Warning: Emmanuela Pintus is an advanced competitor
with many years of training experience. The following "Training Tips" section is
only for education and entertainment. Before you begin any type of exercise program,
please consult your physician. We cannot be held responsible for any injury that may come
about as a result of this or any other advice.
Questions can be sent to askemmanuela@bodybuildinglive.com and
will be answered online in this section.
November 2005
Bodybuilding to figure?
Noooo. I just found out you were switching to figure. You
are so beautiful as you are. Please don't change.
Jens V.
Hey thanks, that's very sweet of you, but I've already
done three figure shows in the past year. It's funny, though, I switched to figure with
the intention of getting smaller and leaner, but I've gotten bigger and leaner -- not
neccessarily a bad thing, but not good for figure. I still think about doing bodybuilding
again. We'll see.
Thanks again!
Emmanuela
Emmanuela's off-season, and more
Hi!
I have a quick question for you. When you are off-season,
do you still do cardio and do you allow yourself to gain quite a bit of weight, or do you
stay pretty lean all year round? What does your off-season diet consist of? And how about
your diet when you get ready for a show?
Julie L.
Hi!
Well, I've changed my off-season habits over the years.
I've found that the older I get, the harder it is to lose the extra weight. So, now I do
allow myself extras, like two whole eggs instead of six egg whites, fruit (apples, pears),
a couple vodka-sodas if I go out for an evening, etc. I do cheat, maybe once a week -- I
have chicken wings and fries or something, but I try not to go overboard with it.
I do about 20-30 minutes of cardio four times per week,
and practice yoga five to six times per week. Weight training stays the same: five times
per week.
When training for a show, I start about ten weeks out.
I gradually work my way up from two 30-minute cardio sessions to two 60-minute cardio
sessions a day, six times a week. The diet is pretty strict: no extra snacks, lots of
protein, very little carbs.
Dieting has always been the hardest part for me, as I'm
sure it is for most people. I usually make and freeze single-serving meals of chicken or
fish and vegetables. It makes dieting a lot easier to handle. For the carbs I use oatmeal
or sweet potatoes, and then I just see how I look and feel day to day to determine how
much I need.
If you have any more questions, please let me know!
Emmanuela
