First-time bodybuilding competitor questions (and my answers)

A few weeks ago, I mentioned a friend of mine who is doing her first bodybuilding comp. She’s got support at home, but is certainly not surrounded by other competitors in daily life. So she often pings me questions on whatsapp or email. Now I’m not a coach or a PT, nor do I have one single qualification in training, nutrition, programming or coaching. But as a female competitor I am always happy to help out where I can (even if it’s just to give options or signpost to other/better resources!)

Here are some of the questions she’s asked me (and the answers I’ve given).

(Her questions in bold, my replies underneath).

Our chit chats cover all sorts of things that a first-time competitor feels, thinks, wonders about and worries about. Everything from cardio, to unwelcome gym comments, to what to do when you want to throw every tool in the box at prep all at once…

They might be helpful to you, too, if you’re just embarking on your first prep.

Feel free to add your own answers in the comments section (and don’t flame me if I’ve given really bad advice – I do always remind her that I’m not a coach, just a pal…)

On the topic of a stranger saying something pretty hurtful at the gym

Being a female bodybuilder means strong mind as well as muscles. You will come up against comments like that (also “don’t get too muscly”, “don’t overdo it”, “why do you want to do that to yourself” etc). What other people think of you is none of your business 😉 And don’t forget he knows nothing of the criteria of your competition and category.

Frankly the only people’s opinions who matter are
-yours
-your loved ones
-the people sat at the judging table

Head down and focus on what you’ve set as your goal. Everything else is just chatter in the larger scheme of it all

Do you use MyFitnessPal or any kind of app to track your macros/calories?

Yes I use MFP. I also wear an activity monitor bracelet thing (Jawbone UP) which tracks output and syncs with MFP.

Had a deep tissue massage before the gym – OMG it hurt!

Ooh ouch! Try to have them on rest days if possible, not ideal before training. After training is an option too.

I’ve still got a fair amount of cellulite and naturally hold a lot of fat in this area…[legs]

Do you dry body brush? I swear by it for improving skin texture esp when prepping skin for show tan. Massage helps with blood flow; can’t hurt. Dry body brushing might not actually help the fat loss but will improve skin texture. I love it!

I don’t know enough about supplements! I only go buy what I read on the internet. I’m thinking because I’ve got a lot of leaning out to do, I should give everything a go? I can’t stand casein though… I’d rather eat cottage cheese.

I’d say the opposite: do the least, because then you’ll know what works. In terms of supplements I don’t think anyone “needs” anything but here’s what I take:

Whey, whey isolate, beef protein isolate (only after training)
Vit C, Vit D
Green tea capsules
Prebiotic and probiotic
ZMA (zinc and magnesium) at night (but I sleep like sh!t and you don’t)
Sometimes a BCAA drink/powder but don’t think I actually need it.

I’m never sure CLA does much for me but I know people who absolutely swear by it. Same as Creatine…never sure it does much but others wouldn’t be without it!

I’m on a downer… looked at where I was this time last year compared to now and feel my physique has barely changed… I feel like my dream is impossible

Your goal is NOT impossible. I promise. First up welcome to the head f**k of being one of the few to ever address a physique goal and actually do the hard work involved in changing health, fitness, body and mind. It is tough which is why we have these wibbles. But don’t let them overwhelm you. And “don’t believe everything you think” 😉

Secondly, changes will always be less visible at the start or anytime you’re less lean. But they are there and to discount them just because you can’t see them clearly is doing yourself a massive disservice. Think of it like the tip of an iceberg. That’s what you can see but you’d better believe there’s a lot more going on.

And finally don’t forget the stuff you can never “see”. How has your knowledge, passion, focus changed? Your education about training and nutrition? Your ability to walk into any gym and know what to do? Your ability to make good food choices, to prep food? What impact has it had on your health, confidence, performance at work?

You’re looking far ahead and the body needs to catch up with the mind that’s all. Body is always a slow coach but it’ll catch up in the end! Promise.

(Evidently I was in some kind of Yoda-mood that day LOL)

Majorly craving chocolate Nic… I’m so addicted!

Me too if it helps! Here’s what I’d try: Options (or similar) hot choc, or proper cocoa powder and coffee together. Or would that set off cravings? If so then try a fatty but savoury snacks: bit of steak, eggs, salmon, even a burger (just the burger) yes it’s unplanned cals but maybe better to eat as a strategy than potentially give in to cravings and ending up eating much more that way! Or use the distraction/change of scene tactic….bath and go to bed!

Think how different you’ll feel in the morning if you do have choc now vs if you don’t. Your brain and body are battling….. it’s up to you who wins

(This was sent late at night by the way, I wasn’t suggesting go to bed during the day just because you fancy a bit of choc).

I’ve barely eaten all day. Back to back meetings then jumped in the car straight after to try get home at a reasonable time! Nearly 9hrs with nothing. Debating what to have for dinner (aka trying to resist every naughty thing in the cupboards) That 3hr car journey has taken it out of me!

My response to this was on an email but it involved thinking about planning ahead, always having your meals with you (if you’re actually prepping for a show – which this person is – so you can stick to your plan, not get over hungry, and not run the risk of overeating because you’ve lost touch with your hunger cues).

I need to start doing cardio before work…

I’d say give current diet time for now…keep back morning cardio as a tool up your sleeve so you have somewhere to go. Don’t throw everything at it at once.

I go at it hammer and tongs rather than a tactical approach

Get the most results from the least…otherwise 1) you won’t know what thing worked and 2) you’ll have nowhere left to go when things slow

Do you think it sounds like I’m on the right track with my prep so far? 0.75kg loss per week?

0.75kgs off a week is perfect. Any more than that won’t be fat and you don’t want to lose muscle or be dehydrated. We can’t know what you’ll look like at [target]kgs of course but the rate of fat loss is perfect.

Should I just use spin as an occasional tool if the weight loss slows down? I did wonder how often to do it.

I think stuff like spin can be good for prep from time to time, just not often/regularly. Don’t agree with those who say avoid it. Good intervals, but really it’s too long (45 mins?) to be real HIIT. It’s more like longer cardio, but pretty stressful. Better to REALLY blast HIIT and really make the steady stuff steady, if you see what I mean.

OK so I’m think my new routine will be…[new plan follows with lots of changes and lots of cardio]

Every day? No chick, too much. Either/or am plyos/intervals or PWO cardio. And just do abs like any other muscle group, they need time between sessions.

You think doing cardio/plyo in the AM and weights in the PM works better than doing them combined?

Yes but only if it doesn’t compromise sleep, or happy family relationships! And 2x cardio definitely too much. And too much hiit/plyos too much. And throwing everything at it at the same time not a good idea. Needs to be gradual and measurable. So long to go yet, don’t think too far ahead. Stick to the plan, be CONSISTENT (always most important of all).

Should I up the cardio this week?

No don’t change anything. You’ve already changed some things this week. Fat loss may be right back on track! Just sit calm and wait and see. Plenty of time to tweak again if needed. Take measurements as well as weighing.

I’m sat at work hungry and grumpy and tempted to eat something naughty…
Maybe develop some snack ideas you can have on hungry days (especially when is such cold weather) so you don’t push the hunger to cravings but also don’t wreck progress. But for now I’d say it’s a good sign that the morning HIIT is doing its thing.

My team at work are doing a ‘Fat Friday’ today – cakes, fish and chips, pizza. I’m sticking to my chicken and rice

Fat Friday lol is that what they really call it? I have Fats Friday as its a rest day so low carb. Whole eggs, chicken thighs and steak 😉

Can you do a high fat day on comp prep?

If you carb cycle then yes of course, when carbs go down fats go up. Not too many changes all at once – you need to be able to measure and track.

First-time bodybuilding competitor questions (and my answers) 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.

Should YOU compete in bodybuilding competitions or not?

A few weeks ago, this article from T-Nation was doing the rounds. John Romano on Why You Should Never Compete It’s a pretty harsh (but also true) set of statements about why some people should accept the fact that bodybuilding isn’t the sport for them. Genetics, structure, psychological inability to diet hard enough, that kind of thing.

Whether you think Romano is correct or cruel, whether you think it’s the taking part that matters or only the best should be up there, it got me thinking.

Should you compete? Should we – as current or former bodybuilding competitors – encourage people to compete? What are the questions we should encourage people to answer honestly to themselves before they embark?

Or is there no need for over-thinking at all – should anyone who expresses an interest in physique sports be encouraged to get on stage, and see how the feel afterwards?

I’ve asked around, and here are what my fellow “existing competitors” have to say.

“I sometimes think ignorance was bliss! In some ways I’m so grateful and proud that I know what I know and have had some achievements, but I half wish I’d never seen myself stage lean – anything less feels like a bit of a fail now!”

“It depends very much on their motivation to want to do so. If someone asks me for advice because they want to compete my first question is always “why do you want to?”…

“I recommend competing to everyone who trains: set yourself a goal and go for it. Signing up for any comp will motivate you better!”

“I have given first-timers my advice in the past and my honesty has been misunderstood. Some people have unrealistic expectations and are in denial.”

“For first timers I’d say “why not!” Go for it see if it makes you happy, miserable or somewhere in between. Is how you feel worth making all the effort? You can’t really know know unless you try.”

“You never know until you try and it could change your life in a positive way, be the perfect fit for you and give you a lot. Or it may turn out to be something you find does not suit you, but you will have lost nothing by trying except a few weeks of your life on a strict diet. The worse than happens is you answer an internal question.”

“After my first comp, the eating demons were hard to control. I have a background of “issues” around eating. Now I’m off-season, and I know you have to eat more to gain size… but I’m really struggling. Mainly mentally, as I just question how I think I look now!”

“More of us should openly share the real struggles nobody wants to admit.”

“I would ask them a lot of questions. I think competing is risky for anyone with self esteem or self confidence issues, and also anyone who’s experienced any sort of disordered eating. I would certainly encourage first timers to weigh up the pros and the cons and then decide for themselves. But you never really know if you’re going to enjoy the experience until you do it.”

“Their “why” is important. Weigh it up in terms of risk:reward ratio, and think about the potential benefits. Having said that, I did none of that! I just knew I wanted to do it and find out what I was made of. I learned loads I can apply in other areas of my life and work. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but also one of the most rewarding. 10 comps later don’t regret a single one.”

Interesting variety of responses, huh! I can tell you that it was mostly male friends who were of the “go for it, you won’t know til you try, and what have you got to lose…” school of thought. Females were the ones who suggested you need to identify your “why”, and it was 100% females who gave any response to do with disordered eating, body-image struggles and struggling to know what’s normal after you’ve experienced a comp prep.

My view? Somewhere in between. I’ve often wondered what life would be like having never done a prep diet, not knowing about macros, how to crunch the various numbers in a meal, or how to design a meal plan. Would I be better off without the knowledge, or worse? And by that do I mean physically, mentally, in body composition, emotionally, or what?

But then again you could say that for anything!

It’s certainly true that you can’t “unknow” any of the things competition prep teaches you. But the extent to which you let them affect or control your life after the stage (or between competitions) is down to your personality, the rest of your life, your non-bodybuilding support network, and many other things.

Competition prep is a harsh mistress. So go into it with your eyes open, with full support of both bodybuilding and fitness folk, and those in other areas of your life. Ask questions – of coaches, of bodybuilding friends, and of yourself. Be very honest, and realistic. And remember that the challenges of contest prep don’t end when you step off stage. In fact, many people would say that’s when they’re just beginning.

I’d love to know your thoughts. Are you a competitor who’s been asked “do you think I should compete?” by a newbie? Have you ever felt it was your obligation to advise anyone against it? Or are you a first-time competitor who wished someone had told you what it would really be like… or shut up and let you get on with it?

Should YOU compete in bodybuilding competitions or not? 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.

Fitness photoshoot advice from Fivos the photographer

As part of my prep this year, I booked a photoshoot with Fivos Averkiou, a photographer who specialises in physique-type shoots. He’s been a (very good) bodybuilder himself, and is also the guy who shoots the official stage photos at most of the bodybuilding shows I’ve ever done, so was the obvious choice!

It’s something I’ve been promising myself for a while, and I thought… well, I guess I thought why not! I wanted a record of how I look during prep (and I now have a load of useful work/fitness type promo and headshots, which will come in handy for work!)

The day after the shoot, I ached from head to toe and was absolutely shattered! This wasn’t helped by being in the latter stages of a (lonnnng) prep diet, I’m sure, but the shoot was a lot more tiring than I anticipated. We essentially did a high-rep full body workout (something I never do), with lots of holds and squeezes and plenty of posing, too.

I was pretty clueless going into the shoot. I sort of knew what to expect, from sitting in on magazine shoots as a journalist, but this wasn’t editorial. I was also incredibly nervous, despite knowing Fivos very well (Fivos – I can tell you this now – I nearly cancelled on you about five times!)

Things to do before a photoshoot

If there’s anyone else out there who, like me, has booked a physique/sports gym-based shoot for themselves without having the first clue about how to get the most out it, I hope this will help:

I asked Fivos to give me his best advice for anyone else as clueless nervous new as I was to this kind of thing. Here’s what he had to say.

Who arranges the location and how do you decide what to do when you are there?

Locations are your personal choice, but personally I mainly shoot around London and Essex (where I’m based). Although I have had shoots further up North.

With bodybuilders – what I’m mainly known for – it’s easy to set the shoot criteria as most will want the same kind of thing. I tell them “you train, I shoot”.

I will add in some staged, “static” shots once we’ve got warmed up, which always look cool.

For me, it’s about making the person feel comfortable in front of the lens. Most that shoot with me are bodybuilders/physique athletes, so it’s about coaching them into how the different shots and angles will look, etc.

On the flipside, when I shoot fitness models, it’s the opposite. They tend to be great at getting in the right position, but need instruction when it comes to muscle contractions.

What do you advise people to wear, bring with them?

I generally tell people to wear what they would normally train in. With men, shoots tend to be mostly topless. I also encourage outfit changes throughout the shoot. And, if the person wants, we can to more brand clothing “model shots” at the end of the shoot.

(Thefitwriter says: for example, I brought two tops to my shoot and only wanted a few frames in each: one for the friend who’d kindly sent me one of the tops as a gift, and one of the wording on my favourite training top: Work Hard, Be Nice… can’t really go wrong with that simple mantra! 😉 )

How would you suggest someone prep for a shoot, both in the medium and short term (e.g. getting your body ready, deciding what sort of images you want to go for, and having a tan…)

If they are prepping for a show, I advise people to shoot one week beforehand at the latest. At one week out you are ready to go and have not started any water manipulation etc. You don’t want to do anything which will affect your show prep, but equally you don’t want to be at your shoot in the middle of a carb deplete. I would always advise a great base tan, as it really shows on the images.

Fiv’s five top tips for a physique photoshoot
1) Remember you are paying for the shoot so make sure you get what you want.
2) Check out the photographer’s work and ask around about the photographer’s work ethic (word of mouth is the best recommendation).
3) Choose a photographer who will act professionally on your shoot and ask you permission to release any shots.
4) You pay for the shoot, so you should know exactly what’s going on with your images (I always ask permission from the person I shoot if it’s OK to post an image on social media.
5) Take time to talk to the photographer before the shoot: bounce ideas off each other and get a shoot criteria laid down.

Thanks Fivos, I really enjoyed our shoot and love my images!

You can get hold of Fivos via Fivos Photography on Facebook or at his website Showshoots.

Fitness photoshoot advice from Fivos the photographer 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.

6 things female bodybuilders know (…and now you do, too)

Bodybuilding teaches us a lot of things. Time management. Patience. Self-sufficiency. The power of playing the long-game.

But for the females in the sport (holla!) it also teaches a few interesting life skills. Read on to discover a few things only a female bodybuilder knows (until now).

Dream Tan 2 makes a pretty decent bronzer
Dream Tan is the “wash off” (kinda!) tan used by some bodybuilders in some associations. As opposed to the ones which need to be sprayed/rollered/layered on over an excruciating amount of days, “DT” (as it’s known) just gets slapped on there and then just before you get on stage.

What women know: DT also makes a mighty fine bronzer. Simply tap a (very) small amount onto cheekbones, clavicles or cleavage (wait.. you still have a cleavage? Are you off-season?) Et voila.

Bikini Bite has other uses
Bikini bite is the “glue in a roller” that bodybuilders use to literally stick their bikinis/trunks to themselves to ward off the horrendous possibility of slippage during a particularly enthusiastic bout of posing (I told you about this here).

What women know: Bikini Bite needn’t be banished to a drawer between November and May. In fact, it comes into its own over Christmas and New Year… cos it can be used as “tit tape”.

How to work the MAC counter
Here’s the thing. When you tan for a comp, you don’t put tan on your face (unless you want that lovely “Leprosy 2.0” look going on for about 3 weeks – never a great look). So, female bodybuilders tend to use a really dark foundation, usually one made for black skin. But not all of us are actually black under the tan. So we don’t necessarily want to buy an entire bottle of a foundation we’ll only use for a few days of the year.

What women know: ask your foundation-manufacturer of choice for a little sample. There’s no need to tell them you have no intention of ever buying the full size.

Once you go orange, you never go back
Tanning is a pain in the glutes. But everything just looks so much better with a tan. Along with fake eyelashes, tan becomes one of those things you possibly never indulged in before taking up this bodybuilding lark. But now… you can’t stop!

What women know: how to apply tan without ending up with orange deadlifting-callouses 😉

Body weight takes on a new meaning
To generalise horribly 😉 most women who care about their body weight step on the scales hoping to see the number go down.

What women know: that body weight only really matters if you’re in a weight class. Body fat, now, that’s a different matter.

Sorry, I’m (not) washing my hair
Little things are a big effort when dieting (and after doing a particularly arduous gym session). It becomes a case of priorities. Does my hair really need washing? Honestly? I know, I’ll ask the dog for his opinion…

What women know: dry shampoo exists for a reason. This is it.

6 things female bodybuilders know (…and now you do, too) is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

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

A few photos and videos from UKDFBA 2014

I’ve already blogged about my most recent competition – the UKDFBA (United Kingdom Drug Free Bodybuilding Association) UK Open Championships. My show report is here.

In that blog post, I promised some official photos, video and report. The report’s not out yet but I have the photos and the show video, so – for those who are interested – here y’go!

Quarter turns (I’m second in from the right of the pic)

A few from the comparisons/compulsories

Pose down!

From my individual posing routine

Here’s a video of my routine

And a classic couple of shots showing the “moment of strewth” 😉

And here a video clip of that result being announced

Official photos by Fivos at Showshoots.
Video clips taken with permission from official video by Chris Lambert.

A few photos and videos from UKDFBA 2014 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.

So you want to date a female bodybuilder?

You sure about that?

OK. I understand – hell, I find some of my female bodybuilding friends schmexy too! 😉 (And I get to tan some of them up!) But I feel it’s only fair to let you know what it could be really like. Forewarned is forearmed, and all that.

(With thanks to J, J and L for some of the following bits of intel… and to all the other crazy single female bodybuilders I am privileged to know and hang out with).

The hotter the bod, the crazier the mind
I get it. You like muscly, lean ladies. Trouble is, you can’t have it all. You see, being that lean doesn’t come naturally (understatement…) It’s either/or, most of the time anyway. And, sorry, I can’t tell you when you’ll stumble upon the small window of time that is the Holy Grail: lean, funny, with it and a joy to be around. You’re just going to have to keep trying your luck. Most of the time, you get a) hot bod and bordering on maniacal, or b) reasonable state of mind but somewhat “off-season”. Just being real!

On the topic of libido
Here’s a funny thing. I hear most of my male BB friends say that their sex-drive takes a nose-dive during a bodybuilding diet. Yet most women I talk to say quite the opposite. It goes into over-drive. I have a theory here (absolutely not grounded in scientific research, btw). Could it be because we’ve now got more muscle mass and less body fat, our hormones are less “female” and more “male”? We’ve got more testosterone than previously (and more than non-BB women), and less oestrogen? I have no idea.

But on the flip side, one of my female BB friends said that, during prep, she is genuinely too tired for any of that shenanigans and will “expect the man to do all the work in the last few weeks of prep”. And she’s not talking about housework or grocery shopping.

I think the take-home point here is prep makes women more up for it (in their minds, at least), but when it comes down to the actual moment… we might have run out of steam. Soz!

On the topic of food
“Do not eat my food or I will kill you”. That’s a direct quote from a single FBB friend of mine. What can I say, she’s a redhead. I’ve got brown hair, so my attitude to food is a bit less fiery, but essentially I agree. We don’t get a lot of food, and what we do get has been carefully prepared, probably weighed out (tedious) and dreamed about for the previous few hours. If we open the fridge and you’ve eaten the damn thing… well, more fool you.

Cardio… not that kind of cardio
You’re unlikely to be our first thought in the morning. That accolade goes to the joy that is cardio. And, no, sorry, not that kind of cardio (what are you offering, anyway, LISS or HIIT?)

Choose your words carefully
You think women in general are unpredictable and difficult to please? Oh, sweetie, you have no idea.
Do not say “I’m tired”. To quote a friend… “I’m tired, you just have no f*****g clue…” (and that one’s not even a redhead!)
Do say: “Can I prep your food for you?” Friend quote: “I will love you forever”
Do say: “Sure, I’d love to help you shave your entire body ahead of your first tanning appointment.”
Don’t say: “Hang on… just snapchatting this….”
Do say: “I’ve found a cafe we can go to which does chicken/fish and plain veggies.”
Don’t say: “Oh yum, I can’t decide whether to have the pulled pork burger with triple cooked fries or the all-day-breakfast. What would you have?”
Don’t say: “Why are you just sitting there? You look like a zombie.”
Do say: “Let me carry that empty glass into the kitchen for you, it looks very heavy. Would you like a cup of green tea whilst I’m out here?”
Don’t say: “Great to meet you, I’m glad you like my choice of coffee shop. What can I get you, latte? Cappucino? How about one of the Christmas seasonal coffees? Oh – nearly forgot – do you want any cakes or muffins?”
Do say: “Great to meet you, I’m glad you like my choice of coffee shop. I’ll go and order: black coffee, right? Or would you prefer a green tea?”

I’ll leave you with a few choice words from my female friends:
I love nice tupperware. If you buy me some, you can stay (?! LOL!)
If I ask you to tan me it doesnt mean you get sex. (Friend 2 Yeah! Same goes for posing!)
I cry a lot during prep. It’s not about you! That’s normal for me.
Appreciate the hard work and commitment and we will be ok 🙂

Lots of love… the ladies of the bodybuilding world 😉

So you want to date a female bodybuilder? 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.

So close but so far… (UKDFBA 2014 show report)

On Saturday, I competed in the female bodybuilding class at the UKDFBA (United Kingdom Drug Free Bodybuilding Association) UK Open Championships. Here’s my show report. My emotions are still a bit all over the place so apologies if this isn’t my usual hilarious (!), witty (!!) style.

I’ve included some photos (from my instagram as always!) but have purchased the official photos (by Fivos at Showshoots) and will pop some of those up when I get them. I’ll also share the show report when it is published.

This was the first show of the year for me, and my first since the INBF Worlds last November. You can read about my goals and aims for the show in this blog post – prep update – 2 weeks out.

There’s plenty I enjoy about the UKDFBA show. Not only does it tend to attract great numbers across the classes (including ladies bodybuilding – which is unusual!) but the depth and quality is great. It’s a good atmosphere, enjoyable for competitors but also for spectators and all the people who come to support and “crew” for competitors. This is really important to me! And I get to meet up with lots of my bodybuilding “family” at this show, some of whom I only see once or twice a year. It’s a real kind of party/reunion type event as well as a good bodybuilding comp to be part of.

On Friday I travelled up to Leamington Spa with my sister, and my Mum joined us at the self-catering apartment a bit later, as did the folk we were sharing with. So Friday afternoon and evening was chilled, fun, relaxed and a big giggle really. I had two coats of tan sprayed on by a professional spray tanner, did a few rounds of posing, Mum made some final adjustment to my bikini (I’d lost a bit of fat on my glutes in the last week and the bikini bottoms were gaping/sagging) and I tried to get a decent night’s sleep (always a challenge the night before a comp – excited, nervous, and paranoid about wrecking my tan!)

On Saturday morning I did another couple of rounds of posing and took photos – I was really pleased with how I was looking. Legs (in fact everything, but particularly legs) had been tightening up day on day and I don’t think I’ve ever looked like I did on Saturday! I was so chuffed!

I weighed in 1.8kgs less than on my home scales, which answered once and for all the question “just how sh!t are my scales at home?” (the answer being: “extremely”). In fact I weighed in lighter than I weighed in at INBF Worlds last year, by 2-3lbs.

I dashed off to bag a space in the dressing room I was in last year as I knew it was a good ‘un. Once I’d got myself and my friend Paula installed in there, I was happy – I just wanted to get us both a bit of space and somewhere to find peace and quiet during the day. I then spent the rest of the day chilling with my feet up in that room, or taking a few short wanders to say hi to folk out front.

OK so on to the actual show!

I felt confident going into it. Not 100%, of course. But definitely the most confident (in myself) than I’ve ever felt. This only increased as I pumped up. I could see with my own two eyes that I looked good, and I was getting better as I pumped and posed. As I looked around I just remember thinking, yes Nic, you look good. You have every right to feel confident and go out there with the attitude that you could take it.

As I walked out onto stage I felt I was my best ever (so far/to date) and that I knew I looked good. I was confident in my posing, my routine, and in how I was presenting myself. I guess – bottom line – I felt GOOD!

I can’t honestly remember where I was in the call outs, nor how long we were up there, but I think I was middle of one call out and next-to-middle of another (I could be completely wrong!) We were worked hard, and put through the quarter turns and compulsories several times. Then the head judge said that the judges had seen all they needed to and were happy with what they’d seen.

(quarter turns and compulsories – click to enlarge if you so wish!)

I had a lot of support out there and heard a lot of you calling out and cheering for me – thank you very much if any of you are reading! It really makes a difference and I am very grateful for your cheers!

I left the stage feeling confident but not 100% confident. I guess I thought I could have won… but wasn’t sure. I don’t know. I certainly didn’t feel like I definitely hadn’t won. I felt good still. But you know how it is – you can never be sure… and I wasn’t…

It was then on to our routines, which I LOVE. I have a new routine and new music this year and have absolutely fallen in love with both so couldn’t wait to perform it for the first time. It went well, I didn’t forget any of it, I could have given it a bit more welly but I guess that’s always the way! I put a lot of time, thought and effort in to my posing and routines and personally think it’s a really important part of what we do (after all the spectators are there to see a show, and have paid to see us!)

(routine pics – click to enlarge if you so wish!)

We were all called back on, did one final round of compulsories, then posedown which was good fun.

(posedown pics – click to enlarge if you so wish!)

Then it was time for the results.

This wasn’t just a “I could win this class” situation. It was a “winner gets WNBF Pro Status and funding for the Worlds trip” situation. I can’t tell you how much of a crazy focus this has been for me. Regular blog readers will have gathered that I am massive on visualisation, mindset, focus, etc. It’s been pretty intense leading up to this comp! And now it was down to the next few seconds.

5th place was called – my friend Paula. I was delighted for her, it was her first comp, she was the only first timer in the class, she wanted to place… and she did.

4th, 3rd.… not me.

Holy Mother of Arnold. Here we go. I’ve either won it or… I haven’t, frankly. One matters, one doesn’t matter. That’s how I see it. One is a win, the other is not a win.

The head judge was saying that it was incredibly close… that, in fact, it was a tie-break. We were tied for first place, and the result of the tie-break is….

In second place….

Me.

Sigh.

OK. Smile, smile, don’t cry, look up, smile, walk forward, shake the winner’s hand, stand there and smile.

The winner was then called forward, and offered WNBF Pro status.

My emotions have been up, down and all over the place since. At the time I felt absolutely gutted and disappointed, but not so bad. I felt happy, in that I knew I was my best ever (so far!), very happy personally in how I looked and how I’d posed, etc. Happy that I’d improved a placing in a year (I was 3rd at UKDFBA last year) and happy (although it’s a bitter happiness!!) that it was so close. You can’t ask for much more (other than winning, obviously) than being in a tie break situation.

But I have also gone through a slew of negative emotions: sadness, disappointment, feeling absolutely gutted, and (if I’m honest), angry. I’m not sure at what. Myself, I think. Angry that I didn’t get on stage absolutely dominant, that I left it up to the judges to make the decision, that I didn’t step up there and make their job easier for them. I won’t be making the same mistake again. Believe me, there’s nothing like losing something so important to you on a tie-break decision to focus the mind.

So, what’s next?

A few people have asked me what’s next, if I’m done for the season, if I have another chance at earning Pro Status, etc. I was always heading out to INBF/WNBF Worlds as part of Team UK, and am still doing that. The result of the UKDFBA decided whether I went out as the newly-crowned WNBF Pro, to compete in the Pro class, or as an amateur, to do the INBF show. Those are the only differences – I was always prepping onwards for Worlds and nothing has changed there. So: I am going out with the UK Team to compete in the INBF Worlds, to defend my over all women’s bodybuilding title from last year and – hopefully – to earn WNBF Pro Status by so doing. That’s the plan.

So close but so far… (UKDFBA 2014 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.

What does “peak week” mean, anyway?

If there’s a competitive bodybuilder in your nearest ‘n dearest inner circle, chances are you’ve heard them talk about “peak week”. What the hell is that? If you’re not sure, you probably haven’t dared ask. Because your bodybuilder is probably lethargic to the point of zombified, over-emotional, hyper-sensitive, or asleep (or all four) during peak week.

Peak week is the jargon used to describe the final 5-7 days leading up to an actual bodybuilding competition. It can be “where the magic happens” or it can be where things all go to shit, depending on… well, on quite a lot really. A great deal can change during that final week, sometimes good (the bodybuilder will “come in” just right) and sometimes bad.

Here’s what your favourite bodybuilder may be doing, experiencing and feeling during peak week. See, now you don’t have to ask!

Water loading
Some – by no means all – competitive bodybuilders will manipulate water during the final few days before a comp. There are many roads to Rome, but a common approach (not to Rome, to water manipulation) is to load with water at the start of peak week and then taper off (or even cut water completely) 24 hours or so before stage time. The theory is that the body gets used to the extra water, and therefore readily excretes more (the body loves homeostasis, after all). Then, when you taper/cut water, the body continues to excrete water, not realising that less is coming in. The result (we hope) is that we look drier on stage.
What this means: your bodybuilder might be glugging down anything up to 10 litres of water every day. They’ll be feeling cold, gross and probably a bit sick to be honest.

Carb depleting
Another common thing during peak week is depletion of carbohydrates for a few days (usually 3-4). Exactly what this means will depend on your bodybuilder (are they a big one, or a little one? Have they dieted on low carbs or not? Are they going to carb up? How lean are they to start with?) Some competitive bodybuilders will cut carbs for a few days to the point of essentially taking none in at all. Carbs will come from maybe some leafy greens and that’s it. We’re talking less than 20g carbohydrate every day for a few days.
What this means: they’ll be staggering around in an exhilarating combination of brain dead, foggy haze, and mild euphoria. Sorry, I can’t tell you which of the three states you’ll find them in at any one time.

Bony, small, childlike and flat
You might think your favourite bodybuilder looks good during this peak week. They probably won’t. They’ll feel flat, small, little in their clothes, nothing like their big strong selves. Just at the point when they need to feel good, they’ll be feeling poop. They’ll be bundled up in long trousers and hoodies, partly because they’re chilly and partly cos they can’t bear to look at their pale small selves. If they’re lean enough, it might be painful for them to have a bath (that moment when they sit up to turn the tap up – ouch), to sit in one position for too long, to lie in one position in bed.
What this means: ignore, or make sympathetic noises. Try hugs. It won’t be long til they’re full of simple sugars and off-season again.

Final cardio sessions
If your bodybuilder has been employing cardio during their competition prep, they will be counting down the amount of cardio sessions they have left to do. They might be doing cardio a couple of days before, or they might do their final cardio session early in peak week. This day is usually one to celebrate.
What this means: ask the question “when’s your final cardio session?” delicately. Be prepared for either joyous whoops or dark looks and mutterings of “I’ve got 4 left”. Even if the show is only 3 days away.

Depletion workouts
Along with carb depletion come depletion workouts – these are final weights sessions in the gym, aimed at depleting the body of glycogen (so it “fills up” again once carbs are reintroduced). These sessions tend to be exhausting and frustrating. Your bodybuilder will typically stagger through them, tearful, staring into space, and not wanting to talk to anyone.
What this means: leave them to it. And let them nap afterwards.

Carbing up
Most bodybuilders will introduce more carbohydrates towards the end of peak week, either after a period of depletion, or just as a continuation of their prep diet. Bodybuilders need to be lean, but big and full on stage. It’s the holy grail, and a fine balance, but the only way to get there is to be lean enough in the first place and then to fill out with enough carbohydrate that they can get “the pump” and avoid looking flat, tired and stringy.
What this means: there will come a point in peak week where your bodybuilder is suddenly eating vast bowls of rice, oats, potatoes (usually oven baked beyond recognition). They will be over the moon, at first, until they realise that eating huge amounts of dry, plain carbs isn’t much more fun than eating none at all.

Shaving themselves
I’ve said it before, but it makes me laugh (and this is my blog) so I’ll say it again: you haven’t lived until you’ve shaved your own rear delts. Man, woman, hairy or smooth, all bodybuilders need to remove bodyhair a day or two before their first layer of tan goes on. Some will Veet it (dicey!) and some will shave down.
What this means: if you live with a bodybuilder, you might get roped in to the full-body shave process. And your bodybuilder will feel very, very small and cold after they’ve shaved their entire body. Have a hoodie and dressing gown ready.

Posing daily
Hopefully, your bodybuilder will have already done plenty of posing practice. But, during peak week, they’ll do more. Probably daily, at least once, for 15 or more minutes. Not only does posing at this point help calm and focus their mind, but it actually helps tighten up the physique and can even help the drying out process.
What this means: expect your bodybuilder to demand an audience for endless rounds of quarter turns at any time of the day or night, and don’t be surprised to see your bodybuilder in the gym, trousers rolled up (or dropped, to reveal pants of course) flexing and squeezing. You may also be asked to take photos. Just go with it.

What does “peak week” mean, anyway? 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.

NLP for bodybuilders: 3 techniques you can try today (and a bonus one!)

TheFitMum is more than just a pretty face, you know 😉 She’s also an NLP Master Practitioner. This means that she’s not just a qualified NLP Practitioner, but has done further qualifications and is the next level up. She uses NLP in her work as a leadership development coach, but she’s also taught me a bit about it in the context of sports psychology.

I was sitting with her yesterday (she was kindly altering my sparkly-bikini!) and thought I’d do a quick Q&A to find out 3 NLP techniques you competitors can use during contest prep, or on show day.

What is NLP?

NLP – “neuro linguistic programming – is a type of psychotherapy which looks at the links between our brains’ neurological processes, the language we use (internal and external!) and our learned behaviours.

Mum says, “It’s about how the language we use affects our mental attitude and the way in which we react to things. For example, if you say to yourself “I’m going to dread training today, I’ll never be able to pull that 100kg deadlift…”, it becomes what a lot of people would call a self-fulfilling prophesy. Your brain tells your body what you’ve said to yourself, and that equates to not being able to do whatever it is you want to do. Because the message you’ve sent to your brain is “I can’t do it”. The brain doesn’t have opinions of its own, it operates on the messages you deliver to it. It can’t do anything else: it’s your brain!”

I did a quick poll on Facebook the other day about 3 things competitors struggle with during competition prep or on competition day, and asked Mum which NLP techniques she thinks would be most useful.

Here are 3 (4, actually!) NLP techniques you can try… in TheFitMum’s words.


NLP For Nerves on Competition Day

I would recommend a type of visualisation which is called “Scramble Pattern” in NLP.

When people get nervous, they are usually visualising what they dread, not what they want.

One of the best ways to get you out of that negative mindset is to make yourself relax by laughing. Once you start to smile and laugh, your body releases endorphins and you relax. So you need to get to the stage of having a giggle brewing inside of you.

Well in advance of the day, really call to mind what you’re nervous about. Think about it in detail. You’re about to step on stage, you’re standing in the wings… think about that very vividly. Then, in your head, change everything you can about that mental picture. Use all your senses.

Think about what you’d love to feel under your feet (sand, grass?)
What’s your favourite smell? The air in the auditorium smells just like that (coffee, popcorn?)
As you step on stage, you look at the audience and they’re all wearing t-shirts and waving flags of your favourite colour – all you can see is a sea of your very favourite, happy colour.
In the centre of the judging table is your favourite person in the world, grinning up at you.

Create a mental image which completely smashes the nerves. Get away from the reality of what you fear it might be like. Imagine something a little bit crazy: so you might end up walking across sand, smelling popcorn, with whole audience dressed in bright pink. Ideally, think of something really silly – maybe the audience are all wearing pink afro wigs – this will make you smile and laugh.

You need to keep thinking about your silly, funny mental image. Sit and contemplate it every time you get that nervous feeling, and put this on top of it. “Scramble Pattern” scrambles the nervous picture, mixes it up, and turns it into something which you look forward to thinking about.

NLP For Stage Presence

One of the best things to do if you want more confident stage presence is a technique called “modelling”. Think of your favourite person in the world, someone you really look up to as successful and confident. It could be another bodybuilder but it doesn’t have to be. It could be an actor, a singer, even someone you know. It needs to be somebody you personally think is superbly confident.

Think about what it is that they do to come across as so confident. Is it the way they walk, the way they stand, or smile? Pinch one or two of the things they do and practice them for yourself.

When you’re on stage at your show, you’re not going on stage as you (the you that you feel is underconfident) – you going to be them. You are sending yourself the message that “I am just like DLB because I am walking on stage and smiling just like she does…” (or whatever it is). You can even give yourself a new nickname to match your new persona, a name you use for yourself on show day.

I think it would help competitors to also choose posing music which really matches this persona, and helps you think of yourself as a rock star, a dancer, or whatever it is. It all helps you think of yourself as this person who is wonderfully confident who loves being centre stage.

Another technique which would help with nerves and confidence is “anchoring”. Set yourself an anchor – you need to do this way in advance of your comp.

Think of a time in your life when you were really confident (it doesn’t matter how long ago it was or what age you were). You need to be able to remember the exact details of what you were doing.

Sit quietly with your eyes closed and call that time strongly to mind – it may take a while at first. What could you see, feel, smell and hear? Was anyone saying something to you? Who was there? Was it warm or cold?

Really bring to mind that feeling of achievement, confidence, happiness and pride. As you get that feeling welling up inside you, anchor it. You do this by using a unique stimulus – something you don’t typically do (so, clenching a fist for instance wouldn’t work as you do this sometimes already). Many people use a physical action such as pressing thumb and ring finger together. It needs to be something the judges won’t see/notice but something you don’t typically do.

As you feel that wonderful confident memory, do your unique stimulus movement. As the feeling ebbs – let it go (you don’t want to anchor the feeling as it ebbs away).

Then “break state” by getting up, going away and doing something different like getting a drink of water.

The more often you do this, the quicker it will become. Your mind is very quick to remember and anticipate it. Soon you will barely have to think about it, just redo your anchor, and it will bring the state to your mind.

We naturally anchor lots of things, it’s a very common thing – think about how you feel when you smell suntan lotion!

NLP For Food Cravings

This is very powerful – I call it “like-to-dislike” – but it will be helpful if you can get the help of someone who knows about NLP.

Think of a food or drink you really hate, something you find truly disgusting. Close your eyes and really think about it. When you picture it in your head, is it close to you, far away, right, left up or down? Is it in colour? Is it on a plate or in a cup? Is there a smell associated with it? Is there a frame around the mental image?

Now break state.

Come back and go through the same process with the food you are craving and struggling with during your prep. Where is the mental picture? Ask all the questions above.

Now, what are the differences between the two pictures? Is the thing you hate far away and to the left and in black and white? Is the thing you crave closer, in colour, slightly above you?

Picture the thing you crave and move it to where the picture of thing you hate is. Change everything about the picture of the thing you crave, so it takes on the same properties as the picture of the thing you can’t stand.

That’s all it takes. Once the picture of the food you’ve been craving is in the same place, with the same size/colour/properties as the mental image of the thing which disgusts you, your brain won’t be able to cope with it.

If you need more, as you move the image of the craving to the place where the yukky food was, imagine you are taking the craving food and dipping it into/mixing it with the gross thing. Even talking about this is making me feel a bit sick, since I did it myself and cured myself of craving crisps!

Thanks Mum! This was so interesting (and I love any excuse to sit and chit-chat with you!) xx ❤ I really hope some of you found this helpful. Do you struggle with any of these 3 categories? Have you ever used NLP for sports performance?

NLP for bodybuilders: 3 techniques you can try today 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.

Differences between years 1-4 of bodybuilding preps

After writing my prep-update post the other day, I started thinking about the differences between my prep these days and how it was in my first year. Not training or diet, but mindset and generally how prep affects my life (or perhaps rather how life responds to prep?) It really is quite different, and all in a good way.

What’s different in my fourth year?

The Box
I used to have a box.. no, not a box, The Box. It was such a significant part of my prep that I used title case when referring to it (and anyone who knows me as a copywriter will realise how it pains me to do that!) The Box was a cardboard box (a large one) full of foods I’d bought during prep in order to eat afterwards. All sorts of shit. Over-priced imported American cereal. Pop Tarts. Peanut butter anything. American candy. Oh… all sorts of stuff. I don’t even know. By the time prep was over, I didn’t even remember buying most of it. And, of course, I ended up breaking into The Box more than once during prep.

Funny story about The Box v2 (2012 prep). I struggled so hard to stay away from it that, during my divorce, whilst my ex and I were separated and I was still in the house, I actually locked The Box in the shed and asked him to come to the house and take the key away. Whilst we were getting divorced. Yeah… priorities…

I do not have The Box this year. Or even a box. I just… don’t.

Post-comp eats lists
I also used to keep a list (2011: a Word doc, 2012: a page in my journal) where I’d write down meals, recipes, food combinations that I’d eat after my final comp. The reasoning was that if I wrote it down, it would be out of my head (and that I’d remember it – because, obviously, eating a toasted cheese sandwich with crisps inside is information of paramount importance which simply must be recalled at a later date). I… don’t have a list this year.

Cravings
No cravings this year. Hand on heart. I don’t know if this is because I’ve finally found a way of dieting which satisfies my taste buds (and my micro nutrient requirements!) so my body isn’t trying to tell me anything. Or whether it’s because I’m so damn focused on my actual goals in this sport that psychological cravings mean nothing to me. I don’t know. I haven’t tried not to have any. I haven’t done anything to stop having any. I just don’t have any. Maybe it’s because, finally, I realise that 99% of foods on this planet will still be in shops, cafes and restaurants when I can relax my diet. Look, ma, I’m all grown up! 😉

Obsessive thoughts about food, eating out, meals I’ll make, things I’ll buy/eat

Similar to the list I guess. I used to just think so much about foods I’d eat, cakes I’d have at coffee shops, even things I’d buy from service stations (I know… what?!) I don’t do that now. About the only thing I am doing is really looking forward to going out for nice meals with family (Sissie – I’d love to go for a burger at The Nutmeg with you and brosephine!), going on dates where I don’t have to act like a saddo and ask for modified versions of things on the menu, and lingering over home-cooked meals with my Dad and my Mum.

Stock-piling
Similar to The Box. I used to stockpile foods, not even stuff you’d call “bad” foods, but things I still couldn’t really eat at the sharp end of a prep diet. Why? It’s not like Tesco is going to run out of muesli any time soon. My cupboards/fridge/freezer now just feature the food I eat at the moment. I haven’t even got anything stashed away in the freezer. I just can’t be arsed. If the apocalypse comes and all the food in the world gets blown up, I guess I won’t be here to worry about it anyway.

Focus and goal setting
I’m more focused this year. I was always focused (those who know me from a certain squeaky-clean, bubbly online forum 😉 will recall that I had a forum journal back in 2011 called “Operation Pro Card”… haha!) But my focus is different this year. It’s more… focusy. It’s narrower, yet calmer somehow. Perhaps because I understand the structure of the sport a little better, and I know what I actually want.

Sleep
I’m sleeping soooo much better. I used to wake most nights during prep (not the whole thing, the final 6 weeks onwards I guess) at exactly the same time every night. I never knew if it was down to hunger, cravings, wonky hormones, or my dreadful habit of reading food blogs (!!!) on my iPhone in bed at night (I no longer do that, either). But I sleep all night through now, 99% of the time anyway. My personal life is very different now to how it was during my first two preps, which certainly helps. Anyway – I’m not going to question it. Just be thankful for it. I love sleeping! 😀

Reading
On that note, I read a lot of blogs and online articles (occupational hazard!) Back during my first prep, almost all of the blogs I read were foodie ones. Recipe blogs, food blogs, “healthy living” blogs which frankly were anything but. I don’t read any of those any more. I read competitors’ blogs, yes, but not the ones which are mostly about terrible low-calorie “recipes” and borderline eating disorders. And not the ones full of cheat meals and other things which would often just trigger me into The Box or the post-comp eats list activity. I read loads of mindset blogs, strongwoman blogs, feminism blogs (hollah), writing blogs, funny/comedy blogs, blogs of my friends… lots of stuff. But not food.

Pinterest
Oh lord. Pinterest. I used to spend hours on damn Pinterest, pinning things I’d make (I never did), places I’d eat (I never went) and things I’d buy (I often did… they went into The Box). The boards are still there… peanut butter, cinnamon, banana bread, cereal (yes I had individual boards for those niche topics). I haven’t been on for ages, to pin or to browse. Partly because I CBA, and partly because I am aware that gazing upon pictures of peanut butter muffins with cinnamon buttercream and pretzel crumb topping is just a mental temptation I can do without.

Journalling
I’ve always journalled (have kept a personal diary since I was eight years old) and have always kept a training/food/mindset type journal during my bodybuilding preps. But these days I also keep a “me” type journal. I write a page every single morning before I get out of bed. I love this practice. I swear it’s helping, or perhaps I’m doing it because other things have changed. I’m not sure which came first.

To those of you in your second (or more!) year of competitive bodybuilding, what differences have you noticed since your very first diet/competition? Until I wrote this post, I hadn’t realised how far I’ve come and how much my mindset has changed. I can’t wait for my fifth (sixth… tenth… ?) year competing! 🙂

Differences between years 1-4 of bodybuilding preps 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.