All posts by Kimberly

The Real Reason Why You Are Not Seeing Results?

Competitor Lifestyle

young woman runner warm up outdoor

If you are training for a figure or bikini comp and not seeing the results you want…

Maybe this is the problem?

You’ve made your program work for your current lifestyle so much…that now its not working at all!

How does this happen?

-You change the amount of training and cardio days to work better for your schedule vs. the other way around.

-You don’t push beyond your limits each week.

-You continue to eat like you were before and try to get “close to diet.”

-You skip critical parts of your plan that you don’t like or understand.

There’s more but you get what I’m saying right?

No plan will work without following it 100%.

So, take a moment right now and sit down with your training program. Make sure you are putting in all the necessary work and not turning your contest prep into a regular fitness program.

That doesn’t include saying “I’m trying…” it means you are set up to execute your program each week 100%.

Or maybe competitive training isn’t for you right now.

And that’s ok.

To compete, you have to be all in, all the time 🙂

The process to the stage is the constant act of assessing what you have done and should be doing next for success.

If you are not following a plan, you will be constantly frustrated and not making the progress you need each week.

Get my proven system. Put in 100%.

Too Old to Compete?

Training

So many women think once they hit 40, they may be too old to train for a figure or bikini competition…

 

Has that thought crossed your mind?

 

Well, I’m here to tell you that age is just a number and with the right program you can build a body that any 30 year old would envy! 

 

For example, check out 3 of my amazing clients!

 

Lisa, 49 year old mother and grandmother, proved she could step on stage and feel confident about her body.

 

Interesting Image
Christi, 49 year old mother and grandmother, totally reshaped her body and wowed the judges!
Christi Before and after

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Ines, 44 year old mother of 5 boys found the time to put into her training, lost over 30 pounds, and she fulfilled her life-long dream of competing.

 

Ines before and after

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule a consult <<<

 

There are many insider training techniques for the over 40 athlete that I share in my private coaching programs. One secret is that the older athlete may want to start out using more machines than weights.

 

Why?

 

The reason is that free weights allow for more range of muscle motion. If you are not able to stabilize those weights and move through those ranges safely, it could lead to injuries. This is in contrast to resistance machines that balance the weight for you. So, I would suggest you progress to using more free weights as you get stronger.

 

There are also some key supplements that can help you in the gym and feel better all around. It’s important to understand what happens to us as we age and how it can affect our training results.

 

If you are still on the fence about competing because of your age, I’m happy to say that over 70% of the women who contact me everyday are over 40 and serious about hitting the stage!

 

I did my first figure competition at 43 and turned IFBB Pro at 46! 

 

2 years to pro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, I want to give you the same blueprint to reach your goals!

 

Let’s chat, schedule a consult.

Mouthwatering Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

Recipes

Figure and Bikini Prep <<< Nutrition and Training Program

Oatmeal Protein Pancakes with Marmalade 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes 6 pancakes, Servings size = 2

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup uncooked, Gluten Free Oatmeal
  • 1/2  tsp Vanilla Flavoring
  • 1 scoop of vanilla protein (whey or plant based)
  • 3/4 cup Almond Milk Unsweetened  (25 calories)
  • 1 Large Organic Brown Egg
  • 1 Large Organic Brown Egg White
  • 1/3 Tbsp. Chia Seeds – Aztec Superfood
  • 1/4 tsp Organic Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 packet of truvia or stevia
  • Just enough water to thin if needed

Directions:

  • Put all ingredients in a food processor
  • Blend until super smooth
  • Pour onto heated griddle with non-stick
  • Make sure you spread out the batter in a flat circle to ensure it cooks all the way through, and not end up gummy
  • Cook until brown on each side
  • Serve with strawberry blueberry marmalade (see recipe below)
  • Macros for the pancakes does NOT include the marmalade

Macros: per 2 pancakes

Calories: 148 | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g (1g saturated) | Sugar: 2g

Strawberry Blueberry Marmalade

Strawberry Blueberry Marmalade

Ingredients: 

  • 3 large strawberries
  • 1/3 cup blueberries
  • 2 packets of truvia
  • 1 tsp. Organic Coconut Palm Sugar

Directions:

  • Blend everything in a magic bullet
  • Pour mixture into sauce pot over high heat
  • Once it bubbles and thickens, turn down heat to medium
  • Cook another 2 minutes
  • Split into 2 servings
  • Pour over pancakes and store the rest

Macros: 

Calories: 31 | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 0g | Sugar: 6g

 

Figure and Bikini Prep <<< Nutrition and Training Program

The exact FORMULA for figuring out the number of weeks to be ready.

Competitor Lifestyle, Training

A common question ladies ask me when starting out in competitions is how long they need to diet to get ready for a show. I recommend you get an Inbody or Bod Pod body fat test for the computation below to be as accurate as possible.

With proper application and derivation, it can provide fairly accurate results that are useful for estimating the time needed to reach your desired contest conditioning.

For the examples below, they are based on figure and bikini athletes.

In this example, the competitor weighs 152 lbs. She has set a goal to be at 11% body fat for her competition.

Her test yields 18.6% body fat. 18.6% of 152 lbs is 0.186 x 152 lbs = 28.27 lbs.

So, she currently has about 28.25 lbs of body fat on her frame.

A body-weight of 152 lbs – 28.25 lbs = 123.75 lbs of lean body-weight (muscle, water, bones, etc.).

Using algebra – who said that stuff would never get used in the real world? – we find her goal of 11% body fat:

123.75 lbs/ x = 100% – 11%, or simply 0.89, 123.75 = 0.89x, 123.75/0.89 = x, 139 = x. So, about 139 lbs would be the target 11% body fat. As a check, weight of 139 – lean body-weight of 123.75 = 15.25 lbs of fat, and 15.25/139 = 10.97% (or 11% rounded).

28.25 lbs of fat now – 15.25 lbs of target fat = 12.75 lbs to lose.

Losing 1-2 lbs per week is a common rate of weight loss to shed body fat, while maintaining muscle mass. Losing weight too quickly can come at the expense of losing muscle tissue.

Following a progressive training program, you can figure on about 1.5 lbs lost per week for this example. It would take 12.75 lbs/1.5 lbs = 8.5 weeks of dieting to reach the target body fat level from this starting point. You can plug in your numbers and see how long you should allow for.

I suggest you add 2-4 weeks to the timeline to account for plateaus, illness or injury. Its better to be ready early than miss your mark because you didn’t have enough weeks factored in.

But there’s one important thing to know as a first time competitor…

It’s not just about your weight and body fat in the end.

It’s about how you look.

You have to ensure you are creating the shape, size, and symmetry for figure or bikini the judges want to see in their top 5 winners. So you  need all 4 phases of training plus peak week to ensure you bring your best package to the stage.

One last tip, I recommend you stay in pre-prep or Phase 1 of Contest Prep Secrets until you are 15 pounds or less away from your goal weight.

All the workouts, diets, supplements, pro secrets, and support you need to make it all the way are in my step-by-step program.

Are You Eating Enough Calories?

Diet

I was heading out to do my meal prep shopping this morning and got to thinking…

How many woman in my community are not eating enough calories to reach their competitive fitness goals?

Over 80% of the women I’ve worked with thought eating 1200-1300 calories was the ticket to fat loss and getting the body of their dreams…

Wait, are you eating 1200 calories or less a day?

And wondering why the scale isn’t budging?

There are times in your training that going below your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) for short periods of time can help you progress past plateaus.

But staying there your whole prep or even going below that number, will only leave you feeling tired, sick, cranky, and at risk of gaining weight!

Learn more about calories and macros in Contest Prep Secrets <<<

To help you understand, here’s my BMR:

48 years old, 5’7″ and 150 pounds = 1346 calories per day. What BMR means is the amount of calories you need to function…basically laying on the floor doing nothing but breathing.

This does NOT include activity level.

Let’s go further now…

For me to maintain my weight, at my current activity level, I’d have to eat 2,087 calories a day.

For me to lose 1 pound a week, at my current activity level, I’d need to eat 1,587 calories per day.

Confused yet?

I know, this is the hardest part of the fat loss equation. The diet. Unfortunately, without understanding it fully, you could end up training so hard only to fall short on stage. 

But here’s the good news!

You can find out if you are eating enough to actually lose body fat–instantly!

Calculate Your Calories Now <<<

REPLY to this POST and let me know if you are eating enough calories!

Now you know how many calories you should be eating. But how do you figure out a meal plan around those numbers? I’ve created a training program that has over 16 meal plans for competitors or ladies who just want the figure or bikini body without the whole stage thing lol.

The calorie counts in my program range from 1200-2400 and I’ve even included Vegan and Vegetarian plans.

Contest Prep Secrets <<< Eat More to Win!

Doing This 1 Thing Could Ruin Your Prep

Competitor Lifestyle

scale makes you cryIf you just started contest prep or have been at it for a while now…

You are probably checking your progress often to see where you are improving (or not).

There are 8 very important measurements you should be taking periodically–one being your weight.

Learn how to prep <<<

But for 80% of new competitors, the scale is the only way they monitor progress.

And to make things worse…

Many of them are stepping on the scale every day!

Stepping on the scale every day can create stress and ruin your prep.

Especially when you are not seeing incremental changes in your weight.

The disappointment you feel by looking at the scale daily will now affect the kind of work you will put in for the rest of the week.

Hence, creating a vicious cycle of plateaus and restarts.

Yes, taking your weight is important. But so is getting accurate body fat tests, measurements, professional assessments and photos.

What’s most important is how you look. 

The judges don’t ask you how much you weigh on stage.

Here’s the question you should ask yourself.

“Is my body composition changing enough each week to end up looking like a competitor?”

How often you weigh yourself or take assessments depends on what phase of training you are in. 

I’ve broken my new training system into 4 distinct phases (plus Peak Week) that create a defined point for you to review your progress before advancing to the next level.

And it includes a handy measurement chart broken down by the weeks and which ones you should take!

Just remember the old saying…

A watched pot never boils.

No more weighing every day.

Put in enough work each week and then expect your pay check 🙂

Learn how to prep <<<

New Tips to Build a Bikini Butt

Workouts

Whether you want to rock the stage or the beach…

You need to understand the basics to building a bikini backside.

This is where competitor training techniques come in handy to help you break through all the booty plateaus that have been plaguing you for years.

Here are 3 new tips for tightening those cheeks!

But before I share them, check out Nicole’s gluteus maximus transformation 🙂

She is 7.5 weeks out from her first bikini competition!

Nicole Rear Stance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nicole got a complimentary consult with me where I mapped out her booty building plan to ensure she brings a tight package to the stage!

Now, for the tips that actually helped her uplevel her glute game!

Tight Tush Tip #1

Eat for growth. If you are following low calorie meal plans that deprive your muscles of necessary nutrients–your glutes will end up saggy and just not round enough. I would design a customized nutrition plan that starts at least 25% above your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Tight Tush Tip #2

Go wide (and deep if you can). You would be surprised how different a squat feels when you just widen up your stance. This would be wider than shoulder width and allows you to get deeper into the squat. With good form and if your knees will allow it–drop down right below 90 degrees to feel the max burn. Turning your toes out could take some pressure off the knees.

Tight Tush Tip #3

Do butt building cardio. Some cardio machine routines are better than others for building up the glutes. Two of my favorites are treadmill walking lunges and stairmaster leg lift intervals. Both of these keep the heat on the glute hamstring tie-in which needs to be game tight to get the judges attention on stage.

No “smiley faces” in your back pose lol.

POST a comment and let me know if these tips helped!

If you want to learn more about my 8-week jump start plans where I can zero in on your butt, holla at me!

Nicole is following a “hybrid” training program that combines both figure and bikini workouts to create balance within her physique. Find out if your booty would benefit from my hybrid training here.

Tempo Training

Workouts

Watch the video <<<

What is tempo?

Tempo is defined as the rate or pace that an activity is performed. Therefore rep tempo (also known as rep speed, lifting speed, lifting tempo) is the rate at which you perform reps in a given set.

The 3 digits in tempo represent:

Eccentric movement (negative or lowering the weight)

Isometric (the point at which you hold between movements)

Concentric (positive or lifting the weight)

Some of my favorite tempo combinations:

3-1-3

2-1-3

3-2-3

Why use tempo training?

  • You can get maximum muscle gains (hypertrophy) by forcing the muscle to spend more “time under tension” or TUT.
  • You can get more of a pump without adding additional weight.
  • You can bust through weight lifting plateaus by switching things up.
  • You will have more awareness in your workouts which help you make key adjustments throughout your training.

Try this for your next weight workout and feel the BURN!

Learn more about my competitor training programs here.

 

Banana Oat Protein Waffle

Diet, Recipes

Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Vegan Waffle

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

This recipe is dairy, gluten, and soy free.

  • 1 Cup gluten free oatmeal
  • 1 TSP Swerve (or other natural sugar alternative)
  • 1/2 TSP  vanilla extract
  • 1 TBS, dairy free chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1/2 small banana
  • 1 scoop of NuZest Vanilla Protein Powder
  • 1 cup of water or unsweetened 30 calorie almond milk

Directions:

  1. Blend all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor until super smooth
  2. Slightly stir in chocolate chips (optional) before pouring on heated waffle iron
  3. Cook until done (light on waffle iron will turn)
  4. Top with drizzle agave nectar or sugar free syrup (optional)

Makes 2 waffles. Serving size is one waffle

Macros: Without chocolate chips

*You can swap out chips for blueberries or strawberries.

Calories 207 | Protein 16g | Carbohydrates 28g | Fat 2g | Sugar 7g | Fiber 4g