Transforming My Body: From Hating P.E. to Competing in Bodybuilding Shows

When I moved away to Illinois State University, I found a Gold’s Gym nearby to work out at. I saw the fittest trainer I had ever seen in person- Judy Weichman and I thought to myself, “Wow! I want to look like her! What a great figure!” She inspired me to take my body to the next level and compete. I knew absolutely nothing and looked to Judy to help me. At the time (2010), bikini was a new division, and she thought it would be a good fit.

It was tough. Being in college and having a healthy lifestyle/diet while prepping for a show do not go hand-in-hand. I did everything she told me, including using Beverly products, especially Lean Out, 7-Keto MuscLean, and UMP! I stepped on stage twelve weeks later and won my first bikini show. After that, I was hooked! I did two more shows that year.

After graduating, I immediately enrolled in nursing school. However, during this time, I was diagnosed with Cushing's disease and a pituitary tumor. I underwent brain surgery and gained weight throughout this period, but I still tried to remain active.

Three years later, I was a full-time nurse and engaged. (By the way, my husband and I met at the gym. How cool is that! He is my rock and always supports me). A year later, I was pregnant and in nurse practitioner school.

I have always followed the IFBB professional league, and last year, watching the Olympia inspired me to try and compete again after 9 years.

I questioned myself, can I do this again? I am older and now post-baby.

Once again, I turned to my friend and coach, IFBB pro, Judy Weichman. Using Beverly International products, I prepped for 16 weeks and stepped on stage. It was great! But I knew I could do better. In the second half of this year, I took 20 weeks to prep for the Mid-Illinois Winter Classic in Figure.

I won the Novice class and received 2nd place in the Open.

Looking ahead to next year, I plan on competing in the fall. I am excited to use the off-season to build more muscle.

I want to point out that I do not work in the fitness industry. I work full-time, 12-hour night shifts as a nurse practitioner. Fail to plan, plan to fail. I prep my food in Ziploc baggies and have my own drawer in the fridge so I can grab everything and go. It is a challenge to get meals in and do cardio/lifting, but it can be done. I have a plate-loaded machine I use on the days I work, so I don’t have to drive to the gym. I go to my local Gold’s Gym on days I am off.

Nutrition

I weigh/measure all my food and put it in Ziplock bags. I write the measurements on them with a Sharpie. Some of my bags might hold 1/3 cup rice, and others ½ cups. This makes it much easier and takes up much less room than Tupperware in the fridge. It also saves washing dishes.

Before work, I consolidate all the bags containing that day's meals into one container. I simply retrieve the necessary bags corresponding to that specific meal during meal times.

Here's a look at my diet 8 weeks out from a show.

Meal 1: 4 egg whites, 1 egg, 3 rice cakes

Meal 2: 4oz chicken, 8 asparagus spears

Meal 3: 5oz tilapia, 1/3 cup jasmine rice, 1 cup green veggies

Meal 4: 5oz beef, ¼ cup jasmine rice, 1 cup green veggies

Meal 5 (post-workout): Muscle Provider shake

Meal 6: 3oz chicken, 2 rice cakes, 1 tbsp peanut butter

***One day in mid-week, I’ll add some carbs by eating one additional rice cake at meals 1 & 5 and increasing the rice serving to ½ cup at meals 3 & 4.

Presentation Tips

Everyone says this, but practice, practice, practice! Even if you aren’t in your best shape, practicing is important so you are comfortable with the flow. You can also consider hiring a posing coach for valuable tips and insights. Autumn Cleveland, an IFBB figure pro, is an excellent resource who can help you with your posing techniques. Another helpful tip is to walk around in your stage heels at home!

Training Routine

As I’ve gotten older, I've come to appreciate the power of the mind-muscle connection. It's not just about lifting weights; it's about honing in on the specific muscles you want to work and focusing on contracting and squeezing them.

Here is an excellent workout for the figure competitor or anyone who aspires to look like one. I often perform two warm-up sets on many of the exercises in addition to the work sets listed.

Cardio

I love the stair mill and recently have enjoyed the bike as something different. I usually do 20-30 minutes of low-impact cardio 4 days/week in the off-season. During prep, I start with 20 minutes daily and then go up from there. I have an elliptical at my house. It’s so easy to roll out of bed, get on it in the morning, and get my fasted cardio out of the way. It was a great investment.