My "Holy DOMS, Batman" Booty Call

DOMS seems to be the flavour of the week here - did my Quad Dominant Lower Body Workout today - low reps - managed to squat 62.5kg with good technique four times. That's over my bodyweight, so naturally, I'm sore and excited at the same time. I cannot believe how well the old glutes and hips held together - I spent a bit of time on core activation first and I'm sure that helped.

I also got in an interval run - this time increasing the pace on all of my intervals. It's so nice to feel so full of energy and get these improvements on a daily basis! Doing some heavy, heavy weights has been a great change of pace for me as I rarely train my legs - it has certainly kept me interested! The other great thing is that despite no change in weight, a few people have asked me if I'm leaning out for a competition - which is rather flattering - I'm telling them, "no, I'm struggling to lean over at the moment, let alone lean out!"

I'm looking forward to Upper Body Vertical Dominance training tomorrow and adding the DOMS to my upper body - around RPM of course. John hasn't called me to teach yet, but he is carrying an injury now and a class is a real possibility!

Horizontal Dominance overtake me!

Yes, that's right - I'm looking forward to some hard earned sleep after giving my RPM class a thrashing and doing some Horizontal Dominance Strength training! It's been a day of program writing and admin - I still have to load up the Spinervals stock and the Ladybird - I told my class this morning what a complete dork I am - I borrowed a book on "Time Management" from the library and didn't even look at it until the day it was due. Of course, I had to go and renew it. Who can guess how many times I have looked at it since?

Workout joy!

I've finally made it through the first week of my Christian Thibaudeau program (which incidentally came from the Precision Nutrition forum, rather than any personal contact with the man himself). There are lots of good programs available for nothing if you search the Internet - it is how you apply these programs and whether you choose a program that is the right fit, given your training priorities, fitness level and experience. This program is definitely not geared towards entry level trainers though.

I have DOMS all over and must say that this is the first structured program (after p90x) that I have enjoyed doing for a long time. It's got a lot of variation in tempo, timing, reps etc and best of all, is really enjoyable. It's definitely a nice feeling knowing you're getting stronger with each training session you bang out - though it will be awhile before I bench 67.5kg! My best is way, way way lower than that!

Today I taught RPM for John who had family out from NZ and I had the pleasure of feeling my hamstring DOMS with every pedal stroke and I also did my strength training.

My week is looking like this:

Monday: teach RPM, horizontal dominance RT

Tuesday: run intervals, vertical lower body dominance RT

Wednesday: possibly teach RPM, vertical upper body dominance RT

Thursday: Hip dominant RT, cardio

Friday: OFF - Core Course Modules

Saturday: Horizontal dominance upper body RT, light cardio

Sunday: teach RPM

That should keep me busy :)

Wonder woman!

Whew, what a morning! First up was RPM High Performance and "high performance" has really been the order of the day. Alicia came to class this morning and is looking really really good and looks like she's going to explode out of her skin with pent up energy - her skin is glowing, she's looking even leaner this week and all is well. I found this morning's class really, really tough - amazing, when I found last Saturday's relatively easy. I think it just may have something to do with the strength workout I banged out yesterday.

Then it was off to the Queen Street Mall to watch Lisa compete at the National Powerlifting Titles. I never realized powerlifting could get so emotional as I watched several competitors, willing them to nail their lifts and break new boundaries. It was a bit cold and windy, certainly not the best conditions to be holding a National Title meet but the athletes did superbly. I will let Lisa fill you in on her experience in her blog (she's probably out partying right now) , but what I can say is that I'm proud of what she did today and all of the hard work she put into achieving such an awesome result - so my picture of Wonder Woman is dedicated to Lisa today. Well done~!

Exciting Developments

I have decided to add a few more DVDs to the store, namely the Spinervals series. I have had great results with these DVDs - not only have I improved my cycling technique whilst I was in Woop Woop, they also helped me to stay fit and lean.

The DVD above is a fantastic "Virtual Reality" ride through the state of Maryland in the United States and certainly puts back the fun into using a stationary bike. I haven't done this one yet, but cannot wait. It's bringing the holiday home!

What else? I am also stocking Ladybird supplements - so if you are in the market for supplements, please give me a shout. As you all know, I love Women's Whey and it comes in some fantastic flavours - Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Vanilla Icecream and the like.

However the biggest news is that I am offering some cutting edge technology - genetic testing for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. "Gene Elite" from Excelgene is a cutting edge genetic test that profiles fifteen genes directly associated with fitness, health and nutrition - unlocking your body's metabolic and anabolic characteristics. Because your genetic profile does not change, GeneElite is a once in a lifetime investment that will have lifelong relevancy.

Each gene analysed has several variations(called alleles) and it's the combination of these different allelic variations that define your physiology. You can gain insight into a) Bodyfat metabolism - lipid metabolism/insulin sensitivity; b) Lean Body Mass Development - cardiovascular fitness, muscular health and bone density c) Recovery (antioxidation and inflammation) and d) Nutrition - liver health and detoxification.

It follows hot on the heels of a book by Gina Kolata called "Ultimate Fitness" where she writes about the science of fitness and how some people have major difficulties getting fit or losing fat with certain exercise regimes. Genetic testing can provide insight into this as well as provide pathways for preparation of athletes for their given spot.

I know I must be sounding like an advertisment by now - it's a new tool in our exercise science kit and one that I'm very interested in. I am in the process of testing my own genetic profile. I'll get to find out if I truly recover badly or not (I'm still sore from Tuesday's leg session).

Anyway, I am sure I will have more on these developments as I get into them further! I will be uploading product details to www.thefitnesssolution.com.au over the weekend.

Big day tomorrow - I'm off to support Lisa in the National Powerlifting Titles tomorrow. I'm so proud of her hard work and discipline - without exception (of course!)

Ouch!

I woke up this morning with the most incredible leg DOMS, went for a big walk and taught Bodystep (I just ignored any feeling from the waist down). Unfortunately things haven't "peaked" yet because it is even worse tonight.

I have upper body (vertical dominance ) training tomorrow. It's quite a bit of fun following a specific plan. I will be thrilled to nail this for the first three weeks (this first bit is supposed to stimulate the neural system very effectively in preparation for muscle growth down the track).

Nothing much else to report. I'm like that Pet Shop Boys song, "Being Boring". What I love about the Pet Shoppers is that they have come up with the most amazing lyrics for the most inane situations!

My place in the sun!

This is one of my photos from Jadey last October wearing my beautiful Lorna Jane threads! Brisbane has been dreary and raining, quite the opposite of "Beautiful One Day, Perfect the Next". Seriously, compared with Woop Woop it really is paradise!

Today I met one of my clients who is competing in the INBA comp in October - we trained legs together and I showed her a few of my little "Liz surprises". I doubt I will be able to walk in a straight line tomorrow and if she doesn't have DOMS either, I shall be quite miffed! It was great fun and really motivating to push each other hard. Usually I'm very much a "by myself" trainer in the gym and this was an excellent change of pace.

I then had to teach Bodystep at North Quay to a packed out class of three people. These classes are just as valuable as the big ones - you are forced to "connect" with your participants and to really inspire, coach and motivate. I filled in a little time with some walking treadmill cardio and there was a preview of Mike McSweeney's CORE program which is rolling out in Fitness First around the country. I am booked in to do the training for this in early August - the class revolves around the use of the BOSU and I am looking forward to it immensely.

Then it was home to take the girls to dancing, cook dinner, contact clients and now go to bed!

I know I'll be sleeping well tonight!

Criticism and on being the best

This post is about criticism and what it takes to be the best.

Constructive criticism to me is like eating certain vegetables (eg chokoes). You know it's good for you, but man, does it suck, whilst it's going down.

Firstly I had an email from Coach Dave yesterday, questioning my position in the whole action game by making the choice to pull out from the competition. Whilst I am still adamant I won't compete this year, his words gave me pause for thought - I've been so busy running around these days, I haven't focused on my own training. No strength training for nearly two weeks - not good. It felt at the time, like an equivalent to a JK Rowling "howler" owl.

Then we had a staff meeting at Fitness First. John spoke brilliantly about "creating magic" in our classes - he was very motivating. However, I suddenly looked around at all my other fellow team members and started having self doubts - the "what if I'm not good enough compared to these guys" types of feelings. I then realized later on that I perform so much better when I follow my own path and not worry about what other people think, especially those I don't really know. John's words, however, really made me feel like I wanted to focus on coaching more in classes, rather than feeling nervous, again, about what my class thinks of me.

I'm happy to report that today's RPM class was great - I really focused on coaching and technique (my RPM strength) and my class - and I was rewarded - one participant told me that that had been the best RPM class he'd ever done. That made me feel good.

Moral of this story is that taking on board constructive criticism and working on things helps you to be more successful in the future. It really bit when Dave contacted me - but it turns out I really did need a good kick in the pants.

Day of Indulgence

I have still got the remains of a cold and decided that I would take the day off training. I feel sorry for the RPM Hi Performance crew tomorrow, they are going to get a thrashing :)

I dropped Miss G off at her new Kindy and went and saw the early session of "Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix" - which I thought was done really well. I was wondering how Book Five would be able to be condensed into a movie and the director did a wonderful job.

Then I treated myself to lunch at my favourite Vietnamese cafe (and Lia's too, when she lived in Brisbane), "Phuc Viet" (unfortunate name, but great food) - prawn ,veggie and vermicelli noodles in rice paper rolls with an Asian dipping sauce. Yum!

After that it was time for a visit to Lorna Jane. I am lucky enough to be sponsored by Lorna Jane, who give me a sizable discount off my purchases - I bought singlet tops, socks, tracksuit pants and gorgeous hoodie top and of course a matching headband to top it all off. I also picked up the latest Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine which I was able to enjoy during the bus ride home.

I feel really renewed after a day completely indulging my own whims. Having a date with myself was the best one I've had in a long time - and thankfully all the facilities were there to have a wonderful time.

Thinking Blogger Award

Kek awarded me a "Thinking Blogger" award some time ago and I have had a chance to think about and nominate 5 Bloggers whose posts make me think.

Anyway, apparently I’m meant to pass the award on to 5 other bloggers who make me think. Here’s how it works:The Rules:1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.2. Link to this post http://www.thethinkingblog.com/2007/02/thinking-blogger-awards_11.html so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
So, my 5 ‘thinking bloggers’ are (the envelope, please.....):

1) Rae - whose competitive journey and insights make for a wonderful read
2) Lia - same reason as above, but also not afraid to be honest about herself and her feelings, thanks Lia!
3) Nic - for her honesty in the whole competition process
4) Lisa - for igniting my interest in powerlifting again
5) Hann - who writes about all sorts of interesting things that aren't always fitness related.

Another day at the coalface!

Today Miss G was still unwell (she has been off colour all week) so another day off was had by all. I cleaned out my filing cabinet. It's amazing how much junk can come out of one room, even though I'm not one for hoarding stuff AT ALL.

Today's Figure Poster (thank you for the inspiration Lia!) is Jelena Abbou - she has got lovely symmetry and is competing now as an IFBB pro - and the best part, she's a "natural" athlete.

I have been dabbling with the idea of trying a program by her trainer, Christian Thibandeau, who is an exercise physiologist in Canada. The program runs for 24 weeks which is dangerous for a girl who changes her mind with any given opportunity! It is devoted to hypertrophy - perfect for where I want to go right now. I'm dreaming of big juicy shoulders! However, I'd really like the feeling of being able to say I accomplished it. It does look like it would dovetail in well with my glute training. I will see which way the wind is blowing tomorrow.

In other news, I finally preordered my new Harry Potter Book - which will be hard not to want to look at during our Fitness First staff meeting on Saturday. Luckily I am taking the minutes so I will be adequately distracted.

Without Exception

I'm borrowing this title from another member at LL who has a thread going "without exception". It was good inspiration for me to pass onto some clients today - who is the most successful in their transformation endeavours? -Those who do as I ask "without exception" - those who focus on what is important and discard what is not important. I don't ask for perfection, but I do ask for self analysis and plan of action when something does not go right. Our "failures" are our greatest opportunities for personal growth, they give us a platform from which to learn and grow.

Back to what is most important - if you want an awesome physique you need to a) BELIEVE - that it within your realm of possibility b) BE COMMITTED - to keep the dream alive every day by visualizing it, holding it close to your heart and imagining the possibilities and c) BEING CONSISTENT - even when some days you don't "feel like it". Get over it and do it anyway.

I remember being shocked when I started my foray into Leanness Lifestyle and the requirement was three cups of veggies daily - I had no idea how I was going to do it, especially as I wasn't dreadfully keen on veggies. Today I ate six cups!

Here's how:

Breakfast: oats, protein , milk
Post Workout Meal: rice, Steamfresh veggie packet, butter chicken curry
Lunch: organic chicken sausages (2), 1 cup mushrooms, 2 cups spinach, 2 tomatoes (all stirfried together)
Snack: Berry Super Shake, 2 cups pumpkin soup (homemade)
Dinner: Simple Beef/Bacon Stew with rice, 2 cups broccoli and carrots.

As you can see, it's not that hard once you get yourself in the saddle - the hardest bit is planning how to make the leap!

Training today: teach RPM - I have a bad cold, but I managed to float through class :)

Pushing the limits!

I think this pic of Cathe pushing the limits with an incline chest press is a good one! Similar to how I have been lately and also blows apart the theory that exercise DVDs are for pussies.

I've done a backflip and decided not to compete - I feel like it's all a bit much trying to prepare myself, grow a business and look after the clients I am preparing properly. The best part is that I'll really be able to enjoy the shows through their eyes. I also feel like I haven't had enough time to make changes - ideally I'd like to pack on more upper body mass and be able to perform more functional movements such as squats and deadlifts well. My glutes have been giving me trouble so I am indulging in one on one pilates once a week for the next six months. I'm planning on starting this next week.

With my basket too full, I haven't been sleeping too well and have just come down with a cold. However I know I have made the right decision. I am preparing to expand the selection of DVDs I sell in the next few months, the next addition being the Spinervals range which is superb for both general conditioning and cycling technique. That will be awesome once I get them up on the site.

I'm hoping to be back in the gym tomorrow if this cold is on the way out. Unfortunately I think it is settling in for a nice game of bridge. One can hope!

Little pleasures!

I managed to score myself a new snazzy gym bag from Fitness First today. I have been wandering around for the past few weeks with a gym bag that was about to fall apart - being a staff member of Fitness First, I managed to score a great deal. I can't count how many "Fitness First" towels and other accessories I own!

I had a relatively light day, participating in RPM and recovering from yesterday's workout. Tomorrow I am teaching RPM "Hi Performance" which is RPM class with added tracks, hence the "high performance" part. I have been feeling very strong on the bike of late and really dialling in the load.

With the comp training, I feel I have leaned out a bit more this week, despite killer (almost!) PMS and TOM and the scale is cooperating. I am going to give it everything I have to get there (within the bounds of common sense) - I am a bit behind the eight ball prep wise, but will stay committed to my plan of action and see where the cards fall. I am hoping to contact Jadey for another photo shoot, so I need to be in tip top shape for that anyway.

I am looking forward to a restful weekend and whipping up some new gourmet concoctions to try. It's important to have plenty of variety in your intake, even when prepping. You need never feel like you "are on a diet", ugh! The two things that I really focus on remembering are "setting limits" and "effective nurturing". Set sensible limits with yourself about what you will do and how you will prepare things - and nurture yourself effectively without reaching for a donut. In my overeating days I would draw myself to certain foods as a means of "treating myself" - these days I've swapped my down time to seeing Harry Potter movies - much more fun - though my planned excursion to the cinema on Wednesday didn't come off. Always next week. :) Yeah, I know, I date myself!

I just love these outfits

This picture is of Cathe and crew filming their latest workout - 4 day split. My favourite outfit is Cathe's in the middle - I just love the square cut of the neckline. It's so much fun to be a girly girl.

Taught Bodystep this morning and trained my back yesterday (can one say Holy Lat DOMS, Batman?) Tomorrow is heavy chest day and I have a training partner tomorrow, Miss Em who is my GFC at Toowong. It should be good fun and hard work!

I'm dreaming of summer!

It's still unusually chilly in Brisbane, so I decided to put this summery image up to remind myself that summer is around the corner.

I've had an eventful few days - taught RPM yesterday which was great fun. This was my last week teaching at Toowong on Friday mornings and I'll really miss the crew that do that particular class. The nicest part is having morning tea together afterwards! I ran a lot of errands yesterday afternoon, caught up with everyone yesterday evening and had a great old chat with DH who arrived home after being away for the week in Woop Woop. DH couldn't stop saying that he was so relieved we were not living there anymore and that even going through town gave him really bad indigestion.

This morning I taught RPM again and had the pleasure of Alicia's company in class. It's always so nice to work out with another Figure girl so we were both able to cane it and think about what great hamstrings and glutes we are getting for our efforts! We then had a bit of play in the gym ( I wanted to do a little shoulder work) and then it has been off home to do some laundry, housecleaning and all of that other fun stuff I seem to put off all week.

Shine Sweet Freedom

The Lyrics to my favourite Track 4! Says it all really!

No more runnin down the wrong road
Dancin to a diffrent drum
Cant you see whats goin on
Deep inside your heart
Always searchin' for the real thing
Livin' like its far away
Just leave all the madness in yesterday
Youre holdin' the key
When you believe it

Chorus:Shine sweet freedom
Shine your light on me
You are the magic
You're right where I wanna be
Oh sweet freedom carry me along
We'll keep the spirit alive on and on!


We'll be dancin' in the moonlight
Smilin' with the risin' sun
Livin' like we've never done
Goin' all the way
Reachin' out to meet the changes
Touchin' every shining star
The light of tomorrow is right where we are
Theres no turnin' back
From what I'm feelings

There'll be starlight all night
When we're close together
Share those feelings dancin' in your eyes
Tonight they're guiding us
Shinin' till the mornin' light

Bodypump Princess

Yowsa, what a day I have had - I got to sub Bodypump this morning, a class I haven't taught for about 5 years - did one sub about 2 years ago and that's been it! I thoroughly enjoyed it, yet I am going to be sore tomorrow, I feel like an old woman every time I try to get out of my seat! I was packing up after my class when the 10.30am Bodybalance instructor did not show up. I felt really sorry for the 30 participants that turned up, so I gathered all my cooldown tracks from RPM and Step and voila, "Liz Mills Bodybalance" - I haven't taken a class for many years - doing one when I was pregnant with Miss G (and she is nearly 5). So I remembered my time doing p90x in Woop Woop and did the yoga asana sequence from Yoga X. I really pushed it to the best of my ability and I was surprised to see everyone huffing and puffing into their warrior, triangle poses etc. Then I taught 30 minutes of abdominal and glute focused pilates.

This old girl's got some secrets in her. I was really terrified at the thought of teaching freestyle "Balance", but good old Tony from p90x really saved the day for me.

I'm now off to work and onto the last batch of Fruity Chicken Curry. My next pick is going to be my Lamb/lentil Berbere. It was great during the last winter comp prep and is delicious.

Thank you to everyone who has posted (and emailed ) such nice things about my comp prep approach. The scale has "whooshed" as predicted and eating really well has shaved off a kilogram this week without doing anything weird at all.

Must also remember to tape Heroes tonight. I love that show!

Huge Day!

Huge day today - taught two classes and banged out some weights. I'm going to bed exhausted, but happy.

How to breed eating disorders in Figure Competitors

OK, I'm going a bit psycho here (see pic) when I hear of supposed "experts" that put their clients on ridiculous diets of less than 1000 calories per day, expect them to add lean body mass on such rations and then chastise them for being over fat at the same time. This sort of carry on is rife in the bodybuilding industry and shamefully not the first time I have heard it happen. SEVERE CALORIC RESTRICTION + STRESS + SELF DOUBT (it's hard not to be nervous about wearing next to nothing on stage) + ELIMINATION OF MANY FOOD GROUPS = RECIPE FOR DISASTER. It is really "competitor beware" when choosing a coach. If they cannot come up with a good reason for what they are telling you that is firmly based in science, then it may be time to rethink your trainer.

The most important concern is that if bodybuilding (including figure) are to be taken seriously as a bona fide sport, then we must start treating our competitors as athletes and recommending them to eat like athletes as well. In prepping for a competition there are some changes that need to be made to effectively shed body fat but these aren't any of them.

1) cutting out dairy
2) only eating certain forms of protein
3) extremely low carbohydrate intakes (hello, we use carbohydrates as our main source of fuel - how can we train properly if we don't have some carbohydrate in there)
4) living on protein shakes instead of real food.

It really upsets me to see girls being asked to go on such weird diets and how they blame themselves when they "fall off the wagon" - ever thought it might be the nutrition plan, not the competitor?

Anyway I'm off my perch now.

Here's my intake for the day. How nice is this food?

Meal One: oats, scoop protein powder, skim milk
Meal Two: fruity chicken curry, rice, 2 cups green beans :)
Meal Three: veggie and egg scramble, made using 1 egg and five whites and many different veggies.
Meal Four: Slim Secrets bar (starving!)
Meal Five: Rice cakes with cottage cheese (usually I whack veggies on them but ran out).
Meal Six: 200g prawns in lime chilli marinade, barbequed with 100g smashed potatoes, veggies
Meal Seven: punnet of strawberries and 1/2 protein shake.

I'm often asked - do I change this at any point? My answer is no, unless for some weird reason I plateau, then the sauces go and a little bit of carb but not too much.

Yeah!

Some signs reflect the absurdity of some people and here is one of them.

Monday is usually my busiest day, this is when I write up everyone's programs for the week and get myself organized. I think having a weekly program landing in your Intray every week has got to be fun - and I enjoy giving people surprises!

Today I taught RPM and did a little extra "shake it up" cardio on the elliptical. I talked to the class about fully committing to and living their ride in the vein of yesterday's post. It was wonderful to see everyone taking up the challenge and giving it their all! It really is the best part about teaching classes. Then it was downstairs for a good post workout meal, a little shopping and straight onto the computer!

Comp prep wise, I was a little disappointed not to lose any scale weight this last week( yes, I'm human just like everyone else), but I am feeling fitter and leaner so I am looking forward to a whoosh any day now. Consistency,not perfection will win this race!