The Week Started With A Little Bit of Brutal Honesty

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I walked into the gym last week and, while at the reception, a person walked in whom I hadn’t seen for about 12 months. He’s a lovely man and I know for a fact that he doesn’t ‘do’ Facebook so I’m certain he won’t read this. Anyway, we said the big “Hello’s” and I quickly noted that he had lost a heap of weight. So our conversation went something like this;

Me: “Wow!! You have lost a ton of weight!! You look tiny!”

Him: “Yeah. And you’re just the opposite”.

Ok. Wow. Conversation ends about there. Awkward.

I didn’t ask him for a body composition breakdown during which I am certain he would have explained that he meant my muscle mass was up while my fat stores were at a manageable level with fluids sitting on my legs due to creatine intake. Nope. I didn’t invite his explanation. I just sort of stood there with no real place to go.

I willed my open mouth shut and my eyes to stay smiley rather than glarey. Couldn't really disagree could I? Last time I saw him I was a good 10kg lighter!! The only thing I could do was take the comment, process it quickly and choose not to dwell on it or make it into an excuse to feel a little shitty, or start some internal name calling (think “fat arse”). And I did achieve it. I had a little laugh and he said “whoops” when he realised that women don’t do too well with the bulk up compliments. I wished him well and took my bulk through those doors. Then I hit the gym and had a bloody good workout. Not an angry one actually. Just a good solid workout.

Moving right along….. the last two weeks have been quite amazing. As per my last blog, I had a really shitty time of it for a couple of weeks and so I took my head out of the equation and just decided to do my workouts, eat my food and get on with it. Enough with the over-thinking. And that’s when the magic just sort of started happened. I’ve been stripping fat, feeling great and hitting some new highs with the weights. Instead of losing strength, I’m feeling stronger than ever. This pattern of simplifying things has a track-record of producing the best results for me. So what do I mean exactly? I mean this;

·        Not always expecting each workout to be something I’m fist-pumping or Facebook Selfie-ing my way through. Sometimes I turn up at the gym with less than the desired enthusiasm. I’m a little tired, a little over it, and a little less than happy at having to wait my turn for the squat rack. So I refuse to think about it too much – just turn up and jam those ear phones in, open my workout diary and do what it says. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS carry a workout diary!! The days where motivation is low, you just open the page and tick off your exercises – gives you a much better chance of completing all that you need to as opposed to relying on your memory and fighting the mind-demons that will tell you to drop a few reps off, lower the sets and leave early.

·        Not over-thinking the food. I know what I have to eat. I have it plastered on my fridge. I make it to the letter and I make enough for 3 days so I’m not preparing food when I’m feeling flat, hungry, disinterested or upset/angry/happy/stressed/tired. Instead I just take the container out, heat it up, salt/pepper and enjoy.

·        Not googling ways to ‘fix’ my program. Trust my trainer. She is an expert. She knows that there are many ways to skin a cat yet she has my progress sorted and her way will work. But it won’t work overnight. Delving into the “but I want to try a different way” is just a way of thinking you know better. But you probably don’t.

So this works for me – it really does. The solid and consistent approach works way better than being on a euphoric high that, of course, leads to the expected low.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I’m not the strongest girl. I don’t have the best physique and I’m not the muscliest girl in the world. There are others with way better genetics then me. Clearly this is true. But what I do have – I have consistency. I have the ability to stick to something and stick to it for a long time.

I have been eating in the manner I do for the past 2.5 years. Without falling off the wagon. to clarify - in my world, eating a piece of cake or a piece of pizza is not falling off the wagon. It's all part of being alive.

I have been training with heavy weights for 2.5 years. Without stopping. Clarification - I have plenty of rest days and I LOVE my rest days. But I haven't swapped weights for crossfit and crossfit for kettlebells and kettlebells for TRX - I have chosen my path and stuck to it for a decent amount of time in order to gain the wins that come with time.

Results come from consistency. Whatever you do in life – not just training – anything. Consistency. Continuing to do something even when you don’t feel like it, when the odds are against you and when you feel sorry for yourself and long for a change. Consistency – sticking with what you know will work instead of yo-yoing back and forth every few weeks or months. That’s consistency. Very under-promoted in this instant world.

So how on track am I? Feeling very on track thank you. I feel like I have a big kilo-clock on my shoulder and time is going past a little too fast for my liking but I’m confident we can do this.

I am 7.5 kilos down.

I have 8 kilos to go.

9.5 weeks until competition day.

I am pretty pleased with what’s starting to appear under my winter coat. It’s very different than the last time, and it should be. There will have been 18 months between competitions and I could not think of anything worse than looking the same as I did last time. I want change and growth and improvement. I reckon it’ll be there.

Quick Comp Update

Just a quick update today on how things are progressing.

It has been confirmed that the competition I am aiming for is the WFF Darwin comp on Saturday the 27^th of September. It’s combined with a Health Expo and will be at the Marrara Sports Complex. This is the qualifying event for my next goal, being the Australian Championships in Hobart on October 12.

I have exactly 73 days to pull myself together and give it all I’ve got. So how is it all going?

Training

I have to admit that, with the emphasis amongst my friends being powerlifting, I got a little caught up in kilos over technique. While in a weird mood the last couple of weeks, this didn’t help in the gym because I was pushing too much weight and feeling sore and under-done. By this I mean I became a little too focused on the increase on the weights and quickly realised I wasn’t concentrating enough on the actual technique. For example – I’m currently doing Rack Pulls on back day. In essence, this is the top part of a deadlift. I got to a weight that I’m pretty proud of … but then realised I wasn’t really getting that full squeezzee at the top of the lift. The whole friggin point of the Rack Pull is to give a concentration to the top squeeze. So I gave myself a little uppercut, lowered the weights by a good 20kg and then performed them again. This time I shut my eyes and thought only about the back muscles while I used them both to lift the bar, and then to perform a solid contraction and little extra hold at the top, causing a nice burn to the back muscles.

I’ve gone back to this little “shut eyes and concentrate” technique for every lift to ensure that I’m going for quality over quantity. Funny how I can go off on a tangent when I get caught up in all of the Facebook chatter.

Food

Brilliant. I have a 7 eggwhite omelette for breakfast along with 1.5 cups of greens. That’s 49 eggs over the next 7 days. That’s over 4 dozen. So much respect for chickens.

But seriously, the food is brilliant. I find that nutrition is plain sailing while I’m at work. I pack my 6-pack lunch esky with my meals, all labelled for times when I’m tired and can’t remember which meal goes where. Being busy means meals are just that – meals. Not times to lament over tastes missed out on. Just times to get the nutrition in. At home I follow the plan but there is much more time to think. Thinking is terribly over-rated when you have a job to do.

I realised yesterday that I had been on comp prep for 10 weeks now and it has whizzed by. Too easy when you’ve got a professional managing your meals.

Comp Stuff

For the FIRST time EVER – I’m actually really organised. Can hardly believe it!!! Normally Rob has to kick me up the bum to get the bits and pieces sorted. I think he still did kick me up the bum – he just started earlier this year.

Routine was done and dusted in May. I practise it pretty much every day and reckon I could do it tomorrow if needed. Thank god it’s not!!

Bikini all but sorted, shoes sorted, music sorted, sorting hair and make-up, tan sorted (yep – the good old dark stuff is on its way!). Couple more bits and pieces and we’re done.

 

Overall

I’m feeling pretty darn good. I have the ever present issue of making weight for the day. I still have nine kilos to go. That sounds like a mountain but I’m up for the challenge.

Funky Fortnight from Flippin Hell

So where did it go? My mojo? My zest, zap and zip? My usually unfaltering and unwavering enthusiasm? My burning desire to run out to the gym, slap on my 80’s Power Ballads and knock myself around some? Where did the burning desire to work towards showing off the best physique I’ve ever had disappear to?

Not sure but it played the game very well. Almost too well.

I’m tirelessly predictable. I’m feeling better so that’s why I write this. I honestly couldn’t have written anything about me in the past two weeks. I was too … what’s the word …. Oh yes, here it is – pathetic. Capital P.

No big event occurred; I didn’t suffer a loss, move house, lose a child, muck up at work, binge on kilo of sultanas and almonds..nothing like that at all. It was more a feeling of complete and utter lethargy. Not even exhaustion. Just a bundle of pathetic-ness.

I would hit the gym and begin the self-doubt before I even un-racked the bar. I talked myself into feeling weak to excuse how hard I found the workout.

This perceived feeling of mental weakness triggered a little feeling of self-loathing, and wondering why I had let this much weight creep on - making it so damn hard to claw my way back to competition weight. I could feel those thoughts creeping in, attacking me in weak and tired moments.

Rob bore the brunt of it and supported me through the whole way. Along with my closest girlfriends. They listened and didn’t laugh or roll their eyes. They urged me to do the best workouts I could and propped me up. They cared to ask how the workouts went and congratulated the wins. That’s a support team right there. Right there!

In case you don’t realise, when the going gets tough, you really don’t need people to convince you it’s ok to gorge on cake because “you deserve it” in the hard times. Also not helpful to encourage someone doing it tough to miss out their gym sessions (unless they need to). So much better to push through the mental barrier and do something anyway.

Through the fortnight I didn’t miss a gym session. I didn’t eat a morsel more or less than prescribed. My deep knowledge is that the process works just the way Ingrid designs it. That while the head is going astray, the body need not follow.

And then I realised the real excitement lay in that fact. Holy crap!!! I just realised what I did over this fortnight!!!! I DID NOT LET MY BODY PHYSICALLY GIVE IN TO THE FUNKY HEAD SPACE!!!! And that, my friends, is the evidence of just how far I have come over the years.

So I find myself 11.5 weeks away from competition #1. I still have 9kg to lose. I have lost a total of 6.5 kilos.

My prep diet still includes; oats, strawberries, sunflower seeds, oils, berries, chicken, tuna, Greek yoghurt and copious amounts of vegies and salad.

I am doing full-on cardio now. Just 25min blocks but they are the hardest thing for my mind to tackle. I give it everything I’ve got and left yesterday with the taste of aluminium foil in my mouth – and a persistent little cardio-cough…. You know what I mean? That evidence that I really did give it all I had. Yuck and Great all in one.

Weight training is going great guns. To be honest, I actually increased all of my lifts during my funky fortnight. The last couple of days I lowered the weight slightly and decided to really make that mind-to-muscle connection to ensure that I’m triggering the right muscle to make the lift. It worked.

So here’s to the next fortnight and the belief that it will be an absolute cracker.

Racheal Watson - The Biggest Transformation I've Ever Been Up & Close To

Racheal Watson was my next door neighbour. I lived right smack next door to her for about 6 months before I even knew who she was. I met her at a play-centre garage sale and she introduced herself to me as my neighbour. I had never clapped eyes on this woman whose house literally sat above mine. Why not? Because Racheal Watson was perhaps the biggest wall-flower I had ever met. She sunk into the background and worked tirelessly to make herself as inconspicuous as she could. I don’t even think she really knew she was doing it – but she did. Super intelligent, extremely capable and an amazing mother. Dedicated worker with a high-profile job who worked into the wee hours to be the best she could be at work.

One nice calm day, Racheal contacted me and asked if we could do some training together. Little by little I got to know this meek lady and some things stick out more than others. Racheal was seriously full of body hang-ups – she couldn’t bear looking in the gym mirror, she absolutely despised her own body from the waist down, she refused to wear anything that revealed any of her lower  half (remembering we live in a climate that regularly reaches 40 degrees!!), and she had some deal with herself that she would wear dowdy clothes to work in order to be taken seriously. She turned everything about herself into a joke and giggled nervously often. “Holy crap” I thought, “Where do I start”.

Not only that but Racheal didn’t eat. She was too anxious to eat. She went hours and hours without eating a morsel and then would think a full yoghurt pottle was a decent meal. She once said that what I eat in one day would be somewhere near what she eats in a working week. I had to stop my mouth from dropping open in dismay. Let’s just throw food issues into the mix shall we?

Not being a psychologist I decided to go with my own strengths and train the girl! Teach her how to lift weights and complete a bloody good HIIT. I don’t think Rach will mind me sharing that she basically had no strength to start with. She struggled to even lift up an Olympic bar … at all.. not even to move it from one position to another! She also had “Meek Person’s Posture”. You know – when someone wants to fade into the background so much that they round their back so they can stoop just that little bit lower.

Why am I telling you all of this? Easy. Racheal Watson has had the biggest transformation I have ever been involved with. This lady that I have just described – it’s not her anymore. Not in any way, shape or form. And seeing her at the competition you might just not realise how far she has come. Her confidence, her posture, her self-realisation, her strength and her determination – bloody hell – I feel teary just writing this. She is absolutely stunning now. Inside and out. She dresses how she feels nowdays - snappy, snazzy, classy and confident. She has faced huge personal changes and they have amazingly made her a better person, where others might have crumbled. The future is so bright and she knows it.

And Racheal – you deserve to feel this way. You deserve the wolf-whistles and the compliments. You stayed in that shell for way, way too long and my hope is that you never go back there girl!!

I might have started the training, but this transformation was far, far beyond my talents. I knew that Ingrid Barclay had the skills to work with Racheal and not break her like so many would have. I knew there was a lot more to Rach than teaching her how to lift weights. So much more. And Ingrid’s masterful coaching achieved what I believe no one else could have. Long may the relationship continue.

 

 

When was your first comp?

May 10, 2014

What comps have you done?

Just this one.

3^rd Place – Geelong Conquest Classic – Bikini division 

Biggest inspirations

A few months ago I would have listed other people here- I would have told you how much I loved watching others go on the competition journey especially you Kirsten, but now I have to say that I have learnt my inspiration needs to come from within me. This sport is so much about you and how your see yourself and where/who you want to be and you get there by being in a constant competition with yourself. So if you can't find inspiration from within yourself you will never feel good enough and you will never be confident enough to get on the stage and compete with yourself.

Competition Day; Was there things that you saw/heard that shocked you?

Comp day for me was a massive surprise and challenge on so many levels. As someone who considers herself a bit shy and a bit of a prude, just being around so much nakedness was a huge thing!

I was not prepared for the mental games back stage - the way that the overbearing confidence of others would play on my own insecurities and make me wonder what the heck I was doing there!

I was also shocked of the stories back stage people were telling in terms of their journey to stage - hearing some people talking about their prep and things like taking shots of vodka back stage or the fact that they had been pigging out on crap the whole time (ok maybe they said a cheat meal a week- but I heard the whole time), but still managed to come in leaner than me.

I think comp day also made me realise just how unprepared I was. I needed to do more work to get mentally ready for the backstage experience and needed to spend more time immersed in the sport so I had a clue as to how things worked!  

That sounds like a huge learning curve. Taking it all into account, was it an experience you would like to repeat?

Absolutely! Although I was terrified (and you could really see that all over my face on stage), I loved it! But next time I will be better prepared.  

Prep - tell us anything really interesting about your prep?

I didn't enjoy my prep much- and I wish I had! I loved the training and never had any issues getting that done- except dreaded HIITS (High Intensity Interval Training)- hate those with a passion!  

The way my body responded to prep was a real surprise to me- I expected that over time as my food decreased the fat would just come off- it didn't... And this was not an easy thing to deal with!  

So I guess the burning question is this – you looked fantastic on comp day so something must have worked in the end. What was it?

The high, low and medium days. For some reason these tricked my body and sped my metabolism up. I ended up losing about 1.5kg on my first week of the high/low micro. I also changed my mindset re the hiits. I constantly told myself during them that my competitors were not slacking off, in fact I used to say to myself things like, “She didn't quit- she didn't slack off. Are you a quitter??”

What was a typical day of food in the last month?

For me the last month of food was not typical at all. I was on 3 different daily food plans within a given week- a high carb day, a low carb day and a medium carb day. The low days made me cry.

What was your training like up to comp?

My training was 5 weight sessions, 1 steady state cardio and 2 hiits. Sometimes it was hard to get it all in! I struggled with the mental challenge of dropping weights back due to fatigue - and this was something I just had to get over!

What things did you hate most?
Like most - the concoction I had to drink in the morning! Apple cider vinegar and chlorophyll!! Made me gag every day! I also hated the need to drink so much water- I always struggled with it! Oh and hiits - I hated the hiits! 

 

How much water did you struggle with and what strategies did you use to get it in?

As for water I struggle with anything over 3 litres. I was on 6 litres in the end. I started setting goals to get it in, like before I left the house I had to drink so much. Or I bribed myself- “you can't have another coffee till you drink x amount of water”. I also started drinking it warmed up. It’s cold here and instead of a coffee, if I was behind on my water, I would have a cup of boiled water. I actually really enjoyed that! I also found it easier at the end when I wasn't allowed to have any supps in my workout water- as I drink about a litre a session so that helped.

 

I am back on 3l a water a day now- and I am struggling with that- but you really just have to do it!

How did your family cope?

My kids are too little to really understand much of what was going on however, when I look outside and see Jack doing push-ups and ask him what he is doing and he says “exercising like you mummy cause I want to be strong” - I know that it has affected them in a positive way despite the fact I may have been a cranky mummy every now and then.

I would say the rest of my family and friends just didn't understand. I often had people say, “when you eat normal again” - why does the normal have to be cake? People also don't understand that this is how I want to live my life now.

Tell us about any guilt associated with prepping/comping?

I felt guilt all the time! It is an expensive sport. I felt bad that I spent so much money on it, but now recognise I don't go out drinking, eating out etc so it evens out.

The training time was never something I felt guilty about as it was my ‘me’ time. However, when my willpower was down and I had to make my kids miss out on things like going out for our weekly baby chino cause I didn't have the will power to look at the cheesecake and not eat it I felt guilt. I also felt guilt when I was out with people or at someone's house and I would not eat the food put in front of me- now I know that is stupid- but at the time it was a consuming guilt. And of couse towards the end when I was tired and a little cranky I felt guilty every time I snapped at someone! 

Rach - if you are comfortable, can you elaborate on your prep and at times, taking one step forward and two back before finally conquering the fat loss. 

Fat loss certainly didn't come easy for me! And at the time I just got frustrated and wanted to give up. However on reflection I can see a few things I did contributed to that. I probably didn't start from the best place in terms of body fat percentage, and sometimes my hiits were a little average - I could have given more!

My fat loss started well and I dropped 1-1.5kgs for the first couple of weeks. Then it stalled and I started to drop only 200g a week, and then it stopped completely. I panicked and stressed about it, cried a LOT and leant on my dear friends, and then my coach completely changed my micros. I went onto the high, medium and low days. High days saw me eating mayo and bread and fruit! Low days saw me have meals that were pretty small, and medium days saw me eat a bowl of pasta at 9pm. My body responded and started dropping fat. My mind struggled a little - on low days I was hungry and training was a nightmare as I had no energy. High days were like Christmas! 

My prep was also 20 weeks- this was far too much for me and this time round I am working on starting from a better place!  

Only if you are comfortable, can you talk about what it was like not to end up with the perfect physique on comp day that you had in your head?
This almost made me not get on stage!! The one part of my body (my legs) that I have never been happy with didn't lean down as I had hoped. I know now this is now in part because I started with too much work to do there! But mentally you could see all over my face on comp day that I didn't think I belonged there. It was evident in my posing and stage presence too! It also meant that back stage I was almost on the verge of tears the whole time, despite my best efforts to hide it! I think when you have an image in your head of what you want to be and you don't get there you feel failure... Well I did... But I now recognise the importance of the journey and the growth I did on the inside. This was far greater than the physical changes I made, and slowly I am working to change my self-perception of my body.

Racheal Watson, your journey was amazing emotional – more than most could ever understand – and you trusted all of these highs and lows to someone who I believe is the best person in Australia when it comes to nutrition, training and competition preparation. Tell me about your experience in the hands of Ingrid Barclay?

A huge part of this journey for me was working with a coach like Ingrid. I will never forget the first phone conversation with her where I asked her if she would be my coach (at this point I was still slightly nervous around Ingrid!)... She let me know in no uncertain terms that the journey would not be an easy one but that she would help me get there- I knew then that she was the coach for me. She worked with my fussy food choices and never gave up on me no matter how many times I almost gave up on myself! My training program was specific for me and modified along the way to work on areas that required more work- aka my legs! She continued to make me accountable by getting me to complete accountability charts but also let me be me. Knowing I didn't like talking on the phone she would let me communicate via text or email. However, at times when I hit rock bottom and thought it was all too hard, she would call and put things into perspective for me!

 

When I finally saw her at the comp in Geelong she didn't recognise me because of the transformation I had made inside and out. Her kind words at that point were so valuable to me and words I will not share but will never forget!! On comp day she could see I wanted more and we started a plan within a week to get me there- more exciting things to come for me and my awesome coach in 2014!

 

And muscles chicks rock!! Best support family ever!

 

We think you rock too Racheal! Amazing part of our little team. xxx

 

Michelle Broughton - Her Honest Account

Michelle Broughton is quite possibly the dearest friend I have in this world .... other than my Rob. I could go on about all of her character traits and ramble about her loyalty, never-failing support, intelligence, honesty and she’s bloody funny to boot - but I won’t go on. Sufficient to say that she at the top of my Chrissy-card list.

The other thing about Michelle, is that she’s got a body to die for. Always has had. Once upon a hot Katherine day, I started a Bootcamp out of nowhere. 48 women arrived on that first night, and I distinctly remember an extremely fit and sexy looking lady turning up in ¾ pants and a yellow top. I remember thinking that I needed to lift my game to keep her happy because she already looked like a fitness instructor … and I had been qualified for … gulp … 1 day.

I didn’t actually ‘meet’ Michelle on a social level for a wee bit longer and I had no idea that her husband was a Police Officer, as was mine (at that time I had consciously uncoupled from the Police for a while) so we had tons in common from the get-go.

When I started my competition training, the onslaught of what I call ‘Michelle Comments’ started. And by crikey they got tedious after a while!! Yes I got it – Michelle is “made” for body building. Yes – doesn’t she just have the widest shoulders and smallest waist! My word doesn’t she already have muscles bulging out of her back!! I would agree and nod and agree and nod and wonder why it was all directed at me!! Probably got just a tad jealous at how perfect they all thought Michelle looked and here I was slogging my guts out on broccoli and chicken, looking like a skeletal chicken!! Haha – it was funny and frustrating all at once.

But yes, I knew that I knew that I knew Michelle would be a cracker of a competitor. I’m not bloody stupid!! Of course I could see her natural shape and I knew that she works like a demon when she has her eyes on a prize and most of all, I simply had to be her trainer. Of this I was certain.

First I had to wait until Michelle wanted it. It didn’t matter that 5,327 people told me she’d be great. I had to hear the commitment words come straight from her own mouth, because the bodybuilding preparation lifestyle takes way more than a few good words and intentions to make it successful. A competitor has to agree that their life will change remarkably for at least 12, if not 20, weeks. Anyone who tells you differently is yanking your chain.

2013 and finally, finally, Michelle decided it was her time. She agreed to give up the cardio, forgo the tough mudders and the ultra-challenges and anything else that would threaten to take up time we had ear-marked for building muscles. So we set off on our journey.

I’ll let Michelle tell the rest but I will add this. Seeing her on stage and watching her elegance, beauty, strength, determination and general beautifulness shine out, made me about the proudest trainer and happiest friend in the world. There couldn’t be much more euphoria than training your mate and seeing her win. I’ll never forget that moment.

First Comp:

May 4 INBA Darwin – 1^st Novice, 3^rd Open
May 10 WFF NABBA Conquest Classic Geelong – 1^st Masters, Overall Female Ms Conquest Classic

Competition Day Highlights:
Geelong- overall show presented at a nice pace. Camaraderie in change rooms. 'Buzzy' atmosphere back stage. Pre show brief for competitors by judges and organisers was great for a maiden show and the constant info on how the show schedule is going, marshalling etc. Supporters in the audience

STAGE TIME!!

Elated feeling of achievement post show- reflecting on training, stepping way out of my comfort zone, challenging myself mentally, complying to prep process (weights, hiits, nutrition, supps), and committing to a goal).

Biggest Inspirations (hated asking such a ho-hum question but felt I had to)

Not Ho hum!! I find my trainer is ever so inspiring because her committed journey toward a pretty frickin goal of a lifetime is REAL and I can RELATE sports wise. Pauline Nordine's mentality and opinions etc are so brutally honest. I love it when people don't preach This Way when bb and related nutrition so individual. I am inspired by Nicole Wilkins plainly because I love her physique!! Pictures of athletic bodies inspires me!

Comp Day - were there things that you saw/heard that shocked you? what?
Nutella and red wine back stage pre stage time.
Gorging of thin crisps and party mix lollies.
Observing girls who were not what I perceived to be stage ready- ie condition, spray tans/ dream tan applied just mins/hrs before stage time.
Lack of pumping up.
Disorganisation of other competitors - food, water, warm up equipment..

Was it an experience you would like to repeat?
Absolutely!

Prep - tell us anything really interesting about your prep?

I thought if anything I would struggle with the nutrition and it would be my undoing....however it was surprisingly easy, varied and so effective! Yes costly and time consuming but never have I been so healthy, organised and never had I seen my body morph wonderfully!

I loved structure in my training - I made gains .

I loved having a goal and time line.
I could balance in high heels!

What was a typical day of food in the last month?
100 gm / 90 gm protein (which decreased each week in those last couple of weeks) x 5 (chicken, fish) + veges 1.5-2.5 cups veg ( occasional fruit) x5, +  flaxseeds/oil, avocado + 6 litres water

What was your training like up to comp?

5 day split no cardio 12 wks out
Shock pgm 2 wks
Modified pgm 10 weeks out (injury) 4 day split + 1 hiit
4 wks - new pgm training giant sets (suited to my conditioning) + 2 hiits
1 week hiits and rest

 What things did you hate most?

Tiredness that came from with work, family, training, cardio.
Trying to master posing and how it hurt sometimes.
Hours of food prep at the start (soon figured 2 cook ups per week was better for me).
Separating MY food from everyone else's ...cost wise.
How sucked in my face looked in order to get my body lean.
Training tired and feeling like I was regressing in strength.
The scale game (weigh ins).
How the hiits hurt and made me feel extremely unfit.
Uncontrollable Emotions toward the final week
Brain fuzz eg trying to put an oval Tupperware lid on a square container for about 4 seconds! Reversing the car in first gear. 
 
What things did you like most?
Having my family involved and supportive the WHOLE time and them being proud!
Coaches with a passion for bodybuilding.
Competing with friends.
My compliance!! It was very much a Personal challenge.
Proud of my body for the changes.
Ongoing stimulation (inc doms!), the mental focus and satisfaction (muscle definition) from my programs and nutrition (leaning down).
Muscle chicks! Care, support and mateship. (Muscle chicks is a group we have set up that shares info on anything and everything to do with training and health)
Compliments.
Surprisingly- loved wearing a bikini and heels, baring all on stage!! So much that I trembled uncontrollably with excitable nerves!
Learning!
My very organised eating schedule.
Looking forward to oats!

How did you family cope?

Very well I think on the most part...although there was a few "ahhh mum!" when I had to go to the gym on family time, especially weekends. I learnt to strategise by;
-        Involving Paul in weights (a great spotter), completing my butt naked tanning, being my backstage biarch!  
-        Eden clocked my hiits outside, sometimes in the dark (safety in numbers!).
-        Paige was my biggest critique in everything (constructive sometimes, crazy other times!)
-        I Involved them in my bikini decisions, shoes, bling, hairstyle (all important to little girls!).
-        Made multiple smoothies (some had added ice cream) so we could indulge together. At times we all ate the same meal from my plan (steak/chicken and vege or Mexican scramble for eg)
BUT- post comp...Paul tells me he learnt never to let me miss a meal or eat late cos imabitch!!!!

Tell us about any guilt associated with prepping/comping? eg being such a full-on sport.

Definitely the costs associated with fresh fruit and veg + chick breast and beautiful fresh fish - because the best things in life are not cheap!  I tried not to focus (openly) too much on my needs alone by preparing interesting, nutritious and yummy meals for everyone else, even when ready to slit my own wrists cos 4  hrs is 3 hrs too long for meal prepping .... but I wasn't game to deprive them by any means, No!
*  I'm very proud and lucky for the fact they came to understand there was a purpose to my prep early on. And fortunately, they love watching shows! Helps to validate the process.
Undeniable Guilt-The times I needed to do things that were all about me and how I sometimes prioritised them over everything else - no discussion.
The big G - Guilt-The essential unavoidable cost of registering to compete for only one time, not really knowing if it would be something I would pursue (lucky I'm sold!!!!) on top of food, bikini, shoes, make up da da da
Not too many special eaty treatys as a family if it didn't suit my plan, however an upside, Paul, wonder dad- indulged the kids occasionally without me!
The extra upside - I took my own and still enjoyed their company.
Guilty about spending yet more $ on supps and vit/min that essentially got me to be my best in the most healthy way.  
Positive-I shared my WPI and creatine! 

IMO:There's going to be costs, time, sacrifices in this sport undoubtably. Body building offers improved health, personal growth, physical development and so much more.  Competition draws on a very large part of your being once you choose this commitment if you want to take your best to the stage.  It challenges you, intrigues you and teaches you so much about yourself, your body, your family, and your friends. For an individual sport, there are a lot of extra external factors that will make your own journey a positive one.

Specific to you Michelle - how did it feel, pressure-wise, to constantly be told by people that you had the perfect body for bb? Did you feel that you had to perform better?

In a way, comments toward my body shape made me feel like people took notice of me and were, in my mind, 'watching' my progress. That in itself sat uneasy because I didn't want to be seen as a failure or not producing the goods. I felt there were expectations and I know they were conjured from my own thoughts, but they didn't go away until comp day. Ironically, a tool that kept me accountable.

There was so much invested in me from my family, and my training family that I didn't want to let anyone down and I didn't want to let myself down either. The process was a HUGE challenge and learning curve for me that many wouldn't realise. There were days I felt uncertain of my ability to step foot on stage, many more where I thrived physically in training. Days I felt mentally gratified and days I was plain drained. I constantly worried if I would be good enough. 

In my mind I had a visual for comp day.... lean legs (my asset). They would be so defined i would walk on stage already flexing!! I was going to be x weight. Comp day- my legs looked pretty much like they had 6 weeks previous! Bummed...of course but ...and just on bum, actually was a bit embarrassed with my bum...it's a muscle...why couldn't it have been perkier dammit! Once depleted to a certain level your muscular size is really obvious. Ie- for me, a lot smaller than what i thought i had! An eye opener. I thought I would have been a little more defined between muscles, I really wanted striations! BUT, by the time I was glammed up, at the venue, my worries diminished somewhat. Nothing I could do about what I didn't have...just roll with it and enjoy. Kini on, pumping up, jelly bean treats, my focus changed to getting out there without looking like a scared kitty cat and busting out of my skin with confidence. One of my major goals!
 
Could you also tell us how you ruined your bikini? Just for shits and giggles?
Comp over, hydrate, eat, baby oil bath and wash my beautiful deep teal metallic figure suit with bling! Oh my beautiful figure suit. Custom made all the way from Las Vegas, I loved it! I decided I was too tired to take 5 minutes to gently wipe it (as per the instructions!) so I soaked it.

Was only to be while I unwound, a bit, but I forgot about it. Faaak! Just about launched myself off the verandah the next morning praying my soaking suit was going to be ok. Of course not! The trillion teeny weeny metallic hexagons that made up the fabric has lifted off in a trillion specks on my hand. The crystal glue turned white and was oozing out. The bikini resemble a charred pair of undies and 7 yr old bikini top. Hung my head in shame. Next comp is 6 days away! What do you do....phone a friend! There's always an up to every down, IMO!

Oh Michelle – that bikini story still gives me a chuckle some 2 months later!! You are awesome by the way.