Update: Prepping for NPC Nationals

The NPC National Championships is only 6 weeks away! The competition is held in Atlanta, GA at the Hyatt Regency (Nov 9-10) and thousands of amazing competitors will be there with their 'A' game! My good freind Erin is also competing in this show (in the figure division) and it has been so great to have her to go through this with. After having a fun 12 weeks 'off' (with lots of yummy-ness over the summer), I began my preparations for nationals on August 19th- 12 weeks out. I have been experiencing a plethora of emotions the past 6 weeks. The first few weeks of the strict diet were full of self doubt and second guessing. But once I was in week 4, I could see progress and started feeling more confident. I am now in the excited phase (and will probably re-visit self doubt at some point in the next few weeks). It's a difficult process- not just physically but mentally. A good motto I've been telling myself is 'willpower is like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.' This is very true. If you can muster up just enough strength to not give up (one day at a time), a day becomes 3 days, 3 days becomes a week, and a week becomes a month. Baby steps. The hardest part by far is the diet. When I start getting really lean and cut out all carbs (except fibrous carbs like broccoli)- I get really grouchy, irritable, tired, and impatient. I really need God's grace on a minute-ly basis.
Over the summer I was able to put on about 4 lbs of muscle. This muscle gain will actually help me lean out even more for my upcoming shows than I was my first competition season. I needed to work on building my shoulders/ rear delts, some back, and most importantly glutes. I have been lifting with Erin on leg day and trying to lift as heavy as her (she has the nicest glutes EVER). It's really surprising how much weight you can lift if you just try. To put on muscle you have to lift heavy (and 'up' your calorie intake), so I have been lifting heavy on the areas I want to grow...and lifting lighter with higher reps on areas that I want to stay tone. You really CAN sculpt your body the way you want it to be! And, as always, CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO. I do about 30 minutes a day- whether it be jogging, stair climber, speed walking at a 12% incline, or spinning. 30 minutes really isn't much- I will be adding extra cardio in the 4 weeks before nationals to give me the edge I'll need. I think I will look much different this time around- and I'm shooting for a W!!!:)
For anyone wondering how the competition process works, let me explain. There are several local, regional and national qualifying competitions held each year. In order to compete at nationals you have to qualify by winning or placing top 3 in a regional national qualifier. National competitions are the only times where you can win a pro card. When you win your pro card, you are then a professional bodybuilding competitor and can start competing at pro-level shows. If you win pro shows, you win money and can also get sponsored by various companies. The NPC (National Physique Committee) is one of the largest bodybuilding organizations and they award IFBB pro cards (International Federation of BodyBuilding). When competing IFBB pro, you compete against other athletes from around the world at the highest competitive bodybuilding level possible. It's the Creme de la creme!
My goal for nationals is to place top 5. Of course I would love to win...but I want to keep my expectations realistic. There are 6 height classes in womens bikini, with an average of 40 women in each, and the winner of each height class is eligible for a pro card.

So, here's to 6 more weeks of blood, sweat and tears..... and winning a pro card!