9 1/2 weeks out from my first show

[hoteacher]

Hye Girls!

Just wanted to lend support to those of you going through this competition cutting phase! This is my first show and i started my diet on December 26th. Took some getting used to. I cut out all my sugar free crap. I will be honest, I used to be an aspartane junkie....sugar free everything, pop, syrup, jelly, chocolate sauce! I am missing all of the above dealy but can see the results in my body which is keeping me motivated. My diet consists of nothing but clean food with spices. I am still taking in stevia...is this okay? I do have one chemicla left and that is Crystal Light..planning on getting rid of this at four weeks out. Is this okay? Got my body fat tested today and will continue to get it tested weekly to make sure I am not losing muscle. Bicep lasar test, whatever that is, said I was 6.7 percent...don't really think that is accurate. Caliper test, always done by the same person, in the same places, said 9.5 percent. So, hopefully all will continue to go okay . To all of you competing...I know this is hard! Just keep up the dedication and know the day you walk out on that stage you will look better than you ever have before...at least that is my goal

Here are my updated pics...my husband was kind enough to set this up to chart my progress...my abs and hams still needs some work. My abs are lean, just not popping out. Trying to build them with weighted crunches and decline crunches. However, as you can see the squats are FINALLY paying off after two years!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hoteacher_p/my_photos

 

[caligirl]

LORD, you look awsome!!! you look like your super low BF, I wouldn't doubt 6.7 wow!

 

[scorpiogirl]

Girl, you are SOOO 6.7%!!!!

 

[indyswife]

I agree with the girls, you are definetly 6.7. You look great. Last I saw you on here you were getting married, have you had the wedding yet??

 

[hoteacher]

Hey!

I would like to first apologize for posting these pics here...apparently my husband already posted them on another thread. Lack of communication between he and I! Very sorry. Yes, I did get married! It is a funny story actually! We were in Vegas at the Olympia and decided to elope! We got married at one of those super cheesy wedding chapels! But it was FANTASTIC! We are however, having a "normal" wedding in July because my mother was FURIOUS with me. The wedding plans are on the back burner at this time though with the preparation for this show. I think I fight with my mother on daily basis over my priorities. She just doesn't get this hobby of mine ...thanks again for all of your inspirational stories and ongoing journals that have helped me get to where I am today! I will hopefully continue to post my weekly pics with comments about my progress

 

[indyswife]

CONGRATULATIONS!! Mom's are like that, its such a pain but at least you got to do what you wanted and when you wanted. Its sounds so cute. Congrat's to you both!

 

[Sassy69]

Jeezz.. well not that I didn't expect at least where you are at now --- very nice for 9 weeks out. The only thing I can say is manage that low low low bodyfat to hit the show correctly. I can see 9.5%

My only comments, and I"m having to dig to even come up w/ some (so if I sound picky, anyone would be happy to have these types of nitpicks at 3 weeks out....!):

- Pound the hams & calves more -- just get get as much more size as you can.
- Your side chest pose - I would suggest turning a little more at the waist so it shows more of the cuts in your chest. Also make sure your shoulders are at the even height and pulled back so you don't look hunched up.
- rear & front double bis would suggest putting a leg out so you can show that and add a little more shape to the whole presentation.

The cuts will come in very nicely - I'm really excited for you at this point - and like I said - the biggest issue will just be managing your leanness so you don't lose size of muscle being as lean as you are now. But major kudos to both of you on your progress and your wild marriage!

Can I look for you at the Arnold in March?

 

[Daisy_Girl]

You are looking great ... nice work. I agree with Sassy on the calves and hams, but I can see the progress in your legs for sure.

And congrats on the wedding! Which chapel? (I live in LV)

 

[*Bunny*]

I was waiting for you to post up here

I do not have experience competing, but I think you've done great (esp with the legs) while maintaining such a low BF, which is what your trainer wanted to do.

I agree with Sassy & DG , and my only additional comment would be in the lat area. Your back looks great, but something tells me maybe a little more width if you can swing it. Sassy, DG, Missy of you don't agree please comment.

Great Job HT!

 

[scorpiogirl]

Hey!

I would like to first apologize for posting these pics here...apparently my husband already posted them on another thread. Lack of communication between he and I! Very sorry. Yes, I did get married! It is a funny story actually! We were in Vegas at the Olympia and decided to elope! We got married at one of those super cheesy wedding chapels! But it was FANTASTIC! We are however, having a "normal" wedding in July because my mother was FURIOUS with me. The wedding plans are on the back burner at this time though with the preparation for this show. I think I fight with my mother on daily basis over my priorities. She just doesn't get this hobby of mine ...thanks again for all of your inspirational stories and ongoing journals that have helped me get to where I am today! I will hopefully continue to post my weekly pics with comments about my progress

This thread is the first I've seen your pics, so I'm glad you posted them here! Congratulations on the wedding!!!!! Spontaneous=GOOD (regardless of what "everyone else" thinks or says!)

 

[Sassy69]

I was waiting for you to post up here

I do not have experience competing, but I think you've done great (esp with the legs) while maintaining such a low BF, which is what your trainer wanted to do.

I agree with Sassy & DG , and my only additional comment would be in the lat area. Your back looks great, but something tells me maybe a little more width if you can swing it. Sassy, DG, Missy of you don't agree please comment.

Great Job HT!

Yea, I was gonna request a lat spread pic - but I assumed these pix posted were just a variety of progress pix as opposed to mandatory pose pix. I've commented before that you have sort of a "boy"-type waist which means that the "X" shape between your upper, mid & lower body can appear to thrown off. A wider lat spread can help to offset the width of your waist and create more "X" - that was the same direction I was thinking w/ your front & rear double bi pose - if you step out & flex which ever of your legs displays best when you do those poses, it will reduce the straight up & down look. I'm not saying you have a "fat" waist or anythign - its just that some people are built w/ narrower hips and that proportion can make it look like you are wide in the waist or if your quads aren't sweepy enough, your mid-section can over power your legs & make them appear smaller.

I agree 100% w/ DG on your progress tho! Fan-f'n-tastic! W/ the progress you've made at low low bodyfat, I have no doubt that in the next couple months you can totally build up your hams -- calves just take whatever you can get in the time you have - simply because if you aren't born w/ large calves, it can be really damn hard to develop them except over time.

Then just continue to perfect your mandatories to get the best presentation of your assets to the judges.

Another commnet, along the lines of those who are naturally very lean - make sure you don't come out too lean & look stringy for show time - that may be something you look at w/ your trainer when you lay out your last week's dieting strategy -- focus more on coming in full than on cutting the water would be my thought. You'll be lean enough so where water is the biggest problem for most people, it won't be as critical for you.

 

[hoteacher]

Thanks so much for everyones advice. First question is I am currently training calves, seated and standing, everyother day...six sets of each, about 25-30 reps till they BURN. Should I increase? Start training daily? Also, how does everyone feel about abs. I am lean and can see stomach veins in my lower stomach, but cannot seem to get that think sticking out six pack. How often can I train them? Curretnly doing five sets everyother day 50 reps of crunches with 25lb weight.

I ended up letting go of my trainer due to some teaching style differences...my wonderful husband is now training me ...so I kind of at a loss for my plan for the last week. Should I "test out the water depletion?" and see what I look like. I have worked very hard to get where I am and definetely DO NOT WANT to come in looking stringy! The plan at this time is to take in as much salt as possible so I am holding onto water. I am drinking 2.0 gallons of TAP water a day. At three weeks out I will dramatically increase the salt....then I think the week before I switch to DISTILLED water only. Then cut water on Wednesday before and only take in what I excrete out? Is that right? Sassy....what do you think of this plan? Should I try it first, to see if how I look?

I am also not currently carb rotating except on my day off, when i only eat carbs in the first meal. I know everyone is different, just wondering if now is the time to test all of this out?

 

[nsashbl01]

I was waiting for you to post up here

I do not have experience competing, but I think you've done great (esp with the legs) while maintaining such a low BF, which is what your trainer wanted to do.

I agree with Sassy & DG , and my only additional comment would be in the lat area. Your back looks great, but something tells me maybe a little more width if you can swing it. Sassy, DG, Missy of you don't agree please comment.

Great Job HT!

Lats were one of the first targets actually. They have grown, but still need some. Up untill recently, she could not even flex them. Found a few ways to help her feel them, after gettng them really pumped, she can now flex them. I'm still hoping that they don't call out a lat spread, (often don't for women) because her left trap that is lacking shows in this pose. Being a teacher and right hand dominant, her traps are pretty lop-sided. She also holds her right shoulder higher in all poses, which is very evident in one of these pics. Were working on that though!

Here is a rear lat spread. Not a good one for her, but it's all I have on this pc.... There's three weeks of lat hammering inbetween the pics.... (1/3 and 1/24)...

As of yesterday, I added a seated calf to my home gym to help hammer those calves!

 

[caligirl]

Lats were one of the first targets actually. They have grown, but still need some. Up untill recently, she could not even flex them. Found a few ways to help her feel them, after gettng them really pumped, she can now flex them. I'm still hoping that they don't call out a lat spread, (often don't for women) because her left trap that is lacking shows in this pose. Being a teacher and right hand dominant, her traps are pretty lop-sided. She also holds her right shoulder higher in all poses, which is very evident in one of these pics. Were working on that though!

Here is a rear lat spread. Not a good one for her, but it's all I have on this pc.... There's three weeks of lat hammering inbetween the pics.... (1/3 and 1/24)...

As of yesterday, I added a seated calf to my home gym to help hammer those calves!

Now thats a supportive hubby! So nice to see! My husband is like that too, it's the greatest thing to have someone you care about share your intrest!
great, great, grrrrrrreat!

 

[Sassy69]

See if you can compensate some on the lat spread just by holding the shoulder points up higher. It takes some adjustment to change what you do naturally to balance the presentation out, but it is critical when you are up against other people. Asymmetries, disproportions &l lagging bodyparts are all put up for scrutiny & they become so obvious under the lights.

RE: the salt load & deplete -I'd try it - you are far enough ahead of the game that you should tweak the finer details now. I'd also suggest trying a carb deplete & load - that load should help pull you away from any stringy look & fill you out a lot. I think you also have time to play with that while you are this far out. The salt load -I've done it before, but can't say it ever really made that much of a diff. Discuss your trainer's carb deplete & load strategy tho and see what he says about it.

Another comment - on my last show I did a 5 day water deplete instead of the superload & 3 day deplete. On the Sunday before the show, I drank whatever weight I was in in oz of water (e.g. 142 lb, 142 oz water). Then from Mon - Fri, I dropped the amount by 20% each day, and stopped drinking anythign except sipping as needed. after 3 pm on Friday, I've done the distilled water thign as well - again the perpetual controversy w/ people as to whether or not it works. I have no idea. The 5 day water deplete was very easy for me to do - I never felt radically depleted and I think I dried out very nicely.

 

[*Bunny*]

See if you can compensate some on the lat spread just by holding the shoulder points up higher. It takes some adjustment to change what you do naturally to balance the presentation out, but it is critical when you are up against other people. Asymmetries, disproportions &l lagging bodyparts are all put up for scrutiny & they become so obvious under the lights.

RE: the salt load & deplete -I'd try it - you are far enough ahead of the game that you should tweak the finer details now. I'd also suggest trying a carb deplete & load - that load should help pull you away from any stringy look & fill you out a lot. I think you also have time to play with that while you are this far out. The salt load -I've done it before, but can't say it ever really made that much of a diff. Discuss your trainer's carb deplete & load strategy tho and see what he says about it.

Another comment - on my last show I did a 5 day water deplete instead of the superload & 3 day deplete. On the Sunday before the show, I drank whatever weight I was in in oz of water (e.g. 142 lb, 142 oz water). Then from Mon - Fri, I dropped the amount by 20% each day, and stopped drinking anythign except sipping as needed. after 3 pm on Friday, I've done the distilled water thign as well - again the perpetual controversy w/ people as to whether or not it works. I have no idea. The 5 day water deplete was very easy for me to do - I never felt radically depleted and I think I dried out very nicely.

Water wasn't your problem, it was those dang potatoes ... Sassy you looked unbelievable on that stage

 

[superqt4u2nv]

WOWZA looking fantastic for 9.5 weeks out very lean you upper body is off the hook!

Also I must say since June there has been a very BIG improvment in your legs keep up the hard work you are on the right track!

 

[hoteacher]

Thanks so much for the comments. Forgot to answer some questions ....Daisy-we got married at Chapel of the Bells I guess this is where Vegas Vacation was filmed. It was everyting you could expect from a dwontown Vegas Chapel...but it was the best night of my life!

Sassy-Here is the deal...I let me trainer go due to some teaching style differences so now it is just my husband and I trying to figure this stuff out . The old trainer said noting about cutting carbs or carb loasing...so I am in the dark with this. How should I try it? Carb deplete for three days, then "carb up" and see what happens? I currently take in about 150 carbs per day for four days, then down to 50 carbs on day off, then back again. What do you suggest for the proportions of carb depleting and then carb loading?

Thanks SOOOOO much for everyone's support...

 

[Gymgurl]

WOW you look great....just don't get to lean.....keep up the work!