Things Are Changing Around Here....

Have you ever been in a position where you thought the next 12 months of your life was planned out to perfection? Where you knew what was going to roughly happen each month and what big events were plotted in there somewhere? Well I had 2013 pegged as one for some rather big changes, but they were carefully planned and each move taken was a stepping-stone to the next, with family consultation, lots of research and a gut feeling that I was doing the ‘right thing’.

Note: I have mentioned previously that I’m just a little bit of an organisation freak haven’t I? My Microsoft Excel spread sheet for my camping menu has gotta tell you something!

However, while liking organisation (note I always avoid the word ‘control’!), my contrasting desire for excitement and change has often popped up in my life and resulted in some huge moves eg; moving from NZ to Oz, moving from the South East to Cape York (sight unseen), and then to Katherine (again, sight unseen).

So I’ve got a love of organisation coupled with a need for excitement. And that leads me to an event that occurred last week that threw my rather organised year into disarray!! But satisfied my intense need for excitement. In fact I’m so terribly excited, it just about physically aches!!! Wanna know what happened?

Well. I arrived at work last Wednesday and spent two hours with a couple of fantastic clients. In between Clients 2 & 3 I schedule a 15min break during which I attempt to gracefully stuff my mouth full of green salad & chicken. It’s not pretty but I manage to jam it all in while checking my emails. Something I try to do in private so as not to scare the children.

In that short break on Wednesday, my phone rung with a call from Ingrid. For those not up with the play, Ingrid is my new trainer. She epitomises to me everything I could want in a trainer. I could rave on but I won’t because I've done so many times lately. It's sufficient to say, those that know me know I’m fiercely loyal and I couldn’t be that way toward someone if I didn’t believe in them.

So……within that phone call, my year changed! It felt like I had won Lotto! Or maybe, more accurately, how it would feel if you tried out for the XFactor and got that special phone that told you you’d made it to the next level!!! Except they always have hair and make up sorted when the call comes. I had a piece of spinach stuck in my front tooth and managed to jemmy in some dry chicken pieces while speaking! (I'm truly gifted with food!) Ingrid spoke to me about my immediate future in bodybuilding and she invited me to her competition in Geelong on May 4. The decision was made in a split second! I’m THERE!!!! I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted a personal goal so much before in my life!!!!! And to be considered, by someone I respect so much, to be good enough to stand in the line-up is huge to me!!! I’ve never had a phone call like that before in my life and may not get another. Not prepared to give up a golden opportunity!

 

So what’s the big deal? This is my chance to take my experience and training up a notch or 20!!! Time to do some intense learning and gain experience that would be so hard to get if I didn’t have a mentor. Sure – I could toddle out to another state and give it a go – but I wouldn’t have the hands on help of a true professional (and her team!) to guide me through the; tanning, posing, stage etiquette, comp expectations and, most importantly, nutrition! It’s all just gold!!!

From Geelong, it looks like I’ll be heading to the second Darwin competition on May 12. So the big change is that I’ll no longer be entering the May 4 competition due to the clash of dates with Melbourne. Why choose Melbourne? Because it’s a different federation and it makes sense to follow one organisation’s competitions (just as I did last year with INBA Darwin, followed by INBA Melbourne). This time it's the NABBA/WFF Federation.

The only heartache I have is the fact that I won't be there on comp day with the new girls. We had a huge day planned and were going to make our first appearance as Team Katherine!! I do know that there will be a huge turnout and they'll have many friendly faces cheering them on so I can't wait to hear how that all goes.So there’s my huge news! A couple of little changes have led to a couple of even bigger aspirations!! They're rather huge and like Mt Everest right now... so I’ll let them simmer in my head for the moment and fill you in as and if they occur.

My current training? Friggin awesome!!!!! As soon as I got that phone call I drove home as fast as the law would allow (hehe!), and spilled it all to Rob. Then, with way too much adrenalin running to be legal, we turned around and drove straight back to the gym where I knocked out a legs session that rivalled any I’d done previous! Even Rob said I was a machine!

My weights have gone up in leaps and bounds over the past month and I’m feeling so strong! It’s amazing how the change of nutrition approach has made such a difference. I’ll never regret the way I prepped for the competition last year because I don’t think it could have been much harder. Means I truly appreciate the energy and vitality that I’m still carrying just 10 weeks out from the comp. And I now fully believe my initial suspicions that things could be done a whole lot better.

Food – well, I could never look you in the eye and say I was hungry. But I’m human and could seriously do with a milky latte! Or some cheese! Or even a chocolate, custard-filled donut. Hells bells – even a bowl of sticky brown rice and sweet chilli tuna would be cool!! HAHA! But I wouldn’t. No way, no how! NOTHING will make me sabotage this prep time – NOTHING! You know how people will often say, “One little thing can’t hurt?” – well yes it can! And it will! Because one thing leads to another and the psychological damage is way worse than the physical. That’s not just true for me in my position, it’s true for anyone chasing a goal! But that doesn’t stop me from watching My Kitchen Rules. Nor did it deter me from making a cake the other day, and some of the BC Cookbook meals for Rob. I then retire to my little corner where I munch on my own ‘feast’ of steamed vegies and bbq’d meat. I often read articles on the computer when I’m eating and that reminds me how robotic I’ve become. But at least I’ve got colour on my plate this time!! Woohoo! The funniest memory I have from last year is sitting at the Triple Zero ball and whipping out from under the table a Tupperware container containing chicken and vegies while all around me were chowing down on the provided food.! Might I add that the whole night was not nearly as funny from my seat as it was from most others. Lesson learnt: pick and choose events to attend when you are alcohol and fatty-food free!

So there we are. The week my immediate world changed. And I couldn’t be happier!!

So let’s end with five rather trivial points you might not know about me;

1.      I always train with music. But you wouldn’t probably guess that I often listen to rock ballads while doing my big lifts. They move me emotionally which leads to some bloody good lifts!

2.      I swear like a state trooper in my head while training. Which even amuses me in light of Point #1.

3.      Up until July 2011 (the birth of Bootcamp), I did not own even one piece of ‘label’ gym gear. I didn’t have the confidence to enter these shops let alone try clothes on. Rob forced me in the end.

4.      I have never enjoyed group fitness. Always prefer the company of a small group or just myself.

5.      I never rely on anyone to train with. I’m lucky enough to have two of the best training partners ever (Rob & Michelle), but the bottom line is; it’s my training so my responsibility.

Until next time....

HUGE Training News...

I’ve been a bit quiet on all news pertaining to my training lately. There’s a very good reason for that, and here it is….I have a new trainer!!! I’m terribly, terribly excited about my new trainer but am seriously sensitive to the fact that Sammy was just perfect for my first year of training. With her help and guidance we not only made it to the comp, we did bloody good too!!

So why the change? I have to be honest – it’s a compulsion I have. Throughout my married life I’ve had many occasions where I really, really didn’t want to tell Rob what I done/bought/didn’t do, but I always caved!! Not sure why!! Sometimes it was just madness to do so but there I’d go, blurting out the truth in a rush of words, hoping to ease my conscience somewhat. Actually, I recall once in my life where I told a great, big, fat lie. I shudder to think of it even now – so many years later. And I couldn’t move on from it. I cried and hid under the blankets and spent endless hours asking myself why I had been so stupid as to tell such a big porky. Talk about walking under a black cloud for weeks after that and my family really suffered as a result of my terrible guilt. At that point I vowed and declared that NEVER AGAIN would I fib like that. I later read an article by a female Police Commissioner who said that the softest pillow she ever lay on at night was the pillow of a clear conscience. It stuck with me like super glue and it’s so very true. So while I try to use good discretion with what I say and when, I try to keep it really honest.

I digress. Trainer change. Towards the end of my training for the Darwin comp last year, I was issued a nutrition plan unlike any I had ever seen before in my life, and one that I would be happy to not clap eyes on again. Many of you know what it consisted of and it wasn't a pretty sight. I think being a police officer for those years and working in that hierarchy, it suited my personality to be told what to do and how to do it. Results were more important than the method. So in relation to my training, I did it because I was told to. And I proudly followed it to a tee. I didn’t look to the left or the right and I didn’t even really question why I was doing what I was doing. Possibly I had no energy to ask the questions actually. On top of this diet, I was completing 3 hours of combined cardio and weight training per day. Exhausting is an understatement. The understatement of the year. While following this regime I continued to be a Mother of three, a wife to a shift worker, school banking lady, Personal Trainer, YMCA gym worker and the proud facilitator of two Bootcamps each week. For those who like number crunching, I would say my calorie intake was under 1000 per day – easily. I started my exercise at 5.30am and ended my day at about 9pm.

Result? Winning two divisions and the overall title, then continuing to the Nationals where I came 4^th in my class. Brutal as it was, it worked, and I even felt that it all paid off with the success that came. But somewhere deep in my gut, way way way down inside, I had a niggle…..that I wasn’t doing my body any favours. I couldn’t justify my feeling with anything other than common sense but I was willing to accept that common sense might not prevail when it comes to comp prep. But, all the same, I started trawling every site I could to gain more knowledge. Time and again I saw my prep plan repeated and felt happy that at least I was in good company.

Then, one day, I stumbled across another site and read a short story about a woman who trained ferociously for her first comp. The story implied that she over-trained and under-ate but still went on to win everything she entered. She continued in this fashion until her world began collapsing in a heap of physical and psychological malfunctions. I certainly hadn’t gotten to that point but I can see so clearly that I would get there. I’m way too militant in my approach to just about everything and would keep the regime firing even if I was on deaths’ door. Sounds crazy but that's just the zone I get into when I'm heading toward a goal - singled focused, even tunnel-visioned. Then the story went on to talk about the new approach she took to continue with great results while looking after herself in the process. It doesn’t give away too much but it clearly states that there IS another way that can achieve massive results while still nurturing the body with what it needs.

I was knocked out by this story! Seriously knocked out, a little dubious and fantastically curious. So I mulled on it for a few days before I got the courage to contact the trainer. Her name is Ingrid Barclay and she answered me immediately. And each sentence she gave me convinced me that she; knows what she’s talking about, is an honest and open person, and has a genuine desire to help people. Right there and then I decided I wanted her as my trainer and eventually asked her. To my absolute delight she agreed and I couldn’t be happier.

So what’s changed? My food increased by double. My training almost halved. Cardio cut back by 2/3. And I ‘get it’! I get why she is doing it. I don’t have all of the scientific knowledge but the fundamentals are sinking in and I’m enjoying it so much!!

Training wise? I’ve increased my compounds (deadlifts, squats, chest press etc) by between10-30kg. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. I’m honest. I have never gone into the gym and done a really half-assed workout. It’s not in my nature. Previous to Ingrid, I was lifting to my max. Now I’m better fuelled and I’m powering through what I could previously do. Do the numbers on the weights mean much to me? Not really. My intensity is what it’s all about and the numbers are merely a way to follow my progress.

So it’s 12 weeks to go. Fresh and new outlook. The grey cloud I felt looming with the thought of serious deprivation has gone. We have a new strategy and only the results will talk. That doesn’t necessarily mean wining either. It means having a healthy shredded body, ready to do my best on comp day. I can’t control the judges unfortunately so I must be happy with my prep and take the best result I can.

So I'm on track. I'm happy, healthy and pleased to announce that Mrs Cranky Pants (thanks for that name Michelle!!) may be toned down just a little prior to the competition. That doesn't mean Bootcamp will get any easier though! That would just be taking the piss!!

All You've Ever Wanted To Know About Michelle B!!!

About a month ago, I was training a lovely client of mine. While in the middle of spotting her barbell chest presses, we had a quick chat about gaining muscle and how gorgeous that looks on women. We spoke about people who looked great and everntually the conversation then turned into something like this;

She said, “Yes – I love muscles! One day I really want to look like Michelle”

Silence. Crickets chirrping.

Me, frantically thinking to myself – did she just say “Michelle”? Or was that a muffled “Kirsten” ?

Me, “ummm…..didn’t catch that…pardon?”

She repeated very clearly, “I said I’d love to look like Michelle one day”

Me,  -  she did just say Michelle!! What the %%$$$??!! What am I – chopped liver????? Gain composure Kirsten. Gain composure. Clarification needed again.

Me, rather curtly, “Michelle who?

She said, “Michelle at the front desk. You know – Michelle!”

Me, - oh for god’s sake!! What’s up with that???

Me, “What am I??!!!! Chopped Bloody Liver???!!!!

She happily chatted on with, “hahaha – no – you’re too muscly…..”

Me, - ahh, suddenly I am at peace with the world again.

And I got to thinking just how much of an impact Michelle Broughton has around town. Why wouldn’t she? She looks and is extremely fit, very well muscled-up and just gorgeous to boot! She kicks my butt at anything cardio, can always match and meet me with weird, new exercises we spend all day trawling the net to discover, and she's up for just about any challenge. So I decided to interview my dear friend so that you get some insight into how she looks like she does.

I have to say, right from the outset, that it’s rare in life when you stumble across a person who turns out to be one of the best human beings you’ve ever met. And that’s what I think about Michelle. I really can’t speak highly enough about her ethics in life – work, family, friendships, health, fitness…you name it! But what’s special to me is our friendship. The loyalty, the honesty, the humility and ability she has to teach me so many new things without being condescending or patronising. She tirelessly listens to my training and diet woes, is always at the ready to help me with whatever I need and is just so much fun to be around. Last year there was a dirty rumour that she was leaving town to return to some dirty, muddy old creek in the middle of nowhere. While I wanted to support this decision, I had a little private grieving phase to go through in preparation for this big event. I didn’t know if I would ever find someone to run the Gorge track at midday in 40 degree heat with me again!! And who would force me into Crossfit when I had moaned so much about it!! And who would get so nervous for me on comp day that they had to down a gin and tonic just after lunch!!! Well – that person is my extremely special and very appreciated friend, Michelle Broughton. You are tops my precious friend.

Have you always had an interest in health and fitness? If so, what did you do?

I have always been interested in fitness through my ongoing plight to fight the ‘frump’.   As a kid, I was a member of the swimming club, pony club, played netball….participated in school sports…. As a young adult I quickly steered from previous physical activity to b & s binges, pub crawls and a hefty social life. Eventually I realised my waist had rounded  nicely, NOT! I joined up: The Gym (and group fitness-step to be precise)! Scary and intimidating but I had to.  Fortunately this became my new social life. Just by luck I learnt running to be missing link in shifting some detestable body fat. Pre boyfriend, training was about 5 out of 7 days a week. Luckily I landed a friend who loved to train! Most fun indeed!  Sometimes I rode my bike and swam. Not daily, year after year, but I had long bouts of exercise when I did it. I enjoyed exercise and how it made me feel-may sound a little anal but I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.

Earlier, much earlier in my exercise life I had very little concept of the important connection between health (nutrition) and fitness. I sought the advice of a sports dietician once and the program failed-from both sides. Didn’t do it againL

Has your weight always been in the healthy range? If so, what do you think your parents did to encourage this? Or was it just luck?

There’s no luck when it comes to my weight. I’m really a fat magnet! Growing up my parents were very regimented and disciplined in our daily routine. This included entry to the fridge!  Typical weetbix brekky, sambo lunch and 3 meat and veg for tea. My parents always encouraged healthy eating habits, grazing was not permitted, meals were at meal times. We ate what was in the cupboard and occasionally went out. Not to say I was neglected and didn’t get ‘other’ food in my childhood, like ice cream etc. I certainly did.

There was always plenty of activity-sport, gardening, chores and more chores. I grew to be grateful of these routines as sitting on my butt leads to unnecessary nibbling.  About the time I first joined gym as a 22 year old I was 56kg. Independent of my mums meal prep I was a typical yo yoer fluctuating between 52- 58 kg. Not what I consider healthy at either end.  I try to sit somewhere in the middle, a more realistic, easily maintainable weight for me.

In the last couple of years I’ve paid particular attention to my overall health. I’ve ditched foods that don’t agree with me, even though I savoured the flavour, it was very hard to first time round. I am a lot stronger where need vs want.

When did you develop a strong interest in cardio activities?

As I accidently learnt cardio was good for shrinkage, particularly running, it became a tool for a couple of things. Not always consistently in my daily life but always available. I found cardio great for a re-charge, get some ‘me’ time, rid the ‘frump’ (even if it was only til the next day), little stress relief and to ultimately maintain some degree of fitness, whether it is a 4 km run or 40 minute HIIT. Run, bike, circuit albeit very convenient and free. The last 18 months or so I have upped the cardio am am feeling fitter than ever. The birth of bootcamp ramped it up 10 fold!!

How do you incorporate resistance (weights) training?

I have tinkered with weights on and off. I certainly like the dynamics of the gym although I had to get over my mirror phobia. In 2012 I started training at The Muscle Inn (!) (ed note: The Muscle Inn is my humble little garage gym) and registered online to participate in the MAXs challenge. With a nutrition plan, exercise plan (all supplied) and a couple of training buddies, I had a whole new insight to the amazing affects weight training has on the body especially when coupled with nutrition. Throw in a bit of cardio you will only see great results.

 

You have 2 beautiful girls-what do you do, even now, to encourage them into a healthy lifestyle?

The girls have always been active and, like most kids, have energy to burn and enjoy the socialisation of sport. I encourage Eden and Paige to commit to one sport for the wet season and one for the dry. They see Paul and I actively exercising. It is accepted as part of our lifestyle. One of my favourite things to do is exercise with company and the bonus for the kids is also fun with friends.

Within their own swimming training they are gaining a greater awareness of their nutrition requirements. They experience a huge appetite after training. I would like the girls to appreciate their bodies and understand what a healthy body requires. For their own health reasons (genetic disposition) it is essentially important they maintain healthy weight and I make good nutritional choices for them now, so as young adults they will continue to look after themselves appropriately.

Can you give us a snapshot of your typical week in relation to exercise?

My training at present is focused towards an adventure race. Therefore, strength endurance, stamina (med distance running), HIIT (high intensity interval training), hill sprints, and weights are all components I endeavour to include (at some point!)

Monday                       (am) weights/circuit, (pm) run         

Tuesday                       (pm) bootcamp

 Wednesday                (am) cardio/crossfit or weights         

Thursday                     (pm) bootcamp

Friday                          (am) cardio /HIIT/weights     

Saturday                      (definitely am) sleep in/rest/???? 

Sunday                         whatever I feel like!

And how about a typical day of nutrition?

5.00                             1 whole egg + 2 egg whites + coffee with almond milk (my fav at the moment) + 1 dspn vital greens

7.30                             Another coffee

9.00                             After workout I will have a protein shake straight after or if no workout usually brown rice and tuna/nuts or trail mix + (another) coffee

Lunch                           Massive bowl of salad and tuna, chicken or full fat organic cottage cheese (delish!) or leftovers from previous night

Afternoon                    Snack of some sort, usually random…I try to go for almonds or walnuts. Sweet potato or rice cakes with cottage cheese and tomato, s & p (a firm favourite) if bootcamp day. This is usually my worst time of day, I find if I stop still for too long I will eat and graze at great length. + Time for another coffee.

Tea                              Salad or veg with meat, mostly white. Something tasty but easy, carbs (sweet potato/brown rice) after exercise

Bed time                     Another coffee with almond milk

Water! I don’t get enough daily but I aim for 2 litres.

What are your biggest food temptations and how often do you indulge in them?

Tall flat white with soy milk, half strength, extra hot!! Hold the froth for Petes sake!! By far my biggest indulgence! I’ve withered this craving down to a few per week from almost a daily fix, practically a habit! (ed note: when we go to a coffee shop together, the barista’s generally try to hide!! Even friends now avoid coffees with us! The ½ strength, extra hot, hold the froth ‘thing’ is all too much for them! And we’re not scared to complain if it isn’t right!! Hehehe!!!)

Cookies with my coffee!! Snakes or chocolate will not last if they are in the fridge or cupboard! Kabana! Microwave popcorn! I’m salivating! ….Toast! I have certain restraint issues with opened packets of treats. I will indulge sometimes if and when I buy sweet items for the kids. Sometimes I just need to satisfy a taste, I don’t allow it too often because they will indulge just for the sake of it too.

What strategies do you do to avoid temptation?

I avoid particular isles at Woolworths. I don’t buy things that are going to sit in the cupboard and tempt me. I’ve changed my mentality toward processed food, some of which is the yummiest and just crap!  I try to maintain an awareness of where our products come from, processing and not be fooled by health gimmicks.

Do you drink iced coffee? I ask because when I arrived in Katherine I found that just about every new client either drank iced coffee or coke zero in huge quantities.

No! I used to love it! I would even freeze it and scoop it out with a spoon! It goes on top of the ‘crap’ pile.  After a long time I realized it did not agree with my stomach-width and digestion. (ed note: one of my goals is to truly convince people just how crappy this drink is for anything other than an occasional treat)

Coke zero? How much/often?

Yes I drink coke zero because sometimes it’s refreshing to me and I enjoy the taste. I’ll have 3-4 cans per week. Yes I am aware of the ingredients!

And what about your alcohol intake?

I always like to have a bottle of Cienna in the fridge. I enjoy a glass occasionally, sometimes the bottle (with Paul). I am an occasional drinker. I don’t seem to recover from alcoholic indulgences too well!

Bit of a curly one for you - do you allow your kids to indulge in what you would call ‘unhealthy’ food? If so, how often, what and why?

My kids love Mc Donalds frozen coke, ice cream and frappes. They will probably eat anything unhealthy if it tastes good. It’s whether they get the go ahead from me! Occasionally they will be allowed ….  I may want a tall flat white soy coffee, half strength extra hot from Mc Donalds (because they have the best coffee beans) and I will shout the kids a cone or 6 nuggets. I consider whether the kids have already consumed a substantial intake of food, if they’re chasing a snack, or it’s a matter of convenience for me, or it is a treat?  Then I will consider the request. One extremely good trait Eden has is stopping. She eats to satisfy not overfill. Paige and I will eat to finish. I am still getting my head around food for fuel, not fullness...Nearly there!  

What supps and vitamins do you take regularly and why?

I cannot finish a workout without my protein (isolate) shake. For one it is yum, secondly I feel I recover well from a workout. I add glutamine (amino acid-to my shake) to help promote growth and help reduce muscle breakdown.  During a workout I drink Extend-BCAA for muscle fuel, support in the strength and power department and promote recovery. Sometimes I am really hopeless and forget but I try to remember to take one glucosamine tab in support of all joint and tissue health and my 6 weekly chiro appointments! My extra strength fish oil is on the microwave next to the supps but I tend to overlook that one…I’m not a pill popper.

What are your health and fitness goals for the future?

My focus right now is May 2013-Blood sweat and fears! To complete the 21km and tackle as many obstacles as I can head on. Maybe a Tough Mudder later in the year?? By the end of 2013 I would like to have completed my Cert IV in Fitness.

Do you prefer group or single training?

I don’t mind training in large groups because I can maintain focus and block things out, I don’t like distractions.  I do prefer to train in small groups eg. 2 or 3. I can cope with training alone if I have to, but do enjoy a little conversation between sets! 

Do you have any aspirations to follow your mental friend into body building?

I would love to train to compete if I can only get my head around almost nuding up in front of a whole bunch of strangers! (ed note: it’s true!! You do just-about nude up in front of strangers!!!) Putting myself right out there. To rid my guts of several layers of unwanted belly would be the most insane achievement! It would amaze me to just see if and how much I could transform. Wish I could just flick a button and ..whamo!! Stage ready!! Having watched the comp last year, I admire the competitors and appreciate their journey to the stage…..

Being so close to Kirsten, what do you think are the toughest aspects to bodybuilding?

Body builders are athletes! The preparation requires 100% commitment. Nutrition, training, shopping, sleeping, water, supps, focus, timetabling, picking a bikini, accessorizing bling, shoes-walking in those shoes…it all seems tough! I understand preparation comes down to planning, organization, and individual goals and a good support is essential. Most of all I would think the depletion and cutting phase with increased cardio would pain the most. And mastering balance in those shoes with a belly full of nerves.

Do you think Kirsten turns into a cranky pants when she’s carb depleting?

Yes, 2012 certainly did see Mrs Cranky pants emerge! However it was an amazing transformation to watch in those last few months. I have a feeling Mrs Cranky pants will not be so prevalent this year J……(ed note: you aint seen nothing yet baby!!! And bootcampers beware – lack of carbs means killer workouts – hehehe!!!!)

So there’s a little insight into the life of our very own Michelle B. Nothing she has achieved has been by accident. She doesn’t maintain her fitness by reading books about it. And she certainly doesn’t look like she does by chance. It’s all a set plan and she clearly loves it!

We train differently, we eat differently because we have different goals. The key is focusing on your own goal and not allowing anything to come between you and the realisation of that goal.

Hope she has inspired you as much as she inspires me. And that is an awful lot!!!