which I am actually beginning to experience myself is the impostor syndrome. Apparently, there are individuals out there who claim to be me, using my likeness, my name and my titles. I have worked my ass off to get to where I am now, and I certainly do NOT appreciate such spiritual leeches taking my good name and wearing it. The small bit of flattery which one might assume is at play is, in my estimation, completely eclipsed by the creepiness and the invasion of pretending to be someone else.

I heard an interesting comment from one of my friends today, which was: “The more successful you are, the more haters you have.” I have to admit that whenever I have to deal with a hater, I am rattled by such energy and will never understand how people can go out of their way to spread negativity. Some fans and followers (thank goodness it is the exception and not the rule) develop a very distorted perspective in which they believe that they are connected or bonded to the celebrity they are interested in. This quickly turns into an obsession, with the fan holding onto a sense of entitlement which can be dangerous. If such a fan feels disregarded by the celebrity, a cascade of psychotic behavior can ensue.

Thankfully, the vast majority of people are level-headed and rational and understand that celebrities have a right to their personal lives. Celebrities should be afforded the same respect and right to privacy that ordinary folks are accustomed to. After all, they are only human.

Can’t Sleep? Try This Sleep Aid

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Delta SleepFor many years I have recommended the Delta Sleep System to patients who suffered from insomnia and have had incredible results reported by many people. Here is a description of the system:

There are several stages of sleep that people pass through in the course of a good restful night. In each stage our sleep gets deeper, our bodies gets more relaxed, and our brainwave patterns slow down. The deepest and most rejuvenating levels of sleep are associated with delta brainwave patterns.

Delta sleep is the most physically relaxed stage of sleep, and it is the time when the body recuperates and rebalances itself for the new day. Getting enough sleep, but more specifically enough delta sleep, is essential for healthy, productive living.

Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s breakthrough audio techniques, developed over 25 years of clinical research, are proven to increase levels of delta brainwave activity. He has helped thousands of people to achieve regular, restful, revitalizing, sleep.

How This Program Can Work for You
Play Delta Sleep System on any ordinary stereo or through headphones. Pulses of sound embedded into an ambient musical soundtrack, combining rich orchestration and three-dimensional sounds of nature will coax your own brainwaves toward their natural pattern of deep delta sleep.

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8225570

http://www.soundstrue.com/shop/Delta-Sleep-System/2222.pd

This remarkable system is available in CD and MP3 formats.

Jump In, The Water’s Warm

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JB5_4435_VZXTSPROPX (1)Ever since I earned my IFBB Pro Card in July, I have been challenged by the universe in a number of ways. Instead of boring you with all the details, suffice it to say that there have been significant upheavals which have forced me to rethink and repattern my life. For a couple of weeks I was fine, then I suddenly sank into situational depression, partially due to the fact that I no longer had a Pro Card to chase after. I didn’t know what to do without a show strategy, so I began to redefine my reasons for being in the sport of competitive bodybuilding. As I began to do that, my body began to rebel, holding onto excess water. I struggled for two months, trying desperately to get back on track.

My entire amateur career was well thought out, with a contest strategy planned out every year. I had files on every contest I planned to do, with notes on accommodations, etc. I would book travel details and submit my entry forms well in advance and make sure that every little detail was attended to. I strongly believed that such habits would remain after I went Pro. Not so. In fact, I planned on one event, then decided against it for financial reasons. I then considered competing at two different events in November but took a wait-and-see attitude because my body was still rebelling and holding water.

Then I dove in and made some terrifying but necessary changes. I left one team and joined another, then decided to prep for an event in my hometown. A little over one week after that, I decided at the last minute to also do a contest in Northern California, faxed my contract over immediately and was locked in. I have been scrambling to get my spray tan and food lined up and haven’t practiced my posing at all. I have no idea what I will bring to the stage. This time, I am allowing the current to take me where I am supposed to go. It has been a wild ride to say the least, but I honestly feel that the universe has put all this before me in order for me to grow and move beyond constraints that have been in my life for a while.

If you are in a rut, allow a bit of randomness and chaos to infiltrate your routine. You may be pleasantly surprised by what it brings.

You Need To Go To Olympia

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Olympia is the granddaddy of bodybuilding events, compelling people from all over the world to descend upon Sin City for a weekend of glistening, supertanned muscles, scantily clad bodies, and enough free sports supplement samples to keep everyone amped up with bloated bellies as they walk through the Expo. The Olympia Expo is quite a sensory overload, a smorgasbord of sounds, sights, smells, and tastes! You also should watch out for flying objects since items such as t-shirts are thrown into crowds during hyped-up giveaways at the larger booths. You won’t find too many events in which such action-hero genetic freaks can easily and comfortably congregate. I feel very much at home in such company, and look forward to all the Olympia events every single year.

I love working a booth at the Expo even though it prevents me from seeing most of the competitions that take place in the main arena. I gladly suffer through the sore feet that result from standing and walking all day. Fans and followers will look for the booth I am working at in order to say hello and take a picture with me, and that always means a great deal to me, especially since I know that the crowded Expo hall can be very tricky to navigate when someone is looking for a specific booth or person. Every Olympia is also a great reunion in which I can see many of my fitness and bodybuilding friends from all over the world.

If you have any interest in fitness and bodybuilding but have never been to Olympia, make an effort to travel to Las Vegas one year in late September so that you can witness this incredible event.
olympia-expo

My Cat Plays Fetch! Check Out This Video

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My European Burmese Kazu loves playing fetch and will bring toys to people when she is in the mood to play. I never trained her to play fetch but for whatever reason, she absolutely loves the activity and does it almost daily. Though I love dogs, I almost feel as though I have dogs with my fetch-obsessed Burmese!