All posts by Kimberly

3 Sneaky Fit Tips for the Holidays

Competitor Lifestyle, , ,

holiday fit tipsInstead of starting any NEW fitness regimes during the holidays…

I would recommend you focus on maintaining the hard-won results you have achieved so far this year and minimize the stress that comes from the very stuff that is supposed to be fun.  You can achieve both goals (and maybe even drop a few pounds) without carving out extra time to do it.

Last week, CNN shot a holiday fitness special in my studio! It will be airing all over the nation some time this week, but I wanted to share a few of my best holiday fit tips today 🙂

1. Sleep ready to roll. Instead of those fuzzy pajamas, sleep in your workout clothes (minus the tennis shoes of course lol). Then when you wake up, it saves you time and excuses for not getting it in.

2. Pots & squats. Turn your holiday cooking into a workout. Instead of watching pots boil and nibbling on everything while you cook, knock out some counter dips, wall push-ups, and milk jug curls. Before you peel that bag of potatoes, do some deep plie squats with them. Ditch the blender or hand mixer and opt for the whisk, burns about 150 calories per hour (that’s alot of cake mixing!) Create a routine that keeps you moving vs. tasting.

3. Sneak your way fit. You don’t have to announce you are leaving to go workout. Many times our family and friends can make us feel guilty for taking time during the holidays to stay true to our goals. Keep your business to your self and slip away before anyone knows you’re gone. Tell them you have some “errands to run”, but actually go for a run!

Bottom line, have a blast with family and friends, let your body enjoy a bit of recovery, and head into the new year a fitter you!

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 P.s. need help staying fit over the holidays? Contact me for a plan!

Holiday Fit Survival Kit

Competitor Lifestyle, ,

There are only 62 days left in 2013…

I’ve been telling all my coaching clients that right now our focus is on not getting fat over the holidays! lol

No for real tho, this is the time of year that many of us let our guard down and find a few extra pounds that carry over into the new year. Even the best of us who live a pretty healthy, clean, lifestyle will end up gobbling lots of Halloween candy, attending way too many holiday parties and skipping our workouts for more “festive” stuff.

If you think about it, you can totally COMMIT to leaning up more now that earlier in the year with a solid plan. Direct and targeted to keep you focused and reaching new fitness goals!

So, I created a 3-step approach that lays out how you should be training & eating over the holidays. It’s also a good framework or guide to help you prepare to finally compete in 2014!

Here’s the plan…

Step #1 Build more muscle. Create a challenging training split that hits your major muscles groups 1-2 per week and incorporate multi-joint movements to keep you packing on the muscle! I’m including a free sample training split & workout based on my Contest Prep Secrets – Phase 1 training for figure. Whether you are competing or not–you can use it now to help jump start your fitness plans for the upcoming year!

–>>Download Training Split Calendar<<–

–>>Download Friday Workout<<–

If you like the FREE Friday workout, you can get the complete Phase 1, 5-day split here.

Step #2 Cut your calories (temporarily). If your diet needs some overhauling, its good to cut out some excess stuff to get things moving in the right direction. Lowering your caloric intake is a great metabolism booster if done strategically. Following a 1200 calorie diet for a week or so will help you get rid of  some unwanted body fat. But you want to make sure you are cycling your calories and increasing them as you LOSE weight. I know it may sound counterproductive to eat MORE to lose fat. But your body responds well to lower calories for a short period of time and will burn stored fat to survive. As you put on more lean muscle mass, it increases your metabolic rate. This means you need more nutrients (calories) to keep progressing healthfully. I’ve included a sample 1200 calorie meal plan that you can add calories where you see fit for your specific physique/health needs.

–>>Download Sample Meal Plan with Macros<<–

This sample diet is for general fat loss and fitness.  Get figure stage ready meal plans here.

Step #3 Track your progress and be accountable. The scale is not the only tool to assess your results. I like to use a combination approach for a crystal clear picture of what’s really going on.

-Once  a week, track your weight on the scale

-Every month take your body fat, measurements (tape), and check clothing fit.

-Be aware of other indicators,  sleeping better, more energy, looking frickin’ awesome!

-Get a accountability partner or fitness coach. This person will help keep you aligned with your goals and motivated!

Remember the holidays are no different than any other day. The only way to survive is to follow your fit habits, no excuses!

Let me know how you like it! POST comments here or on our Facebook page 🙂

Chocolate Peanut-butter Coconut Brownies

Recipes

protein browniesThese brownies are super easy and quick to make. I only use Beverly Protein powder, so if you use another brand, the consistency & taste will not be the same lol.

Ingredients:

2 scoops of chocolate Beverly Ultimate Muscle Protein

1/2 cup of no-sugar added applesauce

2 TBS of organic coconut flakes, no sugar (optional)

1 TBS of liquid egg whites

1 TBS of natural peanut butter

1/4 TSP of organic cinnamon

5-8 drops of vanilla creme stevia

1/2-3/4 cup of water (consistency should be stiff not too watery)

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients in microwave safe dish. Spread in bottom of dish. Cook in microwave 5-7 minutes on 70% power. Don’t over cook, should be a bit soft in the center when you take it out. Can cook in oven on 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes until a bit wet in the center. Let cool, and cut into 4 servings.

Nutritional Info: 

Per brownie: Calories 117 | Carbs 7g | Protein 12g | Fat 6g | Sugar 4g | Sodium 118mg

Get more figure recipes here.

Jessica Trains 5 Months and Takes Home 3 Trophies!

Success Stories

Jessica1SO, you think you can’t get stage ready in 5 months?Jessica2

Well, Jessica did with my step-by-step figure prep program and she won 3 trophies!

She started Contest Prep Secrets in May 2012 and stepped on the stage October 20, 2012 OCB Charm City Classic and won 1st place debut, 2nd place novice, and 3rd place open short.

Congratulations Jessica! I’m so proud of your success!

Learn more about the program Jessica used here.

Terra Wins Again!

Success Stories, , , ,

Terra Wins Again!Terra Brown purchased my program earlier this year and has enjoyed amazing results! Her first show, which was in June 2013, she won 5 trophies including being the overall figure champion.

In September 2013, she competed for the second time in the Kansas City Classic and again walked away with 2 trophies, 3rd place in sub-masters and 5th place in the figure open. Actually Terra was only a couple places away from receiving her pro card!

Terra went from newbie figure girl to seasoned athlete in just 2 shows! But these results are not typical…

You have to work your butt off with the right plan to successfully compete in figure.

Learn more about the program Terra used to win 7 trophies here.

Coconut Banana Dream Shake

Recipes

banana protein shakeThis shake is sinfully delicious but won’t break your daily calorie bank! You can make adjustments to this recipe based on your contest or overall fitness goals.

Ingredients:

8 oz. Silk Pure Unsweetened Coconut Milk

enough water to m

1/2 banana

2 tbs of PB2

3-4 ice cubes

2 scoops of chocolate protein powder

Directions:

Put all ingredients into blender. Blend on ice crush first-30 seconds. Then 30 seconds on blend setting. Blend until creamy.

Nutritional Information:

Calories 232 | Fat 8 | Carbs 17g | Protein 27g | Sugar 7g

Get the FULL competitor nutrition and training program here.

5 Secrets to Winning Figure Competitions

Competitor Lifestyle, Figure Competitions, ,

Congratulations on your decision to enter a figure competition!

There is a huge sense of accomplishment when you finally step on that stage. But of course you also want to win right?

Before you get knee deep into your prep, I want to share 5 secrets I learned that can help you become a figure champion!

1. Pick the right show and class. If you are new to figure training and competing, you want to pick a local show. This means its not a national or pro qualifier. You don’t want to get on stage for the first time with ladies who have been competing for a while. Local shows will be in smaller venues and less athletes in each class. The biggest part of competing is confidence. I would suggest you stick to newbie classes like debut or novice to help the judges properly evaluate you with similar physiques.

2. Don’t compromise your training. There is no next workout, its about right now! Each session is a chance for you to get closer to your goal. Skipping exercises/sets, going light, being distracted,  etc. will have you coming up short on stage. The same goes with your diet. If you are making “bad food choices” then expect that you won’t get stage ready. You can’t make it up by doing more cardio! Get your mind right before you even start your prep.

3. Monitor your progress. Set realistic goals for your first competition. Once you map out how many weeks it will take, track your measurements and progress consistently. You can’t wait until the final 30 days before your competition and realize you are not ready! If you created the right strategy, your lean muscle mass will be increasing and your body fat will be decreasing. Don’t forget to take weekly photos which is one of the best ways to see if you are making progress. The numbers are one thing–but its how you look that matters to the judges!

4. Focus on yourself and not the competition. Yes, there will be 5-15 ladies in your class on average but don’t worry about them! They were not in the gym with you these past 16 weeks lol. You can get caught up checking out other athletes and comparing your progress to theirs but that will only stress you out. Focus on getting yourself stage ready. Its good to look at the previous winners but remember, more than likely, they won’t be on stage this time! The judges base their top 5 decision on who showed up and presented the best overall package. Get to the venue with your body and don’t second guess yourself! 

5. Be comfortable on stage. One thing I learned (and still remind myself) is that the BEST body doesn’t always win. So many things can happen once you step into that little box in front of the judges. Your posing and presentation gets the judges attention to your physique. Now it’s time to show them why you deserve to win. Make posing practice a part of your training early. If you can, sign up for group posing classes to get comfortable on stage with other figure girls. Make eye contact and connect with each of the judges and smile! It should look like you are having fun (even if you feel like fainting lol).

Winning competitions begins with a strategy. Schedule a free call with me to map out the right show and how to land in the Top 5!

Chocolate Coconut Protein Brownies

Recipes

photo330Hi Ladies!

Many of you have asked how I make those brownies I post on the Facebook page. I only use Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein, so using any other brand may yield different results/taste/nutrition. Depending on where you are in prep, you can modify the ingredients to fit your macro needs 🙂

INGREDIENTS: 

2 scoops chocolate UMP Beverly International , 1/2c of no sugar applesauce, 3/4 to 1 cup of water, 2 stevia packets or 10 drops of vanilla creme sweet leaf stevia, 2 TBS of no sugar organic coconut flakes (optional), 1 TBS of flax seeds or chopped walnuts (optional), 2 TBS of liquid egg whites, 1 TBS of Natural Peanut butter or PB2 (optional).

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together into a brownie batter (not too stiff, or too loose) and pour into non-stick sprayed pan. Cook in oven on 400 degrees for about 8-12 minutes, don’t overcook! Enjoy ♥

Nutritional Breakdown:

THIS batch yielded 4 servings = 100 cals, 5.25g carbs, 4.5g fat, 10.75g protein, 1.75g sugar

You can buy Beverly Ultimate Muscle Protein (UMP) on Bodybuilding.com 

Get more figure girl friendly recipes FREE with Contest Prep Secrets!

What are the judges looking for?

Competitor Lifestyle

whatarethejudgeslookingfor

This is the number one question asked  by newbie figure girls…

And unfortunately it doesn’t come with a straightforward, black and white answer. I would first suggest that you understand the basic guidelines of your federation then learn how to get the judges attention and stand out on stage!

For this article, I am going to focus on the National Physique Committee guidelines for figure competitors:

The Basics

When judging a figure competition the judges shall assess the athleticism of the physique. This is not a bodybuilding contest.

  • A small degree of muscularity with separation is desired, with no visible striations.
  • Muscle tone should appear firm and round with a small amount of body fat over the muscle, and no excessive leanness.
  • Figure competitions provide alternatives for athletic women who (a) Train. (b) Do not wish to gain muscle size and vascularity and (c) do not have a strong gymnastic / dance background.
  • All Figure and Fitness competitors must have reached their eighteenth (18) birthday by the day of the contest.

3 Top Tips for Successful Stage Presentation

1. Winners pay attention to all the criteria, don’t wing it! Do your homework and visit the federation site to find out what is expected from you as soon as you step from behind that curtain. Find out what you are being scored on. This includes what type of posing suit, shoes, flattering hair and make-up styles, and which poses you are to execute. It still amazes me the number of girls backstage asking “what am I supposed to do when I get out there?”  Once you get in front of the judges, its not time to improvise…

2. Don’t assume all shows are the same. Just because you did a figure or bikini show with one federation, that doesn’t  mean all have the same expectations. Listen to the promoter and expediters to ensure you understand how the judges want you to present yourself. Sometimes you only have to do certain poses, or may need music for your show. Remember, every show is a new experience that you need to prepare for.

3. No one should dictate your style but you! Don’t do what everyone else does onstage because the judges are assessing many girls in various classes and it gets pretty boring for them seeing the same curtsy, wink or posing routine. Add your personality and flare to all the poses to stand out. You only have about 5-10 seconds to really leave an impression on the judges. This is what gets you into the first call out–holding a trophy!

Get more training tips with my program here.

REVEALED! How Kimberly Ross turned her figure DREAM into figure PRO reality!

Success Stories

Hey future figure champion!

Today I want to share with you a story of how someone put in the hard work, dedication, followed Contest Prep Secrets and was able to win their first figure competition. And she went PRO her second show!

Read on for Kimberly Ross’ inspiring story…

Kimberly Goes Pro

Dear Kimberly,

In May 2012, I began competing and entered my first figure competition ever. It had become pretty much a “bucket list” item. I researched, signed up, trained myself, and sought out good resources and purchased your Contest Prep Secrets . If you recall, I won BIG (Overall) in Muscle Mania’s Lone Star! 

This past November 2012, I then entered Muscle Mania’s largest show in Las Vegas. I placed 3rd in Open Figure, winning my PRO CARD!! And I was the ‘oldest’ in the Top 5…just unbelievable!

I just wanted to thank you because for ALL TWO (lol) shows, I’ve referenced your Contest Prep Secrets. Thank you again for all that you share. Happy New Year!!!

Kimberly Ross, Muscle Mania PRO