! Bodybuilding !

Learning
What is bodybuilding? Thesaurus.com describes it as follows: “The process of developing the musculature of the body through specific types of diet and physical exercise, such as weightlifting, especially for competitive exhibition.”
Hmmm, sounds pretty simple, but is that all there is? If bodybuilding is so simple, there would be bodybuilders walking all over the place. We would have a gym in every place of work and the processed food industry would be dead. Which, you will agree, is not the case. Okay, then why do so many individuals, with a strong desire to start with, fail in the process and never reach their physical goal? Because it is not easy; because it takes time and patience; but mostly, because you have to work for it! Becoming a bodybuilder is not something that can be done overnight, I don’t think anyone has ever woken up one morning saying, ''HEY! Look at me, I’m a bodybuilder!!'' The whole process of getting into bodybuilding is a much more complex one. Bodybuilding isn’t something you can acquire after a twelve week body transformation challenge. It’s a slow process that comes from inside-out; first the mind…then the body. Simply put, you don’t just get to be a bodybuilder, you learn to be a bodybuilder.

The Food
For most people, food is almost always associated with pleasure: a good bottle of wine and dark chocolate shared with a loved one; a BBQ party with close friends. But, for our bodybuilder, food has a whole different significance. FOOD = FUEL. Fuel to feed the body. Fuel to feed the mind. Fuel to train harder. She knows that without food it will be impossible for her to build her beautiful muscles. Mostly she doesn’t eat for pleasure, but for the results! Each day she will plan and prepare each of her meals in advance. She knows exactly what she will eat that day. Each of her daily meals is to be split into the precise ratio of protein, carbs and fat. All of this depending upon her goal. For her oats are not a cereal, but a complex carb; broccoli not a vegetable but a fibrous carbs…. which she’ll probably be eating by the truckload pre-contest. She doesn’t care what it tastes like, as long as it does the job! She knows that poor choices or insufficient intake will only drive her further from her goal. Making the right choices will keep her on the road of success. FOOD is the master key to build her a quality physique.A female bodybuilder will not only choose her foods depending on the goal she wants to reach but will also eat at a very precise time. She’ll be watching the clock while eating. Whether she’s bulking or dieting, whether she’s hungry or not, is of no importance. Every 2-3 hours, and this five to eight times daily. She’ll be eating. All this to make sure her body gets everything needed, when needed. With time, relatives and friends get accustomed to her somewhat unorthodox and different eating habits, especially pre-contest. They’ll get used to seeing her come to parties and family reunions with this HUGE cooler, filled…. with green stuff and stinky chicken! (sorry, guys, no beers!). Yup! She's always at it and yup, she never takes a break! Don’t worry; she still enjoys herself very much! She just sees things from a different perspective. She knows that she can still have lots of fun and enjoy the people, without the “party” foods. And please, stop trying to get her to eat just that tiny piece of cake… it’s will not work! Don’t get her wrong, she’s not pretentious, she just wants to stick to her plan and reach her goals. She knows she has to be strong and not let all the hard work so far be in vain by succumbing to temptation. When dieting, she know the craving won’t last forever, that she just needs to get through this, that everything will get easier eventually and that dieting isn’t forever. And if she leaves the party early, she’s not anti- social. She just needs her 7-8 hours of sleep for her body to recuperate and be fresh to hit the gym the morning after.

The Gym
Most woman would kill for a gorgeous, fit body, but believe that circuit training three times a week and a walk in the park will do the trick. Sorry, but it just doesn’t work that way. Just like food, if you want to see results, you need to be extremely disciplined and consistent with your training. If someone had told me, when I started practicing this sport, the huge amount of grueling effort and sweat I would have needed to be where I am today (which is not very far!!), I would not have believed them one bit!! Seriously, muscle is hard to build. You have to put in an enormous amount of energy to harvest little amounts of muscle. If you want to have the body of a bodybuilder, you first have to build it, and for this to happen, you have to put yourself seriously to the task! When a female bodybuilder gets to the gym, there is no time for chatting. She is there to do her job. She is there to build HER physique. The ONE she has clearly pictured in her mind. Before even getting into the gym, she has already gone mentally through her workout. She knows exactly what to do, and why she is doing it. Day after day, she will be working on each individual part to assemble her whole muscular body, reconfiguring the ideal of her perfect physique, piece by piece, muscle by muscle. Every training session to be individualized, each exercise to be chosen carefully depending on which body parts are to be worked or where development is needed. She doesn’t see her training as a workout, it is the blueprint to build her physique. She doesn’t see the weights as pieces of iron, but as the necessary tools to forge her muscles. When she trains her muscles she doesn’t go through the motions, she gets into it. Feeling every contraction, pushing herself to the limit. She will not miss a workout just because she doesn’t feel like training, because of a bad cold, PMS or bad weather. Everyday she will be consistent and will work out with intensity. She knows that with every workout done correctly, she is getting closer to her goal and that each one missed, is gone forever, only driving her further from her goal.

The Evolution
A good bodybuilder will never be content with what was good the year before. She is always aiming for the higher goal, always striving for perfection, always wanting more. With this in mind, she will not see her body as other women do. Her goal is not to fit eternally into a size six. Her body is a temple under construction, something unique, nothing like an ordinary woman's. She long ago accepted the fact to be “bodily different”. For this she will voluntarily manipulate her body composition and gain weight off season; always reminding herself that every pound gained is quality muscle in the process. She will not pay attention to negative comments about her bulkier appearance off season, she just walks her way because she knows why she is doing all this. She has goals and sticks to them. She’s on a mission of building a better quality physique for the upcoming competitive year. You will, mostly, recognize a successful female bodybuilder not by the size of her muscles, or by the weights she lifts, but by the strength of her mind.A female bodybuilder knows where her priorities lie. Her bodybuilding is her priority. For this she will fit the rest of her life around it. She will adapt her schedule to fit her training. The saying, “if you fail to plan you plan to fail” is her motto. Each of her days are planned to a T, no difference between week days and weekends. And if the unexpected happens she finds a way to get the essentials done. Not having enough time is never an excuse. If needed, she will set the alarm at 4 AM to get her cardio done and wake up at midnight, making sure she gets her eighth meal in.Being a bodybuilder is definitely a full time job. Not in the sense that you need to quit your job, but that if you are serious about your results you have to invest yourself totally in the pursuit of your goal. Not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. You need to put your mind and heart in it every single day. Being a bodybuilder is not a part time thing; it's an all the time thing. You're not a bodybuilder once in a while. You don't do things right only once in a while; you NEED to do them right ALL the time. SucceedingI believe any “ordinary” woman can become a bodybuilder. Just like any other sphere of activity, if one’s ready to put in the necessary effort then one will mostly succeed. Female bodybuilders are not different from other women. They are not superwomen born with freaky superior genetics. They all started as ordinary women but with the difference of fiercely wanting to reach a precise physical goal. The many challenges in a woman’s life should not be an excuse or a distraction for not reaching her goal. With some focus, planning and creativity everything can fit together and be kept in harmony. Bodybuilding is now my lifestyle, I do this because it’s in my heart, mind and blood, it is now part of who I am. I do this because it makes me feel alive, different from others, not one of the masses. I feel unique, not conventional. I do this to inspire my children and the ones around me. But most of all I do this for ME.

**please note...I did not write this...and if I had the author's name I would give her credit. I wanted it on my page ~ so I could refer back to it....
**the same reason I posted "LET IT GO FOR 2008" ...quick reference for inspiration

1/10/2008 Second work out with Deb

Ok....I'm definately looking foward to meeting Deb at the gym! We are really gonna' benefit from having each other for support and encouragment! We did speak on the phone last night, I was hoping she wasn't too sore ~ I hope today isn't any worse than last night...when it comes to soreness.

1/9/2008 Chiropractor / Acupuncture !

I've been waiting for months to see Dr. Lardi. Let's just say....I feel very encouraged....I had accupuncture for the first time. I wish the patient/guy on the table, behind the curtain next to me would have shut up and stopping complaining!!! What a pest!!!
My next appointment is Wednesday, 1/16/2008 ~ He didn't even adjust my back...he stated I was too sore and inflammed for that. He performed some "tests" by manipulating my feet...sort of a reflexology I guess..and manipulated other areas of my body, neck and head. He did adjust my ankles and neck. Very interesting. For some reason, I feel like I'm in very good hands. I'm very optimistic.
Chinese Medicine? What ever works, right?
He gave me a list of foods to avoid and foods that were beneficial. I'm planning on intergrating that with my eating clean menu.....
One of the neatest things is, his assistant/secretary who is also going to school to be a chiropractor, wrapped my arches with tape and wanted me to leave it on for two days....it didn't loosen in the shower this morning. I like the way it feels.