Look at me Now!

I have gotten my photos back from my latest competition, and here are my favorite ones!  Hope they inspire you (if I can transform my body like this, so can you).  I placed well, and I had a fun time.  I hope to do it again in the near future.

My husband, friends and several family members were behind me all the way.  I am not trying to show off, but want to show how muscles can be developed over time.  The body, fed appropriately, can develop to be healthy and strong, even in our culture where proper nutrition is often looked at as a luxury, rather than necessity.

I have gained about 5% body fat since then because I'm still building, and I intend to enter a natural contest (no steroid or enhancing drug-use allowed within the past 5 years) in September.  I haven't ever used enhancers, but I competed against some who clearly had used.  I want to be on an even playing field, and I might do even better next time.  Either way, it's fun, and I give God the glory for making our bodies so amazing!

Credit for my Creds

On Friday, I was asked to provide nutritional information for a mini-series of webisodes for Asics.com.  I not only provided information, but I did it on camera!  It was fun being in front of the camera again -- it had been  over 15 years since I had even done any extra work.  I never thought I would be filmed again... only in L.A.!  I feel like I was given this opportunity because of my credentials, but it was also right place-right time/who I know.

It was a cool project.  I got to interact with Kinga Phillips, who does adventure hosting for networks such as Travel Channel, giving her info on how to prepare for and stay balanced during a marathon.  I hope it turns out well -- it was a blast to do, and I felt like I really gave her some helpful, interesting information.

My credentials, as I hope to have them listed on this series are as follows:

Allison D. Salibian, B.S., CPT
B.S. Molecular, Cell, Developmental Biology, UCLA
Research Scientist, Human Genetics, UCLA, VCU School of Medicine
Certified Personal Trainer
Nutrition Specialist in Weight Loss, Sports Nutrition & Body Building
NPC Figure Competitor, Master's Women's Figure Division

Bigger and Better

I was just re-reading some of my posts in this blog, trying to get back to my "roots".  I had a fun day at the gym, for the first time in months, and I wanted to check if I had gone away from my roots in the fitness industry or if I'm still the same person I was a year ago.

Yup! I'm still me.  I still wake up each morning thankful for what I have and am very much in love with my husband and kids.  I'm still thankful to God for who He is and what he's done for his creation.  I'm still a pretty decent friend (yes, I've been off the grid a bit since I started working as a trainer and have increased my personal fitness goals), and I think I'm still okay at keeping the household in check.

The major differences are that I'm working as a professional trainer, so I'm much more strict with my schedule (I have about 15 clients on any given week, some of them train 2-3 times per week), and I push myself harder at the gym than ever before.  But those are just day-to-day differences.  Emotionally and spiritually I think I'm the same: I am loving and kind to others, I teach my children to be that way, and I try to encourage positive change in others.

Physically, I am very different.  I have gained about 10 pounds of lean muscle over the last year, and I have leaned out all of the fat, except for the essential fat.  Two weeks ago, I was down to 11% body fat, which is in the high-performance female athlete category.  I actually had not a patch of cellulite for 3 days out of my adult life!  Then, I went to Las Vegas with my husband and ate like a beast and I'm now back to a more balanced 13% body fat.  That's still athlete status, but not competition-ready, which is okay with me because I'm still gaining muscle.  Yes, I do have about 3 square inches of lumpy-bumpies on the back of my thighs, but I know exactly what to do to get rid of it. Also, my eating habits are a bit worse, but I can tighten that up whenever I feel like it.

I'm excited that I am a professional fitness trainer, and that I pretty well manage my fitness, food and family, and still remain me.  Now, I just want to get better at the balancing act, so that I can continue to grow on all levels -- because, as you've heard me say before, "if you're not growing, you're not living."

Better Late than Never

Wow... time flies!  It has been over 3 months since my last post.  Since then, I have gotten a new job and have been quite successful at it.  I have been training clients and changing lives (on the fitness level, at least) for a few months now.  It has been amazing!

I have used my prior knowledge that I gained while losing my own weight and new information that I learned during my certification to help people lose weight and feel better about themselves.  I'm so grateful people have trusted me.  I think part of the reason they trust me is that I practice what I "preach".   I have been able to maintain 11-15% body fat for months and months, even during the holidays, and have continued to build muscle and train hard.

My gym manager says I'm an inspiration to my clients because usually when people train that hard, they get really tired and distracted and aren't at the top of their game with their clients.  He also applauds me for maintaining a close-knit, happy family structure.  I AM happy overall, but I admit I have had some down days.  I'm human, but I pretend to be a super hero.

I would love to post a picture of my progress, but in deference to my mom, who thinks it's scandalous to show off my physique, you'll just have to take my word for it that I have muscles in places that I never thought I could grow distinctive muscles. Now, I want them bigger, so maybe I will win a muscle contest.  We'll see.

For now, I'm happy to inspire my clients, excite my husband and make myself proud of my own strength.