My Amazing Week at the Arnold Classic!

Wow…..the Arnold!! I don’t even know where to begin! What an amazing life experience for any fitness enthusiast! I’ve never in my life been wrapped up in so much positive energy and been in the company of so many fit and incredible people! It seems like yesterday I was thinking….”This is the biggest fitness show in the world and I get the opportunity to compete in it!”

I must say the journey from January to the moment I stepped on the stage was totally worth it. In 8 short focused weeks, I trained the hardest I have ever trained; sprinting, weights, boxing, power lifting and plyometrics until I could no longer stand, determined to bring my best physique so far. Time literally flew by and before I knew it, I was on a plane bound with my many suitcases and bagged chicken and steak for Columbus Ohio.

After a quick and safe flight and suit cases in tow, I was kindly greeted by Amir Marandi, one of the top photographers in the industry who has shot with fitness stars such as Jamie Eason, Jen Cook and Natalie Hunt, just to name a few. I was so excited to exclusively shoot with Amir before the Arnold had even started. We ended up shooting for 4 hours and wrapped up fairly late around 11pm, man was I so tired but it was totally worth it! I can’t wait to see the photos, he is an absolute genius!

Considering my shoot ran so late, I spent most of Wednesday resting and trying to fend off a nasty throat infection that’s been lingering for many days now. The day seemed to fly by and before I knew it, I woke up and it was show time!

I was not nervous or anxious at all, just excited and ready to hit the stage! My morning started quite glamorously with a Jan Tana airbrush tan. One of the known facts about competing is that you have to be DARK…DARK…DARK…in order to reveal your hard earned muscles. The tan is one of the most important aesthetics a competitor must pay special attention to. Deciding on who does your tan is equally important. They must be familiar with the color required for the stage and they must be experts at applying the product. Jan Tana is the best in the industry and is even used by the cast of Dancing with the Stars! I had the opportunity to meet the one and only Jan Tana, she is one of the sweetest people I have ever met!

Once I was airbrushed, fan dried and re-clothed (not to mention now freezing!!), I made my next stop at hair and make-up. Getting my hair and make up done is one of the most fun parts of getting ready for a show and also one of the most important! Make-up MUST be flawless and hair perfect before hitting the stage. I never trust just anyone and I always hire the best in the business as I do not want my months of dedicated training go to waste because of overall presentation - very important!! I was fortunate to have the beautiful Elaine Goodlad do my make-up. What a beautiful person inside and out! We hit it off right away since we are both Canadians and former farm girls! With in minutes, Elaine transformed me with her amazing creativity….awesome!!!!

Make-up looking perfect, tanned perfectly air brushed and now rocking big Texan hair, I was ready! Now….the wait until stage time. Back stage was pleasantly relaxed and organized. There must have been about a hundred of us back there, primping, teasing, touching up, gluing suits, adding shimmer, posing, practicing, munching on dry rice cakes and of course meeting new friends. It seemed like seconds went by and it was stage time! I took a quite moment with my trainer (the incredible Andre!) pumped up, took a few photos and a quick good luck hug before heading out to the stage.

Wow….it seems like yesterday I was waiting ever so patiently for this moment and here it was! I was visualizing over and over in my mind; walk tall, chest out, swing those hips, shoulders back and SMILE!!!! After months of intense training this was the easy and fun part! As I took the stage, I heard many screaming voices from my friends and family who traveled all the way to Ohio to watch. It felt like a big warm hug and it made me smile even more. I was calm, I took my time, I worked the stage and before I knew it we were done!

Months and months of training, practice and sacrifice go into this sport for only minutes on the stage so it has to be bang on! I felt confident, I came in with my best physique overall and the journey was all worth it. I was up against 100 competitors from all over the world and I was proud to say that I competed at the Arnold Amateur for the first time, that is an experience and goal I have accomplished! Now…the question…. is this my last show? Maybe….I just never say never!

Please take a moment to check out all my photos from the Arnold Amateur Bikini and all my friends from the Expo!

I would also like to thank all my friends who drove to Ohio to cheer me on as well as my husband Brian for all his positive support and love. A huge thanks to my awesome trainer Andre Rzazewski and my marketing mentor Nancy Dinino. As well as Jan Tana for the perfect air brushed tan and Elaine Goodlad for the beautiful make-up. You guys are the best!!!

Remember…If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it. Dreams are so important!

To view more photos please see the gallery section of my new website...
http://karengallagher.ca/gallery.html

One More Sleep Until the Biggest Show Ever!!

One more sleep and it is time to ROCK!! I still can not believe that I’m here at the world famous Arnold Classic!

After landing in Columbus I headed out for my first shoot with the amazing Amir Marandi. After spending over 2 hours in traffic (ARGH!), due to an unfortunate accident we finally started shooting around 8 PM making for a very late shoot of 11 PM! After getting up at 5 AM and traveling all day it made for a really long day however every moment was worth it! Amir was incredible to shoot with, very creative and a true professional and expert, I can’t wait to see the photos!

Needless to say, I have spent the most part of the day resting and prepping for tomorrow night’s big show. I’m really looking forward to seeing all my friends and family who are coming to support and cheer me on. I am in complete awe that so many are making the trip, you guys are the best!!

Off to pick up veggies, non-salted almond butter (YUM!!!), rice cakes and gallons of distilled water for the big day!

Karen
xo

Tracy's Story

I woke up on November 9th, 2009 and I decided that I didn’t like what I saw anymore. I am 131 lbs; 1lb shy of being the same weight I was when I gave birth to my first born 18 years ago. I realized that every day that I woke up I wanted TODAY to be the day that I really started to get healthy. I had just what you have....intention, but intention wasn’t enough to get me to the gym. I needed a commitment. For me, everything has to be big. I couldn’t just say I needed to lose 10 lbs. Instead, I walked into Karen’s personal studio and said, “I’m going to compete in a fitness show, and I want to win”.

My journey began with my own small thinking that I can’t work out like those girls. I can’t eat like those girls. Instead of listening to my own small talk rattling around in my head, I started sharing my dream with everyone that I know. I began to set target goals. How much did I want to weigh? What size waist would I have? How many inches did I have to lose on my hips? How many times a week did I need to do cardio? How many times did I need to lift weights? What did I have to eat? What supplements did I need to take? Most of those questions were easy because Karen helped me set my goals, but Karen doesn’t make my lunches, and she can’t possibly know if I skipped the gym...but I know, and the results would eventually begin to show. Funny thing about commitment, once you make it your life is never the same.

Before commitment, I use to let my mind rule my body. I would get on the treadmill and talk myself out of doing the full program before I even got on the machine. I used every excuse. I’m too tired. I have too much to do. I can’t do it. I can’t work out like those girls. They have more time than I do. Now my strong mindset and determination to be the best that I can be overrules my small thinking. I think big. I think like an athlete. I can do 60 minutes of cardio. I can remember to take all my supplements. I hate to cook but I’m doing it because I love my new body.

Commitment changed my life. The discipline that I have for making lunches and getting to the gym twice a day has started to pay off. I’m seeing incredible results. My workouts with Karen are more intense and I’m getting stronger every day. I’ve lost 14lbs and the results are absolutely outstanding. I feel sexy, full of life, and energized.

I’m 41 and I have the best body of my life. You can too...with a little bit of intention and a whole lot of commitment. Maybe your commitment isn’t about competing....maybe you just want a better you! Whatever your reason, don’t let your small thinking get in the way of creating a new you. Pump up the volume on your Ipod, and when you want to quit...don’t....think big instead!
Check back with me at the end of February and follow me as I get geared up for the April 10th Ultimate Fitness Event, in Mississauga.

Tracy

Vote Karen as Next Status Fitness Model!

I Need your Votes Please!!!

It would be an absolute honor to grace the cover of Status! It is my passion to inspire people of all fitness levels to improve their life expectancy, lose or maintain their weight, build and tone strong beautiful muscles, and improve their overall wellness and self esteem. Being on the cover of one of the best magazines in the business would be a great opportunity to inspire all fitness enthusiasts!!!


The voting is simple;

1. Click on this link http://statusfitnessmagazine.com/karen-riedel-gallagher
2. Create a login account (it is very easy and it requires no personal information)
3. Then simply vote 5 times per day!

Thank-you for all your support!! Lets keep me on the first page!!!

Fit 4 Her Re launches New Website!!

Hey Everyone!!!
My new Website has finally arrived! Check it out!!!

www.karengallagher.ca


Please take a few moments to sit back and relax while exploring through the stories of my clients, fitness and nutritional tips, news and of course all new photos of your trainer KRG!


As well this would be a great opportunity to sign up for my up to date newsletters, blog and YouTube! I will be updating these on a regular basis with tips and news, client transformations and their reality monthly stories, also you can follow my reality series as I prepare for shows, my KRG Booty camps, and to simply see what is going on in my world!



For photo updates check out my new MySpace page..

http://www.myspace.com/karengallagher



Keep checking back on a regular basis as we are still adding to it!

Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

Makes 6 pancakes

Ingredients:

6 Egg whites
½ cup low fat cottage cheese
1 scoop Protein powder
½ cup Oatmeal (Dry)
¼ cup Wheat Germ
¼ cup Flax seed
1 tsp Baking powder
1 Tbsp Canola Oil
½ tsp Cinnamon
Cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients except beaten egg whites in a food processor and blend until mixture is uniform.
2. Pour blended ingredients into a bowl and add the egg whites. Fold until blended.
3. Prepare a griddle with cooking spray. Ladle pancake mixture onto griddle and cook until both sides are browned.
4. Top pancakes with fresh berries or with sugar free applesauce.


Nutritional Value Per 2 pancakes Serving:

Calories 283
Protein 21 g
Carbs 24 g
Fiber 4.5 g
Fat 10.5 g

Chicken and Black Bean Salad

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cup diced tomato
½ cup diced red onions
¼ cup chopped fresh coriander

Dressing:
2 tablespoons lime juice
1-tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon each, ground cumin and sugar
¼ teaspoon each, salt and black pepper

Instructions:
Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
Pour dressing over bean mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrients per Serving:
273 calories, 7.7g fat, 20g carbohydrates, 26.6g protein,