5 weeks to Pittsburgh pro! This week I’ve been extra exercising to burn up some more calories. I don’t call it training, it’s too low intensity, so I prefer to call it “rotating”.:-) Basically it’s staying active and move my butt! I sit in front of the computer all day writing so I can use some extra moving around.

I started warming up this week. Yup, you heard me. I mean a GENERAL warm up. I never did that, but now I do whatever so I don’t need to add cardio after weights. I spent some time just getting my heart rate up to a nice level, but nothing exhausting. It actually saved me a lot of warming up sets since I could go straight to my work sets after some “checking in on the poundage”.

I WISH somebody had asked me “oh, you’re doing cardio tonight?” so I could reply “Heck no, this aint cardio, this is burning some extra energy like an ol’ lady in a wheelchair!” You see I don’t want anyone to think I adhere to the “fatburning philosophy” when you do only low intensity cardio. This I don’t even call low intensity, this is just “not sitting still”.

Workout yesteday: awesome. Back is once again fun to train. It’s been a chore for a while. Once upon a time I loved working back,especially lats, but now I’m more a pecs and shoulder enthusiast.

For chest I did some 1 reps with ten seconds rest in between the sets. I do a lot of singles, but I don’t count them as work sets. No, they just help me lift heavier on my regular sets since it makes my work poundages less heavy. So, even though it might look like I do lots of sets, I don’t. Real work sets, let see…never more than 12 tops? On all exercises alltogether that is.

OK, over to something else. I take pride in never commenting on people’s items in supermarkets. I would never tell the obese house wife “oh, that chocolate bar will really add some cellulites you know?”. It’s none of my business, so I just reflect on their choices in my mind and then keep it to myself. Except for maybe a little little smile.

well, for some reason people LOVE to comment on my food choice all the time. If I buy 16 eggs the man  behind me asks “they’re good for ya?” or “delicious huh, your treat tonight?”  And when I put up ten pounds of coleslaw that are red marked since they’re expiring the next two days, the cashier just must ask “oh, you know these will go bad, sweetie?” Well, NO, they WON’T since I’m downing those ten  bags in two days, you see???? I reply. And when I buy five packets of chewing gum the cashier asks “stocking up on gum, huuh”? NO, this is JUST for the NIGHT, MR!

What is soooo interesting with my purchases? It cannot be the way I look since I’m always covered up from head to toe like it’s in the middle of winter in the summer time.

mystery. that is what it is.

I’m very proud to tell you all that I’ll be representing AST SPORTS SCIENCE from now on. Back in 2003 I found out about MAX-OT and NUTRIENT TIMING and BRACKETING which took my training and muscularity to a whole new level. I remember, back then, I was afraid of carbohydrates and sugar, and it felt like I took the biggest leap of faith when I tried these strategies. Well, it all turned out so well for me I never stopped using AST sports science’s principles.

AST promotes drug-free bodybuilding which is exactly what I promote, believe in and adhere to.

It’s competition season now and it’s about time to get your suits made! Don’t wait around until a few weeks out from the show: it’s stressful to do that.

Lidia Conti Bodywear ships her custom-made suits internationally which is pretty rare.  I strongly recommend her.  And since I’m from Sweden I know how tough it is to get nice suits that don’t look like plain bathing suits, I recommend you all to contact Lidia.

The other day a guy at the gym I know approached me as I stepped down from the stepmill. “What, YOU’re doing cardio???? I thought you never did that, that you just got everything for free, didn’t need to work hard like the rest of us!”  I explained to him that was as way far from the truth.

So, this got me thinking… How did I get to where I am today? Was I born this way? I understand that many people believe I had everything served on a silver plate, but let me tell you the REAL truth:

I was NOT born into a fitness-oriented family

Nobody in my family was into athletics or sports, neither did they encourage that

I was not a gymnast, an athlete or sporty girl as a youngster

I was not born lean or with a high metabolism. Quite the opposite. My body was meant to be a little bigger than I like. Sturdy. Big-boned.

I had no boyfriend who took me to the gym and showed me what to do.

All my friends in high school were anti-sports and did never go to the gym.

I did not have a trainer or a coach to guide me through my years of training.

My talents were arts, music, singing, NOT math, physiology or chemistry. That meant I chose to go to a language-school where I learn six different languages instead of going for an education in sports and physiology. I just lacked that kind of IQ required for sports education on a high level.

I got and get my knowledge from my passion to read and educate about health, fitness, muscles and diet. You never stop learning and having a strong passion is what is necessary to keep an open mind about fitness.

I did not know I had “the right genetics” that could take me to the pro level in fitness figure, I just set my heart at becoming one of those in the top.

I did not marry myself into America. I worked myself in here. I’m extremely happily married to a Swedish man. We both fought and fought and struggled to make our dream to come to America. live and work here.

Well, what do I want to say with all this? Well, that ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE IT is to have PASSION. PASSION is what gets you to your goals.

ok, I’m done with the scale for now. I just weigh more than I thought. About 4 lbs more…:-) Well, well, weight changes as so does one’s physique and I try to be happy about it, that I actually have more muscle now than 6 months ago or so. It feels so weird though, how one condition in one picture taken a year ago was at a weight of 113 and now it’s at 118…. I thought I was gonna compete at 110 this year, but there is no way I can take off 8 lbs off my frame. It’s more like 4. Top. It’s a mental challenge though because knowing it’s only six weeks to showtime and I feel behind schedule weight-wise, the only thing to do is to throw out the scale. said and done!

This morning I was tired. really tired. But I had one more cardio workout to do so out I went. Deadlift day was on the schedule and I’ve promised myself not to train with my weight vest on the same day as leg day or deadlift day, but you know what? Guess what stupid me did…I put on extra much weight on the vest and hit the deep sand… Oh yeah, I knew it, it would be a little too much for my core, so I ended up being very tired in my lower back. STUPID STUPID. I however was set on deadlifting and packed my stuff. went grocery shopping and then suddenly I just knew that it would not be wise to train. Since I would be tired in my erectors. Yeah, great start for a great deadlift session… So I decided to rest for the night and go up early tomorrow, have my big big porridge and then train hard and heavy. I also did some abs to feel to relieve my back. Silly me was soooo disappointed with myself even though I knew it was the best thing to do. I got so mad and cried a little like a spoiled baby. gee how embarassing am I or what!!! Training and discipline is just so important to me I take pride in it. Pride to stupidness. Well, today the wise little part of me got its say.

Did pizza for my husband in my new kitchen. Smells wonderful in here.Btw, I also threw out the microwave since he cannot stand the noise and I totally hear him because that thing was on 24/7! Doing porridge, microwaven pounds of veggies, boiling water, you name it, it would be microwaved. Well, it was broke as well and I could use less of that radiation close to bed!

 For weeks I’ve been anxious about my tanning procedure for the Pittsburgh Show in May. I love the JAN TANA tanning procedure where they spray you beautiful the day before a show which means NO plastic gloves, NO feeling of being a naked COW, NO mess, NO getting green and dirty without knowing what to do, NO stains, NO problem areas, NO hassle, JUST FEEL GOOD. Tanning with JAN TANA’s TEAM is the ONLY occasion I feel totally comfortable being in the nude to get beautiful! THE TEAM ROCKS!!!  Well, I didn’t know if they were doing this show and actually I thought of NOT competing there due to the the difficulties with tanning, flying and hotel rooms. Add a husband that will never get the tan right in a competitor’s eyes no matter how good it looks…. THANKS JAN TANA!!!!

OVER TO THE EVERY DAY LIFE
Yesterday I moved to a new apartment. the elevator was out of service so we had to carry everything down including bed and heavy stuff for all four floors… I am very weak and girly when it’s outside the gym… Well, I did cardio at night anyway like planned. I really needed it to clear the air and calm down. so much frustration that builds up on you needs to get out!

Sleeping in a new home was marvellous. Gee, I’ve been looking forward to this for so long ! Now I have big mirrors on a whole wall that I can practice posing in front of. We actually arranged the bed so I got as much space as possible…:-) embarassing yes.

Today I’m off for weights in the morning, work, and then an audition in Hollywood. I put on some tanner on so I’m not that extremely pale like a ghost or a skinned chicken breast…

You know what? I weigh lot more than I’ve thought. I weigh 118 lbs. I just need to stop weighing myself because I have a set image of myself being lean at 110, but you see I don’t have 8 lbs to lose for that to happen…. I’m done with the scale as of now until I’ve lost half an inch on my things and glutes as well as the same in my midsection.

I always jump out of bed in the morning. Well, I always did until I started rising up at 4.45… Now I’m dragging myself. I always check my temperature first and almost fall asleep while doing it. Then I check my blood pressure, my weight, my measurements and the mirror. Whoaw, what a process huh? LOL, well, I’m very methodic and like keeping statistics on each body maneuver! Today I was five pounds heavier than yesterday. That was what I got in return for not having any extra veggies.:-)

OK, this morning I added two pounds to my weight best. I put that one, grabbed my ipod and went out. Shadow boxing too. I’m getting good at it. Or better!

Then leg workout this afternoon. Wow, it was amazing! I was so “AT IT”, every set felt smooth and that was a relief since I’ve had some troublesome irritation in one of my knees. It didn’t feel awkward at all when training and now I know why they have been angry with me: lately I have been using leg extensions and some sissy squats. Well, those two my knees don’t like. Not weird, since that’s often the case with people and their leg training. Now I know why I never bothered to sit and kick in the leg extension machine. The word “machine” is what is bad in that sentence. Machine and joints=not a good company.

My convenience store always boil a lot of eggs for me and for the homeless people of venice as well. I always by 20 or so a day for 5 dollars. Anyhow, today they were out of them so I went twenty minutes with car to buy those eggs elsewhere. Gee, I’m an eggaholic!

Put on my weight vest this morning and went down to the beach. The sand was cleansed and  made even. ON TIME for once! isn’t that hilarious? Some days I get annoyed because that “someone” has not cleaned and made the sand even! LOL

I started to jog as usual but then my heart rate monitor suddenly died. I HATE when that happens because since I’m so compulsive I then need to go in more minutes for my total time since I need to see my targeted calorie expenditure…I know I know, it’s stupid since I know you just don’t stop expending because the watch gives out, but I’m just that way.

Well, this made me start powerwalking in the sand so the HR belt didn’t interfere with the vest’s pressure onto it, and I noticed I got a higher heart rate from it. Great. Then I started speedwalking instead and saw an even higher heart rate. Even better! Suddenly I ended up taking miniminimini steps and plowing the sand with my heels and that made my heart beat the fastest. This was fun! And then I started to do boxing punches as well. First one punch with each arm, then two, then three, some uppercuts to that and then all out for a minute until I got lactic acid going in my triceps (oh, since I have that fat deposit on them all the time they could use some cardio to realize I’m trying to lean them out!:-) and I watched my heart rate go up to 85%! Happy Happy! That was hard! And more fun! But darn I looked funny! Like a little grumpy turtle/squirrel that got stuck in the sand!

that weight vest I bought…wow, it’s really working me out!!! I can feel it’s gonna help me for sure! It’s not boredom doing some cardio sessions any more, I’m completey occupied with stabilizing my core and keep on moving forward. lol. Great investment!

Anyway, I was tired all day. And grumpy about it. In one day I was content because it’s proof my body taps into some fat cells to get some energy, but on the other hand I was anxious that I would suddenly be a tiny, skinny cardio bunny… My nightmare is I suddenly forget to work hard in the gym and end up with a smooth, less muscular look… When I feel worn out it freaks me out: what if I feel weak? what if I don’t lift as heavy as I did last week? This makes me grumpy and in order to psyche up for training I become a  real idiot. Yes, an idiot. I get angry, I rage, I talk crap, everything and anything makes me P***ed. Nobody would like to talk to me before one of those days when I need to make energy out of anger. But as soon as I get moving in the gym, warm up I suddenly feel better, I feel strong. My muscles are working with me. Then I’m glad I was so underenergized during the day. I think it’s just my way to save myself for training.

My workout today was awesome! I dragged my feet to the gym but IN the gym I rocked! Everything felt great!

I need to remember that HOW I feel before training NEVER affects my workout. Just be confident about that. 

Yes, I’m obsessed with it. A soso workout is worse than no workout. I rather stay home than to do some half-hearted training. I can count on my fingers the workouts I’ve done without passion. I prefer to keep them to a minimum since I’m a bad person when I feel bad about my training. My training is that important to me.

tomorrow is my favourite day of training. It’s deadlift day! YES!

need some new music? download this, my special motivational play list that will be available as my imix! search for it at itunes store if you want to check it out!