A Precision Nutrition Day of Eating

Meal One: scrambled eggs, broccoli, beans and snap peas, slice of low fat cheese and good handful of almonds
Meal Two: Slim Secrets bar and apple
Meal Three: oats, protein (whey), milk, berries (raspberries and strawberries in liberal amounts), pumpkin, cauliflower and carrot soup
Meal Four: 150g cottage cheese and 2 cups mixed steamed veggies
Meal Five: pumpkin soup and nuts
Meal Six: salmon and grilled asparagus :)

Energy to Burn!

Gosh, I feel like quite the mad scientist today - woke up to a Precision Nutrition compliant breakfast of eggs, vegetables and nuts and then headed off to teach RPM for Ruthie T. I really felt like I caned it this morning - I was lucky enough to have Alicia come to class today for a bit of a get together and I told her afterwards that I was really begging for mercy after Track 5 (did anyone say "Pain Killer"? LOL! I got to see Alicia's beautiful Style on Stage Bikini. I have to say I fell in love with the colour and adornments and it made me think it will be fun to compete again when the time is right.

I had been pretty much eating in a very similar fashion to what Precision Nutrition recommends - veggies with every meal, lean protein with every meal, but what I wasn't doing was having enough fat. I'm a fat phobic stuck in the 1990s - I'm amazed at how much better I feel with a bit of extra fat in the old system. I'm experimenting with Precision Nutrition to see if I can "set" my metabolism higher - so it's all a big fun experiment right now.

Ok, best be off to dinner soon - salmon with pecan meal and steamed veggies - yum yum!

Aaggrh Monday

Unfortunately for me, Miss G was unwell today, so I had to call in absent from my regular Monday morning RPM class. I am teaching for Ruthie T tomorrow and fingers crossed, little Miss G is feeling much better.

I still managed to get in a workout today, albeit a little interrupted - I did Cathe's Bodymax 2 - Cardio only premix which clocks in at an hour and later in the day when I felt I wanted to stretch my legs, did a 30 minute Spinervals set on the bike. As I posted yesterday, I am amazed at how much I'm sweating these days - it was less than 10 minutes and the bike and the carpet square underneath it were looking like a bit of a cesspool.

The photo above is of Cathe's newest DVD set due out in September - a 4 day heavy training split with four very intense cardio workouts. I will be in heaven on the days I decide not to go to the gym.

Launches done (back to back workouts!)

I thought this picture was really appropriate for today as I have done "back to back" workouts today - taught Bodystep this morning and RPM this afternoon as well as RPM yesterday morning.

Yesterday morning I taught with Emma, the GFC at Toowong, which I really enjoyed, although I muffed up Track 7 a bit. The great part about it was that because noone had done it before, it really didn't matter.

Then I was up for Step this morning with Luke from CBD who is just an amazing step instructor. He was fantastic.

Then it was RPM today with "Macca" - who I had never met until the start of class but after we got used to each other, we settled down and rode together beautifully. It's great to ride with someone where you're not worried about maintaining the same cadence etc - as the Honda ad says "isn't it nice when everything just works?". What I'm really proud of is that little 5'5" me sweated a noticeably bigger pool of sweat than 6'3" Macca :) It's the little things :)

Thank you to everyone that contacted me about Fattitude and PN - I sold Fattitude and was able to get my PN upgraded so everything is good. I'm doing a lot more with Precision Nutrition now and looking forward to sharing my experiences with it as an independent reviewer (the internet seems to love John Berardi ). From what I've done though, he's very much into eating for athletic performance, health and vitality. Which is excellent from where I sit.

For Sale!

I am selling a copy of Craig Harper's "Fattitude" - it's brand new and unread. I already have a copy of the book - it was originally published under the title of "Your Perfect Body" in 2004.

Anyway it is $20.00 Australian + postage. Feel free to contact me at liznelson@bigpond.com if you're interested.

I also have John Berardi's "Precision Nutrition" Vol 1, including 4 DVDs and "Gourmet Nutrition" for $100.00 Australian + postage.

Rolling along!

Today's training: prefatigue quads workout (10 minutes of ouch!), teach Bodystep - that wasn't part of the "plan" but Shelley called me this morning, sick as a dog and I was happy to help her out. It was a good class - the Wednesday crew are a really nice bunch and as well as working up a terrific sweat, it was good fun.

After class, I grabbed a quick bite - my "On the Go" standby of a Slim Secrets bar and piece of fruit and then headed back into the gym to learn my choreography. After an hour of playing around, I was ready for a shower and lunch (which was prepacked in my cooler/Esky and just waiting to be eaten!).

This afternoon was spent with the girls at Jazz Ballet - they are just too much fun to watch - then home for dinner and catch ups with clients.

Another Rainy Day!

I'm delighted to see another rainy day. It's just one of those days I feel like curling up under the doona with a good book - but not before I meet my training and fitness obligations of course!

This morning's workout was a good one - 4 x 1 km repeats on the treadmill at sub 5 minute k pace with 2 minute recoveries , shoulders and tricep training and then 25 minutes hard at it on the Spin bike going through the new RPM release. I've pretty much stitched up RPM except for troublesome Track 7 and this afternoon I will probably get started on the new Bodystep release.

I'm still in total hunger mode, so I am going to make myself a pot of vegetable soup. Today I am blaming it on the rain! Gotta blame it on something - I do know that I'm not preggers, so I can rule that one out :)

Does anyone know anything about dreams? I had a dream that I owned a cheetah as a pet and despite my misgivings about its fangs, it behaved more like a giant pussy cat. It was very vivid!

Starving!

Ever have one of those days where you are just really ravenous for no apparent reason? I'm chalking it up to RPM today - felt like I absolutely thrashed it this morning.

I'm looking forward to some strength training tomorrow and more work on my choreography.

Rain!

It is raining in Brisbane today - it is so nice hearing the sound of rain on the roof! It's real "get under the doona" weather but for me I had to teach RPM which was quite good once I got going. I also spent nearly an hour going through the new choreography for our launches next week. I just have to knock over Bodystep now and I will be cooking with gas.

Plans for next week include:

Monday: teach RPM + RPM practice
Tuesday: Bodystep DVD + run + weights #1
Wednesday: Bodystep Tracks 1, 7, 8,9, 10 + RPM + weights #2, BOSU work
Thursday: Bodystep Tracks 1, 2,3,4 + run + weights #3, teach Bodystep fill in CBD.
Friday: Bodystep run through, RPM run through, weights #4, BOSU work
Saturday: Launches
Sunday: Launches

IF I can actually nail all this, particularly the choreo for Bodystep without too much drama, I shall be a happy, happy camper.

BOSU madness!

Today's workout involved a mixture of traditional strength training and BOSU work, as per the course work we have for the "Core" program.

My workout went like this:

Warm up: rower

Prefatigue quad workout: leg extensions, then squats as a superset...ouch!

Prefatigue chest workout: flyes then incline bench press as a superset, double ouch! Teamed with BOSU plank pushups, triple ouch!

Bicep workout: Barbell curls followed up by hammer curls.

Then 5 minutes on the bike - Tabata intervals (puke worthy ouch!)

BOSU hamstring/glute work (feel the burn)

5 minutes Tabata intervals (double puke worthy ouch)

BOSU hamstring/glute work (variations)

10 mins escalating intensity on elliptical

BOSU abdominal work

10 minute steady state elliptical (I was running out of gas by this stage and it was all I could muster)

BOSU back extension work.

Thoracic BOSU stretch (aaaahhhhh!)

It was higgeldy piggeldy, but it was quite a workout!

I had energy to burn I guess as we went out for tapas last night and I indulged in some lemon tart for dessert. I haven't had this for yonks and enjoyed every mouthful.

We are now off to take the girls bowling. Should be fun!

Spoiled by DH

It's our 11th Wedding Anniversary today and DH has spoiled me rotten with a Tag Heuer watch. I really wasn't expecting anything as we have been hit and miss over the years with our Anniversary and gifts - someone's been sick or at work etc and things just have never gone to plan. My parents in law visited us in Woop Woop last year to babysit so we could go out ...only the problem was, there was nowhere for us to go, unless you count the vegetable free pub in Banana, yuck.

Anyway I was just blown away by this gift. I have to get the wrist strap adjusted, but I'm going to look great with my watch on one arm and my heart rate monitor on the other.

Speaking of heart rate monitors, I wore mine for training this morning which consisted of:

4 x 1 km repeats - 2 at 5 min k's and 2 at sub 5 min k's which I was rather chuffed with.
Then it was onto the Prefatigue workout - 5 exercises in total which doesn't look like much, but sure packed a punch. Plus I have the most amazing hamstring DOMS from Mike McSweeney's Core course, which was really interesting. I have plenty of practice to do on the BOSU but I'm confident of eventually nailing all of the moves, some which require a lot of balance and core strength/stability, which unfortunately is not my strongest suit. However I find doing things I don't "like" initially turns me into a convert once I'm done!

Never quite the way you plan!

I was looking at how I organized my week and it definitely won't end up to plan - for example
it's been:
Monday: teach 3 RPM
Tuesday: run - sustained endurance + Prefatigue Workout A
Wednesday: RPM @ home
Thursday: Core Course at Mount Gravatt

After that, who knows? I think planning is wonderful but I'm trying not to get too disappointed with myself when things aren't exactly so.

I have started learning the new RPM release - so far, I'm enjoying all of it - I haven't got a favourite track picked, though I'm leaning towards Track 6 - I like cadence work.

Last night I ate fruitsalad for dinner (not the one above, but pretty darn good) - sometimes you go through these phases where you are not one bit hungry. Yesterday and today have been one of them.

Tuesday

What a super inspiring name for the above post! I pulled up much better than I had anticipated from the knockout punch of the three RPMs and did a treadmill run -sustained endurance intervals for 30 minutes which really got up there intensity wise by the end and started Week 4 of the Christian Thibandeau program - the reps are now in the 12-15 range and there is a lot of prefatigue work going on. I trained shoulders and triceps and I can feel the DOMS in the top of my shoulder caps.

It's Miss S's 8th birthday today and she has had a lovely day. It is exciting to see how excited your children get on their birthdays and she's had a wonderful day. I took 27 cupcakes to class today for her to share with her class mates and teachers and this afternoon we had various family members wandering in and out to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Tomorrow is a Public Holiday here in honour of the local Show and I am going to try and get stuck into some training at home.

crap, I'm tired!

I've just taught 3 RPM classes today and the last two were back to back. According to my HR monitor, I burned over 1000 calories. Now if that doesn't deserve a Koko Black hot chocolate after dinner, I don't know what does.

Stepping it up!

I've been inspired by Lia to get myself organized. I'm moving into a very busy week with learning the new Les Mills choreography and attending Mike McSweeney's Core Course for Fitness First - I'm also moving into the next phase of Christian Thibaudeau's program which is all about pre fatigue type work which should be interesting (and DOMS inducing to say the least!).

My exercise week is looking like:

Sunday: Horizontal Dominance Training Upper Body, 30 min cardio

Monday: teach RPM

Tuesday: Prefatigue workout A

Wednesday: RPM at home, learning choreo

Thursday: RPM revision with Em, Bodybalance

Friday: Prefatigue Workout B, cardio

Saturday: Prefatigue Workout C, cardio

Sunday: teach RPM

My personal week is looking like:

Monday: work (programs etc), make birthday cake, cupcakes for school

Tuesday: Miss S's birthday

Wednesday: Public Holiday - activity with family

Thursday: Core Course

Friday: lunch with Steve (it's our 11th wedding anniversary!)

Saturday: 10 pin bowling and Sizzler party for Miss S

Sunday: off

Unfortunately with launches coming up, a day off doesn't look likely until the last week of August. This is when I'm going to schedule another day of indulgence! I'll have certainly earned it.

My other good news is that my physio, Dan, thinks my glute control has improved and he has given me the go ahead to keep squatting, deadlifting etc. I still have a long way to go with it and it will never be perfect, but it's really heartening. I am throwing in the Bodybalance to help open my hips - I did Balance last week and compared to Tony's yoga, it's a piece of cake. Well, not quite - but not as hard as I had remembered it to be.

'flu who?

Seems like there is an epidemic of influenza in Brisbane right now with offices almost being shut down due to illness. My poor hubby started getting symptoms last night and came home from work today feeling dreadful. I've bundled him up into bed and lamented the fact we sold our spare bed before we moved back. I feel like sleeping in our bed with a brew full of flu virus in the air would not be a good idea. I had severe flu which hospitalized me about 7 years ago - I'd love to carry over some immunity from that but I feel too much time has now lapsed. I've set up another mattress in Miss S's room and hopefully that will stop me from getting the flu as well as the usual handwashing etc. measures.

I finally got to do some strength training today - I did Vertical Upper Body Dominance for the last time and was thrilled to note big improvements in my chin ups (nearly back to unassisted). I also got in an interval run and Bodybalance class.

Reflection..

Sometimes you have to do what you don't want to do and sometimes you have to say what you don't want to say.

I was subbing a Bodystep class over at Toowong on Tuesday morning when shall we say, I had some difficulty with a participant. I have rarely had any altercations with anyone during my long group fitness teaching career but this lady decided that she was going to stand right up the front, change all the choreography and not lower her step height when asked. I dropped a hint or two and then I finally decided to stop the class and tell her that it was my duty of care to advise her to drop her step height and that I would not restart the class again until she had done so. She asked me if she could see me after class, which was perfectly fine with me - however her definition of "seeing me after class" involved a whole swag of abuse rather than a constructive conversation. I, meanwhile was harbouring a degree of regret that I'd been such a pussy and not just kicked her out in the first place!

I guess I'm one to just try and give "peace a chance" first!

And on doing something you don't want to do, especially if you are trying to change your physique or your body for the better it is often something you MUST do in order to move forward. Does it feel natural? Hell no, but work at it long enough and it truly becomes part of your lifestyle. Getting plenty of exercise and eating well are now as natural as brushing my teeth but it wasn't always this way! I had to break through the discomfort barrier first - small steps, but it is worth it.

I have been participating in a Veggie Challenge with some other Leanness Lifestylers - at least 4 cups a day all of different colours and at least 10 different varieties. I could have counted the different variety of lettuce I had in my mesclun salad leaves but thought I'd go for more Chinese veggies and baby corn to bring up my numbers. The challenge has only run for a week, but it has reminded me again of how much better I feel when I put clean fuel in the tank. The TOM symptoms are easing and I'm beginning to feel almost normal!

PMS

Ack, PMS/TOM time - and this month I am suffering. I'm usually quite fine during this time, but for some reason a menstrual curve ball has been thrown at me this month which has had me craving sugary junky food and a hot water bottle. Said junky food is out of the house and I'm enjoying a nice cup of tea .....

Yawn.....

Another day done and dusted - did a very nice run today on the treadmill and knocked out some more RT. I deadlifted 62.5 kg (I've only got to double my quota and then some and I will be just like Lisa!) for 4 reps. Seriously, I was thrilled with this as it's a) above my bodyweight and b) something that I didn't think I could manage given my chronic hip issues.

I took my Mum out to lunch as it's her birthday on Saturday - we went to the "Beautiful Deli of the Unfortunate Name" - the Vietnamese cafe called "Phuc Viet". We both enjoyed fresh Vietnamese salads, followed by a hot chocolate. Not quite as good as Koko Black, but still very nice to share a few hours together and catch up.

Tomorrow I am on a Fitness First training course all day, so will be very scarce. I will go for a walk in the morning and prep all my meals ready for the day. I am doing a veggie challenge with some of the other LLers - 4 cups at least, all of different colours. Should be lots of fun and fibre!

Uplift and energy!

Another busy day, done and dusted! I taught RPM for John this morning and absolutely caned myself in the process - average heart rate for the class was 160 bpm and according to my HRM, I torched 500 cals - on fire! I then went and did my strength training for the day - I didn't really feel like it after RPM, but pushed through anyway and got the job done. I was really pleased to see improvements in my lifts from last week, so it was worth the effort.

Later on, I picked the girls up from school and Kindy and we went to Jazz Ballet - we have "Dancing Days" on Tuesday's and Wednesday's - they are such cute little squirts to watch. Then it was back home to cook dinner, and hop on the computer and see what all my clients have been up to and update my blog.

I have been pondering how important it is to "enjoy the journey" and to work at finding the type of training that you enjoy and to eat with the idea of being an athlete in mind, rather than worrying first and foremost about what you look like - because if you are improving on the first two counts, the body falls into line anyway. I am continually amazed by how much energy I have now, versus the lethargy of the "bad old days". Not to say that I don't have my down times - I do, just like everyone else.

Livy was asking me about my Before Shots. For anyone interested, have a look on the right hand side bar under "Leanness Lifestyle" and look under the Success Gallery. There you will see my at my 87kg glory (back shot ).

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!

Enjoy the journey!

I had a good day and taught RPM this morning at Toowong. I had a wonderful surprise this morning - Alicia came to my class - and she is looking so lean and "killer" (pardon the picture) that I almost didn't recognize her! She has made some amazing changes to her body and it was so much fun catching up with her. It just meant I really got to focus more on caning the old legs as I taught class! I have still got killer DOMS from all of those weights I have been hoiking about this week.

Tonight I heard an absolutely fantastic talk about what it was to be really free. Basically the guts of the message was that to achieve true freedom you need to be firm with yourself about what it is you're actually doing, as opposed to mollycoddling yourself and "waiting for it to happen". Who said "time waits for no man?" Thomas Moore? I can't remember. Anyway, I think the statement is so true. If you set yourself a goal, move towards it with full intention with the aim of truly living it along the way. This is another goal of my preparation - to fully live in every training session and every meal and to move with mindfulness and with purpose - to live my own personal truth.

Wow, that was deep...but hey, that's what comp prep does to you - illuminates other things in life which are just as important!

Training and Eating for the day.

For Stacy, here is what I ate and how I trained today.

My eats:

Meal One: 2/3 cup oats cooked in water with 1 scoop Ladybird Tone and 1/2 cup skim milk on the top. Yummy and creamy and vanilla scented.

Meal Two (post workout): kangaroo chilli con carne, 1/2 cup brown rice, 2-3 cups steamed veggies :)

Meal Three: baked apple with cinnamon on top of 200g reduced fat natural yoghurt and sprinkle of protein powder

Meal Four: packet of Steamfresh Veggies - carrots, corn, beans over 125g creamed cottage cheese, sprinkled with paprika, microwaved Plus 2-3 rice cakes with tuna, cottage cheese and as many veggies as I can fit on them ;)

Meal Five: Fruity chicken curry (as prepped from "Survival from the Fittest" -only change is I used half low joule chutney, half regular, and added an apple and some sultanas instead), 1/2 cup brown rice, 3 cups steamed veggies

Meal Six: piece of fruit and a paddlepop (this is my Thursday night treat as I stay up late watching Heroes, Lost and The Amazing Race- and I get hungry )

As you can see I am not one to promote a low carb existence!

Training today: "moderate" day. After hammering myself in RPM and upper body training, I did 40 minute easy run (5.30 min ks) and 35 minutes leg and shoulder training - moves included cleans, leg press and a great divebomber/BOSU shoulder press combination

Am I crackers or what?

Yeah, you read right. As well as my planned 12k run, I'm planning on doing the Master's Figure Division on Oct 14th (ANB). I'm well within striking range of my comp weight, but not as close as previous preps. I've been chewing on this for about a week now - every time I train, I am finding renewed energy and focus and wanted to do this again to prove that you can eat well, not go on any sort of crazy diet and get up on stage in top condition.

I've always wanted to be old enough to compete in the Master's Division and now I just may have a chance.

Off my cardio Hobby Horse!

Yes, I struggled with my running yesterday....why, because I did some intervals straight after cranking out an amazing strength training session - I trained my back/triceps focusing on bigger compound type moves again and I hopped on the treadmill afterwards, wondering why I felt so fatigued! (duh!)

I'm planning on participating in RPM this morning, I can just focus on myself and give it an almighty shake this morning, but not before I do some strength training beforehand.

We are all enjoying school holidays - it's a great opportunity to slop around without having to worry about being at certain places by certain times. I'm not sure what I am going to do with the girls today, but I am sure it will be fun.

Cathe Presale Announced!

Cathe Friedrich is filming again shortly! Her latest project is a 4 day split program which will have some incredible premixes on it. I will be posting details on my site, www.thefitnesssolution.com.au , on how to preorder it. If anyone wants to know more about Cathe DVDs and how useful I found them when I lived in the middle of nowhere, please feel free to contact me via the store contact form on the site.

Here are the details of the workouts:

The Ultimate Weekly Workout Program
The 4 Day Split is designed to be the ultimate cardio and strength weekly workout program that fits your busy lifestyle. It consists of four (approx. 60 minute) workouts. Each workout will have a separate cardio segment followed by an intense heavy weight training routine. We will use the push pull training approach since time is of the essence and we want to effectively maximize your time as we push you to complete and total failure with little to no rest between exercises. The 4 Day Split series will come in one DVD case on two DVD discs for maximum premix value:
Disc A:
Workout #1 High Intensity Step Aerobics Plus HEAVY WEIGHTS Chest/Back
Workout #2 Low Impact Step PLUS HEAVY WEIGHTS Shoulders and core

Disc B:
Workout # 3 Cardio Kickbox Plus HEAVY WEIGHTS Legs and Core Workout # 4 Boot Camp Cardio PLUS HEAVY WEIGHTS BI's and TRI's
* as always, we reserve the right to make changes to content, format, equipment used and workout times without further notice.
Incredible Premixes
The 4 Day Split - Cardio & Weights is a complete workout system and features some of the most versatile and unique premixes us or anyone has ever offered. For example, the normal workout program contains a cardio section followed by an intense strength training routine using the push/pull method; i.e. chest and back. This means you would work each muscle group of the upper body just one time per week. Though a lot of people prefer to train this way there also many who prefer to train each muscle group twice per week alternating upper and lower body. So, we have even developed a premix that does just that by featuring a cardio section followed by a total upper body section. The other disc will have a cardio section followed by a complete lower body strength session.

But what if you don't like training with the push/pull method? Well, don't worry we have premixes that feature different combinations of muscle groups like chest and triceps and back and biceps. Don't like to mix your cardio with weights? Then try either our upper and lower body premixes or our total body strength premix. We even have timesaver premixes for those with time constraints. In summary, almost anything you can think of can be done with Cathe's 4 Day Split - Cardio and Weight DVDs. As always, please feel free to make your premix suggestions in our forums. We always love to hear your input an ideas.

Ooh yes, it's all about me!

Ever have those times where you feel like you are running around like a headless chicken and are so busy spending time with everyone else, that you find you're not spending enough time on yourself?

This last week, I've really let my workouts and nutrition slide, only getting in one good RT session, as I think I taught a class every day this week, except for Tuesday. So far this week, I have three RPM classes on the table and I'm going to build my week around those. I taught five RPM classes, including a "High Performance" class and one Bodystep.

I spent yesterday afternoon prepping a whole lot of meals and it was a great feeling to pull my post workout meal out of the freezer this morning and not wonder "what the hell am I going to eat?" It is kangaroo chilli, brown rice and a plethora of vegetables which should fill me up nicely.

My weekly plan is:

Monday: Teach RPM, lower body stretching on foam roller
Tuesday: Run, Weights A
Wednesday: RPM, Weights B
Thursday: Run, Weights C
Friday: Teach RPM, lower body stretching/core work
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: Teach RPM

Off now to get ready for a busy, busy week. Lots of programs to write today!

Truth in "Despair"

Warning: Liz rant ahead :)

Even though I think this "de-motivation" poster is hilarious, I believe there is a serious undertone to all of this. "Consulting" (as described above) is rife in both the weight loss industry (where companies profit from people's failure) and fitness industry (where I have seen people given questionable training programs and restrictive eating plans where failure is almost guaranteed to be the end result).

This becomes a cycle of people plonking down even more money for the next "new" weight loss thing or personal trainer and becoming justifiably disgruntled when things doing work out. The saddest part is that the 'failed individual' blames themselves - "I must not have had enough willpower, I wasn't strong enough etc etc"

Which is why I consider myself to be an exercise coach/physiologist and not a personal trainer! I believe the best coaches give you the tools and skills to chart an excellent transformation course. Then once the 'transformation' is complete, the tranformee should have an excellent skill set to manage their transformation for the rest of their life (the important bit!) Another reason that I'm glad I chose not to compete this year and decided to work on the "rest of my life" bit. It has certainly been a fantastic journey.

This morning I had the pleasure of meeting one of my online clients for the first time. It is amazing how "knowing" somebody online has translated so easily into the "real life" situation so beautifully. She was able to come and experience being caned in RPM "Liz style" and even though I wasn't feeling 100% (see the Fukitol post), I was able to come home with the goods in the end! The best part was that I had envisioned my client looking like her "before" photos and when I actually saw her, the time we've spent working together has been well worth it because she's looking like a lean and mean machine - just fantastic, which just goes to show that online training can work really well.

I'm looking forward to a restful weekend...but first I have to teach RPM Hi Performance tomorrow at Indro :) Then I'm slobbing out for the weekend. Recovery is just as important as training :)

Thank you Kek

Thank you Kek, where would I be with out you? Life is just blowing...my nose...right now. Colds suck.

No wiings, no Fuckitol!

I've been trying to post Marie's brilliant image of "Fuckitol", the pill you take when "life just blows"! Today has been one of those days where I've had "no wiings" either. It's been one of those days. However that just means tomorrow will be brilliant!

Strut, pout, put it out!

This morning I got the opportunity to sub a Bodystep class. I have not had much chance to teach the last release at all with my schedule so it was a welcome break to get into the Group Fitness Room and "strut, pout, put it out!" (Track 8). It was a lot of fun and a great break from the seriousness and focus of RPM. I will get to teach the class again in a few weeks' time - can't wait.

Apart from that, fairly quiet and cold here today - it's only 12 degrees in my kitchen which is unusual for Brisbane.

Looking forward to it again!

Here I am at Qld Titles last year 2nd from the right!

Today I am feeling more settled and got in a fantastic training session. As I worked out, I really thought about my goals - wanting to nail this run and then getting back on stage next year. I cranked out a fantastic run - what I call my "run of fives" which is starting off at marathon pace and adding 0.5km/hr increments on the treadmill every five minutes for five cycles. I was running 4.30 min k's at the end and max HR achieved was still in the 155s - very happy indeed. If I can just get my glute to function properly, I will be in seventh heaven! I have not been able to run this well (and fast for me) since before Miss S was born (we are talking nearly 9 years ago) and it's a bit of a thrill really!

Then I hit the weights and did a Cosgrove type workout, supersetting:

Incline chest press and Cable Seated Row; Wide grip Lat Pull Down and Shoulder Press (I made this fun by doing "crazy" shoulder presses - on one leg using different weights in each arm) and finally Close Grip Bench Press and High Pulls. I then did two sets of cleans afterwards because I was feeling happy.

This is just enough strength training to keep things interesting whilst I am training for this run - then it will be less cardio and more strength from August onwards (gotta remember the bowling ball glutes!).

Quick check in

What a busy day and weekend! On Saturday I had to renew my First Aid and CPR which is a requirement if you want to work in the Fitness Industry here and on Sunday I had a huge day of Admin, followed up by teaching RPM.

Today I taught RPM and spent most of the day catching up on paperwork and writing programs. I am very busy with DVD orders too all of a sudden which is terrific. I'm very excited to see what Cathe, Amy and Tracey all come up with over the next few months.

I'm so proud of Di - she is the official poster gal for the Queensland INBAs this year. If you haven't seen her check her out on www.journeycontinuesasmrsb.blogspot.com She looks amazing with her RPM legs :)

Energy to burn!

Must have been those extra carbs, I was on fire today in RPM! I just have so much energy! I'm sure some of it is psychological energy because I feel so content and happy with life lately. I'm busy, but it's a good busy! And I've even got enough time to find images like the one I've just posted, hee hee.

PMS is climbing a wonderful tree and being whacked by a coconut!

In other words - the downside of being a woman! You think you've got it all together, then "boom", Mistress PMS comes along and gives you an almightly whack in the chops! I've been hungry, irritable and tired today and craving carbohydrates. I've had some extra carbs, so I'm looking forward to the beating that I'm going to give the bike tomorrow when I teach RPM.

I've put together a good mix including Billy Idol's "Shock To the System" (yeah I'm a Billy fan from way back) and Warp Bros "Going Insane" (yeah, that's me!)

Tomorrow is my big shopping day. I cannot believe how many fruits and vegetables our family eats! I should have put in my threes that I cannot understand why healthy choices have to be more expensive than junk food. I've got this fantastic post workout concoction going - brown rice, salsa, tuna and any vegetable that I can lay my hands on. It's filling and it really helps my rate of recovery.

No other exciting news to mention :)

Fun with "three"

Wondering why I'm back so soon? DH caught the wrong train - it was Express and went right past the station. I don't know where they come up with the notion that men take notice of what they are doing, but never mind.

I've been tagged by Lesley about My Threes:

Three Things That Scare Me:

1) being financially dependent on someone else (ladies, a common theme)
2) being stuck out in Woop Woop again (but that is as likely to happen as is the chance the Pope falls pregnant)
3) my kids not being resilient enough to deal with the downside of life.

Three People Who Make Me Laugh

1) DH - We can easily stay awake all night and laugh at each other's jokes.
2) My brother Dan - he impersonates all of the cast from "Star Wars" and after 20 seconds, I am laughing so much I want to pass out.
3) My bro-in-law David - he is a cop and his stories are hilarious. He was our wedding MC.

Three Things I Love

1) Exercise (duh!)
2) Deep and Meaningful conversations about Life, the Universe and Everything
3) A good book, some warm PJ's and a back rub :)

Three Things I Hate

1) People who "pass the buck" and have an excuse for everything
2) chokoes and liver/pate products
3) The back page of the paper being taken up with Rugby news and nothing about the French Open or any other worthwhile sport.

Three Things I don't Understand

1) Why manufacturers think that images of Betty Boop are desirable on Women's PJs. Give me good old flannies any day.

2) Why underpants come in the ugliest prints imaginable!
3) Why people think that giving up processed crap is a sacrifice.

Three Things I'm Doing Right Now

1) Cooking dinner
2) Bathing the girls
3) Setting the table

and being on the computer. Yes I am Supermum!

Three Things I Want to Do Before I Die

1) Go to a selection of major sporting events - Grand Slams, Olympics etc
2) Travel the world
3) Learn another language

Three Things I can do:

1) Make a mean cake and the best choc chip cookies!
2) I am known as the "bloodhound" in the family. I rarely use a map in finding out where to go ;)
3) Teach a great RPM class

Three Things I can't do well:

1) origami. I totally suck!
2) clean houses. Bores me to tears
3) remember lines from movies.

Three shows I watched as a kid:

a) Scooby Doo
b) Battlestar Galactica
c) The Six Million Dollar Man.

I am going to tag three people to do this - here goes -

Magda (because I loved your seven things so much)
Lia (for the same reason)
Alicia (because I want to know if she knows who the Six Million Dollar Man was)

Embracing Discomfort

“Do not fear risk. All exploration, all growth is calculated. Without challenge people cannot reach their higher selves. Only if we are willing to walk over the edge can we become winners.”

Not exactly sure where this quote comes from, but it really sums up how I am feeling today. I came to the realization today when I was running that I could afford to take some risk and push myself that bit harder. Today I ran 5 minute ks and managed an average heart rate of 144. I'm really amazed by my progress and my fitness level - I've never really imagined myself as being that fit, but obviously I am.

Sometimes it takes time for the mind to catch up with the body and to actually see that improvement and challenge is possible.

Sooo today, big improvement in my running (and glutes not too bad) and some bigger lifts with my weights. I am really looking forward to this race and the prospect of competing again next year - I'll be the chick with "bowling ball glutes". A girl can dream, right?

Spreading Myself Too Thin!

I have been troubled by a few issues and finally I came to a decision today. I think that I have had a case of "Woop Woop Rebound" - that is, I have gone from being totally bored out of my tree to being so busy that it hurts! I have decided to shelve plans to work in the personal training area at Fitness First for now, and have decided to focus on growing my online business, which after only a few months has exceeded all of my expectations! Doing both options would have meant either giving up my own training for now or doing it at ungodly hours - life is too short to be miserable - being in Woop Woop taught me that. The PTC was extremely understanding about my lack of time, being a mother as well and I'm grateful to be just doing the Group Fitness Stuff.

After all of this talk about training, I decided to take a rest day. I feel so much better for a bit of down time and have spent the day catching up on correspondence and long overdue paperwork.

Lots going on!

There seems to be an awful lot going on in the exercise DVD world. All of my DVD suppliers - Amy Bento, Cathe Friedrich and Tracey Staehle have announced that they are all filming new DVDs shortly. I will be posting presale details on www.thefitnesssolution.com.au shortly for anyone interested in purchasing the new DVDs. No charges will be made until the DVDs are in stock.

My other announcement is that for Fitness Solution clients, I have partnered with David Greenwalt, owner of the Leanness Lifestyle ( www.leannesslifestyle.com ), to offer all of my clients Club Lifestyle access and "The Leanness Lifestyle" book and MP3 downloads for a heavily reduced price. As many of you know, I have been a member of Leanness Lifestyle for nearly 3 years and it is David who taught me how to prepare for a competition the right way. David recently competed at the NPC State Titles in Illinois, coming 2nd in his division. Amazing for a natural athlete in that particular federation. You can contact me through www.thefitnesssolution.com.au for more details. I am very excited about this partnership and I recommend the book as "The Text" for all Physique and Figure Competitors. However it works just as well for regular Challengers.

Taught RPM this morning and gave the bike (and the class) a good caning! I've been dreaming up an even better combination of tracks to give the ultimate workout! What else? Just busy doing paperwork and cooking up a big batch of pumpkin soup. Winter is a great time for soup!

The heart is willing but the body is weak

Whoa! Busy today. I started off with another New Member Orientation, helped out a friend of mine with a revised program gratis. I was glad I did this as she mentioned that it was her birthday tomorrow, so the free session had come as a wonderful surprise. Then I decided to do my workout.
I decided to test out my running and did 10 cycles running 4.45 to 5 min k intervals - felt really, really strong and was maintaining my HR under 145 the entire time. Then all of a sudden my right glute failed. I lay down on the floor and tried to activate it when it occurred to me that my glute function has really gone down the gurgler because I haven't really been focusing on it, thinking "she'll be right mate" as any good Aussie would. I then did some glute activation exercises and decided that I will have to rejig my program to work up to Cosgrove lower body training more effectively. I'm a bit disappointed, but in the end I've never been let down by doing more preparatory work first. I'm going to talk to my physio, Dan and possibly get into the Pilates studio once a week for some one on one help with it. So stay tuned for my new and improved glute program!

Come rain!

Big news for us Brisbanites. It is raining! Not just a little shower, but it has been raining pretty solidly all day. We are in the midst of Level 5 Water Restrictions so having this rain is absolutely wonderful.

Training has been great these past two days. Firstly I did my strength training yesterday and really pushed it. I then saw two clients for New Member Orientation, who both signed up for Triple Packs with me and then I got in 50 mins steady state running. I am going to sign up for the Bridge to Brisbane which is a 12km distance. I think I am well online to easily go under the hour which is my goal. That I am having a break from competing this year means I can let "Enduro Liz" break free again! This morning I backed up and gave the 9.30am RPM class at Indro a thorough pasting. I really enjoyed myself, the fitness is coming back and I no longer sound like Darth Vader on the microphone.

Tomorrow I have another New Member Orientation and I am committing to squats, deadlift shrugs, Bulgarian split squats and the like and am probably going to do some interval training for my cardio. My energy levels are pretty good - I'm attitributing that to plenty of good food and positive mindset.

Spinning that wheel

Life has just been full of RPM these days. Taught RPM yesterday and today and am going to enjoy tomorrow as I am delving back into my weights again.



I officially start some of my training duties at Fitness First with a new member orientation at 10am. I'm going to squeeze in my weights before hand and do my cardio after lunch. It's times like these I'm grateful for my age and experience - the thought of attracting clients doesn't fill me with dread as I think it does the younger trainers - I'm busy enough as it is, so I'll just take it nice, slow and relaxed, Liz style.



I really enjoyed teaching RPM today - did a great mix of CDs finishing off with "The Night Train" which comes from RPM26. That's my favourite!

Makes all the difference!

Yes, good food does make all the difference. I have been eating very healthily for about two to three years now and I have always felt like I had become used to just how much better my body runs on a) good choices and b) lots of variety. I rarely eat junk food, except for the occasional treat when I feel like it (there is such a thing as being too healthy). Except for yesterday - I was extremely busy and on the run all day. Even though my choices weren't super dreadful - I had a McDonald's Extra Lean Burger for lunch and a couple of slices of Pizza Hut Thin and Crispy veggie supreme pizza for dinner, plus my usual vegetables , it really did feel like I was not running on "premium unleaded" like I normally am. Sometimes it takes these sorts of days to realize just what a difference eating well makes.

This is why I ask my clients to aim for "consistency" and not "perfection". This way you can learn from your actual experience without beating up on yourself. Was I "perfect" yesterday? - no - but my experience helped me solidify what I know about good eating. It's just another way of "walking the walk."

Shall we say, I don't think it helped with my post workout recovery - taught a great RPM class, but exhausted this morning.

Today I have enjoyed catching up on some housework and am off to do a little food prep - pumpkin and cauliflower soup is the go :) I just cook my regular pumpkin soup, only I add in a head of cauliflower. It's a little more textured than the pumpkin soup, but it's nice and chunky which is what I like.

Tomorrow I am off to Get Active Brisbane with DH and the girls. ( www.getactivebrisbane.com.au ) and teaching RPM. Should be a busy, yet fun day!