Saying Good-Bye to Amor Fitness & Nutrition

This week Amor Fitness & Nutrition has officially closed its doors. I have so many fond memories working with Adele and the entire Team Amor Family.

I began my journey with Adele about 4 years ago. I finally took the leap to compete in my 1st bodybuilding competition and Adele was taking the leap to competition prep coach. She was the 1st female bodybuilder I had met and she helped guide my nutrition and posing for my 1st competition. I placed 1st in my class and won best poser in my 1st show. It was so much fun and I totally had the competition bug! She helped me prep for my next 2 shows where I placed 2nd.

Through being part of Team Amor I met so many amazing people! I found a family among bikini, figure, physique, and bodybuilders.

I took a break from the stage and started training at the Garage. This gave me a chance to get to know all the members of our growing team and to work one-on-one with my fellow competitors. I had the opportunity to help our competitors and our clients meet their fitness goals. It was pretty amazing to be part of the process and watch these women and men meet their goals.

I loved working with a local small business. When you work at a local gym it is more like being part of a family than just an employee with an employer.

The business may have closed, but I take with me years of memories, great friendships, and great resources. I know the whole Amor Fitness Family will go on to do great things. I look forward to seeing what the New Year brings for all of us.

Health and Happiness,

Larissa

SNBF Finale!

Recap of my SNBF weekend...

This is a photo after my last cardio and leg workout on Wednesday.

I took Thursday and Friday before the show off. Go figure...I got a migraine on Thursday so all I could do is rest, eat, and rest.  Good thing I took off  :-P

Friday, now I could be productive.
Woke up and prepped all my tilapia, sweet potatoes and eggs for the next 48 hours.
Then took a quick trip out to whole foods to get my post comp Savida wine and Pound Cake!
Mmmmm carbs!

Then it was time to pack it up:
- sheets for the hotel
- flip flops for post tan
- AM/PM suits
- post comp outfit
- pajamas
- make up
- CD of posing music
- ipod
- laptop

The best tip I ever got as a competitior was to bring your own sheets and pillowcases to the hotel, you don't want your tan to rub off on the hotel sheets.

I checked in at the Wingate at 2:30PM unpacked consumed a meal and prepped my bed.

Then it was off to CAS for my 4:00 PM drug test/polygraph and 5:00 PM spray tan with Tropix Tans.
2 more meals and in bed by 9:00 PM. I always have a hard time sleeping the night before a show, you try not to roll around to much as not to rub off the tan and have to keep the room cold so I won't sweat it off.

5:00 AM getting started early. Get a fresh layer of make up on and try to decide what to do with my hair.

5:45 AM leaving the hotel to meet the team for 6:00AM breakfast
The worst thing I could see, blue and red flashing lights, red break lights, there is an accident and it is blocking all lanes of traffic, everyone is flowing into the shoulder lane. I am completely depleted and I am struggling to focus. A tractor trailer flipped :-( I did eventually get through it, our coach got caught in the craziness too, I finally make it a lil after 6:20AM.

Hmmmm pancake time!!! I have been waiting for this all week!

Always ready for the camera ;-)

Me and my friend Jovi impatiently waiting for pancakes. This is her 1st show!

Got half of our team in this shot, we are all super focused, on fooooood!

Yes I did eat 3 plates of food before I stepped on stage, sooo much foood!

7:30AM Then it is off to Collins Hill High school for pre-judging competitors meeting. We all get our numbers and our schedule for the morning. Schedule is flipped, bodybuilders are up 1st. Less carb up and pump time :-/

9:00 AM Stage time! I am getting my pump on as the men take the stage. I am oiled up, touched up, and suit is secured.  There are 3 of us in my division. I am bigger than the year before, just hoping I can bring the full package I need. Quarter turns, most muscular, and its over! All I can do is wait and hope now!

I meet up with my mom, sister, and husband, to watch my team mates in figure and bikini take the stage, we are all looking amazing.

11:30 AM Pre-Judging wraps up. I roll with my entourage back to the hotel for 2 more meals and rest.  Some competitors break there meal plan after pre-judging, but I stay strict, if there is a tie in pre-judging I want to have the edge during final judging.

3:30 PM last strict meal before the show.

4:30 PM off to the school for finale show!

6:00 PM final judging! At this point I lose track of time.  I am so excited back stage. Rocking my new gold suit, listening to the ipod, getting in the zone.

Me, Coach Andre', Coach Adele, and Cyronne our other female bodybuilder.

Time flies by! Before I know it, it's time! I perform a 60 second routine to Alexandra Sans "Mr.Saxobeat"! I felt it went great! I have so much fun performing :-) They hand out awards immediately after, 2nd place!

Cyronne and I rocking our bling!

Intermission- hehe, Jess brought cupcakes! Strawberry with cream cheese, I literally inhale it!

I meet up with my mom, sis, and husband post show.  They all say I look more defined than I had in the evening. I ran into one of the judges/coaches and he commented that I looked better than I had in previous shows.  The hubs stays with me to watch the 2nd half awards and pose downs.

2nd half, my girl Jovi sweeps Novice Figure! We have several girls place top 5 in Novice bikini, and our girl Kristina wins Novice Bikini. We did great as a team we always bring back lots of bling. Top 5 in every category I believe.

After all the fun, we meet with the judges. I always meet with at least 3 judges after the show. It is good to get several different perspectives. Thee feedback I got was that I was plenty lean, they enjoyed the performance, but I need more mass overall and need to define my abs. For some reason my abs went flat on stage this year, not sure what happened.  Talked with the coaches to give them the judges perspectives. We discuss a plan for carbing up and gaining more mass...next perspective show July!

Grabbed Anthony and met with Tashawn and Jovaghn to go grab dinner at Twisted Taco! Fiesta de Carbs! ;-)

Refueled, showered and refreshed, and off to bed!

It was a great night! A week off in Cancun and then back on the mass gain train ;-)

Health and Happiness

L

SNBF July 16th FINALE!

5:30AM - Wake up and pack my show bag, breakfast with coach and Team AMOR .  Quick poses in the mirror, my arms look really tiny.
We had to eat sooo much food. It was kinda overwhelming, but i got it all in and held it down.

7:30AM - Meet at Brenau University for pre-show breifing. 

Not really nervous yet, just anxious to get on stage.  Backstage I run into Catrice of Catrice Catsuits and show off my new body in her suit.  The ladies arent talking a whole lot backstage, except with their teammates, I think its just nerves.  Me and my teammates talk a bit, we are soooooo thirsty, they are competing in novice Figure Tall and Novice Figure Short.  I will be going on  2nd to last for pre-show.  I am dressed tanned and ready to do this!

9:00AM - Show is starting. Backstage scarfing down some snack foods and doing a few strength moves while I wait for my coach to take me through my circuits.
My mind is swirling what is my best side chest? what is my best triceps side? Are my quads popping enough? where are my abdominals I know i have them? have my arms pumped up enough? they were sooo big a week ago!

Number 2 to the stage!
Not nervous. Still just anxious and excited.  Just got touched up, oiled up, and pumped up, nothing else I can do now but show it off!
Phew! That was absolutely exhilirating.  The lights were soooo bright.  I could kind of see the audience but mostly can see the face of the judges.  I was smiling so big I could feel my face twitching!  I couldn't help it, it was just sooo exciting.  Then I got to meet with the professional photographer for individual photos I hope these came out really good.

11:00AM - 4:00 PM

Back to the Hilton.
Not much going on during this time. My family goes to grab lunch and fiance goes to run some errands.  I get left in the hotel by myself to eat my preshow meal and snacks.  Tried to nap but my head is just swirling and I am soooo thirsty, I only get about 30minutes of sleep, the rest of the time is spent just relaxing trying to calm my mind.  I go through my routine about 10 times just to get it cemented in my head.

4:30 PM
Check-In for evening show at Brenau University.  This is the big show, we find out who won what and I get to go through my routine in the evening show.  I will be the 2nd person to go on stage. 
It all just seemed to go by sooo fast...but...I did it...I competed in my 1st Bodybuilding competition, and I won, 1st place! 

Intermission

I meet 8 time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney, he stops by to tell me I did a really good job on stage.  Highlight of the evening!

Part 2 of Show:

I get to enjoy lovely wonderful waterrrrrrrr. The figure girls step up on stage. They look soooo good up there!  They both make top 5, names are called for 5th, 4th, 3rd, and thier names have not been called. Holy crap! Both ladies WIN 1st place in their division! They then battle it out for the overall winner

I went backstage so that we could all celebrate!

Then I start seeing the stage director waving me over...apparently they called my name for another award.

SNBF Best Female Poser!!! All those posing classes with SNBF and Amor Fitness & Nutrition paid off!

Post Show
TIME TO EAT!
1st post show meal, 2slices of mellow mushroom pizza. 1 slice grilled chicken and 1 slice spinach, and a glass of wine.  OMG it tasted soooooooo good.

Food then sleep and a lot more water. 
I am exhausted by nights end but what an amaaaazing weekend.
All the dieting, all the hours in the gym, it was all completely worth it!
I will definately do it again.  Back in April! I do have a marathon to get through in November ;-)

Thank You!
Thanks to everyone who supported me through this processs:
Trainer-Brad Lokey, Posing & Nutrition-Amor Fitness and Nutrition:Adele & Travis, My Fiance, Tashawn & Jovi for showing up at the show and cheering for me, I definately heard them up in the stands, My Mom and Sister for being there for the AM and PM shows and keeping me company durin the day ,  and everyone else for putting up with my mood swings, dietary restrictions, and time restraints.

All your love and support was very much appreciated!

Health and Happiness

-L-

Almost Show Time!!!

Less than 12 hours til show time.

Spray tan has dried...last of the supplements have been consumed...one last meal for the evening...then some much needed rest before an early 6AM start.

Breakfast at 6...Check in at 8... Showtime 9AM!

Here we go!

Health and Happiness

-L-

1:2.75:6:12

Flashback to Saturday July 9th

1: the number of pounds away from my weightloss goal for the competition.

2.75 : the number of pull ups I accomplished, unassisted! Never in my life have I even done 1 and it has been my goal for the past year.  Next goal, 5!

6: the number of days left to competition day.  Already planning to compete again ... maybe in April.

12: the number of miles we (me, fiance, and fellow fitness blogger Tashawn) ran on the silver comet trail.  We are at about the halfway point for our marathon training.  Due date November 5th!

Keep pushing, hope you are on track to meet your goals as well,

Health and Happiness,

L

SNBF Bodybuilding, Figure, Fitness, and Bikini Workshop 2011

WOW! What an amazing weekend.  What an amazing group of people!


retrieved from http://snbf.com/workshop.html

 I and my running buddy spent 8 hours last saturday in Suwanee, Georgia  learning what it takes to compete in a bodybuilding and fitness competition. 

I walked in to a room full of men and women wanting to naturally shape their bodsy and mind to compete, it was very inspiring. The 1st thing we did was introduce ourselves to the group.  "Hello, my name is Larissa, from Atlanta, I am a trainer and fitness instructor at Georgia Tech, I saw the show last year, I was really impressed with the competitiors, and would love to try and compete this year...".  There were mothers, fathers, grandparents, athletes, non-athletes, trainers, teachers, students, and cancer survivors amongst the participants.  All their with the same goal in mind, to push themselves to a new level of fitness and challenge themselves by trying something new.

I learned about spray tan. Yes, the recommend that even the caramel sisters get a spray tan.  It evens out the skin tone and gives the body a nice glow.  Who knew! Not me, but I saw the photos and it is amazing what a tanner can do even on a darker skin tone.  We even got a live demo of how the process works, as a black female this is something I never thought I would be doing or need to know about.  I learn something new everyday!

Next they split us into 2 groups, Bodybuilding or Fitness,Figure,Bikini, and Fitness.  I was on the fence - do I go the figure route with the heels and the routine and the costume changes or the less frill more rigorous bodybuilding?  I spoke with our host Carol a figure and bodybuilding competitior as well as another dual competitir at the event.  They bothe listed the differences and why they chose to compete in either, main difference in my mind is performing in figure versus muscular definition in body building, and it just seemed like bodybuilding would be the most natural fit for me, and then I can always try figure when I feel more comfortable on stage and in heels ;-).

There were about 4 females in the bodybuilding group amongst the group of men.  But, I felt like we were all old friends.  It was definately the right choice for me.  Our host Bruce, Carl, Herb, and Steve were just amazing - I actually remembered Steve from the November show once he started the posing section and his tan settled in.  The hosts skills included bodybuilding competitors, personal trainers, nutrition coaches,  posing coaches, and judges.  They had such a diverse wealth of knowledge, and to be able to have the opportunity to ask them all our questions and get there tips was truly invaluable and an honor.  They just made me feel soooo comfortable, and I guess I was not expecting that, I don't know what I was expecting, but they definately exceded my expectations. 

I got to talk 1-on-1 with Carol a female body builder and competitor out of Alabama and she was so inspiring.  You could hear her passion for the sport in the way she talked to me about her training and her experiences in competition.  It was definately contagious.  All of them and their enthusiasm for what they do showed through in how they coached us through the day.

After lunch came the real excitement. POSING PRACTICE!!! We got to learn from the pros the standard poses for a competition and how to execute them..If you have ever been to a show, they make it look easy, but it is soooo physically taxing for a newbie.  Your whole body is held in an isometric contraction for each pose.  But, practice makes perfect, and we got in a lot of practice.  Then we took it to the stage under the bright lights, and that is a whoooole other game.  Hot lights, strong contractions, and do not forget to SMILE. Hehe, I was loving it.  It hurt, and it was hard, but I loved it.  It made me feel strong and confident, and that feeling is empowering and addictive.  Who would not want to feel that way?

I learned soooooooo much from this workshop and the people.  But, beyond what I learned was the feeling that I got from the other competitiors, coaches, and SNBF founders.  I think for anyone looking to step into the world of competitive natural fitness, this workshop is a good 1st step.  They provide you lots of resources and support. 

I am looking forward to entering my first competition this year!  Either April 9th or July 16th.  Be on the lookout for more updates !  For other show dates with SNBF checkout their website at http://www.snbf.com/

Health and Happiness,

L