Brains & Biceps by Laura Kline

Brains & Biceps

A Column By Laura Kline, BSN-RN and future NPC Figure Competitor

3 Days Out

Well hello there from prep-land! Long time no write and I do apologize; my schedule seemed to fill up pretty quickly and kept me just a little bit busy! I felt like this would be a great time to start up my column again on Jason’s astonishing and award-winning blog and share a little insight about the many experiences and lessons I have lived in the past few months of my prep.

In the beginning, there was work… work…. and more work. Then a little bit of rest. I am an on the go kind of girl not just with my nursing career and training lifestyle but also at home! With my nursing career I am attempting to make the transition out of the department I am in now into a clinic that is literally a bike’s ride away from home, wouldn’t that be amazing! At home I completely remodeled my apartment into something quite aesthetically appealing with fine lines and soft touches and I am loving it. This is still a work in progress. When it comes to training, this portion of my life continues to teach me a new lesson everyday. Whether it is trying to lower body fat, build my little shoulders or just stay awake long enough to finish off my cardio for the day, I am grinding away making every attempt to progress.

Lesson number one, be patient!! I had so many people come up to me at work months after I had lost weight and ask me how I did it so quickly. All I could think was, really? I had been training so hard all along and talking about it but it was not until I became super lean that anybody noticed. It is a gradual process and there is no rushing it, and if you do rush it then you are doing something wrong and the results will not last. This can be applied to anything from painting a wall to being in a relationship too! If you have to question something that you are about to do, then do NOT do it! I actually was reminded of this today believe it or not. Think it through first and the answers will come to you after some good old TIME!

Lesson number two, karma. If you do something wrong and you know you have, the best thing to do would be own up to it and apologize! Even if the other person or people do not want to hear your apologies at that time it isn’t a bad idea to get it out there. In the battle of good and evil, good will always shine through and triumph over evil. If someone does something wrong to you however, this is not an invitation to reciprocate but rather for you to hold back, patience your heart and allow them to learn their lesson. When there’s that person next to you on a piece of cardio equipment eye-balling you or trying to interrupt your tough work, just focus your energy elsewhere and finish the job at hand!!

Okay okay, enough of this lesson business! I am no master, I have just learned a lot and want to share it with everyone else! That’s my last point, give back, don‘t let that ego work you into a hole! I have noticed that when you stay within your boundaries yet make an effort to give back and be open to new trains of thought you get this awesome feeling inside and a bit excited. Is there someone at the gym that always is telling you how much of inspiration you are to them? Have you ever thought to do or to purchase something for them to help them along in their goals? I have a girl at work that has been supportive of me during this whole process and so I went out, bought her a diary and Tosca Reno’s book “The Eat Clean Diet,” and when I brought it to her she was so happy and it was a really special moment. That feeling is priceless.

I hope that these few experiences of mine will help you along in your prep or new lifestyle choices. Remember to believe in yourself, set your boundaries, keep a patient heart and CHARGE ON!