Tag bodybuilding
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Maintaining A Healthy Perspective With Contest Prep Plans
The following article is featured on SportsNutritionSupplementGuide.com as well:
Those of us who compete are well aware of the critical importance of following specific meal plans which are designed to optimize lean muscle mass and promote fat loss. However, these meal plans, especially during cutting phases, can be extremely restrictive. In our quest for attaining the ideal physique for whatever division we compete in, we may find ourselves in a spiral of obsessive nose-to-the-grindstone adherence to foods we may have grown to abhor, intertwined with strong temptation to deviate from the plan and indulge in forbidden foods, only to berate ourselves afterwards for doing so. After all, we are only human, and after weeks or months of eating clean, we may be so exasperated with daily servings of asparagus, tilapia, chicken breast, and sweet potatoes that our emotional food triggers may kick in and undermine our contest prep efforts.
With orthorexia, there is an unhealthy fixation on clean foods and one’s moods are dictated by how rigidly a clean diet is maintained. So how is this different from what competitors do in the weeks leading up to a competition? The mentally healthy approach is to regard food simply as fuel and to dismiss any emotional association with particular items. I have been witness to and a participant in the fantasizing of forbidden foods in a manner akin to lustful, sexual craving. I have heard competitors talk backstage at length about all the foods they were planning to indulge in immediately following their final visit onstage for the night.
What I find interesting about such food fixations is how they are distinguishable from anorexic behavior. When I was 19, I battled anorexia, dropping to 85 pounds on a 5’5’’ at my lightest. With anorexics, they have a clear and complete aversion to calorie-rich foods and have successfully turned off any interest or cravings for such items, whereas with bulimics, orthorexics and many healthy competitors in contest prep mode, coveting indulgent foods is rather commonplace. Among all these groups, there is a propensity for obsessive and compulsive behaviors. One may argue that such obsessions and compulsions are a vital component of contest prep and that without such tendencies a competitor will lack the focus necessary to succeed.
It seems apparent that competitors as a general rule, are dangerously close to that fine line which separates a healthy relationship with food from orthorexia. I remember quite well how rigid I was about the food I ate when I was anorexic and even kept a daily food journal in which I wrote down the calories and fat grams of every food substance ingested. I also recall how horrified and ashamed I was of myself when I would reluctantly consume a food I regarded as fattening.
Over 20 years later, I have a healthy relationship with food and for the most part regard it as fuel. Yet I am immersed in the world of contest prep and like many other competitors will balk and grumble about the clean foods I must eat. There are times when the mere thought of eating another spear of asparagus seems like the most disgusting activity in the world. On the rare occasion that I find myself in a restaurant, I find it an alien concept to peruse a menu and actually be able to order whatever I want from any part of the menu. There are also times during which my metabolism is in hyperdrive and I could eat almost nonstop for the duration of the day.
Here’s the thing: if I indulge in something that is not part of a contest prep meal plan, I don’t flog myself. Rather, I allow myself to enjoy the rare treat and move on. If you find yourself wallowing in extreme anxiety and prolonged guilt over ingesting a food item which is on the banned list, beware. This could signify the beginning of a food-related psychopathology.
The Value Of Having A Meal Prep Service
As a competitor and fitness professional, I follow a clean meal plan throughout the year, regardless of whether I am training for a competition or just going through an off-season maintenance or growth plan. I am very familiar with the hassle of earmarking an entire Sunday afternoon to prep all my food for the week. For the past few years, it had become such a ritual that I planned my weekend around it, despite the fact that it cut into my time significantly.
Thankfully, there are meal prep services which do all the prep, freeing people from the shackles of the kitchen. Some people complain that such services are expensive, but when the costs of buying pre-measured and prepared food from one of these companies is compared to the costs of buying all the ingredients and spending half a day cooking them, the difference isn’t that significant. Ordering from a meal prep service takes the guesswork out of planning clean, healthy meals, and it is an incredible timesaver!
Check out MAW Nutrition Inc. for a completely clean meal prep service which offers protein, carb and veggie options a la carte so that you can fully customize your meals! This is great if you carb cycle or practice a certain degree of variation within your meal plan. For example, I will alternate between turkey loin and beef loin for one of my meals, and I have two days during the week when I spike my carb intake.
When ordering, enter the code NAITO10 at checkout for 10% off your order!
Iris Blue Jagware Suit For Sale…Great Price
I bought this suit at the L.A. Fit Expo, then added Swarovski Crystals. I wore this at my second Pro contest. The cups are small enough to fit a B cup, but I pushed the limit and wore it despite the fact that I am a D cup! I paid $350 for the suit and the extra crystals. This looks beautiful onstage!
PRICE: $150
Please contact me if you are interested in this beautiful suit!
Red CJ’s Elite Suit For Sale…Great Price
This beautiful suit gave me a lot of good luck, with a first place finish and an overall at NPC Pittsburgh and a fourth place finish at NPC Masters Nationals. This is a $1,300 suit!
As time went on I added about $150 worth of Swarovski crystals to the suit to make it pop more onstage, with the result being a dense crystal scatter. The cups will fit a full D cup and the bottoms will fit someone who wears a size zero. When I competed in this suit I was 114 to 116 lbs., 32 inch hips, 35 inch booty. However, I also currently fit in this suit, and am 121 lbs., with a 36-1/2 booty.
PRICE: $250
New York Pro…In New Jersey?
This year’s New York Pro was held on a Sunday, which is rather unusual since bodybuilding events characteristically take place on a Friday or Saturday. Another odd feature about the date selected for the New York Pro was that it coincided with Mother’s Day. I can’t imagine trying to tell my mother that I couldn’t come out to see her on Mother’s Day because I had to compete on that day! At any rate, there was a great turnout for this event:
11 Men’s Bodybuilding competitors
11 Men’s 212 competitors
44 Men’s Physique competitors
32 Women’s Physique competitors
34 Figure competitors
22 Bikini competitors
I find it odd that the New York Pro was moved to Teaneck, New Jersey this year. I have nothing whatsoever against Teaneck, because I won my Pro Card there, but it makes no sense to keep calling this event the New York Pro if it no longer takes place in New York.
Regardless of the name and location of this highly respected bodybuilding event, some very worthy competitors won titles and Olympia qualifications for 2015:
Men’s Bodybuilding: Juan Morel
Men’s 212: Guy Cisterino, Jr.
Men’s Physique: George Brown
Women’s Physique: Michelle Cummings
Figure: Latorya Watts
Bikini: India Paulino
http://www.flexonline.com/ifbb/2015-new-york-pro-results-are?t=2
You Know You Are A Die-Hard Competitor When…
• You eat most of your meals out of plastic containers
• You avoid restaurants because it is too tough to find clean choices
• You will only travel somewhere if there is a gym nearby
• You think vascularity and sweat are sexy
• You gaze longingly at forbidden foods
• You know what a protein bomb is!
• The smell of tanning solution is very familiar to you
• If you are a lady, you know what it means to use a cup in the restroom
• You have a love-hate relationship with asparagus, fish, and/or chicken
• You walk around your house in clear heels and practice posing when showtime approaches
• You know what two-a-days are
• You are accustomed to using dark sheets and towels post-tan
Competitors, can you think of any others you would like to share here?
These Otomix Leggings Look Great!
These leggings are reversible, so you can wear them with the zipper in the front or in the back. They are incredibly comfortable and can be worn for workouts, but I love wearing these with a cute top and boots for a night out! They fit so well and look fantastic.
Regular price is $24 but they are on sale now for $16.88.
Style L333 Black
Call Otomix at 1-800-597-5425 FREE to order.
Use Social Media To Blow Up Your Brand
Those of you in the world of fitness and bodybuilding who have aspirations of becoming the next big fitness sensation have chosen an amazing industry, but it is saturated and the competition is fierce. These days, the most successful fitness people have built social media followings which help to get them on the map and generate interest in what they have to offer. The individuals who really stand out are the ones who know their target audience’s interests and needs, and accommodate them by posting relevant material which continues to lure their followers back to their profiles.
It doesn’t really matter how buff, attractive, or photogenic you are if you don’t have an understanding of how to appeal to your audience. It is no surprise that the pool of beautiful, fit people who are scrambling for stardom is considerably large, which makes it vital for fitness people to establish something unique and marketable if they want to rise to the top of the heap. This is where branding comes in. What IS your brand? What is your message? Do you know your target audience?
You can look at trends from social media to see who is following you and target the largest group. Then you need to determine what it is about you that grabs that target audience, whether it is your age, your gender, a specific training style, a distinctive look, a great product, etc. Once you have done that, you can use hashtags on social media to describe your unique qualities and to spark the interest of your target audience. If you have a certain key phrase you use all the time, USE IT! It is astonishing how effective using a key phrase can be in promoting your personality.
There are so many social media platforms now (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Flickr, Vimeo, YouTube, etc.) that you have countless opportunities to build your fan base and also build your brand. Be sure to also tag your friends and industry people who are in your corner and believe in what you have to offer. There’s nothing like having a cheering section of friends who can help spread the word and grow your social media tree.
Make sure you have a website which is updated regularly, and direct your followers to that website whenever possible. Though having a slick website is a nice bonus, it is more important to have SOMETHING for followers to go to, even if it is a free site like Wix or WordPress. Many people will just shy away from fitness personalities who do not have a site established. There are several website template sites which are decent and which provide all the basics you need. Once you have established your brand, you can always upgrade to a more complex or detailed site.
On another note, I am always surprised by how many people want to establish a foothold in the fitness industry, but do not have business cards. I cannot tell you how unprofessional you look when you are trying to network, only to tell interested parties that you do not have a business card to hand to them. Business cards are pretty inexpensive these days, and in some cases free (Vistaprint.com is one site which offers free cards), so GET ON IT!
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