Hip Hop went great today! I think our instructor got the hint that we wanted more dance, less stretching. We are learning a routine of sorts to an Eminem song "Shake That A*#". Great beat, albeit a fast one, so we have to learn quickly! I think next Sunday I will sneak in my camcorder and get some clips of this extravaganza...simply a lot of fun! One thing I was acutely aware of today as we were looking into a wall-length mirror was how ENORMOUS I look next to the other girls. Even if I gave up bodybuilding, I am naturally a large person structurally. Gives me a sense of uniqueness ya know? I am very proud of who I am and what I look like, so seeing my reflection in that mirror was a nice feeling. Even as big as I am, I can still "get down" on the dance floor baby! LOL!

Finally got some powerlifting pics in from the meet. Here is Kyle Cloyd attempting a 900lb squat (unsuccessful) as he was about to descend:



Sadly, we didn't get a lot of pics of the lifts that day. I am typically the resident gym photographer, but I had my hands full during the meet. Next year will be a different story.

Oh! I wanted to add this pic of me and one of my all-time favorite people, Brent Hale. He is the proud husband of local fbber Monica Hale (doing the Oklahoma and Master's Nationals this year) and a very busy ER doctor here in Oklahoma. I just think this guy is super cool and enjoy getting to visit with him. I like picking his brain about anatomy (my passion) and cut up about the human condition in general. Simply put, we seem to be on the same wavelength a lot of the time and I think he's awesome!



MEMBER'S UPDATE: My latest update shows a pretty cool 360 degree view of me doing wide-grip pullups on video as well as a neat "cut out" gallery of random poses framed with different shapes. I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of definition I did during those clips. At 192lbs, I am thankful that I can see anything moving! lol! Here is one of my fave pics, although it is a bit blurry and a comparison shot of me about a month out from Nats in '04:



Hope you all have a terrific Monday!
G

Hope everyone has an eventful weekend planned! Not much on my itinerary except for a little shopping and then hip hop class on Sunday. Last week, my "posse" and I started taking a hip hop class to have a little fun. Well, upon arrival, we found out there was more stretching involved than dancing so it wasn't as fun as expected. We called the instructor to let her know that we are there for the "party" and she can just stuff all that stretching crap. I understand needing to warm up, but this was ridiculous. I have always had an imaginary checklist in my head that I refer to as I go through life and taking a dance class was on the agenda...want it to be as fun as possible ya know?

Had some motivation problems during my training today. Totally not my style...I am VERY self-motivated. Not sure what the problem was, but made it through my back workout relatively unscathed. Rack pulls kicked my everlovin' butt for sure! I know one thing...as this show grows closer, I feel myself becoming more and more one-dimensional. You really have to become that way to bring your best to the stage. I am noticing the little things more and more as I get that tunnel vision. My time during my workout becomes more valuable. Things like: not talking to people or cutting up as much in between sets, little more impatience with people on a machine or bench that I need, etc... I really don't enjoy how I get during a prep...I like being fun and spontaneous. If things are getting a little more "tight" now, can you imagine when I am low-carbing??? LOL! Ahhh, like I repeat to myself every day of my life: "NO ONE FORCED YOU TO DO THIS GINA...YOU VOLUNTEERED FOR IT!"

Here's a rear double after my unmotivated back workout today. Weighing 192 lbs, 16lb loss so far as I make my way to 185 by May--not too bad--still a lot of work left to do!

ATTENTION: THE LINK TO GET ALL THE INFO YOU NEED ON THE SHOW I WILL BE MAKING MY PRO DEBUT IS http://www.europasupershow.com/ This is going to be an amazing weekend, please take a moment to see all of the activities involved as well as info and times of each event. Can't wait!!!
Thanks,
G

Our first powerlifting meet went TERRIFIC! Impressive totals and zero injuries...fun, fun! Sadly, there weren't any female lifters competing...maybe next year? All in all a good first experience for me running a powerlifting meet with Howard and we look forward to an even better showing next year.

I have been getting some questions concerning "Gina's Thoughts" in the member's area and need to let you know that I have been having some publishing problems for a LONG time now. I have my webmaster and host looking into it and hopefully should have a resolution soon. I appreciate that you all want to read my inner, more candid thoughts in that section! I have saved my last entry concerning fbbing and will be sure to post it once I am able to.

Speaking of the member's section, my new update shows a pretty killer shoulder workout. One clip shows a typical 5 set dropset on lateral raises at the END of my workout! I am using 30lb dumbbells each set which is pretty challenging on set 4 and 5 when you only get 10 seconds rest in between. You should get a kick out of my expressions when the burn gets crazy! lol! I promise you that my shoulders are going to ROCK on stage this year. I have always had to hit them harder due to my bicep/tricep area overwhelming my arms, so now I not only hit them hard as hell, I am doing it TWICE a week! Here is a pic of me before things got rough:


I hope you all are enjoying these offseason updates because my diet starts soon and things change pretty quickly!!! Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride!!! LOL!
Goodnight you guys,
G

This Saturday we will be hosting the 1st Annual Body Tech Classic powerlifting meet. We had to downsize the venue due to lack of entry forms, so it will be held in the BT gym itself instead of the first site. I was amazed at how pissed off the lifters got when they found out we essentially cancelled the first meet and now are putting it on in the gym instead. These are the same lifters that DIDN'T GET THEIR ENTRY FORMS IN ON TIME!!! Give me a freakin' break! Save your sense of entitlement for someone else folks...as bodybuilders we have to get our entries in ON TIME, so what makes plers more special? I could go on and on, but I will stop there and wish our resident lifters luck and hope that I get to see some personal bests that day from them. They have been working so hard and deserve a triumphant moment. I will post some pics afterwards for you all to ck out.

Yes, Oklahoma is on FIRE! lol! These brushfires are getting out of control. I feel sorry for Carri having to deal with call after call and going out to try to extinguish this mess. The valiant thing is that she, among others, is saving homes, property, and most of all, lives. Kudos to you Carri girl!

Members: Hope you have enjoyed my "Bebe Girl" series. I LOVE the Bebe clothing store and happened to have that top on during my workout that day. It was a lot of fun and tough too! We had a three girl rotation going, so the motivation was off the charts. I am telling you, that 315 deadlift was a breeze...we will see what I come up with next. Here is a cute pic of one of our resident powerlifters, Ryan aka "Guido" wearing a very nice shirt!



Next up is my "signature" back shot--I guess we will call it that since it gets so much attention. By the end of this upcoming prep, it should look even better than the green bikini one at a week out from Nats. We shall see! Until then, it should improve each time I do it....



Thanks Y'all!
G

Ah, things are slowly getting better here. I have to say that I have the GREATEST members, fans, friends, and family on the planet. The outpouring of concern and sympathy was overwhelming. THANK YOU ALL so much. From the bottom of my heart, I am grateful. My mood is similar to the font in which I type=grey. I am still shocked and very, very sad. I had Electra cremated and now sits in a beautiful (if it can be called that) solid brass urn with her purple collar wrapped around it. In front of that sits my favorite picture of her looking regal and proud.

I accompanied Carri to Dallas this past weekend to get her birthday tattoo! She has been wanting a new one for a while now and we had this trip planned. After Electra's death, I decided that while on this trip I would do something to honor her memory....so I got a tattoo as well. I already have two kanji's (Japanese symbols), one on my hip which stands for "strength" and one on my ankle which stands for "eternal". I decided to keep with that theme and got another kanji which stands for "exquisite" which is EXACTLY what Electra was. I held her picture in my hand while I got it--no pain was felt at all besides what was in my heart. Here are some pics of this moment:

Like I said, day by day things are getting better. I have noticed that when I train now, the intensity and focus is like I have never felt. The preoccupation/distraction helps a lot. Life goes on but memories will never be forgotten.
Thank you all again for reaching out,
G