Competition Update

For those of you who have followed my blog for a while… Remember when competition prep was really a hardcore endeavor I actively participated in? I’d do 400 squats as my warm-up before I went to the gym because I was all-in for the rise-and-grind bodybuilding lifestyle for nearly a decade?

Now…

Holy @#$! training is not working out as I anticipated. First, I’m 49 and not 38, so I feel like I have to do twice as much just to stand still. Second, I’ve been riddled with injuries. I’ve pulled my calf muscle, (requiring a boot for weeks) pulled my groin during a dance class (four days off), got a cold from hell (two weeks away from the gym) and then, because my sense of timing is awful, I thought this would be the very best time to schedule a double eye surgery. What was I thinking?? (You can read about the surgery here.)

I’m happy to report that my injuries have healed and my vision is excellent now. Let’s hear it for modern medicine! But it’s impacted how I’m training. I’m too nervous of re-injuring myself to go hardcore. I’ll lift, but not as heavy as I used to. Bless my trainer, Robin Johnson, for working around everything.

All my previous competitions involved going to my trainer’s gym and then 24 Hour Fitness for the cardio, which is where I learned the art of taking sweaty selfies. Unfortunately, the 24 Hour Fitness near me declared bankruptcy during the pandemic, so I’m doing my cardio at home now. The difference between working out at home versus a gym is that I look like ass at home. There’s no need to comb my hair into anything more interesting than a ponytail and my workout clothes are more comfortable than fashionable. Not the kind of images I’d want to share in cyberspace too often. But here’s one anyway.

And speaking of photos – I used to take weekly progress photos in my bikini and put them in my blog posts, which was fine when my kids were in preschool, but now that they’re teenagers, I’m not going there. (You’re welcome offspring.) That leaves me the option of posting photos of my lunch, but how exciting is kale salad, really? I’ll try to take some more gym pictures next month, just so you know I’m still kicking.

Beyond all that, I’m actually feeling pretty good. I’m going shopping in my closet, fitting into clothes I haven’t worn since 2019. When I race my son to the car in the parking lot I’m not winded any more. And my body feels better since I’ve doubled my vegetable intake. I’m not sure how this competition is going to turn out, but I’m glad I’m getting back into bodybuilding.

How about you? How are your fitness goals going?

Lisa 😉

 

Here’s my story. (Available HERE).

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