How I Earned My Natural Figure Pro Card
By: Karina Rhode
No Nonsense Magazine Volume 15 # issue 2
"Aunt
Karina, do I make you feel old?" asked my 6’1", 16-year-old nephew.
"Aaron, I could
kick your butt any day of the week and twice on Sunday, AND your auntie is on
the verge of winning a pro card. If I do, I will have become a professional
athlete at 40. Now, tell me, why should YOU make ME feel old?"
At the time of
this conversation, I had just taken the OCB Circle City Championships Overall
Figure title in May of 2009 and was in full tilt preparation for what was to be
my first shot at a pro card. Determined to back up my words with action, this
conversation became one of my primary motivators. Not only was it a verbal
throw down in my mind (I do love a challenge), but it was a chance to show my
nephew that you should NEVER allow someone else to dictate how you’re going to
feel about yourself.
On
September 26, 2009, on stage in front of my friends, family (including my
16-year-old nephew), I captured my second overall title, Ms Natural Indiana
Overall Figure Champion, AND MY PRO CARD!!!!
I
started competing at 38 years old in the fall of 2007. If someone would have
told me, "The year you turn 40, you will win two overall figure titles and earn
your natural pro card." I don’t know what I’d have said. Reason being, at that
time, I had no idea how to eat or supplement for this sport. I was all over
the map in the nutrition department with not so fabulous results. Starting
January 1st, 2009, I made a commitment to go full out in my diet and
supplementation. I called Beverly International and told them that I wanted
the works. I was tired of shooting in the dark and needed help from the
experts.
DIET
With
B.I.’s Blueprint for Success and Pre-Contest Workshop Manual & Study Guide,
I finally had a plan that was easy to follow. There were several diets that
catered to my needs in various phases from building muscle to shedding fat.
All I had to do was decide what phase I wanted to be in!
Because the plan gave me several ideas of meats, veggies and
carbohydrates from which to choose, I found my meals to be my own game of Iron
Chef. The plan also had a schedule of when to eat what foods! Could it get
easier can than that?!? Okay, sure it could. It also had some “free foods” I
could enjoy or use to snack on or beef up a recipe size without hurting my
calories!!!! Yeah! Now I’m happy!
I’d buy all my veggies a couple times a week and prep them for
fast access meal preparation. I could whip up a salad or stir-fry in 15
minutes flat! To make sure we had plenty of "ready" protein on hand, my
husband would grill up a family pack (8-9 pieces) of chicken breasts. God
bless my husband. That man is a master with chicken breast on the grill!
From there, I merely had to mix and match meat with veggies. I
had a few favorites, but could easily create new ideas at a snap because all
the tools were there. Here’s a day at a glance for me. I never once felt
deprived. I’ve included some recipes as well! (See end of the article for the
recipes noted in the meal plan).
MY DAILY
NUTRITION AT A GLANCE
Meal 1: 6 egg
whites, ¼ steel cut oats (pre-cooked), ½ grapefruit
Meal 2: UMP
iced latte or mocha (see recipe*) + 1 oz of almonds
Meal 3: Chunk
Salad (see recipe*)
Meal 4: 1 scoop
MP
Meal 5: Indian
Chicken (see recipe*)
Meal 6:
Carb-load Cookies** (M & Th) or 1 scoop UMP (Sa, Su, Tu, W, F)
SUPPLEMENTS
Beginning in
January of 2009, I began the following regime:
6 GH Factor: 6
upon waking and 6 before bed
Wow! Talk
about feeling invincible. There’s something about that GH Factor that made me
feel like I was 20 again! I was amazed that it could enhance my energy during
the day and yet allow me to sleep soundly while supporting my recovery cycle at
night. I love this stuff!
1 Super Pak
Vitamin @ A.M.
I’ve taken
vitamins before but this is the first time I could actually feel that my body’s
nutritional blanks had finally been filled in.
2 Mass Amino
tablets w/ each meal (6x's/day)
2 Lean Out w/
each meal (6x's/day)
2 Ultra 40 w/
each meal (6x's/day)
With this
part of the stack, I found that they worked best for me if I gave them a 20-30
minute start prior to my meal. This seemed to really round out my ability to
build shapely muscle while trimming fat.
2 scoops
Glutamine Select w/ each training session
This helped
me get the most from my muscle during training. I found that I had more
strength and less soreness. I was amazed at the recovery enhancement!
At about 8 weeks
out, I powered out my stack by adding:
3 7-Keto @ A.M.
& mid-afternoon
As the
calorie reduction kicked in, I could tell this saved me from any energy spikes
or crashes. It really helped keep me feeling balanced.
Swapping out my
Mass Amino Acid Tablets for
2 Density w/
each meal (6x's/day)
2 Muscularity w/
each meal (6x's/day)
By far, these
are my two favorites!!!! Wow! What a change! Within 48 hours of adding these
two supplements, I could see why B.I. recommends them if you’ve got it in your
budget. By far the most powerful and rapid results I’d seen. Even folks at
the gym were asking, What did you do differently?” because suddenly I was
absolutely ripped. My shoulders looked fuller than they ever had and my legs
were beginning to show cuts I’d only ever dreamed of!
1 Energy Reserve
w/ each meal (6x's/day)
This was the
icing on my supplement cake. I feel an extra little punch from these that
helped keep me moving all day long.
Ultimate Muscle
Protein & Muscle Provider
Getting
adequate protein in my diet was always a problem until I found these two
supplements. I love the added boost to my recovery from Muscle Provider and
the Ultimate Muscle Protein is so versatile I can use it to replace a meal or
sweet, late night, healthy treat that won’t wreck my hard work.
TRAINING
Halfway
through 2008, I discovered High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and never
looked back. I used to have what I called "chipmunk butt" – if my butt were a
chipmunk’s face full of nuts, you’d know where I stored my fat. Steady state
cardio did little to break into these problem areas. By implementing a mixed
variety of HIIT drills, plyometrics and steady state (only for recovery
purposes), I finally had the last key to unlock those problem chipmunk cheeks!
Sample Week’s
Cardio Schedule:
Monday: HIIT
Tuesday:
Plyometrics
Wednesday:
Steady State
Thursday: HIIT
Friday:
Plyometrics
Saturday: HIIT
Sunday: Steady
State
I’d never do the
same drill twice in one week. Monday’s HIIT could be wind sprints on the
treadmill in between lifting sets while Thursday’s HIIT might be hill sprints
outside in the 3 acres of yard (yeah, the neighbors think I’m looney-toons).
My goal here was to shock the body to be stronger functionally. By never doing
the same thing twice, my body was constantly changing and growing in cuts and
definition. HIIT training also builds muscle while burning fat. Thanks to the
HIIT, my hamstrings were finally making a showing! The final result was a
physique I was absolutely thrilled with! Athletic, svelte and amazingly
strong!
Favorite HIIT
Drill - Treadmill:
10 minute warm
up walk
Increase incline
to 2 & speed to 8.5
MINUTE 1:
Sprint 10
seconds
Jump off to the
rails and rest for 20 seconds
Repeat 10 second
sprint/ 20 second recovery
MINUTE 2:
Sprint 15 seconds
Rest 15 seconds
Repeat 15/15
MINUTE 3:
Sprint 20
seconds
Rest 10 seconds
Repeat 20/10
MINUTE 4:
Sprint 25
seconds
Rest 5 seconds
Repeat 25/5
MINUTE 5:
Sprint 30
seconds
Recover 30
seconds
Increase incline
to 3 & speed to 9 & repeat 5 minute drill above.
Increase incline
to 4 & speed to 9.5 & repeat 5 minute drill above.
Cool down with
5-10 minute walk.
As far as
lifting is concerned, I love to go heavy. I enjoy the challenge of getting
those 8 reps under a load of iron that leaves my legs burning and shaking. It
doesn’t matter what part of the body. Give me heavy weight! Since I’m still
trying to coax more definition out of my hamstrings and tie-in, I find myself
targeting that part quite a bit.
Favorite
Hamstring Exercises:
4 sets 8-10 reps
each
Cable straight
leg kickbacks
Single leg
hamstring curls with Swiss ball
Stiff leg dead
lifts
Leg press (feet
high to target hamstrings)
PRESENTATION:
Individual
Presentation:
Have fun! You’re already beautiful and sexy; you don’t have to
prove it by emoting any further. I’ve seen some pretty tacky presentations
that killed competitors because they wanted to make it "sexier" than it was.
Unfortunately, it came across as trashy and it hurt them in the judging. Go
out and have fun. Walk like you’re enjoying a day with your friends. Present
yourself to show your athleticism. Smile like you’re the life of the party.
You’ll have an individual presentation that will steal the show and you’ll
still be able to run for a political office if you want to when it’s over!
Quarter Turns:
While the shower is getting warm in the morning, I practice
quarter turns Full Monty. Black out the windows if you need your privacy, but
practice naked. It’s so much easier to see the anatomy you want to practice
showing if there’s nothing in the way of a hip flexor or abdominal line. If
you like what you see when you’re nude, you’re going to love it when it’s
dolled up in your posing suit! Doing this first thing in the morning also
helped keep me focused for the day on what I was working towards. It kept me
on track with my diet and helped me see where I was doing well or needed more
attention where gym work was concerned.
Day of the
Contest:
Laugh a lot! Come on. Forgive me, but I’m the kind of person who
really relishes the absurdities in life. Please know that no disrespect is
intended here. Along with the incredible challenge this sport offers, I find
it all so deliciously funny! That’s why I love it so much. Honestly, I
don’t think you can enjoy this sport (as well as life in general) to its
absolute fullest if you can’t find the funny in it.
I never thought I could include a pair of 5” stiletto heels along
with my Saucony’s in my gym bag. I never thought I’d be pumping iron in a
blinged out bikini I spent more money on than a prom dress that covered
considerably more of me. I never thought I’d wear false eyelashes, be spray
painted brown and slicked down with equine coat gloss, all the while wearing
more makeup in one day than I do all year long just to get ready to go out on
stage and flex my muscles. Enjoy the absurdities of this sport you’ve chosen.
Not only will it help alleviate your nerves, I promise you a day of fun you
can’t have anywhere else!
FINAL THOUGHTS
So here I am at 40 getting ready to start
my professional bodybuilding career! I can’t help but smile for several
reasons. My favorite reason being I’ve proven to myself (and my nephew) that
there are no limits. What you were yesterday does not define who you are today
AND it’s only what you think about yourself and your abilities that matters the
most when you have a goal in mind. Knowing this, I am so excited about my pro
debut (which will be when I’m 41). I’m nervous, excited, thrilled, laughing
hysterically and ready to have the time of my life. None of this happens,
however, without a plan. Thanks to Beverly International I have one and it’s a
proven winner (twice)!!
CARB-LOAD COOKIES
Keep in mind; these are NOT
your Momma's cookies. They're NOT overly sweet and they are very different
texture-wise cuz there's no flour in them. The sweetness comes from the potato
and the banana. I pre-measure several packets of the potato & banana and
freeze them together so they're ready to go. The potato and banana are by
weight so if you don't have a portion scale, you'll need one.
6 oz sweet potato (baked in the peel, peel removed)
4 oz ripe banana
1 small yellow zucchini or Chayote squash, grated (apx. 1c)**
1 c rolled oats
1 T almond butter
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cardamon
1 tsp cinnamon
Mash all ingredients together in a bowl with potato masher. Allow mixture to
set for at least 10 minutes (longer if you can) to moisten the oats. Spoon onto
greased cookie sheet and flatten and shape into rounds. Dust tops with
additional cinnamon.
Bake at 400F for 25-35 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie
sheet long enough to set up. Remove to plate lined with
paper towels or cookie rack. May be served warm or cooled
for a chewier texture. Makes 2 ½ dozen.
**If you prefer to eat your veggies separately, these may be made without the
grated squash. The recipe just won’t yield as many cookies. You
will also need to reduce the baking time to 20-25 minutes.
I like to bake them long enough until they show a little browning on the top
oats. I like them a little on the crunchy side. :)
UMP ICED
LATTE OR MOCHA:
I’d make this my
mid-morning snack/second cup of coffee treat. I much prefer this to any coffee
house confection. Use a flavored coffee, French Pressed brew or an espresso
for a variation on the theme!
1 scoop UMP
1 full blender
cup of ice
hot black coffee
Fill blender cup
to rim with ice (appx 2c ice). Pour hot coffee over ice to ½ or ¾ full of
coffee. Add 1 scoop of vanilla (Latte) or chocolate (Mocha) UMP. Blend for a
refreshingly healthy iced coffee house treat! You can add more or less
ice/coffee for a thicker/thinner consistency.
CHUNK SALAD:
When I have to
travel and eat my lunch a couple hours later out of the house, the biggest pain
is making sure it’s won’t go bad because my ice packs didn’t stay cold. This
salad helps keep itself cool! PLUS because it’s made with all my pre-prepped
foods, it only takes 10 minutes from fridge to cooler!
1 cup of the
following diced & tossed together - red, yellow, orange, green peppers
diced
¼ red onion,
diced (free food)
2 ribs celery
diced (free food)
1 cup frozen
peas
4 oz cooked
chicken breast - cubed
1 T Newman’s Own
Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing
Toss everything
in a bowl and mix together. Put in plastic “to go” container and go! The peas
will thaw by the time lunch arrives but will help your ice packs keep stuff
chilled! Adding more celery can also help you feel more filled up without
hurting your calories. On those “hungry” days, I use onions and celery a lot!
INDIAN
CHICKEN W/ HUMMUS:
This will make
the family happy and keep you on track as well. This is so good; it had my
husband was asking, “when’s Indian Chicken night?” I’d eat this on my carb
load night, as the few extra carb grams from the teaspoons of hummus weren’t a
bad thing for me then. This is also great cold the following day! With a
little practice and timing, you can have this tasty spread on the table in
about 30 minutes.
Indian Chicken
(serves 2):
10 oz chicken
breast – cubed
2 cups red,
yellow, green, orange peppers cut into chunks
2 cups onion
(free food) cut into chunks
1 can diced
tomatoes in juice
McCormick’s Red
curry powder & Hot Madras curry powder
Sautee chicken
with curry powders until just cooked through. Add in peppers and onions and
toss with chicken until warmed through and still crunchy. Add in tomatoes and
cook until warmed through. Season with more curry & sea salt if desired.
Hummus:
1 can garbanzo
beans – drained – juice reserved
1 T Tahini
1 large clove
garlic
drizzle of olive
oil
1 palm full of
coriander
1 palm full of
cumin
juice of ½ lemon
red chili flakes
(to taste)
sea salt (to
taste)
Toss everything
except for the juice from the garbanzo beans in the food processor and blend.
Add just enough juice to bring mixture together into desired consistency.
For the family,
use the hummus as you would a bed of mashed potatoes and ladle the chicken over
it. As for you, take a small amount of the hummus and stir it in to your
chicken mixture to bring flavors together.
|
KARINA RHODE AT A GLANCE
Age: 40
Occupation: Massage/Bodywork Therapist
Family: Tony (husband), Coda (A very spoiled Sheltie)
Current Residence: Noblesville, IN
Height: 5’5”
Contest Weight: 119
Favorite Bodybuilding Meal: Carb load cookies
Favorite Supplements:
Density & Muscularity. I love how fast they worked!
I added them at 8 weeks out and
within 48 hours I noticed improved hardness in my physique.
Even as my workouts became more demanding,
I noticed recovery times and
muscle soreness diminished which allowed
me to maintain my intensity.
What would you recommend to someone who has never used Beverly supplements before?
Most aspiring figure athletes need to improve their muscularity. I recommend theystart with
a basic stack of Mass Amino Acid Tablets, Lean Out, Ultra 40 & Ultimate
Muscle Protein. This is where I started to feel and see results.
On my iPod: Metal, Hair Rock, 80’s
Most Inspiring Book: The Bible – I find a lot of support here when I have a
problem of any kind.
Hobby or interests outside bodybuilding: Recently I have begun training in Krav Maga,
the official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces. Its practical application
street fighting taught to many of our local law enforcement. What a blast! I love to garden.
Words to live by: "Life is the proper binge." Julia Child
