Confessions of a Bikini Pro Podcast

REIJUANA HARLEY; Saying No to the All or Nothing Mentality, Body Image & Accepting Weight Gain, Committing to a New Lifestyle, & Managing School with Prep & Work

6/26/2020

In this episode, host Celeste Rains-Turk speaks with Reijuana (Rei Rei) Harley, a
successful research analyst, posing expert, and lifestyle coach who quickly rose to the IFBB division. After winning overall at her first show in 2017, Reijuana catapulted to the top of the division at Nationals in Miami one year later.

Reijuana opens up to listeners about her impressive work experience while finishing her master's degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology. During her first national show prep, she was working two full-time jobs, a remote internship, with multiple research obligations but continued to place an emphasis on her goals in bodybuilding. She explains that her often mentally exhausting court cases and client load has shown her the importance of taking recovery days, commitment, and prioritizing efficiently.

Celeste and Reijuana discuss time management, mindfulness, and the importance of
preparation for success. She explains that bringing extra jewelry, an additional pair of high-heels, and an emergency meal allows for time to enjoy show day without stressed-induced anxiety. Reijuana explains that understanding your limitations and not continuously “filling your plate back up” is necessary to set healthy boundaries.

Reijuana inspires listeners about her previous destructive lifestyle and how bodybuilding gave her the strength she needed to better herself. She explains that a scary situation at a party made her value the company she surrounds herself with. In addition to also surviving an abusive relationship, Reijuana explains to Celeste about her previous binge-eating disorder and how she used to take sleeping pills to avoid eating.

Reijuana explains how post-show blues left her fearing weight gain, wearing baggy
clothes, and guilt with eating. She explains that finding her why with competing allowed her to embrace weight gain and love her body in all forms. She also ditched the “all or nothing” mentality and embraces living a balanced lifestyle for mental wellness. Reijuana transformed her mindset of seeing food as “good” or “bad” to food for fuel. Her newfound focus on health, in addition to her intrinsic discipline, was key to her climbing the ranks to the IFBB division.

Finally, Reijuana gives her best tips to first time competitors and bikini competitors on their road to pro.

Reijuana is the epitome of beauty and brains! Her transformation from party girl to
IFBB bikini Pro and realistic approach to a healthy lifestyle creates an episode you do not want to miss!

CONNECT WITH REI REI:
https://www.instagram.com/reijuana_ifbbpro/
https://linktr.ee/reireibikini
CONNECT WITH CELESTE:
www.celestial.fit
instagram.com/celestial_fit

EPISODE TIME STAMPS:
[1:45] Reijuana’s pre-stage ritual
[3:30] Reijuana’s education/work experience
[9:49] Making mental health a priority in her high-stress job
[12:00] The beginning of Reijuana’s bodybuilding career
[16:48] Reijuana’s tips to celeste about managing bodybuilding/job and school obligations
[20:07] Rei Rei gives stress management tips
[27:20] Reijuana’s daily routine/lifestyle and posing business/career
[31:12] Life of partying and drugs before bodybuilding/ Reijuana’s wake up call
[35:08] Surviving an abusive relationship
[37:20] Transition from cheerleading to weight lifting
[39:34] Reijuanas past of binge eating disorder/taking pills/overtraining
[45:10] Changing your body mindset/trying to fit in
[50:24] How Reijuana improved her relationship with food
[54:22] Post-prep blues/How to enjoy the holidays/social gatherings with food
[1:10:23] Pressure of being stage lean/embracing weight gain
[1:14:02] Promotion of weight loss on social media/Ditching to value of the scale
[1:22:00] Preparing for her Pro debut
[1:27:06] Reijuana’s best advice to competitors/road to pro

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VALERIE LUSVARDI; Flexible Dieting vs IIFYM, Liver Support, Calories in Calories Out (and Other BS), Visualizing Success, and Variables to Consider to Generate Results

6/19/2020

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In this episode, host Celeste Rains-Turk interviews IFBB bikini pro, mother of 3, and wife Valerie Lusvardi who went pro in 2018 at Masters Nationals. She is an online coach certified in biomechanics & execution as well as nutrition & program design through N1 educations.

Valerie talks about how important words of affirmation, mindset, and visualization are to her. She uses training as an outlet and it helped her fight through postpartum depression. Mental health is something that is important to Valerie and she is committed to maintaining a good mindset.

Valerie shares her approach to food and how she maintains a balance while also doing her best to support her body’s function. She speaks about dinner date nights with her husband, body image during improvement season diet, and flexible dieting VS IIFYM.

Stress is something Valerie has experienced and being a coach, she can use her experiences to help her clients when they are going through similar struggles. Keeping an open line of communication with her clients is a priority. She wants her clients to feel that they can let their guards down and be vulnerable in their journey.

Valerie also provides insight into keeping your liver healthy, using food to nourish your body, and how she approaches her training since embarking on her journey and evolving as a coach.
Valerie reminisces about her experiences competing in Puerto Rico along with Robyn Maher and Sarah Devore. She recommends that all competitors should have the experience of a destination show!

Celeste wraps up the show like any other by asking Valerie what her advice would be for a first time competitor and a competitor whose goal is to go pro.

CONNECT WITH VALERIE:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vavoomvscfit/
All Links: https://lnk.bio/vavoomvscfit

CONNECT WITH CELESTE:
https://instagram.com/celestial_fit
www.celestial.fit

EPISODE TIME STAMPS

1:45 Pre-show rituals
2:35 Visualization
6:40 Pro card win experience
9:49 Doing your own hair and make up for a show
12:58 Life before competing
14:33 Sales for Rich Dad Poor Dad
16:31 Fitness lifestyle inspired by postpartum depression
18:35 Ways to focus on mental health
19:54 Ways to reduce stress and committing to doing them
24:08 How competing has impacted marriage
26:45 Eating - specifically on date nights
30:10 Struggles with seeing body changes post show and in improvement season
34:36 The importance of improvement season
39:50 Different factors in losing weight
43:25 Liver support
45:53 Flexible dieting VS IIFYM
48:19 Mindset about food
50:21 Favorite/strange prep food
51:37 Overcoming stressful times
54:17 Applying self experiences to clients
58:03 How to deal with resistance from clients
59:06 Open communication with clients
1:04:24 Growth through bodybuilding
1:06:51 Competing in Puerto Rico
1:13:42 Advice for someone who has never competed before but wants to
1:14:57 Advice for an amateur who wants to go pro
1:15:48 Where you can connect with Valerie Lusvardi

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JULI LOPEZ; Don't Cheat Yourself, Learning from Experience, Stick to Your Best Look, and Learn from the Best

6/12/2020

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In this episode, host Celeste Rains-Turk speaks with Juli Lopez, a personal trainer and owner of Iron Babe Fitness, a business student and IFBB Bikini Pro who earned her pro card at Miami Nationals in 2018.

Celeste kicks off the episode the way she always does by asking Juli about her pre stage ritual. Then, Celeste asks Juli about the process she took to build muscle after always being skinny growing up. Juli explains that through consistency and goal setting she saw her body changing, eventually leading her to diligently research coaches before finding the right fight and making the decision to compete.

Celeste and Juli discuss the potential her coach saw in Juli before ever having competed and what they did to bring her thoughts and projections to fruition. From there, Juli talks about her early success as an amateur and how that really set the stage for her pursuing bigger goals and aspirations as a competitor.

Celeste then transitions the conversation into the mindset that Juli took on, not just setting her sights on becoming a pro, but enjoying the journey and bettering herself as an athlete overall.

Next, Juli talks about what made her decide to take a break from the stage despite being so determined and focused. Juli shares the feedback the judges gave her that led her to return to the national stage and eventually earn her pro status, as well as the strategies and approaches she and her coach took with her training and nutrition to make the necessary changes.

Celeste then asks Juli the fun question of which exercises for glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders, Juli finds best for building those target muscle groups. From there, Celeste transitions the conversation to a newer topic that has not been discussed much on the show before and that is the topic of dating during prep. Juli shares her thoughts, opinions, and experiences with dating during prep and living the lifestyle of a competitor.

Next, the conversation shifts to a day in the life for Juli. Celeste asks Juli what her typical day to day looks like and Juli discusses certain rituals and practices she has to keep herself focused on her goals, despite having a busy schedule. Here, Juli talks about her idea of “don’t cheat yourself” and how that mindset motivates her to stay focused on going after her goals.

Celeste and Juli discuss Juli’s business and what misconceptions and stereotypes others tend to have surrounding the concept of being your own boss. Juli also offers a discount on her booty bands with code 'Bikini20' that you can find using the link to connect with Juli in the show notes! Celeste talks with Juli about how prep has positively influenced her life and business by teaching her to be very detail oriented.

The conversation then shifts back to Juli’s career as a competitor and what it was like to step on stage next to some of the top competitors in the sport who have graced some of the most prestigious stages and what then led her to take time away from the stage and transition into her first real improvement season.

Juli shares that during her prep for her pro shows she ended up injuring her hamstring, yet did not disclose that information to her coach and continued to push through to the stage. Juli also walks us through her mindset and thought process as to why she decided to continue prep and hit the pro stage shortly after earning her pro status instead of first taking an off season.

Celeste asks Juli the process it took for Juli to finally find her show day look and she shares tips on how to choose the suit and hair color that best fits your physique. Finally, concluding the episode Juli shares her advice for new competitors and girls on their road to pro.
Connect with Juli:
https://www.instagram.com/ironbabejl/
https://www.ironbabe.shop/

Connect with Celeste:
https://www.instagram.com/celestial_fit/
www.celestial.fit

Episode Time Stamps:
[1:25] Juli shares with listeners her pre-stage ritual.

[2:20] Celeste asks Juli about the process it took her to build muscle.

[4:40] Juli shares how she discovered bodybuilding and what led her to competing.

[8:10] Celeste asks Juli if her early success as an amateur really propelled her forward to keep striving for more in the sport.

[9:48] Celeste asks Juli about what she did for her mindset while staying focused on her goals.

[12:00] Juli talks about how she knows when it's time to step back and take a break.

[15:35] Celeste asks Juli about the strategy she took to help grow her upper body.

[19:10] Celeste has Juli share her top exercises for glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders.

[20:27] Juli discusses the topic of dating during prep.

[24:00] Juli shares what her typical day looks like.

[26:40] Celeste asks Juli about rituals and practices she has to keep her goals at the forefront of her mind.

[30:00] Celeste and Juli talk about what it’s like owning their own businesses, what it’s taught them, and common misconceptions people have about “being their own boss.”

[32:50] Juli discusses her thoughts on how prep has influenced her life positively, in competing and her business, by being detail oriented.

[37:30] Juli shares what’s changed in her approach to training since stepping away from the stage since her pro debut and starting an improvement season.

[39:30] Celeste asks Juli to share her experiences stepping on stage as a new pro amongst top competitors and seasoned pros.

[43:30] Celeste and Juli discuss what Juli’s mindset was like continuing to prep with an injury and without her coach knowing.

[48:40] Juli talks about what drove her to push to compete on the pro level instead of first taking a break after earning her pro card.

[50:00] Celeste asks Juli how she went about finding her best show day look.

[51:20] Juli shares her advice and opinions on picking the proper hair and suit color for the stage.

[54:30] Julie gives advice to new competitors and girls on their road to pro.

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JORDAN WONDERGEM; Self-Coached to Co-Coach, Elite Mindset, Aligning with Your Goals, Prepping to Go Pro

6/5/2020

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In this episode, host Celeste Rains-Turk sits down with IFBB Pro Jordan Wondergem, who won her pro card at her first national show and is now going into her fifth year of competing. She is a coach for bikini and lifestyle clients who believes in living your life on prep, giving your all, and truly enjoying the competition lifestyle in every season.

Jordan coached herself until her prep leading into the North Americans National show where she earned her Pro-card. She learned what and what not to do and gained experience while coaching herself but wanted to take her physique to the next level. By hiring a coach, Jordan was able to dig deep and learn how to push to the pro level.

Mindset is something Jordan is very passionate about. She believes that having the right mindset is everything when it comes to achieving your goals and that it will set you apart from the rest. Affirmations are a huge part of her daily routine. Another passion she has is being able to fit competing into her lifestyle. Jordan explains how she can enjoy social aspects of situations while following her prep to a T even if she needs to be a busier person to do so.

This lifestyle has been one Jordan had followed even before her time competing. Celeste and Jordan talk about how having that base of the lifestyle makes for an easier transition into competing rather than just jumping in. Having goals with a deadline and seeing herself progress is what drives her most and has her whole life.

Now that shows have been cancelled, Jordan is focusing on the positives of postponing prep. She was devastated when she learned that the Vancouver Pro show had been cancelled but has realized this could actually work out for the best. With her new relationship having a time limit on time spent together she can now focus on having fun and having a more enjoyable prep when her new boyfriend goes off to boot camp. She also speaks on how she has handled client’s shows being cancelled so gracefully.

Jordan goes into what her peak week looks like as well as what post show looks like for her. It is a new and different approach from what she had ever practiced while coaching herself and she is excited that she can pass these strategies onto her own clients.

Celeste brings the show to an end by asking Jordan about some favorites regarding prep food and training and of course advice for women thinking about competing and those looking to go pro themselves.

Jordan’s passions shine through in this episode and inspire a better mindset!

CONNECT WITH JORDAN HERE:
https://www.instagram.com/jordan.dee.ifbbpro/
https://linktr.ee/Jordanwondergem

CONNECT WITH CELESTE HERE:
instagram.com/celestial_fit
WWW.CELESTIAL.FIT

EPISODE TIME STAMPS
1:30 Pre-show rituals
3:11 Hype songs that get you through prep
5:19 Jordan talks about being self coached until national show prep and then having a coach for national prep
7:59 Monitoring progress while self coaching
9:14 Having self doubt while coaching yourself
10:23 Receiving feedback from a coach
11:18 Methods Jordan developed from coaching herself. Learning what to do and what not to do.
12:53 Learning how to coach properly from experiences coaching herself
13:30 What has been different for Jordan since having a coach
15:08 HUGE conditioning difference
15:38 What it took to prep for the level of conditioning needed to become pro
17:00 Being so lean it hurts / family worrying
20:00 Prep for pro card win
22:00 Feelings during North Americans show
22:59 Sensing how well you’re going to place
23:55 Re-doing tan for finals to make or break becoming pro
25:36 Difference between preps with and without coach
27:03 Doing more cardio
28:07 Having the mindset of believing in yourself
29:44 Daily rituals Jordan performs to stay in the right mindset
32:05 The difference between an elite competitor and the rest
34:05 How to fit competing into your lifestyle and enjoy the social aspect of situations
36:15 Choosing to be busy so you can still live your life
38:16 Having a base of the lifestyle before competing
40:03 Jordan explains she is self driven by progress
41:55 Goals and priorities during improvement season
45:28 Having a goal in sight to be in the right mindset for a prep
47:38 Game plans now that shows are being cancelled
49:57 Focusing on the positives of prep being postponed
53:39 How Jordan is handling shows being cancelled as a coach
56:44 Peak week protocols
1:00:36 Depletion meals post show
1:05:25 Favorite / strangest prep meal
1:07:12 Favorite exercise for glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders
1:09:45 Advice for someone who has never competed but wants to
1:11:09 Advice for an amateur trying to go pro
1:13:35 Where you can connect with Jordan Wondergem

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REIJUANA HARLEY; Saying No to the All or Nothing Mentality, Body Image & Accepting Weight Gain, Committing to a New Lifestyle, & Managing School with Prep & Work

VALERIE LUSVARDI; Flexible Dieting vs IIFYM, Liver Support, Calories in Calories Out (and Other BS), Visualizing Success, and Variables to Consider to Generate Results

JULI LOPEZ; Don't Cheat Yourself, Learning from Experience, Stick to Your Best Look, and Learn from the Best

JORDAN WONDERGEM; Self-Coached to Co-Coach, Elite Mindset, Aligning with Your Goals, Prepping to Go Pro

Confessions of a Bikini Pro Podcast

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