Thinking About Competing? Make Sure You Hire The Right Coach

I have been in this business for 10 going on 11 years now and I have seen some very comical and shady things done by other so called local "Competition Prep Coaches". There are a lot of people nowadays that will straight up lie to you and say they competed, placed, trained a winner or even they won a show.

First: Look For Proof, A Portfolio Of Past Clients And Proper Certifications

 If the person you are considering to be your coach competed then, there will be records online with their pictures and placement. Every bodybuilding organization, especially NPC, will have pictures of the top 5 placements of each classes, the overalls and then the winners. Whoever didn't get top 5 will be detailed in there records online with a picture on stage and their placement up the number 16 (16 will repeat if it's a huge show). If that person did place top 5 or won, they would have proof with pictures, trophies, medals and recognition from the federation they compete in.

My First Pro Card in WNBF Pro Fit Body Category

If they do not compete, but trained Pro bodybuilding coaches (Like myself)  there will be evidence of that training experience with the client within a portfolio of clients who have placed and competed. Never believe someone that can not show you definitive proof when picking a coach and/or a personal trainer.

Second: If Someone Trained With Pro Bodybuilding Coach Does Not Mean They Know How To Coach You

I have had trainers tell their clients that they can make them look like me! Like a Pro bodybuilder and they have never trained anyone for a show!? If someone tells you this, then you need to ask for proof. Every REAL trainer/coach WILL have a detailed portfolio of their past clientele successes.

I have had several ex-clients think that since they trained with me for a short period of time (that all of a sudden) they are competition prep coaches. One of the MOST RIDICULOUS ONES only used my boot camp program for ONE MONTH and started to give posing classes, selling diets and workouts. All these women in the video being taught how to pose wrong. That means if they go on stage posing wrong they can get points taken off for not posing properly for their body type. Or you can be disqualified for making poses look TOO SEXUAL in certain federations.

The other trained with me for 6 months and at a DRUG-TESTED SHOW, she got busted by the lie detector. She ADMITTED TO THE OFFICIALS OF NFF THAT SHE HAD TAKEN LASIX she got from her family's pharmacy she works at as a pharmaceutical technician. To save face, she decided come back to the RGV and lie that I gave her the drugs she got at her cousin's pharmacy. Yes, just let that sink in. I’m so sure that I went into her family’s pharmacy and knew more about what to take than a PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNICIAN! The last show she still didn't place top 5 and lied that she and her now husband placed at the biggest NPC show of the year. Neither one of them placed top 10 either. So, why would you go to invest money in people to coach you and they have never placed or won a show, never had a client to place or win, are not certified or clinical nutritionist, don't know how to design and pose a body correctly. That doesn't sound very smart and you will more than likely waste you money on bad coaching.

The problem is that competition prep coaching is not just something learned in 1 month, 6 months or a year. Especially, when they weren't the one who configured the meal plans and supplements, development of the workouts specific for their body type, and posing that hides the weaknesses and shows the strengths. These people have never placed or won on their own or helped a client to place or win so how would they know what the judges are looking? I might sound like a hater to many, but these people have never done any type of research beyond what worked for them or that they got through a proffessional coach who specialized it specifically for them. So why would that work for you? Every ones prep is different every time they get ready for show.

Even when a diet plan worked at the beginning for a competition prep it will not work the same the next time over. Want to know why? When you start out prepping for contest there are measurements taken of body parts, muscle, body fat, and water. Once you lose weight or gain weight you will not be the same percentages each time. So your macros will be different each time. Thus, your meal plans
 will also be different. Using the same diets will not work because your composition is different than it was when you began preparing for your first show. Those diets were configured that way since the person’s muscular development was not a dense as it will be the second or third time around. So more than likely you will lose muscle and pack on fat.

Muscle maturity is also very important when being judged on stage. It depends on how well your body was developed beforehand or even if it was developed enough. Developing a body naturally takes twice as long than developing a body with illegal performance drugs. If you do not have the v-taper, small waist, full muscle bellies, separation of the muscle (depending on which category) and symmetry you will not place high in a big show. A REAL COACH WOULD NEVER PUT A NEWBIE IN A HUGE SHOW BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT READY PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY TO GO AGAISNT SEASONED VETERANS. If it is the choice of the client to do a big show, then you have to give them what they pay for. You have a better chance getting you feet wet in a smaller show. If your muscle is already mature then how about is your body's symmetry? If any part of your body over powers another then you won't do well against people who are balanced from top to bottom and side to side. So, then you would have to figure out how to make a body symmetrical. Does you coach know how to do that? It takes certain exercises, reps and sets to bring parts out and in to design a body for show.

2016 WNBF World Championships in Los Angeles
4th Place Top 5 Pro Fit Body Category

 I started out back in 2011 with the INBF (International Natural Bodybuilding Federation). Before I competed, I did plenty of research because I didn't want to do anything that would destroy my body. I had just got away from substance abuse and didn't want to jump right into taking things that would be the death of me. I used my own diet program, my own weight training and cardio regiment, and my own posing. I ask a few people I knew here in the RGV for tips (one was even an IFBB Pro Figure) with posing and none of them wanted to help. The IFBB Pro had to audacity to tell me she didn't know how to pose!? So, without the help of anyone  and the first time getting on the stage, I placed 3rd at the Alamo Showdown in San Antonio, Tx. I didn't start coaching until I had already competed for 3 years and was approached by my first bikini competitor client, Priscilla. I did 4 months of
research to understand the difference in training a bikini competitor versus a figure. I was very honest with her and told her I didn't know (at the time) how to pose for bikini, but I could help her with everything else (dieting, training, and cardio). I trained her for 4 months and she ended up doing very well. Priscilla placed 3rd top 5 in Dallas, Texas at the 2012 Musclemania Texas and I placed 4th!

2011 INBF Alamo Showdown

3rd Place Top 5 

2012 Musclemania Lonestar

2012 Musclemania Lonestar

Priscilla Gonzalez

3rd Place Top 5 Bikini Tall Category

As I grew more interested in gaining my pro card, I knew that I had to bring what the judges wanted. I checked with who I could to get my critiques. I invested a lot of time and money in San Antonio and Austin learning how to pose. After 5 years of competing and finding the right federation for me (drug and politics free), consistently bringing a better package each year, and working on perfecting my poses I finally received my 1st Pro Card in Fit Body (Female Physique) at the 2014 INBF/ WNBF Texas State Naturals in Austin, Tx. ! I earned my 2nd Pro Card in Figure in New York City at the INBF/WNBF Naturalmania Pro Universe.

2015 INBF Naturalmania

2nd Pro Card in Figure Category

Last: Learn How To Be Patient!

Most people have it in their head that they are the best on stage. I thank God that I never thought this way and worked on my Physique to bring a better package each year. Now that I am in the Pro level, the look the judges want is different than what it took to get my 2 Pro cards. My first WNBF World Championships in 2015, I didn’t place and got 6th. I was very upset and felt that I should’ve been at least 5th, but I needed to work on my conditioning, my lower back, flutes and shred out my quads. As I have worked on my physique I have placed higher and looked better. That is one of the main things that is wrong with a lot of amateurs. They think they will win right away and do not realize there are seasoned veterans they are competing against. You have to bring the TOTAL PACKAGE to win. You can't expect to come to your 1st, 2nd or even 3rd show and expect a PRO CARD. It took me 5 years to get my first one because I need to bring what the judges want! NOT WHAT I WANTED!! 

I have had some competitors come and go for this reason. They didn't realize they have to be seasoned to move up in the categories. A lot of them, of course, thought it was my training and decided to go with someone else. Which is their choice, but those coaches somewhat or totally ruined there bodies. So make sure when you move on to someone else they know what they are talking about even though they might have 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE! Below is one of my ex clients that made the mistake of going with a person like that and he ruined her body. I have seen this happen over and over again. Sometimes, you should think: IF IT AIN'T BROKE WHY FIX IT. 

Single Leg Barbell Curls

Single-Leg Barbell Curls

A balance variation of the regular barbell curl that not only focuses on building your biceps, but also your core, balance and leg. Start off with a lighter weight than you are used to with the regular barbell curl. Trust me you will understand executing this exercise on one leg will make it harder. Pick which leg you are going to begin with. I usually begin with my right and next set repeat on my left leg to even out the work on both sides. Tighten up you core and lift one leg behind you. Lift the barbell up towards your chest and in front of your shoulders by squeezing you biceps. Do not rest the barbell on your chest. You want to feel the full rep all the way up and slowly bring it back down in front of your thigh. This exercise does not allow you to swing the weights. It also works well with 10 - 15 reps depending on what your muscular goals are. 

Single Arm and Leg Dumbbell Squat, Curl and Press

A different variation of the standard exercise. Executing unstable exercises forces you to use your core thus will burn more calories. This is a total body exercise. Make sure to keep your core tight as you squat, curl and press. This exercise can be done with 10 - 15 reps on each side.

Transformation Tuesday

When new people first meet me, they always think that I have been fit since I was young. However, I had struggled with weight every since I was around 12 years old. After going through being molested by my step father, which was the father of my younger brother and sister, I began to gorge so that no one would look at me in a sexual way. Later, I was then picked at for being overweight, wearing glasses and being too smart. This led to me developing an eating disorder. I became bulimic at the of 12 years old.

As I got older, my life didn't get better. I suffered from drug abuse and alcoholism. I became a teen mom at 19 years old. I never got too big because I was still bulimic.

Once, I met my ex-husband I gained more weight. I got to about 165 lbs. in weight. 

I was tired of not being happy with my weight, feeling tired and not fitting my clothes properly. So, I decided I was going to make a change.

Byt 2009, I ended up losing about 45 lbs. in 4 months from simply eating clean, lifting weights and doing cardio. Became a Zumba instructor and a NASM personal trainer and worked for commercial gyms for 6 years. Tired of the politics of the industry, I opened up my own fitness studio called Fit Science LLC in 2011.

In 2011, I also competed in my first bodybuilding show and I placed 3rd top 5 in the INBF Alamo Showdown in San Antonio.

I jumped around from federation to federation and ended up an NPC nationally qualified figure competitor. However, i discovered that the NPC wasn't meant for me and decided to go back into the natural bodybuilding world.

I ended up getting my Pro Card in Fit Body in 2014 at the INBF Texas State Naturals. 

Later in 2015, I received my second Pro card in Figure in INBF Pro Universe.

Competed in my first WNBF World Championships in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I didn't place in the top 5. I got 6th place, but it was a learning experience. I knew that I needed to work on my physique in order to get in the top 5 line up.

2016 I went back to NYC and placed 3rd top 5 in the WNBF Pro Universe to qualify for the WNBF World Champions again.

Listening to the critiques I got from the past Pro shows, I was able to bring a better package and placed 4th top 5 in the Pro Fit Body category at the 2016 WNBF World Champions in Los Angeles.

Now, I am currently getting ready for the 2017 WNBF World Championships in Boston. God willing I will be able to place higher. If not, I still love the progress I have made naturally through my bodybuilding career. The more I compete, the more I learn to help my clients reach their goals!

Rope Drill with Stability Ball

As a fitness phenom in the RGV, regular workouts become pretty easy for me and I feel that I don't get the same benefits unless I add a variation. Hence, I decided since I'm pretty good at balancing on a stability ball so why not try it with a battle rope drill.

During the exercise, you have to keep your core tight and your mind focused while moving the ropes. You quads and glute will burn like you have never felt before. Just make sure you can first master balancing on a ball for at least a minute or more. This exercise is dangerous and you can injure yourself if you are not careful. 

Benefits of using a stability ball

• Improves stability and balance by constantly engage the core abdominal muscles. 
• Participating in exercises that constantly engage your core muscles helps your waist shrink.
• Stronger abdominal muscles protect the lower back for more extensive weight training and promote better posture.
• The stability ball can be used to lift weights and other forms or resistance training.

Benefits of Battle Rope Training

• A great cardiovascular workout for the upper body.
• Also engages the muscles in your abdominals, back, and glutes.
• Can incorporate movements such as jumps, lunges, squats or balance exercises like above.
• Start off executing a regular rope drill with 30 sec. Then, progress up to 45 sec and 1 min. 

Hanging Scissors

The primary muscles being worked out are your hip flexors and the transverse abdominis, which are the deepest muscle in the stomach. Hip flexors work to lift and hold your legs up. The transverse abdominis helps in maintaining your posture, balance and stability. It also helps the abdominal wall inward with the help of the rectus abdominis and obliques. Because our transverse abdominis is being used daily in so many movements, it is imperative to strengthen the muscle through exercise. This can be done on the floor if you don't have gym access or a park close by. Remember to always stretch after your workout because if you haven't workout a certain muscle you can be really sore or get cramps. There are so many hanging ab exercises I love to switch it up.

Ladder Drills

Agility is your ability to change positions quickly, using quick, controlled movements. For those that hate cardio machines, this is a fun, fast-paced and constantly changing exercise. This helps improve your functional movements, which you use on a daily basis. It improves the rate your muscle contracts, which as you get older it decreases. It will improve your balance and your balance in motion for when you need to react quickly. You can do this at home and if you don't have a ladder you can create one yourself. Use chalk, rope, spray paint or even rocks to lay out your path (just be careful). By the time you know it you will be sprinting through these drills like you are a professional football player.

Bicep Cable Curls

An oldie but a goodie from my first gym space that I had. This is a reverse bicep cable curl. This has different resistance because of the cable and it is almost like doing incline bicep curls. It allows constant tension during the movement and is equivalent to doing dumbbell bicep curls. Remember slow and in control so that you allow the muscle to get the full movement. If you don't have a machine available try it on a stability ball with dumbbells in a incline position. Hope you enjoy the workout.

Hanging Knee to Chest

This exercise is known as hanging knee to chest. This exercise is primarily activating the illiopsas or hip muscles. Abs are a stabilizer not the primary movers. This version is the option from having your legs straight and bending from the hip. Now adding the weight to this exercise can strengthen your core so that you can eventually keep your legs straight and bend from the hip. That option does primarily activate the rectus abdominis which is the front band of your abdominal muscles. Not everyone can hold dumbbells in their thighs so if you are at the gym sometimes they have a belt with a chain where you can wrap a weight around it. If you don't have access to the gym go to a park and you can try it on the monkey bars. Remember slow and in control so you can really feel the muscles working.

Battle Rope Exercise: Grappler on a Bosu

Rope exercises are one that you can kill two birds with one stone. You get short burst of maximum heart rate building muscle in your shoulders, biceps and core but at the same time burning the fat around the muscle too. You can do this anywhere: gym, home, or even outside. You can change the reps, set/rest durations and mix tons of different rope exercises. This also can be a low impact workout, recovering from joint injury, joint problems, or high impact without pain or discomfort. Now you can use a bosu to kick it up a knock and really work that core. Sometimes it can get lonely so get yourself a workout partner for accountability. When we have our tough days we skip reps but with someone there we are sure to have that extra push.

Suicides aka Liners

Good morning friends. Here is an exercise I call Suicides. It’s a cone drill I use to benefit my speed, agility, and quickness. This exercise benefits from improved balance, quicker feet, faster reaction time which is what speed, agility, and quickness drills help one achieve. Speed is referred to how quick your arms and legs move as fast as possible in a straight line. Agility is the ability to change direction quickly and effectively. Quickness refers to your body's reflexive reaction. This cone drill is 5 yards by 10 yards 17 yards. Start with the first cone run to second cone and then run back to the first. Start with the first again, run to the third cone and then back to the first. Repeat again with the first cone, run to the fourth cone and then back to the first. 3 repetitions equals one set. Repeat for 3 sets and these can done a few times after a weight training set to bring up the heart rate!

Military Press on the Stability Ball

Exercise of the day! There has always been a debate with the military press behind the neck. Whether if it is needed to develop shoulders and will the position cause a shoulder injury. Well it won't cause injury if you execute the exercise correctly, with the right amount of weight. Be careful if you have had injury to your shoulder before when executing this exercise. This exercise is being done on a stability ball so that it will allow you to concentrate on the upper body and strengthen your core at the same time. This targets the primarily the shoulders and secondarily the upper back, triceps and biceps brachii. You can try this at home or at the gym. Always have a spotter at hand especially if you are going heavy.

Reversed One Arm Lat Pull Down

This exercise is a reversed one arm lat pull down. It focuses on one side the lats, biceps and even shoulders. If you were to lean back 45 degrees you would work the lats harder and would target upper and middle back, lats, rhomboids and trapezius muscles. Single arm allows more muscle fibers to work than both arms. It also allows your stronger arm from doing more than half the work. Theses are a must when you are a bodybuilder because for competition you’re judge and symmetry besides conditioning, muscularity and posing. Tries these outs on back or even shoulder day.

Weighted Crunch with Leg Lifts

Weighted crunch with leg lifts. Now this exercise works both top and bottom of the abs. Make sure you use a weight you are comfortable with because you can hurt yourself if it falls on you by accident. Lift with your top portion of your body to work the upper region of the abdominals. Then drop your legs without touching the ground. The leg lifts target your hip flexors, abdonminals, back muscles and thigh muscles.  So many people just do standard crunches and forget there are other muscles to be worked in the abdominal area. Try this out in your next ab session, it is sure to be a stinger.

Stability Ball Plank with Internal Extneral Rotation

This exercise works strengthens and stretches the hips, inner and outer thigh in conjunction with the oblique of the waist. Your core is stimulated due to balancing on the stability ball. This is great to use at home or when the abductor machine is being occupied. You can do these 15 reps 3 sets and you will feel the burn. Use this on a core, leg or booty day.

The Balance Disc Exercise: Single Leg Lifts Forward, Side and Back

The Balance Disc! It creates an unstable surface which encourages our postural muscles to become more active. This movement is beneficial because it trains your lower back, core and pelvis muscles. Overtime you can hold movements for a longer period of time and then with your eyes closed. This is a great home workout or if you are at the gym. Try using this twice a week eventually you will be stronger and do advanced options.

Parachute Sprint Training

Parachute training builds strength and muscular resistance  for a better overall athlete. Depending on the parachute size it can feel like running on a windy day, running through water, or up a hill. This exercise builds fast twitch muscles. Our quads are naturally slow twitch muscles so we would have to train them to become fast twitch. This provides explosive speed for runners, football, basketball, soccer and lacrosse players. The more you do this the better and faster you will get. Remember to push off with the balls of your feet and use your arms when running. Your abs will also get a workout as well. Hope you like the video and try out this exercise.

Reverse Grip Pull Ups

It took me forever to be able to lift my own weight repetitively. Once I was able to conquer the pull up I began to try out different variations. This is a Reverse Grip Pull Up. Just like the Wide Grip Pull up, the Reverse is a compound exercise for the back. It mostly concentrates on your latissimus dorsi, but it also works out the forearms, biceps, rhomboid, teres major, infaspinatus pec, erector spinae, and external oblique. The pull up is also a way to determine your muscular endurance for the upper body. 

Way Back Wednesday: I Had Suffered A Lot In My Early Years

Many friends and supporters who know me now would never believe that I struggled with my weight since I was a kid. There were many red flags that throughout my life that led to my emotional eating, child obesity, depression and drug abuse. My story is one that my relatives and my Mother's friends from the past are not going to like, but it is my true story and it made me into the woman I am today! 

From a young age, I remember asking my Mother why I didn't have a father. She told me that one day she decided to have a child and I was a "Test Tube Baby". Hearing that reference of my existence made me feel like an alien on a strange planet. Since the beginning of school I was bullied for being and looking different. My color wasn't white enough, hair wasn't straight enough, and my frame was large.  

In addition to not being accepted by my classmates, my Mother had a relationship with a man that ended up molesting me from 5 to 8 years old and would beat her, cheat on her with both sexes and had my brother and sister during that toxic period. I remember him telling me that if my Mother would ever find out about us, she would pick him over me. That pain my step father would inflict on my Mother was transferred to me by her as well. She would beat me so bad sometimes I would wonder if she was trying to kill me because I would end up pissing in my pants. My Mother would hit me with anything she could. Belt buckles, tree branches, frying pans, shoes, fists or would choke me to the point that my legs were dangling in the air. The day that she caught my stepfather in bed together she kicked me out at 8 years old blaming me for coming onto a 30 year old man. She sent me to my Grandmother's house were I remained off and on until I ran away at 16 years old. 

The worst part of this was that NO ONE IN MY FAMILY OR MY MOTHER'S FRIENDS SAID NOTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. They all knew how my Mother and Step-Father treated me and none of them took the time to save me from the Hell I would have to grow up in. I felt dirty bad girl and that is were my binge eating started. By the time I got to 12 years old, I was wearing a size 16 and was as heavy as my Mother. 

At 13, I had finally met the person who was my "Dad". I had now idea who he was and he declared we would get to know each other as Father and Daughter. I was so excited that finally I was a normal girl and I had a Dad like all the others. However, that did not happen at all. As soon as I left with him to Corpus, he told me how embarrassing I was to his family. He started to pick at my clothing, was displeased with my weight, didn't want me to come outside of his house, he even didn't want me talk to his girlfriend (at the time) and her daughter. I recall when I finally had enough of him and told him, "Who was he to tell me anything when he had never been there for me before". I was rewarded by him by being dropped off at a Corpus Christi bus stop and sent home. I had to call my mother from Alice, Tx. to let her know I was on my way home. After this horrible experience meeting my "Dad" I felt more than ever that I was disgusting and puked all my food out as soon as I was full. I had no I idea that I had developed bulimia and lost a lot of weight after 8th grade. I felt better about myself that I was finally able to control something in my life when everything else was out of control. 

At 15 years of age, I began to abuse cigarettes, drugs and alcohol. Being high helped me deal with the problems I had at home. It was like a band-aid I could put on to stop the crying. My Mother's lifestyle was not the greatest. I commonly saw drug abuse by her and her friends. I have seen things that no young child should see which included one of my Mother's boyfriend's OD in our bathroom with a needle sticking out of his arm.

At the age of 16, my Mother had a new boyfriend. This man was the carbon copy of my step father. He would make moves on me and when I told him to leave me alone. He would then turn it around and tell my Mother that I would come on to him. My Mother and I ended up in a big fight were she ripped out a couple of my braids from my head, attack me with a iron frying pan and threw me through a wall. I had up to at that point and ran away and started to live on the streets. There was no way I could make money so I would steal, deal drugs and break into houses until I was able to get a job.

By the time I was 19 years old, I was a single mom and I didn't graduate high school. His father did exactly what my "Dad" did to my Mother. He left me after dating me for almost 2 years and denied my son. I had no other way to pay my bills, my Grandmother sold my only car, and there was the option to get on welfare. I didn't want to have the same problems and traps my Mother had with the system so I started stripping full time to take care of my son. Stripping would lead to many other problems in my life. It paid well, I was able to buy another car and a live in my own apartment. However, it also involved more alcohol, drugs and eventually a 2 year crack addiction. I was able to take care of my son financially, but I wasn't able to take care of myself emotionally. I was suffering from extreme depression and the crack would take all those sad feelings away. 

To be continued.......

How To Stay On Track During Holidays and Vacation!

We are 3 months into 2017 and our first vacation period, Spring Break, has passed. Many people start out strong with the "New Year New Me" campaigns, but when a person spends more than a week or 2 away from working out they are more than likely to have a harder time staying on track. Some don't have the will to come back. I have already seen how some of my boot camp and online clients have had a tough period staying consistent during this Spring Break season. Next fitness goal booby traps coming up are Easter, Graduation, and Summer. So, how are you supposed to keep your fitness goals in check during these days? It is pretty simple: Follow the program

Number 1: Your Fitness Goals Are Not Their Fitness Goals

You have to remember that every time your family or friends who doesn't support your fitness goals in some way. Make sure when planning to travel you pick a hotel that has an adequate size gym. If you are traveling with a growing family you will have to tolerate seeing them eat things that you can't have. As head (or one of the heads)of the family, you should always promote healthy eating for the benefit of healthy growing kids. However, depending on your goals there are going to be things you are going to have to sacrifice food wise. You are going to have to workout around their schedules. If you know you are going to busy with the family then get your workout done in the morning before they are up or when they are busy with other activities. Same thing goes for your best friend or gym buddy. They are more than likely not going to stay on plan with you. So you are doing to have to be prepared to workout on your own. 

Number 2: You Don't Have To Eat Bad In Order To Have A Good Time

One thing a lot of people do is connect food with emotions. Food is just fuel for the body. You can go on any vacation spot and find healthy food that you can eat with the family or friends. Just because you can't have a 3 lbs. donut doesn't mean you can't have good time. You are still going to see and do all the great and fun things to do on vacation or the holidays. In addition, eating healthy gives you energy to keep going and exploring if you are visiting an unknown area. Eating high fat and sugar foods will only rob your body energy to be a tourist and to keep up with your workout program while out of town. 

Number 3: You Don't Have To Get Buzzed or Drunk Every Day You Are On Vacation or Holiday

Another booby trap for weight-loss and muscle gains is alcohol. Drinking more than the daily legal limit (2 a day) can hamper your fitness goals and can get you in great trouble legally. Alcohol is pretty much drinking fermented liquid from sugary plants or fruits. It is loaded in calories and carbs. Depending on the caloric intake of your preferred alcoholic beverage you can easily drink from 55 - 1,000 calories per drink. In addition, you mitochondria doesn't really know how to process alcohol so the body stores it has fat. Alcohol also inhibits protein synthesis. This is why most of us bodybuilders cut the alcohol as soon as we start prepping for show. 

Number 4: Pick Tourist Spots That Require Some Level of Activity

While I was in town for the 2016 WNBF World Championships in L.A., I took some time to check out Topanga State Park! It was a 2 hour hike and I used it in conjunction with my final prep for show. It was a great experience that brought me to tears once I reached the top of the canyon! 

In conclusion, you have to do the time if you want to reach your fitness goals. Taking time off from training and eating clean will have the opposite effects that you want. So why sabotage yourself? You are the one that will be upset and losing you investment with not following the program. Not the people who try to steer you off course. I have had a client gain almost 20 lbs in 2 weeks of not training, eating bad and drinking too much alcohol. It can sneak up on you before you know it and it is 5x harder to lose weight than it is to gain.