January 31, 2017

Heyoooooo. Overall everything has been really good. I do struggle a bit with seasonal stuff. The winter really impacts my mental health for whatever reason, but I know it's temporary. I have deleted instagram from my phone because I was finding that it was impacting my joy & the quality of my days. I'll eventually get back on, but for now it's nice to have a break. 

Honestly, I am amazed by how things are going in regards to nutrition and training. I have been breaking through strength plateaus (specifically back squats, front squats, and deadlifts), and am close to being able to do a pull-up unassisted. Last week food was up to 2500 calories and this week Kelly upped it again. It's crazy to me how high my food has gotten and how I am not putting on excessive amounts of fat. Sometimes I get in my head & start to worry that I'm "doing something wrong" because I am not dieting or miserable, but I need to be appreciative of where I am at. My struggle/goal will always be to put on size, so I need to eat/train accordingly. I've been really consistent & diligence this offseason, and it is becoming apparent that I am now reaping the benefits of my hard work. 

Weight fluctuates between 134-136 lbs. I carry a majority of my bodyfat in my legs, so I am excited to see what they look like when I lean down. 

Much love & lifting,

Leah

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January 9, 2017

I've been noticing significant changes these past couple of months. Strength continues to increase which I know shouldn't be all that surprising, but for some reason it is to me. I keep having those moments where I'm like "I wonder if I can do xyz?" and then sure enough I can. Lately I've been really surprised by how much weight I'm able to lift (especially compared to where I started my offseason) & also by how much food I am able to eat and stay relatively lean. 

Kelly just increased my food yesterday. I had been eating 2,300 calories daily, and it has been upped to 2,400. Weight this past check-in was 133.8. It's been fluctuating between 133-135.5. I carry most of my bodyfat in my legs so I am really excited to see what they look like as we continue to build, and ultimately cut down. 

Much love & lifting,
Leah

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December 6, 2016

This is going to sound completely ridiculous, but I figured I would put it out their for my own sake as something to look back on. Periodically I struggle with the fact that I like & am comfortable in my "offseason" body. So many people post about their "fluff" or about how they are uncomfortable and the difficulty they have transitioning to being heavier. Seeing this type of stuff makes me doubt myself. It sometimes causes me to feel like I'm not doing offseason/improvement season "right". 

What is all has come down to is me shifting my focus back onto my own progress/improvement. I'm eating in a surplus and continuously making strength gains. Really that's' all I can do. There has definitely been no shortage of food. I've done sushi/chinese with Tim, Thanksgiving shenanigans (basically eating ones bodyweight in carbs), reuben/sweet potato fries/crab dip/chips/wine with Tim for his birthday at Misty's, burger/fries/froyo with friends, etc. We have our KGB holiday party this Thursday and then we have a friend's work holiday party on Saturday. Like I said, there has been no shortage of good food.

Anyway, changing my mindset from worrying about doing everything "right" to being proud of the fact that I have found what's "right for me" has been huge. Overall, I feel like I've set myself up in a really good spot. I'm going to continue to build & be in a surplus likely through mid-march and then will access what I want to do from there. I don't have 20 lbs to lose like last time, making for a shorter & hopefully smoother prep (if I decide to compete). 

32 weeks post show

Much love & lifting,

Leah

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November 22, 2016

Not sure where time goes, but it's been a hot minute since I've updated this thing.

Weight fluctuates between 134 and 136 (6-8 lbs above stage weight) which I am happy about. Strength only continues to increase. Loving my lifts & the growth I have been seeing. 

Honestly, I've just been really enjoying life and the balance I have created. Every day is a great day & I have been finding gratitude in all things, big & small. I am so grateful for the life God has given me & the people in it. I love the relationships that have developed through fitness/bodybuilding. I am just so overwhelmingly filled with joy. 

Here are some highlights over the past couple of months. 

October 15, 2016- Branch Warren Championship (Team KGB)

2016 Branch Warren Championship w/ Megan <3

Dinner & Drinks the night before the Pro Elite World Championship

Pro Elite World Championship w/ Ashlie

I could type a novel about the impact these people have had on me, but they know how much they mean to me & that's really what's most important. God is oh so good. 

30 weeks post show, 134 lbs

That's all folks. Be kind to yourself & others.

Much love & lifting,

Leah

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September 28, 2016

Physique update!!  This past Saturday I was 135.8 lbs. Strength has been awesome. Feeling really good about how I have built up strength & also my metabolism. Eating in a good surplus & am going to continue to see how much food I can gradually push. Feel like I've found a really good spot in regards to my training, nutrition, and supplements. Key has been being consistent and diligent. 

This is definitely my favorite off season physique, probably because I finally have some more noticeable size. I think it's also helped that I have figured out what works for me. I have found a great balance & am really excited about the changes I have been seeing. 

Left: Peak week (April 16, 2016), 128 lbs
Right: Current (September 24, 2016), 135.8lbs

The following is the closest thing I can come up with for my progress from when I started until now. I started with Kelly in January 2015, but the pictures on the left are the first progress pictures I have in a bikini & with posing. I was prepping for my first show (Heartland Classic, May 2015). 

Left: February 28, 2015, 130 lbs
Right: Current (September 24, 2016), 135.8lbs

I know I still have a long way to go, but if I can keep building up my glutes/hams, shoulders, & lats I think I will be in a good spot. Leaning out has not been a struggle, putting on size will always be where I have a hard time. 

The best is yet to come. 

Much love & lifting,

Leah

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September 19, 2016

I went to watch the IFPA Pro Elite International/KC Classic this past weekend. I came out of the weekend with a lot of mixed emotions. Very weird combo of motivated/inspired and also discouraged. The physiques at the pro level are amazing & something I am obviously striving for. However, it is going to take years on years on years (and then some). 

Going to shows is good for me because it helps me keep track of the type of physique that is winning pro cards. For bikini it is definitely glute/ham, quad, and shoulder focused. Obviously all of this with a small waist and good level of conditioning. Continuing to build up my lats will also be crucial due to my lack of boobs (to give me more size on top). Overall, same thing... I have a longgggggggggggg way to go. 

Moving forward I am going to keep working at it. It has been 21 weeks since Southern States Classics (starting week 22 of training). Every single week since my show I have been consistent and diligent with my nutrition, supplements, and training. However, I realized this past weekend that I need to be better about practicing posing consistently because it is extremely important. Stage presence and good posing is going to always be the tie breaker. 

So cheers to continued improvement, no matter how long it will take. I will eventually post a physique update. This past weekend I weighed in at 136 lbs (8 lbs up from show weight). 

Much love & lifting,

Leah

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August 8, 2016

It's been 15 weeks since my last show. Haven't felt the need to post probably because I was torn on what I was going to do. I decided a week or so ago that I wasn't going to compete in the KC Classic. I've had good growth so why stop it to cut down? I am realistic enough to know that while I have grown, I still lack the overall mature muscle I need to be competitive. 

I've always really looked up to & respected the girls who take long off seasons. It takes so much patience and dedication to train for something that is a year or more away. I finally realized, why can't that be me? Making that decision was a relief & I feel excited all over again. I was feeling somewhat apathetic & blah towards doing KC because I knew I would likely be disappointed that I didn't look different enough from my last show. Sooooo here's to a entire year of gains. I am loving my time in the gym. Strength is up & I am so excited to see how much stronger I can get in the upcoming year. 

I think one of the reasons I struggled with the idea of taking a long offseason is that in my mind I thought that long offseason meant that I had to gain a ton of weight & be uncomfortable in my body. Fear was driving me to compete at KC. I don't know why I started to not trust myself. Anyway, I eventually realized that I was being stupid & that I can have self control without a show in the immediate future. I have found that creating balance (for me) means being able to maintain a relatively lean physique while also eating fun foodies from time to time. The bodybuilding world throws around the word "balance" so much because truly it is a pretty unbalanced sport. I honestly feel really good this offseason because I believe I have truly found my balance.

 Left: peak week of SSC, 128 lbs
Right: 15 weeks post show, 136 lbs

So in summary. Eat yo veggie, lift yo weights, and have a damn burger & fro-yo from time to time. Sometimes it's okay to count blessings, not calories. :)

Much love & lifting,

Leah

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