To prepare for the Mrs. Colorado Pageant, Christina worked out three times a week with Trainer Ray Khan to the Kick-fit Workout available at www.Amazon.com.  Below is an example of a simple step-by-step workout that Christina followed to achieve her amazing results.

WARM UP

Light boxing using focus mitt drills and a heavy bag.

Whole body exercise routine

The entire routine sculpts and tones the chest, shoulders, triceps, legs and back.

-- Chest Press on Ball

Perform three (3) sets of decreasing repetitions and increasing weight. For example:
Set#1: 30 reps with 12 lbs.
Set#2: 20 reps with 15 lbs.
Set#3: 10 reps with 20 lbs.

-- Bench Press on the Ball

Sit on the ball and walk forward until your back, neck and shoulders are supported and the hips are up. Hold the dumbbells at ninety degrees in line with the shoulders. Press the dumbbells straight up and together for maximum contraction. Slowly lower the weights back to the start position and press back up. Tighten the glutes and abdominals throughout the entire motion. Repeat for desired amount of reps.

-- Chest Flys

To really bring out maximum definition in the upper chest region and deltoids, Christina did chest flys with her bench press exercise.

Lay on the ball, neck and shoulders supported, keeping the glutes engaged and hips high at all times. Start with the elbows just past the shoulders as if you were about to hug a tree. Move the dumbbells upward in an arcing motion as if you were hugging the tree. Maintain this hugging position as you retract your arms slowly to the start position.

-- Shoulders

While sitting on an exercise ball, maintain a straight spine and engage your abdominals. Hold the weights at shoulder height. Press the weights straight up and over the head. Pause at the top and return slowly to the start position. This exercise works the entire shoulder girdle and will add some nice definition to the top of the shoulders which is visible when you wear an off the shoulder dress. Repeat for the desired repetitions.

-- Triceps

The upper and back part of the arms that most people would rather not be waving can be tightened and toned with a simple exercise known as a kickback. Using the ball for support engages more of the core and makes you work harder which increases your overall definition.

Place one arm on the ball. The leg on the same side is used for support. Perform the exercise by keeping the elbow close to the body with the arm at ninety degrees. From the start position, squeeze the top of the arm hard as you extend the arm rearward toward the feet of the extended leg. Slowly return to the start position and repeat for the desired amount of repetitions. (To work the glutes and hamstrings simultaneously, the opposite leg is extended and held in the air in line with the spine for the duration of the movement.)

-- Legs

-- Squat and Front Kick

-- Squat and Side Kick/Lunges/Donkey Kicks from the Floor

This is a great circuit for really toning and tightening the glutes. It can be done as indicated. If you are a beginner, you can just do one complete set of the four (4) exercises for 10 repetitions.

The squat and kicks hammer the glutes from a variety of angles and the side kick is the champion for getting rid of saddlebags. This kick really got rid of a problem area for Christina. As a result, Christina not only has a tight butt that most mom’s would envy, but she can defend herself with a good side kick to the knee that could cause severe injuries to any attacker.

The movement starts with a squat. If you are kicking with the right foot, pull the left foot toward the right, turning the heel perpendicular or placing it in the direction of the kick or a ‘T’ position for the start position. From there pull the knee up keeping it parallel to the floor. Once it is in line with your hips, extend the leg away from the body toward the target. If you do not have a punching bag, you can do this move lightly in the air or lightly tap a wall or a tree with the bottom of your protected foot.

-- Squat and Front Kick

Lower the hips to the knees and stand back up. Pull the knee upward until past your hips. While maintaining your balance on the support leg and keeping the abdominals tight, extend the leg with a thrusting motion away from your body. Pull the knee back in place. The foot goes down shoulder width apart. Now squat. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.

-- Lunges

From a standing position, step forward and lower the rear knee to the floor. Make sure that your front knee does not go over your toes. Now step up, feet together. As you step forward, repeat the motion on the other leg. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions. This movement can be done with or without weights. As you perform this exercise, you can add front raises, lateral raises, and bicep curls.

-- Donkey Kicks Without Extension

Assume a crawling start position or down on all fours with your weight evenly distributed across all six points - hands, knees and feet. Now evenly distribute the load over four points and lift one leg up while maintaining a ninety-degree bend in the leg. Move the knee upward until it is in line with the hips, then a little more while keeping the bend in the leg consistent. Return to the start position and repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.

This is a great whole body workout if you are training for a competition or if you are a stay at home mom trying to get back into your swimsuit. It is tough and requires hard work. Christina supplemented this exercise program by doing plyometrics, such as bends and thrusts and running on the days between workouts. She also gave herself one day of rest and she permitted herself to eat whatever she wanted on that day until the week of her competition.

CHRISTINA’S Diet

Christina cut out all simple carbohydrates after lunch. The day before the final judging for Mrs. Colorado, Christina eliminated them from her diet. A little extreme you might think but not if your goal is to win!

The Week Before Competition

- Breakfast: Coffee, scrambled eggs, and toast

- Snack: Fruit

- Lunch: Sushi and water

- Snack: None; water

- Dinner: Grilled chicken, fish or steak & salad

Day of Competition

- Breakfast: Oatmeal and water

- Supplements: Vitamin C, iron, and a multi-vitamin

For more information on supplements, go to www.bodybuilding.com.