Figure Competition April 2010
by ladenette on Monday, February 8th, 2010 | No Comments
What started out as an innocent goal to look a bit more trimmed and defined ended up with me in a figure competition standing on a stage in a skimpy two-piece bikini made up of no more than a quarter of a yard of fabric! The preparation and training leading up to the show showed me how in addition to a 
sound training and diet plan, determination, motivation, and focus are the key ingredients to successfully achieving any fitness goal.
sound training and diet plan, determination, motivation, and focus are the key ingredients to successfully achieving any fitness goal. 1st Figure Competition 4/17/10 The good the bad and the ugly. It all started on Feb. 8, with the decision to just dive in and go for it. I had not even had been to a competition.
After the initial meeting with my trainer, I was provided with a training and nutrition plan designed to lose body fat while gaining some moderate amounts of muscle. With the excellent diet plan, training regimen, and raw determination, I jumped in head first.
Once underway, I was determined to see it to the end, although I threatened many times not to go on stage if I had a saggy butt! Determination is essential at the outset of this endeavor, or any for that matter, due to the strict diet and training schedule that must be maintained in order to succeed.
I started strict dieting and intense weight training for two months (what in the world was I thinking)?, which was probably obscene now looking back. The looming thought of failure made me even more determined to succeed – it was as if something in me switched to total determination mode and I was going to do whatever it took to reach my goal.
It is imperative that regardless of whether your fitness goal is to compete or just lose those pounds that you may have gained over the years, that you be motivated to reach your goals. There were several sources of motivation that allowed me to go through the journey of preparing for my first figure show.
Being that it would be my first show, I wanted to at least fit in with the other competitors, most of which had plenty of previous experience. My expectations were not so much to win, but to at least to look like I belonged on stage as a “figure girl”. Visualizing myself as a “figure girl” who fit in was my main source of self-motivation along with my unrelenting determination to succeed. My second source of motivation was seeing my body change on a weekly, and sometimes, daily basis. But training for a competition is vastly different from general training due to the nature of the diet and intensity of training required of you daily regardless of how tired and run down you feel. To see my body transform was not only fascinating, but motivating as well. My obliques coming out for the first time was the icing on the cake and the motivation I received from that drove me all the way home to the end.
Another important source of motivation for me was my trainer. Her honesty, patience, and knowledge were priceless and because she is a competitor herself, she knows the dedication and hard work that is necessary to reach the end successfully. And besides, I had to answer to her on a weekly basis with no excuses! I was not about to let her think I was a quitter! The trusting relationship I had with my trainer made the journey fun and she knew exactly what encouraging words were needed to keep me motivated.
My last, but certainly not least, source of motivation was my family. When times got tough and I just wanted to have that pizza and ice cream, they stepped in and saved me from myself. Luckily, those episodes did not happen often but when they did my family was there to cheer me on. And who else would put up with a competitor during the last couple weeks before a show anyway! But somehow, with humor, they helped me persevere and reach my goal. If this is not part of your personality, you better find it because focus is essential for bodybuilding success! As with any goal, being focused on the end result is imperative.
When training for a show it is very easy to “cheat” on the diet or not workout one day because you are wiped out and exhausted. But seeing the goal clearly and remaining focused on the goal will get you through those tough times; which are many! I became the most focused during the last month, and especially the last two weeks before the show, because it was the most challenging time. I was physically and mentally drained, and craving my beloved carbs. A fierce focus is what carried me through this trying period.
My success was relative to where I started. Just a girl wanting to lose some extra pounds to being on stage and looking awesome in a skimpy two-piece bikini, if I do say so myself, in an auditorium with a huge crowd of spectators ! Although I did not win a trophy I did place in the top 10 in all 4 events I was entered in, I successfully reached my goal. I definitely fit in as a “figure girl” and certainly belonged on stage with the others who also worked so hard. Now I got the bug and would really like to win that trophy next time around.
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