The best core workout ever...in my lil opinion!!

Love this one!! And you look cool if you learn to do it well (: Since the gym is really all about "looking cool" right?! Ok...not really! If your gym has this, play with it a little. Takes a little upper body strength too. You don't want to land on your face.

Good Luck!!

I lied in my last post...oops, sorry!! I was supposed to do Next Blog: Vancouver Prep to Emerald Cup Prep...My Personal Experience. Yeah, yeah...I'll get to it! (:

CUT THE CRAP!!! (Pre-competition diet)

Learning to Diet as a Figure Athlete!! An ongoing process and experiment!!

Yep...it all started with cutting out the crap! Alcohol - out, pizza - out, white starchy breads - out, almost everything processed - OUT OUT OUT, chocolate - out!!

Remember, I decided I was going to TRY and get my act together to train for this competition and we hadn't even rolled through the holidays yet. Looking back I did well. I think there were three days around New Years where I felt a little guilty about how much I'd eaten. See, since I'd never dieted for competition I didn't know how early I actually needed to start. I didn't hire a nutritionist this year, but I asked a lot of people a lot of questions. I just did a lot of research. I also had my best friend to bounce ideas off of...she's a dietitian. I kept my meal plan super duper basic and it worked for the most part...at least to lean me out. It worked well with the amount of time I trained at the gym and my overall lifestyle. Here's a sample day for me in the Jan/Feb (March/early April much stricter):

breakfast
Oatmeal/egg whites/ grapefruit

midmorning
tuna

lunch
tuna or chicken (plain...no salts)
half sweet potato or brown rice
asparagus or broccoli or spinach w/ apple cidar vinagar as "dressing"

afternoon snack
handful of plain unsalted peanuts/ or scoop of NATURAL peanut butter w/ grapefruit

dinner
tuna or chicken w/ one of the above listed veggies. veggies are all great really...it would change depending on what you're training for

(I'm not giving specific ounces/amounts of anything because I think it's very important you do your research, and do what's best for you...Talk to a professional nutritionist or dietitian)-- Too much of a good thing can also be unhealthy!! (example: high protein intake can be hard on your kidneys)

Remember what works for me as a competitor, won't work for everyone as a competitor. Our bodies are all very different! This probably has too much protein to be an everyday diet for a non-competitor, but it gives you the idea. Now the final month carbs get cut and it's basically fish chicken and several kinds of veggies.

I was so low on energy my last two weeks before Emerald Cup, my workouts were just going through the motions, but I was doing them. I was cutting fat!! Crazy stuff!

Next Blog: Vancouver Prep to Emerald Cup Prep...My Personal Experience

Journey Into Figure Competitions...

What an awesome experience!!

Well I just finished my first 2 competitions 3 weeks apart and had drastically different results between the two of them. And now people are asking me when I became interested in lifting and competing...here's the story...

A little history on me and sports...I've done it all, or a lot of it anyway. I wasn't the best at all of it, but I had to try a bit of everything. If you've looked over my website you've probably read what I've been involved in over the years.

When I was 14 I became more aware of fitness and health in general. Dad started taking me to the YMCA to workout. THANKS DAD!!! I also started reading "workout" magazines. I was fascinated by an event, the Galaxy Competition. It had a sweet obstacle course as part of it, and I think a swimsuit round as well. I followed a gal named Mia Finnegan. So that's how I got this idea in my head. Then I went on to follow Monica Brant and Tanji Johnson both Fitness/Figure athletes. (I used to rip pictures of Monica out of magazines and to stick on the mirror for motivation. I thought I kind of look like her...so it was easier to picture getting in that kind of shape. And you know what!!! At the Emerald Cup last weekend 3 different people told me I look like her!! What a compliment for my rookie self!!)

Ok...on with my story (:

After my Freshman year of college (and three broken feet), I came home to stay with my parents, and found a little gym where the owner trained me for free over the summer. He told me I had the body to compete and he put the idea back in my head.

In college I played some soccer and became better a lifting. I remember telling some of the football players if I don't make the soccer team, I'm going to train for fitness competitions.

A few years later, in the town where I had my first weather anchor job I was asked again if I competed. No, don't have time was my answer. The guy that asked me this time used to be a judge for Idaho competitions and he told me I should consider it because I have the legs.

So finally in November '08 I went to a workshop IFBB Pro Tanji Johnson held in the Seattle area. And I put it in my head I can get in that kind of shape by March '09. She and her team, Save Fitness have been great mentors!

Next Blog: The Diet!!!!

My reels all over the web...

...so I thought I'd put it on my own blog as well. Here's some of my past work. My montage was edited off of the second reel by the marketing company who posted them, but you can still learn a little about me and what I do...






How'd it get all over the web??? I wondered the same thing! Then as I kept doing searches for it, I realized it was posted by a marketing company who hired me to Emcee an event a couple weeks ago. I did send my reel when I responded for the job so all the hiring parties could see my personality. It was just weird to see my video all over the web later when I had no idea it had been posted. Oh well (:

Busy Busy Girl!! March Whirlwind!

I have so much to write about...

Training for the figure competition and it's ONLY 4 weeks away...eeks! A little worried about how my suit is really going to fit after alterations...ah, praying it works out. I've leaned WAY out!! 112lbs now and eating strict. Not sure how to work the final month/peak diet. A little trial and error I guess. I went into this as a learning experience and of course a rockin challenge! If Vancouver goes well, I'm looking at competing in Reno in June.

Still doing my school thing. GRRR! In fact I have midterms this week I should be studying for right now, but my head is spinning with all this other "stuff".

On top of that I was hired to freelance host and produce a "show" for one of the Sacramento TV stations. I am super excited about this opportunity! I'll fill ya in more when it gets rolling. Also helping with a start up internet channel. In April I start personal training at the gym where I've been working out. My life goes from quiet to nutty awfully fast, but I love it. God's in control which is nice to know!!

I've had fun with my little California adventure...meeting some cool people for sure! I went to an event at Pixar Studios which was interesting. Oh, and I finished my website, mostly anyway. The video is being a stinker, but I'll get that ironed out here later this week. www.keelylindquist.com

I'm sure there's more going on that I'm not writing about at the moment, but I've got to get back to midterm studies. Sorry if this is a random note...it's a quick rundown of Keely's life...haa ha! I'll be a little more detailed about all this as I become a better blogger ( : And I should post pictures of the Washington State winter storms. That's where I spent the holidays...crazy! But great snowboarding.

Ok, there will be more to come!! Everything is very exciting and crazy busy...I'm lovin it!

And Let it Begin...

Oh yeah! I started training yesterday for my first figure competition!! I have 18 weeks minus 2 days now...ha! And there's a lot of work to do. Yesterday I started the 2-a-day cardio...30 min AM and 45 min PM. Little set back this morning...my knees hurt. Anyway need to get cardio up to about 2 hrs. My workouts are probably going to need sprint training because over the years I've learned that's the fastest way for me to cut fat...just to add that in to a run! I had a pretty good day lifting back and bis. Back, Tris and abs will be the toughest to train. Yep, it's going to be an adventure this first time around because I don't know exactly what I'm doing ( :

Contemplating Competition...

I had a fun weekend in the Seattle/Bellevue area. I attended my first fitness/figure workshop with IFBB Pro Tanji Johnson. I met her during college in Spokane, and it's been fun to see her grace pages of magazines and on the first season of the newer American Gladiators. Anyway her workshop was a blast and I learned so much! I am excited to finally explore this industry more! I've never competed in anything like that, but it's crossed my mind over the years. Oxygen Magazine has had a big part in keeping the idea in my head, oh since about 1995. HA! It was perfect timing. I just flew in from San Francisco a week ago.

Saturday was a geared toward the future of the industry and figure posing. Sunday "Save Fitness" was all strength and flexibility training...along with a little dance! This is the most challenging for me because I have what I call noodle ankles. Sure enough once my shoes were off one of them rolled. I was able to keep going and ice it later. I've never let those injuries stop me, but they scare me sometimes since I spent time in a wheelchair with two broken feet which were the result of rolling ankles. So now I know I need extra gear when I train...tape, braces, or dance shoes. I'm feeling inspired since I've been a gym girl most of my life, but this kind of training is REALLY taking it to a new level with new commitment. There are a lot of things that can be done at home to improve in all these areas...practice, practice, practice!!!

I learned how to stand for the shape of my legs. I know I need to strengthen and tone my triceps and lats! Oh along with much, much more...but at least I have starting point.

I am at a bit of a career crossroads between chasing down a TV job or pursuing fitness/figure...with of course the goal to be pro someday. Both great opportunities for my personality and both challenging. So I think I'm going to sign up for my first figure show for this spring...hold off on fitness a little longer so I can just focus on the one, and then add fitness later.

We had a lot of people talk to us this weekend...nutritionist, posing coaches, personal trainers, a suit designer, an image consultant and a dance coach. It's a pretty penny to hire all these people to prepare you for competition, but some people are able to get sponsors to help out. I think right now, I know enough to get started, but hiring these "experts" would be beneficial especially in reaching the next level and being more competitive. And takes a little stress off the athlete too. Stay tuned...I'll keep ya posted.

This is mainly a learning experience for me at this point ( : But it's a lot of fun!!