I finally set a date for my....

[hotwtrbby]

....first competition! Although I haven't been training for a long long time, (I'm only 19) I have made incredible progress in the last year and so I decided to step it up a notch. I'm going to compete in a little over 11 months (mid July 2005). It's a natural NPC competition in Michigan. It's a little show, so hopefully it won't be too intimidating. I will hopefully do fitness, although if I can't get a routine together over the school year I will have to settle for figure. It's SO motivating when you have a goal to work towards!!

[Timma]

Good luck. Let us know of your progress on the way.

[bjbabe]

Good luck! I hope you do well.

[dreamgirl]

wow, good luck! let us know how everything is going!

[rea]

best of luck to you!! competitions are hard work and you sound very determined about your upcoming show... post some pics!! (hey im a 19 year old fitness competitor so, if you need any help pm me ok!!)

[hotwtrbby]

Thank you all! Actually, I do have a few questions, such as... how many weeks of pre-contest dieting, what do you weigh in at, where'd you come up with a routine and/or coach, how many cals do u eat and what bf % offseason, etc. Any help would be great!

(Pics are here A LITTLE bit of progress! )

[rea]

hey there!!

your pics look great and you have a good base to work with. and if you keep it up like this youll do very well come competition time.

here are some helpful links for you: (to start out with)

www.jennyh.com (real cool girl, awesome choreography)
www.cynthia-james.com (posing suits and costumes)
also on jenny's site check out her link page and look for mike davies.. hes the best trainer/dietician on the east side

www.thebestinfitness.com links to everything you need!!

email me if you need anything else!!

[rea]

www.npcnewsonline.com
www.savagechoreography.com
my dietician (the best!!) www.bodybyo.com


where do you live by the way??

[meat12]

good luck keep us posted on how it goes for ya

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by hotwtrbby
Thank you all! Actually, I do have a few questions, such as... how many weeks of pre-contest dieting, what do you weigh in at, where'd you come up with a routine and/or coach, how many cals do u eat and what bf % offseason, etc. Any help would be great!

Well, the precontest diet really depends on what your BF is when you start, and of course what you are competing in. I did a 15 week diet, but I did BBing, so the BF has to be lower than figure. Figure girls should be around 8% on stage. In figure and fitness, there are not weight classes, it's all done by height. BBers are the ones who weigh in. Just FYI- I started dieting at 158lbs when I started, and weighed in at 125. So, over 30lbs. But again- I did BBing.

For your routine, are there any competitors at your gym? You can go to the NPC website to see what your strength movement requirements are, splits, etc...

Offseason last year I was too fat....around 16%..yick. I don't plan to get over 12-13% this time around.

In all honesty, we need to get you eating more calories, and try to put on 3-5 lbs of muscle between now and your show. It will be hard to do it naturally, but there is no doubt it can be done. If you want more help, I'd be happy to do it.

[hotwtrbby]

Rea and Red - thank you guys a bunch some very useful info here 30 lbs in 15 weeks is AMAZING. Lots of dedication - which I know I have as well. Red - you say offseason you were 16% which was too much - right now I'm at 20% "offseason" yet I still have quite a bit of muscle to build; how will that pan out?? What do you suggest I do with my diet and when? I know there is no better time than the present to begin!

As for competitors at my gym, there are a couple female BBers and figure girls but no fitness. I'm moving back to school in 2 days anyway (in Kalamazoo, MI which is about 2 hours from Chicago).

Routine-wise, I did gymnastics for 15 years and tumbling was my strenght, so I'm hoping this will help me out quite a bit. I also put together quite a few routines for competitions, and though I know fitness will be very different, there are most likely some similarities.

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by hotwtrbby
Red - you say offseason you were 16% which was too much - right now I'm at 20% "offseason" yet I still have quite a bit of muscle to build; how will that pan out?? What do you suggest I do with my diet and when? I know there is no better time than the present to begin!

As for competitors at my gym, there are a couple female BBers and figure girls but no fitness. I'm moving back to school in 2 days anyway (in Kalamazoo, MI which is about 2 hours from Chicago).

I also put together quite a few routines for competitions, and though I know fitness will be very different, there are most likely some similarities.

16% was just uncomfortable for me, and if I was a little leaner prior to starting my diet, it would have been better because I have to come in leaner than a figure girl. What we can do is, do as many bulking and cutting cycles as we can. the goal is to not have your BF get any higher than it is now, and build muscle. If we do that, and then do a hard core cutting diet after bulking every time, your body should respond well.

It is possible to keep your BF at bay, while bulking. It's all a matter of timing your meals right, cardio, getting enough calories to build muscle, and eating the right calories to lose BF. You usually don't lose BF when bulking, but you're increasing muscle mass which is what is important. Anyone can do the contest diet. the goal is to have you hold as much muscle as possible, and not look skinny on stage. You've got a great base to start with, and you're not going to encounter really muscular girls on the natural level.

What you need to do, is count backwards on a calendar from your shownext year. Once we know how many weeks we have, we can figure out how many bulks and cuts we can do.

Not to dissuade you from fitness, but figure may be a better place to start, just to get your feet wet with competing. It's hard enough to diet, I can only imagine putting together a routine your first time around being exhausted all the time. But, you've got a great attitude, and seem very dedicated, so you know yourself better than I do.

There are many similarities with a fitness routine to gymnastics. You've got a really good advantage. Judges look for great energy, flexibility, strength, and personality, as well as several other things while judging a routine.

Let me know what your thoughts are.

[hotwtrbby]

Thats a great idea I never thought to do several bulking then cutting cycles between now and then. I think the show is July 7th, so literally 11 months. I'm doing awesome with my dieting and supps right now and just upped my protein intake. I'm also doing a great job with timing my meals 3 hours apart, eating 1 hour before my workout then doing my L-glut and shake post workout, with a bigger meal about an hour later.

Have been hitting weights hard doing a 4 day split, with cardio about 5 days per week. I have a trainer when I'm home from school but since I'm leaving in a few days it's going to be a little tougher to push myself. We mapped out my first 2 weeks of solo training then I have to change it up.

I do agree that figure would be much easier than fitness, and if I can't get a routine together I would still be very happy with doing figure. I would, however, LOVE to say my first comp. was in fitness. This will be a natural one, however I do see myself doing a "normal" one in the future.

Two sidenotes - Sana if you read this I think you're the one that came up with the protein/pb brownie in the microwave - it tasted amazing
-and-
I'm sending in my resume to a gym up at school; I'm not sure what positions they're hiring for but I'm looking to maybe become a PT during the school year. What kind of certification should I get?
Thanks again!

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by hotwtrbby
I think the show is July 7th, so literally 11 months. I'm doing awesome with my dieting and supps right now and just upped my protein intake. I'm also doing a great job with timing my meals 3 hours apart, eating 1 hour before my workout then doing my L-glut and shake post workout, with a bigger meal about an hour later.

Have been hitting weights hard doing a 4 day split, with cardio about 5 days per week. I have a trainer when I'm home from school but since I'm leaving in a few days it's going to be a little tougher to push myself. We mapped out my first 2 weeks of solo training then I have to change it up.

Well, at 11 months....that puts you at 46 weeks to bulk and cut....you don't count the 47th week, because that's used for water and sodium manipulation. So, that means we could do 4, 6-week bulkers, and 3, 6-week cutters.

If you want to start bulking now, I need to know what your current diet is, weight and height. Also, I know you're going back to school soon, but we need to find someone who can do your BF weekly. If you go to a big university, my guess is they will have something there. I prefer to use the calipers. They are only like $20 on the net. I like them because it's easy to gauge your progress since the pinches don't lie.

Also- what does your weight training look like now?

[hotwtrbby]

I'm 5'4 and 3/4, 128 as of this morning. Diet looks like this:

9 am - 2/3 cup oatmeal (200 cal)
5 egg whites (about 75 cal)
1 serving of flax seed (90)

12 pm - grilled chicken (about 175 cal)
steamed veggies (either broccolie, asparagus or green beans) (50 cal??)

3 pm - protein bar (270) usually running around doing errands

6 pm - PW protein shake w/ 2 scoops, a little bit of pb, half a banana and my L-glutamine (350ish)

9 pm - Grilled chicken and some veggies (about 250)


As for training it looks like this:
Mon chest/bi's plus 60 mins cardio and abs
Tues legs plus 60 mins cardio
Wed Off weights, cardio optional, abs
Thurs shoulders 60 mins cardio
Fri back and tri's plus 60 mins cardio and abs
Sat 60 mins cardio
Sun optional cardio

I'm doing lots of free weights, with a focus on the negatives for some different development.
For bi's I'm doing the regular movements (DB curls, preachers, barbell curls, hammer curls)
Chest -incline flyes, bench, seated pec flyes
Legs - squats, curls, extensions, heel raises, ST deads, lunges
Shoulder - millitary press, lat and front raises, rear delt flyes
Back - seated and bent-over rows, pull-downs
Tri's - ov. extensions, kickbacks, pushdowns and dips


Edit: Sorry my fingers got too excited and clicked too soon.
As for the workout shake, I took out fruit dairy and pb for a while and the results were great but I think the shake keeps me goin through my workout because I look forward to the shake

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by hotwtrbby
I'm 5'4 and 3/4, 128 as of this morning. Diet looks like this:

9 am - 2/3 cup oatmeal (200 cal)
5 egg whites (about 75 cal)

12 pm - grilled chicken (about 175 cal)

...ok...good start....

BUT,

what about more protein in the AM?

what else do you eat at 12?

what about meals 3-5 or 6?

Right now, your LBM is 103. You have about 25 lbs of fat. You need to be AT LEAST 115 on stage. With your current LBM, that puts you at 111 on stage...figure girls usually have about 7-8 lbs of fat on stage. We need to have you LBM at 107-108 come contest time.

[hotwtrbby]

Oh and my bf is an exercise science major at my school so I'm sure he can do my pinches every week.

[hotwtrbby]

Rea thanks for the links again - the NPC one is exactly what I was looking for-it spelled everything out for me. After reading through the guidelines and required moves for fitness, I deffinitely think I want to go ahead with it. There are six required moves which; straddle hold i can already do, leg ext. hold i can already do, front and side splits i did for 15 years i just have to stretch that out again as well as the high kick, and the one arm push up which shouldn't be too difficult the stronger I get. Are there any videos of past comps w/ routines?

[hotwtrbby]

I just checked out the Michigan NPC info. These shows are coming up and I was wondering if maybe a sooner date would be reasonable or not?

Sept. 18th 2004
March 2005 - Novice Mich. Fitness and Figure Classic
July 2005 - Natural Michigan Bodybuilding Championships
(This is the one I am planning on competing in).
The fact that the one I'm doing is the only one that says "natural" does that mean that the other two shows would be impossible for me because of lack of some good cutting agents?

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by hotwtrbby
I just checked out the Michigan NPC info. These shows are coming up and I was wondering if maybe a sooner date would be reasonable or not?

Sept. 18th 2004
March 2005 - Novice Mich. Fitness and Figure Classic
July 2005 - Natural Michigan Bodybuilding Championships
(This is the one I am planning on competing in).
The fact that the one I'm doing is the only one that says "natural" does that mean that the other two shows would be impossible for me because of lack of some good cutting agents?

First off, stick with the show you planned to do. IMHO, you need more time to build and cut. Don't do a show just to do it. One thing is, you may want to find a small show to do about 3-4 weeks before your goal show. I did it, and I wouldn't do it any other way. The rebound you get makes you come in much tighter for the 2nd show. It also allows you to get your water and sodium right. Not sure what you mean about lackof cutting agents. You are allowed to use Nolva/ Proviron for natural shows, as these are not AAS. Does that answer your question?

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by hotwtrbby
[
9 am - 2/3 cup oatmeal (200 cal)
5 egg whites (about 75 cal)
1 serving of flax seed (90)

12 pm - grilled chicken (about 175 cal)
steamed veggies (either broccolie, asparagus or green beans) (50 cal??)

3 pm - protein bar (270) usually running around doing errands

6 pm - PW protein shake w/ 2 scoops, a little bit of pb, half a banana and my L-glutamine (350ish)

9 pm - Grilled chicken and some veggies (about 250)

[/b]

This is to put on more mass so,
here are the changes I would make:
9am- 1/2c oatmeal
5 whites, 1 whole egg
3 oz. chicken or turkey
11pm- 2 scoops protein ( low carb)
3 strawberries
1tsp flax
2pm- 6oz chicken, turkey or fish
4oz sweet pot., or 1/2c brown rice
1c. green veggies
5pm- same as 11 am meal
6pm -PWO shake, no PB
8pm- 6oz chicken, turkey or fish
2c green veggies
11pm- 6 egg white omelet

Fasting time: 10 hours

As for your cardio, DO NOT do cardio on leg day.

If possible, try to split your cardio. Do 2 30min sessions 5 days a week, no more...even on rest days don't do any. You need that time for your body to recover.

[hotwtrbby]

Those changes to the diet are very doable. The only thing I dont like is fish. I usually don't do cardio on leg day but I have tried in the past but trust me I like the idea of not doing it. How many days of rest should I have from cardio? Any I also do like splitting my cardio into 2 sessions - but will this change results?

By cutting agents, I meant clen most specifically.

I just found these pictures I'm only going to leave them up for a little while but they're such an inspiration to even myself!! PS. Don't mind the first outfit it was a project for my senior fashion design class.

Edit: just read cardio no more than 5x per week ok. Another side note, these pictures are about 2 months old- muscluar development has gone through the roof since then; I've got some nice peak's for my bi's abs seem to be showing through maybe a little and legs have some seperations that I didn't know existed!

[redsquirrel]

Originally posted by hotwtrbby
Any I also do like splitting my cardio into 2 sessions - but will this change results?

By cutting agents, I meant clen most specifically.

Splitting your cardio WILL affect your results. By doing it at separate times in the day, you keep you metabolism going throughout the day. So in essence, on your workout days, you will jumpstart your metabolism 3 times, making keeping your BF down easier.

You have a really good shape. Nice V taper, and outlines of your abdomen at 20%..that's great! You have made leaps and bounds since that 1st pic.

If you don't like fish, no big deal. I was just throwing it out as an option.

What they look for in figure is good V taper, good abs, big round shoulders, and round hips. You seem to have all those components, now we just need you to grow a tad! Although peaks on your biceps are a good thing, it's not something factored in at competitions. AS for conditioning, the judges will look for some detail in the legs as well, but not too much.

I will have to do some research to find out about the allowance of Clen. But, I don't think you can use it...it's kind of one of those gray areas. I think you could avoid using it, and get something OTC like Yohimbe or something.