The Sky Is the Limit with the Right Training, Nutrition and Supplementation

Regardless of Age or Disability

It has always been about strength and competition for me. My father built us a barn in our back yard and I got my first pony at the age of seven. From that point, it was immediately about how many hay bales I could throw/stack, how many 50lb bags of feed at a time I could push in the wheelbarrow, etc… I started competing in horse shows immediately. Shortly after that, I became a trainer for dozens of ponies and horses, which continued until I was 21.

All or nothing was my mantra. In 1990, I replaced the 24/7 horse lifestyle with marriage and had two fabulous kids in the following years. I joined a gym to fill the strength and movement passion that I had developed during my horse years. I had this dream of being a bodybuilder but wasn’t sure how to go about it. There wasn’t much info out there in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s, and no Google, but the dream had taken root.

And then something went wrong, very, very wrong. I received the diagnosis that I had Multiple Sclerosis. I had a couple of exacerbations, one of which in 2001 left my right ankle, quad and hamstring permanently damaged (can’t lift it well or hamstring curl it).

Typical of me, I plowed forward and laser-focused 100% on my kids, as they had stellar athletic careers from a very early age. I coached fastpitch softball during my daughter’s early years and then spent the rest of her pre-college years traveling the country with her while she played in softball tournaments most weekends.

Supplement Schedule

• Density – I take Density starting 8-10 weeks out from a competition. I take 3 with breakfast, 3 with lunch, 3 pre-workout and 3 before bed and continue for a few weeks post competition to get rebalanced and transition back into a more plentiful diet.
• Glutamine Select – I take a scoop after morning cardio, after lunch, and again after workouts. It is a great midday pick-me-up and gives me assurance I am getting the BCAA spike and some glutamine throughout the day.
• Mass Aminos – I take 3 with breakfast, 3 with lunch, 4 pre-workout and 3 before bed during off season, and replace with Density 8-10 weeks before a competition
• Quadracarn – I take 3x daily during contest prep season to assist with leaning out, on the same schedule as Density starting 8-10 weeks out and then a few weeks post competition.
• Super Pak – I take daily with breakfast. I train super hard and have a narrow diet with various food sensitivities and intolerances and I know Super Pak has me covered. I think of it like back when I was pregnant. If I missed taking my prenatal vitamin in the morning I was exhausted and doomed for the day. Super Pak is like my prenatal vitamins! A must have!
• UMP – I take as a meal replacement, around workouts and sometimes as a treat before bed. This is a fast acting and sustained release protein but it goes way beyond just the need for protein. UMP is an incredible fit for my training and lifestyle. It is the best tasting, best textured, easiest to blend, easy on my stomach, no bloating protein supplement I have ever found. I add just enough water to stir into a pudding and that is it. It is so easy to travel with. Just put a scoop of UMP in a Ziploc bag, along with a bottle of water, a disposable coffee cup and a plastic spoon and take to meetings, car rides, ball fields, airplanes, everywhere! It has truly been my simple go-to for years. My favorite flavors are chocolate and graham cracker. Sometimes I blend them together, sprinkle with espresso granules or sprinkle with cinnamon. I keep it simple.

Cardio Schedule

Note: We believe with my age and disability, I do best to keep moving and move often. I have a sedentary desk job so high frequency of workouts and movement are key.

Morning: Fasted cardio every day, most often using the stepmill. Yes – every day, all year. Duration is usually somewhere between 25 and 50 minutes, just depends on the time of season and competition prep. I use this time to absorb into a podcast to make dual use of this wonderful time each morning. It provides a great mental flow of energy, as well as the desired training effect. After cardio, I do some body weight functional training and mobility work like bosu squats, walking lunges, and band work for back and shoulder mobility. I also add some ab work a few mornings a week.

Pre workout: Row for 10 minutes.

Post workout: Depends on time of year. Sometimes we add additional cardio during prep season.

Training Schedule

Lift 6X per week, group conditioning 1X week, Bikram Yoga 1X week, and graston/ART (soft tissue mobilization and active release technique) 1 or 2X week.

Most lifting sessions are 5 sets of 12-15 reps each, although we periodize reps and have heavier sessions with 8-10 reps and lighter sessions with 20 reps. However, most leg work is in the high rep range.

Monday & Thursday – I train with Jason and most of these days are a mix of back/biceps on one day, chest/triceps on another, and shoulders added in. Most often, I have a training partner so we super set or giant set many of our movements. Drop sets are also used. This training split is very effective as we hit body parts several times during the week with a variety of exercises and angles. On Tuesdays, we do group conditioning following the workout.

Wednesday – Leg workout with Jason, again a mix of quad/ham/glute each week. Typical movements are squats, lunges, leg extension and seated ham curls.

Thursday – Bikram Yoga

Friday – Shoulder workout, usually consisting of barbell or rack presses, as well as high rep supersets and drop sets with cables or dumbells doing front raise, lateral raise and rear delts.

Saturday – Back workout usually doing rack pulls, and a variety of pull ups, pull downs and row variations. And sometimes I add another yoga session.

Sunday – High volume leg workout with squats, leg press, hack squats and reverse hack squats.

Presentation Tips

Understand the criteria for the organization you are competing in. Deliver what the judges expect to see. But most of all, be yourself. Practice, practice, practice several times a week for weeks leading up to your show. For several weeks out, I wear my heels around the house, I cook in them, do chores in them. With my disability, walking in heels is very difficult so I just make heels part of my daily routine. Don’t be shy about shooting video of your posing practice. Watch yourself over and over. I have also found it helpful to set an interval timer onmy phone to practice quarter turns. Smile, be confident and deliver your package that you have worked so hard to prepare. Be on point with your suit selection, tanning, makeup, nails, jewelry and hair. This is as much a beauty contest as it is a physique contest. Don’t cut any corners. And just shine.

Final Thoughts

I have competed in many Figure shows, a few each year for the last six years. I have learned that every competition preparation is different, so keep an open and flexible mind and be ready for the curveballs that are always coming. Keep educating yourself on the process and keep learning. And remember it is you vs. you, keep working hard, be consistent. The stage has taught me so much about self-confidence and self presentation which has translated into my everyday life and to my job. It has forever made a positive change in my life. But most important for me, is my time in the gym each day. That is where the real win is. Each day is like Christmas morning, you never know what package of delight will come with that day’s workout. I am stronger and more fit and better than ever, better every day. With the right training, nutrition and supplementation the sky is the limit regardless of age or disability.