I
am often asked how I got started in Body Building, what motivated me, and how
strict my diet was.
The photo below is from my very first Body Building
Competition. I took First place in my class and was also the Overall Women's
Champion. Let me tell you, this was the fourth most incredible moment in my
life. (My daughters have the top three ranking!)
In the fall of 1997 I
started training with a personal trainer (now my husband) basically to improve
my form and learn proper lifting technique. After about a month of training
with him and completely changing my eating habits, other people starting
noticing significant changes and asked me if I was training for a contest. Not
knowing exactly what they meant, I asked my trainer "what is this contest"
everyone keeps asking me about. After he explained what it entailed I was
intrigued. He explained that it required a lot of hard work, time &
discipline. That wasn’t enough to deter me, I wasn't afraid of the work
involved, I just wasn't sure parading on a stage in a tiny bikini flexing and
posing was something that I wanted to do. Nevertheless, I decided that I was
going to do it.
I had been training for about 2 months when I decided the day
before Thanksgiving that I was going to enter my first amateur bodybuilding
competition that was coming up in February of 1998. I was going to be 30 that
April and I thought this would be my next accomplishment.
So began an even stricter eating regime and a grueling
workout schedule. I was not going to let anything get in my way, and I
remained focused and dedicated, giving it 100% for the next 3 months.
I started taking photos each month to track my progress. Back then
people were not taking videos with their phones and posting daily pics
in the gym. I kept a journal of everything I ate, drank (which was
only water, nothing else), and did during the day (3 years worth, which I still
have in boxes in the barn. I joke that one day maybe I will publish a
book).
The next step was choosing music and putting together a
routine. I decided on a song by Eric Clapton, "You Can Leave Your Hat
On." Having absolutely no dance experience myself, it was necessary to
call in a professional. I had a fabulous and very patient choreographer who put
together a sexy, feminine & dazzling routine for my 1998
Flint Mid Michigan performance
where I was the overall winner. I also competed in the 1998
Natural Michigan with a similar routine to the same song. The next
year I had a new sassy routine for the 1999
Great Lakes Natural (My favorite part of this video is
hearing my daughters yell "go mommie" throughout it.) On
top of everything else I was doing, I then had to schedule time for tanning,
while working on my routine and learning the poses for the contest which was
rapidly approaching.
The support and kindness I received from everyone who
helped and cheered me on those last few weeks was awesome.
The
day of the contest I was so nervous, but I was ready and prepared. That day was
a whirlwind of emotions. More than 70 people including my family, friends and
many members from the gym that I trained at were out in the audience cheering
me on and hollering my name. The morning entailed pre-judging where you go out
on stage and are compared to all the other women in your weight division (I was
in the middle weight division). There are a number of required poses you are
expected to do. Then, you have about 60 seconds to go on the stage as an
individual and do your own posing routine for the judges. In the evening, that
is when the real fun happens. You have 90 seconds to go out and perform your
routine (that you saw in the link above) for the audience and show off all your
hard work. I went out there on that stage and performed my heart out.
At
the end the event we are called back out on stage to announce the winners. I
remember two women already congratulating me before anything had even been
announced. I was the only competitor on that stage from a different gym. When
they announced my name as the first place winner I can't tell you how amazed
and surprised I was. Then, I had to go back out on stage and compete against
the other two women in the other divisions (light and heavy). All I heard while
I was out there were the screams and cheers from the audience all yelling my
name. I went out there and boy I made sure that I was going through my posing
routine front and center, the judges weren't going to overlook me. I had come
this far and I was determined to go all the way! My heart was pounding so fast
when they handed my award to me; words can't even express what I felt. I was
just overwhelmed to have so many of my family and friends around me to share
that incredible moment with.
The discipline and hard work paid off.
During
the time while I was preparing for the contest, I ate 6-7 small meals a day. I trained
twice a day with my trainer, rode the Airdyne bike 3 times a day for 20 minutes every six hours
for my cardio (and I’m not talking about a leisurely ride, they left me
breathless). I would practice my routine over and over. I practiced it forward, backwards, in
the dark, to music, not to music, blindfolded; I had to be prepared for
anything that could happen while I was out on that stage.
Chicken, fish, egg
whites, hard boiled eggs and oatmeal, along with plenty of fresh vegetables & salads made up
many of my daily meals. When I first had to make modifications to my eating habits,
I wasn't sure that I would be satisfied. You'll be amazed to find out how
satisfied you are when you control your portion sizes and eat every 3 hours. It
takes a little getting used to at first, but after a few weeks it is like
second nature. Preparation is key! I always made sure that I had plenty of
meals prepared ahead of time and kept a cooler of food with me at all times.
This way, I knew I would never miss a meal and I could stay on track.
Healthy, clean eating habits, plenty of cardio, yoga and weights are a necessary combination
to meet your goals. The weekly deep tissue massages were a welcomed treat. I wouldn't have made the progress I did had I neglected any
one of these areas.
Overall,
this was an absolutely incredible experience. Shortly after competing is when I decided to
pursue my certification in Personal Training and start helping others lead a
healthier and fitter life. After my experience with this, I saw how my hard
work and determination affected the lives of so many others close to me. Family and friends started changing their behaviors and engaging in more physical activity and making healthier choices all around. Some ask me if I will compete again, well we will just
have to wait and see.
1998 Flint Mid Michigan
Overall Women's Champion
1999 Great Lakes Michigan
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