When tough times get tougher

Bear with me here.

This is a blog post which took me a year and a day to write.

You see, a year ago yesterday was the day that life (as I knew it) fell apart suddenly around my ears. I’m not going to go into details (there’s no need – and those in real life who need to know certainly do know) but it’s no secret that I have recently gone through a divorce, house sale, relocation.

The reason for this blog post? Very simple – although it seems very silly to me now, with hindsight.

I feel the need to blog a response to the question “can I prep for a bodybuilding comp whilst I’m getting divorced?”

I know… it sounds so silly, but I can’t tell you how many times last year I googled that exact same question, or variations on a theme, hoping to find some disembodied answer which would placate me, direct me or fast-forward me somehow through what was a truly awful time.

It wasn’t that I wanted someone to tell me for sure either way. I just wanted to know. Was it worth it? Prep is hard. Divorce is harder. Put the two together and, well, I can’t actually remember much of last year.

So what was I looking for when I googled over and over about the topics of divorce, separation, upheaval, trauma and bodybuilding competition prep? I was searching for someone, anyone, who’d been through this and would share their experiences. I didn’t want someone to tell me “yes you definitely can and you will place second and your posing music CD will play just fine and you will remember to pack your bikini top and bottom.” Nor did I want someone to say “no, don’t do it, it’s too much and you will implode.” I just wanted to read some shared experiences because, frankly, I felt so lost.

I didn’t find a single thing. Not a blog post, not a forum thread, not an article.

To illustrate just how bad I was feeling, here’s an excerpt from an email conversation with Kat Millar, my 2011 prep coach who valiantly stepped back into the role when I was also suddenly left without coaching support.

Me

Up and down, up and down… keep thinking “I’ve got this” then something knocks me for 6 and I react badly even though I so desperately dont’ want to. Can I really do this? Should I be sensible and accept that this year might not be my year? Put it off for a year and compete in 2013? Do you really think I can do this Kat?

Kat

…yes I absolutely, totally without a shadow of a doubt know (not just think, know) that you can do this. I don’t doubt you at all, whatsoever! You are the same person who stood on stage last year… that same winning spirit is still in you, whether you feel connected to it right now or not, it’s there – it’s always there to draw upon, and no one can take that away from you.

My only question to you would be – do you want to? Do you really really want this? Because if you don’t, you won’t fight for it and nothing me or anyone else says will help.

Whatever you decide, your worth doesn’t come from what you do or whether you compete – and if you do, where you place.

As your coach and friend, I want what’s best for you… But from a physiological perspective, you do have enough time and if you believe you can do this and want to, you can.

Could you take a day or two just to forget about it and see what your subconscious decides? Would writing all the reasons for and against be helpful? What would you regret/not regret?

The bit in bold was such a relief to read. Sounds crazy now, I know! But that right there was what I was so desperate to hear. That is was physiologically possible to prep during a time of crisis. I did not know.

So, here’s my blog post, written in the genuine hope that one person, one day, at some point, will find it when they are feeling as desperate as I was.

Can you prep for a bodybuilding comp when your world has collapsed around you? I’m sure you can. I did, and I’m nothing special.

Am I glad I did?

Yes. But it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and there were days when I thought about jacking it all in. After my atrocious performance at the UKDFBA, I thought very hard about carrying on for one more show, and asked a lot of people’s advice. Some of them kindly and constructively said no, stop now, start off-season and move on. I do wonder if that might have been a good idea. But, I didn’t, and no harm done. However, I can remember the moment that my place (… last place!) was called at the NPA Finals (my final show of last year). The thought process immediately went “OK, right, fine, next up is moving home.” I was ready to move on, get my bodybuilding season over and done with because I finally felt a furious need to physically move away and get on with my new life.

I can’t tell you if you should compete or carry on with your prep, only you know that. But can you? Yes. You can, and maybe it will give you something to hang on to, something for you when everything else seems to be shitting on you from great heights and draining your emotions and energy.

I remember coming to the conclusion that, yes, prep and competing was a stress, but it was a stress that I wanted. It was all the other stresses that I didn’t want. So, by deciding not to compete, I’d have got rid of something I actually wanted to do, but I’d still be left with all the other crap.

Things which might help

If you do decide to carry on, these things may help. They certainly helped me:

- good friends. Goes without saying but honestly you are about to find out the power of true friendship. You are also about to discover who your true friends are. It may surprise you, in good and bad ways. The people you turn to first may end up screwing you over (happened to me) and the people you thought had forgotten about you completely may end up a year later being back in your life in big ways (also happened to me).

- an inner circle. It’s always a good idea to only listen to one or two trusted advisor-types during prep but when you’re also trying to deal with the exhausting noise of divorce and house sale etc, you’ll probably only have energy (and trust!) left to listen to one or two

- training partners. Again, often helpful but a wonderful support at this point in time. You need to find the right person but, if you do, they will play the part of mentor, coach, accountability partner, sounding board and much more

- getting in to a routine. If you suddenly find yourself alone, prep can go very screwy. Meal times? What are those? Bed time? Oh I suppose that was a few hours ago. Get up? I suppose I should, I mean it is 10:45am. You get the picture. Do try to carry on as normal, even if inside you feel far from normal.

- a dog (if you like dogs, that is). If you’ve got one, fight to keep it. If you haven’t got one, get one to celebrate your new life. Your pup will get you outside on days when you don’t want to go anywhere, will make you smile and will remind you daily about trust, love and the power of living in the moment.

Pros and cons…
…of competing and prepping last year at the same time as going to Relate sessions, getting divorced, trying (endlessly) to sell a house, planning a relocation and dozens of other frustrating and upsetting things

Pros
- Sense of pride at a time when my confidence was on the floor
- A positive, healthy distraction/set of habits at a time when I honestly could happily have ended (or started) some days with gin
- Maintaining contact with a very tight-knit and supportive community online and offline
- Routine, habits, structure
- A goal which was nothing to do with anyone else, just me
- A high point or “good thing” in an otherwise shit year

Cons
- Often very stressful
- Physically and emotionally exhausting
- Pressure (on myself) that I often didn’t need
- Kept me in one place long after I wanted to move away
- Change in lifestyle (single person with dog to walk/house to run) meant sudden change in energy output
- Change in lifestyle meant sudden change in routine, meaning I could (and did) very easily eat/sleep badly

Lessons learned
- let yourself feel whatever you need to feel. There’s nothing wrong with being sad, angry, mildly hysterical or anything else you care to feel. I can tell you right now that over the past year I have cried in Tesco supermarket, in the Post Office, and walking down the High Street on a Saturday afternoon. Oh well. You have to let the feelings out, and then sort of past. They won’t stick around forever I promise. Just because you spent all of yesterday crying it doesn’t mean you’ll spend all of tomorrow crying (although if you do that’s OK too)

- spend time on you. This one really helped me. I don’t mean having bubble baths and going on a silent retreat. I mean really digging about and getting to grips – for the first time ever – with who I am, what makes me tick and why I really am quite awesome thank you very much. I went to some therapy/counselling (not sure what you’d call it). I read a lot of self-help/emotional intelligence books. I watched my Google reader’s contents subtly shift from food and fitness blogs to sports psychology and emotional wellness blogs. One of the most valuable things I did was sit and write down my own personal values. This might not work for you, perhaps you’re not as driven by words as I am. But I found it interesting, enlightening and very strengthening to know what’s important to me, so I then had a kind of values blueprint against which to align my life.

- go with your gut. This kind of links to the values thing. If last year taught me anything, it was to trust my gut instincts. I no longer care very much what people think of me (not in a callous way, more in a “look I know I’m a good person, if you disagree or come to some odd conclusion about my life then that’s your issue not mine” way) I am much happier to trust gut instinct and do things (or not do things) that I know are right for me and for the people I care about, probably because I have a much better idea now of who is worth caring about. Do listen to what your gut is telling you. Good and bad. If it’s telling you that person is slightly odd and probably a bad influence in your life, get rid now. It’ll happen one way or another anyway. If it’s telling you that person was amazing all along and you really should get back in touch with them, give them a call. They’ll be back at some point anyway!

- nothing’s set in stone. If you do decide to compete, remember that you can stop any time. That might help ease the pressure. Obviously it doesn’t quite work the other way around – if you decide not to, you’ll probably find it hard to jump back into it if you change your mind. But if you do take the tough decision to carry on, don’t be proud enough to stop if you no longer feel prep/competing is doing anything positive for you. I promise you that nobody will think any the worse of you (in fact they may be relieved, or may not notice at all!)

Oh, and one last thing? You will be OK, and whatever happens/wherever you find yourself, things will be better. Maybe not in the ways you expected or predicted (or even wanted) but they will be.

There.

In signing off today I’d like to say the hugest and most heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped me through the past year. You know who you are. And to the people (because there were a few) who didn’t help me, well, thank you too. You played a part in getting me here, but I’m afraid you won’t be the ones who get to play a part in celebrating it.

Peace out

When tough times get tougher is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Bodybuilding prep update (20 weeks out?)

It’s been a while since I talked about training, prep or this year’s competitions, so here’s an update.

I’m currently either 20 or 22 weeks out, depending on which show I do. Sorry to be vague and cryptic but I’m not 100% sure yet, and I won’t be revealing the show til a lot nearer the time anyway (although those of you with the various federations’ calendars at hand will be able to work it out fairly easily!)

I’m still working with Vicky Bradley and everything is going really well, I’m very happy with progress and excited to see how things turn out.

I’ve been under Vicky’s small but surprisingly muscular lats for nearly seven weeks now. I’m onto my second lot of training sessions with her – the first block focused on my bigger lifts, great technique, lower reps (very low for me!), working out just how much weigh I can handle and getting some more muscle on me. This new block of training is bringing in work which will bring more balance and shape to my physique.

Progress is being made: not only do I look and feel better, but I’m getting stronger, and the stats are there in black and white. In six weeks I’m down:

3.6kgs
We think about 4.5% body fat from Vicky’s calipering.
2.3cms hips
6cms waist (!)
5cms chest/back

The only thing which hasn’t budged is arm measurement, although body fat/skinfold has come down.

This is from about 3 weeks ago…

This is from last Sunday at a BNBF club/meet at Body Bionics Gym

As is this….

I’m in the gym four days a week:
Saturday – deadlifts, hamstrings, glutes, back and calves
Sunday – chest and triceps
Tuesday – back and shoulders
Wednesday – squats, quads and calves

And doing posing practice, stretching, foam rolling and postural/remedial work a couple of times a week at home. No cardio (other than two fast dog walks of about 45 mins every day).

Eating (I can’t really call it dieting yet!) is simple and enjoyable. Lots of meat, fish, eggs and veg, good fats and veg (including spuds). The plan is to slowly bring bodyfat down to a reasonable “year round” level, teaching me and my body good, sustainable habits along the way. Never mind the comp, this is about finding habits and routines which work for me and can then work for me all year round. Then, from there, we’ll worry about “prep diet”. But the idea is that, by then, there won’t be a huge amount to lose anyway.

How about you – how’s your training going?

Bodybuilding prep update (20 weeks out?) is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Quick-fire quiz: “You know you’re a dieting bodybuilder when…”

Afternoon!

Sorry I’ve been a bit AWOL. I just don’t know where the time goes. Except, yes I do really, cos if I take a look at my Google calendar for the next few weeks I can see:
- UKDFBA bodybuilding comp in 13 days
- NPA Finals in 28 days
- moving house in 34 days
(And you don’t even want to see my work whiteboard.)

However, I’m still here, still prepping, still dieting and still blogging, promise!

Today’s blog post is a little quiz: a highly-scientific test to ascertain whether or not you are, or ever have been, a dieting competitive bodybuilder. (You’d be forgiven for forgetting: low carbs get to us all).

1) You’ve just completed a long drive. The little rubbish-bin compartment in your car’s drivers door is filled with
A sweet wrappers, an empty bag of Skittles and a crushed up Starbucks cup
B the stems of green beans, a screwed up bit of tin foil, and crushed egg shells

2) You last ate Brussels sprouts
A Christmas 2011
B Yesterday, for meals two and four

3) The last thing to make you cry was
A Your dog dying
B The thought of climbing the stairs to have a shower after training

4) You would jump for joy right now if someone offered you
A Your favourite type of cake and a hot cup of tea
B A bowl of raspberries

5) The most recent thing to make you lose your temper and want to kill someone was
A Phoning up a utilities company to try and discuss your bill
B Someone trying to talk to you at “the wrong volume”

6) The last inanimate object you called “m*ther f*cker!” was
A Your laptop
B The hack squat machine

7) In the last week, you have permanently mislaid this number of everyday items
A 0-2
B 5-100 (bonus points if this includes house keys, car keys, wallet or official documentation of any kind)

8) You can’t find the TV remote anywhere. Finally, you locate it
A Down the side of the sofa
B In the freezer (and you still haven’t got tomorrow’s turkey out to defrost)

9) You categorise your bags by
A Type (work, leisure, smart, weekend), number of pockets, and how well they match your other accessories
B How many tupperwares can fit inside them, and how easy it is to clean chicken juice off the lining

10) You are most likely to block, unfollow or ignore people on social media because
A They post too often, are boring or are no longer relevant to your interests
B They post pictures of their dinners, endless recipes, or check-ins at Costa (drinking lattes)

Bonus question
11) Whilst answering these questions, you have mainly been
A Shaking your head or furrowing your brow, wondering “why do they do it to themselves?”
B Laughing a lot, wondering “why do we do it to ourselves?”

You answered
Mainly A! Congratulations! Long may you enjoy milk in your coffee, space in your fridge for something other than green veg, and a car which doesn’t smell of chicken!
Mainly B! Congratulations (commiserations?), you are currently dieting for a bodybuilding competition, or have done in the recent past and have not yet been able to banish some of the finer details of the experience from your mind

Quick-fire quiz: “You know you’re a dieting bodybuilder when…” is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Friends like these…

Bodybuilders need a small army of genuine good friends, particularly during prep. At any given moment, we can be sensitive, hyper-critical, euphoric, snappy, self-obsessed or prone to tearful outbursts (… no, I refuse to believe that’s just me!)

Really good friends are hard to define and hard to come by. So, today’s shout-out goes to my friend Zoe. Always a quietly reliable force in the background, she shows her support in unusual but very appreciated ways.

For instance, on Tuesday she popped in on her way home from work with not one but two gifts. These two offerings are a beautiful illustration of how to tread the fine line – of hunger and humour, self-control and over-indulgence – which shape our lives in the final few weeks of contest prep.

Exhibit one

Knobbly!

Huge, delicious cucumbers from Zoe’s garden (she’s so green-fingered: I’m currently growing green chilis, peppers and tomatoes supplied by Zoe, and that Stevia plant she gave me is still growing!) As I said to her when she brought these round, she couldn’t have chosen a better gift, really. I was feeling very hungry on Tuesday but – with three weeks til my next comp – now is not the time to give in to an attack of the nibbles. Chomp on homegrown cucumbers? Perfect.

Exhibit two

Naughty!

Zoe works at the head office of a well-known brand of confectionary. There are often great deals to be had in the staff shop, but I’m not allowed on site (it’s not that I have previous convictions pertaining to chocolate bars, not do I pose a particular security threat to boiled sweets – it’s just the rules). So, from time to time, Zoe will email me to say “we have boxes of microwave rice on offer!” or “there’s tons of seasonal chocolate being practically given away!” I’m still making my way through all that Uncle Ben’s rice she got me.

Here we have a load of Malt Easter bunnies, which cost me pennies, and which will be taken to the NPA Finals and shared out amongst my fellow competitors. For now? They’re under lock and key in the garden shed. Zoe can vouch for that – I showed her all the things I’ve chosen to lock away in there for these final few weeks of the diet. (See: you thought I was iron-willed? Not so much. I find dieting as hard as anyone!)

Friends like these… is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

A toddler’s guide to bodybuilding comps

Hello hello! Phew, I’m home, I’m sitting down and I’ve finally got time to write. I haven’t unpacked yet, and this tan will take a while to come off but, you know, let’s blog.

I’ll post a full show report soon (when I have the official photos for illustration) but here’s a quick summary: I came second and got an invite to the NPA British Final next month! The lady who came first is the competitor I came 2nd to at the BNBF Final last year (she even turned Pro with the BNBF at that comp), and so she’s certainly top competition! It was a good battle, all three of us had fun and it was a lovely atmosphere. The whole show was really enjoyable, and I had a blast all day. I’m very very happy with my progress this year and with how I posed and performed my routine. But, more of that later!

Today, I wanted to blog about some of my two-year-old nephew’s “funnies” from the show yesterday. He’s a chatty little guy and very funny (did you see his impersonation of Lou Ferrigno?). He did come to this competition last year but was too young to be saying much and I’m not sure he understood what it was about at all. This year, he got into it a lot more.

So here is Henry’s guide to bodybuilding competitions.

What to say…
- when you see your Auntie’s tanned-up feet: BEEN PLAYING IN THE MUD, BEBE?
- when you are impressed by a pose: THAT’S A BIGGER ONE!
- when you are really impressed by a pose: THAT’S A REALLY BIGGER ONE!
- during the men’s classes, when you see competitors with particularly small trunks: THAT’S A WILLY! AND THAT’S A WILLY! AND THAT’S A WILLY… (etc)
- when competitors leave the stage to get ready for their individual routines: WHERE THE BOYS GONE?
- if a competitor begins their routine lying down on the stage: SHE HAVING A NAP?
- when your Auntie walks out on stage but she’s a funny colour: THAT’S NOT BEBE?!
- when your Auntie is doing a lat-spread: OPEN UP! OPEN UP!
- when you disapprove of your Auntie’s tan: BEBE HAVE A SHOWER NOW?

And, this morning, he was studying my trophy in great detail. He asked me to read what the engraving said, so I told him: “NPA South East Champs 2012, Miss Physique, 2nd” He looked at me, shrugged, and said “Mrs 2nd”. Much easier, I agree! LOL!

Henry hopes you find this handy guide helpful. He also says that he’s learned there’s no point offering a bodybuilder a crisp, a plum or a “happle” the night before a comp… but the next morning, wow, you’d better protect your croissant with your life ;D

A toddler’s guide to bodybuilding comps is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Arnold! Arnold! Arnold! Arnold!

So, just one more sleep and it’s showtime!

I’m tanned (good work, Sister: a sterling attempt on her debut outing as a tanner-upperer… long story involving an aborted visit to a salon… don’t ask). I’m resting up. And I’m ready to go.

One of my night-before-comp traditions is watching Pumping Iron, but I’m not going to do that tonight because I’m staying with family and I’d sooner chat to them.

So, in honour of that most well-known of bodybuilding films, here is a short sketch featuring my two-year-old nephew. Altogether now: “Arnold! Arnold! Arnold! Arnold!” ;D

(the original clip is here, should it not be immediately crystal-clear what my nephew is doing… !)

I’ll be posting as many updates from the show tomorrow on Twitter: thefitwriter on Twitter should you want to follow along

Arnold! Arnold! Arnold! Arnold! is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

2 days til showtime!

Sorry I’ve been a bit quiet! Peak week drags yet flies by, somehow. Yes, here we are with just 48 hours to go til I’m on stage. Yahoooo! I couldn’t be happier and more excited. I really am feeling good about this. My coach is delighted, I’m seeing things (on my body) I’ve never seen before, and I’ve shown my routine to various friend via Skype and they all love it.

Pic from last night – end of my carb-deplete (sorry not great lighting).

After a four-day carb-deplete eating mainly fish (which actually didn’t feel so horrendous, certainly not as bad as last year, I wonder if that’s just because I know what to expect, so know how to hunker down and deal? Or whether the body has other “memory” capabilities, like muscle-memory?), my carbs are back. It’s a glorious day here, and the pup and I have enjoyed a long amble in the sunshine.

I’m now prepping food for the next few days:

- 1kg+ sweet potato, baked into thin slices (as little water as possible)
- 500g baby new potatos (I bake them like tiny jacket potatoes, lush!)
- rice cakes
- really fast carbs like honey and jam
- grilled turkey
- and of course… my post-comp eats.

Except… what’s wrong with me? I haven’t bothered to do that last bit yet. Last year, I actually got up in the middle of the night (well, about 4am) one morning in the lead-up to a comp, to tip my hidden-away stockpile of protein bars, chocolate and god knows what else all over the floor, sift through it like an antiques dealer who’d found a treasure chest, and pick out what I’d take to the show. Just real talk, folks…

This year, yes, I’ve got the stockpile. But it’s honestly not that big. And I am not feeling remotely moved to go and look at it and select the Chosen Ones which will be the things I eat when I come off stage. I’m sure I will do! But right now? Not arsed.

Is this a sign of a second-year of prep? Do we grow up, mature, settle down? Or am I just kidding myself: will I be down here in the kitchen tomorrow morning at 4am comparing the merits of a Bounce ball with that bag of chocolate covered Brazils?

Who knows.

All I know is that this prep has been the toughest, but ultimately the most enjoyable, and the one which (at time of writing) appears to have delivered the best results. Seriously. I have woken up every morning this week and thought “is that me?” And, this morning over Skype, my coach had to check and double-check when we’d last Skyped, because I just look so different.

That’s my take on it, anyway! What the judges have to say… we’ll hear in a little over 48 hours!

Have a lovely weekend, whatever you’re up to

Want to read more posts from the depths of bodybuilding prep? A round-up of some from last year:
My best-friend’s hen do whilst prepping…
28 days out from first comp
Last minute thoughts, stats, and that handy packing list for female bodybuilding competitors
A day in the life… bodybuilding prep in pics

If you wish to follow me on Twitter, please do thefitwriter on Twitter. I’ll post as many updates there as possible. Those of you who know me on Facebook, I’ll also update there. And of course I’ll write a show report with pics/videos as soon as I’m back online (and done some work!)

Thanks for reading

2 days til showtime! is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Just 7 days to go!

Hi! So, this time next week I’ll be tanned up, glued into a bikini and probably pumping up ready to get on stage. Can. Not. Wait! It feels like it’s been a long time coming this year but, of course, the final few weeks have flown by. Here’s a blast from the bodybuilder-past: my blog post from 7 days out from my first competition last year. It’s funny to see the similarities – and the differences!

Here we are about to enter “peak week”, with the final tweaks to diet, training, hydration, posing and routine. The hard work’s done. Not a lot can be changed now, but subtle differences in carb and water intake will make a difference. I need to practice, practice, practice posing and my routine. Get as much rest and sleep as I can. Chill and enjoy the run-in to the show.

Remember last year when I had crazy prep-dreams? Well, no cold-sweats over the imagined eating of cheap dog chocolates this year, but I did have a dream last night that I got to the venue with no tan on, and couldn’t find anyone to help me. The venue was some kind of massive abandoned warehouse and I was running round but nobody else was there. Finally, with about five minutes to go, I found… Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, who kindly offered to put my Dream Tan on. Only he was a right fuss-pot and took a-g-e-s over it. In the end I just had to give up and get on stage with my back tanned but my front still white.

This coming week, I have the following to look forward to (or not… !)
- fewer carbs
- more water
- no sweeteners (bye-bye chewing gum)
- no heavy lifting (lighter weights, higher reps)
- less cardio (hooray)
- more beauty treatments
- less work (I’m going to clear my desk so I can have some days off to chill)
- more family! (yippee, the show is in my home county of Kent, so I get to stay with family)

Here are a couple of progress pics, taken yesterday by my training partner, side-kick and all-round right-hand woman Helen. Thanks as always my friend!

One of the most amazing things about the final one or two weeks of prep is that you can see your body changing, almost before your eyes. I wake up looking different to how I did the night before. Sometimes, I change during the day. So, yes, I already look slightly different to how I do in these pics. And, with seven days to go, I know I’m going to look different again by the time I’m on-stage (not to mention browner and shinier )

I really can’t wait to see what the judges think of how I look this year. I have worked so hard to put on size, to bring up the areas which were lacking last year, and to present a more balanced, “bigger”, more body-buildery physique. I’m pleased with what I see. I can only hope they agree.

One more thing: an awful lot of friends and family have said they are coming to the comp on Sunday. In fact, since writing this post and storing it in drafts, another friend has joined the support crew! Quite honestly I’ve been overwhelmed by the level of support and enthusiasm, and I’d like to say thank you to them all. Even if you considered coming, but decided not to, thank you for even thinking of it. And, if you are coming, I hope you enjoy the show!

I’ll bring you a few updates from peak week if anything interesting happens! In the meantime, if there’s anything you’d particularly like to know, just leave a comment and I’ll do my best to answer. Thanks as always for reading!

Just 7 days to go! is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

My health MOT at Nuffield Health

Last week, I was invited along to Nuffield Health in Reading to have a Health MOT. Nuffield Health is a chain of gyms/health clubs but there’s a difference: they have close links with members’ GPs and have their own in-house GPs, physiologists, physiotherapists and nutritionists. So, as at any gym, the focus is on improving members’ health, fitness and body composition but it’s done as a team approach, with every member looked after by a kind of umbrella care-team of health professionals as well as their PT or coach.

Nuffield Health MOTs are 12-point tests which all members receive (when they join, and then again at regular intervals). They give a great insight into overall health and act as a great incentive for people to stay on track, improve and get healthier. Importantly, the Health MOTs highlight any health concerns and, if necessary, the Nuffield folk can then suggest that people go to their GP to fully diagnose and tackle the underlying health issue.

As the invitation said, “even the fittest people like to know more about their health and the reasons behind things…” and I couldn’t agree more. I’m always keen to know how my body is getting along. Is it coping with the stresses I throw at it? For all that it’s lean, muscular, and fed with good food, is it actually healthy? Or do any of the things I do actually cause me to be less healthy than if I was more moderate in my approach to health, wellness, nutrition and fitness?

Kirsty Minter, Wellbeing Advisor at the Nuffield Health Centre in Reading, was the lady who would tell me.

“The Health MOT helps our members to monitor the effectiveness of their exercise programme by looking at 12 measurements which include cholesterol, blood sugar, systolic blood pressure, aerobic fitness, weight and waist-to-hip ratio. Members are also asked about their smoking, alcohol, water and sleep habits,” she told me.

I’ve had most of those tests before, and check my resting HR often (usually in bed in the morning as opposed to in the afternoon after having a cup of coffee a few hours earlier… whoops…) but I’d never had my cholesterol of blood sugar done.

Kirsty ran through the test with me, which took about 45 minutes. First there was a detailed questionnaire about my diet, fitness and lifestyle. Then

The results:

BMI is in the healthy weight range (I had worried that it might tell me I was overweight, simply because I carry so much more muscle mass than the average person)
Waist-to-hip ratio is “moderate risk” but, as Kirsty explained, we have to look beyond the numbers. Quite clearly, at a couple of weeks out from a bodybuilding comp, I am not carrying excess body fat. But (and I don’t need a Health MOT to tell me this!) my natural shape is not curvy. I’m straight up and down, with not much of a waist and not much in the way of bum and hips, either. So, whether I’m large or small, crunch the numbers of my waist-to-hip ratio and you’re always going to get a warning sign. Kirsty assured me I was quite OK, though. I joked that I’d come back again in my off-season with a big bum and take the test again!
Blood pressure is 102 (systolic)/58 (diastolic) – both towards the lower end of average but not worryingly so. Less than 90/60 is “low”. That explains why I sometimes feel a bit lightheaded if I stand up too quickly.
My Vo2 max was calculated at 54/ml/kg/min – off the scale *grin* I’ve had this tested before, years and years ago… I should try to dig the numbers out, because I’d be very interested to see how a switch from lots of cardio, and endurance training/racing, to lots of weight training, and sprints/intervals has affected my Vo2 max.
Resting HR was a very pleasing 44 bpm. I had the test in the afternoon and had drunk two cups of coffee earlier that day, so was fully expecting it to be deceptively high. Mind you, I did practically fall asleep with the HR monitor on!
Total cholesterol was 4.06 mmol/L. Kirsty explained that some cholesterol is essential, but high levels can lead to health problems. A reading over over 5.0 mmol/L tends to ring warning bells and anything over 6.5 is considered high.
Blood glucose came out at 4.1 mmol/L (both this test and the cholesterol test were done by a pin-prick test on the finger, like when you go to give blood and they test your iron levels). My reading was in the good range (less than 5.8) whereas anything between 5.8-7.99 is borderine raised and anything above 8 is considered high. Of course, people with diabetes need to be aware of the levels which are appropriate for them, so they can manage their diabetes accordingly. I don’t have diabetes, so these guidelines apply to me.
Hydration was excellent (as I’d expect!) as was alcohol consumption (zero – living the dream, people, living the dream!) The caffeinated drinks section of the report was a gentle reminder to take it easy, particularly if I’m finding it difficult to wind down or sleep. My sleep levels are good (hooray, at long last!), although the quality could still be improved.

My overall health score was 84.

Competitive person that I am, I asked Kirsty how I could improve it. She said there were no direct recommendations, since none of the individual tests gave her any cause for concern. So, for me, it would be a simple case of making small improvements in a few areas: less coffee, better sleep, even lower cholesterol or even higher V02 max. Or, I suppose, the sudden development of an hourglass figure. Not going to happen I’m afraid (I wish – in the meantime I’ll make do with a much improved lat-spread to trick the bodybuilding judges into thinking I do actually have a waist… !)

Nuffield Health support members clinically according to their specific goals:
- Individuals who have needed weight management advice have lost, on average, 2% of their body mass,” – 25% of all overweight customers have lost more than 5% of their body mass (a level likely to have a clinically significant impact on health)
- Of the 612 members identified as having elevated blood glucose levels (suggesting possible diabetes or pre-diabetes), Nuffield have helped over 90% to lower their levels and a 81% to reduce their levels below 6.1mmol/L
- Of the 5243 members with potentially elevated cholesterol levels, 61% have managed to lower their levels, whilst 26% have managing to actually decrease levels to below the recommended level (of 5.00mmol/L)
- Similar success stories for blood pressure include reductions for 76% of those with elevated systolic blood pressure (and clinical improvements in 51% to below the recommended level of 140mmHg)

Have you had these tests? Is there any particular area of health you’re working on improving at the moment?

Thanks for seeing me, Nuffield Health!

My health MOT at Nuffield Health is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

2 weeks out… and Notch Watch, chapter 4

Oops, looks like it’s been 10 weeks since I checked in on the old Notch Watch. Soz! I don’t honestly know where most of this year has gone.

This morning, I trained with new FBBBFF* Helen and she was tasked with taking my progress pics. Thanks, Helen! After that, I popped on the belt to see how I was getting on with progress through the notches, and I asked her to take a pic of the evidence.
(*Female bodybuilding best female friend ;D)

Sure, it’s pulled a bit too tight, but it did up! On notch number 8… of 8. Final notch reached, with 2 weeks of prep to go.

When I first popped this belt on, way back over the New Year break, I was – somewhat embarrassingly – on notch 4 (of 8). Eek! Haha.

There’s not a lot else to report, really: measurements coming down/staying the same (as I’d want them to), weight creeping down (infuriatingly slowly, as I’m getting used to), diet going well (hooray), training going as well as can be expected (at 2 weeks out), routine coming along well (I love it), bikini, tan and all bling assembled in my little red wheely case

I’m exhausted, but very happy with progress, and my coach is happy too which is all I need to know!

This time next week I’ll be starting “peak week”, and this time in 2 weeks, my first comp of the year will be over! :-O Time flies! I hope your prep/training is going well

2 weeks out… and Notch Watch, chapter 4 is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.