Digging Deep. Makes me think of digging my heels deep every time my foot hits the track during sprints. Makes me think of making sure to hit 90 degrees or lower and pushing through my heels to keep precise form during leg press. Makes me think of squeezing out those last few reps when you think you can't get any more out. You can! For some reason, digging deep always makes me think of and refer to leg day =]
I digress ... digging deep. Although leg day and powering through workouts is on the top of the list when I think of these words, lately I've been digging deep to learn about me. I've been digging deep to teach myself how to maintain the figure lifestyle year round in a HEALTHY manner. How to keep myself from falling victim to all of the things that contribute to metabolic disorder. Just a few of the common things that put someone at risk for metabolic disorder are extremely low calorie "diets," excessive amounts of cardio, no variety of foods ... which in turn means a limited amount of vitamins, minerals, and necessary nutrients for your body to function at its optimal level. I've been working at teaching myself how to mentally endure the pressure I put on myself daily to maintain and achieve a higher level of excellence in all that I do. I've always been a perfectionist by nature. I'm learning that perfection is unattainable. I'm very lucky to have the exact support system in my life that I need, that in which my boyfriend is especially important. He's helping me to realize that excellence is attainable but perfection is not. This is helping me to not soften the way I approach life, but instead, change my approach and to accept that I will never be "PERFECT." And this is making the biggest difference that is allowing me to be positive even more than I already am. I am so thankful for his support. Another ramble...but please, don't ever forget to appreciate and thank those people in your life that help make you who you are and help you be a better person.
But, that word. PERFECT. What is perfect? What is the perfect body shape? What is the perfect body fat level? How big are the perfect muscles? How little are the perfect muscles? How much should you gain post competition? Should you maintain a low body fat level year round? How low?
The idea of perfection to everyone is different. Everyone has their own ideal that they either wish for or strive to achieve. Since beginning to train for figure, and since competing and qualifying for nationals, I have been slowly changing my goals from what I want to look like to what the sport says we should look like, or to the look some of the ladies who compete at the Pro level look like. It's one thing to change a bit here and there and to streamline your ideal with the industry's ideal to help you place better, if your ultimate goal is a pro card. It's a completely different thing to start idolizing a certain look you otherwise wouldn't have set your goals toward only and solely to gain a pro card. Not to make yourself happy. And that is the way I was headed. I have been working MAJORLY hard to gain muscle to put myself in somewhat of the same bracket as the girls vying for their pro cards, but in the process gained a bit of fat, which is to be expected. Funny enough, yes the small amount of fat gain bothered me, but I realized after months that the larger amount of muscle in my arms is not what I personally feel is flattering and what fits me well. I didn't feel comfortable in my own skin. And although my pro card is something I will work day in and day out and aim towards achieving, I have come to the realization that a pro card and a trophy is not worth my self-confidence and it isn't worth my health. I have since slowed my drive towards building muscle back a bit and have lost some of the fat that came along with the added calories. I hadn't gained a ton anyway, but I've lost some body fat and feel that although I'm not stage 8 pack ready, you can see some of my ab definition and muscle definition in general, and I feel more comfortable on a daily basis and in my clothes.
Yes, a pro card is my ultimate goal. But more importantly, the reason I absolutely love this lifestyle is that despite the extreme nature of the last weeks before a competition, the rest of the year is done because I LOVE WEIGHT LIFTING, I LOVE THAT STAIRMASTER, I LOVE TREATING MY BODY WELL, I LOVE ONLY FUELING MY BODY WITH HEALTHY, NUTRIENT DENSE FOOD, I LOVE THE DISCIPLINE THIS SPORT ALLOWS ME INDIVIDUALLY WITH MY MIND AND MY BODY, I LOVE BEING A ROLE MODEL, I LOVE HELPING OTHERS, AND I LOVE BEING ABLE TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH SOMETHING. Above all, this sport is about conjuring up the healthiest, fit, happiest, most confident you that you can be. And I've just recently realized again why I love this. And this has caused me to stop running blindly in the direction of what I thought would get me my pro card fastest, and started me plugging along in the direction that will hopefully get me there eventually, but until then, I will love my day to day life. I will be self-confident and happy with my body, mind, decisions, and feel like I'm doing this for me, and to be healthy for the ones I love, and not because of the elusive trophy and pro card. If that comes then I would be overjoyed.
When Monica Brant was still competing in the NPC/IFBB, I remember reading that after many shows of trying to please everyone but herself, Monica decided to mold her body to the way she likes it, the package she feels best with and feels presents her in the best light, and that's why she looked so positive at the last Arnold she competed in. Since, she's won the first WBFF show she competed in, and I think she's an AMAZING role model for this sport. Through the last couple months and my revelation, this popped into my head and although my competing background and all the competitions I will probably do in the future could probably never measure up to her experience, I understand what was talked about in that interview. I get it now, because I am going to do this for me and those I love, be happy with myself and my body, feel HEALTHY, and if that means building muscle slower, keeping my body fat lower, and possibly trying out bikini to see if my body fits better in that division, then so be it. I don't think my personality is exactly what one would call a bikini personality, but I feel that my body may fair better in that division. I feel there is a negativity surrounding the division though, not from the bikini girls, but from others looking at that class, which is unfortunate. I feel we should all support eachother and help eachother be better, not look down upon others because they're doing something a bit differently than you. I may try bikini and see if I can bring class and confidence, and being able to be happier with my body while still lifting hard, eating clean as can be, and presenting muscle with low body fat but just a smaller size than the figure division seems to be looking for.
I feel that this sport forces honesty. It forces you to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. Not too easy on yourself, and remember ladies! NOT TOO HARD EITHER! I love that about this lifestyle. There are no excuses, but a lot of support, and this sport, as long as it's taken with a positive attitude, can do wonders for making you a better person. I am so glad I've worked hard to get where I've gotten along this path, and I'm so thankful I'm able to continue to work my booty off to keep reaching to be as excellent as I can, in all that I do in my life.
Keep working hard, and remember to be good to yourselves. Treat yourselves right. Work towards goals that make YOU and the ones you love happy. It's SO worth it!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Fitness shoot with Cadence Gamache
Cadence Gamache is a phenomenal photographer, and though she mainly pops out beautiful artistic piece after beautiful artistic piece, she was more than willing to try her hand at dabbling into fitness photography, and we ended up with some fantastic shots. We shot together in the middle of May, after my two figure competitions. Later, she wrote this blog that left me speechless.
My banner was shot by her, there's a peak at a few more shots from that day on her blog.
She is very talented at what she does, and every shoot she does, she just seems to get better and better. Cadence, thank you for being one of the kindest people I've ever met!
My banner was shot by her, there's a peak at a few more shots from that day on her blog.
She is very talented at what she does, and every shoot she does, she just seems to get better and better. Cadence, thank you for being one of the kindest people I've ever met!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Toughing out post competition ups and downs
Competing in figure, or any physique competition for that matter, takes an unbelievable toll on you not only physically but mentally as well. After I wrote my first post (I know ... talk about being MIA! Sorry guys, won't happen again!) I dove even deeper into my offseason and have learned of the rigors us figure girls go through mentally.
I am doing my darndest at building more muscle during this offseason (I don't really like the word "off"season, but I'll save that for another post...) before I compete nationally next spring or summer, and to build muscle, your body must be in a calorie surplus. A calorie surplus to fuel and sustain muscle growth will cause fat gain, and even if it's minimal fat gain if you're pretty on point with your nutrition, it's still fat. And post competition, no figure girls wants to gain fat (I don't think any girl wants to gain fat ever, but that's a different story =]). You just worked your ass off for the last 8 or 12 or 16 weeks, however long your prep was, to burn every last bit of fat off to show muscle separation and those coveted abs, and now I'm trying to eat in a surplus causing fat GAIN!? Talk about a mental rollercoaster ride.
I talked to a well known coach in the industry this week, and while picking his brain, he said, "No one's partitioning ability is good enough for all of the calories above maintenance to go straight to muscle building, some of it ends up as fat gain." All of us wish it would go STRAIGHT to the muscles, but unfortunately, that's not the case. If I want to show up with a different package and be satisfied with my new look at my first national show, I know I NEED to put on more muscle, otherwise I won't be happy with how I look, and I probably wouldn't do as well as I'd like. I want to win every competition I enter, and I don't think I'd be close to doing that if I didn't add muscle. So I'm biting the bullet and allowing the small amount of fat gain to ensue in order to add some more tight womanly muscles this offseason.
I've had to work really hard not to cut out some carbs, step back on that stepmill or treadmill every morning and start cutting right now. I even made the decision to not compete this fall in order to keep lifting heavy and eating to fuel growth.
[ As a side note, when having to make tough decisions like this and when having to convince yourself it's worth it not to start cutting again right now, it's so helpful to have support. Lean on those people. I feel very lucky to have a boyfriend who understands both me and the lifestyle as well, but even if you're still looking for someone to lean on - message me. I'm more than happy to help talk out a tough mental road block, especially if it's figure related!]
I know all of us figure girls have a bit of a different approach to offseason, and a bit of a different way of handling the fat gain, even if minimal (which is where I'm working to keep mine at currently). I'd love to hear your experiences! Who knew 10 lbs ... even 5 lbs could make SUCH a difference in the way you look, or the way you perceive yourself when you look in the mirror. Yes, I can still see some ab outlines, and yes I can still see a decent amount of muscle definition, but now that I've walked those clear 5" heels across a few competition stages, and felt how it feels to look like you've walked right out of a page of a fitness magazine onto that stage, those 5-10 "offseason" lbs, while necessary for muscle gain, are no fun. NO fun at all!
I'm looking forward to the day I feel I have enough muscle and can stay lean year round and just shape and mature the muscle I already own. I also know that all of this is a process, and I need to enjoy the process and my journey. And since I haven't bought myself those boobs yet that I've been thinking about buying ... I'll enjoy the small gain in boobage until I start prepping for my next competition. =]
My oh my oh my ... regardless of the tough mental roads and the hurdles along the way, I couldn't love this lifestyle more! Find what you love to do, and do your best at that.
I am doing my darndest at building more muscle during this offseason (I don't really like the word "off"season, but I'll save that for another post...) before I compete nationally next spring or summer, and to build muscle, your body must be in a calorie surplus. A calorie surplus to fuel and sustain muscle growth will cause fat gain, and even if it's minimal fat gain if you're pretty on point with your nutrition, it's still fat. And post competition, no figure girls wants to gain fat (I don't think any girl wants to gain fat ever, but that's a different story =]). You just worked your ass off for the last 8 or 12 or 16 weeks, however long your prep was, to burn every last bit of fat off to show muscle separation and those coveted abs, and now I'm trying to eat in a surplus causing fat GAIN!? Talk about a mental rollercoaster ride.
I talked to a well known coach in the industry this week, and while picking his brain, he said, "No one's partitioning ability is good enough for all of the calories above maintenance to go straight to muscle building, some of it ends up as fat gain." All of us wish it would go STRAIGHT to the muscles, but unfortunately, that's not the case. If I want to show up with a different package and be satisfied with my new look at my first national show, I know I NEED to put on more muscle, otherwise I won't be happy with how I look, and I probably wouldn't do as well as I'd like. I want to win every competition I enter, and I don't think I'd be close to doing that if I didn't add muscle. So I'm biting the bullet and allowing the small amount of fat gain to ensue in order to add some more tight womanly muscles this offseason.
I've had to work really hard not to cut out some carbs, step back on that stepmill or treadmill every morning and start cutting right now. I even made the decision to not compete this fall in order to keep lifting heavy and eating to fuel growth.
[ As a side note, when having to make tough decisions like this and when having to convince yourself it's worth it not to start cutting again right now, it's so helpful to have support. Lean on those people. I feel very lucky to have a boyfriend who understands both me and the lifestyle as well, but even if you're still looking for someone to lean on - message me. I'm more than happy to help talk out a tough mental road block, especially if it's figure related!]
I know all of us figure girls have a bit of a different approach to offseason, and a bit of a different way of handling the fat gain, even if minimal (which is where I'm working to keep mine at currently). I'd love to hear your experiences! Who knew 10 lbs ... even 5 lbs could make SUCH a difference in the way you look, or the way you perceive yourself when you look in the mirror. Yes, I can still see some ab outlines, and yes I can still see a decent amount of muscle definition, but now that I've walked those clear 5" heels across a few competition stages, and felt how it feels to look like you've walked right out of a page of a fitness magazine onto that stage, those 5-10 "offseason" lbs, while necessary for muscle gain, are no fun. NO fun at all!
I'm looking forward to the day I feel I have enough muscle and can stay lean year round and just shape and mature the muscle I already own. I also know that all of this is a process, and I need to enjoy the process and my journey. And since I haven't bought myself those boobs yet that I've been thinking about buying ... I'll enjoy the small gain in boobage until I start prepping for my next competition. =]
My oh my oh my ... regardless of the tough mental roads and the hurdles along the way, I couldn't love this lifestyle more! Find what you love to do, and do your best at that.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Where to begin...
"The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That's what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they'll go through the pain no matter what happens." -Arnold Schwarzenegger
What better way to start out than with a quote from one of the greatest founders of the sport that has now morphed and provides me with one of my greatest passions in life ... figure competitions. When I was a 3 sport varsity athlete in high school, and when I turned down a collegiate level volleyball scholarship, little did I know of the immense role fitness, weightlifting, and nutrition would play in the rest of my life. Yes, I'm too competitive to not have goals and challenges ahead of me, and yes, I'm too intense not to have a physical outlet, and yes, I'm too much of a perfectionist not to want to sculpt my body into the exact perfection of what I invision in my mind, but little did I know that being a figure competitor would describe such a large portion of my life. And little did I know that I would absolutely love that.
I trained harder than any of my opponents and any of my teammates when I played team sports, and what defined who I was was my ability to outwork anyone. They might have been more naturally talented than I was, but there was no freakin' way they were going to outwork me on the court or in the weight room. Once I finished playing, I had about a year of down time. The first month or two were heavenly, my body FINALLY got the rest it had wanted for the past four years. The next 8-10 months I was stir-crazy! What to do? What to do???? I tried to play on a volleyball league but it frustrated me too much, I'm too competitive to "play for fun" on a league. I started to get a little softer, started to slack on my food choices (not that I ever paid too much attention - I was ALWAYS burning off whatever I ate anyway...). I felt like something was missing, I didn't have a physical outlet. I'm too intense and don't relax enough to just sit. I need to have an intense physical goal in front of me in order to tame myself a bit =]
I was reading a magazine one night and came across an AD with a figure competitor ... obliques, a 6 pack, kick ass quads, and some mean arms, all with a pretty face, I turned the magazine towards my boyfriend, and said, "THIS is what I want to look like!" My better half happens to be a personal trainer and he just shook his head and told me that it'd be a lot of work. I had always been athletic, always had some muscle tone, and was always "in-shape." I said I didn't care how much work it'd be ... that was my goal and I was going to do it! I got my booty to the gym the next day ... and from there on out, I was a sponge. I started soaking up and adding any information I could about fitness, nutrition, weightliting, and competitions to my already decent knowledge base. As an athlete, I had trained under a phenomenal trainer, Mark Feldner, and learned a TON of information from him and other coaches I had over the years. This base of knowledge treated me well and I took every single opportunity I had to learn about the industry and how to sculpt my body the way I want to to my advantage. Lucky enough for me, my boyfriend is a terrific trainer, and he helped me pave the way for myself as well.
Two years later, I decide I'm ready to cut down and try my first figure competition. I sign up for the competition, pay my fee, and buy my tickets. I pool my resources and get my figure competition prep nutrition plan together and start cutting. My oh my oh my. The first half of the prep isn't so bad. The second half though? Everything feels like you're in sloooooow-motion! I learned SO much about my body, the way it reacts, and so much about my mental strength through the contest prep. I wish I had started this blog and written through the prep for all of you and for myself as well ... but there's always more competitions! =]
I competed in the NPC IL Bodybuilding Championships May 15th, and followed that up, not with burgers and pizza like most of the competitors, but with another peak week and NPC Rockford Grand Prix Competition May 22nd, the following Saturday. Talk about nuts! TWO peak weeks and two competitions in two weeks! Phew! Not only did I have an absolute BLAST, but I placed 3rd and qualified for Nationals!!! And what did I celebrate with?? Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread and almond butter. Lots of almond butter. I guess I knew I was hooked when I didn't go nuts. I didn't splurge on anything insane, I actually craved the competition diet again. I knew I had to come off the diet and add in a bit more nutrients my body needs to function correctly but my mind was so crazed and in such a habit, I could hardly break myself from my competition prep nutrition plan!
Now I'm about a month into my off-season, lifting HEAVY, heavy, heavy again, following my off-season nutrition plan and doing all I can possibly do to add some more muscle before I step onto a national stage in the spring.
There are a few things I learned through my first (and second =]) competition prep:
1. We're wayy stronger mentally than we think, all we have to do is push the boundaries, and have the desire and willpower, and we're all able to do things we never thought we could or would be doing in our lifetimes.
2. It's the most wonderful thing in the world to realize how strong your support system is. My boyfriend is my rock, and I'm so gosh darn lucky to have him. He supported me through my LOW carb days, my mental breakdowns, and my nerves before I first went on stage, and he was the first to congratulate me when I accomplished my goal of qualifying for nationals. Everyone has their support system, don't forget to thank them when you figure out just who they are.
3. Don't ever give up. If you want it bad enough, you can do it. I always remind myself, someone else out there is working towards their goals right now, are you going to let them outwork you? And I promise that I will be that girl that even if someone is more genetically inclined or a little prettier than I am, I will outwork them daily, and I will work with tenacity to meet and surpass every goal I put out there for myself.
Today was leg day ... WOOOO! I can already feel the soreness kicking in and I love it! Off to drink a protein shake and go to sleep so I can get in some much needed muscle recovery.
I can't wait to hear all of your feedback, I can't wait to meet all of you, and I can't wait to share more!
Until next time,
Electra
What better way to start out than with a quote from one of the greatest founders of the sport that has now morphed and provides me with one of my greatest passions in life ... figure competitions. When I was a 3 sport varsity athlete in high school, and when I turned down a collegiate level volleyball scholarship, little did I know of the immense role fitness, weightlifting, and nutrition would play in the rest of my life. Yes, I'm too competitive to not have goals and challenges ahead of me, and yes, I'm too intense not to have a physical outlet, and yes, I'm too much of a perfectionist not to want to sculpt my body into the exact perfection of what I invision in my mind, but little did I know that being a figure competitor would describe such a large portion of my life. And little did I know that I would absolutely love that.
I trained harder than any of my opponents and any of my teammates when I played team sports, and what defined who I was was my ability to outwork anyone. They might have been more naturally talented than I was, but there was no freakin' way they were going to outwork me on the court or in the weight room. Once I finished playing, I had about a year of down time. The first month or two were heavenly, my body FINALLY got the rest it had wanted for the past four years. The next 8-10 months I was stir-crazy! What to do? What to do???? I tried to play on a volleyball league but it frustrated me too much, I'm too competitive to "play for fun" on a league. I started to get a little softer, started to slack on my food choices (not that I ever paid too much attention - I was ALWAYS burning off whatever I ate anyway...). I felt like something was missing, I didn't have a physical outlet. I'm too intense and don't relax enough to just sit. I need to have an intense physical goal in front of me in order to tame myself a bit =]
I was reading a magazine one night and came across an AD with a figure competitor ... obliques, a 6 pack, kick ass quads, and some mean arms, all with a pretty face, I turned the magazine towards my boyfriend, and said, "THIS is what I want to look like!" My better half happens to be a personal trainer and he just shook his head and told me that it'd be a lot of work. I had always been athletic, always had some muscle tone, and was always "in-shape." I said I didn't care how much work it'd be ... that was my goal and I was going to do it! I got my booty to the gym the next day ... and from there on out, I was a sponge. I started soaking up and adding any information I could about fitness, nutrition, weightliting, and competitions to my already decent knowledge base. As an athlete, I had trained under a phenomenal trainer, Mark Feldner, and learned a TON of information from him and other coaches I had over the years. This base of knowledge treated me well and I took every single opportunity I had to learn about the industry and how to sculpt my body the way I want to to my advantage. Lucky enough for me, my boyfriend is a terrific trainer, and he helped me pave the way for myself as well.
Two years later, I decide I'm ready to cut down and try my first figure competition. I sign up for the competition, pay my fee, and buy my tickets. I pool my resources and get my figure competition prep nutrition plan together and start cutting. My oh my oh my. The first half of the prep isn't so bad. The second half though? Everything feels like you're in sloooooow-motion! I learned SO much about my body, the way it reacts, and so much about my mental strength through the contest prep. I wish I had started this blog and written through the prep for all of you and for myself as well ... but there's always more competitions! =]
I competed in the NPC IL Bodybuilding Championships May 15th, and followed that up, not with burgers and pizza like most of the competitors, but with another peak week and NPC Rockford Grand Prix Competition May 22nd, the following Saturday. Talk about nuts! TWO peak weeks and two competitions in two weeks! Phew! Not only did I have an absolute BLAST, but I placed 3rd and qualified for Nationals!!! And what did I celebrate with?? Ezekiel cinnamon raisin bread and almond butter. Lots of almond butter. I guess I knew I was hooked when I didn't go nuts. I didn't splurge on anything insane, I actually craved the competition diet again. I knew I had to come off the diet and add in a bit more nutrients my body needs to function correctly but my mind was so crazed and in such a habit, I could hardly break myself from my competition prep nutrition plan!
Now I'm about a month into my off-season, lifting HEAVY, heavy, heavy again, following my off-season nutrition plan and doing all I can possibly do to add some more muscle before I step onto a national stage in the spring.
There are a few things I learned through my first (and second =]) competition prep:
1. We're wayy stronger mentally than we think, all we have to do is push the boundaries, and have the desire and willpower, and we're all able to do things we never thought we could or would be doing in our lifetimes.
2. It's the most wonderful thing in the world to realize how strong your support system is. My boyfriend is my rock, and I'm so gosh darn lucky to have him. He supported me through my LOW carb days, my mental breakdowns, and my nerves before I first went on stage, and he was the first to congratulate me when I accomplished my goal of qualifying for nationals. Everyone has their support system, don't forget to thank them when you figure out just who they are.
3. Don't ever give up. If you want it bad enough, you can do it. I always remind myself, someone else out there is working towards their goals right now, are you going to let them outwork you? And I promise that I will be that girl that even if someone is more genetically inclined or a little prettier than I am, I will outwork them daily, and I will work with tenacity to meet and surpass every goal I put out there for myself.
Today was leg day ... WOOOO! I can already feel the soreness kicking in and I love it! Off to drink a protein shake and go to sleep so I can get in some much needed muscle recovery.
I can't wait to hear all of your feedback, I can't wait to meet all of you, and I can't wait to share more!
Until next time,
Electra
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