Baby got BACK!

Since I was a kid, I was never interested in being super skinny. I was raised into a family of athletes, where pride was given to muscle over bone. I was "blessed" with height as well. At 5'9, I tower over my two sisters, and (to his dismay) create a shadow atop my big brother's head as well. A larger frame is beneficial in many sports. I am physiologically best suited for swimming, but it has benefits to skiing, lacrosse, and volleyball as well. The only downside? I grew quickly, and was more than a little awkward and uncoordinated for a few years. That's all over now, though…right?

As a fitness competitor, my tall frame was a hindrance. I struggled to put on muscle, when my shorter adversaries packed it on like magic. Creating definition in lanky arms took years of work, and was easy to lose during the summer months when my sports meant a lot of cardio. BUT, I was always able to build and maintain two areas of my body with ease:

My legs are relatively short, in comparison to my height, and an active childhood meant muscle maturity. The only issue I have had is quad dominance, brought on by many years of ski racing. I still work with creating more shape in my hamstrings and gluteus to balance me out. Hence, 500 squats a day…bodyweight, because adding weight to my leg exercises has always meant quick growth for me.

My back is probably one of the strongest parts of my body. I can row almost double my bodyweight. Despite the constant knots between my shoulder blades and on my traps (I have horrible posture when sitting down), my back has always looked impressive. I train back once a week, usually. I super-set two upper back exercises with one lower back exercise (deadlifts, good mornings, hyperextensions) and throw 100 squats in between supersets to keep my heart rate up.

Below, you will see a few pictures. The top is my back before my first bikini competition. I weighed 132lbs, had just started dropping my water, and had my first spray tan.

This next photo is a month ago,  after a small stint with veganism, and heavy drop-set training with no cardio. This was also before the 500 squat days.

Finally, my back today. With the above mentioned training regimen, IIFYM eating (still paleo and gluten free for the most part). 

What do you see? Other than a filter. I see a leaner mid-back, with a deeper cut, a wider lat, and a slightly better back spread. (I suck at back posing…)

In other news! This week's measurements:
Weight: 157
Waist: 27
Hips: 38.5
Thigh: 19.5

Down just a bit, but down. Progress takes time, people. There are plenty of ways to drop weight quickly, but those ways leave you worn out and worse off in the long run. This last week and a bit was SUPER hectic. I was working on the last episode of a TV show, and it meant I was rarely home before 2 a.m., and that five hours of sleep was the norm. Thanks to EON Therapeutics Adrenal complex and B Elite for both keeping me awake when coffee wouldn't do the trick, and preventing me from burning out.

Want to know more about EON? Check them out BY CLICKING HERE

Until next time.