EXTREME FIT NUTRITION

Leg Training

Rebecca — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:26:50 +0000

Since I’ve started competing I have had to work hard to change my physique. My muscles that always seemed to lag behind were my legs. The workouts I had been putting myself through prior to my first show had been enough to give me a win for my class, but weren’t going to cut it any longer. I had to put some serious size on if I wanted to win shows. For months I stuck to a workout regime that stayed fairly consistent in regards to exercises, methods, and frequency. So I want to give a sample of a workout that has shaped my legs into what they are today.

Legs

Exercise Weight Reps Sets Rest
Leg Press 80% of 1RM 8-12 5 2min
Hack Squat 80% of 1RM 8-12 5 2 min
Lunges Bodyweight 15 3 1 min
Leg Curls 60% of 1RM 15 3 1 min

All pressing exercises I do 1-2 warm up sets. One set with no weight to feel the movement and target the muscle that I want to work. Second set I increase weight 50% of 1RM. This is not a standard example of my workouts, but this is a rough estimation. Don’t forget to make you’re your muscles are warm before lifting to avoid injury. Always make sure reps are controlled so that YOU are moving the weight and it’s not moving you. And make sure you have a spotter if your lifting heavy weight.

Mind Set of a Champion

Carlos — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:15:27 +0000

Mind Set of a Champion

It’s a harsh saying but none the less true, “the weak will only make you weaker.” That is true of the mental programming of regular people and those who choose success. All people, regardless of background, will face adversity in their quest for greatness. Whether it’s coming from a rough neighborhood, broken family, or some other type of unfortunate life situation. Still these people don’t see the obstacles as a stumbling block but as a hurdle that needs to be jumped.
In bodybuilding, or any athletic quest, those who choose success are those who choose to wake up early to get in their training. Those who manage a family, without neglecting them, and still succeed. People who stay on the chosen path even when they don’t “feel like it today.” It’s easy to excuse our own failures and assume that those who passed us by are just lucky or don’t have it as hard as us. Those who receive the prize are the ones who push through till completion. Even if you don’t win the satisfaction is knowing that it wasn’t from lack of effort or perseverance. I’m obviously not the champion of champions…lol… but I can honestly say that whatever success I have had wasn’t because it came easy but because I kept my faith and chose to keep pushing. So make the choice to succeed and find reasons to fight through not excuses to quit.

Consistency

Jennifer — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:41:18 +0000

Consistency

The best way to train anything, be it your mind, your body, or your dog is to be consistent!

We have recently taken our dog, Bruce, to a training facility and now that he is trained. It’s our turn to train him. If we don’t enforce the rules and act consistently than we can’t expect consistently positive results from him.

How do you expect to lose weight or tone up if you don’t follow your plan? If you make excuses like I’m tired or I had a craving and I had to have it you are setting yourself up for failure. Just like we would be if we allowed Bruce to pull on the leash as we take him on walks bc we are too tired or can’t be bothered with correcting him. How can we expect our dogs or ourselves to achieve results if we aren’t putting the effort in?

You can’t!

Everyone needs a break every so often– just like Bruce needs playtime or a treat for work well done, your body may need a rest or maybe a treat for working hard.

But a Reward – is a something given in recognition of effort, achievement or service. DON’T get confused between a reward and making excuses. You know the difference between the two and you know the results you will get if you aren’t strict with yourself.

Be honest, strict and consistent with yourself!

Watch Out For Sugars!

Rebecca — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:32:35 +0000

Watch out for Sugars
With a new year is there a new you? Dieting turns out to be the most difficult part of losing weight. I know all the women out there reading this agree with me on that. So now that the holidays are over and the pounds have managed to creep up on you it’s time to get your body back on track. The Thanksgiving pies and holiday parties haven’t done your body any good. Aside from the emotional comfort that’s as far as the giving goes from those sweets. You may have been on a dessert routine before bed for the past couple months and now think it’s impossible to stop. I know once I start with one cookie it doesn’t end there. Instead of having treats loaded with sugar that put you into a laughing frenzy opt for something that won’t make you crash. When I have a craving for something sweet I make a box of my sugar-free jello. It is next to 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugars, and 0 fat. This makes it one the perfect desserts that curbs my craving without the added calories! Some people might laugh at me because I think of sugar-free jello as an enjoyable snack, but when you’re on a serious diet jello is AMAZING. If it’s early on in the day I might have one of my sugar-free Jolly Ranchers. One piece averages out to about 5 -7 calories and 5-7carbs. Sometimes I even stretch the one piece out and only have half and save the rest for later. They taste just as good and anything loaded with double the sugar and calories. I’m sure you can catch the theme here; stay away from sugar! If eliminating sugar from your diet seems impossible then do your best to keep the servings small and towards the beginning of the day. Making sure that sugars are eaten earlier on in the day gives you ample time to burn them off before you go to sleep. One of the worst things you can do is search the fridge for cheesecake before you hit the sheets. The only things you are going to gain from that are fat cells! And don’t think for one minute that it’s going to be fat in the right places either. Sugars are quick to digest and spike your insulin which results in you feeling energetic for a short period time and then leads to you feeling sluggish and hungry once again!
The lesson of the day; watch out for sugars.

Getting Noticed

Jennifer — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:42:45 +0000

Getting Noticed….

So you trained hard, followed your diet, and spent endless
hours doing cardio..

You look your best.. But..

How do you get noticed in the endless sea of girls that
steps out on stage?

All doing all the very things you did to get to this very
same moment…

Do you have a complete package? Depending on your division, an opportunity to
showcase your personality may be a little more challenging if you do not have a
routine.. but you can make sure that you showcase your personality..

Wear your suit.. don’t let it wear you…

First and foremost make sure it has a good fit.

Choose a color that stands out in a flattering way..

Rock a suit style that reflects your personality, is it
sweet, sexy, edgy?

When you walk out, walk out confident, make eye contact and
smile. Make sure when you walk out, you
take your time, and create a signature walk, whether it’s a little turn, a
little swag, or a wink.. do something to
get yourself noticed that will grab the
judges attention and allow the judges to remember you and stand out..

Make sure your posing is fluid and professional looking and
find ways to make it yours. Whether it
is simple quarter turns.. make it count and make turn it into a small routine.

–Great physiques can be overlooked because competitors
haven’t taken the time to show a polished product on stage.. and lack the
“professional” stage presence

Shaping System Kit Workout

Admin — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:48:23 +0000

Click on the link below and watch Gina Trochinao train using her Shaping System Kit Workout. She gets a great pump on GEN LABS’ pre-workout WReckon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEURXlPddlg&feature=em-share_video_in_list_user&list=UUNRAvo9Rcwl5u149u0CxA-Q

Shed the Armor

Tiana — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:53:27 +0000

I have had such a hard time putting together my next blog. At least four times, I started writing something and just stopped. Even this morning, while driving to work, I recorded voice notes with some ideas and canned them all. Here’s where the challenge is for me… I tend to get very deep, personal, and emotional, right from the start. I have my own vulnerabilities and have learned to embrace them over the last 2 years. Took me a year and a half in therapy to really become in tune with WHO I AM and be comfortable with it…. And there’s a perfect example of me always keeping it real… I’m not ashamed to admit that I went to a psychologist on a weekly basis for 18 months. The reason why I started seeing him is irrelevant here. What I can tell you is it was one of the best things I did for myself.

As an adolescent, I silently picked apart everything that I disliked about myself… always looked for the problems, the loopholes, the voids… and then beat myself up about them. To the outside world, I was a tough chick… but internally, I wasn’t skinny enough, I didn’t look Latina, my skin was too white, I was too big, my face too round. Oh, and let me tell you, if I did not get an A on a test, paper, or assignment, I would lock myself in my room and pull all-nighters… even in high school. To call me an academic overachiever would be an understatement. I wanted to be the best at everything. Always had something to prove.

“Yes, I am female. Yes, I majored in Mechanical Engineering. Yes, my family was ripped apart when I was a kid. Yes, I will beat you in anything because I learned how to fight before I could walk. You will never break me because I am stronger than you.”

Intense? For sure… But I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not been tough as nails. I come from a family of fighters. My parents groomed me to be a warrior from day 1. Without the ability to overcome obstacles, I might not have been able to earn my degree or get my pro card. I am not done fighting the good fight… there are still many things I hope to accomplish in my lifetime, but I have learned how to relax and appreciate the journey as much as the destination. Cliché? Yes, but very fitting here. It took a lot of practice to shed that armor and embrace the woman underneath, but I am glad that I did. Most of my sarcastic attitude has gone out the window and instead of complaining about things I don’t like, I focus on the things I love. My whole attitude has changed and things are easier than before. The steps I took towards self-realization have changed my life.

I really didn’t know where this blog was going to take us, but I hope you enjoyed it.

Priorities

Carlos — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:08:23 +0000

Everybody’s question after you finish a show is “what’s next?” They want to know if you are jumping into this show or going here or there. A lot of things need to be considered before I jump into a competition. One is the cost verse benefit. This isn’t cheap. I really only do shows that require travel and are national or international events. I have to cover most of my cost and I am not a wealthy man. Lol. That being said at my age and years doing this if I wasn’t at this level it’s time to find something else. For my business it does me well to do the big shows and do well. I’d rather place top 10 in a world event then win the local show. Other factors can be health, family issues or work schedule that are all relevant and important.
My most important factor is my family schedule. I don’t want to interfere too much on family outings and plan my shows so it doesn’t mess up their time off. I compete at different times of the year and that includes summer. Having two kids means summer is free time for them but not always for me. I had planned to do a show September 1st. That meant dieting all summer. I had done a show in March and really never let loose too much on my eating and started dieting for the show at the end of May. One day while having lunch with my son I was eating my salad while he had his burger. He said “remember daddy, you said we would eat cheesecake together this summer?” That hit me. I did promise and for him, spending time with me freely is more important than me winning a show. I stepped up my prep and did a show at the end of July. I place 2nd at a National show. The best reward was going straight from the airport and having that pizza and cheesecake with my wife and kids.
Keep chasing dreams and goals but don’t lose touch of the most important things. For me my kids will only be young once so I want to enjoy them. Our families should support us but also support them by giving of yourself back as well.

If it ain’t working…

Carlos — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:36:04 +0000

We’ve all heard the phrase “do what you’ve always done and you will get what you always get.” It still amazes me when someone at the gym says this year I want to add 20lbs of muscle or lose X amount of weight. My first response is always to ask how they plan to go about it. The answer I usually get is “I’ll just keep hitting it…” Well, if you’ve been “hitting it” and nothing has changed what makes you think that continuing to do so will magically make things different? You could make your life easier if instead of pushing on a door that won’t open, stop, read and see that it says “pull”. Life is not always about hitting it harder but doing it smarter. One of my favorite movie lines is from “Christmas Vacation” with Chevy Chase. In one scene he has the family (in laws and all) come out to see the house lights that happen to not work. The Father in law lets him know and the daughter tells him “grandpa, he worked very hard.” He then responds, “So does a dishwasher.” Work smarter.
Now you say”how do I do that?” Simple, learn. Read, research and apply yourself. Don’t just randomly ask people in the gym. Anybody who is successful has become so through learning and being humble enough to seek correct information and instruction. The people with ego will continue to do stuff wrong day in and day out and never seek correction. In their puffed up mind they believe that the problem is not them but some secret formula that they haven’t discovered yet. Whoever or wherever you go to get your info check the source. It’s not about how big, beautiful, or the amount of trophies that person has. It’s about where do they get the info and can they show that their system works. I don’t know it all, but I know that, and always seek more knowledge from people who can provide it. I’ve been blessed to be able to speak and learn from some awesome people. How many professional athletes (fighters, track, golf, tennis, etc) have coaches and trainers? And these people are professionals. Even they continue to seek for more. If you want change seek wisdom from the wise.

Stay Focused

Rebecca — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:37:44 +0000

Losing focus of your priorities is quite easy. Our busy lives only seem to get busier as you’re loaded with more and more responsibility each day. The to-do lists seem to get longer as your forget to make those phone calls and trips to the store. I would think that most of us aren’t lucky enough to have a personal servant who keeps track of our errands so we have to find a way to manage how we can accomplish tasks efficiently. So, when worrying about how you’ll find time to get through that forever growing list where does extra time to hit the gym come in? Whether you are new to the gym or are consistent from day-to-day this concern applies to everyone. No matter who you are there has been a time where you fell off from your regular workout routine either due to lack of motivation or finding other aspects of your life to be more important at the moment.

So my question to you is… How do you prevent yourself from being sidetracked? And if it’s too late to prevent what measures can be taken to overcome life’s distractions?

I think it’s very normal to fall off from a workout routine and be distracted. Clean eating and lifting weights is essential to a healthy lifestyle, but missing a workout or even a week of training will not be detrimental to your gains in the gym and can even be beneficial. Many people are not aware that there is such a thing as “overtraining”. The body makes most of its gains while in recovery and if you deprive yourself of off-time you can be hurting your chance to grow! Now don’t misunderstand me here. I am by no means saying it’s okay to work out once a week or take 6 months off and switch to deep fried foods! If you follow that protocol your body may be growing in the WRONG places. The real question that you need to ask yourself is, “how important is being fit and looking good to me”? Also, “what am I willing to sacrifice in order to make it to the gym everyday”?

Those who hold their health as a top priority in their life are typically the ones who manage everything else life throws at them. When you make yourself number one on your to-do list everything else somehow falls into place. How is it possible to be unhealthy physically, mentally and emotionally while juggling your day to day responsibilities? How successful will you really be?

Everyone should always take a moment and figure out what it is that matters most to them. .. Now what do YOU have to do to make it happen!