Bruce Thompson is a THIEF

I am making this post because I am truly getting aggravated. I took this to the State Police SIX weeks ago, and they are FINALLY putting out a warrant for this guy's arrest - Many people in the gym communities know Bruce Thompson in Delaware. He has been a bodybuilder for years. He used to promote the DE State bodybuilding show, and he asked me to help him promote the East Coast Classic this year, which he had done for six years. However, what it all boils down to is this - Bruce stole $2100 of mine He deceived me, and will not return it. I reported him to the NPC, and yes, I have tons of correspondence and documentaion to prove my story. I gave it all to the police, they agreed with me that the man committed fraud and stole (yet have done nothing).
SO if you come across Bruce Thompson - will you just ask him where my $2100 is please?

Doing Cartwheels -

I decided that since I had no powerlifting meets to worry about in the near future, and with the way things have been going, I was in the mood to think that perhaps I may not ever step back on to the platform again.... so i thought, why not just play around with some different things in the bench press, and just see what happens. No pressures, no worries...I made one adjustment, changed one lil' ol' thing, and BAM! This is it - why have I not experimented with this before???!!!! Should I kick myself or be ecstatic? Should I berate myself for not trying this before or should I shout out to the Heavens that I've fucking finally got it???? !!!! I think the answer is that I'll do some cartwheels and dance and jump up and down. If I could only go backward a few days and do this on the platform.... What did I do?you ask - I'll elaborate another day, just rest assured that I have FINALLY FUCKING GOT IT! I GUARANTEE it will show in my performance. EEEEEEHAHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I have been so tired, so friggin' exhausted lately. When I diet my sleep suffers dramatically. Then there is this other stress coming in and slapping me around. I figured if I could get 225 off of my chest for one or two I'd be happy. I managed 225 for 8 and a half, PAUSED ( don't think I could do a bench press now without pausing)....then 245 for 6...then 225 for 6 or 7....and they were PERFECT, beautiful - can you tell I'm all warm and fuzzy???? Now I'm so excited I just want to scrap the Masters and push forward and get on the platform again and prove that I CAN bench 300. But fret not, my darling bodybuilding fans - I'll plug along, and step on stage on July 21. I've already sunk too much time and money and effort into this to turn back.

I am freaking because with the nutritional and supplemental changes I have made this go 'round, I am holding an ocean of water....no, make that TWO oceans of water under my skin. Last night, retention was so severe that it hurt. Have you ever experienced that? It makes you feel like you are going to just start trembling and jump out of your own skin. I miss my usual dryness.... all this to MAYBE please the judges and MAYBE get recognition for my efforts. I will guarentee you that I will be the best that I can be. I'll like me - you all will probably like me, so there ya go!

Persevere....

That's all I can do -truth be told - I did a small APA meet this past Saturday. I had hoped I could come here and say that I beat that "thing"...well, actually I did beat that thing. I did not do that "thing" that I always did when benching....255 was my opener. Talk about EASY. That was like, as I say, playing with Tinker Toys. HOWEVER (always a friggin' however with me, isn't there???) I had no steam to put up more than one. Was it because I was sick last week? Was it because my lovely son and his lovely friends kept me awake Friday night until 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning, or was it just because???? I don't know. I got my opener deadlift, too, at 400, then ran out of oomph for anymore. We agreed, however, had I gone all out for bigger numbers on the openers, that I could have, I just wasn't programmed on Saturday for anything more than one. :( :( :( So I am plagued by a curse, or what is it? I still suck on the platform.

See that picture of me with a blue belt on - Hell, that's simply not a fashion plus with a purple singlet. One of the prongs fell off of the lever on my belt just moments before the meet began. I borrowed my friend Paul's, but it really was a bit large. Anyhoooo, that's me after missing my second bench - not happy, no...

Monday was a SMOKIN' leg day at the gym Again, I am so tired - I have not been sleeping well for weeks. But, sometimes, even though the strength levels drop, there is a certain ability to push further into "the zone" when I am tired - maybe because part of me is too exhausted to think about it or argue with myself over it. I'm getting the hang of the wide stance squats. I can go deeeeep. B wasn't there to tell me this or that, and so I gave this and that no regard, and it worked. Sometimes you just have to trust that you know what you are doing is right for you. I'm liking this technique, and today, the day after - my legs are totally fried in every fiber.

8 and a half weeks to go -

8 and a half weeks out - 162 pounds.
Sorry for the bluriness

Improvments -

Not much to elaborate on concerning Monday's training. It was "bodybuilder" style training with GW...just work, hard work - it was not a squat night, we chose Smith Machine lunges on a box - good stuff. They are like one legged squats. You are supposed to use the box to your advantage and go deeeeeeep, using the hamstring to power you up. Pant pant wheeze...I cut my total volume back tonight, for certain reasons, but it didn't matter. The pump and leaden feeling in my legs was outstanding. Those lunges really did the trick.
I've got a touch of that "thing" that is going around - my son and his friend both had it last week, hence my contracting it from them. It's been coming on since last week, and now the fever is confirming it.
B took some progress pics of me, with just a little less than 9 weeks, but they are very blurry. I'll put up a couple, but keep in mind that they are blurry...ok, like you wouldn't notice the blurriness, duhhh...
Biggest improvements in my physique - at 9 weeks there is distinct leg definition, whereas it took much, much, much longer to appear last couple of times. AND, my quads are definitely bigger. I did measure them, but I take bodybuilder stats with a grain of salt, as most of them do lie concerning measurements and max lift poundages, so I'm not even going to elaborate - just note that they ARE bigger. You won't get by without noticing. And as I stated in an earlier post - I'm much fuller and rounder, I've got more of an hourglass shape happening this time... My biceps have come back up, too. I'm actually much more "symmetrical" ( I know that this term is erroneously used, but that's how the bodybuilding world uses it). My abs are still going to be the last thing to come in, as they always are, but they are there, waiting...and NO, I haven't trained them directly. B suggested I might do a set or two last night just for the heck of it....I scoffed at the notion.
I did a very short chest, shoulder, tricep session last night, Tuesday - I'll tell you why at a later time.
Still hanging at around 161 - 162. B thinks 5-6 pounds to go, I say 7-8.
Methinks I've almost got the draft of my posing routine...music? Tool!!!

Curvier Physique

There is absolutly no reason to elaborate on last night's training. I was dragging all day, tossed and turned and was awake most of Thursday night. I worked all day with a client showing property, so I had no time to rest, hence I was feeling like a wet dishtowel by the time I got to the gym. And the weather didn't help -what gives?? Cold, grey, damp, windy...that's enough to sap anybody's energy. It is supposed to be spring, but the weather here has been blahhhhhh. I waited with excitement all week to go in and play with the new Texas deadlift bar, but Kate was not in a playful state. My feet have been really hurting, too. I don't know what it really is, has been happening for years. In the center of the balls of my feet it gets to where it feels like my feet are splitting apart when I walk. It comes on every once in awhile, and for some reason something spurred it on last week. Yesterday the weight of the deadlifts were enough to agravate the left one so bad that just standing on it was aggravating it - VERY painful, like a foot on fire. I pulled my shoe and sock off to look, and sure enough it was swollen. Obviously, I didn't do calves last night, and probably shouldn't for awhile.

We did deadlift, had to. There was a new Texas deadlift bar - but it certainly wasn't stellar - I am just so glad to have gotten through it without pulling my back out one week from....aaahaaa.....

Update on that foot situation - B looked it over carefully. He is diagnosing some kind of fluid retention right there in the middle of the balls of my feet. What spurs it on? ?????? Dunno -It comes, it goes, it is painful. This is why I do not often wear shoes with high heels or shoes without good padded support under the balls of my feet. I walk, it feels like my foot is splitting apart. What to do about it??????? Dunno -

My physique is going to look soooooooooo different on stage this year. I'll be coming in with a lot more "curves", rounder, less angular than before. I already don't quite recognize myself when I look in the mirror in certain poses.I'm not so sure I'll be as dry onstage, but THAT is obviuosly not what the judges are looking for these days. I like the dry look, though, but we'll see. It's nine weeks out now and we still have some experimenting to do before I step on stage. I did mail my entry out the other day, so I WILL be at the Masters' Nationals.

9 and 1/2 weeks

The lighting is not very good, but here I am at nine and a half weeks out - that reminds me, I should send in my entry fee, thanks....

Good news - the Power Goddess is on the upswing again! Still not quite up to where I was, however 275 paused was easy as pie, as they say somewhere or another - I was going to do two, but I did not want to spoil that moment. It has been awhile since 275 went up like that. Like SMOKE!!!I did a static with 295 for 10 seconds, no sinking - EGADS!!!That should be a contest right there. How much weight can one hold for how long without sinking the bar?

Oh, that's right, I'm supposed to be talking about muscle shapes and sizes and definition and vascularity because I'm in bodybuilding mode. HAH!!!! Hanging about 163 with about 9 and a half percent bodyfat.

155 is the goal, and I'm on target - diet wise I am ahead of the schedule, but that's because I have some time scheduled to go off the diet ( stay tuned). I was noticing, by looking at some pictures of me, and how could one NOT notice - how friggin' developed my gluteus medius is -

as well as my lower back. The judges are sure to hate that! I also noticed how wide my leg biceps are - I was wondering why I could never get that look where from the rear you see the quads flair out beyond the hamstring so big and full on some women - because my hamstrings are wiiiiiiiiiide - and peaked low. I'm just a different breed of body.

That's just what they call a "teaser" there from my new gallery from my Members' Section.We spent a lovely afternoon in beautiful Cape Henlopn Park last Sunday. OK,so it was public nudity, and illegal, but we got some really good shots. If you ever get to southern Delaware, do not miss Cape Henlopen State Park. It's a real treasure. We go there often for photoshoots, and never run out of scenery.

Dave - chocolate cake-come and get it!!!

When you get back to Delaware Dave Kergaard, GW and I are taking you out for a big piece of chocolate cake with EXTRA whipped cream...I forget wether we are supposed to take you to Fish On or Big Fish, but it is a date when you get back, HAH!!! Counting down ---
I had a photo shoot yesterday, reviewed the photos, and I am NOT at all happy with what I look like...ooooooo! I have relegated myself to the fact that the judges will NEVER reward me...WHY? you ask - I have this physique, that collects muscle as curves, I wear my muscle so "feminine". Not such a bad thing, you say, and in reality, it is not, but heck - I could weigh 200 lbs and still look like a big figure girl. Seriously - some women, they put on as little as 5 lbs. of muscle - they look big and powerful, some look blocky, some look masculine, some look MUSCULAR. I put on 40 pounds of muscle, I look curvy. What gives? OK, not such a bad thing, but in a competitive SPORT where judges "say" they like that kind of physique, but do NOT reward it., in fact they score it DOWN..well....... Is that why I am unhappy with my physique? In part. Never mind - don't feel like elaborating on that subject any longer.
GW and I had another kick butt workout session. I used up all of what I had to give. We squatted. My second session with the wide stance. I went even wider this time than last time. This extra wide stance allows me to go deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. That is good. I am still having trouble remembering to thrust forward instead of blasting up. When I get that down I think this stance will allow me to hoist great numbers. We did slooooooow hacks after that, slooooow leg curls, and then Hammer machine single leg deadlifts. Oy Vey!!!!
I like training with GW very much. He's a good guy, and motivated, and SICK!!! I miss B, but I think he'll be training with us in a few days...I hope.

Deadlifting Maniac

In my Power Goddess photo gallery, there is a photo of a man named Paul Timmons. The caption reads something to the effect that he was the first man to swim across the Delaware Bay from Cape May NJ to Lewes DE, which he did in 7 hours and 15 minutes. (Just imagine yourself swimming for 7 hours and 15 minutes nonstop!) Paul has been in the IronMan Triathlon several times, he has swam around Alcatraz Island, he has done so many athletic feats, and just keeps on doing them. He loves to challenge himself.



Recently he became fascinated with the 300 Challenge, and the philosophies and training methods that are associated with www.gymjones.com. Paul read about one of their challenges - how many double bodyweight deadlifts can one do in 20 minutes. The record Paul set out to beat was 36. He asked me to come in and video his feat, and to stanby with moral support.



Paul crushed that number with a total of 55 reps at 325 lbs (his bodyweight just moments before the attempt stood at 161).
I believe he went 18, 10, 8,7,7,4,and 1. He didn't go for the calculated method, rather the all out balls to the wall method. He's so superiorly conditioned, I am still in awe after watching that. Needless to say, yesterday, the day after, it was rather hard for him to stand! I can't wait to see what his next personal challenge is -

GW and I trained back last eveining. We did barbell rows, which I probably only do a few times per year, and haven't done in a very, very long time. But they felt very effective. We only went up to 225, I got 12 on my last set, I do remember that, then cable rows, stiff arm pull downs, barbell shrugs, kettle bells slow curls, and the Hammer preacher machine...and seated calves. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a good couple of hours of work.

No cardio

First I must brag on my darling son, Slater. He is 14, in the 8th grade. He won an annual award from his school last night for recognition of his artistic talents. The picture here is one he drew a year or two ago. I like it because it actually kind of looks like Slater. He is also an extremely talented musician. He plays guitar, base, keyboards, and trombone. He even writes his own music and he and his friends in their band play it. I always say I must have done something really right in my previous lifetime to deserve him(couldn't be this one)! A proud mama I am.

GW and I had a kick ass workout today. My bench is still not up to par, but it was much improved over the last couple of weeks. Improvement is always good. I'm being conservative in my expectations, even though it is a false conservatism. It was a good all around work session, both of us tired, both of us stressed, but still putting what we had into what we could, and making it all work out positively.

Dieting is coming along fine, in fact, I probably need to ingest more calories. I'm already eating more than I think I should, and I've already lost 8 pounds in 10 days. I'm going to reiterate a point here that no one believes, but is true. I do NOT, nope never, don't even THINK about doing cardio. I honestly believe that most people overdo it wayyyyy too much, then try to compensate the overtraining and muscle loss by adding in extra pharmaceuticals that they could have foregone in the first place had they skipped the cardio. Most of them aren't doing true "cardio" anyway... you don't want to believe that I don't do any, well, don't, but I'm certainly making out ok not wasting my time bouncing up and down on the friggin' eliptical machine or stationary bike. I have better things to do.

Thigh pulverization

We have this Paramount Leverage Squat machine, that is kind of a wicked machine. It usually just sits there, very uninviting. No one wants to even acknowledge its presence. It is not an easy machine, actually quite hard to get used to, hence its unpopularity. We have been using that. We did leg presses prior to them. I took a tight control on all of the down movements on the presses, slower than usual. I was imagining myself in an inverted squat. Back to some slow repping on extensions and curls, too. I love/hate that. ANyhoooo, what yesterday's session did to me -
I live on the third floor of a condominium building. I have to walk up / down four sets of nine stairs each. 36 total stairs. Short of a few times that I have been injured, this was the most tortuous trip down the stairs I have ever taken. My God!!! The mid outer thigh area is pulverized. Up was a test, but tolerable. But Down!! - I almost laid down and rolled the way down to alleviate the pain. Wow. I'm inclined to stay inside for the next few days just to avoid the trip back down. I'm not even sure if I have soreness in any of the other areas of my legs, this is so darned overwhelming. Broderick says my body likes being a bodybuilder. I say poppycock.

Standing straight and pulling hard

Deadlifting was interesting last night. It was the first time back deadlifting since I pulled my back out...was that four weeks ago already??? I trained alone, which made my mind set a bit more relaxed - no pressure to perform, go at my own pace. "relaxed" as I went in thinking that with the state of things, I might just back off after the first rep if it didn't feel right, and I did not expect it to at all. I made sure I warmed up until I felt ready. I decided 315 would be my first and possibly last set. I surely got the groove going right away, even though my right hand grip wasn't right. I had to reset the grip at least half of those reps. I made ten, so no telling what number that would have been had my grip been proper and I could have zipped right through. So what the heck, 365 it was, for 6. Perfect.
That's about where the energy started fizzling and the weighlifter's headache came in ( like an ice cream headache, but caused by training)...so I backed down instead of loading up and did another set of 10 with 315...perfect. And when I was all through deadlifting, I was still able to stand straight up, no back pain, no hip pain, no pain anywhere...
All of the work Broderick has been doing on me is just showing amazing results. I look back at pictures of myself through the years, even before training, and can see how bad my stance was. It is so different to be straight. Remarkable.
I'm still learning where my sugar intake needs to be. I was sipping on a homemeade magic sugar potion all through the session last night, and it sure made a difference in my physical state, but I still most definitely need to consume more throughout the day. Everybody else sees sugar as toxic - I thrive on it.

wigged

I'm not so sure my bench sucks, I think it's just kind of a "burn out" phase...not that I mean "just", as those who know me will attest to the fact that this kind of thing really wigs me out, but I keep working and trying and overcompensating and it leads me into that big sink hole called "burn out".
I'm trying new things on the bench, as well as the squat. I did a "static pause" with 275 for 10 friggin' seconds! I didn't let it sink into my chest at all, I held it very well, thank you, but pushing it up after 10 seconds certainly was not possible.

I LOVE playing with the kettle bells! Used them for lateral raises and triceps overhead extensions. Using variations of standard dumbells and barbells is great for a variation on muscle fiber stress. There was a time that I was in Puerto Rico for a month. I stayed in a cute little house with a big oceanfront yard. Behind a shed in the yard I found some poles, some cinder blocks, and some buckets, and some rocks. I'd put the cinder blocks on the poles and used that for the barbell. I filled the buckets with water and rocks, and some with sand. They were my dumbells.

JC wants to know what color Kool-Aid I drink? I like all kinds, yesterday was orange. My favorite is lemonade. I am a lemonade and limeade freak. Fresh squeezed lemonade just properly sweetened is to die for on a hot summer day. Kool-Aid gives me the sugar that I need quickly upon rising in the morning.

Relearning the Squat

Because my hip flexors are a problem - a big imbalance of strength - we've decided that I should give wide stance squating a go. It certainly is a trying task learniing new tricks and shaking off the old habits, but I do believe that once I get this wide stance squat technique down, well, big numbers. It was kind of scary because I wore my Inzer power shoes and they are somewhat slippery on Midway's floors, so I had to not only concentrate on squatting, but keeping my feet flrom slipping out from under me. I only went up to 315, no wraps, but I think it's going to work for me in the long run. Then we used the Paramount machine that somewhat simulates a sissy squat. NO ONE else ever uses that machine, but it is quite effective, I like it.
Soreness is happening in new places - don't we all love/hate that feeling?

I've been dieting for three whole days now. My big problem is convincing myself to eat enough sugar. I just finished my morning glass of Kool-Aid.