A show physique isn’t meant to be maintained.
But it should always be respected.
Even though being stage lean can seem kind of scary to most and raise a lot of eyebrows in the family or circles of people around us...
It’s undeniably necessary for being competitive.
If you are not willing or ABLE to get lean enough for the stage, then do not commit to a show
I think anyone and everyone can set their mind to the stage and compete but Unfortunately it can do more harm than good for many too
That can be mentally, emotionally, and of course physically
In this photo I was probably around 13% body fat.
Most women’s bodies are not meant to ever be that lean
Our body doesn’t feel safe enough to reproduce, and it can’t insulate, or protect itself really
Exhibit A: reproductive hormones bein weird af and actin a fool givin you longer periods, no periods, irregular ones, or spotty!
Exhibit B: holding onto food, water, and salt after a show
Exhibit C: toward end of prep with lower energy, stomach screaming for more food, and sometimes “prep brain”
I personally LOVEEE the shreds. I love the look, I love the work to get there, and I love the anticipation of seeing what’s under the fluff and stepping on stage!
But, looking back on photos I’m actually able to appreciate being more curvy now.
I know that I HAVE to put on muscle in order to beat this.
Most people don’t put on much muscle in their improvement season, especially natural athletes, because they are too afraid to eat more, cut back on cardio, and rest!!!
But my point is, as a competitor, we need to respect stage lean, but we also need to understand the importance of growth
If you really want to beat your last leanest self, you need to build.
Imagine how 2-3 or even 7 pounds of muscle (depending how much time you take off) could impact the way you look at your leanest!?
And the more muscle you have the more of a burning machine you become
Love the fluff and love the cut because if you’re going to commit to improvement and the shreds then you might as well love your body through the process!
Not to mention, stressing about how you look will create a negative environment for both shredding down or bulking up
Take care of your mind and watch your body follow!
As a mindset, self-love, food freedom, and personal development coach I’ve begun introducing my mission of, building more than just a body, to the competition world, specifically bikini competitors
I developed a free coaching series to help competitors make more peace with their body, especially in the improvement season!
You can get access to the post show personal development series by clicking here!
What would you want me to create for prep needs? I’ve got some ideas turning but Slide in the DMs and let me know!
Let's Build More than Just a Body
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