Hi Everyone!
I hope that the first month of 2012 was kind to you and that you are still on that New Year’s resolution bandwagon! In January the gym was packed with all sorts of newbies and as per usual, my inbox has been piling up with all sorts of questions about getting started on a fitness and/or meal plan, goal setting, and competing — keep them coming!

So as we are well into our full fledged Canadian winter I have been outside twice a day braving the elements with my dogs, and also gearing up for my own competition prep which I started on January 30th. Tad and I (www.tadthedietcoach.com) are starting my preparation a little earlier than normal as I have a couple trips between now and my show, and need to make sure that I am on par for the April 27th Europa Show of Champions in Orlando, FL. My friend and fellow competitor Aleisha Hart is also competing that weekend so we are going to plan our travels together and maybe even take in some of that Florida sunshine after the show (whomever said you cannot compete against each other and be real friends was misinformed!).

In addition I have been warmly welcomed by the NSABBA (provincial affiliate of the CBBF) as an IFBB Pro “Ambassador”, and was part of their seminar held on January 15th. Dozens of aspiring and amateur level competitors showed up to discuss all things competitive with myself, two other IFBB pros, as well as the association executive and head judge. I also played some excerpts from the 2011 Figure and Bikini Olympia for the girls in attendance — I think seeing the Olympia stage was inspiration for them all!

On January 21- 22, I assisted TV Celebrity Trainer Tommy Europe at his Bootcamp at the Optimyz Fit Expo and also did some shots for Optimyz magazine (which is published by the GoodLife Fitness chain). What a blast! The participants in the bootcamp were so eager to participate and it was certainly a lot of fun. Tommy and I will also be appearing in an upcoming issue of Inside Fitness magazine performing a ‘sand training’ workout, so stay tuned!

This month marks the most ‘romantic’ day of the year (well at least that’s what Hallmark says ), so what do you get for someone who is dieting and cannot indulge in a dinner for two or some chocolates? For the ladies out there, take your man out for a fun concert or sporting event (trust me — they think this is the height of romance!) or maybe get him a piece of fitness equipment he has been eyeing and suggest a workout together. For the male readers out there, a spa day is always a great idea for your lady friend, and you cannot go wrong with flowers or something ‘sparkly’!

Need to beat the winter blues? Outside of my time spent training in the gym, I have become increasingly aware that stretching is a great way to feel more energetic, limber and if you add some hot yoga into the mix, makes for a very ‘zen’ workout routine. My February resolution is to get to hot yoga at least once week as it makes me feel great, gives me an opportunity to just relax for an hour and collect my thoughts, but I also leave feeling a sense of achievement and ‘calm’. So if you haven’t already tried this great addition to your regime, I suggest you take advantage, as many studios have great introductory rates which allows you to get started without breaking the bank.

On that note, have an absolutely wonderful month and if you have any questions, please send them to me natalie@nataliewaplesfitness.com Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat!

Yours in health,

Natalie
Natalie Waples
IFBB Figure Pro
Twitter: @natwaples
Facebook: Natalie Waples IFBB Pro
www.nataliewaplesfitness.com

Hi Everyone!

I hope you had an absolutely wonderful holiday and are now back into the swing of things and ready to take on 2012!  The past year has been extremely busy, very exciting, and from a fitness point of view I am really looking forward to what lies ahead.  My coach Tad Inoue and I had our first call of the year yesterday, and we decided that my first show of 2012 will be the Europa Show of Champions in Orlando, FL on April 27-28!  This is going to be another great show promoted by Ed & Betty Pariso, and my friends and fellow Team Tadster athletes (and these two are also Canucks) Aleisha Hart and Cea Anna Kerr are also competing, so it is going to be great!  Cea Anna is crossing over to the new women’s physique division, whereas Aleisha and I will be rocking it out on the Figure stage.  The Europa shows are always amazing as they put on a full expo with tonnes of events to watch and participate in http://www.visionstarinc.com/, plus visiting Florida after a long, Canadian winter is going to be sweet!

As you may have guessed, it has gotten rather chilly north of the border these past few weeks so I have settled into a nice indoor training routine which involves some heavy weight training, minimal cardio (need to shock the body once I actually start contest prep) and lots of stretching to fend off any injuries.  I have a new split which looks a little bit like this:

Mon: Back (focus on width/lats) and Abs
Tues: Delts (focus on anterior, medial and laterals) and Calves
Wed: Arms
Thurs:Chest and Abs
Fri: Legs
Sat: Back (focus on mid back and depth) and Delts (focus on posterior)
Sun: Off

Yes I am training 6 days a week, but by breaking up my back and delt workouts (as they are my main areas for improvement) I am able to train them more fully.  I am also doing only four, thirty minute sessions of cardio a week for the time being, and this will ramp up in early February when I start my contest prep for the Europa show.  As far as stretching goes, I make sure to do this during and after each workout and am definitely feeling the benefits!  Also on tap is some volleyball (which I absolutely love) so I am playing with a competitive, co-ed team — lots of fun and a nice break from the gym.

If you have already made your New Year’s resolutions start to materialize, my hat’s off to you!  This week has been slow going after a long week of travel home and some flight delays, etc., but I think 2012 is going to bring some big things for all the special people in my life, and from a fitness industry point of view, I am curious to see how the new Olympia qualifying rules will shake up the game this year.  There are a whopping 16 IFBB Pro Figure shows before the 2012 Olympia, so it will be interesting to see how all the contests will shape up, and how many ‘already qualified’ athletes will still compete, possible snagging those precious qualifications.  My placing 4th at Border States in October was bitter sweet as it was an absolutely amazing show, but missing that qualification by 3 points is a kick in the pants!  It certainly added fuel to the fire in terms of coming in ‘improved’ this year, and after three years in the IFBB, looking for my first pro win.  Difficult yes, but impossible? No way

This month I have a feature in FLEX magazine which is really neat!  Isaac Hinds and I shot this picture the Monday after the Figure Olympia in Las Vegas — great way to finish off my trip!

I also published my first ‘official’ newsletter on my website — please check it out!  http://nataliewaplesfitness.com/newsletter/

Wishing you all a wonderful January!  Next month I will be updating on my first stages of contest prep, and of course the countdown to the Arnold Sports Festival will be in full effect.  Have a wonderfully productive month my fitness friends!

Yours in Health,

Natalie Waples
IFBB Figure Pro
www.nataliewaplesfitness.com

Hi Everyone!

December is here and we all know what that means – tonnes of holiday shopping, traveling and eating!   The holidays are a time for family, food and fun, and of course this month also marks the time when the Arnold International invitations are sent out! Getting an invitation to the Arnold pro show is right up there on any IFBB pro’s wish list, so all of the athletes who have submitted applications will be waiting with bated breath for the third week of December. Kim Tilden was the last Canadian IFBB Figure Pro to get an invitation to the Figure International (in 2010), and with no Canadians on the roster in 2011, I’m curious to see if one of us makes the cut for 2012! I am confident that Canadian athletes will do us proud again this year –so I am hoping to see some names like Justine Munro, Jodi Boam, Mindi O’Brien and Myriam Capes on the lists, just to name a few

So despite the misconception that all Canadians live in igloos and take canoes to work, I personally am not a huge fan of winter and had my first bout with some massive snowfall last week – not pretty! The grocery store across the street even closed early so staff could get home, but luckily I was able to sneak in there for a roasted chicken and some veggies before they closed their doors. My yorkie Oscar was also a little hesitant to venture out into the white wonderland, but once he got into the swing of things (and the fact that his 3 lb frame could virtually ‘hover’ on top of the snow), he was happy to be outside.

This weekend I plan on doing some great things in the gym (by great things I mean tearing up some muscle fibres, just to build them up again bigger and stronger!). My coach Tad Inoue and I worked really hard this year to get a conditioning formula down pat, so now that we have gotten that one figured out, I am making some refinements to my physique. I am also enlisting the help of a friend/local trainer to help me with some spot ‘activation’ for my mid back and rear delts – areas I need to work on, but that are hard to target without assistance. Outside of the gym, I am playing a volleyball tournament, and will probably finish off my holiday shopping well ahead of schedule – whohoo!

Also my supplement sponsor Nutrabolics has been nominated in the Canadian Supplement Awards!!!  Please check out the link and show your Nutra love!!! http://muscle-insider.com/2011-canadian-supplement-awards

Since this is my last blog before the holidays, I also wanted to share with you a recipe that my friend/fellow IFBB Pro Ann Titone shared with me this week – talk about a crowd pleasing dessert without the guilt — thanks Ann!

Protein Pumpkin Cupcakes

1 ½ scoop vanilla protein powder
4 packets stevia
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp pumpkin spice
½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup egg whites
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pour into cupcake tin (spray tin with non-fat cooking spray).
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes
3. Allow to cool for 5 minutes

In closing have an absolutely wonderful holiday and fantastic December! Remember to start plotting your New Year’s Resolutions (if you haven’t already) and think about what you want for yourself in 2012 — even the small goals count so don’t forget to write them down!

See you next year

Yours in health,

Natalie
Natalie Waples

Hi Everyone!

October was an extremely busy month, with competitions, lots of work at the office, and travel. Now that the off season has officially started for me, I’m going to take advantage of my time off from competition prep, try to build some muscle, and make some steady improvements for the 2012 season.

On the competition front, I competed in both the Houston Pro Figure as well as the Border States (San Diego) Pro Figure. Houston ended up being a bit of a disappointment as my competitor number was missed during the second call out, and therefore I ended up with a 16th (i.e. no placing) instead of being in my rightful Top 10 spot. BUT having this happened really fuelled the fire for me–mistakes happen, but after that I was bound and determined to KILL my training between Houston and San Diego, in order to make a lasting impression on the judges, and come in better than ever.

To say the Border States show went well is an understatement. I changed my suit, hair and makeup, and worked extensively with my coach Tad Inoue on small refinements, and it paid off with a 4th place finish! In addition, it was my birthday weekend and the promoter of the show (Jon Lindsay), my coach Tad, and also Kim Oddo surprised me on stage with birthday cupcakes during the Top 5 medal presentations! To boot they had ‘Happy Birthday’ playing over the sound system in the auditorium. It was an experience I will never forget. The moment was captured perfectly (picture taken by Ron Avidan), and as you can see I am presenting a delicious birthday cupcake, to the winner of the show, Teresa Anthony! After San Diego I traveled back home to celebrate my Halloween birthday with my friends. I also handed out some candy to some cute little ghosts & goblins

There are some great Canadian events/contests going on this month. The Sandra Wickham Fall Classic was held on November 12th, showcasing some of the best local talent in fitness, figure, bodybuilding and bikini in British Columbia. Also, November marks the deadline for both submissions to Canada’s Inside Fitness magazine’s Hot & Fit 100, as well as applications for the 2012 Arnold Classic. I will be vying for both so stay tuned!

All in all I am looking forward to some down time, playing some recreational sports, and enjoying day to day life with family and friends. I am also going to take advantage of more dietary freedom and try out some new recipes, like this yummy apple smoothie:

Apple Smoothie

-1 small apple, cored chopped into chunks
-1/4 cup dried, pitted prunes
(Freeze the apple and prune in advance for a thicker texture)
-1 tbsp natural peanut butter
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp minced ginger root
-1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I like Nutrabolics Vanilla Isobolic–smooth and creamy!)
-3/4 cup cold water
***Blend ingredients until smooth and enjoy!

Have a great November everyone!

Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat!

Yours in Health,

Natalie

Hi Everyone!

I have to say that being Canadian is something I am very proud of, so I figured why not continue my blog, but add some Canadian flavour to it (that’s right we spell ‘flavour’ with a ‘u’!!!).  There have been so many influential Canadians in the fitness industry, both past tense and more recently.  On the competitive front, a couple people who come to mind are Elaine Goodlad and Jane Awad in Figure, Mindi O’Brien and Myriam Capes in Fitness, and now Justine Munro is paving the forefront for bikini competitors from north of the border … yes we may have 1/10th of the population of the good old USA, but the talent is definitely here!

I just returned from the 2011 IFBB Figure Olympia inLas Vegasand it was one of the most exciting experiences of my life.  I competed at the Orlean’s Arena in front of 8000 people, and from what my boyfriend has told me, the energy in the arena was absolutely amazing.  The show was also web cast so it was really neat to see myself onstage after the fact, and of course scrutinize every little detail!  I have to say that despite being one of a approximately 150 Olympians, it was such a unique and surreal experience, and I will never forget it. 

While inLas VegasI also shot with the amazingly talented Natalie Minh for my own portfolio, and then did a second photography session forFLEXmagazine with photographer and industry insider, Isaac Hinds.  TheFLEX feature will be part of the magazine’s “Hardbody Confidential” in the December issue…. Very exciting!  After all the ‘work’ was done, I spent a couple extra days in Vegas just to enjoy the hotels, casinos, pools and restaurants – VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!

The first part of October has passed and so has our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (October 10th is the holiday), so most of us enjoyed traditional fare like turkey or ham dinners.  Unlike the US, we do not have ‘Black Friday’ in Canada, which means we spend most of the weekend with family versus hitting up Neiman Marcus or Macy’s at 4am.  This is also a reason there weren’t as many Canadians in the Ft. Lauderdale Cup as it was held the same weekend, but both Canucks Jodi Boam and Ryall Vasani placed in the Top 3 in Fitness, qualifying for the 2012 Olympia – way to go girls!!!!!  Personally, I was very busy I was finishing my final week of prep for the Houston Pro Figur, taking place October 15th.  NPC Promoter/IFBB Judge Lee Thompson aka www.thompsonmusclecontest.com puts on this great event, and it is sure to be a tonne of fun (that’s right — tonne not ‘ton’!).  Right now my biggest predicament is choosing which lovely Tamee Marie suit I am going to wear on stage … life is rough!  Following that I will be finishing up the season with the Border States Pro Figure which put is put on by promoter Jon Lindsay inSan Diego,California, and then celebrating my birthday on Halloween — what a way to end the competition season! 

So for all of you Canadians out there who would like to bank a recipe for the holidays, or those Americans who have Thanksgiving upcoming in November, here is the ‘how to do’s’ for one of my favorite healthy, holiday treats:

Baked Apples with Cherries & Almonds (serves 6)

What you’ll need:

• 1/3 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped almonds
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon firmly packed Splenda brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 small Golden Delicious apples (about 1 3/4 pounds total weight)
• 1/2 cup apple juice (choose the low sugar variety)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons dark honey
• 2 teaspoons walnut oil or canola oil

How to prepare it:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, toss together the cherries, almonds, wheat germ, Splenda brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.

The apples can be left unpeeled, if you like. To peel the apples in a decorative fashion, with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, remove the peel from each apple in a circular motion, skipping every other row so that rows of peel alternate with rows of apple flesh. Working from the stem end, core each apple, stopping 3/4 inch from the bottom.

Divide the cherry mixture evenly among the apples, pressing the mixture gently into each cavity. Arrange the apples upright in a heavy ovenproof frying pan or small baking dish just large enough to hold them. Pour the apple juice and water into the pan. Drizzle the honey and oil evenly over the apples, and cover the pan snugly with aluminum foil. Bake until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.

Transfer the apples to individual plates and drizzle with the pan juices. Serve warm or at room temperature

**Each serving is approx 180 cals and has only 4 gms of fat – not bad for a holiday dessert! 

Have a fantastic October everyone!  I will check in next month with my competition results, and some news on what is going on with the Canadian competition scene – stay tuned!

Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat!

Yours in Health,

Natalie

Natalie Waples

IFBB Figure Pro

www.nataliewaplesfitness.com

Ok so I am stepping on stage in 24 days and am a little scared!!!! This summer has been so up and down with travel, work, and balancing everything else at home, that it is just now setting in — I am an Olympian! I am so excited

As I wrote last week, I am doing the Tournament of Champions on September 10th as an Olympia precursor, and will then literally fly home for 3 days and then off to Vegas–sheesh! During the Olympia I will also be working at the Nutrabolics’ booth, which will also feature UFC star Frank Mir, and have a shoot lined up with the fabulous Natalie Minh. Cannot wait for the ‘Big Dance’!!

So this week is a short one as I was out of town over the weekend, but I stocked up my grocery cart today and am ready for the last 3 weeks of prep. Staples include chicken, turkey, salmon, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, peppers, black beans, egg whites and walnuts….mmmmmmm! Twice a day cardios, numerous weight workouts, and of course lots of posing practice lie ahead of me. Unfortunately the gym in my building is closed for the next 10 days so I have to change up my routine in order to get my cardio in –what a pain! Oh well, variety is the spice of life

I also have a shoot lined up with Tommy Europe (host of the Slice network’s ‘Last 10 Lbs Bootcamp’ and ‘Bulging Brides’) on Labour Day weekend, which should be a tonne of fun. This time we are shooting outdoors in order to showcase some great ‘do anywhere’ moves. Tommy is a wonderful person to work with and obviously an insane athlete, so it should be fun.

Have a great week everyone! Enjoy the last two weeks of August and take advantage of the weather while it lasts

EAT-SLEEP-TRAIN-REPEAT!!!!

Natalie

Hi Everyone!

Well I just returned home from the Toronto Pro Supershow and now the fun begins — preparation for the 2011 IFBB Figure Olympia — Whohoo!  I am more motivated than ever to present my best package ever in Las Vegas

Being back in my home province of Ontario this week was so much fun.  Outside of competing in the pro figure show, my friend Nicole Wilson was competing in the Oxygen Model Search (picture attached) and as you can see she looked fabulous!  There were hundreds of athletes at the show (both amateur and pro) as well as a great expo, and fantastic venue. 

My week started off with my five hour flight to Toronto and then tanning, tanning, tanning!  Whenever shows are held in expo type venues I always go a little darker as the lighting can be so harsh.  The tan turned out beautifully (thank you Jan Tana!) and when I stepped on stage at prejudging on Friday I felt great.  My family and friends from Ontario all attended the show and I loved seeing their smiling faces in the audience    Despite not placing in the Top 3 I had a great time competing with a bunch of fellow Canadians and really enjoyed the experience.  My sponsor Nutrabolics was also on hand exhibiting at the expo, and the VP of the company Jayson Wyner won the Muscle Insider Ab Contest — congrats Jay!

After the show was over on Saturday I attended the Inside Fitness After Party and then Sunday was a fun filled day of sunshine and rides at Canada’s Wonderland!  It was hot, hot, hot and my sister and I took on the new rollercoaster the Behemoth (terrifying!!!!).  9 of us hit up the amusement park and we had caricatures drawn and also sampled the funnel cakes… mmmmmmmmm.  After Toronto, it was off to Ottawa for a 3 day visit and my sister’s graduation — so proud of you Katrina!  I had such a great visit, but was also anxious to get back home to see my doggies and start my Olympia prep! 

So now that I am back at home I am going to take a couple days to get the rest of my apartment organized (I moved in 3 weeks ago but was traveling), and get ready for the road that lies ahead in my contest prep.  Today was very exciting as I sent in my Olympia contract, ordered a BEAUTIFUL new suit from Tamee Marie, and started my official 12 week countdown — As of right now I am the only Canadian competing in the Pro Figure in Vegas and I plan on representing to the very best of my ability    I also received some great new looks from my sponsor SunLove Athletics and look forward to doing another shoot for the athletic clothing line this summer. 

Next on the agenda is getting my delts to grow and keep working on the back .  Being long limbed does not work to my advantage in Figure, however being on stage in front of thousands of people is motivation enough to work my butt off at getting it right!  Hope all of you have a great week and stay tuned  for more on my journey to the 2011 Figure Olympia — Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat!!!!!

Yours in Health,

Natalie

Hi Everyone!

Well it is almost May — the birds are singing, the snowcaps are melting, and the competition season is coming… WHOHOO!!! 3 weeks from tomorrow I will be stepping in stage for the first time this year and I am so stoked!  I have more muscle mass and am leaner than ever, and with 21 days still sitting in my back pocket I hope to go into the IFBB Optimum Classic Pro Figure in my best shape ever  

It has been a busy spring so far.  The Canadian Health Food Show was held two weeks ago in Vancouver, BC, Canada and had a great turnout.  Fellow IFBB Figure Pro Erin Stern was visiting from Tampa and working at a booth as well(it was her first time in Canada!) , so we had a quick photo together and were both back promoting away for our respective sponsors.  Also, Easter weekend has come and gone and my sister Katrina came to visit from Ontario.  We had a great time exploring the city, doing some hot yoga, and going to the spa for some much needed ‘sister’ time… it was fantastic! 

Now it is crunch time and my training has been kicked into high gear.  90 minutes of cardio a day, 5-6 days of weights per week, a restricted eating plan and a full-time job … tired yet?  I’m pooped but feeling great!  I have been doing a lot of incline treadmill work to condition my glutes and legs, as well as switched the weight training to a higher repetition focus in order to incinerate more fat and get ever little extra bit of conditioning possible!

On the recreational front I was very fortunate to attend two Vancouver Canucks playoff games so far — the Canucks beat the Chicago Blackhawks in game 7 on Tuesday and as you can see from the attached photo, being at GM Place to cheer the team on definitely put a smile on my face!  I think I am the only girl to ever munch on vegetable crudités during a playoff hockey game, but those are the breaks when a Figure competitor is 25 days out.  No rest (fried food or beer) for the wicked

The new Inside Fitness also debuted this week which features myself and Tommy Europe kicking butt in a serious Bootcamp training routine.  Tommy and I will be shooting part two of our bootcamp series this June in the Vancouver area

On the nutrition front Nutrabolics has been my saviour!  I am in love with the Banana Isobolic and rely on this whey protein isolate twice a day to help me meet my protein requirements.  I am now also combining the original Hemodrene and the Hemodrene for Her to help me bust through any energy lulls I experience, and of course keep the Vitaboolic, Glutabolic and Superfats going all day long.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and stay tuned as I get ready for my first show of the year!

Eat. Sleep. Train. Repeat!

Natalie

Wow it’s April! I cannot believe how quickly the spring has come upon us this year. In Vancouver the cherry blossoms are out, seals are swimming and I saw a half dozen deer when I was on Vancouver Island last week– amazing! 

With this time of year comes many things — spring cleaning, more daylight, trailers for all the exciting ‘up-and-coming’ summer blockbusters, and of course….. preparation for bikini season! Okay, okay so you men out there are more concerned with chiselled chests and washboard abs, but you know what I mean. If you plan on being in great, physical shape for the summer, your preparation certainly has to start now.

Personally I have to step on stage in just over 6 weeks (yes ‘HAVE’ to — contracts have been sent in!), so I am in deep in the throes of two cardio sessions a day, multiple weight workouts, and scrutinizing every morsel of food I consume. That’s okay though, if competing were easy everyone would do it so I consider myself fortunate that I have been able to keep competing barring my work commitments and an attempt at a normal personal life

Here is the latest circuit I have put together if you want to get outside and burn some serious calories:

-Warm up with 5 minute jog

-Mark off a start and end point which is approximately 50 yards (150 feet apart) and sprint across the field/grassy area

-20 pushups

-Walking lunge back to starting point of sprint

-20 burpees

-Sprint back across yardage

-20 jumping lunges (10 per leg)

-long jump back across yardage

-20 sit ups

-final sprint back across yardage

Give your self a 2 minute breather and then try this circuit 2-3 more times and your legs, lungs and body will be screaming for a break!

Last week the latest issue of Oxygen Magazine was released, and fellow IFBB Figure Pro Felicia Romero and I have a great 4-page ab training feature — thanks Oxygen! We shot this feature while at the Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas last September, and it was an absolute blast! I also received my competition suit last week for my fitting, so I have since sent it back to be stoned and ready for the stage on May 21st. My sister described the sample picture of it as ‘mermaid’ so I am very excited to see the finished product!

Next week Nutrabolics will be exhibiting at the FIBO Expo in Essan, Germany which is the largest European industry event all year. Barring there are no volcanic eruptions (flights were cancelled last year due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland), the show promises to be a great one, and of course Nutrabolics will be ever present with their huge, 3 dimensional booth! The Canadian Health Food Expo is also taking place here in Vancouver next weekend, and there will also be a Nutrabolics booth and team at this expo as well — can you say BUSY??!!

Well I have to get to the gym — bye for now fellow fitness fanatics and have a great week!

Eat. Sleep. Train. Repeat!

Natalie

Contest time is here again!! 

Two weeks ago the Arnold Sports Festival kicked off the 2011 Pro Figure season with 15 lovely ladies vying for the title of Ms Figure International, with returning champ Nicole Wilkins taking home the title again — wow!  Last weekend, Ms Figure Olympia, Erin Stern, earned top honours at the Australian Grand Prix which was the first show of many which have been added to this year’s IFBB Pro Figure roster.

On Sunday I had a great training and cardio shoot with Canadian photographer Larry Niven, with makeup done my Mindy Karuk, clothing provided by Legare Wear and shoes by Skechers — I am so spoiled!  Mindy is an absolute artist when it comes to makeup and did a fantastic job, and of course Larry captured some great shots.  Mindy and I also had a chance to get caught up on each other’s Arnold experience this past month as well as our upcoming contest plans…. The fun never stops!

Coming up this weekend, Nutrabolics’ sponsored UFC Champ Shogun Rua is taking on Jon Jones in New Jersey for UFC 128, so I plan on hitting the gym hard earlier on in the day, and then sitting down with some great PPV to cheer on my fellow-Nutra athlete while he defends his title… keep your eyes peeled for the Nutra logo on Shogun’s walk out shirt , trunks and of course his banner!

On the home front I started my official ‘contest prep’ last week and am feeling great!  My cardio is back in the program along with 3 days of cyclical clean eating regimes, supplemented with all my great Nutrabolics’ products like Vitabolic, Glutabolic, Hemodrene for Her, Superfats, Isobolic and Anabolic Window.  Weights are being hit hard and heavy 4-5 times per week, still working on bringing up my back musculature and delts, while streamlining my quads, glutes and hams — coach Tad Inoue is helping me get into the best shape of my life!!  I have also  switched up my look with some new blond locks and a different cut & colour of competition suit — there will be an all new ‘Nat’ in 2011!! 

With only 66 days left until hitting the stage at the Optimum Classic in Shreveport, Louisiana, here is what a typical day looks like for me:

6 am – Up to walk the dogs and take my pre-cardio BCAAs

630 am – Downstairs in the gym or outside for cardio #1

830-5pm – Day job….. Yes I actually work as a Team Leader and Senior Human Resources Advisor for the Federal government!

5-630pm – Gym session #2 with weights and a second cardio session

7-10pm – Home for dinner, make my meals for the next day and a little bit of relaxation!

Hope all of you Nutra fanatics are enjoying the ‘spring forward’ and taking advantage of that extra hour of daylight to get outdoors and have some fun  — happy training

Eat, Sleep, Train, Repeat!

Natalie