Home Gym Workout

Recently I had Branda Polk and our good friend Michelle over for a workout in our make-shift home gym in the garage. I've known Branda for a long time now and she's a fab trainer and friend. Michelle and I met through her, really hit it off and we get to train together about once a month via one of Branda's tough concoctions!

Now to put our workout together. We had some parameters and a few limitations. They both wanted to work on the TRX, so we had to include that. We only had 1 hour total. There were 3 of us. Michelle does not have kettlebell experience yet. It was blazing hot. My space is small and my equipment limited. How to get in the most work, expose them to the TRX and keep us all moving? Hmmm...

Not fancy, but it works!

I penciled out a workout that would be sure to include every major muscle group. I was excited so it turned out to be 12 different exercises! Then I arranged the exercises into 4 mini-circuits. Each mini-circuit would have 3 exercises, one for upper body, one for lower body and one for core. Since there were 3 of us, we would do stations for time. This means we each started out on one of the three exercises, worked for a set amount of time, then rotated until we'd done each exercise twice. We did this for each one of the circuits. Allowing for transition, it timed out for about a 48 minute workout. Not bad.

Equipment included the TRX, the ValSlides, the 20 pound soft-sided medicine ball, an upright roman chair for leg raises, kettlebells and dumbbells and the GymBoss.

The TRX Suspension Training System is a unique system that can be used anywhere, but we keep it hanging from a beam in our garage. We have a rubber mat underneath for foot traction and you can easily get a full body workout with it alone. Now I'm rethinking the word easily I just put in that sentence because it's challenging, but you know what I mean. For this workout we concentrated on inverted rows, atomic push-ups, side plank and balance lunges using the TRX.

Look at that wall that needs to be painted. I'm calling the builder.

Oh wait, he is the builder.

I love our 20 pound soft-sided medicine ball by Dynamax. It's huge! We used it for slams, which really works your core and arms, not to mention it is a great stress reliever! We found this big one at MuscleDriver USA. For a smaller version that is more practical check out my GFWK Amazon Store.

The ValSlides are too cool. Let me tell you guys, they are not just for girls. One of the last times I used them I was sore for days. You can use them in all sorts of ways under your feet or under your hands. This is one type of unstable surface training that works. They are one of the most inexpensive things you can add to your equipment and they are totally portable. For this we used them to do a lateral type lunge with a punch. While one leg works to keep from sliding, you slide the other leg back at an angle and throw a punch! I've also used them under my feet for all types of squats and lunges, mountain climbers and walking with my arms in plank. Under your hands you can do a run (like a bear crawl), extended plank, and other core work. Crazy fun!

Since Michelle had not used kettlebells before, I adapted a few moves I've learned from Anthony Diluglio of Art of Strength from my Providence DVD. We held a kettlebell goblet style for squats. We also did single-arm overhead presses, but sitting on the floor with legs stretched out wide. You should try this. It totally takes your lower body out of the equation so you can't use it for assistance. Really tough. Then we used them for tactical lunges. These are reverse lunges in which you pass the kettlebell under your bent knee to the other hand each time you lunge. This lunge is challenging not only for balance but also because you have to go deep if your arms are short in comparison to your torso. Not that mine are, I'm just saying...

Jimmy got the upright roman chair for Father's Day. It includes bars for pull-ups, dips and padding on the back so you can do leg raises. It's really been a helpful, compact piece of equipment to have around. We found it at Dick's Sporting Goods.

We got in a great, fun workout with three people literally in a double garage. Oh, I forgot to mention that until you've used the TRX a few times it's tricky to get your feet in it right for certain moves when you're on a timer. So we brought Jimmy out to be the atomic push-up helper boy. He even made us all protein shakes afterwards. Gotta love that guy.

What type of workouts do you do at home? What equipment do you use? Would love to hear your ideas and suggestions.

This post uses affiliate links with the exception of the link to Branda Polk. Branda is a personal trainer and friend. Please see my disclosure statement.

Related Post(s):

TRX Fit Deck

5 Minute Fitness

K is for Kettlebell!

Fitness Gear Review in Men's Health Mag

Ten Reasons Why I Workout

It's not easy fitting in time at the gym, at home or in a hotel room to get in a good workout, even when you love it! I've learned that I have to make it a priority, or life just happens and next thing I know it's time for bed again. There will be plenty of obstacles in the way each day, including the ones in our minds that want to make us think it's selfish to take care of our bodies.

I workout so I can...

...swing my granddaughter in circles until we're both dizzy

...catch my 80 year old Dad when he's falling

...lie on the floor and do chest presses with my grandson because it makes him smile

...keep up with my bodybuilding husband (who is 16 years older!)

...take care of the one body God entrusted to me

...learn all I can about fitness in order to be of help to others

...keep functioning through the second half of my life (Deo Volente)

...wear my bathing suit on family vacations

...walk all over Rome again one day

...sprint in case of emergency!

If you workout, what are some of the reasons you do? If you don't, why not? I would love to hear about what motivates you.

Food Inc., The Movie Review

Stop reading this right now and go look up Food, Inc. the movie. Find out where it is showing near you, make plans to see it, then come back.

I left this movie with an array of stirred up emotions, such as sadness, anger, surprise and disappointment. Let me try to explain.

First, this documentary is being shown in one theater in my city; I'm sure for a limited time only. The theater chosen was not one of the newer locations in the suburbs where our city seems to be sprawling. No, it was shown in a small, old theater in the center of town, a location where I used to go to movies in high school, over 26 years ago. The theater was not even 1/4 full at prime movie time on a Friday night.

The fact that the masses will likely not see this movie is a total shame. It presents information that every consumer in America should see and know, and it impacts everyone. The question is, do we really want to know all about the food we feed to our children and put in our mouths every day? Once we do, we might feel compelled to make difference choices. Do we even know what those are? Clearly we move rapidly through our busy lives, day in and day out, pressed for time and money and choosing the best we can given our need for convenience and our current circumstances.

Why aren't we asking questions such as who grows our food? Where is it grown? What are the conditions? How is this food processed? Is it safe? How is it altered? Is it healthy? Is it labeled correctly and transparently with important facts? What does it go through to get to me? And as one of the narrators in the movie puts it so well, we should basically be asking if we can see in the kitchen.

The movie is very well presented. Don't be afraid to go see it, they get the point across without footage that is too squeamish. A lot of information is covered in a well-organized fashion and they give you the opportunity to hear compelling stories from farmers, consumers, workers, families etc. Notice I didn't mention companies in the food industry. Several apparently were approached but declined to comment. That is unfortunate, but even still the movie plainly states when that is the case and moves on. The narrators are not very animated, but it fits with the overall somber tone of the issues presented. It also prevents it from having a sensational feel to it. I found that refreshing in this day and time of being saturated with dramatic media coverage.

The movie does cover poor working conditions, unfair treatment of workers, the horrendous living conditions for many animals that are bred for food, the process of producing food in mass and as fast as possible, the prices of produce vs. fast food, the fact that we don't always know what's going into our food and several broken processes in ensuring safety of food. It's overwhelming to think of how much would have to be done to make the price of produce better than the price of fast food. (See a related post, Pay Now or Pay Later).

One of the most compelling stories told is by the mother who lost her child to food poisoning with E. coli O157:H7, traced back to a hamburger. The movie shares her journey all the way to the White House to try to change the processes of food safety. She and her mother are still fighting. We see video footage of his sweet face. His name was Kevin. He was two years old.

I don't want my grandchildren to grow up thinking food comes from a grocery store or a restaurant. When I was growing up, my grandparents grew their own vegetables in a modest but very productive garden. They were grown in the summer, eaten fresh and "put up" for eating in the winter. Fruits and veggies were eaten seasonally. Much of their meat was wild game. The turkey we ate for Thanksgiving every year was killed by my grandfather. Local farmers market or grocery store trips were for eggs, flour and milk. I don't have a garden, but maybe I should. I shop at the local farmer's market, but only for select items. Can we all live like my grandparents did? I think not, but I've at least seen and understand the process in my 44 years. My grandbaby doesn't know life before a juice box or fruit snacks. Is that good? Is that really how we define progress?

On a positive note, we get to hear from a couple of very passionate farmers. One in particular energetically shares his thoughts as we see exerpts from his farm and processes. The cows in pasture eating grass, pigs and chickens that have room to roam. The entire image provides a sense of relief and hope to the picture. One of the farmers is convinced that healthy, wholesome food can be provided if they are just given the chance.

At the end of the movie, there is an encouraging presentation. It turns the focus to treating people, animals and the land with respect. Suggestions include eating in season, buy from local farmers markets, trying organic. It reminds us that we can change the world, one bite at a time. But that will only happen if we get the message out.

If you see this movie, and I hope you do, please comment here as I am very interested in your thoughts and what actions you may plan to take as a result of it.

If you enjoyed this post, you might want to read The End of Overeating Review

Weight vs Body Composition

Did you know that you can lose weight, only to become a smaller version of the current you? Think about that for a minute. Look in the mirror. I'll bet you not only want to lose weight, but you want your body to be different in terms of shape too. You may even have a clear picture in your mind of the way you want to look. I'll also bet that mental picture is a happy, healthy, strong, vibrant you, whether you're male or female. If that's the case, what we must keep in mind is that weight loss is just one part of the picture, and this concept seems to hang us up on the journey.

I went through a period of my life in which I lost all my excess weight. At first it's motivating for the scale number to be down, to buy new clothes in smaller sizes and for people to comment on your weight loss and how small you look. The trouble was, I was just an overall smaller version of my old self. I still had the same soft spots and fat pads I had before, they were just smaller. I didn't feel any better in a bathing suit and I still couldn't find jeans that fit quite right. Truth is, I wasn't exercising while I was decreasing my calories. For some reason my smaller body and my mental picture weren't synching up.

Let's talk about weight loss and the scales, because those two things are usually come to mind when we become determined to make a change.

If you have a lot of weight to lose and it's just apparent, that may be the task at hand and the scales will be a helpful tool to you at first. Increasing activity and cleaning up eating habits can do wonders for jump starting your weight loss. (Please notice I didn't say anything about going on a diet. The word diet is a 4-letter word for a reason. We're moving away from the dieting mentality). Less calories eaten and more calories burned typically translates to a drop in the number on the scale. In this way, it's true that weight loss is a game of calorie balance.

Seems obvious, but keep this in mind:

• The scale is one helpful tool when you have excess weight to lose
• When the number goes down, your entire body weighs less (doesn't necessarily mean you've lost fat)
• Unless you want to be the same shape only smaller, weight loss alone won't get you to your goal

I won't go into the dreaded plateau here, but I will say that during the time I had lost weight and gotten to my magic number on the scale, I still had too much fat and not enough lean mass. I was consuming a ridiculously low amount of calories a day and couldn't go any lower. I'd lost weight, but my body composition was still undesirable. I soon discovered there is much more detail than the scale number once excess weight has decreased.

If you want to really change your physique you need to improve your body composition. This means you want more lean mass and less fat. This is how your shape changes, and to do it, exercise and clean eating must be a part of the picture. The goal should shift from a focus on weight loss and becomes one of losing fat and either preserving or building muscle.

A few more things to keep in mind:

• A change in body composition (increased lean mass, decreased fat) is what changes your body shape.
• Exercise is an essential tool in decreasing body fat and preserving or building muscle
• Eating habits can make or break your efforts toward a body composition improvement

Josh Hillis, a personal trainer certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, has said: "Scale weight tells me how many calories someone ate vs. how many calories they burned. Body fat percentage tells me the quality of the food you ate and the quality of your workouts. To get where you are going, you may need to change both."

Very well said, I couldn't agree more. Decreasing your body fat percentage is about keeping your metabolism firing, burning calories, working with intensity when you exercise, and eating high quality foods your body can use as clean fuel to keep stoking the fire. This is what will spark the changes in your body that are the most likely to get you to that mental picture of yourself, regardless of what number is on the scale. Your body will be strong, your shape will begin to change and you won't even care anymore what the scale says!

I'd love to hear more about where you are on your own journey, and your thoughts about weight loss, fat loss and body composition.

Related Posts:

Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss Part I

Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss Part II

NPC GNC Teen, Collegiate and Masters National Championships 2009

My husband Jimmy just competed in the 2009 NPC GNC Teen, Collegiate and Master's National Championships held July 16-18 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was a remarkable national level competition by promoter Gary Udit. There were over 400 competitors in the categories of bodybuilding, figure, bikini and fitness. The event was held at the Sheraton in Station Square in the area of Pittsburgh called the "South Side". We encountered friendly and helpful people everywhere. It was a tremendous effort and a very well organized show. This is definitely a show to see. The official photographer is J. M. Manion but you can see competitor pictures and competition results (placement) already on Muscular Development.

The interesting thing about this one was the fact that it was focused on particular age groups; teen, collegiate and masters. The masters group is basically defined as men age 40 and older, and women age 35 and older. Teens must be 19 or younger and collegiate had to be 25 years or younger. All competitors had to be members of the National Physique Committee (NPC) and US citizens. In addition, the event was an IFBB Pro Qualifier. Pro cards were awarded to the Overall Winner of Men over 50, Men over 60, Women's Bodybuilding over 35 and over 45, Figure over 35 and over 45, Bikini over 35 and the top 2 placers in the Men's Over 40 Overall. Needless to say it was quite an exciting weekend and the energy was palpable for three days solid.

We arrived on the day of weigh-in/check-in. Jimmy weighed in at 180 for this one, about 7 pounds shy of the top weight for his class, which was Men Over 60 Middleweight. He had put in a lot of work on his training, diet, posing and general preparation all year, but especially during the last 3 weeks. We packed a lot of the food he would need, and figured out that the way to fly with a cooler is to use bags of frozen veggies as ice packs to get through security! He also measured 6.4 % bodyfat two days before prejudging. This was his leanest ever.

Front Double Biceps pose before Prejudging

On stage at Prejudging

I'm slowly learning some of the tricks to prep week for these competitions. For many, the beginning of the week shows the nice results of a very lean diet and being fully hydrated. Then the real fun begins by manipulating sodium, potassium and water for the leanest, driest look possible. This makes a big difference in muscle and vein appearance during judging. Oh, but that's not all. Many competitors (my husband is now one of them) also have to throw in strategic carb manipulation during the last 24-48 hours to fill the muscles out if they have a flat look. This is quite a tricky process and while there are some basic guidelines, it varies from individual to individual. Not so lucky for me was the fact that Jimmy's trainer, Chris Caudy was not there! Chris is a bodybuilder, personal trainer, event promoter, NPC judge and owner of Next Level Training in Memphis. He gave me a crash course before we left and we were on our own to get it right.

Most Muscular pose before the Evening Show

The competitors were fascinating to me. I enjoyed walking around and seeing them all during the weekend. We watched a few photo shoots from a distance and met several competitors and their friends/families. It's amazing to see what bodies over age 35 can accomplish. The hotel lobby was quite a site at any given time of the day. Chairs were covered with sheets due to all the spray tanning and everywhere you looked you could see competitors eating from disposable containers. Most of the time it was chicken, oatmeal, eggs, white or sweet potatoes, brown rice, steak, etc. The guys have it tough enough with all the exfoliating, shaving or waxing, tanning, and posing, but it's hard to believe what the women go through. They have to do all of those things plus pick out a suit, decide on hair and jewelry, and for the figure girls, learn how to walk in 4-6 inch heels!

I'm very proud of Jimmy. He looked and presented himself the best ever at this one. It's not easy when you are doing it naturally. He won 1st place in his weight class, Middleweight Men Over 60. He did a super job and earned it! Once you win your class, you then compete against the winners of the other classes in your age group. After being taken through some quarter turns and mandatory poses, the pose-down begins. It's a fun free-for-all style posing for 30-60 seconds to determine the overall winner. The heavyweight guy won it, but Jimmy had fun and it was good experience! Of course I'm not biased, but I thought Jimmy looked the best! He feels very blessed to be able to train the way he does, especially going into his sixties.

Posing for the photographers at the trophy presentation. It's hard to take a picture while you're screaming.

A sign the grandbabies made before we left for the trip!

This year one of the long-time competitors, and a several-time winner of the Men Over 70 group, turned 80 years old. He called the promoter and said "what do we do now?". The promoter discussed it with the NPC and a category for Men Over 80 was added. He was the sole competitor in his age group and took home a first place trophy. He still looks good and presents himself well! He rocked the house with his 60 second routine to music at the evening show and got a standing ovation.

Whether you compete or not right now, if you're not training, get with it. You never know if you might find yourself on stage in front of a packed house in a posing suit at 80 years old!

Chris Caudy of Next Level Training is Jimmy's trainer in-season. Jimmy is a member of the NPC for competition purposes. See my disclosure statement.

Favorite Workout Music

Do you find that music can add a positive or negative effect to your workouts? It makes a tremendous difference for me. I like all kinds of music! My selection is a hodge-podge of pop, alternative, rock, dance and disco. In fact, a half-way intelligent introduction for this bizarre list totally eludes me! I just put it all on my iPod shuffle and let it do its thing. I do find that I like fast, upbeat music for circuits, timed sets, intervals, etc. and lean toward rock for heavy lifting. Some of these songs just make me laugh (you'll know which ones), sometimes I just want to stop lifting and start dancing, and others are so classic. Who could hear the theme from Rocky and not want to bust it? Here's some of what you might find on my iPod in no particular order:

I Know You Want Me(Calle Ocho) - Pitbull

Boom Boom Pow - Black-eyed Peas

If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback

That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings

Pon de Replay - Rhianna

Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin

Give It To Me - Timbaland (Timberlake/Furtado)

What is Love - Haddaway

Hips Don't Lie - Shakira

Black Dog - Led Zeppelin

Burn Rubber - The Gap Band

Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence

Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky) - Bill Conti

Check on It - Beyonce & Slim Thug

Feedback - Janet Jackson

Legs - ZZ Top

Pump It - Black-eyed Peas

Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses

Free Your Mind - En Vogue

Enter Sandman - Metallica

When I Grow Up - The Pussycat Dolls

Poker Face - Lady GaGa

Fight for Your Right - Beastie Boys

You Dropped a Bomb on Me - The Gap Band

I Feel Love - Blue Man Group

Love in an Elevator - Aerosmith

Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C+C Music Factory

SexyBack - Justin Timberlake

In the Ayer - Flo Rida

I'm Your Boogie Man - K.C. & The Sunshine Band

I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred

Know Your Enemy - Green Day

Livin' on the Edge - Aerosmith

The Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin

Whip It - Devo

Lose My Breath - Destiny's Child

Mony, Mony - Billy Idol

Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) - The Offspring

Love Shack - The B-52's

Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Shake It - Metro Station

Boogie Shoes - K.C. & The Sunshine Band

Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Authority Song - John Mellencamp

U Got the Look - Prince

Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen

Bad Case of Lovin' You - Robert Palmer

Train, Train - Blackfoot

Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top

Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith

Put Your Hands Up in the Air! (Radio Edit) - Danzel

Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic

Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy) - Sugar Ray

Slow Ride - Foghat

Right Round - Flo Rida

Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue

So What - Pink

Groove is in the Heart - Deee-Lite

American Woman - The Guess Who

What I Like About You - The Romantics

Give it to Me Baby - Rick James

What are some of the songs you listen to while you're working out, and what am I missing that is good? Would love to hear about your favorites.

Biscuit What? For How Much?

I took this picture with my own camera. I'm posting it in memory of my Mother, who could spot typos a mile away and once took out her camera at a local store just to take a picture of a sign that said "trail size". Wish I could talk with her about this one. I miss her.

The End of Overeating Review

I just finished the book The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler, MD. I found this book to be totally fascinating. If you have not read it, please find a copy and start reading it today.

Kessler is a former FDA Commissioner known for his work on food label issues and for tackling the tobacco industry. I almost didn't buy this book because I was afraid it would be a book of excuses, or that it would try to rationalize away a problem that I think is acute, ubiquitous and dangerous. However, his work presented in this book focuses on identifying the problem of overeating with greater understanding, including the science behind our draw to food, food industry tactics, full acknowledgement of the societal problem, and behaviors and responsibilities of overeaters; in addition he provides some sound steps to personally combating the issues to take back control. He starts by describing some of his early interviews with people who have difficulty controlling their eating, in an effort to better understand the behavior as only someone who struggles with it can describe. Kessler also reveals in early chapters his own challenges with particular foods. Because this doesn't seem to fall into the currently adopted groups of defined eating disorders, not much has been done to describe and tackle it.

Kessler outlines a description of the growing trend of overweight and obesity in our country (which has recently been documented yet again by other sources that obesity is not declining in any state). He then walks us through what is actively being studied and observed about behaviors toward certain foods, sharing notes and interviews from renowned scientists. It becomes very clear that there is a stimulus-response-behavior process in effect, which may, as he points out, explain why we are overeating during a time when we are not inherently afraid of food shortages and we may not even have access to exceptional food.

Somehow, without food being particularly exceptional, it has become more palatable, as Kessler describes. Our salt, fat and sugar laden food is the culprit, and keeps us coming back for more. This part of the book was amazing to me, and it took me a while to really absorb it. One sentence in particular seems to sum it up for me: "When offered a varied selection and large portions of high-sugar, high-fat, high-salt foods, many of us will eat them in excessive amounts."

Of course, the food industry hates this I'm sure, but he also shares some of their tactics as well from some industry insiders. You better believe that every tiny detail of an eating experience is being studied and fine tuned to keep us coming back for more. Our food has more sugar, fat and salt in it than anyone realizes. The foods you would never think contain these ingredients may have them added before they ever hit the restaurant where they undergo a "preparation" process. Keep your eyes open and don't fall asleep during this portion of the book.

Kessler has a knack for sharing the science and yet ends up explaining it where we all can understand. I think that is important because it's not just an opinion book, or based on sheer psychology. There is clear science, process and strategy behind this. Another component he describes in a picturesque fashion is how we have numerous "cues" for this response process. Don't be fooled that you're only cued if you walk into a restaurant and smell the food. Cues come from fond memories, social events, favorite friends, good times, meaningful landmarks in our lives. I know this to be true from personal experience. One of my favorite desserts to this day, cherry cobbler, has a lot more to do with my grandmother than the taste in my mouth when I eat it.

Kessler coins the term "conditioned hypereating" in this book. I think it's an accurate term. Many of us have eating habits that are based much more on reward and satisfaction of a stimulus than on the actual need for food as fuel. You'll be appalled to realize some facts about the food we're eating away from home, but don't despair. A good reason to read this book is to try to identify yourself and your loved ones in it, so that steps can be taken to reverse this process. He devotes the entire last section of the book to ending this problem. He helps us understand emotional learning and habits, how to take ourselves through rehab and make better choices in order to undo bad habits and establish healthy ones in relation to eating.

Overall, I think the book is a must-read and it absolutely receives a get fit with kelley recommendation. I'd love your comments and thoughts if you have read this book!

I have placed this book in my Amazon Store. Please see my disclosure statement.

FLAB Flashcards

My current training program is Fat Loss Action Blueprint (FLAB) by Jon Le Tocq. I find it very challenging. To be honest it surprised me, because I'm no stranger to working hard. In fact, I tend to come up with superwoman workouts in my head and on paper; sometimes I have to back off when I get to the gym and I'm reminded by my body that I don't have super powers. I find Jon's approach refreshing because it's not just another "me too" fat loss program in the mass of on-line options. Jon takes this stuff very seriously. It's interesting to me how little he actually talks about fat loss when it comes down to it. His approach is geared more toward conditioning and performance improvement, which means that when these two facets are focused on and taken up a notch the fat loss occurs more as a result. If you are not a casual exerciser and are ready to take your training to the next level I would suggest this program for you. Just so you know, he also addresses nutrition, which is critical. More on that later. While I would already recommend the program, it's a little too early in my own progress with it to do a comprehensive review, but I had an idea and wanted to go ahead and share it.

To explain how it works, in FLAB Jon divides the workouts into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, so really anyone who is ready to get with it can do this program on some level. In addition, for each level, he provides a broad selection of workouts using bodyweight, dumbbells or kettlebells and some other tactics with lightning intervals in between. He gives the framework for workout selection and scheduling. You make the selections, and then you're set in motion competing against yourself over a period of time, so progression and improvement occur. This is a genius set up because it positively forces the progression component.

I love it, but have four issues. Actually, my family might say that I have more than four issues, but we won't ask them.

• I am a restless soul and when faced with so many selections I want to try them all (the workouts).
• Recently I have been getting sabotaged by my schedule/location. For instance, I must do kettlebell work at home and dumbbell work at the gym just to have access to the right equipment and I don't always land where I intended.
• When my schedule gets derailed, I tend to gravitate toward favorite workouts or those of convenience, which doesn't support progression very well.
• I'm unbalanced; meaning I am more advanced with dumbbell work, less advanced in bodyweight work, (particularly upper body strength) and I am still learning kettlebell skills and optimal form.

So I came up with a plan! I decided to make myself some FLAB Flashcards! They are color-coded by bodyweight, dumbbell or kettlebell. Then they are labeled based on level (beginner, intermediate or advanced). In putting together my first stack of choices, I've included the levels I can handle right now, which is beginner and intermediate for bodyweight, all three levels for dumbbell and beginner for kettlebell. This enables me to quickly choose a card based on color depending on whether or not I am heading to the gym or staying home for my workout. Also, I already know that I should be able to do any of them because I've left out (for now) the levels I haven't mastered. As my skill increases, I'll add those level of cards into the deck. I can add a little excitement by choosing at random, or go in a methodical order. Either way, once the workout is done, I am placing it aside so that I get a full round of various workouts. Once I've gone through them all, I'll see if I can add more levels and shuffle the deck again. I plan to make notes on each card so that by the time it comes back around I can try to beat my time, increase my weight, etc. to keep the progression up. They are nothing fancy as you can see; just homemade. I like being able to choose the cards without seeing the workout. Keeps it fun and also keeps me honest. The full workouts are written on the other side of the card with more room for notes. I also added a few "wild cards" which are typically full-body circuit style workouts which I might choose at random just to give myself a change. Also, I have "finisher" cards which I still need to label upper body and lower body. These are add-ons to a workout if I have energy left and might be anything from kettlebell snatches to leg finishers such as a series of bodyweight squats, followed by jump squats, followed by squat holds.

This isn't exactly what Jon Le Tocq prescribes, but it's working for me. I think as long as I'm working hard, keeping the intensity up, progressing and performing like an athlete, he won't mind!

This post contains an affiliate link. Please see my disclosure statement.

NPC Battle on the Bluff 2009 Results

Here are the results of the 2009 NPC Battle on the Bluff Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini Competition held Saturday June 27, 2009 at Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Tunica, MS. Kudos to Chris Caudy for hosting a great event that presented fantastic physiques from all over the region. Chris is a bodybuilding champion, trainer and promoter and has a private studio called Next Level Training in the Memphis area.

Some fun competition facts:

Novice means first contest ever.

Only the top 5 in each class received trophies, and many classes had more than 5 competitiors.

Women's Figure Short is up to and including 5'4", medium is over 5'4" and including 5'6" and tall is over 5'6".

Women's Master Figure is 35 years and older.

The female weight class for bodybuilding is as follows:

• Lightweight: up to and including 125 lbs.
• Middleweight: Over 125 and up to/including 140 lbs.
• Heavyweight: Over 140 lbs.

Okay, thinking about my own weight. I don't want to talk about that anymore...

The weight classes are all slightly different between men's novice, men's junior and men's open. Here are the weight classes for Men's Open:

• Lightweight: Up to and including 154.25 lbs
• Middleweight: Over 154.25 and up to/including 176.25 lbsbs
• Light Heavyweight: Over 176.25 and up to/including 198.25 ls
• Heavyweight: Over 198.25 lbs

Placement, name and (competitor #)

Men - Bodybuilding

Novice Light

1st Cortney Vance (16)

2nd Matt Brown (15)

3rd Aaron Harris (17)

4th Danyel Benson (19)

5th Jason Jones (18)

Novice Heavy

1st Bryan Leger (22) - Overall Novice Winner

2nd Joey Baldwin (21)

3rd Jake Pranger (25)

4th Cornelius Smith (24)

5th Fielder Kelly (20)

Junior Light

1st Chase Papke (27)

2nd Brian Frazier (26)

Junior Middle

1st Sam Marcum (29)

2nd Marty Mathis (28)

Junior Heavy

1st Antionne Scott (32) - Overall Junior Winner

2nd Taylor Ramsey (31)

3rd Shane Pichard (30)

Open Men Light

1st Clint Kelly (38)

2nd Chance Sheppard (36)

3rd Caesar Hamilton (37)

Open Men Middle

1st Shawn Boutwell (42)

2nd Dusty Young (39)

3rd Chris Hardaway (41)

4th Stan Hobbs (40)

Open Men Light Heavy

1st Mike Walker (47) - Overall Open Men Winner

2nd Jason McCreay (45)

3rd Mike Overby (44)

4th Wesley Pellam (46)

5th Farsha Jones (48)

Open Men Heavy

1st Sam Gidden (51)

2nd Brett Cotter (49)

3rd Tracy Evans (52)

4th Nathan Palmer (50)

Masters (Men over 40)

1st Mike Walker (3)

2nd Sam Marcum (2)

3rd Nathan Palmer (1)

4th Stacy Puryear (5)

5th Marty Shettlesworth (4)

Grandmasters (Men over 50)

1st Caesar Hamilton (9)

2nd Ron Fulmer (10)

3rd Jimmy Moore (7)

4th Mike Kimble (8)

5th Jared Oakley (11)

Women - Bodybuilding

Open Women Light

1st Deborah Jones (34) - Overall Open Women Winner

2nd Patricia Split (33)

Open Women Middle

1st Cindi Hobbs (35)

Women - Figure

Figure Short

1st Ella Horton (67)

2nd Carol Dillard (66)

3rd Carolyn Ocampo (65)

4th Bea Willis (63)

5th Beth Davis (64)

Figure Medium

1st Elizabeth Noelting (69)

2nd Amanda Rogers (71)

3rd Rhonda Lovell (70)

4th Christina Panichi (72)

Figure Tall

1st Heather Barbee (73) - Overall Figure Winner

2nd Lori Harvey (78)

3rd Denise Trowbridge (80)

4th Maggie Justice (77)

5th Deb Sprouse (75)

Figure Over 35

1st Heather Barbee (54)

2nd Ella Horton (57)

3rd Carol Dillard (56)

4th Lori Harvey (61)

5th Carolyn Ocampo (55)

TR Stewart Photography was the official photographer of the event. You can see pictures of the competitors from prejudging and the evening show here. Unfortunately, names of the competitors are not included, but you may be able to match some people up based on whether or not you can see their competitor number in the snapshot.

You could attend and take your own pictures next year! Better yet, why don't you compete? You have 12 months. Get going!

Chris Caudy of Next Level Training in Memphis is the promotor for the Battle on the Bluff competition and is Jimmy's trainer in-season. Please see my disclosure statement.