LET THE OFF-SEASON BEGIN!

By: Alex Liska
So, the time has finally arrived to take a break from the intense dieting and twice a day cardio sessions!!! After a long, strenuous year of dieting (since December 2009) I am slowly switching into my off-season mode. I will, however continue to eat clean but of course incorporate different foods and experiment with nutrient ratios!
Although I feel this year has gone really well and I am pleased with the progress I have made, it took me some time to accept that I will not be shredded all year round. After having spent so much time focusing on getting super lean it is sort of shocking to "relax" and let my body heal... Psychologically, it has been hard for me to accept the changes in my physique, the few extra pounds gained since my last show and looking "softer" is something that I'll have to adjust to. However, everyone that competes or trains really hard knows that the off-season is the time where we make the most gains and build up all that muscle that is much needed! Our bodies need a chance to recover from the insane workouts (especially the killer 2-a-day cardio sessions and "no rest between sets" weights workouts). After all, muscles grow by feeding them proper foods/vitamins/minerals and allowing them to rest and recover! I hope that now I will have a chance to focus on my personal training/nutrition clients and also write more fitness articles and try out new recipes that I can share with you all:) I'm so excited to get back into "healthy-chef-mode" and start baking my cocoa protein bars/brownies/cakes/cookies and try out new high-protein dishes! I love baking and cooking so I am looking forward to the extra time I will have in the kitchen (and not having to pack so much Tupperware...LOL)
I know that I will still experience mood fluctuations from time to time when I look back at my stage/dieting phase photos and see that I look a bit different now but I know it's a good investment to take this time off to focus on the next season to come, and build up a great foundation so that I can reveal a whole new and improved physique on stage in 2011!!! GO FIGURE!!! :):):)



That was a little video clip of my "Off-Season" posing practice! I'll continue to practice my posing and hopefully improve on that too! :)

xo,

-Alex L. :)

OPA Ontario Naturals September 11th Update!

Hey guys!!!Thanks for staying tuned to my site for all my updates! This has been an incredible journey for me. I started training for the Ontario Naturals in June, but took a few breaks along the way due to travel, family stuff, and just life in general! However, I trained consistently and hard, stuck to my diet as best as I could and maintained a positive attitude, most importantly I had FUN! I have competed a few times in the past and allowed my nervousness and insecurities to get in my way of success and in turn did not enjoy my journey... This time, I had a great support team by my side, my coaches Mindi & Dennis (Team O'Brien), my makeup artist/stage prep coach/good friend CherryBomB (Cherry Villanos) and friends and some family that kept me going the whole way through!!!

I was honored to place first in the medium class and come home with first in Overall Figure as well! This was one of the happiest moments for me ever since I started training when I was 13, back in middle school... haha! This experience has given me the courage to pursue my dreams in the fitness industry, believe in myself and obtain the confidence I was lacking in the past! All the ladies I competed with looked beautiful and had some stunning physiques, I had the pleasure of meeting lots of nice people backstage, that I hope to stay in touch with!!
A BIG thank you to: GOD first and foremost!!!!!!! Mindi & Dennis (Team O'Brien Training & Nutrition), CherryBomB (Makeup/Hair/Posing & Stage prep), Pamela Bortmes (Spray Tanning), Lisa from SXE-FX for my lovely suits & my mom and brother, and all my friends for keeping me motivated!!! XOXO

Here are some pics from Saturday, I hope everyone of you had a lovely weekend, and stay tuned to my site for more exciting articles and updates!!

Pumping up before going on stage

Receiving Overall Figure trophy :)

On stage during Pre-Judging

Pumping up my shoulders!

Side-Pose during Pre-Judging

 xoxo

-Alex L. :)