Competed in my first figure competition – Loving it learning more age 45

Goal lift the booty

My goal was very specific, lift the booty. From the first training session, I was loving it and learning more and more. Very simple instructions at first: eat more, lift heavier. It was not long before I was seeing changes that propelled me on. Since high school, when I would go in and out of working out, I had always admired the women bodybuilding pioneers such as Rachael McLish and Lisa Lyon. (Yes, this would have been in the 80’s). Their bodies were beautiful and muscular and symmetrical. Reaching that level was always a far, far away impossible dream, one that I certainly did not think was attainable at 45.

Then, three to four months into the training, sometime in August of 2011, my fabulous trainer turned fabulous friend, Brenda Gabbard, commented that we should work to get me on stage. I gasped and tears welled up in my eyes. It was one of the nicest things I had ever heard and I jumped on it! "Really? Me? You think I can do that?" Yes, said she. We teamed up with another fabulous trainer and fabulous friend, Marie Gibbon, to train for the competitions and for me to learn to pose. We were off with a diet and workout plan to get ready for the NPC Monster Mash at the end of October 2011.

My First Contest

Following a trail of chicken, tuna, sweet potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, four thousand gallons of water, Beverly UMP, Lean Out and 7 Keto, my trainer and I made our way to Harrison, Ohio, for the Monster Mash. So many amazing bodies, beautiful suits, fancy shoes, and the earrings! My purpose there was to learn and to observe and to enjoy the process. Surviving the challenge of the pre-competition diet and all the other contest prep was satisfying in and of itself. It was a personal challenge simply to do the competition.

I was not nervous, or so I thought, partly because my expectations were not high and partly because walking across a stage was not a new thing for me. Having been a Theater major and dancer in college and a lawyer for a profession, I have performed a lot and have been in the hot seat many times. So, walking across stage and doing a few key poses, with no lines to speak, no songs to sing, no choreography to remember, and no client to represent, I thought the stage presentation was the easy part. However, when I got to the middle of the stage, I forgot which way to turn and which hip to hike up! I was a bit befuddled, but I made it through and just laughed at myself for my boo boos.

I did not expect to place and certainly not to win. Did not even know what "first call out" meant until I was backstage and someone told me I was in the first call out. I had thought they were being nice to let me try again because I was so clumsy the first time. To make a long story longer, yes, I was in the first call out for all three categories in that competition. I placed second in Masters 40+, second in Pure Novice and fourth in Figure Open Class A. I smiled from ear to ear for days following that competition, and I was ready for more.

Nutrition and Supplements

My nutrition and supplement program evolves depending upon where I am with training and how my body is responding.

This is the basic pre-competition diet I have followed previously at about 4 weeks out.

4 weeks out:

MEAL 1:

1 serving cream of rice or cream of wheat, 3 oz. chicken and 3 oz. lean red meat

MEAL 2:

3 oz. tuna, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup veggies

MEAL 3:

UMP protein shake, ½ apple

MEAL 4:

5 oz. chicken, 4 oz. sweet potato

MEAL 5:

4 oz. white fish, asparagus spears

MEAL 6:

UMP or Muscle Provider protein shake, 1 cup berries, 3 oz. sweet potato

MEAL 7:

5 oz. chicken or turkey, 1 bell pepper, 1 grapefruit 2 gallons of water

At about 2 weeks out, the diet altered to the following:

MEAL 1: 5 egg whites, 1 cup green beans, 1 serving cream of rice

MEAL 2: 5 oz. white fish, 1 bell pepper

MEAL 3: UMP or Muscle Provider protein shake

MEAL 4: 3 oz. tuna, asparagus, 1 cup green beans

MEAL 5: 3 oz. tuna, asparagus, ½ grapefruit

MEAL 6: 3 oz. lean red meat, ½ grapefruit, asparagus 2 gallons of water at first, then dry out as directed afew days before competition