"PowerBarbie + 2013 = DOMINATION!!"

PB....

As a diet suggestion....
Save 100 - 150 calories everyday Monday to Friday....

This leaves you an extra 500 to 750 cals for the weekend.... I find it makes dieting a whole lot easier...

Thanks Nazzy! Thats definitely an idea for future.. At the moment though I really just need to learn self control I think, haha.. Then I can start playing around with that!

Weight check in - 67.6kg, no change all weekend (no increase though!)

Also tried "cupping" for the first time last night..

Last night:


Today (apologies for the unco pic, no mirror):


I don't think anything really feels very different after it.. But I didn't seem to have any problem areas really as nothing bruised too much or too quickly.. My legs may be a whole different story though

nice cupping marks i get it done every 3-4 weeks i think it really helps

I thought your boob fell out in the last pic.

Tregs said:

nice cupping marks i get it done every 3-4 weeks i think it really helps

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Haha I had my legs done tonight, they went pretty black!

Darkoz said:

I thought your boob fell out in the last pic.

Click to expand...

Unlike some past members, I am not into boobage on a public forum


21/01/13 - PL Squats

Squats:

20kg x 8
40kg x 8
60kg x 8
80kg x 5
90kg x 3

100kg x 6
110kg x 4
117.5kg x 2
117.5kg x 2

122.5kg x 8

*^ Last set was meant to be 6 x 2, but it was getting late and Scott just kept yelling at me "one more! one more!".. Pretty damn happy with 8! Depth wasn't as good as it should have been though.. And I lost hearing for a little while after, haha

Notes:
Was meant to do BB legs as well, but got caught up with errands after work and didn't get into the gym till 8pm (closes at 9pm), will definitely make it up during the week at some point because I actually really love doing legs!..
Pretty happy with squats after epic fail last week!

Diet was pretty dodgy today, didn't cheat or go over, but probably didn't really eat enough and wasn't very organised!

Diet:

Calories: 1499
Protein: 204.5g
Carbs: 62g
Fat: 46g

> 3 eggs, 3 egg whites, 95g bacon, tbsp tomato sauce
> 8 nandos chicken tenderloins (no basting)
> slice of banana bread (thought this was an awesome idea for carbs before training - fail.. Upset stomach so badly!)
> 250g porterhouse steak

What is this cupping business? I donut understand.

EDIT: Although I always understand 250g of steak

RyanF said:

What is this cupping business? I donut understand.

EDIT: Although I always understand 250g of steak

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done as part of an acupuncture treatment (or they do that for me)

gliding cupping where they pull the cup up and down over you back can give a bit less bruising.

Its supposed to help blood flow and the lymphatic system and deep tissue repair.

I like it when I get cupped

Ryan, what lex said (thanks lex!) haha


Weight Check In - 66.3kg (another 600g loss)

Was feeling pretty awesome about it.....




Until I had to send this to my boss this morning.......

I've been slack on logging each day, haha.. But not slack with dieting.. Still perfectly on track.. 66.5kg this morning..

Missed training last night due to hairdressing appt going WAY over (I have pink hair now!! hahaha).. Will be training pretty much every day for the rest of the week now..

Deadlifts tonight, not so keen.. I hate deadlifts at the best of times, and have missed the last 2 weeks of them, so going straight into week 3 of my program of them.. Probably going to die somewhat..

Also, have just recently had the brilliant idea of using the sandwhich press/grill thing to cook meat on.. no more god awful tuna meals!.. A couple of random food pics from the past few days -

I can have bacon and eggs for breakfast now!



And warm chicken salad!

Meals are looking awesome and very close to what i have been eating lately...

24/01/12 - PL Deadlifts + BB Back
60kg (132lb) x 8
80kg (176lb) x 5
95kg (209lb) x 3 (deficit)

112.5kg (248lb) x 3 (deficit)
112.5kg (248lb) x 3 (deficit)

120kg (264lb) x 4
120kg (264lb) x 4
120kg (264lb) x 4

*^ They were all meant to be deficits, but after not pulling for over a month (and I assume the "cut" isn't helping), had to pull last ones normally.. They were stupidly hard!

Pendlay Rows:
42.5kg (93lb) x 8
42.5kg (93lb) x 8
42.5kg (93lb) x 8

*^ Going to try increase these by 2.5kg each week (did 40kg last week)

Planks:
5kg x 60 sec (60 sec rest)
5kg x 60 sec (60 sec rest)
5kg x 60 sec (60 sec rest)

*^ Was pretty happy with this, I used to not even be able to hold a 60 sec plank full stop, now adding weight and minimal rest time between

Notes:
Fail session.. Stopped there.. I was completely stuck on what else I could do for back (again, new to the "BB" stuff), and was at my gym with no machines at all, just DB's and bands etc.. Looked on some exercises app thing I have, and it was recommending me squats and bosu ball exercises (wtf, i dont even???) Would have done chins, but my hands were already ripping from the DL's and rows.. Would much appreciate any awesome back day exercise suggestions!

Incoming wall of text (scott look away now):

In general i'm having a bit of a decision making crisis, i'm starting to consider "disregarding strength, acquiring aesthetics" quite heavily at the moment.. I am 4kg down currently, and getting frustrated with not being able to do what I should be able to in my program, but also not seeing enough of a physical change to make it seem worth it.. Impatient maybe, but i'm a bit of an all or nothing person.. Considering going on an extreme cut, getting to where I want to be, and then building strength again from there.. I've never actually done a full "cut" to see where I'm at.. I'd like to see this muscle i've been building.. I'm really not happy with how I look currently, and its bothering me.. But, I do love PL and have comps coming up.. I HAVE NO IDEA!

Just struggling a bit with the decision, and want to commit to one or the other.. I'm an all or nothing person in general.. One extreme or the other, etc etc.. I'm getting so frustrated already with this "slow and steady" cut, in the fact its affecting my strength already, but I don't really have anything to show for it physique wise yet.. Which is what is making me think to just go an extreme cut, and suck it up on the strength loss, and then build again from the point I got down to.. The things that are making my decision hard, is the fact I have been offered a position on the Australian team for Worlds for PL, but thats pretty much on my current weight class and lifts.. I can't be sure that I would make the standards if I was to move to a lower weight class and what my lifts would be.. I'm not even certain anyway that I can really afford to go.. I'm just about to start study in 2 weeks.. But its an amazing opportunity, currently my squat beats the current world record, I was kicking myself for not going last year.. But then again, I may cut, get where I want to be in 3 months, then have 5 months to build on that.. I would assume I would still stay relatively strong in general.. Most of all I guess, i'm not happy with the way I look currently, which is a big motivation in all this.. FUUUUUUUU.. confused!!!

TL;DR -
- not sure whether to cut and lose strength but look good, and HOPEFULLY get decent strength back after cut
- or to stay as am, potentially go to worlds and get world records, but be unhappy with how I look

/end girly rant

Last set of DL's.. Stupidly slow/hard haha
[ame=http://youtu.be/ITWmxNR_mIw]Deadlifts 24/01/12 - YouTube[/ame]

Diet:
Being lazy and not writing it all up, but its still on track, probably eating a bit under what I should be if anything.. 66.5kg this morning

Competing at the world level is surely something that will give you joy and satisfaction for the rest of your life. Your grandchildren will brag about that, not what dress size you wore for a while.

You look awesome as is. There are heaps of bland whippets, be different.

why not do some rows? you don't need machines to train your back, Tara.

pullups, rows ...

Dieting on low carbs for most people seems to mean you can be lean or strong but not both. That's my experience anyway.

Since I upped the carbs in I manage to keep gaining strength on a cut. Hopefully you should be able to do both.

Tara.
GPC States
GPC Nationals
GPC Worlds

Cut.

Having a chance to set a world record at a worlds comp and not doing it is crazy.

Do this years comps, then give yourself 3 months to do a proper cut if that is what you want.

You'd be silly to not commit to those 3 comps this year.

You're still young.. your cut will be easy.
By Xmas 2013 you could have done the 3 comps, kicked arse and taken names, set world records, AND come down to barbie size like you want.

Then, and this is the most important part, you can make cupcakes for PTC Brisbane NY PB session.

There's no glory in looking good besides self satisfaction and admirable stares. I look at my trophies and records and remember what it felt like to receive them.
I've been cutting and it's frustrating to not have the strength. It does leave you fast and doesn't come back as fast.
I've stopped cutting and just having a small calorie reduction while still "powerbuilding".
It's either or either but not both unfortunately. If your ultimate is World's then train for it. If it's physique then say goodbye to strength for a while and accept it.
Just my 2c

chocchillimango said:

why not do some rows? you don't need machines to train your back, Tara.

pullups, rows ...

Click to expand...

I did do rows Viv! They are in my log?? hahaha
And was going to do chins/pull ups but my hands were grated

Zoot said:

Competing at the world level is surely something that will give you joy and satisfaction for the rest of your life. Your grandchildren will brag about that, not what dress size you wore for a while.

You look awesome as is. There are heaps of bland whippets, be different.

Click to expand...

Bazza20 said:

Dieting on low carbs for most people seems to mean you can be lean or strong but not both. That's my experience anyway.

Since I upped the carbs in I manage to keep gaining strength on a cut. Hopefully you should be able to do both.

Click to expand...

TTT said:

Tara.
GPC States
GPC Nationals
GPC Worlds

Cut.

Having a chance to set a world record at a worlds comp and not doing it is crazy.

Do this years comps, then give yourself 3 months to do a proper cut if that is what you want.

You'd be silly to not commit to those 3 comps this year.

You're still young.. your cut will be easy.
By Xmas 2013 you could have done the 3 comps, kicked arse and taken names, set world records, AND come down to barbie size like you want.

Then, and this is the most important part, you can make cupcakes for PTC Brisbane NY PB session.

Click to expand...

kaz said:

There's no glory in looking good besides self satisfaction and admirable stares. I look at my trophies and records and remember what it felt like to receive them.
I've been cutting and it's frustrating to not have the strength. It does leave you fast and doesn't come back as fast.
I've stopped cutting and just having a small calorie reduction while still "powerbuilding".
It's either or either but not both unfortunately. If your ultimate is World's then train for it. If it's physique then say goodbye to strength for a while and accept it.
Just my 2c

Click to expand...

Thank you all for the responses.. I know i'm just being a bit ridiculous.. I'm just feeling quite unhappy with how I look at the moment, and its clouding out everything else.. I'm feeling quite down a lot in regards to appearance, and for some reason i've decided in my head that abs will be the answer to everything.. haha.. I need to snap out of it and focus on the bigger picture.. As you guys have pointed out, worlds is a massive and awesome opportunity, cutting can be done anytime.. On a day to day basis though, you see yourself in the mirror, not the potential experience 9 months down the track.. I need to just keep that in mind.. I very much appreciate all your responses, than you

Tara, once you see your abs, you will wonder what all the sacrifice was for.

Seriously, as someone who can see her abs, I'm wishing I were half as strong as your and Kaz.

You look great, Tara. You are a beautiful girl, you look fit and strong and totally hot and baddass.

Don't you ever let yourself think differently because your head would be lying to you bigtime.

Vanity is all well and good, but being able to do amazing things is so so much better.

Take it from someone who knows all too well ... getting caught up in not being thin enough, shredded enough, tall enough, beautiful enough, whatever ... you're just wasting time and energy.

Ask yourself this: what do you love about going to the gym?

Therein lies your answer.

<3

PS Haha and I'm getting way too old obviously...retract suggestion for rows...clearly done