Road to 1st Bikini Competition 3/23/2013!!

[shadylane21]

I am excited to start this journal and I really hope it will help others down the line!

I am a 32 year old Mother of 4, wife, and full time nurse. I have always read Oxygen magazine and Muscle&Fitness and dreamed of one day competition and being in one of those magazines, well as the years passed I had 4 rugrats and with each one gained a crap ton of weight!

I was 198lbs when I had my last child and she is now 4! Long story short, I decided to get off my arse and make things happen!

I am now 127 pounds and I am getting ready for my first competition on 3/23/2012! I am doing this on my own without a coach, so this will probably be a wild roller coaster ride!

[offroadatv200]

I am excited to start this journal and I really hope it will help others down the line!

I am a 32 year old Mother of 4, wife, and full time nurse. I have always read Oxygen magazine and Muscle&Fitness and dreamed of one day competition and being in one of those magazines, well as the years passed I had 4 rugrats and with each one gained a crap ton of weight!

I was 198lbs when I had my last child and she is now 4! Long story short, I decided to get off my arse and make things happen!

I am now 127 pounds and I am getting ready for my first competition on 3/23/2012! I am doing this on my own without a coach, so this will probably be a wild roller coaster ride!

Im in for this one!
I think its awesome having so much on your plate and still competing. Prep is a long battle but it sounds like nothing you cant handle.
Congrats on the weight loss thus far.

[shadylane21]

Im in for this one!
I think its awesome having so much on your plate and still competing. Prep is a long battle but it sounds like nothing you cant handle.
Congrats on the weight loss thus far.

Thanks! I appreciate it!

[shadylane21]

Soooo! During this journey of getting into the best shape of my life I have come to realize that my body does not like certain carbs or yogurt! I decided to eat some yogurt with a little bit of granola at work and within 10 minutes I was bloated up like a freaking Thanksgiving turkey~! I don't even really like yogurt lol! Cheese and most ice creams don't really bother me, but milk, yogurt, and pasta seem to be my arch nemesis at this point! Ah well, I don't eat those much anyways!!

I have to hit the gym in a bit and do my legs, shoulders, and abs! Oh and 20 mins of cardio. I am taking in around 1650 calories a day and making sure I hit around 120 a day and my carbs and fat fluctuate around my protein. I started an ECA stack last week and I am now up to 3 doses per day using bronkaid, but I am only using 1/2 a tab until next week. I also have some Yohimbine HCL, but I am thinking that I should wait to cycle that in until I am actually in contest prep?

[shadylane21]

DAMN THESE THUNDER THIGHS!! I am so pissed off with my legs! I realize that they will be the last thing to go, but my upper body is responding at a rapid pace. I am doing cardio only 3 times a week for 20-30 minutes as I have read I don't want to go cardio crazy, but I am wondering if that is what I need to shed the fat on my lower half?

My weight is down a pound from my official weigh in last week to 128, but I was 127 during the week. I am really trying to figure out what my macros should be at, because every where says about 2,450 so if I take away 500 a day that should be 1950 a day right! I am trying to eat 1640 calories a day, but think I should bump it up to the 1950 and work down once I hit my official 12 week prep! Per My Fitness Pal this week I am only averaging about 1236 cals a day! Holy hell! I think that I need to up them so I have room to drop, once I start prep!!

Any help or words of wisdom would be awesome!

Oh I am working my legs twice a week! Monday and Friday with shoulders at the end of the workout.

Monday-
Free Weight squats-4 sets of 8 with 35lbs for 2 sets and 45lb plates for 2 sets
Straight leg dead lifts- 4 sets of 8 with 35lb plates on Olympic bar
Walking lunges- 4 sets of 10 each leg with 30lb dumbbells in each hand
Leg press- 4 sets of 8 2 45lb plates on each side.
Leg curls-4 sets of 8-62.5lbs
leg Ext-4 sets of 8- 75lbs
Seated Calf Press- 4 sets of 12 with 90lbs
Standing Calve Raise- 4 sets of 12 with 90lbs

Friday-
Plie squats standing on two benches-4 sets of 8 with 30lb dumbbell
Jump Squats-4 set of 12
Box Jumps-4 sets of 12
Leg curls-4 sets of 8 with 62.5lbs
Leg ext- 4 sets of 8 with 75lbs
Glute bridges with 35lb plate 4 sets of 15
Seated Calf Press- 4 sets of 12 with 90lbs
Standing Calve Raise- 4 sets of 12 with 90lbs

[Ccm644]

Hi, good luck with your contest in March

With your legs and cardio, i personally would not bring too much cardio in straight away 3 - 30 minute sessions is good for now then as you get into your prep you will want to increase this

As for calories i have learnt to keep them high
i would up them because you dont want to start your prep with your calories too low as this will kill your metabolism.
Keep your calories up as much as you can then slowly drop then as your weight stalls.

Slow and Steady and your legs will come

A trainer may be a good idea for your first prep, there are many on this forum who have achieved great results

Im sure if cost is a issue you could discuss with them.

Have fun with it

[shadylane21]

Hi, good luck with your contest in March

With your legs and cardio, i personally would not bring too much cardio in straight away 3 - 30 minute sessions is good for now then as you get into your prep you will want to increase this

As for calories i have learnt to keep them high
i would up them because you dont want to start your prep with your calories too low as this will kill your metabolism.
Keep your calories up as much as you can then slowly drop then as your weight stalls.

Slow and Steady and your legs will come

A trainer may be a good idea for your first prep, there are many on this forum who have achieved great results

Im sure if cost is a issue you could discuss with them.

Have fun with it

Thanks! This is what I thought! Uping my calories just scares the crap out of me! Better now than when I am in actual prep though! I will up them starting next week and see how it works out! I can afford a trainer and actually had money set aside for it, but I love being the one to control what I do and seeing how much I can sculpt my body! So for me it really is a challenge that I am enjoying, but thanks for the tip!

[shadylane21]

update
I did really well doing IF and I did not feel as hungry as I do on 6 meals a day. I changed to 6 meals a day, because a coach I was going to work with was adamant that I shouldn't do IF, because she had never heard of it! I will be going back to IF and my macros will be as follows:

1532 calories on rest days=F-51 C-115 P-153.2
1702 calories on workout days=F-60.5 C-136 P-153.2

I will be doing a 16/8 window so I will eat from noon till 8pm and fast from 8pm until noon.

[TakedaShingen]

In on this. Go get it!

I'm competing the same day. It'll be good to see someone on the same timeframe.

Although, I think your carbs are a bit low to be this far out. Seems like you have very little room to go down.

[shadylane21]

In on this. Go get it!

I'm competing the same day. It'll be good to see someone on the same timeframe.

Although, I think your carbs are a bit low to be this far out. Seems like you have very little room to go down.

Thanks, I will probably play with my carb/fat ratio after I see how my energy is this week. I actually don't love carbs as they make me bloat something awful and I feel sluggish with to many! I have to find that fine balance.

[shadylane21]

I thought I would share this as it made me giggle a bit today. I was at the gym with my hubby and I hadn't been to our gym in awhile since I started working out at L.A. fitness on the way home from work. Well a guy that always works out there saw me and he was like WOW! What have you been doing because you are look fit and awesome! I haven't seen this guy in a few months so that compliment was awesome! The funny thing is, he was talking to my hubby later and told him the same thing about me, but then he asked him "What program do you have your wife on cuz she's looking beast"

This is funny to me, because I train myself and I always try to give my hubby tips, but he never listens lol! I found really funny that this guy automatically assumed that my husband was training me lol!

Anywho! Today went well and I killed my legs in the gym!! I was also stoked that I meant another goal of mines by doing the 45's on an Olympic bar for 3 sets of 8 with good form lol! I think, no I know my strength is improving and I love lifting heavy! I also did shoulders today and when I was doing my reverse flyes my shoulders looked super beast!! I love seeing my muscles and I am in the best shape of my life with so much more to come!!!

I started my IF again today and felt great, I feel so much better on IF, but it feels so crazy eating a big meal at night! More to come, but I gotta catch some zzzzzz!

[offroadatv200]

I thought I would share this as it made me giggle a bit today. I was at the gym with my hubby and I hadn't been to our gym in awhile since I started working out at L.A. fitness on the way home from work. Well a guy that always works out there saw me and he was like WOW! What have you been doing because you are look fit and awesome! I haven't seen this guy in a few months so that compliment was awesome! The funny thing is, he was talking to my hubby later and told him the same thing about me, but then he asked him "What program do you have your wife on cuz she's looking beast"

This is funny to me, because I train myself and I always try to give my hubby tips, but he never listens lol! I found really funny that this guy automatically assumed that my husband was training me lol!

Anywho! Today went well and I killed my legs in the gym!! I was also stoked that I meant another goal of mines by doing the 45's on an Olympic bar for 3 sets of 8 with good form lol! I think, no I know my strength is improving and I love lifting heavy! I also did shoulders today and when I was doing my reverse flyes my shoulders looked super beast!! I love seeing my muscles and I am in the best shape of my life with so much more to come!!!

I started my IF again today and felt great, I feel so much better on IF, but it feels so crazy eating a big meal at night! More to come, but I gotta catch some zzzzzz!

Haha that is pretty funny!

I workout with my roommate who is 6'0 215lbs and when we were prepping for our show i was coaching him with his diet for the first little bit, everyone at the gym would ask me what program he has me on because we were looking so lean. Its not always the big guys that have the brains!

Anywho, i did IF alot during my prep even leading up to the show. While i was a little nervous i made sure i hit my macro goals and that was it. I was eating stacks of pancakes 2-3 times a day two weeks out. Just have to know your body and make sure you count every little thing you eat.

[shadylane21]

Haha that is pretty funny!

I workout with my roommate who is 6'0 215lbs and when we were prepping for our show i was coaching him with his diet for the first little bit, everyone at the gym would ask me what program he has me on because we were looking so lean. Its not always the big guys that have the brains!

Anywho, i did IF alot during my prep even leading up to the show. While i was a little nervous i made sure i hit my macro goals and that was it. I was eating stacks of pancakes 2-3 times a day two weeks out. Just have to know your body and make sure you count every little thing you eat.

Thanks! Upping my macros scares the crap out of me, but it's the only way to find out my true maintence! I really enjoy eating a huge meal after I workout! We're you doing fasted workouts on IF and what window did you use?

[offroadatv200]

Thanks! Upping my macros scares the crap out of me, but it's the only way to find out my true maintence! I really enjoy eating a huge meal after I workout! We're you doing fasted workouts on IF and what window did you use?

Just make minor adjustments to them and you will be fine, enjoy the extra food!

I tried fasted workouts but that wasnt for me. I was working out at night during IF, so i would generally fast from 12pm to 10 pm. I did 14/10 for convienence. Like you i enjoy the large meal after a workout/before bed. Im not generally hungry upon waking up so it worked out pretty well.

I dont really pay attention to meal timing anymore. I just eat when i am hungry and make sure i hit my macros for the day.

[shadylane21]

Beast Mode!! I am loving my back and it is responding super fast! I wish my lower body would follow suit!

[shadylane21]

I am sooooo tired!!! I had to work late and I did not want to workout, but I did! I had a great leg workout, but I am feeling so freaking bloated! I thought that I had love handles and I was getting annoyed, but my hubby pointed out that they were actually my obliques (WELL DUH!!) I have come to the conclusion that weighted side bends and bicycles are probably not a good idea lol!

The last 2 days I have not wanted to eat at all and I have had to force myself which is crazy!!! I am on my ECA stack 3 x's a day 25mg/200mg no Aspirin and it has really blunted my appetite and really gives me great energy, as for weight loss I am looking really lean in my upperbody, but with this bloating and aunt flow being here I haven't really weighed myself.

I am still doing IF which I love, but like I said with the EC stack I have to force myself to get my macros in at night after my workout! The last 2 nights I had a chunkie monkey shake to get my macros in! The chunky monkey is like 700 calories and consist of-
1/2 cup ground up oats
2 scoops whey protein powder9Which bloats the hell out of me! I usually use isolate, but not for this shake)
1/2 banana
2 scoops of peanut butter
1 cup whole milk

This drink is yummy and hits my macros and takes care of my sweet tooth at the same time. When I break my fast at noon I have been eating 4oz of bison with 1 slice of bread and one slice of low fat cheese and 2 cups of mixed veggies. Pre-workout I eat an apple with 1 TBSP of almond butter and a cliff protein bar post workout and about an hour later my last meal. I know this may sound unorthodox, but I am doing IF and IIFIYM so it working out for now!

[shadylane21]

So yesterday I woke up with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea! Fun huh? Had to skip workout and I was in bed all day! Today I was down a pound lol! Feeling a bit better today with no nausea or vomiting, but my tummy is still bubbling. I am hitting the gym tonight though come hell or high water!

Official prep starts the 22nd so I am starting to devise my plan and I am getting excited and nervous! I think I will start incorporating some higher reps and decreasing my rest periods between sets or adding some cardio burst in between sets to help burn more cals!

[shadylane21]

Holy cookies and candy bars Batman! I will be so happy when Christmas is over! I guess I don't have it as bad, because I IF and IIFYM which I know a lot of people think is BS, but it works for me and keeps me sane! I had a pretty big SNAFU that my hubby pointed out to me this week! I use MFP and I am already eating at a 500 deficit, but I was burning another 500 calories in the gym and my net calories were as low as 800 calories a day! I had been feeling weak, but DAMN! So this week I will start eating back most of those exercise calories and see how that goes! I am 14 weeks out from my show and prep started on the 22nd! I will have dinner with the family within my macros. I weighed in at my lowest on the 22nd which was 126.5 and my BF was 17% per calipers and 3 spot test. I was 19% the last time I checked, I will say these are new calipers that we just got, because the other pair died! My hubby who test me says that these are way more accurate and much better than the others. I will post pics tomorrow! Still not seeing much definition in my legs yet! I would love to know if I should be doing higher reps with lower weights at this time or continue to lift as heavy as possible in 8-12 rep range?

I am doing 4 30min cardio sessions a week as of now and will probably start playing racquetball on the weekends with my hubby again.

Calories are 1400-1450 still tinkering with at least 120-130 protein, dropping carbs to about 110-120 and the rest fat. I find that carbs do not like me so I have to be careful!

[shadylane21]

Soooo update time! Things are going well, but I have come to a fork in the road where I need to decide whether I will compete in bikini or figure in March! I am so confused, but I have had quite a few people tell me I should do figure! I am on the fence so I dunno!

I am eating 1450 calories a day and sometimes more if I eat back my exercise calories, which I usually do on leg days, because they are beast! I leg pressed 450 the other day and it was epic! I can also do 3 unassisted full pull ups and 4 sets of 5-7 chinups! I am down in weight to 125.3 and 17% bodyfat! I was one stinking point from 16% so hopefully when I check again in 2 weeks I will be 16%.

I am working out 5 days a week with 4 days cardio at 30mins.
M-HEAVY LEGS-squats,deads,leg press,lunges,leg curls,leg ext-Cardio 30 minutes stepmill
T-Back/Bi's-cardio 30 mins on treadmill on 13 incline 3.5mph
W-Chest/Triceps/Glutes Cardio Stepmill
Th-Shoulders/Calves-Cardio treadmill same as above
F-Legs Medium-no deads add plie squats on benches

Also got the awesome Polar FT4 heart rate monitor and I love the sh@@ out of that thing! Best watch ever!

So thats what i'm working with~!

[2276]

Great work! Mid section looks really good!

[BalhamBeast]

You look terrific! The midsection is indeed fantastic.

[shadylane21]

Great work! Mid section looks really good!

Thanks! I never thought I would have abs lol!

[shadylane21]

You look terrific! The midsection is indeed fantastic.

Thank you so much!

[shadylane21]

Soooo I have pretty much decided you go with figure since I emailed the promoter my pics and he replied that I was definitely a figure girl!

My hubby is making my suits, so I ordered my stones and he measured me for a mock suit lady night!

I am now working out 6 days a week-
M-legs,abs
T-back and bi's
W-shoulder,glutes,abs
Th-chest,triceps
F-legs,abs
SA-back and bi's

I am also upping my cardio to 5 30min sessions up from 4. I am also starting a circuit for legs this week to really focus on burning more calories and leaning out my lower half!

Diet remains the same for now which is 1450 calories; however, I will start carb cycling this week with leg days being my high days, I will also not be eating back all my workout cals!

I am super excited that I can do 3 full pull ups unassisted and I increased my unassisted chin-ups to 9,8,7,6 for my 4 sets I do on back day! Working towards 4 sets of 10!

[smiskell]

Soooo I have pretty much decided you go with figure since I emailed the promoter my pics and he replied that I was definitely a figure girl!

My hubby is making my suits, so I ordered my stones and he measured me for a mock suit lady night!

I am now working out 6 days a week-
M-legs,abs
T-back and bi's
W-shoulder,glutes,abs
Th-chest,triceps
F-legs,abs
SA-back and bi's

I am also upping my cardio to 5 30min sessions up from 4. I am also starting a circuit for legs this week to really focus on burning more calories and leaning out my lower half!

Diet remains the same for now which is 1450 calories; however, I will start carb cycling this week with leg days being my high days, I will also not be eating back all my workout cals!

I am super excited that I can do 3 full pull ups unassisted and I increased my unassisted chin-ups to 9,8,7,6 for my 4 sets I do on back day! Working towards 4 sets of 10!

Keep up the good work! I need to work on my unassisted pull ups, its so bad a** when you see another girl in the gym doing them I want to be that chick! haha

How many suits are you making?

[shadylane21]

Thanks! Hubby is making two! One is gold and the other is blue!

[shadylane21]

Hello all!
I am 8 weeks out and I am wondering if I am track or not! I am training myself and this is my first show, so any help is appreciated! I am doing a figure show March 22nd and I mat do a super small INBA show March 17th as a practice since it's in my hometown and only a one day show.

My body fat is 16% with calipers, but I wanted to be 15% by week 8! I am eating 1450 calories a day and weight train M-SA with cardio 5 days a week 30mins Moderate intensity. My body is coming along and everyone tells me i'm on track and looking lean, but some of these people don't know what figure lean is! I was going to drop my calories to 1300 today, but the trainer that does my posing class said that I shouldn't drop yet!

These pics were taken today after I had already eaten and TMI my friend is visiting so I am retaining water which sucks, but whatever!!! I know still have fat to lose, also please don't mind the crooked arm! I am uneven and need to be adjusted next week ugh!! Also this suit is just a practice suit that my hubby made to get a pattern for my real suit he is making.

[wastedtime]

you might want to check but i think ephedrine might be banned in the inba. i know they do urinalysis but am not sure if they bother to actually get the samples tested. you lok great btw

[shadylane21]

you might want to check but i think ephedrine might be banned in the inba. i know they do urinalysis but am not sure if they bother to actually get the samples tested. you lok great btw

Thanks I tried it for a quick minute, but decided it wasn't for me! I haven't taken it awhile and it will be out of my system, by then. I called the promoter and he told him that I was new to the sport and tried an EC stack and asked if there was a waiting period and he said that I would be fine, I am not sure though if they do a poly or drug test.

[shadylane21]

O.K. I am now 7 weeks out from my first real show! There is a show I may do a week before, but it is a super small local show and last year there was only like one maybe 2 people in each category lol!~ So if I do that show I will not be peaking as it won't be worth it in my opinion, so I will go in as is!

This weeks I am down another percentage in body fat bringing me to 15%, everyone says that I am looking a lot leaner, but my scale says that I am 127.5 which i'm fine with as I am going by body fat which is dropping! I have started adding 10 mins of running to my cardio sessions and it seems to be working!

I workout 6 days a week as follows-
M-LEGS,ABS,30 MIN CARDIO
T-BACK,BI'S,30 MIN CARDIO
W-SHOULDERS,GLUTES,ABS,30 MIN CARDIO
TH-CHEST,TRI'S,30 MIN CARDIO
FRIDAY-LEGS,ABS,30 MIN CARDIO
SATURDAY-BACK,BI'S,(30 MIN CARDIO JUST ADDED THIS WEEK)

On my non leg or glute day I add at least one glute isolation movement at the end of my workout.

I did not drop my calories yet so I am still at 1450. Since I am still dropping body fat I will leave them where they are until I am not dropping anymore. Same goes with the cardio. I will re-evaluate next Sunday and make changes if needed.

Legs are finally starting to come in! I really think the running is helping with that! Still a ways to go but hey!

Here are the pics from today! This is me early this morning just waking up, with no make up and bed head, so don't judge lol! The last pic is from yesterday when I did a little photo shoot for my portfolio!