Viaggio in Islanda

Nothing prepares you for having a baby.  It is the most overwhelming experience of any new mom.  And the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to return to your pre-baby level of fitness – let’s simply say for most it unfortunately never happens.

Now multiply all those sleepless nights, diapers and pounds gained by six and you begin to understand how amazing Fitness Model, Figure Competitor, and marathon runner Francisca Dennis is.  

“My decision to have such a large family is not a very common thing. I’ve come to expect the shocked and surprised response from people when they ask if my husband and I have children and they hear that we have six.”    

Shortly after having her sixth child, Dennis became officially serious about fitness after completing her first marathon “I knew that I could achieve anything after that.” She says, “I began pushing myself even harder in the gym and educating myself on nutrition. Always one for a challenge and goal setting, I decided that I would try a competition. Placing second at my first show gave me great inspiration to continue.”Dennis’ first show was in October, 2005 at the FAME Halloween Mayhem competition where the 5’7”, 125 lb mother of six competed in the Fitness Model Class and placed second.  Then in May 2006 she placed second again at FAME Centrals. The same month she earned her Pro Card when she finished first at FAME Nationals held in Montreal.    How does one keep up with six kids?  Dennis finds that fitness is not a luxury but a necessity for keeping up with her children and combating the stress of such a busy home and professional life.

 “Maintaining and improving my physique would come second to the feeling of well being that I get from my workouts.  The stresses everyone experiences with our hectic lifestyles can be alleviated by the endorphin rush you get from a good training session.”

And getting back in shape with young children takes flexibility and a little ingenuity.  Dennis would incorporate her running with her children; the youngest ones in a double stroller while the older children biked alongside.  She also took full advantage of her gym’s babysitting service and if that wasn’t possible she’d do exercise videos at home.  

“Things are a lot easier now that my kids aren't babies,” says Dennis, “But I still have to organize my time in such a way that I can get all of my work, running around, meal prep, chauffeuring etc... and still fit in my training.” “Training in the am works best for me. If I'm training for a competition I will do my cardio around 5:30 am before my kids get up... get the crew fed and off to school, and then do my weights for about an hour.” Dennis offers mom’s other organization tips that she has found indispensable. “Writing out a weekly meal plan is a great idea and saves tons of time. It will be easier to stick to a healthy diet and you're much less likely to feel like you'd rather just pick up something "fast"... because this way you have all the stuff that you need at hand and don't have to run out to pick up this or that at the store.  As well, making enough for a couple meals saves time.”  

She also finds – and who doesn’t? – mornings with children can be stressful.  Keeping her ‘to do’ list written down in her day planner she has nicknamed ‘The Brain’, having outfits chosen and lunches made saves time and makes her less stressed.

 “Raising a family, marriage, working, education, hobbies, fitness, don’t have to be things that are mutually exclusive.” she explains, “You can do it, but the key is balance, organization, focus and determination.  Attitude is key, because you have to believe in yourself. Your willingness to be positive (because this is a choice) will affect your outcome."

“Working out, might be the last thing that you want to do right now.  I don’t think you should feel guilty for missing a day, week, or even a month.  It’s the big picture that’s important. If you get off track for too long though, it can be very difficult to start up again.  Sometimes, you do need a break and that’s ok, just remember that if you fall off the training and healthy eating wagon, keep getting back on.”

Dennis’ Weekly Workouts

Cardio:    5 times a week for 45 to 60 minutes

Weights:

• Day 1: chest/biceps
• Day 2: Legs
• Day 3: back/triceps
• Day 4: legs
• Day 5: shoulders/traps 

Weekly Dennis incorporates her favorite exercises:  push-ups, chin-ups, pull-ups, tricep dips, and planks