Showing posts with label bikini competition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bikini competition. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

How To Find A Good Online Coach For Bikini Competitions



Hiring a coach to help you prepare for a competition online has become the new norm. There are tons of coaches who extend their services online. But how can you find the best one for you?

Meeting my online client and now friend, Dawn for a workout.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Bikini Competitor Success Secret #3 - Attitude is Everything

Athletes are champions in the making. 
     

       Competing in a Bikini competition is a common goal that many women set for themselves when they decide that they want to make a big transformation with their bodies.  Competing has its rewards (read about them in an earlier article I wrote HERE) but it is not the best goal for every woman.  Why?

          Committing to not only competing but also to the process of preparing yourself for the stage requires a certain attitude.  This attitude, which I will get into more specifically in a moment, is often the game changer for many, many women.  It separates those who succeed in the long run from those that do not.  There are three distinct attitudes that I have noticed since I started my career in Bikini back in 2010:

          (1) the Wannabes, (2) the Dreamers, and (3) the Champions.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Bikini Competitor Success Secret #2 - Be a Minimalist



          My next secret to successfully competing in a Bikini competition is to use a minimalist approach.  First, let’s cut straight to the chase and define what constitutes a minimalist approach:

          The minimalist approach = Getting the most results possible (body fat loss, muscle gain) from your training by doing the least amount of exercise and “dieting” possible.

          You, like most women, may be thinking, “Wait. Say, what?!?  Don’t I need to train in “beast mode” to get that shredded bikini physique?  Are you telling me there is a shortcut?”

          No, there are no shortcuts.  What I am suggesting is a more intelligent approach that allows the final competition prep “beast mode” phase of training to be shorter, more intense, and much more effective in removing that last bit of stubborn body fat that separates first from last place.

          Many women who decide that they want to compete in a Bikini competition (or not compete but attain a bikini competitor like-body) tend to go all out as soon as they commit to competing.  Many women have the mindset of an “all or nothing” approach and immediately restrict their food intake and hit the gym every day for 2+ plus hours with the idea that “I am going to sweat this fat off!”   They also tend to research Pro competitor’s pre-competition training programs and copy what they do for their own prep instead of what they actually need.  I truly applaud you for your mental toughness and determination to succeed but what if I told you that this approach can be dangerous and, in fact, counterproductive to getting that bikini body?

          The minimalist approach is taking on the total opposite mindset.  The true minimalist seeks out the least amount of training stress possible to achieve the most amount of results.  Then, when the results start to plateau, the minimalist gradually manipulates variables (i.e. training, nutrition, recovery) to keep the results coming.  It’s not about being lazy, it’s about being smart and taking a sustainable, more effective approach.


          Not a believer?

          Consider this:

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Bikini Competitor Success Secret #1 - Build a Foundation

    



          Congratulations on deciding to compete in a Bikini competition!  I am so happy that you discovered my blog because I want to help you not only accomplish your goal, but also dodge the bullet of ruining your health and missing out on your full potential in the process. 

          The successful competitors you have witnessed compete in the physique world for years (or any sport for that matter) have one thing in common; they built a solid foundation before “cutting” or peaking for any competition.   All of these competitors have either come from an intensive athletic background, such as track or gymnastics, or have paid their dues in the gym lifting iron.  Because of this time they have built sufficient muscle, body awareness, baseline conditioning, structured eating habits, and experience with “periodization.”

          Periodization is a strategy professional level athletes use to cycle their training through distinct phases in order to achieve a maximum level of performance (ie body composition for physique athletes) without over training.  The first phase of periodization that all successful athletes begin with when they enter the world of physique competitions is building a foundation of strength/muscle mass, coupled with the development of eating habits that are conducive to muscle growth.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Should You Compete in a Bikini Competition?

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          There have been many negative undertones running viral about competing in the sport of Bikini.  Many focus on how competing can be unhealthy for both the body and the mind.  From my experience, most of these critics either do not fully understand the sport or had a bad experience with extreme methodologies and/or unethical coaching.  In fact, I wrote a post myself about "How to Avoid 'The Dark Side' of Bikini Competitions" that was inspired by the surge of blogging surrounding eating and metabolic disorders brought to light by some former competitors.

          Well, I am here to tell you, from first-hand experience, that there are just as many if not MORE reasons for why training for a competition can be an excellent way to IMPROVE the health of your mind and body.  The key is it must be done intelligently with sufficient pre-preparation, contest preparation, and recovery planning (a topic for a future post).  Fortunately, the understanding of the sport and female specific fitness is rapidly evolving in the right direction and proper guidance is becoming easier to come by.

          I have compiled a few great reasons why, in my opinion, you should compete in a bikini competition.  This post is for those women out there who are on the fence about competing and need some re-assurance about taking on the challenge.


Consider my top 5 compelling reasons for why you should compete in Bikini:

Monday, July 1, 2013

How to Avoid "The Dark Side" of Bikini Competitions


          A bikini competition is an excellent goal to set if you are ready to make a transformation for yourself.  It is also a very powerful way to give yourself incentive to learn how to lead a healthy, self-empowered lifestyle and increased self-esteem.  Unfortunately, there is also a dark side to the sport that I would like to urge you to avoid at all costs.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Inspiration

 Many women ask me what inspired me to compete in Bikini.  Well, its a simple question but a complex answer.

  When I became a personal trainer in 2006 I worked at Gold's Gym.  I saw so many beautiful and fit women it was insane.  A few women that I completely admired were training for Figure.  I wanted their bodies, their determination, and their commitment. At that time in my life I did not believe in myself enough to even entertain the idea that I could do what they were achieving right before my eyes.

  After a few years of just dreaming about competing in Figure I decided to turn my dream into reality.  In 2010 while running a small gym in Idaho I started my first prep for a Figure competition.  Danny helped me out with nutrition and we started lifting lots of heavy weights!!!

  I had never eaten so "clean" or trained so hard in my life before.  There were so many times that I wanted to throw in the towel and pick up a cupcake or two.  But you want to know what (or should I say who) kept me going?

Monday, December 10, 2012

NPC Bikini Nationals Experience


          I recently competed in my very first NPC National competition on Nov 9th in Atlanta, GA.  What an experience!  I had no idea what to expect at a national caliber show other than the fact that its going to be a very competitive show.   I originally decided to do the show based off of the location and time frame.  I did not want to do a 12 week prep so when I saw the show listed on the NPC calendar and that I had about 8 1/2 weeks to prep for it I thought, "That's perfect!" Little did I know that I had just committed to competing in the biggest and most competitive NPC National show of the year.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

3 Weeks Out From Bikini Nationals...What Am I eating?


         I am 3 weeks out from my first NATIONAL SHOW!!!  WHAT!?!  Every day that goes by I realize more and more that this is actually happening.  Preparing for this show has been consuming; physically, emotionally, and financially.  At the end of the day I go to sleep with confidence that I have made the right decision to compete.
 
  I was looking into more info on the National Show in Nov and I have learned that it is probably going to be the BIGGEST National Show in NPC history! Why?

Because the TOP 2 Winners of each class will qualify for their IFBB PRO Card.  They will reward the top 5 but 1st and 2nd place winners will go PRO! 

          My initial intention was to finish what I had set out to do last year and step on a national level stage.  I do not have any expectations other than doing my best and if I do my best then I will have no attachment to my placing. Sure it would be cool to win but if I don't I know that I will be happy and proud of myself and that makes me confident that I am mentally in a healthy place.  No pressure!

          As of today I am still on track. I am in the mid 12% body fat range and am confident that I will be as lean and tight as I need to be come show day.  This week I will be amping up my cardio a bit more and cleaning up my diet even more.  This means cutting back artificial sugar and modifying my breakfast.


   Here is a glimpse of my daily food intake while training for a national level Bikini competition:

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Update on Progress for NPC Bikini Nationals


           I am a little behind, sorry ladies!  I checked in with Danny on Sunday and so far I am still in a good position and should be right where I wanted to be for Nationals.  As of Sunday I was down to 132.7 lbs and my BF% was 14.07%.  I was a little bummed that I did not break the 14% mark but considering I had the time of my life at my BFF wedding the weekend prior, heck I will take it!
With that said, I have made a couple of adjustments to my nutrition for this week.

Friday, October 5, 2012

5 Weeks Out From NPC Bikini Nationals


          OMG...I am about 5 weeks out from my first National show!  I have been having dreams about candy, oreos, and getting ready to go on stage without my heels!  So yep, I think I can safely say I am in prep season for sure! 

          Okay, so I had an amazing weekend in North Carolina attending my best friends wedding!  My BFF has all grown up and has married her best friend.  I was her maid of honor and I must admit, I was more nervous about the toast than I was about stepping out on stage in a bikini!  We had a blast and she looked stunning!  I was a little nervous about staying on track but it went better than I had anticipated. I packed food in my handy 6pack cooler and allocated 1 cheat meal...the wedding reception.

          When I returned home I got right back on track and haven't missed one workout.  I can already see the changes.
  I checked in last Friday before leaving for the wedding and was blown away by the results.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Why I Am NOT a Bombshell...I Am ME!


Before I moved back to VA I decided to join Team Bombshell. Most of you may remember that I was accepted last fall and had attended a Bombshell Academy Boot camp in Daytona, Fl to start my new journey with the most popular team in the NPC Bikini division. After Boot camp  (to read more about my boot camp experience read my blog post here) we settled in Richmond, VA and I got a job as an athletic coach at a local gym. I strictly adhered to the meal plan and workout schedule Bombshell supplied me from November to the beginning of February. The game plan was to compete in Pittsburgh on March 31st and then Nationals shortly after.

 Well, obviously that didn't happen.  Why? 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

How Competing in Bikini Improved My Life


           I have learned a lot about myself, nutrition, fitness, and health since the beginning of my Bikini journey.  When I set a goal in 2010 to do a competition, nothing could stop me from stepping on stage.  I trained with 110% effort, ate exactly what I needed to eat to get lean, and  practiced strutting around in my heels until I knew without a doubt, that even if I stepped on stage only once that I would there would be no regrets.  I knew that if I promised myself nothing less than my very best then I would be happy with the outcome no matter what.

          After four shows and two top five placings I accomplished something that I had only dreamed of achieving; becoming a bikini champion!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Do Your Weaknesses Define You?




WARNING: DELICIOUS YOGURT WITH YOUR CHOICE OF TOPPINGS MAY RESULT IN ADDICTION, LOVE HANDLES, AND THUNDER THIGHS! CONSIDERED YOURSELF WARNED!

          I am not going to pretend that I don't have my battles.  It is easy to share your strengths, success, and goals. It is not so easy to acknowledge and share your WEAKNESSES to others.

          I have had a rough day today as far as nutrition.  My workouts rocked and my motivation level was high. However my will power was tested today and it lost. Yes, I went to a place known as Sweet Frog tonight, a delicious frozen yogurt parlor.  I love the cake batter yogurt with cereal and fruit on top...SO GOOD! Was tonight my cheat meal?  NOPE!   I simply broke down and allowed my cravings and weakness to prevail . As expected, I know sit on my couch typing, feeling what? GUILTY and DEFEATED!

          We are after all human and are not perfect to say the least. We all have our battles, we all have our strengths and our weaknesses. The only way we ever become stronger is to acknowledge our weaknesses and work on improving them.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Team Bombshell Camp Experience


          Wow!  It's been incredibly too long since my last entry.  My apologies everybody.  Since my last entry my husband and I have taken our adventurous road trip from Idaho to Virginia.  On our way back to VA we made one life changing stop in Daytona, Florida.

          Prior to our move from Idaho I applied for acceptance to Team Bombshell.  When we were in Sedona, AZ I received an invitation to join their competition team.  I was beyond excited!  I immediately signed up for one of their upcoming camps in Daytona Beach so that I could meet some of my teammates and coaches before starting my online coaching with Shannon Dey and her elite team.

          For those of you who may be thinking about joining Team Bombshell, I highly recommend going to their camp prior to beginning their program.  Here is why:

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Empire Classic- Bikini Video Clips and Post-Show Interview

 Empire Classic 2011- Bikini Division


Here is the initial lineup of competitors for my class (bikini tall):



This is the top 5 and awards for my class:



This was for the "overall" title:



Here is a wrap-up interview with me after the competition:



Stay tuned for off-season training blogging, training tips to help you achieve your goals (if I can do it, so can you!!), and training for Nationals!


XOXO,

Abby


Thursday, April 21, 2011

2 Days Out From Third Bikini Competition


          What a bad time to be sick!  The past few days I have been dealing with sneezing, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, and trouble sleeping.  I am 2 days out from my final show and things have been going great until I got slapped in the face with nasty germs!  I have been fortunate enough to have a caring fiancee to help me out as much as possible and blessed with understandable clients/members. I have been getting a little bit of my workouts in but not as much as I'd like.  Its hard when I am also carb cycling.  I should be feeling better by tomorrow and I get to begin my carb load!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Ups & Downs of Competing



          This past month has been quite a roller coaster for me. To be honest I have been told by my significant other that I am like Jekyll and Hyde. One minute I am super charged to get lean and strong, and win then within seconds I am complaining about life and how unfair it is and that I just want to eat "normal food". This has not been easy for me. Am I happy with the outcome?  Absolutely!  Would I do it again?  No question in my mind.

          Here are a few qualities that I have learned that one needs in order to make a significant transformation:

 1) You must accept the fact that if you want to succeed you must make changes.

 2) Perseverance-There is no way one can continue on with such discipline without perseverance. It is one thing to step on stage once in front of judges and a critical audience and have your physique examined head to toe and come out with low scores . It is another thing to step on stage again and give them a bigger smile! Just like Rocky said, "Its not how hard you can get hit, its about how hard you can get hit and get back up again."

3) Overcoming fear-Courage is confronting fear not hiding behind it.  You must look your fears dead in the eye to succeed in a sport like this.

4) Getting over what you want to eat and eat what fuels you.  You have to be able to get over what you think you deserve to eat or what you want. Instead you must eat clean and what will fuel your workouts and give you the best physique possible. You have to change your attitude about what food is all about and get rid of emotionally driven eating (at least temporarily).  When you feel bad for yourself (yes, I do feel bad for myself sometimes) eating to drive that emotion out will only make you feel more guilty. Stay motivated and focused on the task at hand.

          Stepping on stage is an incredible experience.  As I continue to compete I continue to grow and learn the ends and outs of the sport and the do's and the don'ts.

          Like DO your own self tan. Do pee in a cup, Do eat something before you go on stage that will fill your muscles (my secret is peanut m&m's and snickers) and Do your absolute best while having fun.

          Don't be scared or let your competitors see you scared.  Don't take it personal if you do not win.  Don't try to hide a cupcake next to your post-competition clothes backstage (take my word for it...an accident is waiting to happen ;-) ) and Don't be someone you are not. Be yourself on stage.

More to come.

XOXO,

Abby

Monday, April 4, 2011

First Bikini Competition -Vancouver Natural USA 2011



          What an experience! I competed in the 5'6 and over Bikini division and placed 6th out of 12 competitors (only 11 on stage).  To be honest I really wanted to place in the top 5 so that I could qualify for nationals butI still have a second chance this weekend in the Big Sky competition.  :-)

          I decided to not eat the m&m's before I walked on stage for prejudging because I was not sure how my body would respond so I did not want to risk it.  I did however eat a few at lunch and I actually looked better for my evening show.  I guess it worked because my muscles felt full and tight.

         As far as how the show ran it was very stressful yet fun at the same time.  I met amazing women and had a blast hanging out with them back stage and watching them compete.  It was stressful because the company I used for my airbrush tan had a bad batch and it really hurt my scoring.  I looked really dry, blotchy, and washed-out on stage.  The tan really plays a big role in how you place because it exaggerates your body contour on against the stage lighting.  I had to get like 5 coats and it was sticky, flaky, and if I even looked at water it ran.  There were many other competitors who had the same problem and therefore a low moral backstage.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

2 Days Out From First Bikini Competition


          So today I have been running around getting everything ready for the big show! I only have two days before my big debute on stage.  This far into pre-contest prep I have had to make some adjustments to my food and really tighten up around the edges so that I can come in as lean and as tight as possible.  What foods are on the approved list for someone competing in a Bikini show in two days?