Sassy69 2013: Physique in the Midwest

[sassy69]

After 2 years since my last show, downsizing, a relocation from the West Coast to the Midwest Coast (of Lake Michigan), a move from suburban living to city living, and a new group of people / clients to work with, I'm on the track to my first Physique show after 10 years in bodybuilding with the help of PJ!

My target show is the NPC Illinois State in Chicago, May 11, 2013. Currently just short of 14 weeks out. I have a lot of details to bring together and learning to work around my various tendonitis and foot problems , but for the purpose of getting a log going, here we are


Mon, 2/4/12

Training: legs
(training in my building tonight to work w/ an early schedule I have tomorrow)

Active / DeFranco leg warmup

leg curls (only had seated available - this should be lying): 75/20 x 2 (1 set finding starting point) 90/15 x 2 105/12
wide stance Smith squats: 135/12 185/12 205/12 225/10
alt reverse Smith lunges: 95/12 x 3
cable butt blaster (no real buttblaster available): 20/15 25/15 x 2 30/12
leg ext: 75/20 x 4

10 min foam rolling

 

[so1970]

good luck

 

[ctr10]

Can't get much better help than PJ, good luck

 

[IronAddict]

Luck! Although I know you wont need it.

 

[s2h]

good luck..will be following along...

 

[D-Lats]

Good luck! I'm doing men's physique for the first time. I'm subbed for tips

 

[sassy69]

Good luck! I'm doing men's physique for the first time. I'm subbed for tips

Practice a sexy walk, smiling and tossing your hair...


lol kidding

This is a whole new experience for me - actually working to keep muscle OFF and not encourage my existing muscle memory. Very weird. But not a bad thing - my body is showing the wear & tear of > 30 years of lifting and I want to reduce my general 'set point' down a good 10-15 lb if I can so going forward (i.e. aging) I'm not carrying extra mass that my metabolism will have to work harder to keep from getting sloppy. Its funny how a life of goals of BIGGER! STRONGER! BETTER! is now more about just "preventative maintenance" LOL!

I'm also very excited to get my new posing suit! I can't help it.. I like good bling and w/ the help of George Ann from Decked in Diamonds, I think its going to be KICK FUCNKIN ASS!

ITS TIME TO GET SMALL!

 

[sassy69]

2/5/13 - Tues

Training: back

active WU
shoulder WU
lat pull downs with v bar grip- 90/12 80/15 x 3
1 arm dumbbell rows- 65/10 x 4
Underhand Barbell rows - 95/12 115/10 x 95/11
Seated pulley rows with rope attachment- 70/15 x 4
Behind the neck pull downs- 50/20 x 4

 

[Valkyrie]

Wow. I have a girlfriend that has been dropping size due to the ridiculous judging inconsistincies in our state and the rapid shift in size preference for Figure (smaller and smaller to push the more muscular girls into physique I think) Probably one of the trickiest things to pull off - I'm sure you're up for the challenge.

 

[sassy69]

Wow. I have a girlfriend that has been dropping size due to the ridiculous judging inconsistincies in our state and the rapid shift in size preference for Figure (smaller and smaller to push the more muscular girls into physique I think) Probably one of the trickiest things to pull off - I'm sure you're up for the challenge.

I think it would make me nuts being a figure competitor w/ the variety of judging shifts over year to year, contest to contest, region to region. The downsizing is sort of a perfect timing for me because the years are just taking their toll and everything that I loved about the gym that drove big lifting in the past, now just sorta hurts LOL! What I look forward to the most is getting into a regular routine in the gym + cardio + leaning out to where I "hurt less" - not that I'm totally broken up, but its more like when I take time off from the gym, I get stiffer. Just simply the consistent activity goes a long way towards getting that feeling back when I was younger where it didn't feel stiff all the time LOL!.. Seriously ... age sucks. I'm great once I'm warmed up, but dang... until then I move slow.

 

[sassy69]

2/6/13 - Wed

Cardio - 35 min

 

[Valkyrie]

I think it would make me nuts being a figure competitor w/ the variety of judging shifts over year to year, contest to contest, region to region. The downsizing is sort of a perfect timing for me because the years are just taking their toll and everything that I loved about the gym that drove big lifting in the past, now just sorta hurts LOL! What I look forward to the most is getting into a regular routine in the gym + cardio + leaning out to where I "hurt less" - not that I'm totally broken up, but its more like when I take time off from the gym, I get stiffer. Just simply the consistent activity goes a long way towards getting that feeling back when I was younger where it didn't feel stiff all the time LOL!.. Seriously ... age sucks. I'm great once I'm warmed up, but dang... until then I move slow.

You're preaching to the choir! I'm only 23 online LOL.

I am honestly at the point with state level comps that I only recommend girls compete if they really love it and will have a fun and fulfilling experience regardless of what the judges act like on that particular day. What is especially frustrating is that state level the judges DO NOT WANT the girls to look like the big international Figure girls (Larissa Reis for example). If a competitor can't look at international champions as the goal she should strive for how the hell is she supposed to know what she should look like to win? Its ridiculous.

The particular friend I mention was one of the best just five years ago. She won the governors cup which is the largest competition in our very large state. Now they tell her she is much too big and should do physique. I wish she would her body is just beautiful and I love the women's physique look but for her if has always been about the high heels.

State level many comps don't even have entries in the female BB category anymore! Meanwhile 347 girls per class in bikini *sigh*

Is there any difference between women's physique and women's BB as far as the posing routines? Or is the difference only in the judging?

 

[baby1]

Good luck to you!!!! Maybe we will have to come and see you at the show!

 

[sassy69]

You're preaching to the choir! I'm only 23 online LOL.

I am honestly at the point with state level comps that I only recommend girls compete if they really love it and will have a fun and fulfilling experience regardless of what the judges act like on that particular day. What is especially frustrating is that state level the judges DO NOT WANT the girls to look like the big international Figure girls (Larissa Reis for example). If a competitor can't look at international champions as the goal she should strive for how the hell is she supposed to know what she should look like to win? Its ridiculous.

The particular friend I mention was one of the best just five years ago. She won the governors cup which is the largest competition in our very large state. Now they tell her she is much too big and should do physique. I wish she would her body is just beautiful and I love the women's physique look but for her if has always been about the high heels.

State level many comps don't even have entries in the female BB category anymore! Meanwhile 347 girls per class in bikini *sigh*

Is there any difference between women's physique and women's BB as far as the posing routines? Or is the difference only in the judging?

The figure girls of 5 years ago were harder than they are now. At least there is Physique to go for those who were building up to the size they used to reward and don't want to downsize - but it is distinctly more like BB and less like Figure. And I agree w/ you - the state level shows reward softer, but at the national level, harder generally gets rewarded - the girls who would kill it at a national show can't get the qualification at the local show because they are too hard. But then the winners at the local /state level go to the national show and get their asses handed to them for being to soft. Some amount of consistency would be nice.

I LOVE the Arnold Amateur & the the North Americans because they allow more of the international competitors, and THEY BRING IT! PEELED! I love that. I'm not saying it needs it needs to get ridiculous, but I don't see the point in handing a pro card to someone who is soft. It just looks "unprepared" to me. But then I'm old school.

Physique leans more towards BB, or maybe the look is more "classic BB" from the early days. The required poses are mostly the same as BB, with the exception of the rear lat spread which is not required. The poses are more "feminine" - e.g. open handed front dbl bicep. Side tri is mostly the same. Side chest is an arms extended, leg extended - eh - it sorta approximates a side chest. Watching some competitors, I don't feel like they even know why they are doing that pose and are just doing the form of it for presentation purposes. And then a rear dbl, again w/ the open hands. And abs & thighs. I think generally the 60 sec no-music routine has been tossed for bodybulding, but both physique & BB have the symmetry & comparison rounds and, depending on how much time allocated, somewhere between a 30- 60 sec free pose routine w/ music. And of course, no heels or props.

 

[sassy69]

Good luck to you!!!! Maybe we will have to come and see you at the show!

Would love to meet anyone in the Illinois circuit! I'm new coming to the midwest competition arena so whole new group of people I need to meet!

 

[sassy69]

2/11/13 - Mon

So I'm catching up - I've done training since the last entry, but I forget which days - work w/ some late database time cut into a couple days of training, but I got some cardio in every day. Add in hiking to work & back in frozen slush made for a bit of a workout a few days.

Training: chest / bis / tris

shoulder wu
incline db press: 50/10 (got a spot to set up) 40/10 x 3 ... jeebuz I'm weak... big contributor was left wrist tendonitis that has been irritated lately and was definitely a weak link
incline db fly: 25/15 x 4
rope tri pressdown: 70/12 60/12 x 3
bar tri pressdown: 50/20 x 4
BB curl: 40/12 x 4 30/10 (burnout)
DB incline curl: 25/20 20/20 x 3

Cardio: 40 min treadmill - alt 5 min fast walk / 5 min angle 15 lunge walk --- working up to full 5 minutes on the lunge walk and holding on w/ a couple fingers so I don't fall over... biggest challenge - adjusting the length of the lunge to avoid going off the back of the treadmill LOL!

PWO stretch & enjoying my new lacrosse ball for "foam rolling" my right shoulder & right IT / piriformis

 

[sityslicker]

2/11/13 - Mon

So I'm catching up - I've done training since the last entry, but I forget which days - work w/ some late database time cut into a couple days of training, but I got some cardio in every day. Add in hiking to work & back in frozen slush made for a bit of a workout a few days.

Training: chest / bis / tris

shoulder wu
incline db press: 50/10 (got a spot to set up) 40/10 x 3 ... jeebuz I'm weak... big contributor was left wrist tendonitis that has been irritated lately and was definitely a weak link
incline db fly: 25/15 x 4
rope tri pressdown: 70/12 60/12 x 3
bar tri pressdown: 50/20 x 4
BB curl: 40/12 x 4 30/10 (burnout)
DB incline curl: 25/20 20/20 x 3

Cardio: 40 min treadmill - alt 5 min fast walk / 5 min angle 15 lunge walk --- working up to full 5 minutes on the lunge walk and holding on w/ a couple fingers so I don't fall over... biggest challenge - adjusting the length of the lunge to avoid going off the back of the treadmill LOL!

PWO stretch & enjoying my new lacrosse ball for "foam rolling" my right shoulder & right IT / piriformis

Sassy is there any others reason to do this other then to break up the monotony and work different leg muscles? I've never tried anything like this, just curious.

 

[sassy69]

Sassy is there any others reason to do this other then to break up the monotony and work different leg muscles? I've never tried anything like this, just curious.

I'd have to get details from PJ, but my bet is that its a couple things. HIIT (tho not literally running), for one. Also esp for women to get ye olde booty tight, lunges, lunges, lunges. For myself I have a bit of a challenge w/ running - I have a boatload of food issues, including 3 bunion surgeries and now have plantar fasciitis in my left heel and neuromas (inflamed nerves in the area where the toes come into the foot, at the ball of the foot) - so running is painful.

 

[sassy69]

2/12/13 - Tues

Training: legs

20 min DeFranco wu
lying leg curl: 90/20 105/15 90/15 90/12
wide stance Smith squats: 185/15 225/15 x 3
Smith reverse lunges: 95/12 x 4
cable "butt blaster": 23/15 27/12 x 3
leg ext: 90/20 x 4

PWO stretch / foam rolling

 

[sassy69]

Wed - 2/13/13

AM: 35 min cardio

PM: Back
15 min WU -- stoopid tight hammies
shoulder wu
lat pulldowns: 90/12 x 4
alt DB row: 60/12 x 2 --- major tweakage in right lower back so stopped these
underhand grip BB row: 60/15 x 4
cable rope seated row: 80/12 x 4
**ended here due to tweaked back **

foam / lacrosse ball rolling

 

[sassy69]

Thurs - 2/14/13 - Happy Valentine's Day!

PM: 40 min treadmill + lunges

Followed by 30 minutes of ice packs on my poor feets!

I made what the recipe calls "Basic Paleo Spinach Quiche", but what it really is is anything green I could shove into my food processor, then blend w/ egg whites and slap into a pie pan to bake for 30 minutes. The "anything green" includes kale, spinach, broccoli, a little onion & garlic for taste. LOL!

 

[sityslicker]

I'd have to get details from PJ, but my bet is that its a couple things. HIIT (tho not literally running), for one. Also esp for women to get ye olde booty tight, lunges, lunges, lunges. For myself I have a bit of a challenge w/ running - I have a boatload of food issues, including 3 bunion surgeries and now have plantar fasciitis in my left heel and neuromas (inflamed nerves in the area where the toes come into the foot, at the ball of the foot) - so running is painful.

Thanks Sassy, I think I'll give this a try to change things up. What I've been doing switching back and forth b/w treadmill to elliptical throughout my cardio sessions so I don't go crazy just doing one. What you mentioned above should be a nice change of pace.

And btw, sorry to hear about the foot. Your tough as nails to train like you do, esp with that kind of debilitating injury. Much respect.

 

[sassy69]

Fri - 2/15/13

15 hours at work, but I walked 1.5 miles home, straight to bed.

Sat - 2/16/13

AM:
Posing: 30 min getting some insight to Physique style posing from one of our Chicago local pros at the world-famous Quads Gym - Nola Trimble! Awesome!

Hams
(warmed up from posing)
lying leg curl: 75/20 x 4
DB SLDL: 30/15 x 4
seated leg curl: 90/20 x 4
super:
- walking lunges: bodywt/15 10/15x 4
- DB plie squat: 80/15 x 4

Adding for S&Gs
Smith vertical leg press: 270/10 x 4
reverse hyper: 20 x 4

 

[sassy69]

Catching up... with a little redesign of the workout schedule - 2 day split w/ yoga classes incorporated where they fit. Cardio goal is 5x/week or better. This is a work in progress - working up to more HIIT, w/ the interval lunges but working w/ my foot problems. I'm also working w/ my chiro on the foot issues and some re-flair of my rotated pelvis and shoulder that likes to tire out. And I generally walk to/from work - total about 2 1/2 miles/day.

Here's the two day split:

Upper body:
complex 1 - repeat 3-4x, 30 sec rest between cycles
- bench press: 8-12
- DB lateral raise: 8-12
- flatbench fly: 8-12
complex 2 - repeat 3-4x, 30 sec rest between cycles
- alt DB rows: 8-12
- decline pushups: 10-15
- DB curl presses: 8-12
complex 3:
- DB military press: 8-12
- DB OH tri press: 8-12
- DB bent over reverse flys: 8-12

Lower Body:
complex 1:
- smith squats: 8-12
- smith calf raises: 15-20
- jump squats: 8-10
complex 2:
- reverse BB lunges: 8-12
- BB bench step ups: 8-12
- Bulgarian splti squats: 8-12
complex 3:
- Russian lunges: 12-15
- bodywt squats: 25-30
- leg press: 8-12

 

[kristaleigh]

Would love to meet anyone in the Illinois circuit! I'm new coming to the midwest competition arena so whole new group of people I need to meet!

I'm in Indiana so we may run into each other at a show. I'm bikini though lol

 

[theCaptn']

late follower, long time admirer

 

[sassy69]

I'm in Indiana so we may run into each other at a show. I'm bikini though lol

Ya never know! I'll be doing the happy dance if I can hit this target show date. Then I just have to see where I stand...

 

[sassy69]

late follower, long time admirer

Hopin' to keep the following interesting! And like the Bartles & Jaymes guys .. "Thank you for your support!"

 

[sassy69]

2/25/13 - Monday

PM training:
- 10 min cardio _+ DeFranco Wu
- lower body complexes
- 60 min yoga
- 20 min posing

 

[Valkyrie]

I'm in Indiana so we may run into each other at a show. I'm bikini though lol

In for pic of this sessi meet up!