“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.

NPA British Final – last show of my first year

So, the season is over. I’ve competed in my final bodybuilding competition for 2011. It was a long time coming (my competitive season started in the first week of July, and of course dieting for the first show started long before that). I feel a mixture of emotions now it’s all over, mainly a real sense of contentment in what I achieved and how I achieved it all.

This time last year, I had just finished a pretty full-on triathlon season, done several bike sportives and a half-marathon. I was just starting a personal body-transformation type challenge, based on weight training and nutritional tweaks. The idea of competing in bodybuilding hadn’t even crossed my mind.

Fast-forward 12 months.

First place, BNBF Welsh qualifier (and Best Presentation).
First place, NPA South East qualifier (and Best Presentation).
Runner-up, BNBF British Final.

And – the subject of this blog post – 3rd place, NPA British Final. (Photos are here.)

It’s been quite a year.

I had a few goals for this Final. In an ideal world, I wanted to place, to not come dead last, to get a trophy to show to my long-suffering, ever-supportive family. But honestly? My main goal, over and above all of those, was to enjoy the day. I simply wanted a completely positive, happy and fun end to the season. And I knew I wouldn’t find that in a first-place finish or a trophy. I knew it had to come from my own attitude and from the atmosphere of the show.

Happily, I got it. From the moment we turned into the car park and I saw Anna Millington (against whom I’d competed at the BNBF Final), who spotted me and waved madly through the window, to the moment we left at the end of the night, the NPA Final was nothing but happy for me. And that means so much.

But let’s back up a bit. My class – ladies Physique (aka women’s bodybuilding) – was going to be split into two weight classes: U55kg and O55kgs. At my first show of the season, I’d weighed in slightly under 55kgs, and at my NPA qualifier I’d been bang on 55kgs. A few weeks ago, I’d thought I’d be able to diet aggressively and come in just under the cut off, therefore being the biggest in the lightweight category. However, as the show got closer, I realised this probably wasn’t going to happen. I’d been dieting for an extremely long time and my body (and my mind) had started to run out of oomph! So, as it was, I weighed in at a fraction over the cut off. My worst fear had come true: I was going to be one of the lightest, if not the lightest, in the heavier of the two classes.

Oh well! It was what it was and I really didn’t mind. Both classes were extremely competitive and quite honestly I wouldn’t have liked to choose which one to go in. Rocks and hard places spring to mind! Michael from the NPA gave me the opportunity to go away and “try again” but I knew that, realistically, I’d have to drop one or two internal organs down the toilet in order to come in under 55kgs and really I wasn’t that bothered. I’d weighed in over the cut off, so that’s where I would compete. I could only do my best anyway.

I was in the weigh-in queue with two of the other O55kg competitors and we chatted, laughed and joked the whole time. We followed each other upstairs to bagsy ourself a dressing room and the lighthearted, amicable atmosphere only got better from there. I truly had a ball with these ladies (and the others who later joined us in the dressing room) all day long. Despite it being a British Final, there was not an ounce of tension in the air. We shared food, makeup and tan, glued each other, glazed each other and chatted all day long. It was absolutely lovely – and, if any of those ladies are reading, I’d like to officially thank you now for helping make the day such a happy and positive experience.

We were on relatively early in the running order, so just about had time to finish off makeup, glue ourselves into our suits and spray ourselves with glaze before it was time to eat some sweets and get down to the pump up area. The U55kg ladies were on before us, and all three of them looked razor-sharp.

I was first out, and led our group of four onstage for the prejudging. Ahhh…. this is it…. the final time onstage for this year. I felt so relaxed and happy – possibly too relaxed, because I came off stage unsure that I’d worked hard enough. I was shaking and sweating from the exertions of posing, but I felt so happy that I couldn’t tell whether or not I’d done myself justice. I do remember being put through the 1/4 turns and compulsory poses at least three times, and being moved about in the lineup three times.

I went to join my family in the auditorium, watched some of the other classes and then watched the phenomenal Helen Stack (WNBF Pro) do her guest posing spot. She was truly inspirational to watch.

After an interval (I wasn’t hungry or particularly thirsty, but I could have killed for a simple cup of tea!) it was time to go and change into our sparkly bikinis, because it wouldn’t be long before the nightshow, where we’d do our individual routines. Once again, we were able to watch the U55kg women from the wings, and they all looked amazing. I wouldn’t have liked to be judging that class!

As usual, I had no inkling of where I might place in our class of four. I was 100% certain I had not won – I felt as sure as I could be that Anna M had won. She was in incredible shape. Other than that… I really couldn’t have told you. 2nd, 3rd, 4th? Who knows! I quite fancied coming 2nd or 3rd, because that would mean a trophy, but by this point I was really having such a lovely day that I was happy just being there. Backstage had been like one big party all day long: bodybuilding friends gathered together to put on our gladrags one last time and have fun posing onstage. Competitors and spectators both had baked cakes or bought sweet treats for friends, and you couldn’t walk through the auditorium without someone handing you a thoughtful little foodie gift.

Before long I was being announced on stage and I walked on, waved and paused for a moment before lowering myself into my first pose. I just wanted a split second to think to myself “this is it, this is the last time I’ll do this routine and, in about 5 minutes, my season will be over”.

My music started and I began my routine, turning one move into “blowing a kiss” (directed at my family; I’m not sure they saw!) I messed up two of the moves – I couldn’t believe I did that! – but got back on track. I finished, bowed and smiled, thanking the judges and the audience before running offstage to watch the other three do their routines.

Then we were all back onstage for the posedown. I was determined to have fun with this bit! In my previous three competitions, I’d either been too scared or not known what on earth to do, typically getting stuck on one side of the stage and just doing a side-chest pose about a bazillion times. Between us, we’d discussed the fact that we all wanted to have a lot of fun and put on a show, and we really went for it. Back to back, busting out rival side-triceps. Face-to-face, popping a quick most-muscular. Spotting someone else doing a rear-double-bicep, dashing over and trying to out-do them. It was such fun and we were actually laughing out loud on stage, which perfectly summed up the atmosphere we’d enjoyed all day in our dressing room.

It was time to stop laughing and start lining up at the back of the stage. Results time.

Best Presentation and 4th place were announced.

I relaxed, safe in the knowledge that I’d met all my goals. I wouldn’t be last, I would place (if we call “placing” 3, 2 or 1) and I would get a trophy.

3rd place: me!

I stepped forward, elated, relieved and… satisfied. That may seem a weak word to describe the feeling of coming 3rd in a British Final but it’s perfect for how I felt. Contentment, happiness, a sense of peace. 3rd was just right. The last few weeks of this prep hadn’t been perfect, I’d struggled to keep pushing and my focus had shifted from a burning desire to win to a sincere wish for a positive end to a great season. You know when something just fits? Well, 3rd place felt a perfect fit for me.

So, there we have it. 3rd place at my second British Final of the year. And I feel great.

What’s next? That’s probably the topic for a future blog post. I know I have a long way to go in this sport, and that’s fine by me. That’s what I want. I love that this sport is about the long-haul, the patient approach, the long-term gains. I already have a very vivid, very precise picture in my mind of how I want to look next year. I’m not sure how I’ll get there, but I know I will, and I’m excited to see it!

Thank you for reading.

NPA British Final – last show of my first year 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.

Top 3 and a trophy (NPA British Finals)

Hi all!

Work is very busy this week, after taking last week off in the run-up to the NPA Finals. But I wanted to pop on to update those of you who aren’t in my Facebook or Twitter.

The NPA Finals – my second British Final of the year and my final competition this year – was on Sunday. I took 3rd place in my class and am delighted! The entire day was happy and positive from beginning to end and it was the perfect way to sign off my debut competitive season. I couldn’t be happier, and have a sense of real contentment. It’s a lovely feeling.

I will write a show report soon (probably this weekend) but, for now, I’ll leave you with a few pics.

For those of you in the area, I’m going to be on BBC Radio Berkshire this afternoon (!) on the appropriately-named Afternoon Show. I’m guessing it’s live; I don’t really know. Wow, I’m on the ball, aren’t I! Remember when they sent Maggie Philbin over for a chat about bodybuilding? The same researcher rang me up a few weeks ago and asked me to come in to the studio. I don’t really know what they want to ask me, but tune in if you like… I’ll try not to sound too dumb!

Top 3 and a trophy (NPA British Finals) 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.

Random musings, 48 hours out

Less than 48 hours til the NPA Final. In fact, in 48 hours, I predict I’ll be all done and sitting in the audience cheering on the rest of the competitors. Whilst eating —insert current craving here— (today: corned beef sandwiches. Yes, really.)

As I mentioned earlier in the week, Friday of peak week is usually my favourite day. Of peak week. Perhaps of prep as a whole? Why? It’s restful, relaxing, time to reflect.

I don’t train. Carbs are back in my world. I usually take the day off work and, after walking the dog and prepping vast amounts of sweet potatoes and fish for the following 48 hours (I don’t fancy firing up the oven every time I need a serving of potato…), I just chill.

I wander into town. I buy the things I’ve been drooling over for months, knowing I’ll be eating them in 48 hours. I sit in a squishy chair in a coffee shop and read, or journal, or watch the world go by.

Today’s musings, on (almost) the eve of my fourth and final comp of the year, and (almost) the end of my 2011 competitive season. In no particular order.

What have I done?!
Whatever the result on Sunday, I have already achieved far more than I set out to and far more than I expected to. More, too, than I thought I was capable of in my first year of competing. I thought I’d only do one comp. Then I realised there were two associations, so I thought I’d do two. Never in a million years did I think I’d reach one let alone two Finals. As it turns out, all these months later, being a British Finalist twice over in my first year is what I’ve achieved.

Progress… step by step, rep by rep
Every competition I do means I’ve taken myself to a new level. Even if I come dead last on Sunday, it’s not dead last to me. It’s further than I was before. Any placing in a Final is a step onwards, because it’s a reflection of more hard work, more training, more dieting, more prep.

A year-long experiment (ongoing!)
This entire year has been an experiment. A guessing-game much of the time. A collection of research, ideas, plans and fine-tunings. It’s been absolutely fascinating and I’ve learned so much, about nutrition and training, about my body and my mind, about the limits I can take myself to and how much I can achieve. The competitions – those brief moments on stage – are really a very small part of it all. The most exciting part, for sure, and the part involving the sparkliest bikini! But just the tip of the iceberg. Most of it is stuff only I really know, and most of it is stuff I can’t even articulate or reflect upon yet.

“That’ll do, Pig”
I am proud. Not prideful, but extremely proud of myself. There, I’ve said it. I don’t often (if ever!) give myself credit or simply say “well done. You did great.” But I did. We’re not even there yet, but I hereby pat myself on the back and say “well done, you did great.” Don’t misunderstand me, my prep has been far from perfect. But I’m proud of how far I’ve come, what I’ve learned and how I’ve applied it.

Marbles? Check!
I’m proud, too, of the fact that I’ve gone through almost a year of prep without letting it send me insane. Those of you out there who have competed, you know how hard it is. The rest of you have some idea. It’s very easy to let prep – particularly the diet side of things – mess with your mind. I promised myself very early on I would not let this happen. Life’s too short, health is too precious. The moment it stopped becoming fun, I’d stop (believe me I came very close, on more than one occasion!)

So, for that reason, I’m proud of the fact that I’ve slipped up on my diet, given into cravings and eaten well outside my plan on some days. I’ve always been honest with myself and with my coach. I’ve never been ashamed, guilty, or dashed out to do extra cardio. I’m proud that I think I know myself and my body well enough to know when to say “shut up and eat the broccoli” and when to say “you’re right. Let’s have a bowl of that.” I’d rather get on stage 90% in shape physically and 100% in shape mentally, than 100% “shredded” if that means shredding my mind as well as my body. After all, time on stage is very short. Time at home, at work and being happy in my own self represents a far bigger portion of my life. In short, I’m proud of the fact that I’ve got through a long and tough prep, being strict enough to get great results without sending myself mad. I’m happy. That’s the main thing, and the thing which will still matter on Monday, trophy or no trophy.

I’m sure there was more I had to say, but that’s probably enough. To end on a lighter note, I must now go and scrub myself all over and get busy with a disposable razor. Tanning starts soon!

Random musings, 48 hours 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.

3 sleeps! (Or, how you know it’s nearly showtime)

Well, hello! This post is brought to you by carbohydrates. Life is good.

So, just three days to go til the NPA Final. I’m feeling good, on track and – most importantly – EXCITED! I just can not wait. It’s going to be such fun and I can’t wait to get on that stage, pose for the audience, give my supporters something to cheer for and have a ball!

I’ve now done my final gym session, and everything is “the last” this and “the last” that. We are definitely on countdown to showtime. I thought I’d walk you through a few things I see during my day which really bring that home to me:

Recycling bin – the result of peak week – many, many water bottles and an empty bottle of fish oil. (Next week I predict this bin will look somewhat different )

Wedding and engagement rings firmly on my hand, rather than in a “very memorable” (yeah right) place around the house. I don’t wear them when I lift weights, because I don’t want to scratch them any more than I already have (and they give me worse callouses than I already have). Recently, I’ve barely worn them. (Please excuse the Raynaud’s)

Bannisters. Empty! What’s usually there? My gym back, loaded and ready to go at all times. It is now upstairs.

I’ve been doing lots of posing practice, and so has thefitdog. He can only really do a front doggle bicep, and even that needs… some work.

Yesterday on Twitter I mentioned an “11/11/11″ treadmill interval session I do, courtesy of Ben the PT. To explain: after you’ve warmed up (I walk fast on the steepest incline), turn the treadmill up to 11% incline and 11kph. Then do the following for 11 minutes:
15 seconds run
15 seconds where you straddle the treadmill and rest (this takes some practice but if I can do it, you can. I’m a complete klutz)
repeat until 11 mins are up
Then cool down (again, I walk at about 5kph and 15% incline).

Ben says you can do 12/12/12 and he’s even had someone do 14/14/14. Good for them. Perhaps their legs are longer than mine.

So, that’s more or less it. I waved bye-bye to the gym today

(Or was it….)

Tomorrow I’ll walk, rest, eat more carbs, pop into town for a wander about, pose and practice my routine.

Saturday is much of the same, without the town bit and with extra Sister. Yep, my Sister is coming up for the weekend and I can’t wait!

3 sleeps! (Or, how you know it’s nearly 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.

Final peak week for the final Final (finally!)

Hello!

Well here we are in “peak week” - the final week of contest prep. This time next week we’ll be partway through the NPA Final and the season will be almost over.

I don’t have a lot to update you with… I’m approaching peak week the same way I have for all my other comps so far this year: carb deplete followed by a carb-up, water manipulation and lots of chilling out (hopefully!)

I won’t lie, I feel pretty rubbish, which is probably a “good” sign in that it shows my body is responding to those final dietary tweaks. It’s been a long season, particularly for someone who thought they’d do one show and that would be it! I can’t believe here we are in October and I’m still prepping and dieting!

I’m training up until Thursday. Friday will be my traditional “wander into town, buy treats to eat after the show, sit in a cafe nursing a hot drink and journalling in my training diary”. I’m looking forward to it already.

How am I feeling?
I never really know how to answer this question but, this time round, I’m finding it even harder. I just don’t know what to expect from Sunday’s show, I’m finding it increasingly more difficult to tell whether or not I’m looking as I should a week out, and I’m just tired. I know this week will change all that: I’ve got the week off work, so the pressure will be lifted and I’ll have time to reflect on the season, start imagining the show and really get excited. I know, too, that this week will bring about daily changes in my body, visual rewards which will spur me on and give me an extra spark of motivation. I’ve got a great support crew coming to Bedworth: my Mum and her husband, my sister and of course my husband. It will be a fun-filled, happy occasion and I can’t wait to step on stage again.

Knowing it will be the final time this year makes it even more special. I still can not believe I made it to not one but two British Finals in my first year of competing. The line-up for my category is immense, packed full of top-quality women who epitomise the highest level of natural bodybuilding. Just to stand on stage with them is a massive achievement for me. Every time I look at the list, I feel like a very small minnow swimming with big fish! (I was going to say sharks but they’re all very nice people!)

Then there are my feelings about the end of prep and transition into off-season. I’m torn. Prep is and has been hard, very very hard. Harder than I ever thought it would be and – I honestly think – the hardest thing I’ve done in sport (this from someone who’s swum the English Channel twice). It’s hard on your body, it’s hard on your mind. It’s hard on those around you (thank you, you know who you are…) It’s hard on relationships, work, sleep, social life. It really does affect everything. Bodybuilding prep is there 24/7. It’s not like any other sport I know.

So, for that and lots of other reasons, I am looking forward to prep being over. I have a list of things I want to eat (if I write them down, I don’t obsess about them any more), although I’m sure I’ll only eat a few of them (Pop Tarts? Why do I want Pop Tarts? I’m pretty sure I’ve never even eaten one.) I want to catch up on my social life, I want to go out to eat with my husband. I want to bake, and cook, and eat with family and friends. I want to give my body a break and make some changes in training.

But, I know myself well enough to know that I’ll miss prep in a way. I’ll miss the routine, I’ll miss the organisational side of it and, of course, I’ll miss the results. It would be great to be able to stay in contest shape year-round, but of course it’s not sustainable (and hardly healthy). Have my cake and eat it, too? At this stage, I’ll settle just for eating it.

After my bodybuilding Q&A post, a couple more questions came in – thank you! Here are my answers:

“How does your stomach react to the bodybuilding diet, with high protein, veggies, etc? Have you noticed any increased gas, bloating, constipation, etc? I hear the diet can be tough on your GI system.”

Hm, I don’t know! I’ve been eating this way for a year now, and on an actual prep/cutting diet for much of that. I don’t think I’ve reacted badly to it, although there are too many variables to be able to say. I do get a bit of bloating if I have too much protein powder (particularly whey) but I don’t think it’s the protein which bloats me, as I don’t get it from fish and meat. Sorry – what a useless answer! One thing I can tell you is that I feel great on this kind of eating – lots of fresh veggies (raw, stir fried, baked, roasted) and salads, a massive range of meats and fish. If I eat meat/fish and veg for breakfast, I feel great for the rest of the day. (Someone remind me of this next week…!)

“What tips would you give to someone competing for the first time?”

I would say ask someone a lot more experienced than me! Seriously, I could not and would not have got to this stage had it not been for my coach Kat Millar and various other kind souls who have helped me, advised me, given me feedback and taught me so much. Annie Uelese, I’m looking at you! So my advice would probably be something like:

- ask yourself why you want to do it? Because it’s going to get tough and you’ll need a reason which resonates with you.
- set yourself some rules. Someone outside the sport suggested this to me and it is very wise. Whether that’s “stay natural”, or whether that’s “don’t take my calories below 1600 a day” or “don’t do two cardio sessions a day”. Whatever is important to you, make the rules, write them somewhere and stick to them.
- find a coach, ideally someone who has competed and who knows the association/federation you’ll be competing with, so they’ll have some idea of what’s what, what the judges are likely to want from you, and little things like how the shows are run, how long your routine should be etc. You can find all that out yourself but when you first get into prep it’s just overwhelming. Having someone you can just ask if so comforting.
- get a great support system around you. My husband should probably be knighted or sainted (although I think he has to be dead for the latter so let’s say knighted!). Being the partner of a prepping bodybuilder is probably worse than being the athlete. I can’t imagine what prep must be like if you have no support or, worse, people around you who are negative about it.
- get a plan in place: identify a show to enter, count backwards, mark the weeks on your kitchen calendar and get going!

Final peak week for the final Final (finally!) 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.