Women of Strength

I thought I'd mix things up a bit and start highlighting other women that I find inspirational, besides just the shorties. Whether they are older than the norm for being fit, stronger than the average woman, or perhaps beating the odds and defeating a physical debilitation; these are women that I admire.
I'm going to start off with a familiar face that I and many other bloggers have highlighted in the past. As a 74 year old bodybuilder, she's one of my favourite women of strength; and she didn't even start working out until she was 56 years old!
Say hello to (or welcome back!) Ernestine Shepherd!

Pint Sized Powerhouse of the Week

Coming in at 5'3", with 5 Pro wins, a top 5 finish at the 2010 Olympia and Top 5 finishes at the Figure International 2009, 2010 and 2011, let's hear it for Felicia Romero!

Not only is she an IFBB Figure pro, she has graced the cover of Flex Magazine twice, and also did  a cover shot for Muscle & Fitness Hers.

She works in Arizona as a personal trainer, and by her look in this next picture, I'd say she'd probably put anyone through the paces hardcore!

Stay tough and have a great week!
Ciao for now!

Absolutely Buzzing!

(Above we've got the last three years of All Females winners-Janet Kane at the top for 2011, Skye Cushway for 2010, and Clare Ross for 2009.)

I feel like a kid who’s 2 weeks away from Christmas right now; only I’ve got 5 months dang it!

Yes, I just keep getting these hits of excitement when I think about the All Females comp in June; since I think about it constantly, I’m pretty much in a state of excitement from dawn till dusk daily-LOL!

I don’t know why I’m so excited; just the whole idea of competing again, and chatting up all the gals I’ve gotten to know through blogging and FaceBook and haven’t met face to face yet. The whole thing just amps me beyond belief.

On top of that, it’ll be a first for visiting Melbourne, so quite excited about taking in a few sites while there.

Sunday will be the start of my weekly hard-core training session with John. This way I can go super heavy on one body part each week, where he can spot and of course push me to the limits-and he’s not shy about yelling when it comes to my training…ha! No Holds Barred! Bring it on!

How about you? Are you stepping up your game this year? The time has come; Get on it!

Ciao for now!

Book suggestions? I want more like this one!

I just finished the truly inspiring book AGE IS JUST A NUMBER by Dara Torres; bloody awesome!

After retiring a number of times from swimming, she came back at age 41 and won a pile of medals at the 2008 Olympics-proving that age is not a reason to slow down. I love this woman and her story.

And it's no wonder she won all those medals-check her out here-knee surgery didn't slow her down from still getting her workout in; legs no good-go upper body!

She is a wonderful inspiration for woman of all ages.

Now I want to find more books about inspiring female athletes; any suggestions?

Let me have 'em!

Ciao for now!

Great New Cookbook!

So far, I have tried at least half a dozen recipes out of this book, and all have been super easy and tasty. Michelle has come up with some great combinations of flavours, and has the nutrient breakdown for each recipe as well as some great tips on alternatives and clean eating & cooking. She's put in some beautiful photos of each meal as well.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks-it's all in there! Kudos to Michelle! 

A great buy for sure! Just click on the top link at the right of my page to purchase!

Ciao for now!

Pint Sized Powerhouse of the Week

This weeks pick out of Quebec, Canada stands at just five feet tall; but don't let that short height fool you-she is one strong competitor!

 Myriam Capes is an IFBB Fitness pro; I love their routines-just full of strength and power. Below is the routine that won her a 3rd place title at the 2011 Olympia:


And here is a bit of her contest history-she's been quite the active competitor over the last few years!

2011:

2nd place Toronto Super Pro Show (Toronto, Canada)

5th place Fitness International (Columbus, Ohio)

2010:

4th place OLYMPIA (Las Vegas, Nevada)

2nd place Europa Super Show (Dallas, Texas)

2nd place Europa Show of Champions  (Orlando, Florida)

8th place Fitness International  (Columbus, Ohio)

2009:

6th place OLYMPIA  (Las Vegas, Nevada)

2nd place Europa Super Show (Dallas, Texas)

2nd place Europa Show of Champions  (Orlando, Florida)

5th place New York Pro Fitness  (New York, New York)

2008:

4th place Atlantic City Pro show 

6th place Europa Super Show (Dallas, Texas)

12th place Houston pro Show (Houston, Dallas)

9th place New York Pro Fitness (New York, New York)

Awesome stuff!

You can see more of Myriam at her website-HERE

Ciao for now!

Calling All Figure Gals!

Well, we are getting into that time of year... COMP SEASON! In these tough, economic times, a brand new comp suit can sometimes really stretch the budget. Fortunately we have

This is a fabulous website full of pre-loved outfits...most have only been worn once or twice-some never even used for some reason or another.

It's a great spot for selling and buying outfits at a much lower price. And you can find some, (like my last outfit-Item 0133 on THIS PAGE) that are super plain for super cheap that you can totally bling up yourself-saving you heaps!

Check it out!

This one is now selling for just $100!

 

Ciao for now!

Two of the best investments I’ve ever made

At least as far as the kitchen goes….lol

These two items I find are so important for easy healthy meals; I don’t know how I went without them for so long.

The first item is my most recent purchase, the food processor. I LOVE IT! Whether you are a figure competitor or busy mum or dad on the go, this item is indispensable! It is so worth the $200-$300 you spend on it. With this, you can have fresh cut up veggies in your fridge all of the time. You simply spend about 5-10 minutes a couple of times a week and voila! You’ve got veggies for stir fries, salads, casseroles, sandwiches right at your fingertips-too easy!

I got a Kenwood Multi-Pro through Peter’s of Kensington for $232 including shipping.

The next thing that I find makes cooking on busy days so much easier is my slow-cooker.  Another one I can’t believe I went so long without! Just brown the meat and throw in some veggies and hot water or stock in the morning and you don’t have to think about it the rest of the day.

I can’t remember exactly how much I paid for mine; I bought a George Foreman one at The Good Guys in a deal that included a rice cooker which I also love-but would not have bought otherwise.  I think I paid $60 for the set.

So, there you have it!

Ciao for now!

Pint Sized Powerhouse of the Week

Coming in at 5'3" (160cm), this weeks shorty is November/December Muscle & Fitness Hers cover girl, Cheryl Brown.

Not only is Cheryl a  six time IFBB Figure Champion, she's also an exercise physiologist, nutritioniest, certified trainer, fitness model and proud mum of 3 kids; her oldest being 17! Go Cheryl!

Though she's been committed to health and fitness for many years earning her undergraduaste degree in Food & Nutrition and a masters degree in Exercise Physiology, she only started competing in figure in 2008.

Her list of wins is quite impressive, especially for such a short time to be competing;

 IFBB COMPETITION STATS:

2011

Sheru Classic- Mumbai, India                5th
Figure Olympia- Las Vegas, NV            7th
NY Pro                                                   1st
Pittsburgh Pro                                        1st
Europa Show of Champions,                 1st
Figure International- Columbus, OH       5th
2010
Kentucky Pro                                          1st
Figure Olympia- Las Vegas, NV           11th
New York Pro                                         1st
Pittsburgh Pro                                        2nd
Europa Show of Champions                  3rd
2009
Kentucky Pro                                          1st
Sacramento Pro                                     2nd
Ft lauderdale Pro                                    5th

Awesome stuff! You can find out more about Cheryl at her website HERE .

Ciao for now!

Think you're too old to lift weights; Think again

I posted these videos on Facebook last week-and I love them so much, I wanted to share here. I love these! Women over the age of 70 pumpin' it out! And no, they have not worked out their whole lives either; Winifred in the first video didn't even start until she was almost 50! It's truly never too late to start thinking about your health.






Ciao for now!