All posts by Kimberly

Chest Shoulder Ab Workout

Bikini Competitions, Figure Competitions, Workouts

Chest

1. Incline hammer press, 45-second rest in between

2. Incline or flat DB fly, 45-second rest in between

Shoulders

1. Dumbbell Military Press: 60-second rest in between

2. Barbell front Raises (elbows slightly bent raise only to shoulder level, hands shoulder width apart): 60-second rest in between

3. Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 45-second rest in between (every other week do single arm raises)

4. Rear Delts machine: 45-second rest in between

Abs

1. Ball Crunches & reverse crunches on flat bench 3x25 reps done as a superset: 60-second rest in between supersets

Did you like this workout?

It's part of the Contest Prep Secrets Figure & Bikini Prep training system.

This workout is in the FIGURE section pages 34-38, Weeks 5-8.

DOWNLOAD​ CONTEST PREP SECRETS

Vegan Banana Split Shake

Recipes,

I know alot of folks are looking for great non-dairy, vegan, gluten-free protein shake recipes!

This morning, I made my favorite sweet treat, a banana split. But with a fraction of the calories of the real one lol.

The Ingredients:

2 scoop Nuzest vanilla protein

Use code “kimberly15” to save 15% on Nuzest proteins and bars!

1 TBS of Nikki’s dark chocolate coconut butter spread

1 small banana

1/2c frozen strawberries

8-10 ounces of 30 calorie unsweetened vanilla almond milk

ice cubes

Directions:

Blend all ingredients extra creamy. I use the Ninja Auto IQ which blends every type of shake perfectly on it’s own!!

Enjoy!

Macros:

Calories 343 | Protein 25g | Carbs 36g | Fat 12g

Hey, need a custom meal plan with the right MACROS? I can create competitor diets based on how you want to eat! Vegan, Vegetarian, KETO, Low Carb, High Protein, High Fat, and more! You’ll also get custom dinner, lunch, breakfast and DESSERT recipes as a bonus!

CONTACT ME FOR A CUSTOM MEAL PLAN!

Figure or Bikini?

Bikini Competitions, Figure Competitions, Training Tips

If you have never competed before or even attended an event…

 

You may not know the difference between the competitor categories.

 

There are 5 categories for women. Bikini, figure, fitness, physique, and bodybuilding. 

 

The top 2 categories most women fit into are figure and bikini.

Contest Prep Plan for Figure & Bikini <<< 

Here’s a quick overview for each:

 

Bikini Competitors are required to have: 

 

· Balance and Shape

· Overall physical appearance

· Complexion, skin tone 

· Poise

· Overall Presentation 

 Figure Competitors are required to have: 

 

· Small degree of muscularity with separation (no visible striations)

· Overall muscle tone with shapely lines

· Overall firmness 

· Not excessively lean

· Healthy appearance 

So how do you know which category is best?

Here’s what I tell first timers…

Pick the category that fits your body style/genetics. 

If you already have a good amount of muscle and like a more heavier driven weight program–figure would be a better fit. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are naturally lean and don’t put on muscle easily, bikini could be a good fit for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you know which category would be best for you, it’s time to begin training!

 

It’s very important to follow the right program for figure or bikini to end up with the type of body the judges want to see in their Top 5!

Leg Mash Up

Workouts

Today’s workout includes circuits and supersets.

Make sure to use challenging weight, good form, controlled tempo, and stay hydrated!

Here’s the workout, enjoy!

Circuit #1 (all 3 sets)

Activator: Hydrants against the wall x 15 ea leg

Stiff leg deadlift with alt. single leg deadlift (combo) x 10

Smith machine squats x 12

Spiderman jump lunges x 10 ea leg

Circuit #2 (all 3 sets)

Activator: Hyper-extension w/2 count hold x 12

DB step ups x 12 ea leg

DB curtsy lunges x 12 ea leg

DB plie squats x 12

Superset #1 (all 4 sets)

Leg extensions x 12

Jump lunges x 20 (jumps)

Superset #2 (all 4 sets)

Leg curls x 12

Adduction machine x 12

Get competitor OR non-competitor coaching here.

Did you like this workout? Leave me a comment 🙂

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High Protein Oats

Diet, Recipes

This bowl of oats was everything this morning after my workout!

It’s full of good fuel carbs and protein needed to build and retain muscle mass.

I normally eat regular oatmeal and have been feeling blah about it. So I decided to try steel cut oats. It took longer to make that the microwave oats, but so worth it.

If you are in contest prep, you can adjust the ingredients to meet your macros 🙂

And you can make (keep) this recipe Vegan by using non-whey protein powder.

Check out the video and macros below:

Ingredients:

1 cup of steel cut oats (makes 4 servings after cooking)

3 cups of water

1/4 tsp. of sea salt

1/4 cup of low sugar cranberries

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder I use Nuzest, I’m an Ambassador, save 15% with code: kimberly15 <<<

1 tbs. of organic coconut flakes

1 packet of hemp & flax seeds

1/3 fresh nectarine slices (or other fruit)

1 tsp. Truvia brown sugar blend

1 tsp. (drizzle) of honey

Directions:

-Cook the oats (15-20 minutes or longer for creamier oats)

-Let cool 2-3 minutes

-Mix in protein

-Top with fruit

-Add final ingredients on top

Enjoy!

Macros:

Calories 400 | Protein 21g | Carbs 57g | Fat 7g | Fiber 11g | Sugar 15g

 

 

7 Tips To Get Back to Fitness After The Holidays

Training Tips, , , ,

 

If you are like me, you’re glad the holidays are over. Not because we don’t love that special time with family and friends but…
 

The festive atmosphere more than likely distracted us from our healthy routines. Now it’s time to get back on our fit grind! 

Before you head into the gym and try to pick up where you left off…

Here are 7 tips to get back into fitness after the holidays. You can use all or some of them to kick start your program in 2018!

Tip #1 Complete a full body workout to avoid extreme soreness. Instead of doing your normal body part split, hit all the major muscle groups with a few sets. The reason being is that focusing on just 1 body part will make you so sore the next few days, you’ll end up derailed again.  Doing a full body workout or circuit will evenly distribute the pain lol.

Tip #2 Don’t try to lose it all overnight. If you gained a few pounds over the holidays, don’t get too keyed up about it. Once you get back into the rhythm of your normal fitness routine, those pounds will come off. Give your body a few weeks to pull back from the excess sugar, salt, calories, and lack of training.

Tip #3  Get your sleep. The holidays can be very disruptive to your normal sleep schedule. Cut the distractions and wrap things up by a specific time to get in the necessary 7-8 hours of restful sleep.

Tip #4 Regulate your nutrition. No more loosey goosey eating on this and that like during the holidays. Go back to smart meal planning and prep to avoid aimlessly grazing yourself into extra pounds. Eating every 2-3 hours has been shown to keep your metabolism stoked and prevents overeating.

Tip #5 Stay hydrated. Water enhances your metabolism and many feel it can also curb your appetite. Drink at least half your body weight in ounces. It also makes you fill up faster so drinking a full glass before meals could help you stick to serving sizes.

Tip #6 Clean up the crap. If you still have peppermint bark and holiday cookies in the cupboards, dump them. Nothing will derail you more than having those food items in the house for you to drool over. Also say no to extra food and goodies still floating around the office. Misery loves company, don’t fall for it! Tell your junk eating cube mates hell naw, keep it moving lol 🙂

Tip #7 Get an accountability partner.  Putting your goals out there to someone else could be the key to sticking to the plan. You could find a workout partner to hit the gym with or someone you could virtually connect with to stay focused on the fitness process vs. the outcomes you desire.

Need more help getting back to your fitness goals?

Check out some ways I can help you:

Online Training Membership <<< 

Competitor & Non-Competitor Coaching <<<

Figure & Bikini Prep Plan <<< 

5 Tips For Prepping During The Holidays

Competition Tips, Competitor Lifestyle

This is one topic I know all too well!

I prepped during the holidays for my first 4 figure competitions.

And if your show is March or April of next year…

You should already be in Phase 1 of your program.

Most new competitors will get in to their workouts during the holidays. The issue is always the diet…

But don’t be so strict that you end up going off the rails because of all the holiday parties and family gatherings!

Here are 5 tips that will help you prep during the holidays like a pro 🙂

Tip #1 Don’t say YES to every holiday function you get invited to!

Choose 1-2 very special events like the family holiday meal or your office Christmas party to eat off plan 1 meal.

Tip #2 You bring the dessert!

Make holiday shaped protein cookies or pumpkin protein cheesecake to bring to the party. This way  you are guaranteed to have a healthy dessert option!

Tip #3 Eat protein before heading out for holiday shopping!

With all the deals this holiday season, you might be at the mall longer than you expected lol. Make sure you eat a balanced meal with at least 20-30g of protein to keep you from stopping at the food court. I usually keep a small piece of fruit (for sugar cravings), baggie with protein powder, and my shaker bottle in my purse for emergencies.

Tip #4 Meal prep in full effect!

Even though you may have to shop for the holiday meal–keep your normal shopping list in full effect. Resist the processed and quick food choices that abound during the holidays. Its harder to go off plan when your meals have been prepped ahead.

Tip #5 Think before you drink!

I’m not saying don’t get your drink on, but limit how many you have. You can also add a glass of water between each one to drink less. Avoid the sugary mixed drinks, high calorie holiday flavored mocha’s, and eggnog.

Were these tips helpful? Please share 🙂

Bottom line, if you have a program to follow, it makes it easier to stay on track during the holidays.

Build A Back Workout

Competition Tips, Workouts

When building a competitor shaped back, you have to make sure your training program includes exercises to hit ALL of the muscles that build winning wings!

First, let’s discuss the muscles of the back so you can understand how to structure your workout. Keep reading to get a full workout already done for you!

The back is divided into larger and smaller muscles. The ones most newbies hit are the trapezius (traps) and latissimus dorsi (lats).

But there are some smaller muscles that need your attention during prep.  These include teres major/minor (rhomboids) and spinal erector muscles.

Don’t sleep on these, they are the “detail muscles” that put you in the first call outs!

Build A Back Workout

The Warm-up:

Push-ups 2 superset with wide grip pull-ups 2 – complete this combo 4-7 times back to back.

The Workout:

Chin ups x 15 reps x 4 sets – 30-45 second rest between sets (lats & teres major)

Wide grip front pull-downs x 15 reps x 4 sets – 45-60 second rest between sets (lats & teres major)

External DB rotation x 12-15 reps each arm x 3 sets – 30 second rest between sets (teres minor – strengthens rotator cuff as well)

Shrugs x 15 reps x 4 sets –30-45 second rest between sets (traps)

Stiff arm push-downs (straight bar)  x 12-15 reps x 4 – 30 second rest between sets (lats)

Good mornings x 12-15 reps x 3 sets – 45-60 second rest between sets (spinal erector)

Cool Down:

Foam roller – upper back/lower back focus – 10-15 minutes

Hey, did you like this workout?

PLEASE use one of the sharing icons to hook up your friends 🙂

Are you thinking about competing? Then you need ALL the back workouts and training to be ready in 16-24 weeks here.

How to Drop Body Fat and Build Muscle at the Same Time

Competition Tips

Is it even possible to burn fat and gain muscle at the same time?

The answer is yes!

But it’s pretty tricky if you are NOT a seasoned competitor or pro like myself.

First, here’s an overview what SHOULD be happening in the 4 phases of training:

Phase 1 Building size

Phase 2 Creating shape

Phase 3 Revealing symmetry (fat loss)

Phase 4 Final conditioning /peak (fat & water loss)

In my step-by-step competitor program, I break down completely the 4 phases of training and exactly how to train for each to reach your goal.

Even though the “symmetry and conditioning phase” is more focused on fat loss, you should be seeing a small reduction during the size and shape phase. MOST newbies end up gaining body fat as they try to get size. Not good!

You actually need fat to push weights and build. So it’s a fine line in the beginning not to be hyper focused on lowering your body fat during the size and shape phase.

A little known secret about weight loss is that some of what you see in the mirror or on the scale is water. And where you are holding that water (intracellularly or extracellularly) would dictate the TYPE of cardio you do and how much TIME.

That is a much larger conversion, but I do give guidance in my program to help structure your cardio program. Make sure you know your true body fat. I recommend you get an Inbody body fat test or Bodpod. The hand held and scales with body fat are widely incorrect.

Basing your training on incorrect information is going to keep you from making the right adjustments at the right time of your prep.

Thus, keeping you from the stage.

If you have very high body fat (over 25%) then you would need to make sure you incorporate a good amount of lower to moderate intensity training sessions in the beginning phases to ensure you are burning fat and NOT losing muscle.

Most newbies do way too much cardio too early in their prep. If you are doing 2 hours of cardio in Phase 1, it doesn’t allow you to go anywhere from there.

Make sure you use cardio sparingly throughout your prep to get past plateaus and ramp up where needed to get through the conditioning phases.

Was this information helpful?

If you’d like to get all the phases of training and cardio laid out for your 2018 prep, click here.