NPA British Final 2012 photos

Sorry for being AWOL – I’ve been moving house I still don’t have broadband or a phone (<— self-employed person's problems) but I’m making do with dongles.

Anyway, 2 minutes ago I realised that I’d promised you a second blog post about the NPA British Final (my write-up is here) once I’d got the official photographer‘s pics. Well, he sent them ages ago, but I forgot.

Here they are! Enjoy (I think you click on them to make them bigger if you want) And all the very best to the British Team who are preparing to step on stage at the INBF/WNBF Worlds today and tomorrow in Atlantic City.

I’ll be back soon with a blog post about breakfast. Yes, it’s the off-season, which means eating and baking and cooking oh my!

NPA British Final 2012 report 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.

(Body) building works

**First up – the winners of the GOOD Hemp protein samples. Thank you all for entering and taking part. My five winners – chosen at random – are Anna, Karryann, BarnesFitness, Helen G and Dorthe Nielsen. Please get in touch to organise sending me your postal addresses.

Onto today’s post:

As bodybuilders, we spend so much of our year dieting (or maybe it just feels as if we do!) that it’s quite a novelty to be eating at maintenance or even at an excess. But this is body building, after all, and you can’t grow if you’re always dieting. My Facebook is full of such status updates at the moment, from bodybuilder friends for whom being off the competition diet is still a novelty. “If your abs are showing, you ain’t growing” is my current favourite. The point, of course, is that you’re not going to make any significant improvements in physique unless you back off the diet, eat up, and give yourself the chance to grow. Diet is for condition. Eating is for muscles!

My Mum is currently building a house. (I promise this is all one blog post, I haven’t just pasted two different ones together. Bear with me). For months, the structure was hidden behind roof-height scaffolding, which was covered in thick plastic. You couldn’t see what was inside. You could see a vague house kind of a shape, and of course we all knew she was building a new structure. We’d seen the plans and had regular updates. But, from the outside, it just looked like a big rectangle of scaffolding and plastic. Until the big reveal…

That, to me, is what off-season is like for me as a bodybuilder. It’s about building a structure, even if the finished item is under wraps, waiting for the scaffolding to come down.

I no longer look as I did when I stepped onstage for this year’s competitions, that’s for sure. But that version of me is still here, it’s just underneath. It’s still with me, I carry it around wherever I go. There’s just an extra me on top of it! And that extra me is helping to build the stage version of me to something bigger and better, ready for the big reveal.

On Facebook the other day, a few of us took this house analogy and ran with it. We were all under scaffolding and tarpaulin, we declared, working hard on our foundations and structures (and, for some, internal redesign and plumbing). We don’t care that from the outside it looks like a bit of a building site. After all, this is the building part of bodybuilding.

“I’m going to be a lovely art deco 1930s building next year,” I posted. “Streamline Moderne, lots of sweeping curves and long lines but with solid hard corners too. Lots of metal and sparkly glass, nice smooth finish. Ha! You? Some kind of big timber structure made out of solid oak?”

My bodybuilding friends indulged me, posting the kind of building they’re constructing under their winter scaffolding. We had some Colonial mansions, some solid oak beams and even an updated shed.

How about you. What kind of body are you building? There’s a certain beauty in scaffolding, you know. Strong, stable and supportive.

Eat up!

(Body) building works 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.

“But will you carry on?” (aka “What’s next?”)

A quick update post from me, 4 weeks or so after my final competition and 4 weeks or so into “off-season”.

I went out to dinner this week with some girlfriends. They all asked about bodybuilding, competitions, prep and of course the diet – everything I’ve been through in this past year or so. One of them told me she hadn’t realised I’d competed “for me”. She thought I’d done it for work (?!)

Once I’d stopped choking on an olive, I told her that I doubt there’s a magazine out there which offers rates high enough to make a year of bodybuilding prep financially (or emotionally) viable. (As an aside, I did get one commission off the back of bodybuilding – the ever-lovely Editorial folk at Bodyfit magazine commissioned a short first-person piece which I will upload here at some point. Did you see it?)

“But will you carry on?”, all three of my friends asked.

Hell yes!

Does this look like the face of someone who never wants to compete again?

I guess it hadn’t occurred to me that anyone would think I wouldn’t be planning to train, prep and compete again next year. So, for the record, yes. Yes I will carry on. I love this sport, I love the training, I’m fascinated by the nutrition, I adore being on stage. I wouldn’t say I will never do endurance sport again – as Prince once wisely said, “forever is a mighty long time” – but, for now at least, the iron game has my heart. And off-season is flexible enough that I can head out for a run, get on my road bike and plough up and down the swimming pool should I want to. It’s all good!

So, an update on me:

- I trained as I wanted for a few weeks, enjoying a bit of sweaty cardio, a bit of circuit-style lifting and a bit of wandering into the gym and doing whatever I fancied. I now have my new programmes from my coach Kat and wow are they tough! It’s great and I’m loving it. We have definite plans for my physique and this is the first set of building blocks to get me there.
- transitioning into off-season eating, and finding a balance, has been tricky. In truth, I believe this is something that every single competitor wrestles with. I just think it’s not spoken about much – the final taboo if you like. It’s no biggie and I’ve (finally!) got a handle on it, but it’s a prickly problem you don’t necessarily think about (or perhaps don’t want to think about!) when you’re deep in contest diet mode.
- leading on from that point, I have sat down and thought long and hard about the things bodybuilding prep has taught me. What have I learned about myself? What works for me, and what definitely doesn’t work? What makes me feel good, and what should I really avoid if I want to stay happy and healthy? This is all fodder for another blog post, another time.
- I have set myself some plans, goals (dreams?) for next year’s competitive season. I am a firm believer in the law of attraction. If nothing else, goals are good because they give you something to aim for. If you don’t make it, you probably ended up further ahead than you would have done if you were goalless the whole time. I have my new mood board in the kitchen, I have my path planned out. If it happens – amazing. If it doesn’t – still amazing. I know I’ll have a great time next year and enjoy whatever happens. For now, I like having dreams!

So, in answer to the “what’s next?” question, which I seem to get asked a lot:
- off-season eating, which for me means more calories, more carbs, less structure and more intuition
- heavy lifting in order to build and grow
- a focus on certain areas of my physique
- some cardio, but not much at the moment (the focus is on growing my muscles)
- enjoying holiday, Christmas, New Year and general “real life”!
- competing again next year: bigger & better!

Over & out

“But will you carry on?” (aka “What’s next?”) 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.

thefitwriter talks bodybuilding to BBC Radio Berkshire

Hi! Just a quick one with a link to yesterday’s radio interview: it’s on iPlayer (probably for a week or so) so you can listen to it if you want!

The link is here and I’m on from 02:02:43 onwards – the interview is split into several sections with music/news/travel/weather in between, so keep listening!

She started off by asking me about channel swimming, and gets on to the topic of bodybuilding after that. I think I gave OK answers to her questions and she certainly seemed enthusiastic and very interested about natural bodybuilding. If you do decide to listen, I hope you enjoy the interview!

thefitwriter talks bodybuilding to BBC Radio Berkshire 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.

You ask, I answer (bodybuilding Q&A)

A while ago, I put a general shout-out for bodybuilding questions you would like to see answered here. I’m far from an expert but, as ever, I’m just writing from my own perspective. So, here goes!

“Firstly – why no dairy? Secondly – what difference does 8l of water make to the government recommended 2l, for example?”

OK: the dairy. It’s a personal choice but I choose to leave dairy out of my diet from about 8 weeks before competition, partly because I want to use my limited calories for things which are chock-full of nutrition (I’d rather have more veg than a bit of yoghurt) and partly because dairy tends to be pretty high in carbs which normally isn’t a problem, but I do limit my carbs when I’m dieting for a comp. Again, I’d rather get the carbs I am allowed from loads of veg, or something with chew-factor like potato, than a glass of milk. There is also a school of thought which suggests dairy can make you look a bit soft, smooth or bloated. I’ve never tested this properly but I’d rather not risk it. Interestingly, since cutting out dairy, I’ve found that I really don’t like the taste of cows milk. It tastes kind of… claggy? And leaves me feeling a bit phlegmy. (Lovely) Having said that, I am looking forward to greek yoghurt and cottage cheese – I love both of those. I don’t think I’ll go back to drinking cows milk though (I like coconut milk – the stuff in cartons, not tins – and have even been known to make my own almond milk, although those uber-productive, spring-in-my-step days seem a long time ago at the moment!)

The water thing. This is in reference to the fact that I drink a lot of water every day at the start of “peak week”, tapering it off towards the show. This is something many bodybuilders do but, at the same time, many others don’t do anything special with water at all. Bodybuilders want to appear “dry” on stage (“ripped”, “cut”, etc) One of the theories is that you can drop some subcutaneous water (the layer between the muscles and the skin) on the day by minimising water intake. The theory then goes that, if you water “load” in the days leading up to the show, you’ll encourage your body to release or flush out extra water. I’m not sure there’s any definitive proof that one approach is better than the other (water load/deplete vs just drinking as normal) but in this sport people tend to do what works for them until such a time as it doesn’t work, then they’ll try a different approach. Having only done 3 shows, I haven’t had much of a chance to play around with ideas and approaches so, for now, this is how I do it. It does mean I need to be near a toilet for the first half of peak week!

“What I would be interested in hearing about is how you keep your focus during the bit where you’re all on stage (pose-down??)- I wasn’t prepared for how physically close you would be to the other competitors.”

Yes, there can be a bit of jostling during pose-down (and sometimes during the compulsory poses) either by mistake (we can be a bit wobbly under the lights, and sometimes lined up quite close together) or by design (pose-down is a time to have a bit of fun, and – if you know the other competitors – really go for it by posing sort of as a duo). I’m not sure how I keep my focus, I hadn’t thought about it! I guess I am just very focused on getting my poses right, on listening to the person calling the instructions, on trying not to shake too much and on trying to remember the squeeze/spread/hold bits of me in. It does break my focus a bit when I touch another competitor – it’s happened more than once to me during the compulsory poses and I am always torn as to whether to be terribly British and say “sorry!” at the time or just get on with it! Honestly, though, I don’t find it difficult to focus when on stage. The lights, the audience, the judges sitting there… they all focus the mind pretty sharpish!

“You look very elegant and almost balletic when you go into your poses – is that innate or something you’ve been coached to do?” (bless you, Sally – I promise I didn’t pay her to say that!)

Well, first of all a big thank you. Elegant is one of the last words I’d use to describe myself so to hear that I come across even remotely like that on stage is very nice to hear. As for balletic – here’s a funny story for you: family legend goes that, when I was little, I was kicked out of ballet classes had it gently suggested to me that tap might suit me better than ballet. I can’t remember this and I’m sure it’s been hammed up over the years, but certainly I was not a balletic child. Anyway, the short answer is no I wasn’t coached to be particularly elegant. My coach Kat and our friend Annie U did coach me through all the poses, and I practice lots, but the focus is on posing to show the muscles and shapes and symmetry we need to try and show. The bits in between – how you get into and out of the poses, how you choose to stand during “free moments”, is up to you. I do feel very happy on stage, perhaps that comes across!

“I’m wondering if you would do 2 comps so close together again.”

This is with reference to doing the NPA South East and then the BNBF Finals just a week apart. You know what, I think I would. It really helped my motivation: instead of prepping, peaking, waiting, peaking, it meant I was on a roll and just trucked on through. It was logistically easy: I had all my peak week foods in, lots of food prepped, I was in the zone in terms of what to cook and prep and eat. And I think I found it pretty easy to maintain my condition and mindset in those few days between the comps. I actually think it’s tougher to do competitions further apart. 6-8 weeks between comps seems to be pretty hard going for most people I’ve asked.

Thanks for asking! If I can (try to) answer any other questions, please leave a comment.

You ask, I answer (bodybuilding Q&A) 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.

17 days of prep left to go!

Hi all! Sorry I haven’t updated in a while. Work’s busy. Prep’s busy. Life (yes, I do have one!) has been pleasantly busy.

(See, I’m not always in gym kit! The little chap is my nephew, the larger chap is my husband)

But I owe you an update, and here is it!

I’m glad you liked my report on the BNBF Final. I’m still buzzing from the result, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that I still don’t think the result has sunk in! I’ve put my “lady” (this one’s called Tina, named after the female bodybuilding judge who came over to sit on the judging panel) with the others and found them all a home. I knew that strange shelf above our stairs was there for a reason!

So, what’s new? I’m now 17 days out from my final show of the year – the NPA British Final which will be held on 23rd October in Bedworth.

How am I feeling?
As always, a complete mixture of emotions and physical feelings too. Physically tired, emotionally exhausted yet enjoying bursts of energy (a PT session at 7:30am yesterday?) Loving prep, hating prep. Counting the days until it’s over, and already missing it. Looking forward to show day, and looking forward to being able to indulge aspects of real life which I’ve had to put on hold. More than anything, I can’t wait to get on stage again and do it all one last time (this year!) Whenever I think about being on stage, particularly doing my routine, I get goosebumps. This will be the final show this year for me and I want to give it my all, enjoy every moment (of the entire day) and go out on a high note: celebratory, positive and happy. That’s my goal for the NPA show!

How’s the diet?
Not a lot has changed from my other preps to be honest, although I think each one is a little stricter and tighter simply because I don’t bother to reintroduce things after each show only to take them away again. For instance, I was still eating dairy at this stage before my first show (I believe). But I never did bother to bring it back in again (seemed a bit of a faff only to take it out again after a few weeks), so I’ve now been sans-dairy for a good few months. I’m really enjoying my exotic meats (what can I say – some women buy shoes. I buy springbok steaks) and quality grass-fed beef. Meat and veg for breakfast? Yes please!

What’s the training?
Grrrrreat! I love the training and never struggle with that side of things. It’s the dieting which is toughest for me. I’m still lifting heavy heavy heavy. I’m focusing on legs and lats (as per judges’ feedback). For cardio, I’m walking the dog (we walk quickly!) and doing some interval-type training either by myself or with a PT at my gym. Sometimes, I’ll pop my weighted vest on and hop on the cardio machines for 20 or 30 minutes, but mostly I look to my diet to take care of fat loss, and to my training for muscle building/maintenance.

Got any piccies?
Um, no. I did take one of me at the gym the other day but it was just to show my coach. It was of me crying. Yes, I am that sad – in both meanings of the word. I was so very exhausted that day that I sat down and cried in the gym. And then took a picture of myself. I’m not sure which one of those two sentences is more tragic!

I have taught my dog to do a couple of bodybuilding poses (although they both look the same, to be honest, “front relaxed” is just “front double bicep” with extra barking). I will endeavour to take a picture, or a video.

Off-topic but speaking of dogs, here’s one of my favourite recent pics. Our dog is some sort of cross (any guesses? tell me in the comments section). Whatever he is (or isn’t), the way he looks is enough to make some people pick up their dogs when they see him coming, or pull their small children out of the way. It infuriates me. Because he’s as soft as butter, as evidenced by this photo of him allowing my 13-month-old nephew to take his beloved football from him in the middle of a game of ball.

Well what have you got for us then?
How about an interesting read from my homeslice Lucy Oakman, who won the Figure class at the BNBF Welsh (where we both qualified for the Final) and then took 2nd in her class at the Final? She’s one of my lovely new bodybuilding friends and I’d like you to read her story. Feel free to leave a comment – it’s her first blog post and I think she’d appreciate the feedback.

Also, how about an insight into another lady’s first year of female bodybuilding? I’m sure you’ve seen press reports of Jodie Marsh’s first competitive foray. Unsurprisingly, the stuff in the newspapers is full of hyperbole at best, horribly misquoted at worst. I’m not alone in really liking this bit of footage, from Jodie’s interview on This Morning (a daily TV show here in the UK). She answered all the questions (most of which we all come across on a regular basis!) really well and what I loved most is that she is obviously completely in love with the sport. Check out her massive smile when she talks about getting a trophy.

Stay tuned for:
- videos of a mixed-breed rescue dog doing bodybuilding poses
- recipes using GOOD Hemp protein powder (after my comp!)
- videos detailing some of my peak week
- show report from the NPA Final
- anything you guys specifically request – ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to deliver

Well, that’s about all from me. I’m off into London today to bid farewell say see you again soon! to my coach, Kat, who’s off on her travels before relocating to the other side of the world. I hate goodbyes, so I refuse to let this be a goodbye. It will simply become an excellent excuse for me to finally visit that part of the world. And, in the meantime, thank goodness for Skype. Let me just say here that I am indebted to Kat for all that she’s done for me over the past year. She’s taught me more than I thought it possible to learn and has become a true and very valuable friend. Safe travels, Kat!

17 days of prep left 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.

BNBF Britain Final part 2 – show report

This is part 2 – part 1 is here

Pump up
My class – Ladies Physique – was on last which meant a lot of waiting around, but at last it was time to eat some sugary stuff and go and pump up. Hooray! I was so excited – not nervous – just raring to go and over the moon to be here and about to step on stage. I think I wasn’t nervous because all the hard work (and it had been hard!) was done, there was nothing more to do now other than get on stage and pose. To my surprise, it turns out I love being on stage in front of an audience (one reason I thought I’d initially only do one competition is that I had thought I’d find the whole “posing for judges under stage lighting in a bikini” thing terrifying…) I also felt a lack of nerves because simply being at the Final was a huge achievement for me. I didn’t need anything more, and I didn’t expect it either. The pressure was off. It was showtime!

Prejudging

Our prejudging (the bit where we wear plain bikinis and do the compulsory poses) went by in a flash, even though I think we were out there a long time. The judges moved us around a few times (the better to compare us with each other) and put us through the poses at least three times. It’s hard for me to remember exactly how it went, but I felt I posed OK, although I was disappointed to be moved to the edge of the line up more than the middle. I had it in my head that this was a bad thing, although people who know more about it than me later pointed out that this isn’t the case. I’m still not sure!

The posing was hard work; I was trying to remember to tense every muscle, and it was hot under the lights. I came off stage out of breath, sweating and… totally unsure how it had gone.

To be honest with you I felt a bit flat. I didn’t feel down, I didn’t feel up. I felt… really unsure! I think the enormity of the occasion had overwhelmed me and I realised that I had absolutely no idea where I might stand in terms of judges’ scores. The class of seven was the largest I’d ever been in, and the highest quality.

Interval

I was knackered, which didn’t help. So I went to meet my family and friends and we went outside for some fresh air and a chat. Hanging with them lifted my spirits and it was great to hear their take on the day so far.

Night show
Before long it was time to go back in for the “night show” – the bit where each competitor performs their individual posing routine to music of their choice. Again, we were on last, and it was evening by the time we went on. I still felt a little flat and couldn’t work out why, but knew I needed to buck up. I was at the BNBF Final! My entire season so far had led to this day, this moment. I gave myself a talking to and resolved to enjoy every minute, since it would soon all be over and I might never get this opportunity again.

More sweets, another pump up and it was time to line up in order. I was no.5 in our class, so I watched the four ladies in front of me do their routines. They were fantastic and I knew then that I certainly hadn’t won Best Presentation!

Routine and pose-down

Suddenly the MC was calling my name and I ran on stage, waved to the crowd and got into position for the start of my routine. I felt great. I love my routine and I know my family love it too, so I performed it for them. I truly put everything into it, little extra flourishes and complete effort. 60 seconds later and it was over – a quick bow, wave and a run off-stage. (There’s a video of it here.)

After the routines our class was called back onstage for one more set of poses for the judges. This was it. The results were moments away. I remember telling myself “every step, every rep….”, thinking that every single step of cardio and every rep of weights (not to mention every bit of dieting) had led to NOW. This was it.

After the poses was the crowd-pleaser: the pose-down! I had resolved the night before to really get in there, to forget about being polite and not to get stuck out at the edge like I’ve done before. It was fun! I even threw in some random shapes which aren’t real poses; I’ve no idea if they looked OK but I had fun doing them!

Results
It was time. We were asked to line up at the back of the stage whilst the judges’ score sheets were handed to the MC. By now I had allowed myself to believe I was in the top five, which would mean some kind of trophy to take home. 5th place was called… not my name. 4th place… not my name.

Oh my God. This either means I’m in the top 3, or I haven’t placed at all. 3rd place was called… and it wasn’t me. It was the lady who came 2nd at last week’s NPA show, and I knew we were very closely matched.

I knew I hadn’t won, I knew that for certain (not in a defeatist way, just a realistic one). So… was I 2nd? Or had I not placed?

“Ladies and Gentlemen, your runner-up is…. Nicola Joyce!”

I couldn’t believe it! I had come 2nd, runner-up only to the winner, the woman who had won Pro status! I stepped forward to receive my frankly enormous trophy and just felt… overwhelmed.

The MC called the winner’s name and I nodded and clapped. She absolutely deserved the win and I had felt that she would. She is now a Professional bodybuilder!

We had photos – all of us, top five and top three, before we were asked to leave the stage so Chiara could have her winner’s photos by herself.

I walked off stage in a daze. What had just happened? Runner-up at the British Finals?! In my third competition?

The law of attraction?

One of the first people I saw was Lucy, who’d come 2nd in Figure. Here’s a secret. The night before, in our flat, we’d confided in each other that we didn’t want to win. We said it quietly to each other because, quite honestly, it seemed a bit wrong to say something like that. But we were just chatting and discussing what-ifs. We agreed that winning – whilst amazing – would be too much for us. The Pro Card – whilst fantastic – would be too much pressure in our first year of competing. 2nd place, we agreed, would suit us just fine. We then laughed because 2nd place was pie-in-the-sky stuff and we felt foolish even having the conversation!

Lucy came 2nd. I came 2nd. Can you even believe it? We couldn’t, and I still can’t.

I went back to the near-empty changing area and got into my party dress, beaming from ear to ear. I packed my little case in a daze. It had all been worth it. Every step, every rep, and more.

Thank you for reading.

BNBF Britain Final part 2 – show report 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.

BNBF Britain Final part 1 – show report

BNBF Britain Final part 1 – show report

This is part 1 – part 2 is here.

Hello! One week on from the BNBF Britain – the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation’s national Final - and I think I’m ready to tackle my show report!

For photos see this post and for some videos I shot backstage see here.

Where to start… When I first discussed the idea of doing a bodybuilding show (actually, I initially started prepping for Figure), I honestly thought I’d do one. One show, just for the experience. I was more interested in the prep than the show – or so I thought. I didn’t think I’d place, I didn’t think I’d qualify for anything. In fact I had absolutely no idea how it all worked. I just picked a competition date and worked towards it, to see how far I could take my physique and to learn as much as I could about nutrition, training and body composition.

Then I won, and qualified for the Finals. All of a sudden things were moving quickly, and I went with it. Instead of one show, I had several to prep for. Instead of one block of dieting, there was more. It was exciting, nerve-wracking and totally outside my comfort zone. And it was all a big shock. A big, surprising, bolt-from-the-blue shock.

Second place in the British Finals, and I can tell you all it’s still a big old shock. It most definitely hasn’t sunk in yet, and I doubt it will until after the season is over and I have been able to relax into an off-season routine and mull it all over in my tired little mind.

OK, onto the Final. That’s what you’re here for.

My expectations:
My win at the NPA regional qualifier the week before had told me that I was in good shape, that my posing was OK, and that my routine went down well. However, contrary to some people’s opinions, it had certainly not filled me with confidence. I went into the BNBF Final feeling confident that I’d done everything I could (my peak week had gone well, and I felt as if I was in the best shape I’d been so far). That doesn’t mean I was confident of winning. Far from it. I wasn’t even confident of placing, and why would I have been? Yes, I’d won my BNBF and NPA qualifiers. So had at least one other woman in my class at the Final. Every woman there had either won her qualifier, or done well enough to be invited to the Final. It was a level playing field, if that. I knew that all the other women had something over me: condition, size, experience, routine, shape, posing ability, stage presence.

The quality of competitors was incredibly high (as you’d expect from a Final). Everyone had prepped, trained and dieted hard all season. Some of the women had years and years of competitive bodybuilding under their belt bikini and I think I’m right in saying I was the least experienced one in our class.

However, none of that mattered to me, because I was about to step onstage at the British Finals! No matter what happened, I was already a British Finalist and that meant the world to me. I thought only about getting on stage, posing to the best of my ability, doing my routine (which I love) and enjoying the entire weekend. Anything else would be a bonus. In a class of 7, I’d need to be top 5 to officially place, and I didn’t allow myself to think that would happen. 7th place or 1st place, I was already a British Finalist and that to me was more than enough.

My support team:
I had an amazing amount of support: my Mum and her husband, my Dad and my coach all travelled up to Glasgow to support me, and my husband drove me all the way there (and most of the way back). (THANK YOU ALL YOU ARE AMAZING). I shared a flat with Lucy Oakman, who’d won Figure at the BNBF Welsh qualifier. And there were lots of friends backstage and in the crowd. It was a fantastic atmosphere and I was ready to enjoy the weekend in its entirety. My moments on stage would be just a tiny part of it all and I was excited about the whole experience. I knew I might never be here again and approached this as “that time I was at the British Final”. I mean – how cool! I’ve spent nearly my whole life in sport at some level, but never ever been a national finalist. I was going to soak this up!

(Gosh this is getting long, sorry).

The night before:
Sharing a flat with Lucy, my coach Kat and my husband was a blast. Lucy and I tanned, cooked prep food and taught each other how to pose in each other’s categories. Hats off to Figure competitors in those shoes!

“Yes! I mean no! Er…. it wasn’t me!”
All competitors had to have a polygraph, which was a first for me. The guy who did mine was ex-FBI – with the most amazing soporific voice. He wired me up and strapped bits of polygraph-kit to various bits of me and then asked me a series of questions. Afterwards he told me I’d been very calm. I told him his lovely accent had almost sent me to sleep!

Edited to add: I should have explained – the polygraph (and the urine testing of all winners) is to test for bodybuilding drugs or other ‘enhancements’ – this is natural bodybuilding, and the ‘natural’ aspect is taken extremely seriously.

That night after meal god-knows-what number of the day, I slept on and off, and then it was finally time to get going. At the SECC it was a flurry of hellos to old friends before finding a spot backstage for my bag and settling down for a long day.

Ladies Physique was on last, so I popped into the auditorium to watch the Pro bodybuilders and some of the other classes (I would have watched more, but it was hot in there and my tan was running – you can’t wear deodorant, y’see).

(to be continued once I’ve walked the dog….)

BNBF Britain Final part 1 – show report 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.

Photos from BNBF British Final 2011

I’m going to write up my experience of the BNBF British Final this weekend

In the meantime I’m going to take the lazy option give you small snippets of the day by posting up pictures and videos.

The other day you got videos. Today it’s photos. I’ve been sent the official images by photographer Chris Nsubuga of Big 50 Photography, so I thought I’d share some with you (along with some of my own).

Warning – lots of pics coming up! They’re a bit small but should be clickable to enlarge.

Physique class line-up in pre-judging

Could it be possible… am I finally starting to get to grips with the lat-spread?!

More from pre-judging

The team!

Hanging out during the interval with my wonderful family, coach and fellow competitor Lucy (figure competitor – who went on to take second place, too!)

Much-needed hug from the husband (I could have fallen asleep standing up)

Posing with my Mum… this is becoming a habit! This was shortly before she told me what her posing music would be should she ever compete

Excellent paparazzi work from my Dad – caught us in the act of being put through our posing-paces by coach Kat… hilarious!

Back on stage – part of my routine

More from my routine

More routine

The end!

Everyone back on stage for one more set of comparisons…

I came second! Top three ladies

Get in! Ecstatic, astounded and over the moon!

No caption necessary!

A glass of wine with my coach – without whom none of this would have happened, I can promise you that!

Photos from BNBF British Final 2011 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.

BNBF British Final 2011 – second place!

Hi all!

It’s 3am and I really should try to sleep… but, before I do, I just wanted to check in and let you all know…

I CAME SECOND!

Or “runner up” as they call it – which personally I prefer – runner up in the Physique class at the BNBF British Final.

I am overwhelmed, shocked, delighted, exhausted, satisfied, happy, relieved and overjoyed. All at once.

Full write-up to come. Thanks for following me along the way!

BNBF British Final 2011 – second place! 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.