Posts Tagged ‘Jodi Braun’

Transformation of a Figure Competitor – Week 8

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Now less than 7 weeks to go, I feel as if time is passing too quickly and I’m running out of time.  I always do this to myself, the worrying I mean.  Warren is never worried but I worry enough for the both of us.

Jodi Braun & Janet Fox

Jodi Braun & Janet Fox

That’s where my feelings are right now.  I know I am doing everything that I am supposed to and we can only control so much.  The rest is up to the body to cooperate.  So, I just keep moving along, taking one day at a time and one moment at a time.  This is why I consider every competition prep a journey because every time there are differences that take place.  The way your body adjusts, diet, workouts and don’t forget the mental aspect that can really start playing with your head.  With all of this going on I push through and still have other girls that I’m helping get ready for the same show I’m preparing for.  Like I have said before, helping out these women and being able to see everyone’s personality’s shine through is very exciting and it keeps me motivated!

I know for them it’s good to be able to discuss different aspects of this whole prep with someone like me who understands all of the physical and emotional aspects that take place.  They can vent and I can provide feedback , trying to keep their worries from taking over.

Cardio has increased to 45 min per day and workouts are becoming more intense as well.  Not sure what you all imagine as intense but an example would be flipping a 200-pund tire over,  40 times!  Ha! My arms felt the intensity for 3 days after! lol All of the box jumping and leaping jump squats seem to be effecting the soreness in my hip flexors (wow!) but it’s all worth it in the end right? I know it is and this is why I like pushing myself to the limit.

It’s an adrenaline rush for me and I always feel awesome when the workout is complete.

I am eating chicken now 4 times per day but I don’t mind.  I really like chicken anyway and even in my off season, chicken and fish are staples in my regimen.  At 11.9 % body fat, I am still holding my weight at 130 lbs.  This is the longest I have been able to hold it this high.

I keep crossing my fingers it will remain there.

Just so you can see the level at which all can be inspired by, the picture included this week is of myself and client Janet Fox.  About to turn 64, this coming April will be her 2nd figure show she is getting ready for.  I am truly inspired by her and feel blessed that I can train and prepare her once again.  She is also part of the dotFIT nutrition regimen with Warren’s expertise.

-Jodi

Transformation of a Figure Competitor – Week 7

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

I am only 8 weeks out now.  It’s crunch time!!!!!  At this point you cannot allow yourself to feel tired or unable to give your best with every workout.  With such little time, you have to make every workout count and give it your all.  It comes down to final moments to the day of the competition and all of the blood, sweat and tears leading up to it is what it’s all about.  Sounds dramatic right? It couldn’t be closer to the truth.

My calorie burn has increased to another couple hundred per day.

Jodi Braun doing plyometrics

Jodi Braun doing plyometrics

Now, with addition to another day of cardio for 40 minutes, my weekly calorie burn has increased as well. My average calorie burn per day before was 2600 and now it’s 3000.  Still performing my plyometrics at the end of my weight training, and things are becoming intense.  Although the plyos are a bit torturous the feeling of achievement afterwards is my high.  Just when I think to myself “I’m not going to make it”, Warren pushes me to the edge and I love every minute of it.  Well, it’s a love/hate relationship.

Not only has cardio changed, my diet has as well.  I was having two dotFIT Pre/post workout shakes a day but now it’s down to one.  One of them was replaced with chicken and sweet potato.  As of right now, I eat chicken 3 times per day.  My bodyfat percentage is 12.6 and I am still holding my weight at 130 lbs.  I am so happy with this.  I explain to my female clients that the number on the scale doesn’t mean as much as they think.

It’s odd to women to hear my joy when my weight increases or remains the same.  Go by how your clothes fit more so than looking at the numbers.  Of course when beginning a healthy lifestyle, your weight will decrease but at some point that slows down, don’t get so caught up in a specific number.  If you are gaining muscle, keep in mind muscle weighs more than fat.  These dotFIT supplements are helping me retain muscle as I decrease my body fat.  This is so important right now that my size remains and I just chizzle my body into a sculpture.  Exciting isn’t it??

I have just began some practice with my mandatory poses and it looks like my hamstrings have gained some size.  All I can hope for is that I have improved from the last time and I have given my best with the preparation and my performance.  There is only so much I can control and I am giving it my all!!!!

-Jodi

Transformation of a Figure Competitor — Week 3

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

This has been a very interesting week! One of my latest photo shoots with Tina Woods has landed a picture in the latest Fitness & Physique issue on stands now! Check your local stores that carry a large variety of fitness magazines to find it! I was thrilled to be sporting fitness wear with the dotFIT logo!!!!

I also became best friends with my Exerspy. I find it very interesting to see my calorie burn throughout the day. It seems on a normal day without teaching classes I burn about 2500 per day. The days I teach classes it’s around 3000 per day. When I say per day, it’s a 12 hour period. I also wear it while I sleep and after uploading the information, it actually shows at what time I got up during the night to go to the bathroom and how many steps it took me to get there!!! Pretty cool, right? I will try to give updates during the week to give you more
detailed readings. Now that my diet has changed a bit and my cardio has increased, there should be some changes. As of right now considering I take in 1600 calori

Jodi Braun

Jodi Braun, dotFIT Sponsored Athlete

es, I am burning almost twice that per day! WOW! I can’t wait to see the results as I get more intense with my activity closer to show time!

My body fat did not change much from last week. Yes, I was a bit disappointed but menses had to do with it along with the fact that at a certain point your body reaches a homeostasis and change is needed. The calipers cannot differentiate between holding water and fat tissue, so many times Warren makes changes by eye.  My calories remained the same but bread is out. My light English muffin changed to oatmeal for breakfast. I still have my egg whites but half of my banana was cut out as well. For lunch I was eating turkey on light whole wheat bread. This has now changed to 4 oz of chicken breast with small sweet potato and my whole apple became 1/2 as well. Between this change in my diet and my increase in cardio, there should be a change this week. I was doing 25 min of cardio 4 times a week. Now it’s 5 days at 30 minutes.

Changes in my body are very minimal but I can see some striations coming back to my shoulders and chest :) I love watching the changes take place. It’s so scientific!!!!  So, I’m sure some of you are wondering if I’m feeling tired yet?  No, not yet. I’m an even 15% body fat and I usually don’t start to feel it until 11% but each journey is different.

My dead lift this week was pretty good. 185 for 5 reps. My personal best is 200 lbs for 2 reps. I hope to surpass that by 50 lbs before the competition but we shall see. I squatted 205 for 7 repetitions and I have been feeling it the last 2 days!!! LOL  Usually on our leg day we will do leg press and hyperextensions as well.  I wanted to share with all of you that I was born with 2 hernias and have had them both repaired within the last 15 years. I am very careful with my lifting and concentrate on form and breathing all the time. It seems many athletes have had injuries in the past but can still push through with them. Just perform cautiously and you will be fine. For those of you that have had injuries or do now, I know it’s
frustrating but just know that muscle does have memory so whatever you think you have lost will come back stronger. Rest is good and we all need rest for us to improve. We don’t like to admit it but it is true.

So, I have reached the 12 week point! Let the games begin!!!!!! I’m focused and determined!

–Jodi