A little bit about me. I'm a 27 year old Sales person turned Personal Trainer/CrossFit Coach/CrossFit Addict and have decided to do a Bodybuilding Competition, using only CrossFit as my preparation.
The thing is - this isn't the first time I've attempted to get my (eventually) tanned butt up on that stage. This has been a dream of mine for YEARS!! We're literally talking about 6 or 7 years.
First it begun when I actually got into the whole fitness craze. I was a fat kid, which eventuated in me being a fat teen, coupled with the fact that I come from a giant Irish Catholic family who were always using the term 'big boned' and luuuuurved their food, as well of the scarce amount of exercise or movement that i did on a daily basis - i was your typical body-hating teenager.
Fast forward a couple of years of uni, parties and the like, and I met a girl who was good mates with a bodybuilder who was training her. So i asked him to do the same with me, just to see what all this was about.
Well - DID I SEE!!! I dropped a shit load of weight (oh yeah, I swear a bit...sorry if you're not a fan...) and ripped up so quick, it was scary. My already giant 5'10 frame was leaning down and I was ecstatic...I was doing all the regular isolated movements that is required of Bodybuilders to sculpt and define their bodies - leg press, squats, bicep curls, tricep push downs and the list goes on...I scared myself with how much weight I was pushing...a 20 year old leg pressing over 200kg?? that didn't seem right...and it wasn't...
I went from being pudgey and soft, to lean and strong...to looking remarkably like a man...I wasn't told to change my diet, just eat lots of protein...and I did what I was told!!
So being a mesomorph (meaning I can pile on muscle easy as pie) bodybuilding seemed to be the answer...I scared my family for a while - they kept on asking me if it was normal to have shoulders the size of a man's?? But I paid no attention - just kept on lifting...
One day, I went to watch a friend in his first bodybuilding competition (all natural of course) and I was in awe of the way the women looked. Sure, I should have been checking out the guys - but I was more interested in the women...and no, that's not cos I'm that way inclined...it was because, to me, they embodied the ideal figure of a woman; strong, athletic, toned, defined, no jiggles/wobbles and abs where if they sat down - I was SURE they wouldn't have any rolls!!
It was then and there that I got the bug for Figure Competitions, and dreamed that one day I'd get up on that stage.
Fast forward another few years, of more partying, working etc and I still hadn't satisfied the bug...I tried, various times to prep and get ready for a comp, but everytime there was some excuse, some injury (tore my right quad), some sickness or some other reason that stopped me. Call it excuses, call it self sabotage - who knows!!??!! All I know is that its time to get my ass into gear and do this for real!!
I am now a Personal Trainer, have been for nearly 3 years after leaving the corporate Sales world, and better yet - I'm a CrossFit Coach and self confessed CrossFit addict.
In CrossFit I have discovered my elixir of life - it challenges me, it scares me, it excites me, it pushes me, and it satisfies me more than any other fitness regime or methodology I have ever found.
I began to get bored of bodybuilding - and also found that there was nothing new or different about it. I needed a new challenge...something that pushed not only my body, but also my mind as well. The first session I ever did about 3 years ago, was like nothing I'd ever done before...it put me on my ass and I was in love from that point on.
No matter how strong, how fast or how much you want it - you can never be a master of CrossFit. You can always be faster, stronger, more agile, more mentally tough - there are no limits, and no glass ceiling - only the limits that you put on yourself.
I have put WAY too many limits on myself - and still to this day, I find myself convincing myself that I won't be able to do something or can't do something. This competition is going to change all that, once and for all.
I am a personal trainer and coach who has never felt like I embody what a real trainer is, at least not on the outside. Now would be a good time to do something about that!
So this competition will be on Sunday 15th May 2011, and I WILL be competing in the Tall Figure Division (I'm putting it out there so there's no chance I can back out). I will be using a mixture of CrossFit/Strength/Power training to get myself ready for the comp, and also following the Paleo/Zone (PZ) diet to prepare, as well as supplements like protein powder and BCAAs.
The reason for this? Because IT WORKS!!! CrossFit is probably the most effective training methodology because of the constantly varied movements, and the response to the various body systems. It also is FUN!! And challenging, and over quickly!! Tht way I don't have to spend hours doing bicep curls and squats in the gym - just a few WODs, and if there are any particular areas that need improvement, then I will focus on those.
As for the diet - I'm gluten and lactose intolerant - so no grains or dairy for me. Lots of eggs, veges, meat, nuts, and salsa...fruit is a no no for the moment as there are a lot of sugars in fruit, and that's extra carbs that my body doesn't need right now.
I make the following promises to myself, and now, because they are public for the world to see, I've got no choice but to stick to them...so here goes:
- I will train a strength component everyday, with 1-2 scheduled rest days per week
- Everyday I will do some form or cardio training (which can include running, spinning, mini WOD on the rower or other metcon using cardio activities)
- I will follow my diet consistently and elliminate cheat meals
- I will only check my weight once a week, on a Monday morning
- I make a promise to myself that I will not limit my belief in what I can achieve through this competition.
- I will not place a limit on what my body is capable of - physically and mentally. Even if I can't see it, I must believe it is possible.
- I am truly the luckiest girl in the world to have the love and support of the most amazing guy (I will refer to him as my muskles) who believes in me, even when I don't believe in myself, and pushes me (especially when I don't want to be pushed). I will listen to him, and believe his opinions and input, even if it sucks, or I don't see it myself.
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