A Great Day Afterall!

This morning was so cold that I donned my down parka and made my son wear his winter coat as we waited for the school bus. Leg Day! I was actually hoping that the gym would be heated today. And not crowded! Hallelujah! My favorite Precor elliptical was available and I got my two sets of cardio in, finishing with a sweaty grin and drenched hoodie. Some brief cage stretches for the hamstrings and calves, then off to the squat rack.

There's barely anyone here today, which is the way I like it! I actually up my squat weight today to 115 lbs and it doesn't feel too awful. The stiff-legged Dead Lift, however, even at a mere 95 lbs, still makes me feel like I'm going to puke on my sneakers after each set. Then some Seated Leg Curls and seated Leg Extensions. The latter are still my "achilles heel" and by the fourth set, I'm bent over my thighs, grimacing. I glance up and Mr. Pajama Pants is seated in a machine right in front of me. Great, just great. Thankgoodness I can pull my hoodie down over my face.

My Mat stretch feels a bit stiff but I do them every day that I work out. It's the only way I can be reasonably sure of decent mobility. The scale reads 106.8 lbs and I'm actually a bit surprised. But I feel really good and venture off to Marshall's to look at "dressy" shoes to wear with the slinky dresses I now own. While I'm there, debating with myself as to whether I can actually walk in Liz Claiborne fancy wedge heels, I decide to try on some dresses to see if the shoes really do look okay. Because I'm wearing royal blue khakis with striped purple socks and blue leather casual shoes, it's hard to tell anything without resorting to the dreaded Fitting Room.

Two of the three dresses I bring in with me are oddly stretched out of shape and don't drape correctly. But the 3rd number is a 3/4 sleeve, slinky black dress with ruching asymetrically up the front. The fabric is fairly heavy which is reassuring, and it makes me look really nice. Especially with the shoes! All I need is a long strand of pearls, and a big glittering ring. Just kidding!

Today's Total Workout:
35 min cardio hill #6 = 4.02 miles + 35 min cardio intervals #7 = 4.33  Grand Total = 8.35 miles
Cage stretch
Smith Squat: 12 @ bar / 2 x 12 @ 95 lbs / 4 x 12 @ 115 lbs
Dead Lift: 6 x 12 @ 95 lbs
Seated Leg Extensions: 6 x 15 @ 45 lbs
Seated Leg Curls: 15 @ 75 / 3 x 15 @ 90 lbs
Torso Twist: 2 x 25 @ 50 lbs (because I have to do something for abs!)
Mat stretch

I check the NPC website and see that finally the results and photos are available! I've grabbed photos off the MD (Muscular Development website) in order to post them here in my blog. The women's middleweight Bodybuilder is amazing. The women's Physique winner is okay. And I really have nothing to say about the Figure and Bikini competitors because, well, frankly, they're kinda boring. Yes, everyone's very pretty but it's like being in Hollywood where everyone's got a sun-kissed athletic body and breast enhancements to fill out those glittering bras.

I'm impressed with Renee's muscles, of course. But it's hard to believe that she's not supplementing. I've never met her but she does work out at my gym. And I can see how intimidating she'd be. Heck, I'm intimidating, and I'm tiny! ;-)

Renee Marven Women's Bodybuilding Middleweight

Alejandra Betancourt Overall Physique winner