Warrior Athlete
By Steve Colescott
Body Musle Journal Volume 6
Tracy Beckham is not disciplined! Speaking to
her, I realized that she does not even understand
what discipline is, at least not in the conventional
sense of the word. In fact, the very concept seems
alien to her way of thinking.
Tracy Beckham has a warrior mentality.
To a warrior athlete, the only goal is
to win — to win onstage and to win
her daily battles against the
weights. For Tracy, discipline is
not a consideration.
Discipline is only required
for one to complete a task
they do not wish to do.
She neither wishes nor
feels the need to spur
herself to do what
must be done. She is
a results-driven pragmatist
and her impressive
physique, as well as
her numerous titles, speak for her
accomplishments.
At forty-two years of age, it is not quite accurate
to say Tracy has the body of a woman
half her age. It is more accurate to say
that she has a body that women half
her age wish they had. This was built
from a strong athletic base and
seventeen years of competitive
bodybuilding. In 1986, she won
the Alberta (Canada) middleweight
championships. Two
weeks later, she placed sixth as
a middleweight in the 1986 Western
Canadian championships. She competed on
the Canadian team (one of four members) in
the 1987 International Championships (once
a high-level IFBB show). The contest took
place in Hawaii and Tracy placed fourth in
the heavyweight class.
Tracy moved to the United States in
1994, but took some time off from
competition. She reemerged at
the 1996 Derby Show, winning
the middleweight and overall
championships. She followed
this up with a second
in the heavyweight class at
the 1996 Battle of the
Champions. At the
1999 Kentucky, she
received secondplace
in the heavyweight
class. In
2002, she won the
overall in the
Kentucky masters
and was again second
place in the heavyweight
in the open portion of that contest.
She recently planned to compete in the
Master’s Nationals but was heart-broken to
learn that her U.S. citizenship (which is a
requirement to compete in a National-level event)
was not going to be completed in time.
In order to salvage some of her efforts her
boyfriend John and training partner Kevin Corlett
encouraged Tracy to enter the Caveman
Classic, a very tough Midwest regional show
held close to her original contest’s date. She
swept the show, winning the middleweight class,
the masters division and the overall title. National level
competition would have to wait until 2004.
At the 2003 NPC
Caveman Classic,
Tracy swept the
show – winning
the middleweight
class, the masters
division and
the overall title.
|
Tracy believes in a "return to basics" for women’s
bodybuilding. The level of musculature shown at the elite
levels has caused a lack of femininity. She believes that
there is a definite point in which any additional muscle
would destroy the natural lines of a female bodybuilder.
The top professional women have all crossed this
threshold and Tracy is concerned as this trickles down to
the local level. She is fortunate that she possesses the
natural aesthetics and conditioning to still win or place
well against some of the "extremists of mass" that she
competes against.
Her training takes place at Gold’s Gym and Fitness in
Middletown (near Louisville, Kentucky). She trains five
days a week, with Wednesday and Fridays off. How
strict is she with this schedule? I spoke to her the day
after Thanksgiving and she expressed annoyance that
her gym had been closed for her normal Thursday workout.
"I do very little cardio," Tracy says. "Just three times
a week for twenty minutes of high intensity interval training
on the treadmill or Precor machine." She relies mainly
on her clean diet to keep lean.
Tracy plans her shows up to a year in advance, allowing herself
to fully prepare for the goal at hand. "The more time the better,"
she says, "especially if I need to put size on for the next show. I
am very goal oriented when it comes to bodybuilding. When I
have a contest in mind – my focus is training and dieting hard to
win that contest." This explains her impressive collection of championship
trophies.
Tracy’s first contact with Beverly was in February of 1996. She
contacted them for assistance getting ready for the Derby City
Bodybuilding contest (in which she won the overall after a nineyear
absence from the competition stage). "I have used Beverly
products ever since because I truly believe in them and know
what a difference the products have made in my physique." Her
loyalty to the Beverly product line is absolute. "Why try something
else when I have amazing results with Beverly? I also like the fact
that I can call someone at Beverly and get help at anytime knowing
that their staff is knowledgeable and made up of competitive
bodybuilders."
As for future goals, Tracy Beckham intends, "To compete at the
Junior Nationals and Master’s Nationals in 2004 and to place in
the top ten (okay, top five!!) – naturally, using only Beverly products
and hard work!!!" With her "warrior athlete" mentality and
genetically-blessed feminine beauty, how can she miss?
Tracy Beckham’s Warrior Training
Tracy trains for a contest using a 4-day split routine with
Wednesday and Friday’s off. It works out that each body part is
trained every fifth day.
Day 1: Chest/Triceps
Day 2: Back/Biceps/Rear Delts |
Day 3: Legs/Calves
Day 4: Shoulders |
| DAY 1 |
Sets |
Reps |
Weight |
| Chest |
|
|
|
| Flat or Incline Barbell Press |
|
|
|
| Warm up sets: |
2 |
12 |
95 |
| Work sets: |
5 |
10/8/6/5/4-5 |
125-145 |
| Incline DB Presses |
5 |
8-10 |
45-50 |
| Flat or Incline DB Flyes |
5 |
10-12 |
35 |
| |
|
|
|
| Cable Crossovers |
3-4 |
10-12 |
40 |
| Triceps |
|
|
|
| Close Grip Presses |
5 |
8-10 |
95-115 |
| Pushdowns |
5 |
10 |
120-130 |
| Machine Extensions |
5 |
8-10 |
75-80 |
| Bodyweight Dips |
3 |
8-10 |
- |
| |
|
|
|
| DAY 2 |
|
|
|
| Back |
|
|
|
| Pullups – Wide or V grip |
4 |
8-10 |
|
| Wide or Close Pulldowns |
5 |
8-10 |
120-130 |
| Wide or Close Pulldowns |
5 |
8-10 |
120-130 |
| One Arm DB Rows |
4 |
8-10 |
45 |
| DB Pullovers |
5 |
8-10 |
50-55 |
| |
|
|
|
| * I do not always start with Pullups – usually every other workout. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DB Shrugs |
4 |
10-12 |
45 |
| DB Incline Rear Delt Flyes |
3 |
12 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
| Calves (Heavy Day) |
Machine Calf Presses |
5 |
15 |
| Leg Press Calf Presses |
5 |
15 |
|
| Standing Bodyweight Raises |
4 |
25 |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Biceps |
|
|
|
| Barbell Curls |
5 |
8-10 |
65-75 |
| Incline Alternating DB Curls |
4 |
8-10 |
25-30 |
| Standing DB Curls |
4 |
8 |
25-30 |
| |
|
|
|
| DAY 3 |
Legs/Calves |
|
|
| DB Squats |
4 |
10-12 |
25-30 |
| Leg Presses |
6 |
15-10 |
360 |
| (The last set is a drop-set) |
|
|
|
| Leg Extensions |
6 |
8-10 |
80-100 |
| Ham Curls |
6 |
10-8 |
80-100 |
| Walking Lunges |
4-6 times across room |
15-20 |
|
| DB Step Ups |
2 |
15 |
20 |
| |
|
|
|
* Every other workout Tracy supersets Leg Extensions with
Ham Curls for extra intensity. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| Calves (Light Day) |
|
|
|
| Supersets: |
|
|
|
| Machine Calf Press |
5 |
15-20 |
100 |
| Standing Calf Raises (bodyweight only) |
5 |
25 |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Day 4 |
|
|
|
| Shoulders |
|
|
|
| DB Seated Overhead Presses |
4 |
8-10 |
30-35 |
| E-Z Curl Bar Upright Rows |
4 |
8 |
60-70 |
| Down the Rack Side Raises |
3-4 |
8/8/8 |
20/15/12 |
| DB Incline Rear Delt Flyes |
4 |
10-8 |
15 |
|
|
|
|
| Cardio: 4 times week of 25 minutes High Intensity Interval |
Training on the Elliptical Machine |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| Abs: 4 times per week minimum |
|
|
|
| Hanging Ab Crunches |
4 |
15-20 |
|
| Machine Crunches |
4-5 |
15 |
|
| Various Floor Exercises |
|
100-150 |
|
Tracy’s Warrior Diet
Meal #1
5 egg whites
3 oz. 93% lean beef
1/2 cup oatmeal
4 Ultra 40, 4 Mass Aminos, and 2 Lean Out
2 Flax Oil caps, 1 EPO capsule
1 Super Pak
Meal #2
Protein: 2 scoops Muscle Provider, ½ scoop 100% Egg,
4 strawberries and 12 oz. water
or...
6 oz. chicken breast, 1 tomato
4 Ultra 40, 4 Mass Aminos, and 2 Lean Out
Meal #3
8 oz. chicken (before cooking)
6 oz. sweet potato or 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1-cup vegetables (broccoli, etc.) or salad with 2
TBS Low Cal Dressing
4 Ultra 40, 4 Mass Aminos, and 2 Lean Out
2 Flax Oil caps, 1 EPO capsule
Meal #4
Same as Meal #2
Meal #5
8 oz. 93% lean beef, chicken, turkey or fish
2 cups vegetables
4 Ultra 40, 4 Mass Aminos, and 2 Lean Out
2 Flax Oil caps, 1 EPO capsule
Mondays and Thursdays
In place of Meal #5
1 cup cooked brown rice or oatmeal
8 oz. sweet potato
1-cup vegetables
1 banana
1 TBS butter or oil
Other Supplements:
• 4
GH Factor, 1500 mg L- Tyrosine
three times daily on an empty
stomach
• Bev ZMA – 2 capsules before bed
on empty stomach
• 18
Muscle Mass BCAA’s during
each training session to preserve
lean mass while dieting.
