Trans-Atlantic bodybuilding blogger swap!

It’s been quite a week! I told you that I got me a sponsor (GOOD Hemp Nutrition). Then I told you that I got me a training partner. Well, good things come in threes. I also got me a… pen-pal.

Yes, an actual pen-pal.

So far, so 1987. 😉

Joob (Juliet) is, as her Twitter description hilariously states, a “female bodybuilder and diarrhea* scientist” who lives in the States and blogs at Hey Joob. (*forgive the spelling; she’s foreign 😉 )

We first made contact via our blogs – I stumbled across hers and was hooked because here was a real person of the female gender, training – not for Figure – but for bodybuilding. There’s nothing wrong with Figure competitor blogs and goodness knows I read enough of them, but female bodybuilders are few and far between, and their blogs even rarer.

I was soon hooked by Joob’s dry sense of humour, honest accounts of prep and interesting backstory.

Over time, we started emailing about bodybuilding, prep, shows, posing, life the Universe and (almost) everything.

Then we suggested a swap – I’d send her stuff she particularly wanted from over here (and a few other things besides – I love sending parcels to people!) and in return she’d place me an online order from Netrition for a few things I’ve been dying to try, and ship them to me. (I paid her, obvs).

Well, her parcel came the other day in double-quick time and WOW! I was excited to open it, thinking all it would have in it was the things I’d actually ordered. Nope – lovely Joob had been a very good pen-pal indeed and popped a good few extras in, some of which I have read about and am excited to try, some of which I’ve never heard of and… am excited to try. 😀

Needless to say, I can’t so much as nibble one atom of any of these til after my comps. Everything’s gone in the “delayed gratification” bag. Yes, it actually exists – it’s a brown paper bag (rapidly filling up) which lives under my desk. It’s been there for months now and no I haven’t touched a thing inside it, despite it being inches from my shins all day as I work. *polishes halo*

Here without further ado is what Joob sent me:

That would be some LorAnn flavour (sorry – flavor) oils, flavoured Stevia and PEANUT FLOUR. As anyone who knows me at all could tell you, I have been obsessed with trying to get hold of peanut flour for about a year now. At last! I have it! (I !*!?%* hope I like it now!)

Jell-o sugar free puddings. What? Yes OK, OK, I am gross. Joob almost refused to get these for me! In my defense, I’ve never actually made these as an entire pudding, I just add a tsp to my shakes (sometimes) to make them thicker and richer. I asked her to get me the flavours we can’t get over here.

Then she also sent me all this which I didn’t ask for and am so excited to try!

Light coconut milk – yum – I’ve no idea what I’ll make with this – ideas? Hot sauce and Bragg’s Aminos – great idea! Joob and I both like to season the living daylights out of our food and I love spicy flavours. Yum yum!

Darrrrk chocolate (just the way I like it), some super-food bite thingies and a load of Quest bars – thank you!

Last but not least, some sample sachets of Justin’s nut butters (check out those flavours!) which I’ve read about many times but never been able to try. Mmmmm…. thanks! (Also, thank you for not sending a full-size jar. I fear that would be dangerous!)

THANK YOU, friend! I love having a pen-pal!

Do go and check out Joob’s blog. It’s funny.

Trans-Atlantic bodybuilding blogger swap! 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.