Summary: Today we have an interview with Roberta Saum, who placed second in the last Venus Index Contest in the Open category. Check out her pictures: Roberta never tried any program specifically designed for look. She was running everyday and lifting in the gym, just following some advice from the guys she knew. Her training plan was pretty similar to a bodybuilding split - chest on Monday, legs on Wednesday and so on. She was doing mostly what the guys were doing, not really thinking about training for a specific shape. She was pretty strong though and over the years she build significant muscle mass. Training combined with running also contributed to pretty good conditioning. However, she wasn't in the shape that she would like. She was stuck and was doing the same stuff day after day and not getting the results she was after - a slim, toned, feminine physique. Venus Index Changed Everything Venus Index is completely different from anything Roberta ever done. Before VI she usually trained for about 30 minutes without any structure that would be getting her towards any specific goal, it was basically lifting to stay fit. This is why she loved the VI workouts, because there is more than one group of muscles trained in every session and it's designed to get you to a specific goal - perfect Venus Index shape. Not having a training plan designed to get you to a specific body shape that is attractive is a pretty common problem and it's more common for women than men. Most women just do cardio and abdominal training while they are at the gym. Then there is a small fraction that lift weights, but it's usually in a manner that doesn't focus on bringing certain muscle groups up and supporting the feminine shape. Only a few women like bikini model competitors actually know how to approach strength training to build a specific looking body. You have to focus on training your body in a way the accentuates your shoulders and hips and minimizes the look of your waist. This requires some thought and variety with your training program, rather than following a male bodybuilder pattern of individual muscle group splits. If you can keep your waist down and work on your hips and shoulders, then you will be moving towards the ideal VI shape. The look is not the only thing you will build with the Venus Index. A interesting 'side effect' that Roberta experienced was a strength and endurance boost. Her running significantly improved since she started training with VI. And while the purpose is the look first and foremost, you will also experience an increase in your strength and conditioning. Roberta also proved that you can do significant work on top of the regular workouts. While she was focusing mainly on building the shape, she didn't give up the running. She still ran 5-6 miles four to five days a week. The combination of running and lifting with VI really worked for Roberta. The only thing that changed was that she no longer puts her running first. Now it always comes second after VI training. It's Okay to Eat Less Food and Feel Slightly Hungry After reading the Eat Stop Eat protocol, Roberta learned to deal with hunger pretty quickly. She started to understand that it's a signal that her body is losing fat and that if she grabbed something to eat like she did before, she would actually be halting her fat burning while her body digested her latest meal. She never had a problem with overeating, but still she never realized how much food she was eating. And that's pretty common. If you don't really watch what you're eating and just go through life 'winging it' on your diet you could end up gaining a few pounds each year, but those few pounds may easily turn into 8, 10 or 15 pounds every couple of years. You see, most people are not obese. The reason for weight gain, is not constant overeating, or medicating with food or some metabolic issue. Most people are perfectly fine.
