Tag Bikini division

Competition Suit Addiction

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These are the Pro level suits I have in my current rotation. I am already thinking about another one!

These are the Pro level suits I have in my current rotation. I am already thinking about another one!

I have to admit that I suffer from competition suit addiction. Since 2009 I have purchased nineteen suits for the purpose of wearing them onstage, and of those nineteen I ended up wearing thirteen of them over the span of 22 contests. Granted, my body has changed, as have popular competition suit styles. However, I can’t help but fantasize about getting a new suit in a color or cut I haven’t worn before. I imagine such an addiction must be rather similar to what women go through when they want to shop for new clothing. Personally, I HATE shopping, so looking for new clothing is not something that appeals to me at all. Competition suits are a different matter altogether, because they are usually custom made to the competitor’s specifications and body measurements.
Red suit
Part of my quest for the perfect suit stems from the fact that certain colors may look very different onstage. Case in point is a red suit I had made which I thought would look fantastic onstage. Once the lights hit it, though, the red appeared flat and almost orange, which wasn’t bad, just not what I wanted. Color and suit cut are very important, so choose wisely when selecting a suit. Pick a color that resonates with you and one that you know will look good on you onstage. If your coach or someone who has an eye for this sort of thing tells you to go with a certain color, take their advice. I have seen competitors choose suit colors on their own, only to look washed out onstage because they did not heed the advice of more knowledgeable people.

While some competitors have a signature color (Amanda Latona is known for her red suits, and Ashley Kaltwasser is known for her emerald green suits), others will switch constantly. If you have the money to keep switching suits, that is fine, but it is better to stick with one or two color which you know will work well for your coloring. I have worn several shades of green, several shades of blue, white, black, lavender, zebra print, red, and apricot onstage over the last five years, and I can definitely say that certain colors were not the best choice for me. Of course that just gave me an excuse to have new suits made!

However, if a suit works for you, keep wearing it. I wore a royal blue suit at my third national contest in 2010 and broke into the top ten, so I kept wearing that suit for the entire year. I landed a first place national finish as well as two more top ten finishes in that suit. Then in 2011 I made a custom suit with crystallized peacock feathers which I wore throughout that year and which brought me three first place national finishes. I began my 2012 competition season with the red suit I mentioned before, but it just never looked right, so I switched over to a new green suit. I landed another first place finish in the green suit. Finally, this year I wore a light blue suit for my warmup contest but it was too big for me and did not sit right on my body, so I switched it up again, wearing an apricot suit which got me a Pro Card win.
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Though I truly had valid reasons for changing my suits over the years, I find myself daydreaming, thinking about what color or cut might look good on my body now. It’s pretty silly since I am broke and should not even entertain buying a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, but I guess I am pretty locked into my obsession with blingy competition suits!

Corsets And Binders

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Binding undergarments have played an essential role for women throughout the centuries, molding the ideal female form while also serving as restrictive torture devices. Even as recently as the mid-1960’s, women were obligated to squeeze their bodies into corsets, girdles and other binding devices. Before the advent of the free 1970’s era caused the population to reject constricting undergarments, it was common to see women wear girdles and corsets in an effort to mold the female shape into the ideal hourglass. My mother felt pressure to wear girdles to squeeze her already tiny little body into an even more compact package, molding a 20 inch waist that made men around her swoon. By the time I was born, my mother gave up the notion of manipulating her form in such torturous ways and put her girdles in cold storage. Whenever I would see them in the bottom drawer in her dresser, I would marvel at how anyone would want to wear something so uncomfortable. By the time I reached my 20’s, I developed a strange aversion to tight waistbands and as a result wore dresses most of the time. When yoga pants became popular in the 90’s, I was thrilled because they incorporated a low rise and comfortable fabrics.

Then I began competing in 2009 and realized very quickly how much my body would be scrutinized as I hit the contest circuit. Because I have a naturally nipped in waistline, I never considered that it might translate onstage as wider than it actually was, but with my somewhat narrow hips, I had to consider ratios and angles. By the middle of 2011 I began using corsets and waist trimmer belts to whittle down my waist. My significant other at the time made fun of me, telling me he thought it was pretty ridiculous that I was torturing myself with constricting undergarments. I had to get over my dislike of tight material around my waist. The one thing that kept me going was my desire to attain IFBB Pro status, so I quickly acclimated to the habit of wearing them.

People frequently ask me if corsets and binders work. The answer is a resounding YES, THEY DO. When I am consistent about wearing them, I go from a 24 inch waist to 23 inches, and had actually pared down to a 22-1/2 inch waist earlier this year. If you are a bikini or figure competitor, your waist needs to be as small as possible. Corsets and binders increase intra-abdominal pressure, often relieving back issues, so they are great for low back pain sufferers. They are also fantastic for ladies who are post-partum and who want to get back to their pre-baby body as soon as possible. You can find some very pretty corsets online, but I have a couple of favorites, one of which can be found on this link:

http://www.feelfoxy.com/latex-neon-girdle/

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3929270&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=35-100509697-2

Be prepared for these things to fit VERY snugly! However, make sure you can breathe. If you feel lightheaded while wearing a corset, remove it immediately.corset

Jump In, The Water’s Warm

drstaceynaito 2 Comments

JB5_4435_VZXTSPROPX (1)Ever since I earned my IFBB Pro Card in July, I have been challenged by the universe in a number of ways. Instead of boring you with all the details, suffice it to say that there have been significant upheavals which have forced me to rethink and repattern my life. For a couple of weeks I was fine, then I suddenly sank into situational depression, partially due to the fact that I no longer had a Pro Card to chase after. I didn’t know what to do without a show strategy, so I began to redefine my reasons for being in the sport of competitive bodybuilding. As I began to do that, my body began to rebel, holding onto excess water. I struggled for two months, trying desperately to get back on track.

My entire amateur career was well thought out, with a contest strategy planned out every year. I had files on every contest I planned to do, with notes on accommodations, etc. I would book travel details and submit my entry forms well in advance and make sure that every little detail was attended to. I strongly believed that such habits would remain after I went Pro. Not so. In fact, I planned on one event, then decided against it for financial reasons. I then considered competing at two different events in November but took a wait-and-see attitude because my body was still rebelling and holding water.

Then I dove in and made some terrifying but necessary changes. I left one team and joined another, then decided to prep for an event in my hometown. A little over one week after that, I decided at the last minute to also do a contest in Northern California, faxed my contract over immediately and was locked in. I have been scrambling to get my spray tan and food lined up and haven’t practiced my posing at all. I have no idea what I will bring to the stage. This time, I am allowing the current to take me where I am supposed to go. It has been a wild ride to say the least, but I honestly feel that the universe has put all this before me in order for me to grow and move beyond constraints that have been in my life for a while.

If you are in a rut, allow a bit of randomness and chaos to infiltrate your routine. You may be pleasantly surprised by what it brings.

Are Bikini Competitors Getting More Ripped?

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I remember the general appearance of the top bikini competitors in the NPC in 2009 who eventually went on to earn IFBB Professional Status. With a couple of exceptions, these ladies displayed curvy yet toned bikini bodies without an excessive amount of muscular development in the quads, delts, or abs. Over the years, however, there has been an increasing degree of muscularity within the IFBB Pro ranks with a correspondingly lean and ripped group of ladies in the amateur ranks as well.

Jessica Anderson-women fitness models

Due to the extremely subjective nature of bodybuilding, it can be downright confusing to determine what the judges are looking for. Depending on the geographic region and level of competition, the ideal may lean towards a softer, curvier physique (as exemplified by Jessica Anderson who went Pro in 2009), or it may lean heavily towards an extremely lean, ripped body such as the one Nathalia Melo has brought to the Olympia stage. I completely understand the frustration which bikini competitors may face as they adjust their competition prep to come in looking a certain way, only to show up on the day of the contest and discover that the judging pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. This also explains in part why a competitor can go to one contest and do poorly, then hit another stage and place very well.

Nathalia Melo

Undoubtedly these ladies look incredible regardless of whether they are softer or more defined and muscular. But if you are a bikini competitor trying to determine what YOU should reach for with respect to degree of muscularity and conditioning, do some research into the region in which you are competing. I do know some competitors who are stubborn and who will not waver from their own personal ideal, but if you choose to do this, just be aware that while it may be rewarded eventually, there is just as good a chance that it will not. Judges look favorably upon competitors who work on weaker areas on their physiques.

There has been an increasing trend more recently towards a greater degree of muscularity and a leaner, yet compact, curvy, muscular frame without muscle separation. This will make it more difficult for a genetically blessed gal to simply jump onstage with little to no prep and get a high placing. I also strongly feel that this tendency legitimizes the division as a celebration of muscle and downplays the derogatory “T and A show” label that has been used unfairly by some naysayers.

You Need To Go To Olympia

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Olympia is the granddaddy of bodybuilding events, compelling people from all over the world to descend upon Sin City for a weekend of glistening, supertanned muscles, scantily clad bodies, and enough free sports supplement samples to keep everyone amped up with bloated bellies as they walk through the Expo. The Olympia Expo is quite a sensory overload, a smorgasbord of sounds, sights, smells, and tastes! You also should watch out for flying objects since items such as t-shirts are thrown into crowds during hyped-up giveaways at the larger booths. You won’t find too many events in which such action-hero genetic freaks can easily and comfortably congregate. I feel very much at home in such company, and look forward to all the Olympia events every single year.

I love working a booth at the Expo even though it prevents me from seeing most of the competitions that take place in the main arena. I gladly suffer through the sore feet that result from standing and walking all day. Fans and followers will look for the booth I am working at in order to say hello and take a picture with me, and that always means a great deal to me, especially since I know that the crowded Expo hall can be very tricky to navigate when someone is looking for a specific booth or person. Every Olympia is also a great reunion in which I can see many of my fitness and bodybuilding friends from all over the world.

If you have any interest in fitness and bodybuilding but have never been to Olympia, make an effort to travel to Las Vegas one year in late September so that you can witness this incredible event.
olympia-expo