Bikini Prep
Bikini Prep – 1 Week Out – PEAK Week!
It’s kind of like Christmas morning, except you can’t eat those soft, warm pecan rolls straight from the oven. My mouth was literally watering as I wrote that sentence. I guess the second plate of white fish, spinach and asparagus I just had for dinner (repeating the same dish I had for lunch) isn’t satisfying my appetite just right. You wait for Christmas morning all year. You plan and prepare, and IT’S HERE, and it’s so exciting. That’s how peak week feels for me.
133 days of training, with a total of 17 rest days since I began this journey in June. Over 100 hours of weight training. Over 80 hours of cardio. Easily 50 hours of meal prep, planning, logging, weighing, chopping, measuring. Countless declined dinner invitations with the reason, “Sorry, I can only have 1 cheat meal this week.” Several mistakes and falling off track with just as many “You can do this” pep talks that I’ve had to give myself. Self doubt turned to self confidence. “WHY AM I DOING THIS?” turned to “I CAN DO THIS!” I haven’t even tallied the cost, but if you’re thinking of training for a show, set aside a few thousand dollars easy. I’m glad that fitness is my only hobby, because competitive bodybuilding is quite an expensive sport.
All of the hours and the emotions and the money and the excitement, and it’s finally peak week.
When my coach told me today, during our last one-on-one training session at the Colosseum in Columbia, that Tuesday would be my last day of weight training, I was shocked. Mixed emotions. Relief and sadness. The weight training is my favorite part of the journey. I think it is so challenging and rewarding. My last day of cardio will be Wednesday, and Thursday is only for posing. I have built the foundation, and now it was time to show off my hard work. Friday would be devoted to REST, to allow my body flush itself of any remaining built up water. Friday is also when I take my polygraph test. Since I am competing in a “natural” bodybuilding organization, I have to prove that I did not use any growth hormones during my training period. Polygraph tests are actually much cheaper than a urine analysis, which is why all athletes test that way initially. If you end up taking home first place, then they spring for the urine test just to be sure.
On Friday, I will get the infamous spray tan which will make me look like I am a cross between someone who feel asleep on the beach for 3 days too long and an Oompa Loompa. Yes, you HAVE to get the spray tan, and everyone knows it’s not supposed to look natural. It’s supposed to make those hard earned muscles look the best on stage. The spray tan takes about 90 minutes from start to finish and includes 3-5 layers of tan. I will just hold my breath and pretend it’s organic.
I’ve been doing a lot of complaining on social media about my diet over the past two weeks. It has been a struggle to go from my flexible dieting lifestyle of building in a lot of the foods I love to being strictly limited to less than 10 foods over the past two weeks. The purpose of this paired-down diet is to limit myself to foods that my body can easily digest: rice, potatoes, oatmeal, spinach, asparagus, white fish, almonds, avocados and eggs. Yes, that’s it. Oh and the first three are like the smallest servings of carbs you’ve ever seen in your life – about 1/3 a cup of oatmeal and a 1/2 of a sweet potato. That’s not much when you’re still training for at least 90 minutes a day. It has been a struggle going from 2200 calories in June to 1900 calories during most of prep to now less than 1600 calories. Damn, I’m hungry. Thanks for accepting my grumpiness. My husband has taking most of the beating, especially at night when he is “loudly enjoying” his sugary cereal for dessert.
It’s all good today. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. What am I going to do on Sunday when all of this is over? I’m going to spend the whole day with my family. I’m going to put my phone in my room and leave it there all day. I won’t need the My Fitness Pal app to track my food. I won’t need to fill out my weight training log to send it to my coach on Monday. I’m going to a Halloween party at our golf club, and I’ll eat whatever I damn well please. I will cook my favorite foods like pizza (with our homemade dough that had been rising since Saturday afternoon), homemade pop tarts and cookies brought down from Levain Bakery in New York City. I will put my feet up and give my daughter lots of extra kisses.
On Monday, I will be back to the gym, but I’ll train like a “normal person,” not a person who has to get in every single exercise on my training plan. I will still eat healthy 90% of the time but I won’t weigh or track anything for a while. I will just BE. Regardless of how Saturday turns out, I am proud of my accomplishments thus far. This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The balancing act between wife, mom, full-time employee, and bikini competitor has been one that I am not sure I will ever do again.
For now, It’s time to refocus on the present. 6 days out. Time to keep going strong and full speed ahead. Thank you again for your support and kind words. They mean so much to me. I hope you have been inspired to start goal crushing in your life. That is why I document this journey. The good and the bad. The REAL and the always honest. Tomorrow is Monday. What is your goal this week?
Bikini Prep – 2 Weeks Out – Yes You Read that Correctly. A Lesson in Control.
I am a recovering control freak. I used to like to control everything, so much so, that it made me completely out of control. I have learned that I cannot control three things in life: people, places or things. I can control myself, and my reactions to people, places and things, but that’s about it. At 35 years old, I’m fine with that. I like to use the phrase: “Wear life like a loose garment.” It fits my mindset about life these days.
So when my husband called me this week and told me that his ECU game that was supposed to be played this past Thursday was rescheduled for the date of my competition, I had to use all of the tools in my tool box before I “reacted.” I took some time to process the information. Now 16 weeks into training, the ONLY reason that I chose the show that I was training for was because my husband was off that weekend. The ONLY reason. I wanted HIM there. He was my partner in all of this. He has been by my side through all of my struggles and mini milestones. He was my rock. So when he called to tell me that he probably couldn’t be at that show, my heart dropped. I think his dropped even lower. He was incredibly disappointed.
The old “control freak” me probably would have built up some huge resentment of how my expectations let me down. My other favorite phrase is: “Expectations lead to resentment.” I’m sure you’ve had expectations before in some area of your life. Maybe this past weekend, you pictured the perfect family fall day picking pumpkins with your kids. They are all perfectly behaved. Your spouse is in a good mood. You take the perfect picture for social media. But, nothing goes as you “expected” in your head and you’re miffed. It’s okay. We all get like that. That’s called having an expectation. I operate much better when I have no expectations of anyone or anything. I didn’t picture my show date, with all of my friends in the crowd, me winning 1st place and having the perfect after party with all of my family and friends together. I didn’t picture anything going perfectly at all. I have done that in the past many times, and I was always let down because the way I saw it going in my head was always better than reality. So now, to the best of my ability, I try to just let things unfold naturally. I try not to focus on the future or the past and just enjoy the present. Most of the time I succeed. Sometimes I still get off track. I am not perfect. I digress…
As I processed this news that Justin gave me early last week, I didn’t focus my thoughts on the problem. I focused my thoughts on the solution. I wasn’t mad at Justin. It’s not his fault. I cannot control people, places or things, and neither can he. These were just our circumstances. I started to think of possible solutions. I realized that there was a show on October 29th, less than 3 weeks from the day I found out the news. Could I get ready for a show that was only 3 weeks away? I texted my coach frantically, and his response was that I COULD do it “but I really wouldn’t like the next 2 weeks.” I didn’t care. Hours of exercise, paired with much less food than I was used to, I was ready to go hard into the last 3 weeks and give it my all.
We agreed that I would crush the plan he laid out for me over the week, and Sunday (today) we would make our final decision together. Joe and I have the same goal: HARDWARE. My goal has always been not just to compete in a show, but to place in the top 5. That is Joe’s goal too. He wants every client that HE trains this year to place top 5 as well. So the pressure just got kicked up a notch (or 4 notches, since I was now preparing to compete 4 weeks earlier than my original target).
2 weeks out
2 weeks out
Here’s how my week went:
MORE training, LESS food. A lot less food. A lot less carbs. A LOT more calories burned during my workouts. Low energy. Grumpy spells. I told my husband that I was going to do my very best not to take out my hunger on him. I succeeded most of the time.
The result: Joe told me today that my hard work paid off, and I should be good to go in 2 weeks. The work isn’t over. I have a lot more posing to do. A LOT. I have a lot more training to do. I have to fight hard to the very end. But first I got a cheat meal to boost my sluggish metabolism from the week. Thank you Stoney River Legendary Steaks. I love you.
The new show that I am doing is specifically for Novice competitors. I have ONE chance to place in the top 5, not an opportunity to compete in three different categories. There is no Masters division, so I will be competing against a lot of twenty-somethings. I cannot control the outcome. I can only control my reaction to it.
So for the next two weeks, I’m going down under into the dark zone of training. If I look tired, I am. If I look hungry, I am. If I look nervous, I am. It’s all come down to this, and I am going to give 100% because when I leave that stage I am leaving with NO REGRETS.
Thank you for your support along this journey. Here is a link to the show I will be competing in if you wish to attend. Don’t worry, I won’t “expect” you to be there. I am always grateful for the kind words, the nods of encouragement and the positive feedback. It helps me keep going when things get tough. And right now they are tough. So thank you.
Wish me luck.
Bikini Prep – 6 Weeks Out – 1 Day Workout Example
I used to think that I worked out a lot. Spin classes 3-4 times a week. Weights 3 times a week. I thought I worked really, really hard.
Then I started training for a fitness competition.
One of the biggest challenges that I have faced in preparing for this show is making time for all of the training. Like you, I have a lot of other responsibilities in my life. Fitness is not my full-time job. I know I talk about it a lot, but I am actually a Technical Recruiter, my profession for over 10 years now. I enjoy making home cooked meals for my family every night. My husband works really, really hard and very long hours. Even though it’s not “my job” to make sure he has a hot meal each night, it makes him really happy when he does. He deserves it. We also have our little peanut Gianna who is 14 months, and growing up right before our eyes. Her new favorite word is “WHOA!” and it seriously cracks me up each time she says it.
Gianna mid-WHOA!
I can honestly say, that if I did not have full-time child care, I don’t think that making time to train would even be an option. Luckily, I have some flexibility in my profession and my lifestyle, so I was able to make it work.
Let me be very clear. I am NOT complaining. I LOVE the training. Nothing makes me more excited, than driving to the gym with some new tunes downloaded and my wireless Jaybirds all charged and ready for a great training session. BCAAs in one hand and black grande cold brew with light ice in the other.
When I began training for this competition, almost 15 weeks ago, and my coach sent me my program, I was surprised at how often I was lifting the same muscle groups each day. In the beginning, and for 8 weeks, I lifted my shoulders and legs 5-6 times a week. It all makes perfect sense now, but in the beginning my body went into a bit of a shock with the continual pressure that I put on the same muscle groups. That’s why phase 1 of training was called “composition change.” Not to mention that pre and post workout nutrition that went hand-in-hand with the actual weight training which was just as important. The nutrition piece of the training is a whole other time commitment that I will save for another blog post, but I wish I could have cloned myself over these past several weeks just to prep my meals for me.
Below is an example of one of my workouts. Feel free to try it on your own anytime. The thing I would like to stress the most is to remain very focused and time sensitive when you are training. Don’t stop for 5 minutes to talk to your buddy. Don’t get lost on social media between sets and let 3 minutes of rest go by. I may look very focused lately at 24 Hour Fitness, and it’s because time is precious, and growing my muscles is my number one priority while I am there. As I often say in my spin classes, “Good luck. I’ll need it.”
Day 1 Workout Example
Warm up: Lateral Band Walks 20 steps each leg, repeat for 3. Totaling 120 steps. Are your glutes burning yet?
Smith Machine Squats (for beginners) OR Barbell Squats with weight belt (for advanced), 5 sets, 20, 15, 12, 12, 10 reps. Goal is to increase weight each set as you decrease reps.
Seated or Lying Barbell Glute Bridge 4 sets of 15 reps (I use 80-90 pounds). Focus on driving through the heels and squeezing at the top. Also make sure to follow the full range of motion, all the way up and down.
Leg Press, 5 sets, 20, 15, 12, 12, 10 reps. Rest for 45-60 seconds between sets. Goal is to increase weight each set as you decrease reps.
Dumbbell Walking Lunges, 4 sets. 12 reps each leg. HEAVY weight. (I hold 30 pound dumbbells in each hand).
Plie Dumbbell Squats: 4 sets of 15 reps. Focus on driving through the heels and squeeze. For advanced weight lifters, use the Smith Machine which allows you to squat more weight without holding it in your hands.
One Legged Cable Kick Backs: 3 sets of 15 reps, each leg.
Leg Extensions: 2 sets of 20 reps
Lying Leg Curls: 2 sets of 20 reps
Seated Calf Raise: 4 sets of 15 reps
All done, right?! Nope. Now go to 30 minutes of moderate-to-intense cardio. I typically choose the stairmaster and focus on the mind to muscle connection.
After your workout, head home for a large post workout meal, like my favorite taco bowl which you can read about here. Pat yourself on the back for completing a bikini competitor’s workout, and get back at it tomorrow.
Bikini Prep – 7 Weeks Out – Treats that Keep Me on Track
It’s no secret that I love treats. I’ve already planned my post-competition, food-fest party which will include everything from Stoney River’s Carrot Cake to Levain Bakery’s double chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, shipped from New York City. I am a self-proclaimed foodie, and even during prep, I try to trick my taste buds into thinking I am having the real deal.
Here are some of the recipes and products that I’ve grown to love and rely on during my 15 weeks of training so far.
1.) Nuts N More Toffee Crunch peanut butter. Not your average nut butter. Nuts ‘N More’s toffee flavor has been a staple in my pantry for many years since I first saw it on Shark Tank. I have tried all of the other flavors, and toffee is still my favorite. It boasts 12g of protein in 1 serving, while regular nut butter has 8g. It also has only 1g of sugar.
2.) SO Delicious CocoWhip! Like cool-whip without the dairy, fake ingredients and GMO’s, the SO Delicious is the perfect topping to just about anything from protein bread to waffles. I store it in the freezer, and scoop just a little out when I need it. Throw a few Guittard chocolate chips on top, and my sweet tooth is satisfied.
3.) I’ve recently gotten completely hooked on MuscleEgg protein egg whites. I have a freezer full of chocolate, pumpkin spice and cake batter flavors. They have a blog full of incredible recipes, including the protein crepes which I made last month which are super low carb and amazing. I was hesitant at first because the shipping is pricey, but now I am a MuscleEgg for life fan. They can also be purchased at some local gyms, so check their website for locations.
4.) FlavorGod seasonings are my go-to spices because they are low sodium and non-GMO. They also come in unique flavors like Taco Tuesday, Spicy Everything, and PIZZA. My favorite sweet seasonings are gingerbread cookie and chocolate donut. I sprinkle them on my protein bread before I bake it or add it to anything that needs a little extra flavor. They are awesome!
5.) I am a big fan of the flapjacked muffins and pancake mixes. I buy them on Amazon for the best price, but they are also sold at Vitamin Shoppe. The Chocolate Peanut Butter muffin tastes like a molten lava cake, and the carrot spice pancake mix is so flavorful. You can also use the pancake mixes to make breads and muffins, so they do double duty.
Speaking of pancakes, I top mine with organic powdered peanut butter (which you add water to and make low fat peanut butter) and Mancakes Syrup, which has less sugar and carbs than real syrup. The ingredients are a little fake, but they are non-GMO, and I use just a tablespoon per serving.
6.) When I need a little something sweet between meals, I use SLAP Nutrition BCAA’s as my drink of choice. I just tried their new “Slappy Hour” Strawberry Mojito which is great if you like a minty flavor. This one also has electrolytes added, so they help to replenish those key components that are lost during my sweaty workouts. Use code MARY for 10% on their website.
Feel free to message me @marydavisfitness on IG for any questions that you may have on these products.
Bikini Prep – 8 Weeks Out – The POWER of Vulnerability
I named the subject of this week’s post after a researcher/storyteller whom I admire very much. If you have not seen her TED Talk abut being vulnerable, take 20 minutes of your day to watch it.
Vulnerable: (adjective) susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm
When was the last time you were vulnerable? When was the last time you let yourself “be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen?” – Brene Brown
For me, that was this week.
I talk very openly about how I like my nighttime snacks. It’s one of the reasons that I love macro-counting, which allows me to build in treats each day so I never feel deprived. With 8 weeks until my show,
it was time to get really serious about my pattern of after dinner eating. Yes, I can still have a meal 6 whenever I want, but sometimes my meal 6 sometimes ends up a bit larger than I intended.
Sometimes it’s because I am hungry. I am definitely in a full-on calorie defect of about 300-500 calories a day, depending on my activity level that day. A few nights a week, I eat dinner and am hungry an hour later because my body immediately uses that food to refuel the training I just put it through. So sometimes, that night hunger is seriously LEGIT. But sometimes it is just a pattern. And when I discover a pattern in my life, I know well enough that there’s a reason for it – and that reason usually has to do with feelings, not ice cream.
After 35 years, I’ve lived enough life to know myself pretty well. I am well aware of the type of personality I was born with that allows me to easily fall into patterns, sometimes healthy, sometimes
unhealthy. When I was in high school, I was always looking for a way to fit into my social circle of smart, athletic girls who were popular and well-liked. I never really felt “a part of” during that vulnerable
time in my life. I never really felt good enough. It was during that time where my first (of many) patterns developed: disordered eating. It was a sad and dark period in my adolescence where I would not eat at all during the day and would binge and purge at night. The cycle allowed me to numb my feelings, so I didn’t have to feel them. I engaged in this behavior for about a year. Finally people were looking at me, and telling me how skinny I looked. I liked the attention, even if it was negative attention. It made me feel like I belonged. My behavior eventually became unmanageable. I withered down to about 110 pounds (I am 134 pounds today) and my parents gave me an ultimatum: get healthy or no college. I knew I wanted to go to college, so with some outside help I was able to arrest my disordered eating. When I went off to JMU that fall, I was able to leave that pattern in the past, but I picked up some others along the way. I had the disease of “more” because “more” was always better. In my twenties, I did a lot of work on myself, so for the most part all of my patterns and numbing are gone. Sometimes minor issues still crop up, but I know myself well enough to look at the feelings behind the behaviors to find out why.
This week I posted a sign on my fridge that reminds me of my goal, and I posted a picture of it on social media, to connect to others. I was
vulnerable. I try to be as real and transparent with others as possible. I work hard, and it is hard sometimes. It’s discipline and sacrifice, and sometimes I struggle. I am a real person just like you. I try. I fail. I try again. I always try again.
So when I posted that sign on social media, I did it without caring “what people would think.” I didn’t care if people saw me as weak. “Why can’t Mary get control of her eating and be PERFECT during prep.” I didn’t care at all if you judged me. Go for it. It’s none of my business what you think.
I posted this sign to help others. I never want anyone to think that I have it all figured out, because I don’t. I am far from perfect, and I use my imperfections to help me grow.
Here are some of the comments I received on Instagram:
“This.is.it.exactly.”
“Same for me!! I’m good all day and then I’m trolling for dessert!”
“Clean eat all day…SUGAR CRAVE AT NIGHT! Stop the madness.”
“Lol. Me Right there. All me.”
“No comment because I sooooo agree.”
“I’m right there with ya! Between 8-10pm the struggle is real!”
The list goes on. I even had someone approach me this week to share with me some feelings she had about her nighttime eating which she
believes may be disordered. While my pattern should not be confused with “binge eating” which is a very real and serious eating disorder, it’s
still a pattern that I am uncomfortable with.
What feelings am I numbing?
*The pressure I put on myself to do well in my show.
*The pressure I put on myself to balance everything in my busy life.
*The pressure I put on myself to do it all, even though no one expects me to do it all.
All of my feelings are derived from my own thoughts.
Life is HARD sometimes, and as humans we look for ways to cope.
So, just for today, I am going to sit with my feelings and just feel them. I’m not going to look for comfort in an extra scoop of peanut
butter with chocolate chips. I am not going to allow my pattern to stand in the way of my goal.
I want to help others. It is always my goal to inspire and motivate. This week my goal is to share with you the real me so that you
can allow yourself to share the real you with someone you trust. Maybe there is a pattern in your life that you know keeps cropping up. A
pattern you tell yourself each morning that you’re not going to engage in, but by lunchtime you’re back at it. It’s OKAY. Allow yourself to
feel your feelings. They are just feelings, and they are fleeting. Allow yourself to be vulnerable today. You just may help someone else
in the process.
Mary Davis – 8 Weeks Out
Bikini Prep – 9 Weeks Out – Strike a Pose
At 9 weeks out, all of the puzzle pieces are starting to come together for my fitness competition on November 19th.
I’ve made all of the muscle gains possible in the 12 weeks of training so far. I have about 2 weeks left of solid training in the gym to make any additional improvements possible in my legs, glutes and shoulders. That’s 14 weeks total of lifting for 6-7 hours a week (close to 100 hours of JUST lifting), 14 weeks of fueling my body in the best possible way with proper nutrient timing (making sure my body gets the correct ratio of carbs and proteins pre and post workout for maximum muscle growth) and 14 weeks of recording every lift, every weight, on an Excel spreadsheet for my coach. 14 weeks of true dedication to training. Check, check, check.
Now that the muscle growing phase is almost over and the bikini is ordered, it’s time to focus on a very important part of my show: posing. You can’t just get up on stage and hope for the best. You have to learn to walk and pose to make sure that you are showing off all of your assets in the best possible way. If you’ve ever seen photos of girls posing on social media, you might be thinking something like, “that doesn’t even look comfortable,” and you’re right. The more uncomfortable and the more twisting, the smaller your waist looks to the judges. In the bikini division, judges look for strong wide shoulders (check), a small waist (working on it) and large, round glutes (better today than 12 weeks ago).
Examples of bikini posing
Just how I hired a professional coach to train me for this show, I also hired a professional in Tina Peratino from to teach me to pose. Tina, a.k.a. “Mama T,” is the owner of Center Stage Figures and Physiques. She began competing at the age of 33, after her son was born, and continued to compete for seven years. During that time, she earned pro status in Figure, Bodybuilding and Fitbody (a version of Women’s Physique wearing heels). Shortly after winning her first pro title, Tina decided to retire from competing to pursue her passion for coaching and to focus more attention on her clients.
Tina has a very important role in the coaching world of fitness competitions: she helps women feel confident about themselves on stage. Many women put in so much hard work during their prep on diet and exercise, and they fall short on stage because of their inability to pose and show off all of those training hours.
I was immediately impressed when I first met Tina a few months ago because she, herself, was confident in her teaching ability. She knows what judges are looking for on stage. She knows all of the rules that each bodybuilding association has about everything from posing techniques to bathing suit styles. She knows the “look” that they want to see, and she does her best to teach her clients how to achieve that look. In a way, she is an image consultant.
I met with Tina this week to make sure that I understood the front and back poses that I would need to perfect over the next 9 weeks. I’ll be meeting with her regularly to make sure that every angle looks like I haven’t had any cheat meals over the past 22 weeks. Wink. Wink.
Just like everything that we do that is new, this posing will require a lot of practice. I have my own little theme song picked out when I pose at home: “This is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris and Rihanna. It always makes me smile. Gianna likes it too. She always dances when I play it. She doesn’t care if she looks funny. She doesn’t overthink it. She just moves. Now that I think about it, that little person just taught me another life lesson. Don’t overthink this whole goal. It’s supposed to be a “fun challenge.” At 9 weeks out, I still forget that sometimes when I am measuring out my 150g of white rice for my post workout taco bowl. Things just get more real each week, and I need to stop and remember that it’s okay to not take it so seriously sometimes. So this week, I’m going to continue to strike a pose and have fun while doing it.
Bikini Prep – 10 Weeks Out – Say Yes to the…Bikini
I knew exactly what I wanted my wedding dress to look like. Lace, form-fitting, open-back, fancy belt. Tried on 2. 1 was $8000, 1 was $1200. Sold at $1200. Done and done.
I wasn’t one of those girls who had visions of how I wanted my wedding to be before I met my husband. I operated in a very real-time mindset when I was in my 30s. Maybe one day I would meet the love of my life and have a family, or maybe I wouldn’t. I learned early in life that nothing is guaranteed. That’s why I still talk in my spin classes about how we only have the PRESENT. One of my tag lines reminds my class that, “It’s 9:35am on Wednesday. This is ALL we have.” I try to remind them (and myself) to focus on the here and now and not on the grocery list or the after-class to-dos.
So when Justin proposed on a fall evening in October in 2011 in the rented-out second floor of Maria’s Restaurant in Annapolis (now the Iron Rooster, speaking of, I would love a pop tart right now), I was thrilled that I got to spend the rest of my life with my dream guy and plan a wedding.
I’m usually a very decisive person. I rarely ask opinions of people on anything because I am pretty confident in my ability to make good choices. At least I thought. Fast-forward to today, 12 weeks into training for my competition, and picking this bikini has been a true test of my decision making abilities. Even though I have tried to correct my friend Lindsey when she refers to my show as a “pageant,” what I wear when I step on stage in November, is judged just like my physical appearance and stage presence. In many ways, this is much MORE stressful than ever shopping for a wedding dress because my husband would have married me even if I were wearing a potato sack. YES the bikini MATTERS. I cannot even imagine how frustrated and disappointed I would be if my on-stage critique in November was “wrong suit choice.”
There are many factors that I’ve had to consider when narrowing down my suit choice:
- Where to purchase it from? Competition suits START at around $350 for a good quality suit. Like a wedding dress, I’m only wearing this once. Even if I do another show in the future, my reward for another long, grueling prep is a new fancy bikini. I researched a few vendors, but a referral and the power of a strong social media presence led me to Angel Competition Bikinis . They have a ton of options, a decent turnaround time (4 weeks), and my friend had a good experience with them. Sold.
- How exposed should I be? I like big butts and I cannot lie, but how much of my growing glutes should be showcased? The answer really came down to the organization that I would be competing in. I had to choose a show based on my husband’s work schedule. I was NOT going to train for 22 weeks and have him miss my show for work. There is no “calling in sick” in his profession, so I had to find a show on one of his two weekends off this fall. That show falls on November 19th run by the NGA (National Gym Association). The NGA is a bit more conservative than the NPC (National Physique Committee), so while you’ll still be seeing plenty of my glutes in the Brazilian cut, I’ll save that Pro bottom for when I’m not such a newbie
- What color? Probably the most difficult decision of all for me as been suit color. Red, pink, blue, green? I really had no idea. I don’t really WEAR any of those colors on a regular basis, and even when I am wearing them, I’m not wondering how they are looking against my hair or skin tone. I’ve asked a lot of opinions on this one. From friends, family, people I don’t even know that well. It is critically important that I pick a color that goes well with my hair, skin tone and tan (yes, we all know about the tan). This is a BIG decision. I finally settled on a color, but like the wedding dress, you’ll have to wait to see.
Finally, the details. Rhinestone crystals of every color of the rainbow. Top, middle and bottom connectors that are one strong, two strand, square shaped, rounded. Fancy embellished bottoms. The list goes on and on.
It was time to make a decision. Sitting here on Sunday night at less than 10 weeks out, I’ve made it. I picked a suit that I would feel sexy, comfortable and confident in. I picked a suit that would be worth all the skipped dinners out and passing on dessert and would set me back a few spin classes to pay for, but it’s okay. I want to wear this suit once and make myself and my husband proud. This competition is starting to get very real and very close, and I can’t wait to show it off in just a couple of months. Until then, it’s time for meal 6 (and I NEVER skip meal 6).
Bikini Prep – 11 Weeks Out – Thoughts on Competition
I’ve been thinking a lot about the word competition. So much so, that it has taken me two weeks to write this blog post.
Compete (verb): strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same.
My husband is a football coach for the United States Naval Academy. He and his players tediously prepare for their game each week. They dissect film in dark rooms for hours upon hours. They study past games, past coaches, past meetings. They prepare strategies against each tendency. Then they study and practice some more until it’s gameday and time to perform. They know exactly who their opponent is, what they are capable of and if they have won or lost to them in the past. They are as prepared as they can possibly be for each game.
I’ve been thinking about the word competition when it comes to daily life. I saw the movie “Bad Moms” recently which highlighted the competition between women and moms to be the best, “establishing superiority over other who are trying to do the same.” There’s a “keeping up with the Joneses” competition in society to have the best cars, houses, STUFF. And as back to school approaches, we are reminded of the competition between parents to send their kids to the best schools, prepare them to excel in sports and to get into the best colleges.
Competition is pretty damn exhausting.
I posted a quote on social media last week that describes my feeling on competition: “If you continuously compete with others, you become bitter, but if you continuously compete with yourself, you become better.”
I know I’m only 35, but I’ve lived enough life to know that I have absolutely no desire to compete in the society’s competition. I don’t care if you handmade all of your kids Halloween costumes while planning their flawless birthday party and create DIY Pinterest projects each week. That is awesome, but I suck at that stuff, and I am fine with it. I don’t care if you have the entire fall line of Tory Burch. I am happy with my stuff. Some of it is old. Some of it is new. I don’t wear 90% of it because I am in workout gear or pajamas for most of my life, and I am fine with that. I am happy with my level of parenting. I crush it in the kitchen (I know my strengths), but I can’t take my daughter to her weekly gym class and see every new thing that she does exactly when she does it, because I work and I have a full-time nanny. I am happy with my effort to do as much as I can in my family to be a supportive wife and mom. I don’t need to do more or be more or have more just because you do. I am so grateful that I have that peace of mind and my society competition meter is broken. I also know enough about myself to know that if that meter every gets “fixed” one day and I start to compete with you to have your stuff or to do more and to try to be perfect in everything that I do, that something is seriously wrong inside of me. I know, for me, that inner peace is an inside job, so if I start to compete with you, then something is not right on my inside.
In the dark hours of the past 11 weeks that I have been training for this competition, I’ve had to channel that inner peace when I’ve wanted to blow it all on some cake. I’ve had to stop and think WHY I started down this path 11 weeks ago. I WANTED this challenge. I chose it. My husband reminds me of that when I complain about my lack of cake. (He is currently singing a song in the kitchen as I am typing this: “Who likes hot dogs more than me? No one. No one.” I can’t make this shit up).
I have no opponents to study, no film to watch, no previous meetings to compare my performance to. It’s just me. When I step on stage on November 19th, I could be competing against 5 women or 50 women. I could be competing against newbies or stage veterans. I have no idea.
So as my father-in-law, a former dual-sport college coach, reminded me last week, “You just have to train like everyone else is training harder.”
Have you ever had to channel that inner motivation during some dark hours in your training? Maybe you’re trying to lose the last 5 pounds of your baby weight. Maybe you’re trying to lose 30 pounds that I have crept up on you slowly over the years after some stressful life changes. Maybe you want to maintain your weight but you really want to grow those beautiful muscles.
Whatever your goal is, I challenge you to compete against one person only: YOURSELF. Look in the mirror. That is your competition.
Week 1 vs. Week 10
Week 1 vs. Week 10
Say no to the comparing game on social media as you scroll through your IG news feed. Say no to feeling inferior to the PTA mom that “makes it all look easy.” Say no to the endless pressure that we all put on ourselves to do everything perfectly.
Just try to be better than the person YOU were yesterday. Wake up, and do the very best that you can each day. Some days that’s getting out the door without spilling coffee on your shirt. Some days that’s crushing your workout and your nutrition, and getting 8 hours of sleep. Just honor yourself. You are enough. Now go out there and crush it.
Bikini Prep – 13 Weeks Out – Gym Bag Essentials
I thought of a product that I can take to Shark Tank next season that will surely get me a deal from the sharks: a gym bag fanny pack. Once I get to the gym, it takes me a solid 5 minutes after I put my bag down at the lockers to “get ready” to workout.
First I have to take my pre-workout supplements, then I have to wet my heart rate monitor strap at the water fountain before putting it on so my heart rate reads, then I have to put on my watch. Then I have to put on my wireless headphones and make sure they connect to my ipod, turn on my ipod and clip it to my pants somewhere and make sure a good song is playing. Then I need to review my weight training program for the day and make sure I have all of the “tools” I need for those exercises. Then I need to get my shaker bottle, a small towel, my weight book, my “tools,” my phone and actually start my grueling 60-90 minute workout. The fanny pack would seriously help, because I literally need an extra hand to help me get all of my items from one training station to another. Look for me on season 8. I’m hoping to work with Mark Cuban.
This week, I will share with you all of my gym bag essentials with links to everything, so you can order anything that you think might take your workout up a notch. Let me know if you have questions!
1.) luluemon gym bag. This link is not the exact bag that I have, but you cannot go wrong with any of lulu’s bags. There are so many little pockets for all of your essentials. I especially love that they come with an inner bag that is perfect for anything from sweaty post-workout clothes to spin shoes.
2.) An extra pair of crops because sometimes I am just too sweaty for post-workout errands. Right now, the beat the heat crops are my absolute favorites. I have both colors.
3.) Of course I need an extra tank too. If you have broad shoulders that you’re proud of, this tank is the best to show off all the hard work you did during those shoulder fly circles.
4.) my supplements. I take 2 pre-workout supplements: CON-CRET creatine HCL in pineapple flavor and Shred Her by NLA for Her. Creatine has been associated with increased muscle strength and size, enhanced recovery, and improved performance, and those are the reasons that I use it. Shred Her is a natural fat burner and gives me a little burst of energy. While I am working out, and post weights during my cardio sessions, I drink BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) which prevent my body from using my muscle for energy. I have two favorite flavors: Slap Nutrition Salted Caramel (sweetened with Stevia, use code MARY for 10% off) and Her Aminos by NLA for Her for in Pink Lemonade.
5.) Wireless Jaybird X2 headphones and a backup set of headphones because being without music is just terrible. I got my Jaybirds about 6 months ago, and honestly I don’t know how I worked out with regular headphones before. They are so easy to use. My only complaint is that I have to charge them every two days (after about 3 hours of use). I have forgotten many times which is why I always have a backup set with me.
6.) ipod. duh. I always make sure to download a few new songs each week to keep things fresh. There’s nothing worse than a stale playlist. Checkout Soundcloud and Spotify New Music Friday for weekly inspiration.
7.) Chanel lip gloss. No, I’m not kidding. Who says you can’t look cute when you deadlift?
8.) Ankle straps for my one-legged cable kickbacks. My friend Jess thought I was bringing back the 80s one morning when I was rocking my ankle straps, but I informed her that I was just trying to build the booty. My gym doesn’t carry these, and since this is such a great exercise for the glutes, I invested in my own.
9.) My Haulin Hooks for when I’m doing deadlifts or rows. They allow me to lift more weight without worrying about dropping the weight and injuring myself. I love these, and they are essential for my workouts these days.
10.) PhantomFit bands. I use the black x-heavy one which I use to warm up my legs and glutes each day. It is so important to get those glutes warmed up before you start working them. Focus on the mind-muscle connection. Don’t focus on the grocery list.
11.) Possibly the most important thing that I have in my bag is my notebook of weights. I always advise my clients to carry a notebook with them to keep track of what exercises they performed and at what weight. I like a physical book, so that I can disconnect from my phone for an hour and focus on me. This page shows an old booty day that I did a few months ago. I noted my weight and my rest time, and at the bottom of the page, I repeated the same workout and tried to improve. I also like to write little notes to myself. A little pep talk from me to me, because it’s always ME vs. ME in the gym. I am my only competition.
Fitness is my hobby. I like high-quality items that perform well. I don’t want to mess with chords or uncomfortable pants, or anything that gets in the way of me performing at my best. Start to see yourself as an athlete in the gym, not a girl just doing some bicep curls. You are TRAINING. You may not be training for a fitness competition, but you are training to get stronger, to carry 40-pound bags of groceries up your stairs while carrying your toddler. You’re training to carry a tent, a beach chair, and a cooler on the beach without resting. You’re training to make your life easier on a daily basis because you are stronger and healthier. You deserve it. Your health is your greatest essential.
Bikini Prep – 14 Weeks Out – Macro Counting, Explained
I feel like a broken record at times when I talk about macro counting, because someone asked me just this weekend “if I eat ________.” The answer: YES. Even in prep, NO FOODS ARE OFF LIMITS…yet.
Despite the fact that I CAN eat ANYTHING I want as long as it fits my macros, when I start to explain it to some people and they hear the words “weigh my food,” their eyes start to glaze over. “Suit yourself” I think, as I dip into my nightly dessert.
Weighing my salmon at a restaurant on a girls’ night out.
Let’s review a scenario. You wake up one morning and you go downstairs for breakfast. Today you are having oatmeal. How do you measure your oatmeal? Do you just pour it straight from the bag into the bowl, add water, and heat? If you do, then more power to you. I am sure that is some delicious oatmeal especially if you are winging the water part as well. Can you sense my sarcasm? Maybe you take out a ½ cup measuring cup like most mortals who are not as skilled at eyeballing said oats. You measure ½ a cup, add water, heat and enjoy. Well counting macros is actually easier than that. Put your bowl on a scale. Turn the scale on. It will say 0g. Pour in the oatmeal (no measuring cup needed) until the grams on your scale matches the grams on the serving side of the bag – usually 40-48g. Add water, heat and enjoy.
We are all having the same oatmeal for breakfast.
But instead, people make judgements about macro counting in the same way that I make judgements about people that “eat clean” all the time or who do 7-day juice cleanses.
Let’s review another scenario. Say you REALLY want a burger for dinner. And I’m not talking about that 93% lean crap that I have been eating lately. You want an 80/20 badly. Think 5 Guys. Well maybe not 5 Guys, but close. I think 5 Guys is more like 60/40, and maybe that’s why it’s so damn delicious. Great. As a macro counter you can have it, and it’s not even a cheat meal. It’s not a “BAD FOOD” in our world. It’s just protein and fat. That 6 ounce, 80/20 burger has about 34g of fat. For me, I can’t have that burger because I am only eating 33g of fat each day, but if your “fat macro” is higher than 34g a day (mine was 61g before prep), then you sure can have that burger as long as you make lower fat choices for breakfast and lunch.
Let me repeat. As long as you stay within your macros, no foods are off limits.
I used to see foods as “good” and “bad,” but now I just see foods as the macros that they are made up of:
Pizza: lots of carbs and fat and a little protein
Chocolate Chip Cookies: lots of carbs, fat and sugar
French fries: carbs and fat
Delicious Ruth’s Chris filet: protein and fat
Apple: carbs, fiber and sugar
Popcorn: carbs and fat
Broccoli: carbs and fiber
Now, am I going to crush some chocolate chip cookies everyday? No. Just because they aren’t “bad” doesn’t mean that they make me FEEL good. Before I really started learning more about nutrition, I ate whatever. I did not realize that there is a REASON that a sugary treat gives me a severe sugar hangover after I eat it. I didn’t realize that I was sluggish after a breakfast of pancakes and bacon because when the white flour and sugar is not paired with fiber, your body sets off a series of events that make you feel like you got run over by a train by the drive home from brunch.
Now that I understand that my body feels like crap after a lot of white flour, white sugar and a heaping bowl of dairy, I choose them a lot less. Yes you will still find me at the Iron Rooster eating a pop tart on occasion, but I usually eat a few bites for breakfast after my egg white omelette (protein) and fibrous carbs (oatmeal).
So what do I eat? Well, 90% of my diet is “clean” because when I eat clean I feel better. Lots of lean meats, veggies and minimal fruit. You can refer to my old post about my phase one prep diet here. I LIKE good for you food. I crave salads. I love treating my body well, because it takes such good care of me each day. I put it through grueling workouts 6 days a week, so I HAVE to use food as fuel or I won’t be able to perform.
Macro counting takes practices. Luckily technology is very sophisticated these days, and there are several tracking apps that make it very easy to record our food. My Fitness Pal has a bar code scanner feature that allows you to easily scan anything you eat that comes in a package. For things that don’t come in a package, like fruit, vegetables and meats, those foods are already populated, and all you have to do is search for them in a large directory. You can even import recipes from your favorite food blogger and search your favorite restaurants for their nutritional information.
The biggest learning curve for most people is the education around what macros make up certain foods. Many people think they are eating a lot of protein when they are eating cheese and nuts, when really they are eating a lot of fat and a little protein.
Macro counting is a high protein way of life. During prep, I am eating close to 200g of protein each day. My diet is made up of egg whites, chicken, ground turkey burgers, protein bread and protein powder. I also get to eat a LOT of carbs, close to 230g to be exact. That’s the equivalent of 20 slices of BREAD. Yes, BREAD! No grain-free lifestyle going on here. Pass the toast and jelly please. My fats are a bit lower than I’m used to, but I can still have 4 tablespoons of peanut butter a day if I really wanted. Peanut butter is my love language. Well, that and pizza.
Does everyday of my life fit my macros? In my normal life, no. I usually take a break from counting from time to time. During prep, I am on point, with usually one treat meal per week that doesn’t fit.
So before you go rolling your eyes about my gram scale, think about how you can eat whatever you want as long as it fits. I literally wake up every morning and plug in my dessert before I get out of bed. I am a night eater, and I cannot go to bed HANGRY. Think about how you can enjoy a slice of pizza and some cake WITHOUT the guilt. That is the biggest selling point of IIFYM and why the women I coach in this lifestyle have so much success on the program. NO GUILT. We are so hard on ourselves in so many areas of our life, that it’s nice to be more relaxed about food. My next macro coaching group starts in a few weeks if you’re interested in learning more about this lifestyle. I hope you’ll open your mind up to the idea of abs and pizza together in a beautiful harmony. I promise you that once you get a taste of the flexible dieting life, you’ll get hooked. Pass the bread basket.