Empire Classic Training

What can I do to take my fitness level to the next step?

About 5 weeks ago, I decided to begin training for my first bodybuilding competition in Spokane, WA. My competition date is April 23, 2011. By this date I am supposed to be up to 108 lbs at 10-12% body fat. My starting weight was 99.4 lbs at 14% body fat.

My goal was to compete in the figure portion of the Empire Classic but according to my trainer "Chad" aka "Master Chief" I will be participating in the bikini portion. Chad says that I have to start small which is actually still a lot of work for me in the next few months and then we will work on building up to figure. This was a HUGE disappointment for me to get over. I am still secretly hoping to surprise him and get put in the figure round. In my mind, I always thought the bikini participants were people who worked hard at becoming more active in their workouts and transformed their bodies to be more fit instead of muscular. I didn't realize that the bikini participants are just as muscular as the figure participants. The main difference is the roundness of the shoulders.

This has been an interesting challenge for me so far both physically and mentally. Not only do I have to work hard at the gym (pushed beyond any level I thought possible) but the nutrition factor is 24/7. Most people have to worry about removing pounds but I need to gain just "muscle", nothing to lose. I feel like I am constantly eating all day while trying to drink a gallon of water each day. So far I have been alloted one "cheat" day each week where I can eat/drink whatever I want.

The hardest portion of this new lifestyle for me is being around people throughout the week who are eating various foods that I am not supposed to eat (foods high in sugar & sodium). Most of the week I am pretty sore from the variety of workouts that my body is being trained to do in order to push my muscles to become that much stronger. A lot of people look at me funny b/c I am limping or moving slower than normal. I am always asked why I chose to even put my body through this. I have decided that this is just the next step for me to take my workouts to that next level. Fitness has always been a huge part of my life and I am always looking for new ways to push myself. Why not participate in a bodybuilding competition? Sometimes it is just easier to not mention this goal so I don't have to endure the opinion others form about the bodybuilding idea in general.

I asked Aaron what he thought about my new goal of participating in this competition and he was very supportive. He has always supported whatever I have chosen to do goal wise no matter what. Lately, he has even decided to start eating the same foods as I do throughout the week and weekends. I mention to him that he can pick different items in the grocery store so he doesn't feel like he has to be on the same program as me and his response is...."No, I want to be the support system that you need to stay on track". I LOVE IT!!!!

Each month I will be weighed and taking pics to see my progress towards my goal. Guess we will see if I am moving in the right directions next Saturday.