Bodybuilding prep update (11 weeks out?)

I appear to be wishing my life away! Every time I mention my comp on Facebook etc I say I’m 10 weeks out. I’m not… it’s 11 weeks.

I suppose it’s a good mistake to make – better that way round than thinking I’ve got longer than I really do have.

So – 11 weeks out tomorrow (unless deemed not ready in which case I’ll do a later qualifier).

I’m still training really heavy and low (for me) reps – for example, today’s session:

Conventional deadlifts: 100kgs (8 reps), 110kgs (6 reps, 3 reps), 100kgs (6 reps)
Sumo deadlifts: 80kgs (10 reps), 90kgs (10 reps, 10 reps)
Glute bridges: 60kgs (3×10 reps)
Pulls ups
Standing calf raises

Heavy, compound lifts will remain for another three weeks or so, and then I think things will change to higher reps, more volume and probably more supersets etc to bring in a bit of a cardio/conditioning element (since I don’t do any actual cardio, other than twice-daily powerwalks with the dog).

In terms of diet, I’m carb-cycling, with my high carb days seeing me eat more carbs than I did at any stage last year (including – gasp – a bowl of porridge just before bed, yep carbs well after 6pm 😉 ) There’s loads of variety, from oily fish to red meat, whole eggs, white potatoes, nuts, poulty and game. About the only thing missing from the diet which might surprise you is dairy. We took it out a few weeks ago and I don’t miss it.

I’ve got a good weekend of bodybuilding-related events planned: I trained this morning with my friend Sophie, who’s a powerlifter (and fellow journalist), I’m seeing a lot of fellow competitors tomorrow, and then on Bank Holiday Monday I’m seeing a load of local bodybuilder girlfriends for a bit of posing and routine practice (and probably a good chat over a coffee, too).

Tomorrow is BNBF posing club/meet at Body Bionic gym in Thatcham – these are held every month (and there are others held across the country too) – a great resource for posing practice, feedback, support, Q&As and advice from other competitors and BNBF Pro bodybuilders. It’s brilliant to catch up with everyone every four weeks and so useful to be able to get regular responses from people who only see me at “club” – four weeks is a long time in prep, so I’m always hopefully that people will have positive and constructive feedback about my progress between meets.

Bodybuilding prep update (11 weeks out?) is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

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

Bodybuilding prep update (16 weeks out?)

Morning! I thought it was about time for a contest prep update 🙂

I had a face-to-face catch up with coach Vicky Bradley yesterday – she hadn’t seen me for a few weeks and was delighted with the changes. We speak (text/whatsapp/tweet/instagram/facebook – haha!) most days but of course seeing me in the flesh is different.

I’m currently either 16 or 18 weeks out from my first show, depending on which qualifier I do. I’ve had my wibbles and wobbles (of confidence, as well as glute-fat 😉 ) but I’m starting to think I’ll be in good shape for the earlier of the two.

Vicky calipered me again yesterday, and I do my measurements: in 12 weeks of working with her, I’m down approx:

6kgs
We think about 7% body fat from Vicky’s calipering.
5.1cms hips
8.2cms waist
5.9cms chest/back

Here are comparison pics two weeks apart (although the most recent of these was taken three weeks ago now)

I’m still training the same split
Saturday – deadlifts, hamstrings, glutes, back and calves
Sunday – chest and triceps
Tuesday – back and shoulders
Wednesday – squats, quads and calves

And doing posing practice, stretching, foam rolling and postural/remedial work a couple of times a week at home. Still no cardio (other than two fast dog walks every day – which are getting longer now there are more daylight hours).

My training has changed (at least once) since I last blogged about prep – still low reps (or what I call low reps anyway!) but with a bit of a conditioning element in there now, supersets, walking lunges, weighted steps ups etc. Every time my programme changes, the specific exercises I do aim to correct an imbalance, fill out a slightly lacking area or bring an area up so the final “package” I reveal on stage is as complete and as “Physique category” as possible.

My shoulders seem to have taken on a life of their own 😉

Diet has changed a little bit: we are now carb cycling and we’re about to really go for it, with much more carbs than I’m used to on training days. This is partly as a result of a total diet-wobble I had a couple of weeks ago, where I careered off-piste without Vicky’s blessing (or knowledge). Not good, but (there’s always a positive!) we did discover than I’m pretty carb-tolerant. After two days of over-eating, one of which involved a family party, and undisclosed amounts of cake, brownies and mini-scones (very nice they were too), I put on…. 0.5kgs. So, we’re going to be playing with more carbs, and different sources of them. Now’s the time to do it – if it’s doesn’t work, we can change again.

As I said to Vicky today, I feel as if the next 2-3 weeks will see some exciting changes in both my fatloss and my shape. I don’t know why I feel that way but I do! It’s exciting. This period of prep – when there’s months and months to go, but you know you’ll wake up one day soon and only have 4 weeks left – is a funny time. But I’m definitely seeing very good changes and I’m really excited to get closer and closer to competition condition!

A couple of pics from a week ago: posing in the gym with Figure competitor Karen (right of the pic) and Physique competitor Kathy (left). I love this pic, we’re so smiley! We’d just had an awesome deadlift session together – I’d never met either lady before but have emailed and chatted to them both online for over a year now. Brilliant training partners!

And lastly, Karen and I did a bit of posing practice after training and I borrowed her Figure shoes for a bit. Once I’d got myself upright (and stayed there!), I tried out a few Figure poses. What do you think? Shall I switch divisions? 😉

Anything in particular you want to know? Let me know & I’ll attempt to answer!

Bodybuilding prep update (16 weeks out?) is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

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

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.

Videos from BNBF British Final 2011

My show report from the BNBF British is coming, I promise…
In the meantime I’m going to take the lazy option give you small snippets of the day by posting up pictures and videos.

Today you get videos.

Here’s me waffling into my flipcam again:

Here’s me and the lovely Ms Kelly Rennie (Figure competitor) shooting the breeze backstage:

And here’s my routine. You like?

More soon! I’ve got to work for my dollar and, since I took last week off, I’m now playing catch-up.

Videos 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.

NPA South East championships – show report

Hello! I really have to get this show report up before there’s another one to write!

For photos and videos see this post But, without further ado:

NPA South East championships

A lot of people asked me why I was doing this show the week before the BNBF Finals. Some asked if it was to get a bit of practice in. Some asked if it was to check out the opposition (one of the ladies in my class is also in my class at the BNBF Final). Some made it clear that they thought it was a silly idea, doing a comp so close to the Final.

Well, I can’t answer for the final point but I can tell you my reasons for doing the NPA SE were about much more than posing practice and checking out the competition. I wanted to compete with both the BNBF and the NPA this year, and the South East was the only NPA show I could do. Happily, it’s held in Kent, where I grew up and where a lot of my family still live, so it meant plenty of supporters (including my sister and her year-old baby) had the chance to come and see what it’s all about without driving all day or shelling out for hotel rooms. Of course, I was grateful for a good posing session one week out from the Final, but it was about much more than that.

Truth be told, I hadn’t thought a great deal about how I might place. I’ve been too focused on the BNBF Finals. When I heard there were 5 in my class, I thought “great – that will really push me”, but I also genuinely thought it probably meant I might not even place. After all, that meant 4 other women who have all been training, dieting and prepping hard. Why should it be me?

However, I desperately wanted to place. Not for me, but for my family, most of whom were coming to their first bodybuilding show and were convinced (with typical family loyalty!) that I’d repeat my BNBF Wales success. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that there was every chance I might come last. I badly wanted to do them proud and make the day out worth their while. So, my goal was to place. Secretly… secretly… my goal was to win, but I can honestly tell you I had so little confidence about this that I barely mentioned it to anyone. If I could only place, that would be plenty.

We got there very early (the M25 is never predictable) and I sat quietly. I didn’t feel like myself. I felt… nothing. I wanted to feel excited, happy, eager to get on stage. In hindsight, I think I was simply very nervous. Too nervous to realise I was nervous.

With my first show, there were no expectations (from me or from anyone else). No context, no benchmark. Just being there was immense. This time round, things were a little different. I knew I ought to be able to do well, but I was by no means confident. Just being there wasn’t enough to get me giddy with excitement. There were 5 in my class and who knew what standard they would be?

Being there early meant I had a great chance to chat to NPA champion Carol Streeter (and very lovely she was too). Throughout the day, I got to meet with and chat to various other big names in the natural scene. I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to sample Carol’s brownies and cakes! Next time 😉

I weighed in, and came in bang on the cut-off weight for when the NPA split the Ladies Physique classes. It didn’t matter for today, but as Michael from the NPA told me, it might matter at the final. I offered to take my contact lenses out. He pointed out that I still had my shorts and top on. I asked him if we could cross the “on the cusp on the Finals weight” if and when we come to it, and he let me off the scale. Interestingly (for me anyway), the lady who everyone was telling me was my closest rival weighed in at precisely the same weight.

We were on first. So it was a quick flurry of activity: finding a spot in the (small) changing room, introducing myself to the other 4 ladies (all of whom were lovely), bikini on, final coat of tan on. My coach was tanning me up in the one air-conditioned room in the venue, when a fire alarm went off. We were told to evacuate, so I spent a nice few minutes standing in the sun talking to my family… in a velvet bikini. As you do!

Before long it was time to start pumping up. I had my sweets and sugars, got misted in glaze by my coach and made my way backstage to the pump up area. Annie U re-glued my bikini bottoms (thank you Annie!) and my coach talked me through some final poses.

(Can you spot Annie’s hands glueing me in? Hee!)

All of a sudden, from nowhere, I was feeling good. No, not good, great. Pumping up, I could see that I looked good, and I allowed myself to believe it. One of the guys helping another competitor in my class pump up caught my eye, winked and nodded. “Oh my god,” I remember thinking. “I think I could actually do this.” It was the very first time – throughout prep, throughout the day – that I had actually believed I could possibly win. The feeling washed over me and fired me up. I felt so happy and so ready to step on stage.

The NPA shows are straight through, with compulsories and then routines directly afterwards, and the results of each show directly after the routines. (The BNBF do compulsories, then a “night show” with everyone’s routines). I’m not sure which format I prefer, but it did mean it was all over very quickly.

We stepped on stage and I hit my front relaxed pose. I tensed my legs as hard as I could, and I was shaking. We were called through our poses, and I felt good – as if I was doing them to the best of my ability, anyway! There was a funny moment when the head judge asked me to move around the stage but I didn’t know who was speaking, nor from where, so I went right when he meant left… I apologised to him later on and told him I wasn’t really that thick!

The judges put us through the poses two or three times I think. It certainly felt like they worked us pretty hard. I was glad of it, as it meant they were really taking their time to get good comparisons, and I felt it meant that the class was high quality.

After the poses we went off stage and, one by one, were called back on to do our routines. I was number 2, so it wasn’t long before I was down in a tricep press-up position, waiting for my music to kick in. I heard cheering (not all from my family, honest!) as I hit some of the poses and smiled as I did my routine. The (new) ending could have had a bit more oomph, but I hadn’t realised til then that doing the final move whilst dehydrated is a lot more painful than doing it at the gym or at home! Lesson learned.

I stayed in the wings watching the other ladies’ performances and congratulated everyone as they came off. We were all breathless with excitement and exertion.

Then we were called back on. I felt… I’m not sure how I felt. I knew I’d done my best but I also knew that one lady in particular posed better than me in a few of the poses. Between them, the other competitors had size, symmetry, competing experience, great routines and good posing. Certainly enough to still keep me from being sure of a place. I stepped out for the results genuinely not knowing if I’d made top 3.

The first award given was Best Presentation which (I believe) is for best routine and best posing (please correct me if I’m wrong). They called my name and said it was a “unanimous decision”. I was delighted to get it but – for some irrational reason – I thought it meant I most definitely had not won. I had it in my head that they wouldn’t give BP and 1st place to the same person. I tried to hide my disappointment and focus on placing in the top 3.

5th and 4th place were called… not me! Oh my God, I’d done it! I’d placed! Relief and euphoria washed over me as I realised I’d reached my goal, would have a trophy to show my family, and could say I’d placed at the NPA South East. 3rd place was called… not me! What the…? I was genuinely in shock. However I knew that this meant the other lady – the one everyone had been telling me was my closest rival, the one who will be at the BNBF Final this weekend, the one with the great athletic routine and the fab posing – had won. I felt certain of it, and readied myself to move forward when they called 2nd place. They called… her name. Not mine.

Everything froze and I just looked at the floor, not wanting to make a big reaction as she took her moment getting her trophy. I just looked at the floor, smiled and blinked. I’ve done it. I’ve done it again. I can not believe it, I really can’t believe it.

They called me forward as winner of the class and I received my beautiful trophy. The photographer called us all forward for photos, then top 3, and then asked the others to leave the stage so the winner could have her photos. I shook the other ladies’ hands and congratulated them, still in total shock that it was this way round and not me having my hand shaken by someone else. I was alone on stage as the winner, posing, smiling, posing and smiling!

Before I left the stage, the head judge (I’d worked out where the voice was coming from by now!) asked me to clarify that this was my second comp. I nodded. “Two competitions, two wins?” he asked. I nodded yes again, a bit embarrassed, before smiling and thanking the judges and audience and walking off stage.

Back stage, it hit me like a truck and I burst into tears of relief, joy, shock and utter disbelief. I cried all over my coach, and I think I cried all over some complete stranger. “I told you you’d do it,” said some man who’d been in the pump up area.

The rest of the day passed in a blur – I absolutely hadn’t thought about the possibility of winning today so, now I had, I wasn’t sure what to think! I asked the head judge for feedback and he simply said “you were outstanding”. My family were all so proud and enjoyed the day so much, which means a great deal to me. My coach was overjoyed, which also means a huge amount. I have had so much support – from family and friends, but also from people who were complete strangers a few months ago and who give their time and support and knowledge so freely – and I am just so pleased to be able to repay their efforts. This may seem a selfish sport but it is a team effort, and my trophies belong to a great many more people than just to me.

So – what’s next? BNBF Final this weekend (Sunday, in Glasgow). I qualified here. I didn’t do a proper “peak week” for the NPA show, but I have done for the Final. I am excited and can not wait to get on the British stage. What a complete honour and an amazing experience.

After that, there’s the NPA Final! Yes: two comps, two wins, two federations, two Finals. Even writing that down, it seems crazy and it’s almost too much to take in. I’m just taking it one competition at a time.

Thank you for reading.

NPA South East championships – 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.

The night before comp

Well, hi!

It’s the night before my next comp – the NPA (Natural Bodybuilding Association) South East championships and, since I’m at home rather than in a hotel, I thought I’d check in.

A few random thoughts, since I’m not hugely coherent at this stage in my prep:

1) An explanation of the comps I’m doing. As you may be aware, there is natural bodybuilding, and assisted. I am natural. In this country, there are two associations/federations for natural competitions. One is the BNBF (British Natural Bodybuilding Federation) – it was their Welsh show which I did in July and their Finals which I’m doing next Sunday. The other is the NPA and I’m doing their South East qualifier tomorrow. I haven’t done an NPA show before, but my coach Kat Millar has – she won their Midland show last month and, last year, came second in their Finals.

2) I’m sitting here with one coat of tan (one of three, probably), my hair blow-dried and in rollers, and nail varnish on my fingers AND toes. Those of you who know me in real life know those are all pretty unusual for me. I’m not a girly-girl and can’t often be bothered to faff with nails and hair. So, it amuses me more than a bit to think that bodybuilding (“won’t you end up looking like a man?”) is the one thing which turns me into a well-groomed girly.

(My husband, it turns out, is a pretty damn good tanner-upper-er!)

3) When you’re deep in contest prep and most of your meals for the past week or so have involved lots of repetition, plain tastes and the same textures, it’s amazing how the little things can cause great joy! I prepped my food for tomorrow earlier on. Whilst I can’t go crazy after the comp and have cakes and sweets, etc, like a lot of competitors will do (because the BNBF Final is only a week away!), coach Kat has said I can have a treat or two as long as it’s not sugary or anything which will cause me any stomach upset (because I need to be back in the gym on Monday training hard). So, the things I prepped weren’t sugary treats, or junk food, or anything exciting at all. Except they were to me, because they weren’t spinach, or fish, or sweet potatoes. It’s amazing how a little bit of deprivation can make even boring things seem wildly exciting!

4) How am I feeling? I asked my husband what I should blog about and he said “how you’re feeling”. Trouble is, I’m not sure! I am eager and excited to get up on stage again: I think my posing has improved, I think I’ve put some size on, and I think my conditioning is as good if not better than last time. And I love to be on stage! I’m also really looking forward to seeing lots of my lovely new bodybuilding friends tomorrow. I’m nervous, yes, but it’s nervous excitement. I know I’ve worked hard and prepped well, and all I can do is pose as hard as I can, do my routine to the best of my ability and smile! 😀 My aim is to enjoy myself, to get some more experience and to do myself and my supporters proud. Talking of supporters, I’m perhaps most excited about the fact that lots of my family can come along tomorrow (the show is in my home county). Including this cute guy:


(He does a mean front-double baby-bicep, by the way.)

and thefitmum

and lots of others! Thank you so much for coming to support me, it means a lot!

Well, with that, I think it’s time for a bit more fish and sweet potato… and another coat of tan…

Thanks for reading! Oh – to those of you who would normally expect texts, Facebook updates or Tweets from me, I won’t be able to do any of those. I chose tonight to swap my SIM (!) and so my phone is out of action for a day or so. Doh!

The night before comp 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.