Hair Dresser, Personal Trainer, 2 Kids... Go Figure

My Preparation for the 2007 Northern Kentucky Figure Championships

By: Lee Anne Graham
No Nonsense Newsletter Volume 12 #1

The first time I was introduced to Beverly International was in 1998 by a personal trainer friend. He knew I was training hard and eating healthy but wasn’t getting the results I wanted, so he suggested I add some Beverly supplements to my regimen. I tried them and I was hooked. Since that time I’ve tried other products but always go back to Beverly.

Even then, I was interested in competing, but didn’t feel there was really a place for me. There were fitness competitions but I’m sure not a gymnast or dancer so I wouldn’t do well in the routine rounds. Then there was female bodybuilding but that wasn’t the look I wanted. When the figure division started in 2000 I was pregnant with my first daughter. She was born Christmas day. I continued to work out and eat healthy but competing was on the back burner. My greater interest was in this little person in my life. My second daughter was born in July 2004. For the next year I was busy with two girls, my husband and working part time, but in the back of my mind the desire of getting in contest shape and competing was still there.

Finally, in January of 2006, I decided to try a competition and entered Beverly’s Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding and Figure (NKBB) show. Little did I know it was the largest one day show in the country or the level of competition that would be there. A trainer/bodybuilder who trained at the gym helped me to get ready in nine weeks. I placed in the middle of the pack and had a great time. I was hooked!

I loved the training, dieting and preparation (most days!), but, I was really green about the competition side. I had to have help from someone with figure experience. A week after the NKBB I called Beverly and spoke to Rachel and she started me on a gain muscle, lose fat diet and training like a figure competitor (emphasis on delts, lats and legs). I decided to compete in the Kentucky Muscle in October, so I signed up for Beverly’s fall Contest Countdown. The countdown started in July and I loved it. I learned a lot about competing at every meeting, but I learned so much more than just about competitions. Being with the other competitors and Roger and Sandy was so motivational it made you want to be better and not to disappoint them.

I competed in the Big Dust Classic and placed 2^nd in Masters and a week later competed in the Kentucky and placed 4^th in Masters. A week after the Kentucky, I started my workout and nutrition plan to get ready for the Northern. There is so much information I have learned but two things really stand out.

1. Be the best you can be for each competition.

2. It takes time to add muscle and get in better condition.

Roger also said something that has stuck in my mind. He was talking about how the body does an insulin check every couple of hours and if you mess up one of these checks by eating too much junk (or even too many calories at one time) it causes fat storage and may even lower your metabolism. So try not to graze, and if you’re going to cheat, do it all in 60 minutes and get it over with. That just made sense to me (off season of course). Probably the best thing that has come out of this experience is my girls’ knowing about a healthy lifestyle. They already know about protein, carbohydrates and eating healthy and the importance of exercise. They are my biggest fans! To see them flex their little muscles and talk about mommy’s bodybuilding show is priceless!

Getting ready for a show

There is a lot more to getting ready for a competition than just training and dieting. On that note the best advice I can give is become a Beverly customer! Then you have a pipeline to every bit of info you’ll ever need. Subscribe to their No Nonsense Newsletter, pick a program and follow it. Call them or email if you have a question. Get your hands on all the info they offer.

But for the other part of preparation here are some suggestions I learned from Beverly and my own experience.

1. Pose, Pose, Pose. Learn to get your lats out (this was the hardest part for me!), and suck in your stomach. If you do not have anyone to help you there are some great videos out there (www.figurecoach.com and www.julielohre.com).

2. Hair and makeup are very important. If you are not that great at either, I would suggest making an appointment with a professional hairdresser and makeup artist. Because you can have a great physique but if you don’t pay attention to details it could cost you a placing.

3. Tanning is also very important; be sure you’re dark enough. So take your time, use good products and use a scrub to balance the ph levels in the skin several days before you start tanning, if not sometimes the color can have a green cast. You definitely do not want to be green!

4. Have a checklist of everything you will need for the show from food, suits, shoes, makeup etc. 5. Don’t forget to send in your entry form early!

This is how I prepared for the Northern 2007:

One thing I learned from Beverly about nutrition is that all foods are not created equal, even if the numbers match up. I’ve always eaten a healthy diet but a competitor’s diet should be made up of only the best foods to fuel your body so you can train hard to gain the muscle and lose body fat at the same time. Another very important lesson was to always have your food prepared in advance. This is very important because if you get hungry it’s hard to wait until you get something cooked. I cook enough chicken, turkey and fish plus steam vegetables to last several days. I read an article by Brian Wiefering in the No Nonsense Newsletter where he said it’s your choice to compete so when the diet gets tough don’t take it out on the people around you. That statement has helped me a lot. I try to keep it in mind when I am fixing mac & cheese for my girls. I chose this not anyone else.

My best precontest diet... a la Beverly!

Monday and Thursday

Meal 1: 4 oz turkey breast; 3 egg whites, 1 yolk; ½ grapefruit

Meal 2: Protein pudding 2 scoops Muscle Provider (I like mine like dough)

Meal 3: 6 oz chicken or fish, 2 c salad or asparagus with vinegar

Meal 4: 2 scoops Muscle Provider pudding

Meal 5: Carb up meal: 1 cup oatmeal (before cooking); 6 oz sweet potato (after cooking); 4 oz banana; 1 cup vegetables (usually asparagus) 1 tbsp butter on my sweet potato

Tuesday and Friday (bad days)

Meal 1: 4 oz turkey breast, 3 egg whites, ½ grapefruit (I sauté onions & green peppers with my eggs)

Meal 2: 5 oz chicken or fish, 2 cups salad or asparagus

Meal 3: 2 scoops Muscle Provider pudding

Meal 4: 5 oz chicken, turkey or 6 oz fish; 2 cups asparagus or spinach

Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday

Meal 1: 3 egg whites; 3 oz turkey breast; ½ c oatmeal

Meal 2: 2 scoops Muscle Provider

Meal 3: 5 oz chicken or fish; ½ c oatmeal; 1 c vegetables

Meal 4: same as meal 2

Meal 5: 5 oz lean beef, chicken, turkey, fish; 1-2 c asparagus

Supplements:

Breakfast: Super Pak, EFA Gold with meals 1&3.

Each meal: 4 Ultra 40, 3 Muscularity, 2 Lean Out

Before training: 10 Muscle Mass, 2 scoops Glutamine Select (I love this stuff)

Before cardio: 5 Muscle Mass; 2 Energy Reserve

Also 6 GH Factor first thing in the morning and before bed on an empty stomach. Also six 7-Keto MuscLEAN split up into 2 or 3 servings a day.

Cardio training program: I get up at 4:30 am, and I am in the gym by 5:00; this works for me because everyone is still asleep. 6 days a week, time ranges 30 minutes off season up to an hour pre-contest. I get bored so I do a lot of intervals and cross training.

Example: 10 minutes stair master, 2 minutes jump rope, 7 minutes treadmill 3 min. jog, 2 min. run, 1 min. sprint, 1 min. walk. Repeat the circuit 2-3 times.

I also like the octane fitness elliptical trainer, running outside and I teach a boot camp class. Five days a week after cardio I do 3 sets of pull-ups, dips (now weighted), and pushups to failure.

Weight training program: I knew I needed someone to push and spot me if I wanted to add some muscle. Since I didn’t have a training partner I asked a friend (Jeff Cody), who works and trains at Capital Fitness, to help. He said, “I’d love to hurt you, I mean help you.” Having someone push me when I thought I couldn’t do anymore has made a definite difference in my progress. There were lots of work sets, drop sets, super sets to failure. Some days it was torture but I loved it.

Back & Rear Delt:

Pull-ups	3xfailure
Pullovers w/easy curl bar on bench-drop set	5x20-5, 40-70 lbs.
Wide lat pull down-drop set	5x20-5, 30-60 lbs.
Variety of rows, DB, T-bar, etc.	4x12-15, 30-50 lbs
Rear Delt DB	4x15, 12.5-15 lbs
Rear Delt cables	4x15, 15-17.5 lbs

Legs Workout:

Regular squats	4x25-12, 95-145 lbs
Hack squats	4x20, 0-50 lbs
Leg press-drop sets	4-6x50-15, 90-360 lbs
Leg extension-drop set	4-6x50-12, 30-90 lbs
Leg curl	4x20, 30-40 lbs
Stiff leg deadlift	4x15, bar-95 lbs
Lunges	4x25, 30-50 lbs

Delts, Arms, Chest:

Smith machine shoulder press	4x20-10, 10-40 lbs.
Side lateral raises	4x15-20, 15-22.5 lbs
Wide upright rows	4x15-20, 40 lbs
Easy curl bar curl	4x20-12, 50-70 lbs
DB curl	4x15, 25-30 lbs
Dips	4xfailure, bodyweight-35 lb plate
Triceps overhead extensions	4x15-20, 40-50 lbs
Rope press down	4x15-20, 40-50 lbs
Pushups	4xfailure
Incline DB press	4x20-12, 25-45 lbs
Cable crossovers	4x15-20, 20-30 lbs

Profile:

Lee Anne Graham

Age: 37

Occupation: Mom, Hairdresser, Personal trainer.

Family: Married 12 years to Will Graham and two children

Currently living: Frankfort, KY

Gym: Capital Fitness

Height: 5’4”

Off season weight: 134

Contest weight: 126

Favorite cheat food: Anything with chocolate, nuts and peanut butter

Favorite Meal: Cheeseburger and fries

Favorite Beverly Recipe: Beverly Goo, UMP Pudding w/almond butter & whipped topping, shakes in the blender with fruit added, and UMP pancakes

Favorite Supplement: I love them all! Protein powders because they taste good. Glutamine Select because I love the taste and could really tell the difference using it before cardio in the morning (precontest). I didn’t lose muscle.

Words to live by: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

In my CD player: Everything from Eminem to Hank Williams Jr. I like most all music depends on my mood.

Favorite book: Dr Seuss right now, that is about all the time I have to read with my girls!

Other interest: Being with my husband, our girls and family. Cooking, collecting cook books, being outdoors, shopping, and traveling.

Special thanks: Roger and Sandy at Beverly for all their help. My husband and girls for putting up with me. My mom, sister in-law and mother in-law for all their help and support and the other competitor’s who were fun to talk with because they were going through the same things. Especially God, because there were days I prayed a lot when trying to figure out how I was going to get everything done. It always works out!

*Lee Anne placed 2^nd to the overall winner, in the Masters over 35 short class at the 2007 NKBB.

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