The Road to my First NPC Bikini Show – Week 9

Hey Guys! Well I am done with my first 3 weeks of prep and about to start my fourth! I can not believe that I am already almost a month into my prep! Time really flies by when you are prepping! Between work, working out, and prepping I feel like my summer is escaping! Unfortunately Summer always ends up feeling super short to me. Luckily I am going on vacation to NC with my best friend this weekend! I plan on soaking up the sun, getting in some awesome HITT workouts, and making new memories! Most importantly, I really need to utilize this time to refocus, relax, and channel some energy to complete the remaining 6 1/2 weeks once I am back!

Last Weeks Prep Life

Last week was a little strange for me. Through the first four days I was really wondering if my counts were too high because I was not dropping weight from the previous week. Then that Friday, when I decided to make a more drastic change to my macros, I woke up weighting less. I decided that I need to stop being impatient and just stick to my count regardless of what the scale says.  Overall I believe that my weight fluctuation was just water retention and too much salt. Thankfully it all worked out by the end of the week and I hit my new low weight of 121.6! That means that I dropped a pound in the last week! PERFECT!

One of my main goals this prep is to define my hamstrings and glutes as well as tone my quads down. Hamstrings and glutes are one some of the main areas that bikini competitors are judged on so I need to make sure that they pop when I strike my pose! To make sure this happens, I have been incorporating lower body in twice a week with one of the workouts solely focused on those two areas. I still need to lose quite a bit of fat in my thighs but I think I am starting to see a difference. I have been staying in the lower set range ( 3 sets) since I am newer to this 12 -15+ rep range I have been incorporating the last couple weeks. Using a higher rep range requires a muscle endurance that I am not quite used to using since I normally lift in the 8-12 rep range which is known for muscle hypertrophy (aka muscle growth). This upcoming week I plan on staying in the higher rep range while trying to keep the weight as high as I can.  I still plan on lifting heavy with a lower rep range every few workouts so I can hopefully keep most of my strength and muscle growth. This week, getting all of my lifting workouts in before I leave for NC on Saturday morning will also be a goal.

Now that I am getting closer to my show I am going to have to really start grinding away at these carbs. I am going to do another cut of calories and take most of it off my carb intake. I still have high energy for the most part so I don’t think the low carb diet will really affect me until a couple weeks. I have been eating a lot of turkey bacon and ground turkey because it is simply amazing. My favorite meal has been a turkey burger on a 100 calorie wheat thin bun. I load it with spinach, avocado, jalapenos and salsa. OMG. It is heaven in my mouth. My most commonly prepared meal so far has been 4 oz of chicken, 1/2 cup of brown rice, 2 oz of green beans (asparagus or broccoli), 1 oz sweet pepper, and 1 oz of avocado. I have also grown an intense love for sweet potatoes. They are BOMB.

I would not make it through this prep without my protein bars though. They feed my sweet tooth and are my dessert most days I need a fix! I love them for when I am at work and need a snack as well. I usually just pair it with some low-fat cottage cheese or hard-boiled eggs and I end up with a quick, low fat, high protein meal. I have been using a few different kinds including Pure Protein, Quest, and Luna Bars. If you need help picking out the right bar or want to make your own go read my blog Power Protein Bars.

I am slightly nervous that this vacation might throw me a bit off track with my workout and diet. I am packing my 6 Pack Ab meal bag with my full days worth of food for the drive down all day Saturday so I don’t have to worry that day. I am going to bring oatmeal, protein powder, protein bars, and  more from my house and I plan on going full grocery shopping so I can prep for the following weeks worth of meals. I am also packing my supplements which include all my vitamins, oils, and BCAAs.

While I am there I am planning on finding a gym where I can lift at least three of the 6 days of travel. I am most likely going to break my workouts up by doing back and bis, shoulders/chest and tris , and then legs/glutes . I will also do a couple cardio inspired HITT workouts and runs on the beach! Ill try to document as much as I can!

I am happy with my progress so far but my show can not come soon enough. I am so anxious to see the final result and it is killing me! I have been getting a lot of questions on if eating strictly and not drinking has been worth it and the answer is YES!  I have people look at me and say that life is too short to worry about calorie counting but that is not what this is to me. It is not about being the skinniest or anything like that. To me I feel that my focus has finally transitioned itself to something I feel passionate about and it makes me feel like a have a purpose to fulfill. I am no longer draining away energy thinking about the what ifs and wants. It is now happening and I am going to get what I have had my eyes set on for so long! That is what life is too short for, not following what makes you happy in life.

On another note, I finally pulled the trigger on buying a competition suit and it came in! It is gorgeous! I am so happy and can not wait to show it off on stage. I am not going to show a picture because I want it to be a suprise but it is blue and covered in A/B crystals. I also have my shoes and I plan on bedazzling them to match my suit. Now all I have to buy for my outfit is matching jewelry and makeup!

• Look up posing classes and schedule one.
• Look up other items I will need to purchase for the competition.
• Apply for a NPC card.
• Apply for the show.
• Drink more water!

In comparison to the last couple weeks, I am starting to notice a slimmer mid section and more definition in my hamstrings and roundness in my glutes.  Slow and steady wins the race friends! I cant wait to catch up with you all next week! Thanks for reading.