Tag training

New Contest Prep Site Launched! Please Check Out CutCurves.com!

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If you are ann NPC Bikini or Figure competitor, or you are THINKING about competing, please check out my newly launched contest prep site! I have a full menu of services, so if you just need assistance on posing, or if you need comprehensive coaching, I am here for you ladies! If you are new to competing, it is important to realize that a lot of details go into looking your best onstage:

PROPER TRAINING FOR YOUR BODY TYPE AND THE DIVISION
PROPER AND STRUCTURED MEAL PLAN
PROPER SUPPLEMENTATION
PROPER SUIT CUT AND COLOR
PROPER ACCESSORIES
APPROPRIATE STAGE MAKEUP
WELL APPLIED SPRAY TAN

On top of this there are countless other details which are easy to overlook if you are already overwhelmed with the pressure of competing.

I will guide you through the entire process so that you won’t need to worry about those little details. Programs are delivered via email so you do not need to live locally in the Los Angeles area.

http://cutcurves.com

I Don’t Glisten, I SWEAT!

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Just in case there are people out there who think I don’t hit it hard at the gym, let’s get one thing straight: when I go to the gym, I work my tail off. Once I have entered the gym, my game face is on. Within five minutes of my lift I am sweating like a pig, moving rapidly through the exercises with no more than 30 seconds between sets. I am not afraid to make my physical efforts known via occasional grunts and yells. This is because I lift HEAVY, or I move so quickly from one exercise to another in a superset that I always create an intense workout vibe which has me out of breath and feeling my muscles work.

It always bugs me when I see ladies at the gym who are covered in makeup, with cute little outfits that they must adjust so frequently that their rest time between sets often extends beyond five minutes. There are reasons why I wear the message tanks that I do. I don’t want to be bothered with chit-chat or lose my focus on what I need to do at the gym. When things get really intense I will drip sweat all over the benches (and YES, I wipe this up with disinfectant). I don’t wear makeup and my hair typically goes up into a utilitarian ponytail. The image I posted here is a rare one with my hair down. I often finish my routine with a sport bra and tank which are soaked through with sweat. I don’t care if I look like I ran a marathon. That’s the idea. I like looking like I just kicked my own butt. Because I just did.

So if you are looking for a pretty princess at the gym, you won’t see her anywhere near me!Gym Sweat

THE NO-EQUIPMENT FULL BODY WORKOUT ROUTINE

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Pushup ImagePeople frequently ask me how they can exercise when they do not have gym memberships and also do not have any exercise equipment whatsoever, so I have designed the following full body routine with these people in mind.  There is no equipment needed for this workout, but you should expect to break a sweat and work out intensely with this routine!

THE ROUTINE:

Squat into Side Leg Raise:  stand with feet shoulder width apart.  Squat down so that you are sitting back behind your heels with your back perpendicular to floor (if you need support, hold onto the back of a chair for balance).  Come up from squat position, raising right leg straight out to side as you straighten up.  Bring leg back to floor and return to squat position, then raise left leg straight out to side.  Keep squatting then raising one leg out to side, alternating legs.   Perform 10 to 12 repetitions.

Do not rest, but go immediately to:

Jump Squat:  Get into squat position with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.  Jump up, then return quickly back to squat position without resting.  Perform 20 repetitions.

Do not rest, but go immediately to:

Front Lunges:  Stand with feet close together.  Take a big step forward so that back knee almost touches floor and front knee is bent at a 90 degree angle.  Make sure knee does not go beyond your toes.  Pause for 3 counts, then return to start.  Repeat with other leg.  Perform 15 repetitions.

* Repeat above sequence four more times for a total of five complete supersets.

Mountain Climbers:  Start in pushup position with arms straight.  From this position, lift right foot off floor and move right knee to chest.  Return to starting position and repeat knee to chest move with other leg.  Continue without stopping, alternating legs.  Perform 15 repetitions.

Do not rest, but go immediately to:

Wall Pushups:  Stand facing a wall with hands shoulder width apart on wall and your arms parallel to the floor. Place feet together about two feet away from the wall. Bend at the elbows and bring your chest toward the wall.  Perform 15 repetitions.

* Repeat above sequence four more times for a total of five complete supersets.

Dips:  Facing away from a sturdy chair, hands palms down on edge of chair and place legs straight out in front of you with heels on floor.  Lower body to floor by bending elbows (keep elbows in and pointed straight back during movement) until butt almost touches floor, then return to start.  Perform 10 repetitions.

Do not rest, but go immediately to:

Back Pushups:  Start position is similar to traditional pushup, but place your forearms on the ground with your fingers touching, forming a triangle with your elbows. Bend at hip until butt is up in the air, with your torso and legs forming an upside down V. Slowly lower your chest toward your hands by bending at the elbows. Perform 15 repetitions.

* Repeat above sequence four more times for a total of five complete supersets.

Traditional Pushups:  If you have problems supporting your weight on your toes, place knees on floor during movement.  Perform 10 repetitions.

Do not rest, but go immediately to:

Arm Circles:  Hold arms straight out to sides so that they are parallel to floor, palms down.  Rotate arms in a circular motion from front to back at an approximately 12 inch diameter.  Perform 20 repetitions, then switch motion so that you are rotating from back to front and perform another 20 repetitions.

Do not rest, but go immediately to:

Supermans:  Lie face down on floor with arms straight out in front of you.  Raise your arms while slightly extending the spine and raising your chest off the floor while also raising your legs off the ground so that both your arms and legs are several inches off the floor.  Hold raised position for a count of five, then return to start.  Perform 10 repetitions.

* Repeat above sequence three more times for a total of four complete supersets.

Calf Raises:  Stand on a step so that your toes and balls of feet are on step and your heels drop below level of step.  Hold onto something sturdy and raise up so that you are on your toes.  Return to start.  Perform 20 repetitions.

Do not rest, but go immediately to:

Toe Taps:  Stand with feet about six inches apart.  Raise up on toes and tap one foot, then the other, as if running in place while on your toes.  Make sure to remain on your toes during the entire set.  Perform 25 repetitions.

* Repeat above sequence three more times for a total of four complete supersets.

Planks:  Start position is similar to traditional pushup, but place your forearms on the ground with your fingers touching, forming a triangle with your elbows.  Make sure your torso and legs form a straight line with no arching, bending or sagging.  Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds, then relax.

* Perform four sets of this exercise.

Vertical Leg Crunches:  Lie on floor and extend legs straight up in air with knees crossed.  Place hands behind head for support.  Contract your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulder blades off the floor so that chest moves towards feet without moving legs.  Lower and repeat.  Perform 12 to 15 repetitions.

* Perform three sets of this exercise.

Competing On a Budget

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Find original post at:  http://www.rxmuscle.com/rx-girl-articles/6778-competing-on-a-budget.htmlpiggy bank - Copy

Several weeks ago I calculated the total amount which has been spent by my sponsors and by me on all costs associated with the half dozen national qualifiers and the thirteen pro qualifiers I have competed in since 2009, and almost fell over in my chair.  I am by no means blessed with disposable income so I can honestly say that my drive to compete has required a tremendous amount of financial and personal sacrifice.  However, I realize that many of you prefer to keep expenses to an absolute minimum, so I offer a number of suggestions on how to meet the financial demands of competing without putting undue strain on your wallet.

  1. Set a specific competition budget and stick to it.  I have a separate “show fund” in which I set aside money for competitions and am well aware of what I can and cannot afford.  I know competitors (and I admit I have foolishly pushed myself to the limit in the past) who have paid a show entry fee then later came to the realization that they could not afford the other expenses for the event and had to back out of it.  Once a budget is set, it is important to limit oneself to the number of competitions which will keep one within budget.  This can be challenging, especially when one is on a mad quest to chase a national qualification or pro status.

 

  1. Look for a sponsor. I have had competitors ask me how to obtain sponsorship and who also lament the fact that it is exceedingly difficult to land sponsorship from a supplement company.  My response to this is that sponsors can come in all forms!  Here are some suggestions for potential sponsors:

 

Fans

Friends and family

Business associates

Fitness clothing companies

Smaller supplement companies

 

The trick to asking for sponsorship is to graciously ask for assistance in paying for an event.  Remember that even a small amount will help.  I have competed at events which have been sponsored by a number of entities, with the tan covered by one, entry fee covered by another, flight by yet another, etc.

 

  1. Stick to nearby contests.  It makes sense to compete within your geographic area if you are trying to keep costs down.  If you are competing at local and regional events, make sure these events are within reasonable driving distance from where you live.  National-level events are much trickier since they are fewer in number and take place in very specific areas.  If your budget allows it, you may consider competing at pro-qualifiers provided 1) your budget allows it, and 2) you limit the number of pro-qualifying events you enter.

 

  1. Stay with friends.  If you are considering competing at an event which is far from where you live, consider asking friends or family who live near the venue if it is possible to stay with them.

 

 

  1. Purchase a used competition suit.  Many competitors will retire gently used suits and put them up for sale.  This is a great way to get a suit without breaking the bank.  Keep in mind that you should determine whether your body is similar to the competitor who has worn the suit, as this will greatly affect how the suit fits YOU.

 

  1. Bling out your own suit.  A competition suit encrusted with crystals can range from several hundred to thousands of dollars and can really kill a competition budget!  A great option is to purchase a plain suit then purchase crystals, beads or sequins from wholesale supplier online, then apply the embellishments yourself.  Please refer to my article on How To Bling Out Your Own Suit for more details on how to do this.  By choosing this option you will save a considerable amount of money.  In addition, you can customize your design, making your suit truly one-of-a-kind.

 

  1. Do your own makeup.  Out of the eighteen competitions I have been in, I only had my makeup professionally done four times, and that was in 2009 and 2010.  Since then, I learned how to apply makeup for the stage and as a result, have saved a significant amount of money.  Please refer to my article, Perfect Stage Makeup for pointers.  Also make sure to PRACTICE a couple of times before the contest so that you don’t wind up with a disaster on the big day.  There are plenty of great tutorial videos on YouTube which will walk you step-by-step through makeup application for a smoky eye.

 

 

  1. Do your own hair.  Generally speaking, you really don’t need to get too fancy with your hairstyle.  For figure and bikini, either flatironing for a sleek look or adding big, soft curls will look nice onstage.  Fitness, women’s physique and women’s bodybuilding may necessitate putting some hair up if you have hair that is long enough to get in the way of your routine.  Make sure to use either smoothing serum for flatironed styles or hairspray for curls so that things stay in place.  However, do NOT make your hair so stiff that you cannot gracefully move it off your back during your back pose.

 

  1. Apply tanning solution yourself.  This is a tough one, since I always have my tan done professionally.  However, if you are truly on a tight budget, it is certainly possible to apply tanner yourself.  The only limitation will be when you need to tan your back.  There is a tool which you can purchase called Xen-Tan Hard To Reach Back Applicator which does a decent job of evenly depositing self-tanner on hard to reach areas if you aren’t able to find someone to help you apply your tanner.  This clever device is available at a number of sites, including Neiman Marcus, Zappos, 6 PM, Amazon and Ulta.  I merely chose the Ulta site because that is where I purchased mine. http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2242675&productId=xlsImpprod4141877&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat90022

 

Make sure to apply a thin, even layer and allow to dry before applying the next layer.  The number of layers you will apply will depend on your base skin tone and the brand of solution you decide to use, but you should plan on applying two to five coats of color.

 

As for the solutions which I consider the best for stage, I love Jan Tana High Definition Color and Liquid Sunrayz.  Bronze Angel by Dream Tan is also great.  Some people love Pro Tan so this brand may also work well for you.  However, I personally cannot use this product as it fades immediately on me, hence my hesitation with this particular brand.

 

I hope these tips will enable you to compete at the shows you have your eye on! Best of luck!