Two weeks ago I attended the Olympia 2008 Convention here in Las Vegas.  What a trip!  It was amazing to watch all the most sought after fitness models strut their stuff.  The Miss Olympia competition was also as entertaining as ever and the bodies are getting leaner and sexier every year.

Whether you are a body building fan or not – a lot can be said for the discipline and endurance of these athletes to get into competition ready shape.

I was fortunate enough to meet one of my favorite fitness models Jamie Eason in person at the convention.  I’ll let you in on a little secret; since the beginning of this year she has been my inspiration to keep working hard towards my personal goal to get in my best shape ever.

I have always found it a great help to find a role model, someone I admire to keep me inspired. So meeting Jamie was a really big deal for me.

Vanessa meets Jamie Eason at Olympia convention

It was a delight to talk to her and she is so down to earth and lovely… a woman with real Pizzazz! Now here is a girl with class and a body to die for:)

Jamie’s shared some secrets with regards to staying in shape:

- Sleeping too little can make you gain weight, but so can sleeping too much.  Make sure you get 7 or 8 hours sleep every night.

- After a tough strength training workout you need to eat both carbs and lean protein for muscle recovery. good choice? A nutritious meal replacement high protein drink, or maybe an apple and some low fat cottage cheese.

- Toss your scale away. Muscle cells are more dense than fat cells so as you begin working out and building muscle tone, you might not necessarily lose pounds but your inches will decrease and suddenly even though the scale has not moved, your clothes will fit better and you’ll look healthier and thinner.

Here is an example of Jamie’s daily food schedule:

• 6:00 a.m. “Half a cup of oatmeal and five egg whites with chopped bell peppers and onions.”

• 9:00 a.m. “Turkey meatloaf and one rice cake with two tablespoons of cinnamon cottage cheese on top.”

• 12:00 p.m. “Five ounces of stir-fried chicken with half a cup of brown rice and steamed veggies.”

• 3:00 p.m. “Two corn tortillas topped with black beans, pepper, onions and five ounces of grilled chicken.”

• 6:00 p.m. “Turkey meatloaf with a four-ounce sweet potato and one cup of steamed broccoli.”

• 9:00 p.m. “Six boiled egg whites, cut in half and stuffed with water-packed canned tuna (mixed with celery, onions, mustard and spices). Plus, one toffuti pop.”

Jamie Eason at Olympia convention in Las Vegas 2008

Jamie Eason’s weekly training schedule:

(as published in Oxygen magazine)

Monday: Heavy Upper Body

“The reps are low on these because I go as heavy as possible to build muscle,” she says.

1) Barbell Bench Press: 6 sets, 3 reps
2) T-Bar Row: 6 sets, 3 reps
3) Standing Barbell Shoulder Press: 5 sets of 5 reps
4) Pull-ups: 5 sets, 5 reps (“You may want to use an assisted pull-up machine or do pull-downs if you’re not yet strong enough to do pull-ups with your bodyweight,” she suggests.)
5) Skull Crusher: 3 sets, 5 reps
6) Barbell Curl: 3 sets, 5 reps

Tuesday: Light Lower Body and Abs, plus Cardio

“I do higher reps with lighter weights on Tuesdays to help carve the muscles,” Jamie says, “but I only give myself a minute rest in between sets to maintain an elevated heart rate.”

1) Unilateral Leg Press: 3 sets, 15-20 reps
2) Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets, 15-20 reps
3) Dumbbell Walking Lunge: 2 sets, 30 reps
4) Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets, 20 reps
5) Crunch: 3 sets until failure

Cardio “I do plyometrics or 30-second sprints at 9 mph on the treadmill,” she says.

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Light Upper Body

“I do higher reps with lighter weights, and only a minute rest in between,” says Jamie.

1) Incline Barbell Press: 3 sets, 15 reps
2) DB Row: 3 sets, 15 reps
3) DB Lateral Raise: 3 sets, 1 rep
4) Pull-down to the front: 3 sets, 15 reps
5) Preacher Curl: 2 sets, 15 reps
6) Overhead DB extension: 2 sets, 15 reps Cardio: Plyometrics or 30-second sprints at 9 mph on the treadmill

Friday: Heavy Lower Body and Abs

“Here’s where I do low reps with heavier weight to build strength,” Jamie says.

1) Barbell Squat: 6 sets, 4 reps
2) Rack Deadlift: 1 set, 8 reps; 1 set, 6 reps; 1 set, 4 reps; 1 set, 2 reps
3) Dumbbell Stiff-legged Deadlift: 3 sets, 6 reps
4) Standing Calf Raise: 5 sets, 5 reps 5) Hanging Leg Raise: 3 sets, 8 reps

Saturday: Cardio (Running or Stepmill)

Sunday: Off