Canuck Corner-Installment #10
Hi Everyone!
Summer is on its last month here in Canada, and with that comes the last chances for Olympia qualifications. With the Olympia being only 7 weeks away, it is no wonder that the remaining pro shows are filling up fast, with this week's PBW Tampa Pro boasting some of the largest line ups this season, and the Europa in Dallas next weekend is sure to be stacked!
I have been trying to get caught up on my 'scrap booking' (as I like to keep all of my magazine features, contest photos, and advertisements), so I picked up both the July and August issues of Oxygen Magazine. I was featured in both their Form Journal as well as an 'Upper Body Redefined' article, and wanted to hold onto these memories. My mom once told me to keep everything so that one day I can show my grandkids and say "See, I used to be fit!"
I took 4 blissful weeks 'off' after the Chicago Pro, enjoying a 10 day vacation in beautiful Vancouver, Canada. The trip included attending a beautiful wedding on a rooftop terrace at the Loden Hotel (Lady Gaga stayed in the same penthouse!), lunching with friends, shopping, tackling the Grouse Grind (a 2.9-kilometre trail up the face of Grouse Mountain, commonly referred to as "Mother Nature's Stairmaster" ) and of course the Nutrabolics' 10th Anniversary Blackout Party! It was great to be a part of this celebratory event and to see the rest of the Nu
tra team, including several athletes who are competing at the CBBF Canadian Nationals over the coming weeks.
After arriving home and getting over a 4 hour time change, I am back at it, prepping for the Muscle Contest Tournament of Champions (IFBB Pro Figure), coming up September 8th in LA. September 8th marks the last weekend that IFBB Pro Figure competitors can amass points for the Figure Olympia with there being 3 shows on the same weekend -- Finland, Florida and California-- going to be interesting! At this point I am tied for 2nd in the point qualification series (top 5 point accumulators in each division go to the Olympia), so I will be working hard this month, striving for a Top 5 placing in LA and hopefully cruising into Las Vegas!
My coach Tad Inoue is busy prepping for the IFBB North American Bodybuilding Championships on September 1st (GO TAD!!!) , but he still manages to stay 100% focused on his athletes. This week he has me starting a fairly aggressive carb cycling program to get back into 'competition mode' as well as back on double cardios (I'm writing this article during cardio #1 for the day!), and of course regular posing sessions to tweak all my presentation elements. Tad has been an absolutely phenomenal coach - supportive, objective, and helping me bring my best package to the IFBB stage - another great year working with you Tad!
For those of you who still have upcoming summer vacation plans, here are some of the tips & tricks I used to stay close to contest weight, while still enjoying time away:
-train first thing in the morning (putting it off results in more missed workouts)
-hit up a local grocery upon arrival at your destination to stock up on veggies, fruits, low sodium/low fat proteins, unsalted nuts, and bottled water (hotels charge a fortune!)
-enjoy dinners out, but focus on lower cal appetizers and entrees like salads (hold the dressing, cheese, etc.) and grilled proteins with
steamed veggies -get plenty of sleep! As athletes we are up early to train, so take advantage of your time away and less prescriptive schedule by getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night
Enjoy the last true month of summer everyone! BBQs, patios and early morning runs bathed in sunshine will start to fade come September, so get out there and enjoy it while it lasts!
Yours in health,
Natalie Waples
IFBB Figure Pro
www.nataliewaplesfitness.com
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
