Even during the busiest of times don't forget to stop and smell the roses. Sometimes we get so busy in the doing that we forget to appreciate where we are.

"Quality only happens when we care enough to do our very best."

"Countless, unseen details are often the only difference between mediocre and magnificent"

Hello! There is a show in November that I might be taking part in :) It's the London Ontario Physique Association show. This would be awesome since it's so close to home which cuts down on travel/hotel costs. It's more relaxing too since it's possible to get ready at home and it's so close to my friends and family.

The reason this show is being looked at as a possibility instead of waiting until the spring (which was the original plan) is because there have been some really fun opportunities presented, should the choice be made to be contest lean and participate in a show around this time. This is exciting, but my health comes first. If I feel ready to begin prepping in August for November 27th, then it's a go :)

Don't feel like you have to participate in shows before you feel ready. Look at your health, finances and life situations. If you're not 100% health wise, if it doesn't make sense financially or if life situations are requiring a lot of your time and energy, decide if this is worth it for you right now. If you've seriously considered competing or have competed before, you know how much of a commitment it is. Look at all factors before making your decision.The shows will still be there when you are ready. 

This has changed the direction in training. The next phase was to incorporate more circuits and to begin "cutting down" on bodyfat. Instead, I'll maintain some circuits but also keep in heavier shoulder and back movements.

I've got such a good feeling about everything right now. I'm not too sure why, it's just a feeling :) 

Hi there! Things have been so great lately in regards to training and nutrition. Energy levels are great and, without making it a goal, strength has increased a lot, too. There aren't so many isolated movements with the programs being followed recently as what has been done in past training programs, but when they are performed, quite a bit more weight is needed to stay in the required rep range. Some movements have gone up to a 50% increase in weight. So weird but really awesome. I'm beginning to feel a lot more comfortable in the squat rack and with newer movements. It also seems like everything is "re-shaping." If that is a good way to explain it. I feel less "blocky" than I have in past off seasons but still seem to be maintaining muscle.

Gluten and dairy is still avoided most times. On chosen "cheat days" if some of these things are eaten, there is a lot less water retention and digestive discomfort than what has been experienced in the past. "Bloating" was a problem and has improved so much.

Protein shakes haven't been used at all for the past while (over a month) and I'm now beginning to further question their importance. They may be great for convenience, but if there's a chance to have "real" food, this may be a better option.

It feels wierd to barely do any cardio at all but feel so much better than any other offseason. I like it :)

Jeff Kuh's "Total Body Assault" is being followed and feels great, the options in the suggested meal plan are also great but timing the meals to have 4-5/day does not seem adequate. Everyone is different and this may be perfect for someone else, but for me, this does not feel like enough. Eating every 2-3 hours has been resumed.

When working with a coach, you can work together to match a plan to your needs. Keeping track of meals, energy levels (including during workouts and throughout the day), sleep times and quality, wake times and how you feel upon waking and even moods can help a lot.

With larger spaces in between meals, my energy levels drop, there are cravings and I can feel pretty moody. When meals are eaten every 2-3 hours, protein/veggies at each meal, carbohydrates eaten earlier on in the day and post workout, with the rest being eaten with a serving of fats, I feel really good. Heavier meats like lean ground beef and dark chicken meat seem to work best.

Try different things and track how you feel. You may come up with a pretty great plan and be surprised by how awesome you begin to feel.

A big huge congratulations to Meaghan who placed 4th in the Bikini Tall Category at the OPA Provincials! She looked stunning! This now makes Meaghan a CBBF National Level Bikini Competitor :) Amazing.

This Sturday, June 19th is the Ontario Physique Association Provincials being held in London Ontario. This will be an incredible event with the top placers from regional events taking part.

Beautiful Client, Meaghan Terzis will be entering into the bikini division at the Ontario's after recieving first place in Bikini Tall and being named the Overall Bikini Winner at the OPA Stratford show in April. As Meaghan's "off season" shape is very close to contest shape, competing in frequent shows is very feasable for her and is something she can enjoy doing. Her meal plan is not drastic and it is not necessary to manipulate her water very much. This keeps it safer for her to take part in more frequent shows by not being so tough on her body.

It's amazing to see how quickly she responds to changes in training. The goal was to add a little bit more definition to her legs. By adding in more sprint work and making slight changes to her weight training less than 2 months ago, the improvements are great. It will be cool to see how everything comes together the day of the show. 

I'll be around all day if you need tan touchups, posing oil help, bikini biting, makeup or hair help! Just grab me if you need anything!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!  

 A Creed To Live By

Don't undermine your worth by comparing
yourself with others.
It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don't set your goals by what other people
deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.

Don't let your life slip through your fingers
by living in the past or for the future.
By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect.
It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly;
and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope;
to be without hope is to be without purpose.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget
not only where you've been, but also where you're going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored
each step of the way.

Nancy Sims

In order to help make contest preparation as easy on our bodies as possible, it's a great idea to stay relatively lean in the off season. If we go up and down by a lot of weight this is very taxing on the body and eventually we could burn out. After letting loose quite a bit recently, my bodyfat percentage has creeped up a little bit higher than I would like. However, I do know how quickly things can change and am lucky to have a good and healthy metabolism. Aesthetically, I am starting to like having a little more "fullness" but I have felt what it's like to have to take off extra weight during contest prep, and for the purpose of making it easier on myself, it's best to bring it down a little bit. 

With Wetwolf's programs, this is in the works and will cut down on the next contest prep time while allowing it to remain enjoyable. Also, by not dropping bodyfat percentage too low, this allows me to remain functional and balanced in the offseason. 

Hi! It's week 2 of the new program and I'm really liking it. It feels really good to be challenged in different ways and, although I wasn't sure I would be a big fan, the muscular endurance day has become a favourite. Here is what it looks like: 

1 a) Single leg squats

sets: 2

reps: 20 per leg

rest: 60 seconds

  b) high incline bodyweight rows

sets: 2

reps: 20

rest: 60 seconds

2 a)Steep angle push-ups (feet on smith machine or squat rack bar)

sets: 2

reps:20

rest: 60seconds

   b) single leg hip pop-up(one foot elevated)

sets: 2

reps:20 per leg

rest: 60seconds

3a)stability ball crunch supersetted with stability ball v-ups

sets: 2

reps: 20

rest: 60 seconds

Spending so much less time in the gym feels awesome. Only doing weights 3 times a week feels wierd and so does rarely doing any cardio, but it's great for something different. I can feel myself becoming stronger, like my body is thanking me for the rest and I am seeing now how spending so much time doing cardio is not really necessary.

It feels like upper body mass has remained and perhaps my back is a bit wider but my waist is more tapered (or was before the let loose time :) )with legs staying quite a bit leaner than they have in the past. The goal this offseason is to avoid putting on too much "thickness" in the offseason while staying leaner. Basically, to look and train more like an athlete than a bodybuilder. If things keep going the way they are, the pre-contest program may be a lot different this time. It will be cool to see what happens. 

After the past couple of weeks, filled with family and friend get togethers, there has been a few days of cheats in there and I have enoyed every bit of them :) It's easy to see how it wouldn't be a great idea to live like that all the time, and it's really not a great idea to go overboard, but I think it's important to let yourself relax with your meal plan and training sometimes. It makes you really appreciate getting back at it. Now it's time to get back :)

I hope you're having a great weekend!

Congratulations to everyone who competed on Saturday!! UFE Showdown in London was such a great time and there were so many incredible physiques.

It seemed like everyone was right there helping one another out when it was needed. So awesome :)

Lynsey Noseworthy competed for the first time, entering into the bikini division and looked amazing. She maintains a fulltime job, is a single mother and still brought such a beautiful package to the stage. Although she's too modest to see it, that is an incredible achievement. I love working with her and the person she is. It will be amazing to see her continue working toward her fitness goals, like the trooper she is.

The Bootcamp is in full swing now with the first session being yesterday :) The group is a lot of fun and this will be a great four weeks.

The term "bootcamp" maybe isn't the best term to use. The idea isn't to kick the crap out of ourselves, leading us to feel drained like that term may lead us to visualize. The idea is to "train not drain." When becoming more physically fit, the goal should be to add to our lives by becoming more energetic, while seeing a progression toward our goals. Of course we should challenge ourselves, but there is not a need to overdo it and there should be a balance of work and recupertation.

Each session combines a thorough dynamic warm up, strength, endurance and relaxation movements. It's a great workout that allows for recuperation between sessions. This helps to make it possible to continue progressing.

This will be the last group before we get further into summer, but more will begin in the fall. If you're interested or would like more information, send me a message at renee@reneeprimeau.com.