Well here I am sitting about a week out from JR USA’s, the First NPC National Level Competition of 2012 and I am EXCITED!!! It really is such a great feeling to be Happy and Content knowing that you have given your all, inspired others, had a great time, and balanced it all in the process! Those are what I ultimately have control of and no matter what happens with placings, I will walk away a CHAMPION with absolutely NO Regrets or Excuses! To realize long-term success in the Fitness Industry, that is ultimately what it is all about and the sooner we all can realize this, the better off we are!

READY!!!

I truly feel that I have made some major improvements in My Physique, Posing, and Presentation, so for that I am VERY Happy Men’s Physique is still very new and taking shape within the NPC and I am looking forward to being a part of the first National Level Contest of the year! I will be heading out to Charleston, South Carolina next week; which is also exciting since I have never been before! I have had a ton of Support and Motivation from those around me along the way, so I am Very Thankful and hope to repay all that I have received

JR USA’s!!!

One major addition that I have added into my training is to perform several AM Fasted Low Intensity Steady State Conditioning Sessions per week! This obviously has helped the leaning out process, but I also feel as though it has overall allowed me to be a bit more “stream-lined” Something that is certainly welcomed in the Men’s Physique Category! I have made sure to not sacrifice my hard earned Muscle Mass by ALWAYS making sure to have my Pre-Conditioning Supplements Dialed In! That would be; Figure Fuel, Scorch, and Yohimbine-HCL! This is definitely a potent and effective Fat-Loss Tri-Fecta!

Pre-Conditioning Tri-Fecta!!!

I would HIGHLY recommend this combination to anyone looking to get in great shape and increase their Fitness! Gives you everything you need to Lose Fat, Spare/Build Muscle, and Increase Performance! What more could you ask for???

-Stay Strong; It’s more than Physical-

-Derek aka “Diesel”-

My last blog I wrote about being in the trenches. I have been in the trenches before so I’m very familiar with it. The trenches and a good journey wouldn’t be the same without some obstacles and or road blocks. I call it “The Rut” and we have all had them. Not losing any weight, tired, bored, loss of strength and even lack of motivation. Most contest preparation or programs are 12 weeks long so you have to find ways to stay motivated and most importantly keep it FUN.

You can’t do anything about the inevitable but to embrace it and make changes to adapt and power through it. Embracing it can be defined and accomplished in many ways. Remember why you are doing this in the first place, settle yourself, refocus and start again. If you are like me, cardio at times can be boring and when low on carbs, it’s downright hard. Netflix, a new playlist on my iPhone and different cardio machines helps keep my mind fresh and occupied. I also incorporate yoga during my prep to stay limber and calm. There is a difference between sucking it up and listening to your body when it’s time to rest. I have found that lack of sleep can be your worst enemy while prepping. I have relied on MANSports REM PM to help me get that deep sleep to help my mind and body recover and wake up ready to do it again the next day. In saying that, learn to listen to your body when you hit a rut, maybe you just need a morning off or maybe you just need more sleep. Our body is a wonderful machine capable of remarkable things. As long as you feed it right, exercise, get plenty of rest and learn how to LISTEN to it, your body will yield to your will and be in tip top shape at the end of your journey.

I am roughly 15 weeks out from the next time I hit the stage and I couldn’t be more excited. It was last September when I competed last. I have given myself some time to grow, reshape and prep my body and mind for the next 15 weeks. As I get closer to my 12 weeks mark, my contest diet and the pace of my workouts changes. Once I hit my 12 week mark, it’s all pedal to the floor until show time. Trenches filled with a few ruts here and there will not slow me down. I have proven this to myself in the past so I know I’m prepared. I am armed with the knowledge of how to relax and keep myself focused and I have the best products in Figure Fuel, Body Octane and Vaporize to fuel my drive. My goal this competition season is to be exactly what I pictured when I closed my eyes the day I was asked “how do you want your body to look on stage?”

Train hard, follow your meal plan, get plenty of rest and go to the zoo with enough music on your iPod to have your very own Lallapalooza lol!! Until next time my friends, stay thirsty

Khay
XOXO

What is it about Monday that gets so many people in a rut? I just don’t get it, well… Actually I do! You see many of us have this first reaction to always assume that things will be bad or negative, most don’t even realize that they do it! So many times when things come up that may seem bad or negative, it is only because we allow them to be so! You see, things that are VERY strong have to go under some kind of pressure; Diamonds, Steel, even Muscles are broken down and then made Bigger and Stronger, and Our Minds are NO different! We can either allow the weight to Break Us or Make Us… It really is up to us! Just the smallest Mental Switches can allow us to Grow, Prosper, and ultimately benefit from ANYTHING that comes our way!

You’re Darn Right It’s MONDAY!!!

Instead of the oh no, it’s Monday feelings… How about, bring it on! How awesome is it that we are Blessed with another week to Live Our Lives, to Realize Our Dreams, to Make It Happen! Monday is simply the start of another week that we get to decide what happens… Yes, we decide! If there is something that you have been putting off, the time is NOW! If your workouts have been slacking, step it up! If you have a friend that you haven’t talked to in a while, meet up! The fact of the matter is that no matter what someone will always have it better and someone will always have it worse! What changes is our response to any given situation at the given time! Monday??? You’re Darn Right It’s MONDAY… I just hope it can keep up with us! Time to throw on some extra weight, face a new challenge, be honest and hold yourself accountable… It all really is up to us! What do you choose? I know that I am going to have a GREAT WEEK… I already decided that

Though the load may be heavy, know the weight makes you strong!

-Stay Strong; It’s more than Physical-

-Derek aka “Diesel”-

I looked up the word trench in the dictionary and it stated that it was, “a ditch dug as fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth”. Mmm not what I was looking for but for your reading pleasure the word “trench” will be used as a noun to describe that place between starting and finishing. Where am I at this moment in time? I am in the trenches. Not even at the half-way point until my next show but as I mentioned on my last blog I am getting a head start. I actually like it here and I wanted to share with you why. There are no lights, no heels, no make-up, just me and my favorite cardio machine and the iron. I feel like an artist having the opportunity and freedom to express myself on a fresh piece of clay that I can heat up and mold, reheat and mold again. Our sport is so competitive that we at times lose the reasons why we started to work out in the first place. The trench reminds me of this reason. At the end of the day my goal is to be a strong, healthy woman capable of standing on my own two feet while holding my own. With this as my mindset, the trench is not chaotic but rather calm and peaceful. You guys all know that our cortisol level will rise when stress is present and an unwanted gift when we are trying to lean out. Here are some steps I take to keep calm and relaxed;
-Stay in the trenches longer. By that I mean never rush your body to meet a desired goal, rather plan ahead and start earlier. The trenches are really not that bad when you are comfortable and not rushed or stressed.

-Get enough sleep. I have been using MANSports sleep aid, REM PM for the best sleeps at night. I wake up feeling tight, refreshed and ready to charge into the day.

-Drink lots of water. That’s self explanatory but I cannot stress enough the importance of proper hydration to help with weight loss, digestion and energy levels. I take my water jug with me where ever I go:-)

-Feed and protect your muscles. In addition to my meal plan, I use MANSports Figure Fuel to insure that my muscles are protected and I am getting plenty of Branch Chain Amino Acids in my system. Figure Fuel is formulated with 6 grams AjiPure Amino Acid. It also has 1 gram of L-Carnitine for fat mobilization and 1 gram of Beta-Alanine to help delay the onset of physical fatigue. It taste great too and makes a great zero carb popsicle treat.

-And lastly be HAPPY. We all have a gift and an opportunity to do exactly what we want in life so let’s not waste that time.

Until next time my friends, ENJOY the the trenches

Khay
XOXO

Hey there MAN Sports Fans! I hope that you all had a GREAT Weekend and are ready for another GREAT Week! I definitely had an awesome weekend, it is starting to warm up here which makes for some perfect weather to get outside, get moving and get things done! I wanted to write a several part series on a question that I get asked quite frequently and something that people always seem to wonder… What type of Cardio/Conditioning is right for me? I also am not going to go to crazy technical on this and provide you with what I consider to be the nuts and bolts of it! Sooo… Let’s get to it! The first type I would like to discuss in Part I is by far the most traditional form of Cardio; Steady State or as some call it Low Intensity Training (LIT).

Steady State Cardio is the type most commonly associated with doing a Cardiovascular Exercise at a Moderate-Easy Pace for an extended period time, such as walking on a Treadmill! In recent years this has gotten a very bad rap with a lot of people, especially those that equate exertion with effectiveness. But, many have used it for a VERY long time to get VERY lean… Hmmm… It must work then?! Well, it does! The key take way points to this form of Cardio and any other for that matter is your Heart Rate; all of the different forms of Cardio/Conditioning are based upon your Heart Rate, which obviously varies greatly from one person to the next based on a lot of variables, but mostly on their level of Fitness. With Low Intensity Training, the key here is that your overall Heart Rate is rather low and at a level that you can maintain very comfortably for an extended length of time, because where the big benefit here is the time you go, because that is where you will use your Fat for energy! One of the best places to implement this type of Cardio is first thing upon waking on an empty stomach, because you have fasted while sleeping and used up most of your bodies stored energy (food), so just about everything that you do will equate to Fat Loss! There are however some very helpful supplements to help you maximize this period even more! Figure Fuel, Scorch, and Yohimbine-HCL are all VERY beneficial to take about 15 minutes prior to beginning Low Intensity Training while fasted!

Figure Fuel provides your body with Branch Chain Amino Acids so that you do not cannibalize your muscle mass, L-Carnitine to help your body utilize even more fat for energy, and Beta-Alanine to extend your performance and enhance your recovery!

Scorch has a host of ingredients all designed to raise your metabolism so that you lose more Body Fat and burn more calories as well as preserve muscle mass!

Yohimbine-HCL is excellent at helping to rid those stubborn areas of body fat, particularly when you have not eaten recently, it also helps to increase your performance and extend your endurance!

As you can see taking this combo before periods of Fasted Low Intensity Training is VERY beneficial and really helps you to maximize your efforts! A few other major benefits to this type of Cardio is the general health and heart benefits that it provides, it is very important to not only be fit on the outside, but the inside as well! Lowering Cholesterol, Decreasing Heart Rate, Decreasing Blood Pressure, Strengthening Bone Mass, are all added health benefits to this type of training! Some may argue that over time this type of training can decrease your metabolism and make you slower, well remember that really anything done in excess is harmful and that the balance is really where the key is! I would highly suggest to start out with lower times and intensities and work up as and only when needed, far too many just arbitrarily add in more, more, more because they assume that it will be better… But, the second you begin to fight your body, you will always lose! Another great time to add in this type of Cardio is immediately after your Weight-Training sessions, because this is another time where you have used up most of your energy stores and are in prime condition for some Fat Loss! Typically beginning with 20 Minutes on a Treadmill at a 10% Incline at Level 3 3 times per week is adequate for most! Remember to always adjust up or sown depending on your present fitness levels, but it is always better to start low and work up! The ideal situation is to do as little Cardio/Conditioning as possible to get lean and still be fit! This type of Cardio can also be very beneficial for recovery as it stimulates blood flow and gets things moving! Just remember to keep the exertion relatively low, you should be able to keep the pace up for a long time and easily talk to someone, read a magazine, etc…

I hope this helps to shed some light on one type of Cardio and stay tuned, next I’ll go over High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

LIVE LEAN!

-Stay Strong; It’s more than Physical-

-Derek aka “Diesel”-