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| From Karen |
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Winter: A Time for Digging Deep....
When we see 'digging deep' for a title, we normally think of, well, snow, of course! But for athletes, it holds a whole other meaning. For us, it's time for major change! 
We often think of fitness in terms of summer....bathing suits, sleek physiques, light and toned. And this is certainly true for the most part. But year-round athletes see it another way...
We see it as that precious time to really make strides in our physique. When the weather turns and the days are shorter, when we are deep into the routines of life, this is when atheltes do the shift.
This is when we lift heavy, and focus on building, rather than shedding....to really shift our bodies, and mold them with our training regimes. It's also a time when we loosen the reins on our eating. Why? Because the Warrior Woman knows that this too is a natural part of the progression of life.
That's what the Winter Season is all about...shifting our mindset, our training and our eating. And that's what this Breathe Newsletter is all about, to let you peek into the world of competitive athletes who live, train and eat by way of harnessing the natural rhythms of the shifting seasons. Enjoy!
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Training Tip: Lift Heavy, rest often! |
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As a coach and a competitor, I naturally follow a well-prescribed and scientifically proven training method in order to see progress in my physique: come winter time (which is our off-season), I lift heavy with lower reps. This, coupled with plenty of rest in between sets, allows me to shift and change my physique in the areas I need most. 
And yes, I teach this to all my on-line clients too. It's a necessary part of the evolution of training, and one that follows the body's natural groove. And what works for us competitors (clean ones, that is) works beautifully for the hard-working non-competitive woman who wants to see her body improve with age. Trust me on this (I'm going to explain this, and all my training principles in my new E-Book entitled Carve Appeal: Using Competitors' Secrets to Help YOU Create a Sexy, Fit Body at any Age! ..or something like that. (Still gotta work on that title!) Suggestions anyone?....
It's fine to go into the gym and continue on with your training where it's at now and to keep it fairly consistent (this is what we call steady-state lifters), but if you really want to maximize your results, think and do like we do: Lift heavy, low reps, and rest often! It's the Warrior Woman way!
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spiritual - The ability to endure.... |
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This past year has been a particularly tough year for many people. Everywhere I turned, I saw people losing their jobs (or worse, hating their career choices), getting ill and the all-too-commom these days, divorcing! 
Nobody said life was going to be easy, or fair, for that matter. But that is little consolation to the many people finding themselves thrown into chaos, without so much as a lifeline to grab hold of....
As a human being walking this earth, I, like you, have faced many challenges. My biggest was when my son was diagnosed with a terminal illness. I write about it in my book, One Rep at a Time, if only to show other women that there is a way out of the darkness.
What I know for sure is this: so many well wishers tell you to get busy, move on with it, change locations or change your hair. But the best piece of advice for me was simply no advice: I parked everything to the side and I became very, very still (I had no choice really, I was so sick that I was unable to walk around the block. I think it was the Universe's way of making sure I got the message! It knows how stubborn I can be. Sound familiar?)
Simply put, sometimes all we can do is just hold on. And it's important to know that sometimes this is enough. The ability to 'endure' and allow whatever to wash over you can be a scary prospect for most, but at certain times, movement is the enemy: staying still and allowing the sadness / fear / anger to wash over you is necessary. To feel the feelings is necessary.
Life and all its workings is a subtle, constant dance of hanging on and letting go. I all this the natural ebb and flow of life, like an ocean, and which I write about in my book - One Rep at a Time. And if we learn this, it can lift us out of the darkness and into the full light of day.
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| eat More (yep, this is your coach talking!) |
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Tribal communites have followed Nature's seasonal wisdom for years: in summer, strip off the excess fat and weight, and in winter, pack on a bit more weight in order to see you through the cold, winter months.
Now I know what you're thinking...these were tribal communites and (thankfully) we don't have to live like that any more! And also, this goes against everything we (assume to) know about fitness: do your best to look your best at all times. And that includes staying lean all year round.
Most people fall into this style of training, and that's fine (yours truly was one of those for 2 decades), but I've got news for you: if you really want to ramp up your progress (and I mean ramp it up with any degree of serious progress) you gotta eat! That's why I put myself (and my competitors) on a bulking meal plan in the winter.
This is a toughie for most women to wrap their heads around, but this is the Warrior Athlete's mentality, which I now live by. But understand what I mean by bulking - I am NOT talking about getting fat and adopting the all-you-can-eat mentality that many competitors live by (that's just undisciplined, or maybe they've ruined their metabolism by crash dieting for show. A definate no-no!). I am talking about having an extra 8-12 pounds on you in winter so you are stronger, have better recovery and so you can lift heavier and with more focus! This, ladies, equals better gains. Period.
Here's what I mean: check out a Before and After of me when I altered my training and eating in just one year! CLICK HERE.
See what I mean? It depends on what you want. For me, I want to see this 50+ body change year after year, with more shape, tone and curves. It worked well for my upper body, now I'm focusing on lifting and tightening the glutes and creating fuller legs. I'll keep you posted on my progress! Now, pass me my food......!
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She Did it....with style! |
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Fourteen of us got front row seats to the Sandra Wickham Fall Classic in November to watch friend and fellow athlete Jane Henson in her first-ever Figure Competition. 
It was the biggest show in Canadian history with over 325 competitors gracing the stage.
And when Jane came out, her smile radiated the stage. She was a winner in our hearts! ...
Jane trained hard on a 5-day split, ate well (and plentiful) and we did as little cardio as possible to get her weight down...a whole 26 pounds, and her bodyfat dropped to 11%! She was healthy, natural, drug free (of course) and organic all the way. And for that, she can be super proud! We were!
In a sport marred by drugs, starvation and scary chemical fat burners, we did it my way, our way, the Warrior Woman way - clean, whole, no artificals and with health and integrity intact!
As I prepare for the Provincials next summer, I now have 3 fellow clients training alongside me as I coach them toward the Western's in Kelowna in May. We're all in the trenches together. And I am so thankful to have Sherry, Lynn and Francesca by my side. Onward ladies! Let's ROCK this winter!
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| Top 10 Tips for surviving Xmas |
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Yep, the holidays are upon us, and every Xmas I put out my Top 10 Tips for Surviving the Christmas Holidays.
Honestly, they really do work! And yes, I really do practice them! I have to!
It's waaaayyyy too easy to put the weight back on in no time! And while I'm prepared to enjoy my holidays, I am NOT propared to feel the "Oh *&#*, I did it again" feeling that always happens when we have no plan and everything goes astray! I hate feeling that guilt! No more! So here you go....
Enjoy yourselves, but put parameters around it! (And if you're saying, "Geesh, I don't want to live in denial, I want to enjoy myself," you certainly don't have the athlete's mentality, or desire. Any athlete knows that compromise comes with the territory, but we don't see it as that at all. For us, we do it with joy, because we feel in control and we live from a different place inside our heads. Try it. You might like it!
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| Book corner |
| - Karen McCoy |
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One Rep at a Time
I know no other book that offers a solid training, eating and lifestyle program with this level of sophistication (full videos, workout cards, recipes, menu plans and more) all at your finger-tips.
The best part of my book is the bargain price: the all-in-one 8-Week BLISS Body Makeover Program is FREE! You use a password to access all the workout cards, recipes, lifestyle tips etc. Can't beat that!
Why not give the gift of health this winter...it's available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca and at Tanner's Books in Sidney. It's 1/3 the price of a single training session at the gym, and you get email support from me 24/7!
What have you got to lose (except maybe some post Xmas weight!) Make 2014 your year!
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2014 promises to be the best year yet....! |
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Whoa...lots going on again in the upcoming year.....
Warrior Women Retreat Centre and Fitness Studio - they're pouring the concrete as I write this. Training, workshops, retreats, seminars, competitors training....yay!
10-Week Best Shape of Your Life Challenge is in its 5th year, and we start January 13th, and we're half full already (that was fast)! Come join us. Limited seats! Oh yeah, and every participant gets a a FREE one on one coaching call with me!
And my 12-Week Advanced Challenge starts in January too (for those who have completed the 10-Week Challenge!) For the serious woman wanting serious results! And if you're thinking of competing...this is the program for YOU! (You'll know more than most coaches....guaranteed!)
Join us! We'd love to have you! 
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