https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUOE2LJK5_4
This is my first youtube video! Yay! Here are my top 10 fitness tips. Please subscribe to my channel and leave me some feedback. Thanks 🙂
How to Get Motivated
How to Get Motivated
Finding motivation is not always easy. Sometimes you pull on that pair of yoga pants and sweatshirt and don’t care what your body looks or feels like. Sometimes dinner with friends and drinks and sleeping in late is more appealing than eating clean and working out. Sometimes you are busy and finding time to cook and workout seems impossible.
DON’T GET ME WRONG. In between goals is a thing called life that needs to be lived and enjoyed!!!
However, it is easy to get stuck in a pattern where “let me treat myself” becomes a daily thing. Your stomach becomes a waist basket and your body gets farther and farther from where you want it to be. I think we can all agree that you feel worse. You’re not happy with where you are, you are low on energy, and you feel like you’ve let yourself go. Am I right?
So how do you find the motivation and get back to where you want to be?
- Set Goals. Decide what will make you happy. Is it being fit for a future vacation? Is it losing five pounds of fat and having more energy? Is it getting to the gym everyday so that you feel like you can walk up the stairs without wheezing? Is it fitting into skinny jeans without your love handles hanging over the sides?
- Make a plan. How will you do these things? What is it now that is making you so unhealthy? Is it that you are not active enough? Will you go to the gym three days a week? Everyday? Will you run the boardwalk in the morning?
- Make Simple Changes. Switch to drinking only water (don’t drink your calories and unknowingly consume excessive sugars through sodas and juices). Say no to those office cookies when your not that hungry, that sugary pumpkin spice coffee, or drinks on a weeknight. Don’t eat out of boredom. Don’t accept food to be polite.
- Be Conscious of Your Consumption. Read nutrition facts, plan your meals in advance, and be aware every time you put something in your mouth. Make an effort to eat greens and non-processed foods. Ask yourself if what you are eating is a step closer or farther away from your goals.
- Hold Yourself Accountable. Tell people that you are making a change. Write down what you eat. Apps like My Fitness Pal make it easy to record your food in a diary.
- Stay Positive & Consistent. After one month of eating clean research shows you crave bad food less. Remember that the longer you stick to the plan the easier it becomes. Consider that the earlier you start the better.
- Rest and Create other Healthy Habits. Getting a full 8 hours of sleep and waking up early makes you feel more successful. Going to the gym first thing in the morning helps you think more about what you eat during the day. Living a well-rounded healthy life where you focus on enhancing your mind, body, spirit is a great feeling!
The Benefits of HIIT and Weight Training v.s. Long Runs on the Treadmill
The Benefits of HIIT and Weight Training v.s. Long Runs on the TreadmillÂ
       I first discovered my love for fitness through high school cross-country. I loved distance running and would run 9 miles a day. I was eating horribly. My daily diet consisted of fast food, ice cream, and soda. My body was slender from the cardio, but definitely out of shape. I had no curves and was not happy with my stomach.
When I switched to weight training I was able to sculpt the body that I had always wanted. I was not a naturally curvy girl, but through squats and heavy lifting I saw significant improvements. My waist tightened, my butt lifted and rounded, and my legs were shapely. I had created a more feminine figure through lifting.
There are numerous health benefits to cardio. Cardio increases your metabolism, improves your heart & lung health, releases “feel good” hormones, reduces stress, and even increases your overall energy. The biggest misconception about cardio is that the longer you do it the better. Tiring hour long runs on the treadmill are not necessary! Your body will plateau and you will not be reaping in the benefits of your hard work. Rather than focusing on doing a length cardio workout focus on the intensity of that workout. This is where HIIT comes in.
What is HIIT? HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. It is a form of working out that focuses on short intense anaerobic exercises. I like to do HIIT sessions after my weight training and they usually last 20-30 minutes.
Here is a sample of my HIIT workouts:
15 Jump Squats
15 Alien Squats
15 Jumping Lunges
15 Weighted Ball Throw Downs & Catches
50 Jump Ropes
10 Sprints Across Room (Jog Backwards Back)
15 Burpees
REPEAT!
SHOW DAY: Packing Checklist
SHOW DAY!! Packing Checklist
The day is finally here that you have spent anywhere from 12 to 16 weeks training for. When my show day finally came around I was panicked. I had no idea what to expect. I definitely recommend attending an NPC show before competing in one. I didn’t however, and everything went smoothly!
The morning started at 6 am. I had my makeup done at home. My hair was blown out the night before so all I did was touch ups. I met my coach at my gym and we went over together to the competition site (Monmouth University) and checked in at 7am.
I chose to wear my bikini under my sweats. I had flip-flops on until I got backstage in which I switched into my heels.
Here’s what I packed:
- Show Heels
- A Full Length Mirror- It may seem inconvenient to carry, however was SO happy I had this. Mirror space was SO limited backstage. I bought a $10 mirror from target and left it there.
- Makeup for touchups.
- Pro Tan touch up bottle ordered from bodybuilding.com.
- Bikini Bite- ordered from Bodybuilding.com. You do not want your bikini moving around onstage.
- Posing Oil- I chose Muscle Juice from bodybuilding.com but I have heard that cooking spray works even better!
- Rubber Gloves to apply touch up protan.
- A towel to sit on.
- Food that your coach tells you to bring.
- Your jewelry, NPC card, and anything else for registration.
- Your wallet with ID and money just incase. There are so many cool shirts to buy!
- Ipod or book- there is a lot of downtime and it can be boring.
- Business Cards- you meet a lot of great connections!
- Camera or your phone- take LOTS of pictures
- Paper Cups– cut out the bottom and pee through them to avoid dripping on your tan! TRUST ME.
- A Robe/Black Sweats- I brought both but only wore the sweats. The robe is convenient for fast change.
- Change of Clothes- I went out right after so it was convenient to bring a change of clothes and go straight to dinner if your show is running late.
The Cost of Competing
The True Cost of Competing When considering competing in a NPC show, cost is definitely something to consider. I always had heard that competitions were expensive, but never would have imagined how much I would spend on my first show. Here is a list of my costs and some tips on how to minimalize yours.
- Bikini- $350.00 Show bikinis that fulfill NPC requirements can range from $100- around $850. I bought my suit through an Instagram account “Kristalbikinis”. I LOVED it, but opted for buying it plainer than I would have liked and buying Swarovski from AC Moore and gluing extra bling on myself to save money. Another high quality seller of competition bikinis is Ravishsands.com. You can get a better idea of their bikini selection than their Instagram. Many pro competitors use Ravish Sands.
- Shoes- $65.00 Clear plastic hooker heels. I ordered mine from fitnessprodirect.com. Prices on their site range from about $45.00-$65.00. A friend of mine got very cheap shoes from an adult store. This is a less expensive alternative.
- Jewelry- $35.00 Jewelry is about preference. Clean looking clear rhinestones and crystals. Usually very inexpensive. I bought 2 rings, two bracelets, and earrings. Never wear necklaces. I got my jewelry from a random store at the mall, however you can order on fitnessprodirect.com or ebay.com, etc.
- Tan- $100.00. A Pro-tan spray tan is unlike any other spray tan and usually the price reflects it. I got my spray tan from Beach Bum Tanning. I would say this price was high.
- Other beauty treatments- $300 give or take Nails (French or pale nude/pink/white colors), Hair (blown out the night before), Makeup (early the morning of- I had a MAC makeup artist freelance to my house, however you can save money by doing hair & makeup yourself.) Waxing (I only waxed my eyebrows and shaved everything else)
- Show Costs– My show required a $100 entry fee
- NPC Card– Each year you must renew your NPC card membership which is dependent on whether you compete in multiple categories (For example Bikini open & Bikini Novice). I spent $130.
- Day of Show necessities Bikini Bite, Pro-tan touch up $20
- Coaching- I was fortunate enough to know someone who could help me as a favor, however coaching is usually the most expensive part of competing, A very good coach that will text you daily and adjust your diet plan will usually cost you $1000-1600 for 15 weeks. Some cheaper coaches can be found online however often lack quality. Self coaching is possible if you read enough, however not recommended for first show.
- FOOD – I also had the benefit of a fisherman father who was catching all of my fish for me. Food will be very expensive. Consider 5/6 meals a day of protein, veggies, and carbs. I recommend investing in a food service such as Catered Fit which packages and delivers meals to your doorstep. This can cost approx. $300 a week. However, shopping yourself you will probably be spending more than half that and doing a thousand times more work.
Why Compete in a Bikini Competition?
Why Compete in A Bikini Competition?
- Having an end goal may make you more committed
I have always been jealous of those people who can achieve their ideal body without having an end goal. I have always been most dedicated when a vacation or party is coming. However, the difference between a competition and a party is usually I just try to get skinny for a party whereas a competition forces me to focus on the muscle groups I want to improve and is the most pressure to achieve my “perfect” body.
- Networking
If you are interested in a career in fitness or fitness modeling, NPC competitions are great places to meet people who could potentially point you in the direction of your career. Competing in a show also gives you great credentials as a trainer and you could market yourself as a competition trainer and help train others with the experience you’ve gotten from competing.
- Seeing your body in a way you never have before
Have you ever wondered what the absolute best your body could ever look would look like? What potential does your body have under the most disciplined circumstances? Those pictures of perfect bodies that you have been jealous over… could you obtain that? While stage physique may be near impossible to maintain, wouldn’t it be nice to see and have pictures of?
- Having a purpose
My favorite part of competing is the sense of purpose you have. You are a part of something, you are working towards a goal. Every day the thing you are held accountable for your actions.
- The Satisfaction of Achievement
When you finally accomplish this goal you will feel like anything you set your mind to is possible. You will be on a high of self-confidence and it will open the door to the idea of planning, goal-setting, and future achieving in all aspects of life.