Improving for the 2010 Figure Season...

**essmonet03** · 02-25-2010, 03:15 PM

Soooo.... my diet has taken a turn for the worse. NO MORE PEANUT BUTTER!!!!!!

So long for now. I will miss you oh so much. My brown rice is every other day now and being replaced with a medium salad. We are now approaching into the hard part of the diet.... which is of course expected. I have been doing really good. I tell myself that all the delicious carbs and fats and great food will be there when I am all done. Which will of course makes it even sweeter to enjoy. So I am also approaching the hard part of the prep... less food equals more tummy grumbles. But I am handling it better than I thought I would. Well I just dont think about it.

Shoulders Yesterday:

Can I just say that I barely remember what I did... I need to start writing this stuff down. I am up to 70 minutes of cardio... All is well, minus the tummy...

**essmonet03** · 02-26-2010, 10:48 AM

Really Simple Day... Its all about just maintaining my upper body now. My upper body is done which makes my workouts even more boring. I cant really do anything in order to make it better than what it is already. I am still lifting heavy on my shoulders, but thats the only thing I can go heavy on. My back workouts are light. My arm workouts are every other week and even those are at a medium level of intensity. My chest workouts are medium and low intensity also.... Sooo boring. LOL. But can't really do anything about it ya know

? I know I shouldnt be complaining... sorry.

Free Motion Chest Flys
20x18
25x15
30x10
25x15

Seated Machine Chest Press
40x15
50x12
55x12
60x12

Seated Chest Flys
30x15
40x12
50x10
40x15

My friend Lane is coming out from Wisconsin to see me and some of the other people out here in the Chicago area. Cant wait to see her, she is such a good girl. This is going to be a good weekend!

**essmonet03** · 03-01-2010, 11:58 AM

This weekend was one for the books! It was interesting to say the least, to have an all natural competitor (i mean allllllllll natural, like no supps, no fat burner!) in the house. And lets just say that my roomie may never forgive me for it... LOL.

Anyway I did legs and kicked my own ass. I also got the goodies recently to help me cut my weight and take this fat off my ass....

Warm Up Leg Extensions:
60x12
70x15
70x12
75x15

Free Motion Squat ss Walking DB Lunges:
80x15 ss 20lb DB lunges
90x12 ss 20lb DB lunges
120x10 ss 20lb DB lunges
100x15 ss 20lb DB lunges

1 Legged Hamstring Curls:
20x15
30x12
40x10
30x15

1 Legged Leg Press:
50x 12-15 on each leg
45x 12-15 on each leg
50x 12-15 on each leg
45x 12-15 on each leg

Lying Leg Curls:
60x15
70x12
90x10
80x15

Cardio for 50 minutes and later that day another cardio session for 25 min. Weight is at about 148lbs being about 6 weeks out from my competition.

**essmonet03** · 03-03-2010, 04:41 PM

Almost 5 weeks out (technically 6 but I dont count the last week

) Looking leaner than when I got on stage at Sacramento. Practically the same conditioning, but now I have 5 more weeks to be even better than before on stage at the Emerald Cup. Which is pretty exciting. I have some weaknesses still, physically and mentally (with food). But I am doing a lot better this time around and holding myself a litle bit more accountable.

Shoulders:

DB Military Press Warm-Up:
15x18
20x15
20x15
15x18

Machine Lateral Raises:
20x18
30x15
40x12
50x6 drop to 30x9

Rope Rear Delt Pulls:
20x18
30x15
40x12
50x12

Front Delt Plate raises ss with lat raises:
25lb plate x 12 ss w 10lb DBs
25lb plate x 12 ss w 10lb DBs
25lb plate x 12 ss w 20lb DBs
25lb plate x 12 ss w 20lb DBs

Cardio for 45 in the morning and cardio for 25 at night...

**shankuan** · 03-15-2010, 11:18 AM

Where you at chica??? I hope all is well and you are kicking ass for the last 3 weeks!

**Mikiko** · 03-17-2010, 06:58 PM

hello hunny! you are looking awesome, nice to see you on here! i don't think i will make it to the Emerald Cup. But, i offer you my love and support from San Francisco! GO ANGELS!!! xoxoxoxo

**essmonet03** · 03-21-2010, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by Mikiko

hello hunny! you are looking awesome, nice to see you on here! i don't think i will make it to the Emerald Cup. But, i offer you my love and support from San Francisco! GO ANGELS!!! xoxoxoxo

Hey there! Thanks so much for your support... that stinks that you wont be there to see all the angels compete. How long have you been working with Kimbo? Well i am sure that one day we will be able to compete on the same stage with each other... much love to you from Chicago!

<3 Essence Monet

**Lann1011** · 03-23-2010, 02:48 AM

How is the diet? Do you find your self really hungry alot? Love your new suit! Dang! Was it expensive?

**essmonet03** · 03-26-2010, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Lann1011

How is the diet? Do you find your self really hungry alot? Love your new suit! Dang! Was it expensive?

Diet is going well... i got three weeks left (sorry i am so late replying) I am not hungry a lot at all... which is good. i get enough to behungry an hour and a hald to two hours later. The suit I rented for $260 from Tamee Marie, but if I like it enough I will buy it. But we will see I like to have a little variety...

**essmonet03** · 03-26-2010, 10:52 AM

So, my glutes are giving me trouble as usual... they are coming in but that little fat thats left is being so damn stubborn! My cardio is at two sessions a day at a combined 85 minutes. Oddo said to do nothing else by incline. I found that if I slow the pace down to about a 3.2 -3.4 at a high incline at 10 or 12 that I sweat more and feel it a little more in my glutes. I dont hold onto anything which makes is even better... just like walking about a neverending hill...

My upper body is done as far as pre contest, and now its just the lower that I am waiting on. I am getting cranky, which I didnt think I would. But what are you going to do! My workouts are getting a little harder because my strength is as it was 2-3 weeks ago. WHICH BLOWS!!!!!

I did shoulders yesterday and almost wanted to cry when I couldnt put up the weight for military press. But I got through the workout and it was good.

lateral shouler raises, military press, upright barbell rows, 1 armed front delt raises, rear delt flys standing, 1 armed lateral shoulder raises, did tricep rope pulldowns, and 1 armed DB kickbacks... finished it off with my remaining 50 minutes of cardio...

here are some update pics... more to come next week. sorry for the lighting being so bad in them... Still holding some water which seems to be hormonal and i am assuming that it will all come out before the show. and then of course cleaning up the glutes and hammies...

4 weeks out

wed.jpg

wed2.jpg

wed3.jpg

**SallyAnne** · 04-11-2010, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by essmonet03

I think that I am going to leave my tat the way that it is and may be get additional shading highlights. I am at a total of 8 hours in the chair for whats there now, but have an additional 4 for just shading... AHHHHH! I think with the competing i dont want it to take away from my physique. my nutritionist said the same thing, and we think its best that I leave it the way that it is... but i love having it! sometimes i forget that its even there... LOL!

A crane lunge is when you lunge backwards but bring your back leg up in front of you like you are going to kick forward, while blancing yourself on the opposite leg... i hope that makes sense!

Like a flamingo? lol I think we need video.

I love your back, too. Do you get frustrated only being able to do light workouts every other week, or is it a welcome rest during prep?

**essmonet03** · 05-07-2010, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by SallyAnne

Like a flamingo? lol I think we need video.

I love your back, too. Do you get frustrated only being able to do light workouts every other week, or is it a welcome rest during prep?

I do get frustrated because i loving lifting heavy and i love doing back. i havent any issues with it growing, so when i get restrictions on workouts, it blows.

**essmonet03** · 05-07-2010, 12:50 AM

So I got 1st Place in the Tall Class at the Emerald Cup.... And I got third in overall *even though there isnt any real placement it was good to know where i stood*** i will be competing in nationals in october in atlanta, GA

24931_531009531157_67602076_31368193_588854_n.jpg

24931_531009546127_67602076_31368196_7344177_n.jpg