16 Weeks Out – NPC Nationals

So as of today, according to my countdown calculator, I am 12 weeks out from my next show (2011 NPC Grand Titans) and 16 weeks out from Nationals!
As customary for me, here is progress photo for day one. And actually here is a progressive photo of my body in the month of July at 3 different points.





So for the last few weeks, I have increased my cardio. I’ve definitely gotten tighter as seen from the pic btw the 16th and today (the 29th). The changes are sublte but noticeable. My waist is smaller, so are my hips and bust. Legs have come down a little too. I’m on my period today, grrr, so the scale jumped up to 137 as of this morning, but I know it’s because my uterus is exploding, I had quite a bit of sweentener last night (crystal light called my name, and I had a number of sticks of sugar free kind. The dessert ones… I don’t even really like gum), and I made a little turkey broth from the remains of this breast I bought from the grocery store. I put a lot of salt in it, so I think it made me retain quite a bit.

So given those factors — plus I have yet to finish drinking a full gallon of water like I’m supposed to — I’m doing pretty good.

I’ve also been working with my posing again. I’m MUCH more relaxed I think and not flexing ANYTHING. Just hitting the shape and resting assured in the fact that my muscle size and conditioning can display what I have on its own without doing too much. I’m still very lean, I could probably hop into a show if I dropped water, so I can see my definition pretty well. But I think my back looks smaller in my back pose, and the legs are a HUGE HUGE HUGE improvement.

Now, I don’t flex my legs AT ALL. Toes forward, and I’m actually very slightly rotating my knees and hips inward because it helps to really reduce the size of my quad sweep and goes for a better flow from top to bottom. My knees are soft too. Even in the pic taken on the 16th, my quads are really sweeping outwards still, without the inward rotation of my hips and knees. I’m afraid when I get on stage because my legs are just naturally my strongest body part, it will still read as being bulky. Even when I turn to the back now, the quad sweep is GREATLY reduced. So I can focus on really hiding them.

I don’t want to get so small that I go too far. I think I have a huge asset in my muscularity, and I think that many girls actually work to put on a little more size when they turn pro. I don’t have to worry about that, only maintaining balance and symmetry and playing up my strengths (I’m not sure what my physical strengths are right now, I feel like everything is a flaw). The dieting will also help me to get this waist nice and tight. I’m at 25 3/4 inches there!! That’s small for me, and I want to get smaller, maybe an even 25. 

Anyways everything is going very well. I’m trying to remain patient and not burn myself out due to my own ambition to change and transform.

I’ve got ballet tonight. I did 60 mins AM cardio, then a very short 1/2 hour power workout (upper body/total body stuff, light weights, worked more on lifting speed and explosion), a few hous later I then hit the weights for a total body high rep straight set workout. Basically 3-4 sets, 25 reps, 1 min rest, light weights. Did upper body and, quads only. Friday is more my single jointed/body part workout (w/ the exception of chest/back, it’s also bi’s, shoulders, quads, calves, abs etc). Then 30 mins SS cardio to finish. 

So basically I need a nap right now!