When I look at my stage pics, I’m always feeling a little crummy about how my skin looks so muddy with that spray tan. I feel like it never looks like ME on stage. This year, I did not hire hair and makeup because I need to commit to creating my own look.
I went to You tube and watched the same videos everyone watched. I bought every product on those videos too.
She spent 4 hours with me to construct a look that will be perfect through all my costume changes. She taught me how to hold the brushes and how to contour, MY face so my photography looks great.
I feel like a lot of girls have skills in makeup and while I’m a total cosmetic junkie, I never progressed at all in doing it well. So it’s going to be a real challenge to commit to this aspect of competition.
My skin looks really pale here but we already have put a formula together to mix shades once I know how my spray tan comes out. This will allow me to get the right amount of color without being fully chocotaco tan on my face.
Rachael put a lot of emphasis on my eyes and we are using glitter and we will use fluffy lashes too.
So now, the ball is in my corner. I have 4 hours worth of instructional video ready to conquer this.
Do you want to get a lifted, round, peachy booty that salutes? Are you working hard in the gym but you seem stuck? Do you feel like your results are NOT coming fast enough? It’s important to know is that building glutes takes time and you must eat to get gains.
The process is not a Pinterest 30 day squat challenge. It’s not a 6 week make over. It’s a long process with a lot of hard work. This is my growth from nearly 3 years. Picture 1 is from my show in 2013. Picture two was 34 months later. Pic three is 3 years later. I’m 53 years old now. . I have worked hard for these gains. I ate a lot of good food and quite a bit of Captain Crunch Donut Cereal. And if you didn’t know.. we are IIFYM so we eat what we want to grow that booty.
Instagram Lies
Do you need to ground yourself from Instagram? Are you feeling low because you don’t look like the Insta famous and their dumb Shredz asses? Do you feel like your changes should come over night? Of course you do feel that way. I do too! We have to stop and remember that we are natural body builders! We have to eat the right amounts of macros for bulking/growing. Companies like Shredz are making lots of money off photoshopped images. You must understand that glute implants, photoshop and other trickery are going to be used in marketing because everyone is looking for a quick fix. Don’t fall for this!
Cutting grows nothing!
One thing to remember is: You are NOT building muscle in a deficit. I compete every year which means I am cutting (active fat loss) and losing some muscle for roughly 20 weeks of each year. If I were to build for a solid year, I might have gotten here sooner. If you live in a deficit of calories so you can ‘stay shredded’ chances are you aren’t really shredded plus you probably haven’t been in the caloric surplus you need to build muscle. EAT!
Training
Since January 2016, I have put the hurt on my glutes and trained in a new fashion. I am moving out of the bikini category into Fitness Model in my federation UFE. UFEshows.com. I want more of the Oxygen Magazine look anyway. I used bulking macros for myself and many of my clients at the end of 2015 as we prepared for this spring season of cutting.
Jax
Jax started on my team late in 2014 in a size xxs in VSPINK. She grew that booty and placed in the top 10 out of 55 girls in NPC . She took another year, ate and lifted and is about to rock NANBF. Look at those booty gains. Jax was eating over 400 carbs a day this winter. Pasta is her favorite. Jax is a busy mom of 2 little girls and works 40+ hours a week! She knew what she had to do and she did it! She built what she wanted!
Jax at UFE Worlds!
InstaFAKE
Oh, hey.. there was no waist training, detox tea, magic supplements, magic wraps, gels, lotions.No Kardashians were involved here. This was just science. Bad ass science, lifting heavy shit and great food. If you were looking for the secrets.. this was it.
More….
Meet Ashley
Lovely and so sweet, Ash joined my team in late 2015. These are her booty changes in just a few months. She just took 2nd place in her first NPC show.
Her judges comments said she was spot on in her conditioning and physique! The last picture is just 10 days before her show. Ash was willing to eat to grow even when it was hard! She lifted like a rockstar and when we cut her down.. bliss!
Her food favorite was Oreos!
Coach Lauren
These gains are straight up fierce! Lauren eats all the food! She is slaying her shows! That peach is popping and not flat!!
Rowan
Rowan is an amazing athlete.She is truly gorgeous inside and out! She started with me in July of 2015 and the March 29 picture is just a few days before she hit the stage with OCB. She was willing to eat and grow! She loves pancakes! Oh.. how did she do??
Three wins for Rowan! Oh boy, did she eat a lot of food in those months before we cut hard. No bro food.. She ate what she wanted. She put the work in and it paid off. She is now taking a full year to build for her next NPC show in 2017. This athlete is on a mission.
Coach Ashley!
Our Sleek Bikini Team mate Ashley put the work in. She ate food. No starving here.
This booty transformation was awesome!! She nailed her macros.
3 years worth of gains here! Ashley eats so much food!
Pay attention to the hamstring changes and she made over her entire back chain!
Coach Madison: Gains There is so much food that went into this transformation!! I love her hammies too!
Angela took her overall wins and slayed her first show. This is 8 months transformation.
You can do it
If you have a goal to build your glutes.. dig in and commit to the time and macros it takes to do it. You have to be patient. You must stop comparing your results to others. You must be willing to eat in a surplus to get gains and you might feel fluffy! So what. Get some stretchy pants and rock them! We get it. We are here to support you! Three cheers for strechy pants!
My blog has so many of my glute moves here but if you need help… I can help you!
If you are a competitor looking for a team home, check out SleekBikiniTeam! We might be a good fit.
We also have lifestyle training and would love to help you! You can work with these coaches! www.sleekbodyonline.com
I wish you success in your competition!
Glute bridges of all kinds are badazz for creating round booties. All competitors and fitgirl followers are deeply skilled at thrusting for a peachy booty.
This version takes it up a notch.
We use this in my studio and do 50 per day each leg. No one likes them. Not even me. You are wishing you were somewhere else, that’s for sure. Ok ,so why do them? Because you get some extra activation by elevating that weight bearing leg. The med ball is unstable so that makes it even more challenging.
Things to remember.
1.Press through the heel.
2. Squeeze as you come up.
3. The ball should be pretty close to your glute but you can experiment to see where YOU feel it best.
4. Your hamstring is engaged hard here. Good to know!
Modifications: Put your foot on a bosu, or a couch cushion, coffee table. If you are at the gym, you can use a bench but the ball is crazzzy.
I hope you incorporate this into your training for a perfectly peachy booty.
xoxo
“I’m not going to make it”
“I’m not changing fast enough”
“I won’t be lean enough”
You are normal. It’s ok! Don’t let doubt overwhelm you!
I quit 3 times in prep. My 5 week out mark is always my worst. I am 5 weeks out. I just hit milestone goal in my prep and immediately threw myself under a bus. It’s almost funny how I always self -sabotage and get down on myself at this point.
Trust the process. Don’t give up
Three weeks out is another hard time. Suit arrives . Never fits. I know I’m not going to make it.Crying crying then I pull it together and ROCK OUT with a vengeance.
I always make it. You will too. Everyone who is on stage has doubts.
They don’t weigh you on stage. You will be lean enough. You will get you there.
Skip over those doubts and know that you are going to be spot on. Visualize your success!
Every aspect of it. When you step off stage, you will have done something very few have done!
For my clients..Believe me.. if you are worried, I’m on it. I will adjust you so we are on point every step of the way.
Trust this process.. cliche but real.
Your job now is to focus each day and bring your best! I believe in YOU.
You have this!
Are you moving from a Bro prep/ coaching experience to IIFYM/Flexible Dieting and feeling panic in the core of your soul? I am going to talk you down today and gently help you find your way to success and meal time peace.
What is the difference? Bro-diets are legendary for only ALLOWING foods like these.
Egg whites, turkey, chicken, fish, beef (super lean 1x per week) asparagus, sweet potatoes, brown rice, olive oil (maybe) and the super duper magical oatmeal.
IIFYM /Flexible dieting, Macro counting is NOT a diet, you eat according to your fitness goals by hitting your macro nutrients of Protein, Carbs, Fats and the micro-nutrient fiber.
Bro-Flex is when coaches tell you you are eating IIFYM but give you a restricted list of items that you can swap with. If you have a swap list, you are not IIFYM.
Let me first of all reassure you. Look at this quote from Mr. Olympia Frank Zane who utilized Flexible Dieting in his show prep, 1979.
I love this. 1979 Flexible dieting.
Remember this: IIFYM was born out of Bro-fatigue. It came about organically when competitors discovered they could swap foods as long as they achieved their macro nutrient goals. The goal of IIFYM was never to eat crap all day, but to offer options.
You must hit your macros but you must hit your fiber goals too. The food you eat will by nature be ‘healthful* to hit that fiber!
You should know this
In a cut (active fat loss) the amount of discretionary food is very low, about 5 percent of your day.
In off season, the percentage can be up to 80% wholesome*/20% discretionary.
This is where the ‘poptart divas’ of Instagram confuse and infuriates the Bro dieters. Everyone has different macros.
So… If your carbs are low, you can’t eat much in the way of sweet treats however if you have lots to work with, you could potentially have more. Everyone is different.
My macros wouldn’t allow me to eat 18 pancakes ever but the Rock did. His macros are totally different than mine! Of course they are.. Look at him! He needs more food than me! That’s why YOU need macros based on YOU and not a cookie cutter diet your whole bikini team followed.
Pancakes.. mmmm
How I prep with IIFYM.
As an IIFYM coach, I believe quality of food matters.Myself, I eat 5 different sources of protein each day. I do use greek yogurt and dairy as protein. I use whey, bars and of course animal protein. Chicken 5x per day disgusts me and my stomach can’t handle beef so I need options. I eat wonderful food that looks gorgeous, tastes delish and hits my macros perfectly. I have over 35 different foods each week- not the same 11 foods for 16 weeks that I used in my bro-preps. Our team eats 300-500g fruits and veggies daily minimum. We have a veggie minimum for athletes.
This is the actual food our athletes at in prep for our last show.
I enjoy a diet soda when I want one, but I get down a gallon of water every day. I use sugar free syrup and stevia too. I eat what I want!
Story time:One of my competitors calls herself the pancake queen. I love this. I also find pancakes amazing and delish and they can be made to taste like whatever you want. My first coach would not allow me to eat pancakes. It had to be 6 egg whites and 1/2 cup oatmeal cooked. NO pancakes because “I wouldn’t look right”. I buried egg whites in mustard, hated breakfast so hard.
Quality of food
I also use my food score ratings from MyNetDiary. I only eat A and B foods. If you don’t know about food scores Click here
YUM!
This would typically NOT be on the Bro diet but the macros fit my prep. I use it.
It has fiber and protein! I mix it with Sugar free syrup and get a lovely bowl of icing. Look here
Do I have to get my carbs from sweet potatoes, brown rice, Ezekiel bread? I don’t. I use things like Flat out wraps, fruit, veggies greek yogurt (has both protein and carbs-I use Light and Fit). I use Light Smart red sauce from Prego. Basically I eat what I like. Dude, I haven’t had Ezekial in 2 years!
flat out wraps
WAIT.. aren’t foods like brown rice, sweet potatoes and Ezekial magic? My bro coaches told me they were but I can’t find any science that backs that up.
I hate brown rice. My first coach made me eat 8 cups of brown rice a day for a carb up.
I buried it in salsa and mustard to choke it down. I could have had something else. There was no reason I couldn’t have except her lack of knowledge. I refuse to be miserable in prep or any other time. GROSS. I carb up now on SF Fro yo. Even in prep. I refeed with purpose and I eat things that I like.
But….
I do, however, eat a lot of sweet potatoes because I like them. I use them in amazing pancakes because they are carmelly and sweet. I don’t choke down food I hate but I eat things that I like. . If you want toast whatever. It has good macros, but it’s not my thing. If you want it.. make it fit.
I ate this in prep last year..
English muffins, eggs, turkey and ff cheese. I put SF syrup on it. It fit my macros. Those english muffins are fiber city.
Oh.. prepped with Margarita Shrimp salad
pancakes 100 ways too.
How to not go crazy when you start. When I began I might have flown a little too close to the sun. I can fit a lot of things into my plan but I sort of lost sight of my goal to eat for my health. I was crabby because broccoli took up so many carbs when I really wanted goldfish cookies. Now, I am very solid in my conviction eat well and I don’t feel well when I eat lots of sugar treats even if they do fit. I prefer in off season to use foods like Poptarts to fuel my leg day. But that’s my journey. The beauty of IIFYM is that it is YOUR journey.
For my team in PREP we follow the guideline of 95% nutrient dense food 5% discretionary.
Yes, I know that all food has macros and nutrients , you can read more on this here.
Off season is 80/20.
Hack:
Start by tracking what you normally eat then tweak where you like.
Input your coaches plan into your tracker and see what the macros are.
If you are not enjoying asparagus (gross) and want to swap it out.. look here.
I simply added the asparagus into MyNetDiary in the amount that was on the menu.
I thought about the veggies I’d like to eat and began to add them in to see how much I would have to eat to get close to those macros.
I like pumpkin a lot and can mix that with some brown sugar stevia (adds 2g carbs)
but It’s fantastic. The thing to notice with the pumpkin is the fiber. I don’t have the 3g fiber that the asparagus has but I hit my fiber goals daily anyway. If you don’t have a fiber goal.. this should be a red flag!
Some athletes can eat cabbage into their last week. Green beans are pretty easy peasy to sub up. I add Reduced fat Parm to my green beans and take the fats (3g ) for my serving.
Look how close Zuchinni is! I personally do zuchinni chips in my last week. I love them!!
I use sites like rippedrecipes.com to create healthful concoctions that feed my body and soul. I like sweets. I will put something like this in my tracker early in the day so I can enjoy it at couch time. The base of this is garbanzo beans. Every ingredient is rated A,
including the dark cacao chips that I count out and weigh.
But, I can’t seem to stop eating my Bro foods I’m too afraid.
I hear ya. The thing is, bro foods aren’t bad choices. They are solid choices especially the further into prep you get. Typically you will have to taper macros to continue to get stage lean. I am very good at ‘stretching’ my food out by using volume foods like miracle noodles and zucchini. Things like Quest bars aren’t good choices for me late in prep because it uses a lot of macros in a small meal. I need more volume!! However, you simply don’t have to live in a world where you have NO options. If you make pancakes out of your egg whites and oatmeal you can do it. I use Sugar Free syrups too but I weigh and account for everything I put in my mouth. If I find ways to eat foods that make me happy, and provide me with my P:C:F: and fiber I am very happy.
Give me an example:
I do this late in prep. Oh Lort, I had a some banana, that’s not bro at all. But look at those macros. My low carb days are happier than when M1-M6 was chicken breast only.
Again, to fulfill your macros +5/-5g each day you must eat well, but you have options.
Using sites like Pinterest, IG, blogs, with the #IIFYM #Flexible dieting you will find many amazing ideas that you can modify to fit your prep!
I wish you luck in your competition training!
*I know food terms like nutritious, wholesome or healthy etc are just terms I’m using to
give you a visual. All food has macros. I also know the difference between Apples and Hostess Twinkies and you do too. So bear with me. Use your food scanner and make the best choices for yourself..The overall snapshot of your day should be healthful food with room to improvise. Choices! Just as eating healthy one day of your life doesn’t make you ‘healthy’ eating discretionary foods doesn’t make you unhealthy. Its what you follow consistently matters.
This workout is one of my favorites for competition training.
I do this on my big leg day. I set the big leg press up with 4 plates. Yeah, I can lift a lot more than that but this one is a volume set so I keep it on the light side-you know.. like Luke Skywalker.
10 leg presses
+
10 pop squats
10 rounds
Of course, you can use your regressions and cut the sets down and lower the weight.
If you don’t have a leg press, you can rock the power cord version which will burn like
Hades. Just saying.
If you have been training hard and have a show picked out, you will be starting your “prep” about 12-16 weeks out from your show date. Perhaps you are sick of feeling fluffy and ready to get lean! I get that!! This is very very exciting. It’s mind blowing how quickly things just got real.
You are officially just weeks away from stepping on stage! OMG!
I want to share with you some things that helped me considerably in my preps. Let me explain how they were different.
My first show prep was adrenaline driven. The show was ALL I thought about. It was my everything. I had zero balance. I feel like this is common with a lot of competitors in their first show. It’s actually pretty awesome. It doesn’t mean it isn’t grueling, or you aren’t hungry. It’s just different. Stepping on stage after that prep is a high I cannot begin to explain.
Subsequent preps I tried to do with more purpose. I worked hard in off season to bring up lagging parts, improve my physique each time. Prep was very different.
Thank you for this!
I, in fact have a love/hate relationship with prep. I think it’s incredibly grueling and requires much more focus and strategies than adrenaline.
Mistake number one
I’ve had coaches in the past tell me to go eat whatever I wanted right before prep because it’s the last meals I would get for 16 weeks. I hate starting like that. I’m immediately feeling deprived and my focus is on what I am going to miss out on, not what I’m gaining. I do not ever want to start prep, bloated, and mad at myself for a “sanctioned binge”.
Going straight from several dessert runs to turkey chicken and fish effected me negatively. It reminded me of all the “I’ll start my diet on Monday so I may as well eat everything I want” experience. This is NOT how I want to start an competitive training schedule.
How I focus I choose to start my prep in a positive mental state..
1. Knowing I am capable to do what needs to be done. Fear has no place here!
2. Knowing my food will be colorful. I will eat things I like and that are fulfilling because I choose the right things to forward this process. My health is important to me!
3. Knowing that it’s going to be very hard sometimes but I will prevail. 🙂
4. Knowing that skipping the struggle isn’t an option.
5. Knowing that I’m going to feel weary, and want to quit but I won’t.
6. Visualizing myself being on stage with my best package.
7. Knowing that others will question me not support me, be rude, comment on my body/food or try to make me feel like it’s ok cheat on my plan. I will prevail because my goals are important.
8. Knowing that everything that tempts me, will be there after my show.
9. Knowing that this challenge is something that very few people actually complete and that I can do it.
10.Knowing there will be times when I doubt myself, feel I won’t be ready, feel I’m not going to do well . I will push past that with the mindset that I am bringing my best. Negative self talk is out of place.
11. Knowing that I can give 100 percent to this goal every single day. I will be disciplined when desire/motivation fails me.
Stop trying to skip the struggle: So, in one of my preps, I realized that I’m pretty much, always wishing I could skip the struggle. It’s not an option. Did I embrace it and work through it? Sometimes. Sometimes I was just angry and questioned why I ever really wanted to compete. Once that light came on for me, I really found myself pulling it out at the end. This is typical Tracy fashion. Getting out of the comfort zone is like me jumping off a cliff willingly. hmmm..
Sometimes I wish I was flying blind again like I was in my first show.However, I have learned a lot about myself. I find the challenge of prep the thing I most appreciate about doing this sport. My goal is always to bring a better package but now I also have a goal to perfect my prep each time. I grow an incredible amount during this process. It is worth it on the other side because I prevail on a real challenge I set for myself. When I step on stage, no one knows all of this, no one cares. It’s my journey.
I encourage you to take some time before you begin your prep and make peace with the next part of your journey. If it’s your first time, you can benefit from adrenaline prep and strategies!
I believe we can push ourselves far beyond what we think is possible. I wish you luck in your competition journey! xoxo
If you are new to bikini/figure competitions, you may be curious as to which shoe is best for stage. There are so many styles and many of them look similar.
This is the correct shoe! It is by the company “Ellie” and the shoe is Brook.
Specs:
Color: Clear
Heel measures approximately 4.75″
Platform measures approximately 0.75″
Pig leather insole
Heel measures approximately 5 inches, platform 0.75 inches
Available in whole sizes only. Half size order upThis shoe fits true to size!! I love it. You will see most competitors wear this exact shoe.Where should I get it? Amazon.com has this exact shoe for about $25.
You can do a google search for it, but you will get lots of different Brook/Brooke Styles and heel heights.
Be sure the specs are the same as above. This is not an expensive shoe.Benefits:
The base of this exact shoe is perfect. Your toes don’t dangle over the end. Some shoes that ‘look’ like it have a more narrow base. It’s seriously comfortable the minute you put it on for the first time.
It’s easy to walk in. Seriously easy to walk in. Confidence level.. sky high!
When should I order shoes? Now. If you have decided to compete, don’t wait another minute. Order your shoes! Having your shoes makes it real. You need to practice walking too.
Do I have to ‘break them in’?
I didn’t have to at all. They are awesome. Fit’s like a dream from day 1 to stage. Even as I lost body fat, I just tightened the straps.
Shouldn’t I get a strapless shoe? Straps make my legs look fat?
My first coach told me that. That’s weird. I had strapless shoes and my toes fell out over the toe of the shoe. I like this better. You can get what you want unless your federation says differently.
UPDATE 2016 I have had 2 pairs of these in the last year. I practice a lot in my shoes so I blew them out. I’m not going to lie, I bought an extra pair with me to my last show. However, I jumped on Amazon and had them the next day.
I want shoes with crystals. You can add your own if you like. I stoned my shoes in 2013.
I actually bought this pair from Amazon too.
I thought it would be good.
I actually did not wear these in 2015 but I did in 2016. They were great.
Funny story: A girl at a show I worked, had a broken strap on her shoes. She said it broke a few weeks before the show but she was too lazy to get a new pair. Her body was banging but she walked like she was hobbled. Her T walk was terrible. I can’t even!
I wish you much luck in your competition!!
xoxo
Here’s a picture of my little TatuBaby. She has no opinion of shoes.
What’s in my suitcase. Mind you.. my suitcase is now the giant size one.. lol This was my first year in UFE.
If you are a competing in a fitness competition, you may not know what to bring with you to your show.
Suit (or 3)
Shoes
Black Silk Robe: VS sells these. Black because of your tan!
Loose black pants with NO cuffs or elastic to mess up your tan
A small towel
Styrofoam cups. Poke the bottom out and pee through that so you don’t mess up your tan.
Glue ( Bikini Bite )
Gloss : Baby oil gel is good. Do not use PAM cooking spray. Don’t be that girl!
Baby wipes
Bobby pins
Hair brush
Curling iron (it rained on me, I had to borrow)
Hair spray
Makeup : for sure a lipstick for stage!
Vasoline
Band-aids
Tylenol
Mirror for touch ups.
Pump up power cords
Cell phone charger (long day)
Snacks
Your food for the day
Phone/take lots of pics!
Vodka. just sayin.. I saw it. lol
Bring snacks for the girls backstage. They will love you.
Edit: I want to show you Bikini Bite. As a competitor you can bring your own. My coaches have used 3m spray on me. It’s not ‘recommended’ for skin but it holds like a mama.
The people who do your tan, “may” or “may not” glue you. Bring your own just in case. I went on stage unglued! OMG.
Bikni Bite is at Amazon or Bodybuilding.com
I keep this with me for my competitors when I travel with them.
IMPORTANT:::If you are coming in from out of town
Also bring with you these things so you don’t get charged for ruining the hotel’s items.
Dark sheets for the bed
Dark towels and wash cloths
Organization!
This is a huge help if you are in UFE and have wardrobe changes. I purchased clear shoe containers from Target and put each of my bikini’s in them with my number. Each category will have it’s own number so keeping the number with the outfit is so helpful.
This is backstage at UFE Fury The venue was amazing
and had a beautiful green room with lights and outlets. Best venue I’ve ever seen.
The girls were fantastic. Everyone was very willing to share. If you can help a sister out
I hope you do. Everyone has their own journey. I learned about some fantastic women who
worked so hard to get to this show. Any time we can help each other.. we win!
If you don’t have a coach to pin numbers on you, someone will help you!
Doing your first show is quite an experience on it’s own. Do you wonder what it’s like backstage?
Here are a few behind the scenes secrets.
This venue is always spectacular. Great promoters. Great Show! Backstage is HUGE and the pump area is huge. Huge mirrors. Love
The pump up weights are sick at this show. Tons of weights!
It’s crowded. The usual protocol is for competitors to be collected backstage about 1 hour before their class is to go on. Sometimes you will be seated in the auditorium with your class and a handler will direct you backstage when it’s time. Sometimes you will be left to roam until it’s time to head back. I’ve had clients be required to stay in the backstage area for the whole day. It’s a long day anyway! LONG
fun! sitting with my team mates
Will my coach/husband/friend be allowed backstage?
It depends. Some shows allow a ‘helper’ pass.
Some shows don’t allow anyone backstage.
Some shows require coaches to purchase a coach pass. If your coach is online or you don’t have anyone, someone will help you glue your suit and pin your number on. You will find out all this information on the promoter’s website or at your competitors meeting.
When you are in the backstage area, you will see Tanning tents: Touch ups and glossing by the onsite vendors. Some glue suits, some don’t.. FYI. Pumping up: Some pump up areas are very extensive with lots of dumbells . Some are minimal. Bring your own band, just in case!! Suitcases, bags, purses, gear all over the place. Everything you need will be with you. I have a rolling bag. I prefer to roll so I don’t have to hoist a bag over my shoulder and mess up my tan.
Competitors posing. Practice walking and holding poses so you are warmed up.
Things to look for:
It’s slippery. Oil is slippery! If someone glosses with cooking spray (OMG) or baby oil.. (I’ve seen it) it’s a hot mess. Some venues put down paper for you to walk of so you won’t slide.
Food. I’ve seen trays of cookies, cakes, huge tables of food wonderfully supplied by your promoter.
I don’t touch it! I am too OCD for tanned hands to be all over it. That’s up to you.. it’s probably going to be there. You have a long day, bring your own food!
This was the backstage area at one show. It was so small only a few people at a time could go back and pump up.
You may see people in your show who forgot to train for a show. Just sayin…seen it a lot. It’s real.
Lining up to go on stage:
While you are in line, stay focused. Not the time to be chatty. I’ve met some super awesome ladies backstage and a few who were focused on sabotaging. If someone randomly tells you you are doing quarter turns, when you know it’s half turns.. Don’t listen! If you are nervous, you may fall for it. If you have worked with your posing coach, then you need to do what they tell you. Do what you practiced.
If someone says there is a change in the T Walk, tell your coach so they can verify. That could happen, due to time.
If you see oil from the body builders on the stage, don’t step in it! T walk and posing on stage is not at all like in practice. Most stages are much bigger than you probably imagined. Lots to think about.
This happened
One of the stages had ‘grates’ at the front. Definitely avoid that!
One stage had feathers and baby oil all over it from a bodybuilding routine. You never know!!
T Walk/Stage
You may or may not be able to hear your music during your T Walk. If the promoter plays house music, you’re pretty much going out when the last girl is leaving the stage. I hope you practiced your posing without mirrors!
It is sometimes hard to hear the judges also during judging. Be mindful and focus on their cues. No one told me it’s hard to hear. I’ll save you that embarrassment.
Stage Ready: You are being photographed/filmed every second you are on stage. You can be seen from the side of the
stage. If you are slouching backstage, thinking no one can see you.. THEY CAN. If you are in line, know you are on camera.
When you get your video back, you’ll see who looks like they were on point. Let that be YOU! Likewise, if the girl next to you is pulling out the stripper moves don’t change gears and follow. Stick to what you practiced.
Other stuff. What is check in? Sometimes we check in the night before a show. It’s usually at the host hotel. You will turn in your information packet . They will ask you to write a little ‘thank you to your people’ blurb so they can read it while you do your T walk.
Advice: Type it, print it and staple it to the page. I was so carb depleted.. my handwriting was a mess. I over think everything.
You will also get your Number to pin on your suit. You might get your goody bag of gifts too.
You will be able to see the list of competitors in your class. Take a picture of it! You can send it to your
coach or team mates or your mom. That way you know the order of the show and how long your family will have before they ‘have’ to get there to see you.
If you are scheduled and it’s required you might do your polygraph then. Don’t sweat the polygraph. Just answer the questions. You’ll be fine. Bring cash.
Competitors meeting You’ll for sure need to be at the meeting. It might be the night before or in the morning before pre-juding starts.You will have already been up and probably in hair/makeup/tan if you are in the first classes for pre-judging. The promoter will go over how you will queue up and cover things to help the show go smoothly. They may remind you again of the poses and how the judges want to see them.
Attitude: From my dear friend and seasoned body building competitor, Lisa B “Just don’t forget the attitudes some will experience backstage not everyone is friendly. It is a competition and even if it truly is building a better you there are people that are not chatty lol Don’t take it personally just do your thing!! Go out like you are the winner cause it will show confidence and just because someone else might to you look better they might suck at posing etc so go out with class and for god sakes smile!!!”
Sportsmanship: You will see various levels of acceptable conduct from competitors and coaches alike. I have seen coaches promise PRO cards to novice girls then have crying messes backstage when they don’t place. I overheard a coach tell his girl, who took third place, that he was going out to the coaches table and “bust some heads”. You never know who will show up that day. You need to be your best on stage and off stage. Crying because you lose a bikini competition is short sighted and reflects badly. Don’t be that girl. PLEASE!
This happened: The above girl, refused her third place trophy and refused to submit a urine test. She is now banned in that federation. When 30 girls compete and only 5 place.. someone doesn’t get a trophy! We are not five years old!
Poaching: I’m adding this just to make you aware of unscrupulous coaches who will take crying competitors and promise them pro cards if they go with them. I’ve seen it with my own eyes over and over. Coaches I actually thought were good people are unethical. Poaching clients is unethical. If you need help selecting a new coach, read this blog post.
Good luck!!
Do you need a coach? I’m accepting applications for my team! 🙂
There is so much food that went into this transformation!! I love her hammies too!
This is the actual food our athletes at in prep for our last show.
