Saturday, May 18th, 2019
GNC Live Well 2019 Fouad Abiad Championship, Mississauga, ON, Canada
During the May long weekend I competed in my very first bodybuilding competition, training and competing in the Figure class. It was definitely a new goal I quickly picked up as my business bring a personal trainer had grown and I wanted to expand and open up some more learning experiences.
I watched my boyfriends show last year and saw firsthand the love and dedication put into the sport. That feeling gave me goosebumps and the motivation to do it too. Seeing how the bodybuilding world has become more of an interest to every day fitness enthusiasts I wanted to become more knowledgeable on the sport so I could possibly help others achieve this same goal! I thought what better way to do so than to put myself through it so I could know first hand the mental focus and physical demand that comes along with bodybuilding and competing for a show.
Before
Prepping for show day was by far the most I have ever been tested mentally, physically and emotionally. It started off with just guesstimating and seeing how my body reacted to certain foods, but I just didn’t quite think I would get the best experience/physique without a solid program.
Hiring a coach was the best thing I ever did. It was a crazy feeling as the further into prep I got the more I started to love it and embraced in trusting the process. I saw changes in my body I’ve never seen before and learnt so many new things about how my body utilized the different carbs, fats and proteins throughout my prep.
The last couple of weeks were the hardest as carbs started to decrease for the day, which slowly brought my energy levels and workout intensity down as my body started to get weaker. During this stage in the process I started to look forward to the small things like my next meal, my workout/cardio and when I was able to sleep… then you get to repeat it all the next day.
Seeing the changes happening in your body almost every hour of every day I found it all worth it. It was so fascinating to see my transformation and it just made me push even harder each day!
Show Day
Leading up to show day known as “Peak Week” I had to water load approximately 7-8 Litres of water a day, which is way above the average person to consume. That was difficult because it put me in a fog like state like I was floating around all of the time… my headspace sometimes feeling like I was in a different world. That brain fog all came to a stop the day before show day as I was able to carb up in order to tighten my body up for the next day.
Another thing that helped me through peak week was just seeing that first carb meal of oats. The things you will look forward to on prep!
SHOW DAY was an early start with 4am hair, makeup, and tan, but honestly my adrenaline had kicked in at that point I loved every minute of it… maybe not so much the tan it was super cold! How could you not want to feel like a princess for a day? You are dehydrated for most of the day because you want to stay tight which was the toughest part about show day for me. All I wanted was water, but you’re really only thinking about that on your free time.
Once show time came around I absolutely loved the stage being up there was so much fun! There was prejudging in the morning and then everyone has to wait for finals a little later in the afternoon. I went on and did a 30 second presentation by myself and then we all go on together to do your quarter turns for a panel of judges sitting at the front of the stage.
For my first time I couldn’t be happier with the package I brought to the stage. Yes, there were girls with more muscle hardness and muscle maturity than I had, however this sport is a marathon not a sprint (wise words from my coach).
After
I am currently reverse dieting the best I can, while still enjoying the things I love in moderation. You get in the habit of wanting to eat healthy food and having your meals prepared so its nice because that kind of sticks with you.
Workouts and even my cardio workouts have been amazing post-show with the extra carbs fueling me I now feel strong again and I love it! I couldn’t be happier that I completed this show because new habits/experiences I’ve learned will now stick with me forever.
It makes me excited to be able to share my experiences and knowledge with others. I have found a new passion for bodybuilding and I hope to continue growing and learning as much as I can not only for myself but for anyone else wanting to push their limits!