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Baseline Profile

Study Start Date:  August 7, 2004

Residence:

 Rhode Island

Age:

24

Occupation:

Lead Therapist

Height:

5'2"

Weight:

138 lbs.

Neck:

n/a

Shoulders:

41"

Chest:

33.5"

Waist:

26"

Bicep:

12"

Thigh:

21.5"

Calf:

14"

Stephanie is a 24 year old lead therapist who began competing in Strongwoman contests last year.  She has weight trained for 3.5 years and is currently preparing for her next competition. 
 

Fitness Goals:

Stephanie notes that she would like to "lean up around her thighs and buttocks".
 

Athletic Achievements:

Placed 2nd in her weight class in the Fall Strength Fest in 2003.
Placed 1st in her weight class in the Battle of the Bad Ass in May 2004.
Placed 1st in her weight class in Rhode Island State Championships in June 2004.
 

Nutrition:

 "I eat lots of protein (chicken, steak, tuna, shrimp, beef jerky, and ground turkey).  I also eat lots of veggies, some carbs, only whole wheat (pasta, breads, bagels, English muffins) and fruit.   I drink skim milk with my cereal, and shakes. I also enjoy celery and peanut butter, and protein bars. I have the occasional junk food too, not very often though, I feel rotten after. I try to eat every 2-4 hours and not too much in between. Usually I take 1-2 protein shakes daily and may have a bar for a small meal."   Stephanie admits to having a weakness for cheese products.
 

Supplementation: 

Optimum Nutrition whey protein shakes 1-2 x daily, and 1000 mg MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) 3x daily, Glucosamine Chondroitin tablets (1500mg Glucosamine, and 1200mg Chondroitin Sulfate Sodium ) 3x daily.
 

Hobbies and Special Interests:

  "I enjoy reading (anything), exercising and swimming.  I also enjoy my job working with children with autism.  I love to take photographs and also do charcoal drawings."
 

Reason for Participating in the Study:

 Stephanie states, "I am interested in ways to increase my performance in the gym, and a natural way to build strength and lose fat.
 

Weightlifting: 

Stephanie relies on working out in the gym to enhance her performance in Strongwoman events.  She works out 5 to 6 times a week (each muscle group three times except for shoulders and squats) for approximately two hours per session.
  

Exercise

Flat Bench Press

Incline Bench Press

Every other chest workout alternates with Decline Bench

Flat Bench Flys

Dumbbell Flat Bench Press

Bent Over Rows with 18 lb. bar and 45 lb chains

Lat Pull Downs

One Arm Dumbbell Rows

One Arm Rows on Low Row Machine (alt. with above)

Deadlifts with trap Bar

Squats

Zercher Squats

Hamstring Leg Curls

Straight Leg Deadlifts

Reverse Forearm Curls

Forearm Curls with Barbell

Roman Chair

Wood Choppers with Medicine Ball

Russian Twists

Decline Situps

Bentover Flys

Seated Cable Laterals

Arnold's Seated

Close Grip Bench with Chains (total weight 45 lbs)

Skull Crushers on Smith Machine with 45 lb chain

One Arm Push Downs on Cable Machine with palms down

One Arm Pulldown on Cable Machine with palms up

21's on Cable Machine

Incline Dumbbell Curls

Concentration Curls

Standing Calf Raises

Health and Fitness Background by Stephanie Luther: 

I have always been very athletic since I was a kid. I taught myself some gymnastics moves and I started tumbling, tap, jazz, and ballet when I was 9. I competed at many competitions, and when I was about 12 I started the more traditional gymnastics at the YMCA. I enjoyed it and also competed for my high school team. I also did volleyball (J. V.) my sophomore year and finished up as varsity the rest of high school.

Then I started getting into swimming. I have been a lifeguard for 8 years and enjoyed it, but I started to teach it too. I have completed a "Save-the-Bay Swim" for 4 years now. It is a 1.7 mile swim in open water. I also got into surfing when I worked at a beach life guarding, and kayaking was fun too.

I have always done light weight training for gymnastics, and started to do it more with my boyfriend. He showed me all I needed to know to do it on my own. This past October I competed in a Strongman contest and only had 3 weeks of training for this event. I ended up in 2nd place, and decided to keep on doing it. It is a great release for me and super motivation to get to the gym. I competed this past May in New York and placed 1st. After 7 months of training I really saw great improvements. In June of this year I had another great contest to compete in. I was the only one in my weight class, and I noticed still more improvements. Especially since not every contest is the same I get to see results with each different event. I am planning on continuing with this and we'll see where it leads me...

As for diet, I basically eat a lot. I eat about every 2-4 hours. Usually a protein shake with skim milk (or if I feel like washing the blender in a real shake with juice and fruit). I eat a lot of protein in my diet as well. Tuna, steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, and beef jerky. I also eat a lot of veggies and moderate fruit through out the day. I do drive a lot for my job so I eat many protein bars because they are convenient. I also take Glucosimine, and MSM for my joints (bad knees and shoulders from gymnastics). I do eat an occasional hamburger from a restaurant with fries. Usually on my day off. If I do have breads they are whole wheat and I keep it to a minimal amount because I feel really full after too much bread.

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