I'm exhausted! But definitely pleased to be at this new job. It was a busy day yesterday. I didn't leave the office until 6:30, which meant that I didn't get to the gym until 8 p.m. I had back and cardio to do, and my strength was down a bit since I timed my carb intake a little too early in the day. I'm changing that for today, especially since I have a training class from 8 to 11 this morning and still won't get out of work until about 6 p.m. And remember, I don't take much of a lunch break. I eat about three times while at work, twice before leaving for work, once on my way home before going to the gym and then one to two times upon arriving home from the gym. Yesterday, I had six meals when I should have had eight, but it's not too much of a problem. I didn't cheat or go off the diet at all, and my water intake was at about one and a half gallons, so all in all, I stuck to everything. And I wasn't too weak for the second cardio session yesterday, so I think once I get used to the schedule, I'll be fine. I did it while teaching, so it shouldn't be a problem. now.

I'm about to head into the fitness center and do cardio: 30 minutes on the stepper this morning. Then it's fight rush hour traffic to get to this class, which means I have to leave way earlier than I would if I were going straight to work. I hate traffic!!! Especially in Dallas. Drivers here suck! Lol!

I said the other day that I would discuss the fitness girls from the O. Let me just give a few tidbits of information and leave the details for the weekend. Stacy Hylton had by far the best routine. Entertaining with strength moves and great music as well as a terrific mixture of dance, mandatory stuff, gymnastics, etc., she really wowed the crowd. Kim Klein also kept my attention with her amazing skills and strength moves. A crisp, clean, tough routine, Klein will definitely be a force on the fitness scene in 2004. Adela GF and Anna Level had the best physiques, with Level being the most ripped by far and Adela having terrific symmetry and tightness. Should Susie have won for the fourth time? Not in my eyes. Her routine was a bit on the bland side and her physique, while ripped, is a bit too skinny and doesn't carry that full muscle belly look that I like to see on the fitness girls. On the other hand, Tracey Greenwood's physique was absolutely kickin'! Ripped, full, tight, terrific shoulders, awesome back and abs, that girl is truly what fitness physiques are about. Too hard? Too vascular? No way! It goes back to the old days of fitness when we had the really lean Monica Brant's and Theresa Hessler's and Dale Tomita's.

Kelly Ryan's routine was great, but it didn't match what I've seen from her in the past. And Jenny Worth just didn't meet my expectations of her performances and appearances in previous shows in the past couple of years. I don't know exactly what happened, but again, we have to remember that the competitors do live real lives and sometimes those lives get in the way of training and eating right. And sometimes the fire dies down inside and there just isn't a spark to train anymore. Burn out can occur quite quickly in this sport. It's definitely an interesting question to ask: how can one avoid burning out and not returning to the gym for a lengthy period of time? I have a few answers, but I'd like to see your comments on the board if you get a chance.

Speaking of which, I'll answer board questions tomorrow and Saturday. Just be patient with me! I'll get to everything as soon as I can!

Thanks a ton, guys! You're the best!

Jodi :)

So much to tell and so little time to tell it! I start work tomorrow (from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), so I let my thoughts and escapades from Las Vegas trickle out over the next few days, for I might forget to add in a few here and there while I type tonight.

It was impossible to eat healthy in Vegas. I brought enough egg whites to fill a hen house, but I somehow ran out before my photo shoots ever begun. Luckily I had protein powder and oats, but even that ran out. Note, I was an English teacher, not a math instructor, so my counting of meals and number of egg whites might have been a bit off. Needless to say, by Saturday afternoon, I was nibbling on protein bars and praying for the evening so I could eat a real meal and not feel so exhausted.

I shot with Jonathan Bowie outside of the Mandalay Bay. We got some pool shots and fountain shots both indoors and outdoors, and the outfits I used were a dress, a pair of jeans and a baby T, and a pair of slacks with a cute halter top. Jonathan should get me those pictures in a couple of months, and then you'll get to view my off season look at the present moment.

I also worked with JT, my webmaster, and went up to see him with Lesli Russell, who is looking quite lean for the GNC. Be sure to visit her board at www.leslirussell.com and wish her luck. It's her last show of the year (as it is for the most of the figure girls). JT was at the Excalibur, and Lesli and I had a true adventure trying to find our way around to get to him. These hotels are gigantic!!! JT was great fun to work with!

I also worked with Gene Carangal twice: once in the morning and once in the evening, both at the Mandalay Bay. There will be a collection of about six galleries from him, and we got to do some different outfits, including a couple of dresses.

I'll go back to bikini work when I begin to drop fat and water for the Junior USA's, which are next April. But there are tons of bikini and lingerie photos for me to add to the galleries, so don't worry! My glutes will be displayed in full force!

Now, for the Olympia report. I'll try to do my best. The prejudging on Thursday included the one piece figure, the two piece fitness and the 45-second mandatory routine, and the symmetry round of women's bodybuilding. I was disappointed, for I thought everything was going to occur and Friday would be the finals where the girls would be compared again, routines displayed again, and winners announced. I wasn't planning on attending the finals, but I got suckered in because I was there to support Dina and the two piece round is her best, but it was being displayed until Friday evening. I also always love the routines of the fitness girls.

The call outs for the figure division came awfully quickly. Not quite as speedily as at the NOC, but there didn't seem to be any question about it. Jenny, Davana, and Monica were the obvious choices in terms of names, but only two really displayed physiques that belonged in the top three. Jenny's physique was a bit off. There can be a multitude of reasons for this, but you can only judge the women by what they present to the stage at that given moment.

Monica was on fire. I cannot speak highly enough of her physique and her presentation. Flawless, in my opinion. I may have been struggling in the past to get my mental focus back, but seeing her definitely got me right on track. She had the tightest glutes on that stage, the best shoulder development, and awesome quads that had terrific calves to match. Her suits were beautiful, and she made a wise choice this time around with the one piece, which was a vibrant shade of blue and allowed her lats to be displayed much better than at the Arnold.

Davana is definitely breathtaking when it comes to appearance. I'd like to see tighter glutes and hamstrings, but every woman has a weak area somewhere. Her abs and shoulders were terrific.

Dina should have placed third in my opinion. While Mari Kudla's physique was fuller and appeared more muscular, Dina's symmetry was better. The tiny waist cannot be ignored, and her abs truly demand attention. Her glute/hip width does not overpower the rest of her as it does with some of the other girls, and her new suits were also quite beautiful. She also had her hair and make up done by a special artist and it definitely worked for the stage. She ended up placing fifth, but that's not where I would have put her.

I would have put Mari fourth. I will say that in the past I've been disappointed in Mari's physique. The softness has been a huge factor of my reaction, but she stepped it up a notch and put on muscle and came in leaner than I have ever seen her, even when I competed with her at the Figure Nationals in 2002. She definitely held her own and I do agree with her placing this weekend.

DJ Wallis looked good also, but her glute/hip width just didn't match with her shoulders and back. Hannah Park and Alexsandra Kobeliak definitely could have taken the fifth and sixth place slots and then DJ and Jaime Franklin could have followed. I think Hannah's height is a factor when she is the only short girl on the stage, and Monica may have suffered this when being compared to both Jenny and Davana, for she is one of the shorter girls as well. It still doesn't change my mind that Monica should have won.

But yes, the girls did come in harder for the most part. The upper bodies were more muscularly developed, and quads had more cuts. I'd like to see improvement in the glute to hamstring tie-ins, but again, this is the most difficult area for most women to dial in. It means lots of lunges, lots of sprints, and lots of plyos, and those straight leg deadlifts are a huge help as well. Of course, the weight gains have to be kept under control in the off season, and I'm remaining highly aware of this as I move through my own off season.

Speaking of which, I should let you know that I am no longer working with Mike Davies. I made this choice after not following his training, nutrition, or posing advice for the Figure Nationals and ending up with the highest placing of my career. There are no hard feelings. It was a decision I chose to make and just felt that I needed to move on.

Well, I'm getting awfully tired and am going to eat, do my second session of cardio, and get to bed. I've got a big day tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Jodi :)

Have y'all seen the new Subway commercial? It's really bugging me, and I need to get this out of my system before I talk about my haircut, my flight to Vegas tomorrow, and my plan for staying on track upon starting the new job.

Well, here's Jarod (sp?). He's lost weight and he's now at a posh restaurant, obviously eating some baaaaad foods. A couple witnesses this and says, "Jarod, what are you doing here?" He responds with, "Well, I had Subway for lunch today, so it's okay." And then the announcer, in his deep voice, belts out, "Subway--it makes you feel good about being good and okay about being bad."

Okay, so basically, if you eat a chicken breast and skip the mayonnaise, then it's okay to eat the all you can eat pasta bowl at Olive Garden or scarf down a gallon of ice cream. Yeah. Isn't this kind of like the person who has a Snickers at lunch and says, "Well, I'm having a diet Coke with it." Where's the logic, people???!!!!

That was my soap box I decided to stand on for a bit. I'll go back to being 4'11" now. (Man, it's short down here!)

I got my hair cut today. It's in an adorable bob that is about an inch or two longer than chin length. My bangs have finally grown out and are almost the length of the rest of my hair. I also got highlights and lowlights, so it looks awesome! I love it! Anyway, it's been done just in time for the shoots, and I just spoke with Gene Carangal and have found out that I have a shoot scheduled with him in Vegas in addition to Jonathan Bowie and JT (our awesome webmaster!). I have yet to hear back from Reg Bradford, so hopefully that will work out, but if not, there will still be tons of pictures for updated galleries.

I also got a manicure and pedicure today. Red tootsies for the photos! Lol! I'm sure y'all are just dying to know this! :)

Okay, I fly out tomorrow and head to Vegas with just a stop in Denver. I'm quite excited about the trip, and while I found out from Optimum Nutrition that they won't have room for me, I am still pleased to be attending. I have tickets to the women's prejudging and will definitely provide my opinion when I return. Hopefully I'll get to a computer while I'm there, but if not, I'll definitely fill you in on the details early next week.

Speaking of next week, I begin my new job a few days after I return. I'm looking at the following workout schedule:

Saturday: cardio 2x, legs
Sunday: cardio 2x, back
Monday: cardio 2x, rest from weights
Tuesday: cardio 1x, chest, plyometrics
Wednesday: cardio 2x or cardio 1x and sprints 1x, arms
Thursday: complete rest from everything (yaaayyyy!)
Friday: cardio 2x or cardio 1x and sprints 1x, shoulders and calves

Abs will be done three to five times a week (ideally!).

Whaddya think? This gives me two days during the week to be able to stay late at work and to work on the website and relax a bit at home without having to physically go into the gym. I have a fitness center at the apartment complex, so that's nice and convenient. It seems I'll be waking up at about 5 a.m. every morning, so my goal is to be in bed between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Sleep and rest are so important when dealing with muscle recovery and gaining muscle mass.

I've got to get back to packing (meals have been prepared; let me tell you...I just might turn into a chicken with all the egg whites I'll be eating over the next few days. Traveling while dieting really kind of sucks because of all the food I have to cart around.). But just to let you know what's on the table for the site when I get back: I have sent Junior Nationals photos to my webmaster and just have to e-mail the captions to him, and those will go up. I just received the England and Northern Ireland pictures as well as Figure Nationals line up photos, so some of those galleries will be added. I do believe I foresee a Jonathan Bowie gallery along with a possible Brian Moss gallery coming y'all's way also! Definitely a lot of updates for October and November. Stay tuned!

Wish me fun in Vegas (and wealth! Lol!)! Of course, if anyone is heading up there as well, feel free to find me and tap me on the shoulder to say hi. Be sure to look down!

Jodi

I've been extremely busy this week, but it's all culminated into something very positive and productive. I am no longer going to be doing personal training. Well, I will do it online or for friends, but I won't be physically training others at the gym. I had multiple interviews this week for a realtor assistant position that has tons of possibilities and opportunities for the future. And...I got the job! I start the week after the Olympia when I return from Vegas, and I'm quite excited. It will be so nice to back into a normal routine and a challenging position that will work my mind. I'm not ready to get back into teaching. The stress levels and low pay and neverending red tape and paperwork and discipline of students really wore me down, so I needed a lengthy break.

But this is extremely exciting. Does that mean I won't have time to work on the website or concentrate on training? No way!!! If anything, I should be more organized because I'll have a set routine for Monday through Friday. Granted, I'll be up at 4:30 in the morning and in bed at 11 at night, but it'll be worth it. It'll be a similar routine as what I had when teaching, but I won't have to grade papers...woohoo!!!

Okay, I've got to get going. Just wanted to let y'all know the good news. I'm still on low carbs and lots of cardio for these shoots in Vegas, and my physique might not be right on and it won't look like it does on stage, but the shoots should still turn out well. And luckily I'll be able to eat what I want in time for Halloween and my birthday! Yeah!!!

Take care, and I'll write more over the weekend.

Jodi

I've just finished eating breakfast. Yes, it's late in the day, but I was exhausted and slept for about 10 hours last night. I needed it. My entire body is sore from this week's workouts, and I still have shoulders left. But I'll do those tomorrow.

For breakfast, I usually have egg whites and oats or two scoops of protein powder and oats. I do a strange combination with them. I take either the egg whites or the scoops of protein powder, combine them with the oats (never more than 1/2 a cup for me), add in a couple of packets of Splenda (or more if I'm craving sweets), sprinkle cinnamon (well, more like pour it in) and nutmeg, add water to the protein and oats mixture, and blend it together until it's all smooth. Then I pour the mixture into a bowl and heat it up in the microwave for about 1 1/2 to two minutes. The egg whites/oats creates a strange, muffin-like concoction (and if I add in a banana--which I rarely do--then it becomes much like banana bread...yum!), whereas the protein and oats creates a really thick semblance of porridge. I use Sci-Tec's Protein DeLite and I love the banana flavor and the lemon cheesecake kind.

Well, I saw on the board that a detailed description of my leg workout was requested, so here it goes:

I decided to work hamstrings first, so I got onto the lying leg curl machine and did sets of 12 to 15. I do these very controlled, and that's a key to really working your hamstrings. I see many people throwing the weight up and dropping it down, allowing gravity to do all the work. You won't get anywhere with that technique. Instead, I pull up and fight the resistance and squeeze at the top of the exercise and then slowly bring the weight down until my hamstrings have stretched slightly. I repeat this and I follow a tip that Arnold had made in one article I read: do not move your pelvis. Hips should not by gyrating against the machine when performing this exercise. If it feels like you're practicing for your date later that night, then something is wrong!

I could tell that I had worked my hamstrings very adequately when I finished my four sets (one of which was a warm up). I moved on to straight leg deadlifts (though I keep my legs at a 10-degree bend). I did these with a bit closer stance...maybe a foot apart rather than three feet apart. I change the stance up from week to week in order to attack the muscle fibers in my hamstrings and glutes a bit differently. I had done very wide last week, so I moved on to a more narrow stance this week. Anyway, I used a 110-pound bar and did sets of 15. When I was in my powerlifting days, I would do 135 pounds, but I would stop at about eight to ten reps, so I know I've gotten stronger. I also focus mostly on my glutes for this exercise and really squeeze at the top. The key to this one is getting those hips back far enough to feel the stretch in your hamstrings and glutes at the same time. Be sure your lower back is not hurting at all. If it is, then you are not doing the exercise properly.

Well, now that hamstrings were killed, it was time to do one more exercise to really do them in: lunges. Need I say more? I did walking lunges with a 40-pound bar on my back. Is that a lot? No. But the number of reps I do is. I do approximately 40 reps on each leg, and I travel around the circumference of the weight room. I am the Lunge Queen. By doing this exercise, I move from focusing solely on hamstrings and glutes to working the entire leg...quads and all. Oh, I forgot to mention that I supersetted this with leg extensions, which I actually did first and then went immediately to the walking lunges. I did sets of 20's with the leg extensions, so my quads were screaming and my vision was blurry when I finished with the superset.

Of course, I wasn't done yet. I moved on to the leg press machine, and with about 315 pounds, I did sets of 25...full reps...knees at a complete 90-degree angle, and the reps done at a consistent speed. Emphasis was on my glutes and the outer sweep of my quads.

I am still hobbling. The only thing is that I've done chest and biceps/triceps since then, so not only can't I walk, I can't pick anything up. I should just go back to bed!

There was a bodybuilding, fitness, and figure show here in Plano, which is a suburb of Dallas. The Heart of Texas was my second bodybuilding show in 2001, and I attended it as an audience member last year, but this year, I'm just too exhausted, and after seeing the Southwest Texas show, the only truly motivating and inspiring bit was watching Branch Warren guest pose, so I decided to stay at home and rest. Besides, I have that Longhorn game to watch. They better win!

Less than two weeks until Vegas! I will definitely have to provide a full report of everything I see, hear, taste, etc. while at the Olympia and in the city where everyone loses their money (not me, though...I hate gambling!).

Enjoy your Saturday!

Jodi

I have one thing to say. Ohhhh, the pain...the agony...the torture I put myself through! I can't walk! I killed my legs once again and now I'm suffering for it! I'm exhausted and going to bed, but I'll write more by Saturday.

Enjoy the beginning of your weekend!

Jodi :)

Allergies have almost completely disappeared, but a few sneezes and a bit of congestion still linger on.

Of course, the best thing to clear out the sinuses is a great scare, and I indeed had one when I went to Six Flags over Texas, which is less than 30 minutes from where I live. In about 24 years of living here, I have never been to the theme park, and I finally made it this past Sunday. I am scared to death of heights and was stuck on a ferris wheel in Chicago at the Navy Pier with my mother when I was four years old, and it scarred me (and scared me) for life! I'm not exaggerating! If you go to the Galaxy website, you'll read about my preparations for the obstacle course competitions and about my fear of climbing up the 15-foot high cargo net. So, I thought roller coasters would forever be banned. I was wrong! I went on three rides. It seems like such a small accomplishment, but to me it was fantastic! I rode two water rides--one of which had a very steep drop that made me feel like my stomach had disappeared into my throat. Then I went on a roller coaster that had tons of sudden turns and drops (not huge ones...just mini drops), and I rode that one four--count them, four--times. There were other rides that my friends went on, and I had a blast watching them but I thought, "thank goodness my feet are where gravity meant them to be." But there is one roller coaster that I'll try when I return. It's called the Judge Roy Scream, and it is a simple one, with hills and valleys and one turn. It is wooden, though, and the creaks kind of freak me out, but it doesn't seem as awful as the Texas Giant or the Titan. Oh, and Mr. Freeze is just plain wrong! Who in their right mind would want to ride on a track that takes you straight up to the sky in a complete vertical position and then drops you straight down and make you go back through the whole ride backwards at warp speed? Crazy doesn't even begin to describe the people who ride those!

Now, Batman seemed like fun, for your feet are dangling and you twist and turn and go upside down and get all topsy turvy and scream your head off (well, I'm assuming, for I stayed in a safe spot...the ground). But I don't know if I'll ever have the guts to venture onto that ride.

Suffice it to say, I'm quite proud of myself for the three rides I ventured onto. Yaayyy me!

Okay, onto stuff you actually might want to know about, like my back workout today! It was truly spectacular! I feel completely pumped, almost as though my back is the size of Ronnie Coleman's. Okay, now I am exaggerating...lol! Just slightly, though. I killed my back with one arm dumbbell rows--60 pounds for sets of 8...good lord!!!! And that was just the beginning. A few guys in the gym had a case of the eyes popping out when they saw that weight in my hand.

Anyway, I moved on to 90-pound bent over rows and then continued with 90-pound lat pulldowns and finished off with a superset of seated rows with lat extensions. I can still feel my back pounding! And I swear I've put on at least three pounds of muscle since the New York show. And most of it has gone into my back and shoulders. That's quality muscle, for my V-taper has truly improved. I can't wait to shed off the bodyfat and see how it'll all look on the stage next year.

Speaking of stage, I have backstage photos for Junior Nationals this past June to pass on to JT. I wrote the captions today, and I think y'all will enjoy them immensely. So, be on the lookout for them in the next week or so.

G'night!

Jodi :)

Okay, those allergies were just ridiculous! I had to take four days off of working out--completely!!!! Uggh! I couldn't breathe and thus couldn't talk. I made it to the Southwest Texas show, though, and felt awful for most of the day, but I saw so many of my friends and was there to cheer on my friend in the light heavyweight division. I collapsed upon arriving at home.

I've been back in the gym, but my cardio has been cut down a bit. And with family in from out of town this weekend, my diet will be slightly off. Several dinners are planned, and it will just be impossible to remain strict. Well, technically it won't be impossible. It would just be torturous for me to go to nice restaurants with friends and family and stare at their yummy food while I chew on plain, baked chicken or plain scrambled egg whites and munch on broccoli or spinach for dessert. You get the idea.

I haven't been able to make it onto the board for a couple of days. Something weird happened with my login, but my webmaster is taking care of it, and I'll be back on as soon as I can. I know, it sounds ridiculous (there's that word again; I use it a lot!) that I can't get onto my own website. Webmaster!!!! Webmaster!!!! Webmaster!!!! Help! Sorry about that, guys! I know I have messages to respond to, and hopefully y'all will read this and know that I'm not ignoring them. I try to get onto the site at least once a day, if not twice.

I was quite pleased with my back workout this week. Bent over rows with a reverse grip got me started, and wow! I did 100 pounds for sets of 12. It felt great! Dumbbell rows were done with 50 pounds--one arm at a time, and lat pulldowns were just 90 pounds, but the reps jumped up to 15, so I was quite pleased. It was funny when I got onto the seated row, for some electricians had come into the gym and were sectioning off areas for work on the gym's wiring. Well, the cables were one of these areas. But there was a problem. I was on the cables. And I wasn't moving. I told the guy that too! But he wasn't very nice to me when he gruffly stated, "You need to get off that." I just told him, "No." It's not like me to be so blunt, now is it?! Anyway, we went back and forth a bit, and it ended with me finishing my two sets, feeling like a champion, and moving on to cardio. Lol!

I passed along to my webmaster the Gene Carangal pictures of me in that conspicuous tie that you voted for. There are a few other of Gene's pictures that will make up another new gallery, and the Junior Nationals photos will be up soon as well. So, lots of new photos will be up soon for you to enjoy! Actually, those backstage photos and the ones of me with my grandmother are pretty funny!

I'm off to the gym now. It's shoulders today. I'm going to go and attack them and then hit the cardio as well. I have to work off the dinner I had at PF Chang's and the chocolate that I got into last night. Bad girl! Bad Jodi! Lol!

Take care and have a great Friday!

Jodi :)