Fitness Competition
Preparation Au Natural
The Comprehensive guide to Fitness Competition Preparation
By Lyzabeth Lopez
Fi
tn
ess & Fitness Mo
de
l PRO,
Certified Personal Trainer,
& Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Get ready for a
show holistically!
The only competition
preparation guide you
Legal Notice
© 2010 Lyzabeth Lopez | www.LyzabethLopez.com All Rights Reserved. International Copyright
Copyright and illegal distribution violations will be prosecuted. This e-book is protected by international copyright laws and any attempt by you or any third party to illegally modify or sell this book or e-book you are in violation of these laws.
Please act responsibly and avoid legal issues by staying in accordance with these laws and their respective statutes.
No part of this book or the various contributions may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any other means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the author or its contributors.
Medical Disclaimer
This book is supplied for educational and information purposes only and, as experienced in this subject matter as the contributors are, no claim or opinion in this program is intended to be, nor should be construed to be, medical advice. Always consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet and nutrition program. Readers are advised to consult their own doctors or other qualified health professionals regarding the treatment of medical conditions.
If fitness advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The contributors do not accept any responsibility for any liabilities resulting from any decisions made by purchasers and/or readers of this book.
Lyzabeth’s Mission
To create a comprehensive, and easy-to-follow tool that will guide anyone in preparing for a fitness competition without the use of drugs, dangerous diets and potentially hazardous supplements. Au Naturel will teach athletes training and dieting techniques that will bolster their winning advantage without harming their bodies.
Table of Contents
About the author Preface
DECIDING TO COMPETE 1. How to choose a show 2. The master checklist
3. How long will it take to get stage ready? 4. Understanding the commitment
5. Sample budget
GET STARTED! 6. Where to begin
7. Hiring a personal trainer or going it alone? 8. Training suggestions for different body types 9. The diet
10. Supplementation 11. Tracking your progress 12. Choosing your costume
13. Choosing the perfect shoes for you
14. Practicing stage presence and quarter turns 15. Hair/ Makeup & Esthetics
16. Tanning – without the skin damage
MOTIVATION 17. The mindset
18. Creating a support system
19. How I stay motivated and advice from Fitness Competitors
SHOWTIME
20. What to bring to the show: A checklist 21. The day of the show: What to expect 22. Backstage etiquette
23. On stage: What judges really look for & how to improve your score 24. Fitness Competitors: The fitness routine
AFTER THE SHOW
25. What to expect after the show
26. How to use the off-season to improve for your next show
APPENDIX
About the Author
My love affair with the gym began at the age of 12. I injured myself as a gymnast and could no longer carry out the military-styled gym-nastic practices and needed something to fill the void that developed. The combination of my natural big-girl genetics and lack of train-ing resulted in me packtrain-ing on the pounds rather quickly and I was branded with the school-yard nickname: ‘Fit-fat’. Triggered by that taunting, an eating disorder, best known as Anorexia soon took hold. I was in search of not only an activity to fill my training loss, but a mechanism for shedding my weight. I found it at the Metro Central YMCA in downtown To-ronto where some boys my age were making good use of the free weight room equipped with a trainer. They received access to the gym in exchange for their assistance a few hours a week handing out basketballs during community drop-in lessons. I decided to join as the ‘token girl’ in the group of mini-gym rats. Little did I know that this would ignite a life-long passion of fitness and training which eventually saved my life from Anorexia.
By the age of 16, I was a hard-core gym-goer, clocking at least 10 hours a week in the weight room, on the cardio machines and in workout classes. I also became a regular in my high school weight room and held my ground around the school’s football players in my midst. They got a kick out of including me in their bench press competitions, which I never won, but I always put in a fighting effort.
There were no weight training magazines for women back then, only diet focused magazines like SELF and Diet & Exercise which never interested me. I was an avid reader of MuscleMag and Muscle & Fitness. These publications showed me that I didn’t need to be skinny. I could have muscles and curves and be sexy. Reading the diets of the fit and beautiful women who were featured slowly helped me; I learned to eat again. Later that year, I received my certifications as a gymnastics instructor and as an aerobics instructor. This achievement was the start of my career in teaching fitness and truly becoming healthy.
After graduating high school, post-secondary education was an easy choice for me. I enrolled in the Fitness, Lifestyle and Management program at George Brown College in 1996. When I completed the program I earned my certification as a personal trainer as well.
I was also teaching and performing as a professional Hip Hop dancer and cheerleader. One day while cheerleading at a Canadian Football League (CFL) game, I was approached to compete in Ms. Bikini Canada. Honored at the suggestion, I entered and to my surprise I won! And so began my journey into the world of bikini competitions. I placed in the top 3 of every show that I did while snagging many large titles.
Among the women who were part of the scene, I became known for what was described as my ‘sexy stage walk’ and my ‘abs of steel’. At this time fitness competitions had just started receiving coverage on TSN and I immediately knew that I needed to be involved. I did some research and signed up for a show in May of 2000. I entered one of the first Fitness Model Competitions ever as well as a Fitness Competition, which involved performing a fitness routine and judging muscle symmetry. The competition did not have any media coverage or online help available, so I trained myself for the show. I remember getting to the show and being so scared of not knowing what to eat, that I didn’t eat anything for the entire
day! At the time, I could not understand why that was the only day that I didn’t have a six-pack! Remarkably, I won the Fitness Model Competition becoming the first fitness model champion ever and placed 3rd in the Fitness Competition! At that moment, I knew I had found my niche.
In 2003, the federation announced that it was creating a PRO category. The fitness model division had grown quite a bit from its earlier days. There were 135 women in my category that year – an outstanding amount. Of those women, I placed fourth, along with the first-place winner Maggie Diubaldo (her first show). Karen-Lisa Borders - 2nd, Mindy O’Brian -
From L-R: Lyzabeth Lopez, Mindy O’Brian, Maggie Diubaldo, Karen-Lisa Borders, Tina Rigdon
3rd and Tina Rigdon - 5th. It was a great day for blazing a trail as we were the first women to receive our PRO cards as Fitness Models! It was an exhilarating moment.
I continued to compete for a few years, and during this time developed a following of people interested in the competition and stage walking lessons I was offering. My year was quickly booked leaving long waiting lists of athletes looking for training. Organizations started contacting me seeking my services to help form their new federations, consult, lead camps and judge for them. I had to choose between competing myself and training others to compete. I chose to help and the rest is history!
In 2008, I left my full-time job as a Municipal Active Living Coordinator for the City of Toronto to travel across North America leading camps, judging shows and training clients full-time. I also returned to school for a third diploma in Holistic Nutrition. Over the years I have won awards such as Trainer of the Year, #1 Fitness Model in Canada and Lifestyle Achievement Awards. I have been photographed for fitness magazine covers and featured in articles in Oxygen, FAME, MuscleMag, Planet Muscle and more. I also received credits with major organizations including Can-Fit Pro as a master trainer specializing in training fitness models. Additionally, I picked up many sponsors along the way including: Lululemon, VEGA, Fitness Depot, Bebe, Truestar Health and Adidas among others.
Although I thought I had left my own days on the stage behind me, I was invited by the World Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (WBFF) to be part of a very prestigious show, the WBFF Fitness Model PRO Invitational in September of 2009. I decided to take on this challenge to once again return to competing. The category included the top Pro Fitness Models representing over 19 countries internationally. I prepped for this show using my own drug free, fat burner free, whole food and strategic exercise program to get myself ready in
I am now anxious to start this next chapter in my fitness career with many new projects on the horizon, including workout DVDs and books.
It is an honour to have the opportunity to share my knowledge from my years of training with new and returning athletes, which is why I have chosen to write this book.
I hope that it helps to take some of the guess work out of this wonderful sport we know as Fitness Competitions.
Lyzabeth Lopez xoxo
PREFACE: Why I wrote this book
Fitness competitions are amazing experiences and I love them. As a competitor for over 10 years in the game, I have watched these shows develop, change and progress. Some of the things I enjoy about fitness competitions include seeing athletes getting motivated to take care of their bodies, the friendships created, a new or rekindled love for the gym, and people in their 60s and up gracing the stage to show their love for the sport. But along with the fond memories, there is also a dark side to the business, when people get to the point of doing ANYTHING to win. While there is more than one area of the sport where this can happen, I’m referring to the use of drugs and the practice of malnutrition.
I caught my first glimpse of this dysfunction in 2002 at a show that I competed in. At this point I had been placing in the top three of every bikini and fitness competition that I had ever entered, so I was feeling confident. This federation was new for me, but I was excited to try it out. I had trained just as hard as ever and was in good form. I felt great driving up to the location and had followed my usual training formula. Upon arrival however I was completely unprepared for what I was about to see. Walking up to the registration table, there was the familiar smell of pro-tan mixed with oil spray that filled the auditorium. The excitement started to hit me. I walked to the changing area, also known as the ‘pump-up room’, and as I looked around, I noticed that one thing was not like the others --- namely me!
The female competitors were shredded to the point that I could see the outline of their veins protruding under their skin. Their cheeks were sunken in and their jaw bones were pointing out. Their bodies had them looking like men in bikinis with breast implants that were visible right through their skin, as they had no fat to hide the rims of the implants. I assumed these were the bodybuilders, but no; these women were the fitness models! I had actually been informed that these competitors were the figure models (a brand new competition that was supposed to be very feminine).
As a long-time bodybuilding fan, my body hero growing up was Rachel McLish. I still have her book on my shelf above my desk. I admired the shape of the original female bodybuilders, but what I was witnessing in that changing room bore no resemblance. What had happened to my beloved sport?
I left that show with my first defeat (it was no surprise to me). The judges were in search of muscle, no matter how unnatural it looked. Since that show, a few prominent industry people remarked that I’ve got a great look and physique and suggested if I took steroids I could be a top girl. Each time I heard this I replied with ‘No Thank-You’ and continued to receive my pro card with not even a fat burner to my name, just a clean diet and hard training.
later they are grappling with heavy weight gain, thyroid issues, intestinal tract problems, Candida, fatigue, acne, and permanent facial hair. Was it worth it? Could they have trained differently and gotten the same results and not risked their health? The answer is YES!
My philosophy for anyone joining the world of fitness would be to always remember why you entered and what it is that you are doing: Become more fit, be a role model, and learn about your health. Have fun, make memories, and make friends. That is what this experience is about. There is no room for the dangerous side effects in this sport called ‘FITNESS’.
Part 1
Deciding to Compete
1. How to choose a show
2. The master checklist
3. How long will it take to get stage ready?
4. Understanding the commitment
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalCHAPTER 1 – How to Choose a Show
Congratulations on your decision to compete in a Fitness Model Competition! You are enter-ing into a wonderful world where you will have the opportunity to challenge your mind and body. This is a dynamic undertaking that will require great discipline and motivation, but remember nothing worth having comes without hard work and dedication. In this book I will take you through all of the steps to get you to your show in a natural, holistic manner.
You know that you want to compete, but there are so many shows and federations out there, that the question of which to choose can be very daunting for a new competitor. Finding the right competition could mean the difference between winning and placing dead last, so don’t just wing it.
This is the time to do your own research. First thing: Go though the list provided below and mark the check box once you’ve completed each step. By the time you reach the last box, you should have a better idea of which show is best suited for you. On page 14 you will find a preliminary list of federations. Add more as you see fit.
Go to each of the websites listed and search for the winners in each federation and each category.
Decide which acclaimed winners most represent what you realistically can look like and want to look like. Once that is determined, write down each of those corresponding federations and categories for your reference.
Make a list of show dates scheduled to be in your area.
Read through the rules and requirements of each federation and category you’ve chosen. Call the federations for further information.
Be vigilant! Some federations may look good on paper and have excellent marketing strategies, but they don’t treat their athletes well. As a marketing tactic, they might continue to use photos of athletes who have long since left their federation. Once you have narrowed down your list, try contacting some of the federation’s advertised PRO athletes. Ask them if they are still competing within that federation. This extra research will help you avoid entering shows looked upon negatively in the industry. Remember, you are judged by the company you keep and the fitness industry is actually a very small world. As tedious as it may seem, do not skip this step.
Join the mailing lists, forums, etc. of the federations you’ve chosen. Be engaged and see what each organization is about. Their e-mail blasts will be helpful to you in your
preparation. These may include special camps, special offers, opportunities to participate and more.
Check the entry rules of shows. Generally you can compete in many different federations especially if you are new, but review their regulations on this issue to be certain.
Confirm if you can compete in more than one category at a single show. This can be a good thing to do especially if you are unsure of which category you best fit into. Consider competing in bikini model and fitness model at the same show for example. Make sure to check the rules first to see if this is allowable.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalLIST OF FEDERATIONS *Based
World Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (WBFF) Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE)
International Drug Free Athletes (IDFA)
International Federation of Body Building & Fitness (IFBB) Canadian Bodybuilding Federation (CBBF)
Fitness Universe Pageant Fitness Star
Neutron
Serious About Fitness
Ontario Physique Association (OPA)
International Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (INBF) National Physique Committee (NPC)
Jamor (part of Canadian Bodybuilding Federation CBBF)
www.wbffshows.com www.ufeshows.com www.canadian-classic.com www.ifbb.com www.cbbf.ca www.fitnessuniverse.com www.fitnessstarnetwork.com www.neutronsports.com www.seriousaboutfitness.com www.bao.on.ca http://www.inbf.net/ http://www.npcnewsonline.com/ http://www.jamor.com/
General Category Breakdown:
*Remember that this specification varies from federation to federation. You will need to visit the websites for information on what each organization looks for.
Bikini
Fit, toned and sexy. Think of a Maxim, RX Fitness or Shape Magazine cover models.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need breast implants or large breasts to do well in this category.
Fitness Model
A fit and toned role model. Noticeable muscle tone could include a six pack, caped shoulders, etc. but there are no striations. The Fitness Model is not overly vascular or ripped. The look is similar to that of an Oxygen or Men’s Health cover model.
Remember, the women and men in this category are role models for fitness. They should appear robust and toned, but not
intimidating in the eyes of the average consumer.
Figure
This category changes so much from one federation to the next. The body of a Figure athlete falls somewhere between today’s female bodybuilder and a fitness model physique. She is not as big as a bodybuilder, but can display similar levels of body fat and lean muscle. Some federations ask for a routine and poses while others require only quarter turns. Some Figure models are barefoot, while others are in heels. Read the rules carefully for this category.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalCHAPTER 2 – The Master Checklist
The road to competing is much more than just training hard at the gym and walking across the stage to be judged; it’s a full production. To do it right, you need to research and be prepared. Here is a checklist of the things you may need to do to get ready. A printable version of this list is located in the Appendix. I recommend printing the list and putting it somewhere so that it is visible every day. Only take it down once you have checked off every item:
Choose a federation.
Choose your category/categories.
Assess how long it will take you to get ready (Chapter 3). Choose a target show.
Read and understand the rules of your Federation/show.
Sign up for the Federation’s newsletter/ website/ FaceBook group/ forum, or other affiliated social networks.
Decide if you will hire a trainer or go it alone (Chapter 5). If hiring a trainer, find the right one.
Decide on a costume designer (Fitness Model or Fitness Categories). Have your first meeting with the costume designer.
Determine if you will create your own nutrition plan or hire a nutritionist (Chapter 7). If hiring a nutritionist, find the right one.
Decide on a costume designer.
Have your first meeting with the costume designer. Attend the first fitting with your costume designer. Pick up all costumes you’re set to wear.
Hire a makeup artist or pay for a ‘How-To’ self-application session with a professional. Conduct a trial makeup application (if you feel it’s necessary).
Decide on hair styles and hair accessories, or hire a hair stylist and book your appointment. Order your tanning lotion as soon as you decide to compete. (I have seen it take months for the product to arrive, particularly if it’s out of stock.
Buy shoes right away and begin practicing your walk in them.
Register to compete in the show (try to catch the early bird registration if the federation offers it).
Book a photo shoot for the same week as your show. Pack your bag for the show.
Find out all registration details, meetings, etc.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalCHAPTER 3 – How long will it take to get stage ready?
“How long will it take for me to get ready?” This is a great question that I am asked all the time. The answer of course varies from person to person so I will answer it generally and then provide you with a series of questions to help you find out. We’re going to assume that you diligently use the Master Check List in Chapter 2 (wink). With that said, the time required to get stage ready will depend greatly on your physique, commitment, discipline and diet at the starting point.
If you are starting out with weight to lose, here are some guidelines to follow:
• Healthy weight loss is generally calculated at 1-1.5 lbs / week, any more than that could mean that you are losing muscle, which is something you do not want to do when getting ready for a show.
• Know your goal weight (Find the healthy weight for your frame in the chart below and add on about 5 lbs for increased muscle mass as your goal weight for women and 10-20 for men).
• Last calculate how long it will take you to get there realistically at the 1-1.5 lbs a week weight loss.
WEIGHT CHART FOR WOMEN
Height
4'10" 4'11" 5'0" 5'1" 5'2" 5'3" 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11"Small Frame
102-111 103-113 104-115 106-118 108-121 111-124 114-127 117-130 120-133 123-136 126-139 129-142 132-145 135-148Medium Frame
109-121 111-123 113-126 115-129 118-132 121-135 124-138 127-141 130-144 133-147 136-150 139-153 142-156 145-159Large Frame
118-131 120-134 122-137 125-140 128-143 131-147 134-151 137-155 140-159 143-163 146-167 149-170 152-173 155-176WEIGHT CHART FOR MEN
Height
5'2" 5'3" 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1"Small Frame
128-134 130-136 132-138 134-140 136-142 138-145 140-148 142-151 144-154 146-157 149-160 152-164Medium Frame
131-141 133-143 135-145 137-148 139-151 142-154 145-157 148-160 151-163 154-166 157-170 160-174Large Frame
138-150 140-153 142-156 144-160 146-164 149-168 152-172 155-176 158-180 161-184 164-188 168-19221
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au Natural Another important thing to consider is the length of time needed in order to gain theappropriate amount of muscle. If you are going it alone, this could take about six months, or up to a year if you are starting from scratch. If you are led by a qualified trainer, (preferably someone who trains competitors) this time could be cut in half.
Take those two variables and include proper eating. Only you know your level of discipline. Skip ahead for a brief moment to the diet chapter (Chapter 7) and ask yourself: Will I be able to follow this type of eating (without cheating) for three months to a year? If the answer is yes, then you will reach your ideal weight much more quickly.
If you look at that plan and think that work/school/kids/family/other obligations may slow you down, then add another three to six months to fully understand that sticking to this eating style is doable no matter what your excuse is (we all have busy lives!). Once you are ready to stop making excuses for bad eating habits, you will not only be closer to being ready for your next competition, but to understanding that this regime is not just for a show, it’s a way of life.
The answer to “how long will it take to get ready?” can’t be answered in specifics because the time required varies from person to person. However, I still want you to really look at each of the variables.
START POINT
SCORE TALLY
Nutrition
I still eat fast food and healthy eating would be new to me I eat healthy food sometimes
I eat healthy food when I can – kids, school, etc. can get in the way I commit 100% to doing this and will not let anything stand in my way
4-6 = you can compete in as early as 3 months 7-20 = you can compete in as early as 5 months 21-29 = you can compete in as early as 8 months
Starting Weight
I still eat fast food and healthy eating would be new to me I eat healthy food sometimes
I eat healthy food when I can – kids, school, etc. can get in the way I commit 100% to doing this and will not let anything stand in my way
Present Muscle Tone
I have never resistance trained before (you need to gain a lot of muscle) I am not at or near my goal weight but have very little muscle tone and do not put muscle on easily (Ectomorph)
I am at or near my goal weight and have little muscle tone, but put on muscle easily (Mesomorph)
I am an athlete already in good shape
Your Training
I will be training myself (You are not a certified trainer or have prior experience) I will be training myself (You are a trainer)
I will hire personal trainer
I will hire personal trainer that specializes or has experience training Fitness Competitors
10 5 3 1 10 7 5 1 10 7 3 1 10 5 3 1 Nutrition Score Start Weight Score Present Muscle Tone Score Your Training score
TOTAL:
Breaking Down Your
Here is a chart to help give you an approximate idea of how long you may want to give yourself to prepare for your first show. In the chart below, take the number that best describes your present situation and put the number in the score tally chart. Tally your total score and read the suggested time requirement that corresponds to your final score.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalCHAPTER 4 – Understanding the Commitment
From a spectator’s point of view watching a fitness show can seem very glamorous. You see great looking athletes in their sparkly suits; they walk on stage do some quarter turns and walk off. Easy enough right? Wrong! Ask any person who has competed in a show and they will tell you that there is more that goes into the preparation that you could possibly imagine! Remember that this is not just a pageant or show; this is a sport and should be treated with the respect of any other internationally acclaimed sport out there. Remember, if it were easy, everyone would be walking around with a six-pack, perfect tan and a strut that would leave you in awe… so let’s begin. Here is a list of things that you may not have thought you would encounter as you prep for a competition, but I bet you will. So think about it and plan for it so you will be better prepared for the road ahead:
BUDGET
You can find a sample budget in the next chapter, but here are some things that you may have to pay for. Be ready and budget accord-ingly:
• Personal Training
• Walking & Posing Stage Lessons • Costumes
• Hair & Make Up • Stage Photos
• Transportation and/or Accommodation • Show Registration or Membership Fees • Photo shoots
• Food/ Supplements • Gym Memberships
TIME
Time is money, and be prepared to use up a lot of it! Here is an idea of what could take up some of your time as you prepare for your show:
• Searching for costume designers
• Deciding what you want your costume to look like • Traveling for fittings
• Training daily and sometimes 2-3 times per day • Walking and Posing lessons
• Practicing your stage walk • Preparations camps
• Cardio, cardio and more cardio • Meal preparation
• Constant grocery shopping (probably 1-3 times a week) • Researching federations
• Looking up pictures of other competitors • Networking
This becomes a major part of your life and not everyone will understand why you cannot make it out to events that you used to go to or why you can’t eat the food that they pre-pared, which will lead us to…
FAMILY & FRIENDS
I can tell you right now that you will feel like you are not able to see your family and friends as often as you are used to and you will have to make alternative arrangements for eating out. I generally bring food in my own containers and eat my own food while they eat. I’ve been doing this for so long that people don’t even blink, but if you’re new at this, this will take a bit of getting used to for people that don’t understand the industry.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalCHAPTER 5 – Sample Budget
While everyone’s budget will be completely different, I thought that I would give you a win-dow into what one might spend on a fitness competition over a four-month period of prepa-ration.
This list is in no way to deter you, but rather to have you prepared mentally and financially. There are many ways to keep your costs low and even get items sponsored but if you are not prepared to do your research you might end up paying a lot for items. If you really want to do this, there are sacrifices to be made. Maybe skip the vacation that season or ease up on clothes shopping and other extras. Look for deals and be prepared to do this right! One of my favorite motto is: “Go hard or go home!”…. you will get out what you put in!
SAMPLE BUDGET
Item
Personal Training
Walking & Posing Stage Lessons Costumes
Hair & Make Up Stage Photos Transportation/ Accommodation Show Fees Photo shoots Food/ Supplements Gym Memberships Misc.
TOTAL:
Fee Range $75-150/hr (3 times a week) $50 – 150/hr (5 lessons) 1 bikini $100-$3000 1 Costume $100-$3000 $100-$600 Approx. $50$0 - $2000 (if show takes place outside of the city you reside) $50-$300
$300-$2000 $200-$1000/month $40-100/month
$500-2000 (accessories, dance lessons, tickets for family members, website, business cards, etc. all add up as well…
Amount Estimated $3600 $250 $500 $200 $50 $200 $150 $500 $800 $260 $500
Explanation of the Estimate
Based on $75/hr for 4 months Based on $50/hr
Based on $250 each Average
Average Gas & Host Hotel Average
Includes basic package/ hair/Make up Artist/2 outfits changes Based on $200/month (low estimate) Based on a average of $65/month
for four months.
A low average of some extras that may pop up along the way…
Part 2
Get Started
6. Where to begin
7. Hiring a personal trainer or going it alone?
8. Training suggestions for different body types
9. The diet
10. Supplementation
11. Tracking your progress
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalCHAPTER 6 – Where to begin
You are now at the point where you know the federation, category and show that you want to compete in. You have chosen the date and you are ready to begin. Let’s keep that momentum going!
Next up, create your team and your plan.
Building the team
No man is an island and no fitness competitor gets to the stage on their own. Here is a list of the types of professionals you may want on your team. Choose the ones that interest you and hire them as soon as possible:
• Personal Trainer • Nutritionist • Makeup artist • Costume designer • Stage Presence Coach
Start researching. I’ve learned that the best way to find good services is through referral.
How to do this properly
I highly suggest contacting the fitness models working in your area. Find the ones you would like to emulate and inquire which makeup artists they use. The majority of models will respond and help to their best ability. You can make these connections using social networks like facebook or myspace. Or you can look up the models websites for their contact information and send them an e-mail if that option is available.
Note: Don’t rely on cold searches in telephone directories or on the Internet when creating your team. There is no way to guarantee quality of service.
Next, plan your course of action:
• Buy a calendar just for your fitness competition. Keep yourself on track by marking your deadlines for achieving mini-goals.
• Number each week. Count them down as 20 weeks out, 19 weeks out, etc. This practice will give you an idea of how quickly a target date approaches (and trust me, it will sneak up on you).
• Get a food journal. This could just be a basic, lined notebook. Track your eating, length of cardio, and weight changes -- good and bad. This system will be a great help as well for your second and third show.
• Obtain a small photo album. Take weekly or bi-weekly photos of yourself in your bikini, not flexing. Print the date on the photo and put the images into the album so you can see how you are progressing. This visual reminder will help you determine if you need to make any changes before it’s too late.
CHAPTER 7: Hiring a Personal Trainer or going it alone
Deciding whether to hire a personal trainer or to train on your own will depend greatly on your fitness background. Here are my suggestions:
If you are a personal trainer or high level athlete, you can do it alone. Still, you stand to benefit from having a skilled trainer for at least one session a week in order to push you on any lagging muscle groups, and to keep you on track. This move is not necessary, but even trainers can use that extra motivation sometimes.
If you are not a personal trainer, but are an avid gym buff, I would recommend hiring a trainer for one-to-three sessions a week. You can get away with one session a week and handle the rest on your own, but that’s only if you are experienced at gaining mass in the right areas for proper symmetry. If you’re not aware on how to achieve that, you may want to hire someone for at least two sessions a week to ensure all your preparation efforts are not in vain.
If you are new to the gym or usually hang out in classes as opposed to being a weight-room rat, I would recommend hiring a trainer for three sessions a week, if possible. You’ll obtain maximum results.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalHOW TO HIRE A GREAT TRAINER
Here are some options to look into:
• Contact competitors in your area that you feel look fit and find out who trained them. • Contact the federation you are planning to compete with and request a list of their
favorite trainers.
• Go to a show and note the competitors whose shape you admire. Ask them who their trainers are. There is a good chance that the trainer will be in attendance at the show to provide their moral support. Contact Personal Training sanctioning bodies such as Can-Fit PRO, ACE, etc. and ask for a list of certified personal trainers in your area. Contact each person on the list and inquire if they specialize in fitness competitors. Ask for photos or even references that you can contact.
• Ask for a trial session. With most professional trainers, you will have to pay for this as they don’t have time for free sessions.
• Don’t be shy to ask your potential trainer for his or her certification and insurance card. There exists hundreds of ‘trainers’ out there working with no certifications. The risk to you could not only be dangerous, but if you get injured, this person won’t have insurance.
Your relationship with your trainer will prove to be very important. You need to trust this professional and feel confident in the recommended training methods. You need to feel that your trainer understands your goals and will get you to achieve them.
Training prices can vary anywhere from $50/hr to $300/hr (CDN) depending on the
qualifications and background of the trainer (average cost being $75-$150). Remember you ‘get what you pay for’. Be sure that you are prepared for the expense. Save up and do this when you’re able to do it right. Most trainers/fitness clubs offer payment plans. No one ever said that this is a cheap sport.
CHAPTER 8 - Training
Training is going to change vastly from one person to the next, so it would be impossible for me to write out a training program that will work for everyone. What I will provide are my top training techniques and tips to get you reaching your goals.
Start-off Tips
1. Start off by taking a photo of yourself – front, back and side posing in suit or bikini. 2. Assess your physique in terms of symmetry, muscle definition, level of fat, and amount
of muscle.
3. Evaluate what needs to get bigger, what needs to get smaller, etc.
4. Create a plan on your own, or with a trainer, to create this new symmetrical body.
Note: If you don’t know how to do the above, do it with a trainer. (Preferably one that specializes in fitness com-petitions).
Cardio Tips
1. Don’t stay on the same machine day in and day out. Mix it up. Your body is very smart and will adjust to whatever you throw at it. It will then become more efficient at carrying out the exercises which means less body changes for you. You need to keep your body ‘on its toes’.
2. Don’t start with two hours of cardio a day from the get-go. If you do crazy amounts of cardio at the beginning of the journey, your body will become used to it. Eventually you’ll need to exert more in order to see change. I doubt you want to have to complete four hours of cardio a day during your pre-show time. Gradually add small increments of cardio and/or reduced calories to see continued change without starving yourself or doing massive amounts of cardio. A good start off point if you have fat to lose is 30 minutes four times a week. Work up from there in 15-minute increments.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au Natural 3. Work hard. If you have fat to lose, be intense in your cardio session. Although manypeople will advise finding your fat burning zone and going slower, this system will not work effectively for a fitness competitor with fat to lose. If you go harder and enter a cardio zone (instead of going slow and staying in the fat burning zone), you may fall to a lower ratio of fat to glycogen loss, but you will burn much more overall fat, which is the goal in pre-competition training.
4. Have a rest day. Your body needs to recuperate. You don’t need to be sedentary, but do take a day away from the gym. If you must do something, engage in a Yoga or stretch class to relax and stretch out your muscles. Better yet, go for a deep tissue or lymphatic drainage massage.
Resistance Training Tips
1. Treat your body as if it was a piece of clay and you are the sculptor. While you cannot spot reduce fat, you can choose which areas of the body you want to add bulky or lean muscle mass. This method of targeting can completely change the shape of your body.
2. Do not train your entire body in the same manner. If your shoulders need mass and your legs need to lose mass, focus more on using heavy weights with low reps for shoulders and lighter weights with high reps for the legs. This system will get you on the road to symmetry.
3. Get a spotter, training partner or personal trainer for any lagging muscle groups. Some muscles take longer than others to respond to stimuli. You can blame your parents, as this is generally caused by your genetics. Having that other person there to really push you will yield better results than if you worked this muscle alone.
4. Give yourself adequate time to build your muscles for the show. If you choose a show too close to your start date, you are more likely to panic and might resort to taking performance enhancing drugs, fat burners etc. You’ll be feeling as though you’re not gaining quickly enough, when really you just haven’t given your body adequate time to respond. You can get there 100% naturally and obtain amazing results. Just be cognitive to your timelines and choose an appropriate amount of time to prepare.
5. Be sure to get adequate protein and a small amount of simple sugar (ie fruit, raisin) after each workout in order to maintain the muscle that you just built.
6. Do not train within two hours after your last meal. You need your body to focus either on training or on digestion. If you train too closely to your meal, your body will generally allocate its resources to assisting the training (fight/flight mode), which will impede the digestion of your last meal.
7. Check online for resources on exercises to add to your training regime. Oxygen Magazine, Men’s Health and www.bodybuilding.com are great publications to find updated training information.
Training Split Ideas
Training Split Idea #1
Day 1: AM Cardio, Abs/ PM Back
Day 2: AM Cardio, Low Back/ PM Chest, Arms Day 3: AM Cardio/ PM Shoulders
Day 4: AM Cardio/ PM Legs Day 5: AM Cardio/ PM Yoga
Day 6: Cross Train (ie spin, box, pilates) Day 7: Off
Training Split Idea #2
Day 1: Legs, Cardio
Day 2: Back, Chest, Cardio Day 3: Core, Cardio
Day 4: Shoulders, Arms, Cardio Day 5: Legs, Cardio
Day 6: Weakest area of choice, Core, Cardio Day 7: Off
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalTraining Split Idea #3
Day 1: Legs, Core
Day 2: Back, Chest, Cardio Day 3: Shoulders, Arms, Core Day 4: Legs, Cardio
Day 5: Back, Chest, Core Day 6: Shoulders, Arms, Cardio
Mix Up Your Training
It is very important to always keep your body guessing! Mixing up your training style is necessary to see high quality and fast improvement. Here are some ideas for you:
HIIT
HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It is a great way to increase fat burning. It’s generally used for cardio in a 2:1 timed interval. For example, you would alternate 20-30 seconds of hard sprinting with 10 seconds of jogging or walking. HITT workouts are intense and effective. You can start out with 15 minutes and work your way up to 30 minutes of this style of fat burning cardio.
Heavy Training
Using heavier weights with lower repetitions will assist in increasing muscle size. It is important to choose a weight that you literally can no longer lift by yourself by the fifth or sixth repetition. If you can keep going on your own, you need to go heavier. It is recommended that you always have a trained spotted for heavy weight days. Be sure you have warmed up adequately before starting.
My advice for women is - DO NOT BE AFRAID OF HEAVY TRAINING! Heavy training will only make you look bulky if you do not train to create muscle symmetry, if you have a genetically gifted body type (mesomorph) that responds to resistance training very quickly, or you are overtraining areas that don’t need constant heavy training and you are not following a fat burning cardio and eating plan. It is very unlikely that you will become bulky from heavy training. What women should be more concerned about is not training heavy enough! To compete, you need to re-create your frame with muscular symmetry, if you are lifting light to medium weights all the time, you will generally not be able to add the needed size to re-create your shape. To give you an idea of what heavy could look like for a woman, here is an idea of the weights that I use on my heavy training days:
Shoulder Press: 40 lbs per hand Ab Cable Crunch: 120 lbs
Leg Press: 3 45lbs plates on each side (I don’t go to max reps as my quads grow quickly) Side Lat Raise: 15-20 lbs per hand
Lat pull down: 170 lbs with a spotter
You have seen my pictures and I am not huge. Hopefully this gives you a little insight as to what heavy may look like for you. It may be lighter or heavier, but aim high and watch your frame change. Pull back as necessary if one area is starting to overpower another. This will help you to get in touch with your body and to get involved in the transformation.
High Repetition Training
High repetition training could be anything from 12 repetitions to 100 or more. Once you pass 50, you are moving into cardio, but, there is always room for creative safe training. On high repetition days I will generally have my clients max out somewhere between 15-30 repetitions depending on the goal that day. The most important thing is that safe form is always maintained.
Keep track of your training
Keeping track of your training is the best way to keep yourself on track and assess what’s working, what’s not working and how quickly you are progressing. A great way to do this is with a training journal. Here are some things that you may want to track in your training journal:
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au Natural 4. Bowel movements5. Bi-weekly photos in swimsuit 6. Bi-weekly measurements 7. Energy level
8. Number each day – how far you are from the show
Any lined notebook can work as your training journal. You can also add inspirational photos and quotes to the journal as you will probably keep it with you at all times.
CHAPTER 9: Diet
Need to GAIN Weight (ECTOMORPHS)
If you need to gain weight for the show you are in the minority. This means your eating plan – unlike plans for those competitors who have to lose - will be much more enjoyable. Nonetheless, be conscious of what you eat. Your goal is to focus on balanced eating with enough calories to support your very intense workout days and to sustain the new muscle tissue.
Your metabolism is most likely faster than someone who needs to lose weight so you probably don’t have to worry as much about food combining or digestive enzymes, unless your stomach gets bloated and heavy after meals; if so, please refer to my statements in the Weight Loss section about food combining and digestive enzymes.
Here is a sample-eating plan for someone needing to gain weight for a show:
Upon waking up:
• 1 cup of filtered water with lemon – wait 20 minutes before pre-breakfast
Pre-Breakfast
• 1-2 pieces of fruit (any kind, but mix it up) – wait 20 minutes before breakfast
Breakfast
• 2 organic free range eggs (Not just the whites. The yolk has most of the vitamins and minerals), one dash of Celtic Sea Salt® (includes natural vitamins and minerals and iodine), fresh group pepper (help with absorption)
• 1 cup (pre-soaked) oatmeal with 1 tbsp flax seeds (hulled or ground for fibre) with 1 tbsp real maple syrup and organic cinnamon (helps with digestion).
Snack
• Fruit salad sprinkled with nuts, seeds, hulled flax seeds, shredded coconut and 2 tsp organic honey (meal includes protein, fat, carbohydrates – high in vitamins and minerals) • 1 cup cooked cream of brown rice with berries
Lunch
• 5 oz chicken • 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup organic whole rice (red, brown, black, etc) with Bragg Amino Acid® pure narual (flavoring) and ground cumin seed (helps with digestion and tastes yummy), Celtic Sea
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalSnack
• Fresh squeezed vegetable juice:
- Apple, beet carrot, ginger and kale (a superb leafy vegetable that’s delectable and healthy)
• Nutritional bar. A good brand is the Vega Vibrancy Bars – The Chocolate Decadence flavor is chalked full of good protein, fats, complex carbohydrates and antioxidants to help with muscle building and repair.
Dinner
• Big Salad
- Mixed dark leafy greens, shredded beats, shredded carrots, steamed spinach, nuts and seeds, gogi berries, avocado, chick peas, organic sliced chicken or tofu
- Homemade or organic locally made dressing with olive oil base
Post-workout shake (should be within 20 minutes after your workout)
One serving protein shake – Mix
• 1 cup almond or rice milk • 1 tbsp aloe vera juice • 1 tbsp fish oil or flax oil • 1 tsp bee pollen
• 1 tsp glutamine
• 1 tbsp organic almond butter • 2 ice cubes
Here is a list of healthy foods that should be the mainstay of your diet during the competition preparation phase:
Protein Options
• Skinless organic chicken - buy a whole chicken and take off the skin. You can eat all areas of the chicken.
• Buffalo • Ostrich
• Steak (lean cuts ie flank)
• Organic free range eggs - skip the omega eggs (giving hens flax seed in the feed does not necessarily mean their eggs will be high in omega 3. Such claims are usually a marketing ploy.) Organic free range from a local farmer is preferable.
• Fish – not more than twice a week due to high mercury levels.
• Beans – adzuki’s are the king when it comes to competition prep; they are high in the amino acid tyrosine which stimulates your natural HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Try and mix it up. If you don’t eat beans, start slowly. (To make beans easier to digest, soak dried beans in water and some sea veggies like Dulse overnight. Strain and rinse with water before cooking)
• Tempeh (fermented soy) – not more than three times a week • Nuts & seeds (in moderation)
• Nut & seed butters (in moderation)
Carbohydrate Options
• Millet • Teff • Quinoa
• Oats (wheat free/gluten free) • Natural rice (no white rice)
• Buckwheat grouts (Kasha) *not wheat
Fats
• Fish oil • Flax oil
• Organic butter (only include this if you are not allergic to dairy and are not lactose intolerant)
• Coconut oil • Hemp oil
• Earth’s Balance® (butter substitute for those allergic to dairy) • Olive oil
Vegetables
• All of them
• 4-6 servings a day, no excuses • Dark leafy greens DAILY • Sea vegetables DAILY
Fruits
• All of them
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalNeed to LOSE weight
If you need to lose weight for a show, it may require two stages. Generally you need the first few months of preparation to work on gaining muscle. Therefore, it is not a good idea to be restricting your calories too much or you’ll risk losing the muscle that you tried so hard to put on. Here is an example plan:
First, gauge how long that it will take to get show ready. Refer back to Chapter 3 for this calculation. Your main focus - with the exception of the last three months is to gain muscle strength, size, cardiovascular and muscular endurance. Follow the above diet for gaining weight but just be aware of serving sizes. You are not looking to gain weight, but at this point weight loss is not the priority.
Once you are three months out of your show, it is time to start the cutting down phase, (unless you have a lot to lose, then the cutting down phase should be longer). This part is where the hunger pains and fatigue kicks in. It is also what separates a well-conditioned athlete who is there on stage to win, from the background fillers. Harsh I know, but true. Note that there are no cheat days once you hit three months out – not for birthdays, anniversaries or anything else. Develop discipline here and when you walk on to the stage, win or lose, you can be certain you gave it 100%. Nothing is more satisfying than that self-recognition that you did everything you could. (You don’t want to be kicking yourself for eating those chocolate bars after the show ends).
Here is a list of healthy foods that should be the mainstay of your diet during the competition cutting down phase:
Protein Options
• Skinless organic chicken breasts – pricey, yes, but you don’t want all the hormones and antibiotics that are injected into non-organic chickens, not to mention all the water retaining salt added to present a more bloated chicken.
• Buffalo • Ostrich • Flank Steak
• Organic free range eggs
• Fish – not more than twice a week. Salmon is a good choice but mix it up • Beans
• Tempeh, Organic – (fermented soy). Not more than two times a week
• Nuts & Seeds – watch the salt. Try sticking to the raw form. Even better, soak them overnight so they begin the sprouting process, which releases even more of their nutrients. Watch the serving size (around 10 almonds is an example of a serving size). Going overboard will mean weight gain.
• N ut & Seed Butters – if you cannot stop at 1 tbsp per day, remove the product from your house until after the show. I have had girls confess to me that they ate an entire jar in one day. Don’t let this happen to you! And no peanut butter in your diet.
Good choices include: Organic almond butter and organic pumpkin seed butter (available at most good health food stores and some grocery stores).
Carbohydrate Options
• Millet • Teff • Quinoa
• Oats (Wheat free/ Gluten free)
• Natural rice (no white rice) – brown rice, red rice and black rice are all healthier options.
Fats
• Fish oil • Flax oil
• Organic butter (not for people with dairy/lactose allergy) • Coconut oil
• Hemp oil
Vegetables
• All of them – keep the starchy ones to a minimum and ingest them at lunch only). Have dark leafy greens at night.
• Dark leafy greens daily, no excuses • Sea vegetables daily
• 4-6 servings a day
Fruits
• Only berries, apples and other low glycemic fruits at the three-month-out point • 1-2 fruit servings a day max – earlier in the day
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalSAMPLE MENU
Upon waking up
• Filtered water with lemon – wait 20 minutes before pre-breakfast
Pre-Breakfast
• 1 piece of low glycemic fruit – wait 20 minutes before breakfast
Breakfast
• 1 Digestive enzyme
• 1-2 organic free range eggs (not just the egg whites). The yolk has most the vitamins and minerals. Add 1 dash of Celtic Sea Salt® (includes natural vitamins and minerals and iodine), fresh ground pepper (helps with digestion)
• 1/3 cup (wheat-free) oatmeal with Stevia (natural South American herb used as a sweetener). tbsp flax seeds (hulled or ground for fiber and omega three fatty acids,
organic cinnamon (helps balance blood sugar)
Snack
ONE of the following
• 1/2 cup of raspberries and/or blueberries • 10 almonds & 2 prunes
• Handful of pumpkin seeds
Lunch:
• Digestive enzyme
• 4 oz chicken/ fish / steak (Vegan alternative – Rice & beans) • 1 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup organic non-white rice (choose a whole unprocessed rice). Add Bragg Liquid Aminos® for flavor.
Snack
• Fresh squeezed vegetable juice:
- Apple, beet carrot, ginger, and kale (a superb leafy vegetable that’s delectable and healthy)
- Vega Vibrancy Bar
Dinner
• 1 Digestive Enzyme • Big Salad:
- Mixed dark leafy greens, shredded beats, shredded carrots, steamed spinach, 3 oz chicken (or another protein source)
Post-workout shake
Protein Shake
• 1 cup unsweetened almond or rice milk • 1 tbsp aloe vera juice
• 1 tbsp silica
• 1 tbsp fish oil or flax oil • 1 tsp bee pollen
• 1 tsp glutamine • 2 ice cubes
Here are some options to increase weight loss. Reduce in weekly increments:
Note: Please check with your doctor before trying any of these suggestions.
• Gradually decrease some of the serving sizes in your meals such as 1/2 cup of rice to 1/3 cup of rice
• After a few weeks remove one of the snacks if you reach a plateau
• Once serving sizes are reduced and one snack is eliminated, it is time to gradually increase your cardio. Add 10-15 minutes a day as needed per week. Yes, this method is over
training as it is with almost every sport. It may also be a good idea to take antioxidants, B vitamins, glutamine, and bee pollen to support the excess training.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalFitness Competition Preparation Recipes
Protein Pancakes
• 3 eggs
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder • 3 oz extra firm tofu
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon • 1 dash of pumpkin spice • 1 packet of Stevia (optional)
• 1/4 banana sliced into very thin slices
Mix everything together except the banana. Pour the batter into a non-stick frying pan or use a small amount of Earth Balance Spread® (replacement for butter) or 100% organic butter if necessary. Avoid using cooking oil spray, margarine, or other unnatural fat
substitutes. Pour the batter into the pan and add sliced banana on top. Flip like a pancake. No sugary topping is necessary; it will be sweet enough to eat plain.
Note: In the off season, you can add real maple syrup but not while getting ready for a show.
Tuna Patties
• 1 can of low sodium tuna • 1-2 organic free range eggs
• 1/3 cup of oats (gluten free if you have an intolerance) • Fresh ground black pepper
Mix the above ingredients thoroughly. Grease pan as required with a small amount of Earth Balance Spread® (replacement for butter) or 100% organic butter if necessary. Avoid using cooking oil spray, margarine or other unnatural fat substitutes. Cook both sides until lightly browned.
Dip in 1/4 cup unsweetened organic applesauce.
Sweet Potato Fries (sweet treat)
• 2 large organic sweet potatoes/ Yams • Organic cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp orange zest (optional) • Stevia
Preheat oven to 365ºF. Scrub sweet potatoes (do not peel). Cut into thin strips (Julienne style). Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Lay the sliced potatoes so that none are overlapping in a pan (you will most likely need two pans). Bake for approximately 20 minutes and flip over each potato. Cook until lightly browned. Weigh out 4 oz per serving for the weight loss group and 6 oz for the weight gain group.
Sweet Potato Fries (savory treat)
• 2 large organic sweet potatoes/ yams • Season salt
• Rosemary • Celtic Sea Salt®
Preheat oven to 365ºF. Scrub sweet potatoes (do not peel). Cut into thin strips (Julienne style). Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Lay the sliced potatoes so that none are overlapping in a pan (you will most likely need two pans). Bake for approximately 20 minutes and flip over each potato. Cook until lightly browned. Weigh out 4 oz per serving for the weight loss group and 6 oz for the weight gain group.
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk • Celtic Sea Salt®
• Paprika (optional) • Fresh ground pepper • 1 tbsp Earth Balance®
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalJerk Chicken Salad
• 4 oz (boneless/ skinless) organic chicken chopped into bite- sized pieces • 1 handful of grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cucumber (sliced) • 2 strawberries (sliced) • 1/2 avocado (sliced) • 1/4 clementine
• 1/2 bag of organic baby spinach salad or organic baby greens salad
Seasoned chicken
Combine 1/4 tsp ground sage, 1 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos®, Celtic Sea Salt®, ground pepper, jerk sauce – mix together and coat chicken - leave in fridge for at least 2 hours.
Pour 1 tsp of organic coconut oil into a non-stick pan. Add your seasoned chicken. Cook on stovetop until the chicken is done (about 10 minutes). Put the salad in a big bowl. Cut all vegetables and strawberries into bite-sized pieces. Pour over salad. Add low calorie dressing and enjoy. (Try a healthy dressing combining balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon, olive oil, mustard seed, salt and pepper.)
Lyzabeth’s Power Ball
• 1 cup gogi berries
• 2 cups pumpkin seeds – crushed (you can use a food processor or chop with a knife) • 1/2 cup cocoa nibs (I prefer the sweetened ones)
• 1/4 cup almond butter • 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1/4 cup organic maple syrup • 1/4 cup chia seeds
With hands mash together - shape into ball
Lyzabeth’s Vitality Salad
• 2 cups dark leafy greens • 1 handful of sunflower sprouts • 1 handful of broccoli sprouts • 1 handful of alfalfa sprouts • 1 handful adzuki sprouts • 1/4 avocado
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds • 1 tbsp dried cherries • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Dressing
Mix extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon, Celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper Mix together and enjoy. (This recipe is enough for two salads or one very big salad).
One week out Diet
Note: This process can disturb your body’s natural electrolyte balance so it is imperative that you check with a doctor before deciding to try this diet. You should be supervised by a doctor throughout the entire process.
The week before the show is the time where things get intense. At this point if steps were followed correctly, you can see the transformation. Before starting the program, you need to evaluate your level of leanness. If your body appears to be carrying some water or fat, you might need to do water deplete. If you are lean and already seeing striations, it is not generally recommended that you do a water deplete. If you do, you may end up over-dehydrated and skinny. Additionally you may draw your face in too much.
If you decide not to deplete that water, follow the previous diet and come in as you looked a week before the show. Remember if you over-deplete you will run the risk of coming in ‘skinny’ and your cheeks could appear sunken -- not a good look for a fitness model.
SAMPLE WEEK
(Based on a 120-140lb female). Adjust the serving sizes of food as required. You don’t need to change the supplement amounts.
1 Week out from the show: Workout and Diet Cardio
Monday – Wednesday: should only reflect your conditioning. If you need more fat loss you could go up to 1 hour two times a day. The amount of cardio depends on your conditioning at this point. If you are on point for the show already, you could aim for 20-40 minutes one to two times a day.
Thursday - Saturday: no training – just walking and posing practice.
Do not do any workouts on the last two days before the show, even if you feel you need it! It will only work against you at this point by possibly causing you to retain water and create inflammation in the areas worked. This may cause you to look puffy rather than ripped in these areas.
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalSample Workout Schedule
Monday: Legs, Abs – High Rep Tuesday: Back & Chest - High Rep
Wednesday: Shoulders, Abs & Arms - High Rep – complete before 1pm! Thursday & Friday: Rest, Practice Posing
Note: Conducting high repetitions are important from Monday-Wednesday to burn off the glycogen.
Do not eat more than you are hungry for! You should not feel full. Feeling satisfied is okay or still a bit hungry.
Please try to finish all eating by 7:00pm. Assuming your show is on a Saturday here is a sample plan:
NO starchy/sugary carbohydrates (dark green veggies allowed).
Moderate salt – do not add to food but you do not need to avoid either.
Your last meal should be at least three hours before bed. Workout: Very high rep workout - LEGS – (This should be your last day to train legs)
5 days out - Monday 1 CLA 3x’s a day with food
1 tbsp aloe vera
1 digestive enzyme before each meal
5 liters of water spaced evenly throughout the day (call a doctor immediately if you feel dizzy or begin to sweat for no reason).
Wake up…
Filtered Water with Lemon – wait 20 minutes
Meal 1
1 digestive enzyme Low sodium protein shake with water, ice cubes 1 tbsp aloe vera juice, 1 tsp kelp, 1 tbsp flax or fish oil and 1 tsp L-glutamine, 1 serving CLA 2 hours later
Meal 2
1 digestive enzyme
3 oz chicken, tuna or salmon (Vegan – 1/2 cup quinoa) 1 cup Zucchini, green beans, or asparagus lightly steamed 2 hours later
Meal 3
1 digestive enzyme
3 oz organic baked chicken with natural herbs and spices for flavor (ie rosemary, black pepper etc.)
1 cup green beans or 8 asparagus spears 1 serving CLA 5 days out -
Example Monday
SAMPLE PLAN
Days out from
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au NaturalNO starchy/sugary carbohydrates (dark green veggies allowed)
Moderate salt – do not add to food but you do not need to avoid either
Your last meal should be at least three hours before bed Workout: Very high rep workout - LEGS – (This should be your last day to train legs)
5 days out - Monday 1 CLA 3x’s a day with food
1 tbsp aloe vera
1 digestive enzyme before each meal
5 liters of water spaced evenly throughout the day (call a doctor immediately if you feel dizzy or begin to sweat for no reason)
2 hours later
Meal 4
1 digestive enzyme
Small Salad (just dark greens and seed sprouts) Add lemon and pepper for dressing if you like
2-3 hours later
WORKOUT LEGS
Legs mega high reps – high cardio – burn off all the glycogen
Within 20 minutes
Meal 5
1 digestive enzyme Low sodium shake, water, 1 tbsp aloe vera juice, ice cubes, glutamine, 1 CLA 3 hours before bed
Meal 6
1 digestive enzyme 3oz chicken or lean steak (Vegan option: 1/2 cup quinoa) 1 cup green beans steamed 5 days out -
Example Monday
SAMPLE PLAN
Days out from
Food – same as 5 days out Workout - Upper body very high rep
Cardio will depend on your physique 4 Days out -
Tuesday 1 serving CLA 3x’s a day with food
1 tbsp aloe vera
1 digestive enzyme before each meal
ADD:
2 capsules dandelion/ 2 capsules uva ursi with Meal 1, Meal 3 and Meal 6 1 CLA 3x’s a day with food 1 tbsp aloe vera
1 digestive enzyme before each meal
2 capsules dandelion/ 2 capsules uva ursi with Meal 1, Meal 3 and Meal 6 ADD:
2 99 mg potassium citrate pills with meals 1 & 3
5 liters of DISTILLED water spaced evenly throughout the day (call a doctor immediately if you feel dizzy or begin to sweat for no reason).
5 liters of water spaced evenly throughout the day (call a doctor immediately if you feel dizzy or begin to sweat for no reason).
3 small carb meals (high sugar fruit after lunch only) – NO sodium – natural foods only – nothing that has been processed
No fat
LAST WORKOUT IN MORNING ONLY!
Whole body super high reps – I’m talking 50 plus reps per set! Completely burn out the glycogen + Cardio all done by 12 noon
Wake up…
Filtered Water with Lemon – wait 20 minutes
Meal 1
1 digestive enzyme
Low sodium shake with with water, ice cubes and glutamine, 1 tbsp aloe vera juice 3 tbsp cream of brown rice (CBR) with cinnamon (uncooked measure). Cook with water only
3 days out - Wednesday
3 days out
SAMPLE PLAN
Days out from
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Fitness Competition Preparation Au Natural2 hours later
Meal 2
1 digestive enzyme
3 tbsp cream of brown rice (CBR) with cinnamon (uncooked measure). Cook with water only add 1 prunes or 6 raisins 2 hours later
Meal 3
1 digestive enzyme 1/4 cup quinoa
3 oz organic baked chicken or lean steak with natural herbs and spices for flavor (ie rosemary, black pepper etc. – no salt!) (Vegan option: extra 1/2 cup quinoa * add ¼ cup soaked chia seeds) 1/2 cup green beans 1 CLA
2 hours later
Meal 4
1 digestive enzyme
Dark green salad with seed sprouts (ie sunflower sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, pumpkin seeds.) Lemon juice and pepper dressing. 3 hours later
Meal 5
1 digestive enzyme
low-sodium shake, water, ice cubes, 1 tbsp aloe vera, glutamine, 1 CLA 3 hours before bed
Meal 6
1 digestive enzyme
3oz (chicken, steak or fish – lean) Vegan Option: – ½ cup quinoa or low sodium brown rice protein shake with water 1 cup asparagus plain (or with herbs)
3 days out
SAMPLE PLAN
Days out from