Are Female Bodybuilders Going Extinct?

Women's bodybuilding. This is a subject I've been thinking a lot about, and it's sparked a lot of great conversations with fellow competitors, many of whom seem to agree on a recent trend: It seems as if female bodybuilders are a dying breed. Think of the last couple shows you've been to- how many ladies were enrolled in the figure, bikini or fitness classes? Now how big were the ladies' bodybuilding classes? I'm willing to bet that at most shows, the figure and or bikini girls way outnumbered the bodybuilders. After seeing the growth of all sports, including bodybuilding federations and competitions as a whole, it's surprising to see this branch of it seeming to wither away, or at least not keep up with the growth the rest of the sport is enjoying. I took to the internet to see what others were saying and if they felt the same. I found an entry on Bodybuilding.com from a male competitor in Florida that echoed what many of my friends have also said in recent seasons:

“Just enter and you’ll be the champion… You wanna know why I am so sure you’re gonna win? Because there are no women entered in the competition! I went to a show recently- the largest bodybuilding competition in Florida, over 200 competitors, and not one single woman bodybuilder.  The past 3 years I have competed in or attended 22 amateur bodybuilding competitions where there are sometimes none or maybe 1 or 2 bodybuilding women per show. They win by default. 1st & overall title just by being there."

While I'm sure those ladies don't totally mind being able to say they took first in their class, and the overall- I know that they must still feel that much of their effort to prepare for that show was pointless.  Imagine not having to diet so hard, or getting away with little or even no cardio and still winning first in your class. Pretty sweet right? But it's a hollow victory when it's not earned against a challenging class of competitors. The thing pushing most of us to sacrifice and push past our limits is knowing that our competition is out there, persevering when we're giving up. But what if there is no competition?

While I'm always glad to see women getting into competition and training on any level, it saddens me to see that bodybuilding in most federations, natural or not, is seemingly forgotten at so many shows. So many forget, that there was a time when figure classes didn't even exist. It was not that long ago when there was simply men's bodybuilding, and women's bodybuilding. There may have been female 'fitness models', but they were more along the lines of a bikini class, toned and in shape, but necessarily lean or muscular by any means. It was as recently as 2002-2004 that most federations even added figure at an amateur level, and it wasn't until a season or two later that the first professional figure competitions took place. So figure is really still only about 7-8 years old at best, where as women's bodybuilding has been around for far longer. For for us ladies, it's where it all started and originated. In a way, it best represents the core values and roots of the natural sport: To celebrate the what the human body, male or female, is capable of in the most pure and untainted manner, no holds barred.


In 2011 new and seasoned female competitors have so many options: Bodybuilding, Figure, Fit Body, Fitness, Bikini. And while the addition of many of those classes seems to have drawn new and growing attention to the sport, it has been at the loss of female bodybuilding. While other parts of the sport seem to evolve, women's bodybuilding seems to have either stayed behind, or regressed and be on the borderline of going extinct altogether at some shows. But there's no reason for this branch to be dying, when more so than ever the natural federations are thriving and growing.  It's not that ladies with the potential to excel in bodybuilding no longer exist, it's that many are opting for figure instead.

As women we have so many opportunities to dominate in different branches of the sport it's ridiculous. All men get is bodybuilding, and occasionally the male fitness model class. A woman can start off in bikini when we first start working out, then venture into figure as we get more muscular, and when we really get a handle on our diet and master getting lean enough, we can crossover into bodybuilding as well. That's a lot of potential hardware, and a great resume. So why limit yourself. Choosing bodybuilding isn't a permanent change. You can do both figure and bodybuilding within the same season, or even at the same show if you're up for the challenge and the quick-change of posing suits backstage. Shoot, getting one pro-card may be nice, but imagine being a double pro-card holder in figure and bodybuilding. Now that's pretty badass.

To those of you ladies out there who are competitors in the natural federations, I ask you - what is stopping you from considering bodybuilding? You do the same workouts, you eat the same foods, you follow the same rules. What is it about bodybuilding that makes you feel not good enough, or like you don't measure up to the ideal standards?  So many natural federations claim that an ideal figure competitor should not be as lean or striated as their bodybuilding counterparts, yet I'm very consistently seeing that the winners are often some of the leanest in their class, and could easily cross over to bodybuilding in the same show and place towards the top if not win that as well. Hell, because of the lack of number of bodybuilders at each show, I notice often the figure competitors in general are leaner overall than some of the bodybuilders.  So you can hardly tell me that there's even much difference come show day aside from footwear and bedazzled suits, at least at the amateur level.  Shoot - if I knew that I would do just as well in BB as figure, and could save the extra $300 of Swarovski Crystals, you'd better believe I will be going barefoot- Or at least cross over and get double the hardware.



My friend Jody brought up a good point, that I definitely think is worth discussing.  We're losing potential female bodybuilders to figure before they even step on stage thanks to the stigma attached to our non-natural counterparts, and lack of attention for the natural ladies. People get the idea that natural or not, female bodybuilders are going to be 160lb+, altered freaks with low voices and jaw lines.  But this could not be more wrong. Most natural female bodybuilders are between 115 and 140lbs, with most of them falling at the lower end of the range in the 120's. This is not very far off from the average figure competitor who will average from 105-125 on show day. And regardless of show weight, in street clothes these women appear no bigger than the average size 4-6 woman. Some of them I would bet are even a size two. The only thing largely separating these women from their figure counterparts is that they are about 2-3% leaner, maybe an issue of 3-5lbs, than the figure girls. Other than that, side by side there is little visible difference in size.

But who can blame these ladies for being confused on what would be expected of them as a natural bodybuilder. When I did a Google image search for images for this blog for 'female bodybuilders' I got one picture after another of some very altered, very non-feminine, very not natural athletes. Even when I added the word natural, the results weren't too enlightening. Still mostly IFBB pros, and no Yorton winners, or WNBF Pros. A good indicator that as far as natural bodybuilding may have come in the last 10 years, we still have work to do to educate the masses.

I feel like there's so much I can say on this topic, and so much I wish I said better. I know it's not like as if by writing this, I will inspire masses of ladies to make the switch. All I can say is that if you're an active competitor, or someone who will be competing in the near future, I would hope that you will consider what I have said.  Don't underestimate yourself and what you're capable of. Figure is very competitive and challenging, but the opportunity to compete as a bodybuilder as well is an avenue you should not close yourself off to in the future. And if you find you still need some convincing, I refer you to the video below. If she can do it at 73, I'm pretty certain any other competitor can.

Women With Muscle Have Feelings, Too!

If you're a woman in this sport, chances are you hadn't even stepped on stage for the first time before you had people lecturing you and giving you their unsolicited opinions of your physique. By the time you're halfway through your first contest diet, and visibly leaner and more muscled than the average woman, you stick out from the crowd.  I know personally I wear a jacket or hoodie at work for much of the Summer just to avoid some of the commentary.  Don't get me wrong, the overwhelming majority of people either keep their thoughts to themselves, or give me very flattering complements. And I thank them for that. Having to be so focused on your body all the time is something that can drive a person insane, and to be overly critical of themselves.  But there are those out there that, for whatever reason, be it jealousy, personal taste, or being straight up wicked to any and everyone they encounter, feel the need to throw disheartening comments our way once in a while. There's one word in particular that's the hardest to hear. "Manly". And while these instances are far fewer than the positive comments, they are still hard to take.

It's hard not to come off self-centered to those who don't understand or compete in this sport.  From the outside perspective, they see someone who's in amazing shape already, who never seems to be satisfied. They see us in the off-season, and they can't understand why we need to diet and lose 15lbs before we step on stage, even when at 128 and 5'5" we're at a very healthy weight and look phenomenal.  We seem to always be posing, measuring, sacrificing. Everything we do is premeditated and a means to an end. Are we self centered, are we neurotic, or are we just doing what's necessary? So I do have an appreciation for the outsiders' perspective, and I do understand that this sport is not everyone's cup of tea.  But that still doesn't give some of them the right to single us out, and criticize us for something we've purposely worked and sacrificed so hard to attain. Basically, it's a socially acceptable form of bullying on a small level.

Best. Outfit. Ever.

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I pretty much kept to myself as a kid. And despite the fact that I was a raging nerd [Evidenced by the picture to the right, and the terrible outfit I am rocking in it] came out unscathed.  Horse sweatshirt, checkered leggings, red hair, freckles and all, I was treated pretty great.  I was never really singled out much, and made it through high school without ever being stuffed in a locker or Swirlyed.  Over the years occasionally I was singled out a day or two for the two things that set me apart from everyone else - which is what kids do: My crazy Polish last name, and my firey red hair. It seems now, that 20 years later the same thing is happening. People are picking the one thing that really sets me apart, and turning it into a bad thing. Just because we're adults, doesn't make it okay.

At some point, each of us has had a friend, coworker or family member randomly hit us with an insult to our physique that can momentarily have us second guessing our participation in this sport.  And none bothers me more so than being referred to as 'Man-ish'.  Some of these things aren't necessarily meant as digs or insults, but I know personally being called 'manly' is the hardest to take regardless of who it comes from. Everyone's personal opinion of what's feminine is varying, just as everyone's perceptions of beauty can be. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to assert my opinion of your femininity, weight, looks, or any other attribute, so what is it about a athletic woman that has people so fired up, and so assertive of their opinion? Why is it socially acceptable for myself and others like me to be talked to like that, and not be allowed to retaliate?  In my opinion, it's no different than being picked on for my red hair, crazy lazy name, or freckles.

I realize that you cannot please everyone all the time. I know I am way too hard on myself, and put too much stock into what others think of me. But no matter how much staring I get used to, no matter how impervious I pretend to be to the verbal onslaught I occasionally receive, every once in a while one of their barbs gets through and hits me in a soft spot. And almost every time that word is the culprit. But I need to realize that they could not be more wrong. I am tiny- I am barely 5'5", I am an XS or small in almost every shirt I own. My feet and hands are impossibly tiny for my overall size. No sausage fingers or manhands here.  My arms are like.. 11 inches.. How can one be manly, and be tiny? I'm sorry, but that doesn't fit in my personal perception of the word. I just don't see it. And those are just the physical attributes. Internally I am a massive softie. I cry during TV shows and movies like crazy. I can't walk past a dog without petting it. I watch Animal Planet for hours. I am afraid of the dark. I wear makeup every day because I want to look pretty for my husband. I am a whiner, a crier, and a paranoid perfectionist. I am not some tough as nails hardass, despite any misconceptions my muscled physique may send you.

At the end of the day, each time one of these insults flies my way and affects me, I do end up at the same positive conclusion: What other people think about my participation in this sport is meaningless. I am not hurting myself, I am not hurting others. I am sacrificing nothing morally or emotionally. Quite the contrary- This sport gives me something to wake up for in the morning. It gives me purpose.  Too many people wander this world totally devoid of purpose or drive, especially as adults. I am thankful to have something which benefits me on so many levels. Hopefully at the heart of it, that's what is ultimately driving these insults: People wanting what they don't have themselves. Which is something I've never understood, however I know it's the driving force between a lot of disagreement and negativity in this world. And if that be the case, that's sad. There are a lot more important things in this world to hate and belittle. You can say what you want about me. But at the end of the day I'm confident in the choice I have made. Life is good, and one little word can't take that away from me.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me;)

Gluten Free Is Not a Diet - It's a Disease- PART 2

PART 2: Is Gluten Free Good for The Non-Celiac?

As the title says, when it comes to going gluten free, it's not a choice for me, it's a necessity. For me going gluten free is something I have to do to not only get myself healthy, but maintain that health for the rest of my life without risking even further health complications like colon and intestinal cancers, ulcers, diverticulitis, infertility, miscarriage, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, and many more.  And yet so many people ask me if they should also be making these changes to their diet - not because of suspected Celiac symptoms, but for overall health.  While I've always been open to other people's varying ideas about health and fitness, even when they deviate from my own, this one comes down to science, not opinion, so I feel confident in telling you unequivocally: Non-Celiacs should not pursue a gluten-free diet. Here's why:

While people will argue and profess the benefits of carb-free or fat-free items all day long, and never come to an agreement, going gluten-free is very different. Where as carbs and fat are 2 of your 3 necessary daily macro-nutrients [Protein being the third], gluten is not something we necessarily need to live. However, the substance in which it naturally occurs is something incredibly healthy and one which, for non-Celiacs, should be a staple of your diet: Wheat.

Gluten-Free foods are rarely, if ever, less calorie dense than their wheat-based counterparts. In fact, one of the unfortunate facts we Celiacs face when going gluten free, is when we can find suitable alternative GF foods, they are almost always less healthy. Where you'd find wheat or whole wheat in any standard cookie, pasta, or bread item it's replaced with either corn products, or potato starch/flour. These items may act as a suitable substitute for taste, but they are much higher glycemic than their whole grain counterparts, and completely and totally lacking in any fiber content. 

For example in my earliest weeks of going gluten free, I was able to find a pretty tasty GF corn-based pasta. But when I went home and compared it to my husband's whole wheat pasta I had been eating only month's earlier, I was disappointed to see that not only was it higher glycemic for being corn rather than wheat based, of it's 41g of carbs per 2oz serving, <1 was from fiber, where as my husbands had 42g of carbs per 2oz serving, and 6g of fiber, while being much lower glycemic. And this is what I face with each GF option I find. While I'm thankful to find them at all, GF foods are not something I can use regularly in place of what I formerly ate. Because of the lack of comparable nutritional value, I'm better off adding these in occasionally, and instead adding in more fruits and vegetables, especially to make up for the fiber that's already hard to find as a Celiac.

And then there's the fat. GF foods are much higher in saturated fats especially, as manufacturers struggle to not only recreate foods, but their texture as well. No one wants to bite into a dry, tasteless, crumbly muffin. Check out this cookie I found at a local supermarket last week. As fast as I yelled "Cliff - check it out! Gluten free cookies!" I took one look at the label, and back to the shelf it went:

THREE HUNDRED TWENTY CALORIES!? 150 of which are from fat!? People I cannot begin to describe to you how ridiculous that is - especially when this cookie wasn't even as big as a 4oz hamburger patty. NOT WORTH IT! But when and if I ever want to have a cookie again - these are the kinds of concessions I'll have to make.

If I have 133 people reading this blog, chances are one or two of you have Celiac, can relate to the symptoms and experiences I've had, and really should start going gluten free. For the rest of you I can tell you in all honesty as someone who IS benefiting from a GF diet, that aside from Celiac or wheat allergies of some kind, there is no need for you to pursue this type of overwhelming change in your diet.  As you can see from the lengthy list I posted in Part 1 of this series, it's not at all as simple as eliminating bread and cereal - there are wheat byproducts in 90% of our food supply (raw fruits, veggies, and dairy excluded). The work it takes to make certain of this is quite exhausting, and if my health didn't depend on it I wouldn't be doing it at all. If limiting your intake of gluten means you are willing to permanently cut out the starchy, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods so many people are dependent on - yes there's some benefit to that side of it.  But is gluten free a diet fad? Absolutely not. It's form of medication and treatment, for a disease that.. well has no other medication or treatment. It's the way I must live to stay alive, and to stay healthy.

I'd like to take the opportunity of having your attention to ask you to take another 30 seconds to help Celiacs like myself around the country.  At this time there is no law mandating brands take the time to mark their products as Gluten Free unless they choose to do so. And most do not. This makes the life of a Celiac even tougher, and we must make the choice to stick to the 1% of items that are appropriately marked, or risk redosing ourselves.  At this time there is an effort being put forth through the FDA that all Gluten Free products be labeled consistently, so that the 7+% of the population that has Celiac can have more confidence in the products we buy, as well as more variety, however small.  Please click the following link, scroll down to where it says 'Sign the Petition'. Simply enter your name and email (you will NOT be spammed) to sign and help them know that people out there like me NEED this. Thank you so much.

Please go to:  http://www.1in133.org/you/

Gluten Free Is Not a Diet - It's a Disease PART 1

PART 1: My Restrictions, And How I Knew Going Gluten Free Was A Necessity

While I've had Celiac for anywhere from 5-10 years, it's slow increase in severity, and difficulty to diagnose left me without a diagnosis until about 4 months ago. Since finding out I had Celiac I've had a lot of different reactions from friends and fellow competitors. Mostly supportive and sympathetic, but believe it or not I've had a handful of people give me some eye-rolling, apathetic reactions that made me do a double take.  It's not like my death is imminent, and it's not like I require sympathy to function. And I'm certainly not expecting people to fall to their knees in tears either.  But at least have the heart to respect the pain I'm in, and the permanent blow to my health, even if you don't respect that my disease isn't 'serious enough'.. sheesh!

And everyone's got SO many questions! I feel like printing up pamphlets and handing them out everywhere I go to save me the time. But the fact that they're even asking questions is a demonstration of their sympathy as well, so I'm glad to take the time.. But I know because of my tendency to be too detailed and nonlinear with my story telling [much like my blogs ;)] sometimes some of it gets lost. So hopefully this blog entry will help to answer some of that.

Around 1/133 (7%) of people, mostly of Northern European decent, carry the Celiac gene. However most of those people will never know it, as being so rare there's not much information out there, and like myself you'll probably be misdiagnosed with many other things before the word Celiac even comes up.  For some of us it's active from birth, but for many people like myself it stays dormant for years.  In my case it started in my late teen's/early 20's, but some carriers have been able to live well into their 50's before they presented with symptoms. And even for those of us who are symptomatic, there's still no hard scientific evidence to explain why it awakens when it does.  One overwhelming commonality for many Celiacs is that a stressful circumstance seems to 'activate' the gene. For some women the act of childbirth or pregnancy may do this, for other people the loss of a job or loved one.  In my case it was dealing with a very dark and violent childhood [which you'd think would have been cause enough to activate it earlier in my life] coupled with all the added stressors that my early 20's brought: career, marriage, and in my case, trying to start and run 2 businesses.

Celiac is qualified as an autoimmune disease, which means the body's immune system attacks it's own healthy tissues.  In this case, the presence of gluten in my digestive system causes it to attack the villi in my small intestine which are responsible for absorbing nutrients, and without which, I may as well be starving myself. In fact, in the last few years as my Celiac really reared it's head and the damage to my stomach so severe, it didn't matter if I ate 1000 calories or 3000 calories.  Without the use of most of my villi, most of what I ate just passed through. And being that my body thought I was starving myself, it would often be in a catabolic state - a bodybuilder's nightmare. Despite my efforts to both gain muscle, and lose bodyfat, my body was fighting just to stay alive, and to do the work it needed for day to day life - forget gaining muscle. The picture below shows you the quick turnaround I had within months of diagnosis and changing to a gluten-free diet:

 So what is gluten - or really, what is it in that I have to avoid? God- what DONT I have to avoid!? My days of casually going into the store and buying anything so long as it's healthy or fits in my diet at the time are over. Even for a few items it can take me as much as an hour. My days of casual vacations or even a day away from home are changed forever and now require planning ahead extensively. I can't even spontaneously go out with my husband on a date without researching the menu first. With the exception of raw, unseasoned meat, raw vegetables, dairy and raw fruit every single thing I buy must be scrutinzed, Googled, picked apart ingredient by ingredient. As little as 1/8 of a tablespoon of wheat or a gluten contaminated item sets off an autoimmune reaction, so something as small as a nibble could make me symptomatic for days or weeks. This is why I can't understand why someone would want to go gluten free without the demand of Celiac Disease..

While I'm starting to adjust, it's no fun for me, and my husband's life is forever changed as well. We have separate carts, separate shelves in the fridge, separate cabinets at home. I can't help but wonder how much more complicated this will get when we start adding to the family. Celiac being genetic, I'll have to wonder if I've passed on the gene to my children.  This is a restriction, a disease.. it's requires constant vigilance and planning. It's incredibly exhausting.  And because of all this restriction, I have been reduced to tears in the grocery store more than a few times.

You'll notice Celiacs refer to it as going gluten free, not wheat free.  It's not that wheat itself that's killing us, it's an amino acid sequence uniquely contained in wheat, barley, and rye. And while some of these may be obvious, as is the case with many newly diagnosed Celiacs, I'm learning to never let my guard down, because wheat (and therefor gluten) is everywhere. As I keep trying to emphasize, going gluten free is in no way simple. Unless you can tell me (and more importantly yourself) that you'd be satisfied eating only plain meats, dairy, raw fruit, unsalted or seasoned nuts and plain vegetables, then you've got a lot of work ahead of you. Here's what you'll be missing out on:

• SALAD DRESSINGS & SAUCES: Modified food startch, a byproduct of wheat, is a thickening agent in >90% of all dressings and sauces. I have to research every ingredient before I even put it in my cart.
• SOY SAUCE: That may as well read 'All Chinese Food' and be followed with the sound of me slapping myself in the face. Second to pizza I have been dying without it. But believe it or not, wheat is the 2nd ingredient in all soy sauces.
• GRAVIES, DIPS & MARINADES: I know you're thinking "uhm, isn't that the same as dressings?" But keep in mind, unless you're eating barebones plain food, somewhere in that recipie some sort of sauce or flavoring comes into play and with it the likelihood of contamination increases
• PIZZA: Unless you can find a gluten free dough - good luck with that.
• BURGERS:  Besides the wheat bun, at most restaurants you run two more risks with the meat patty itself: cross contamination from other items prepared there, as well as the breadcrums many restaurants use as filler.
• ANYTHING MEXICAN: See ya later Taco Bell! Where do I start here? Sauces - Modified food starch. Meats - wheat fillers. Shells - wheat based or cross-contaminated.
• ANYTHING FRIED: While things like fried chicken, wings, and breaded anything may be obvious, because cross-contamination is something I need to be ever aware of, unless they can guarantee me they fry their fries in a separate machine from everything they bread [which having worked in the restaurant industry for years, I can tell you many do not] it's really quite pointless.
• CHEWING GUM, CANDY: Many candies gums use Modified Food Starch as a thickening agent so I even if I won't be swallowing it, I cannot let my guard down here either.
• CEREAL: I'd say a good 25% of cereals out there could easily be made gluten free. They are either rice or corn based, but because they can't guarantee lack of cross-contamination of wheat, it's not safe for Celiacs.  On top of that, let's not forget wheat derived tocopherol acetate [Vitamin E] and malt.
• PACKAGED RICE: Rice naturally is gluten free, but where our friends at Uncle Ben's and other companies really screw us Celiacs is in adding modified food starch, or straight up wheat to all their 'heat and eat' rice produts. So we're stuck with the dry, plain stuff unless we take the time to flavor it ourselves.
• SOUP: Nooooo!! Not my chicken noodle soup! Can you imagine NEVER having soup again? Just last week I had a craving and went wandering down the soup aisle, only to leave muttering obscenities. Even something noodle and barely free, and as simple as tomato soup is contaminated and over-processed with added wheat ingredients.  

-This gluten free thing isn't as simple as you though is it? Here's comes some more...

• DONUTS: while it's the last thing I need, I may never have a donut again in my life without instigating an attack of my immune system.
• MUFFINS, COOKIES, CAKES, PIES, CRACKERS, CHIPS: See "Donuts".. Christmas and birthdays will never be the same.
• ICE CREAM: I do have to say, this one's a 50/50. Some are okay, but anything with cookie dough/pieces, in a cone or containing malt (as many do) is off limits. No more going out for dessert.
• LEAN CUISINE / FROZEN MEALS: Regardless of if they contain bread, noodles or breaded ingredients, unless they take the time go be gluten free, 98% of these items are contaminated either with straight up wheat, or modified food starch... Gone are the days of microwaving a quick meal.
• SPAGHETTI/ PASTA: This is probably for the best anyways. Yes wheat is the main ingredient for any pasta, but it is also one of the most calorie dense carb sources, so i guess this is extra motivation to keep me away from Olive Garden.
• SAUSAGES / HOT DOGS, PROCESSED MEATS: Everyone knows hot dogs are usually spare parts and nastiness, but packaged and processed meats in general are full of hidden wheat byproducts.
• BLUE CHEESE: And I JUST started liking it, too.. that's just not right!
• BEER: In my case this is fine as I have never been a drinker.
• BREAD, BAGELS, etc: A little obvious, but the longer the list, the more restricted you'll see this diet becoming.
• OATS/ GRANOLA/ OATMEAL: This one's an 80/20. Chances are 80% it's a nono. It's not the oats themselves, in fact oats are gluten free and Celiac-safe. BUT very often these items are either mixed with wheat or cross-contaminated deeply, and so unsafe. Some companies do make the effort to keep from cross-contaminating their stock, and will take the time to mark their items 'gluten free' but unless you see this, chances are you're about to undo all your other gluten-free work.

So now you see how restricted my life has become. And for those of you non-Celiacs considering going gluten-free - think back to what you ate today, what you ate yesterday. Can you guarantee me it was gluten free? Can you imagine voluntarily being this restricted, regardless of the circumstances or holiday for the rest of your days? One thing's for sure - I couldn't. I'm the one with Celiac and I find it exhausting. I wrestle with it every day. Yes I am healthier for it, but it will for sure take some time for me to adjust to being the exception to the rule.  And for those of you out there who made it through the list, and are still considering going gluten free, that is what PART 2 will cover: Is a gluten free diet useful or beneficial for a non-Celiac?

Til then - have some pizza and Chinese for me!.. Just don't do it in front of me..

2 Weeks In, Total Beast Mode.

Some of the ladies competing in 2011 with TWNB

I am officially 2 weeks into my contest diet and guess what? So far so good! For those of you who haven't been keeping up, I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, a genetic autoimmune disease that was triggered about 5 years ago due to very traumatic events in my life. Although it's genetic, Celiacs can differ in terms of when and how it effects them. Some are active as soon as childhood, some not til their 20's, some in their 50's, and a few never feel it's effects. About 7% of the population has it, but only about 2% is ever diagnosed. Since then I have had to eliminate wheat, barely, oats, rye, malt and all their sneaky little byproducts out of my diet, cosmetics, personal care items, and detergents. And this isn't my first run at a contest diet, it's my third attempt since December 1st, and my third season in a row. In early February I blogged about my many previous dieting setbacks due to my Celiac Disease, please take a look at it to learn more about my journey up to this point.


Before I started this diet I was on a steady calorie level of about 1200 per day. I had already been dieting on and off for so long and having so many health complications interrupting my progress, the last thing I wanted to do was gain at all, and backtrack on what progress I had.  About once every 5-7 days I'd have a high carb day of about 1500 calories or a cheat meal, but for the most part I kept them low. Once I really sat down and looked at it, I realized how early in my diet it was for my calories to be so low. So for two days I went up to about 1600cals and about 200 carbs. I was sick of eating by the end of the second day.  The next day I started on a 6 day cycle of 1 day at 1600, 2 days at 1300 calories and 3 days at 1200 calories. Each one also having varying level of protein, carbs and fats.

When I started the diet 14 days ago I was 128.8, this morning I weighed in at 124.0, and I'm only on my second moderate day, I've got my fingers crossed for another 6/10 or more this week before I start a new cycle.  For those of you who haven't done carb cycling before, typically in the day or two immediately proceeding your highest calorie day [Day 1] you are the heaviest. From the extra food in your belly, from the excess water those carbs are suspended in, etc. And for many people their lowest weight is on one of the latter low days [Days 5 or 6], and sometimes first thing in the morning before they start back at the high calorie day.

IFPA Pro Corynne Pero and Myself 3/13/11

My workouts this week have been very good.  I started a new German Volume Training program we just came up with - we always use ourselves as guinea pigs before distributing it to any clients. This one is brutal, not in terms of difficulty as by now I am a pretty seasoned lifter, but more in it's after effects. I feel as if I spent the week being pummeled with dodgeballs from a 4th grade gym class. Super Duper. It's a 2On/1Off/3On/1Off Schedule. The last three days are all 4-6 reps.  This is my happy place. Give me a rep range higher than 12 and I feel like I'm just warming up, I live to powerlift. For so long having the lesions in my stomach inhibited my ability to go so heavy, and bear down or block with my midsection, so it's good to start chipping away at those personal records again. On my chest day I was able to hit a personal record on the Incline Dumbbell Press of 45x5. Yesterday on back day I hit a pound for pound personal record on the deadlift of 165x4 at a bodyweight of 124.  I do have videos of both, however technology has failed me and they upload sideways. I'll have to save it for next week, at which point hopefully I'll be on the 50's and deadlifting 175.:)

So far I do not have a solid plan of action for which shows I'll do. It's driving my husband and my good friend Corynne nuts - they're my two biggest fans, and two great shoulders to lean on on the hard days.  It's not so much that I'm procrastinating, I do fully intend to compete this year.  It's just that with everything I've been through with my Celiac, and trying and failing over and over again to prep, I am sick of changing plans. For the next few weeks I just want to focus on dieting and training like the show is always just a few weeks away, and in a month or so I will choose and announce which shows I'm doing. Til then, I'm enjoying the high calories, the heavy lifting, and will continue to make new personal records weekly. This will be the year I am the best possible version of myself. All I want to do is step on stage knowing I am the best I could be for that show. If I place well, if I win, or - if hell freezes over- and I win a pro card, that will be all the more redeeming. But my focus is on bettering myself, not worrying about the competition.

I Pity The Fool..

WHY?! I swear on any given day I'm asked "Why ____" no less than 20 times. Why are you lowering my calories, why can't I eat this, why don't my hamstrings look like that.  And don't get me wrong, I really do love my clients, but sometimes it can get irritating when it seems they're fighting me on necessary changes.  But they listen nonetheless, and ultimately that's all that matters.

Over the last couple years we've had clients that dove head first into the sport, and not only wanted to compete, but were very interested in the science behind their diets, supplementation and training.  Others simply nod as we give them instruction, do the work, and leave the wondering and researching for us.  So long as they follow their program, there's no difference in results between those that ask a lot of questions and those that don't.  Besides, that's why they're paying us to coach them- because they realize that the service we're providing them will yield better results than they could attain on their own without a great deal of work, research, and/or luck. But for those of you working on your own, and those of you doing your own prep, you cannot get away with not asking this question.

WHY Are You Taking What You're Taking? - You know what supplements you're taking, but WHY? Don't tell me it's because the guy behind the counter at GNC recommended it so strongly, because let's remember that most supplement store employees work on commission. Not to mention there's no prerequisites for some employers at these types of stores so unless they also do the work to research these supplements, there's no reason for them to know much more than you do. And don't tell me it's because of a friend's recommendation, TV or magazine ad you've seen. Make the decision for yourself whether something is worth the money. Take anything your friends and lifting partners tell you with a grain of salt, as most likely the only science involved with most casual lifters' supplementation is heresay and "gymscience".  What does each supplement do for you metabolically, physiologically, biochemically? Considering your goals and the make up of your diet- are you using supplements as a crutch to make up for what your diet and training lacks, or are they bringing out the best of you? Yes many supplements will work for you, but do not even waste the money, or your time in the store until you can assure yourself your diet is impeccable.

WHY Are You Eating What You're Eating?-
And while we're on the subject of your diet, what exactly is the situation there? How did you decide on your calorie and macronutrient numbers - and please don't tell me you've just opened a new tab and had to Google 'macronutrient'. I can't tell you how many people think I can just look at them and tell them what calories to eat to reach their goal - it is not that simple. And for yourself, don't think you can just use a diet you've found online or anywhere else - I don't care how similar your weight, height and measurements may be to that person. While you may be lucky enough to lose initially from that plan, I can guarantee you it's not enough to take you all the way to show day conditioning. And inevitably without doing the necessary research to know what to change when you do plateau, you will make the mistake so many diets and dieters are guilty of: Deprivation without education. Each person's bodytype and genetics are different. As a coach and even with our own diets, we have to take into consideration how people react to different carbohydrate and fat ratios. And it's not as simple as just cutting, cutting, cutting, because in that case you run the risk of taking your calories too low and unintentionally taking your body to starvation level calories. Do the work, do the research, or come show day you will find yourself nowhere near the conditioning you should have attained.

WHY Are You Training The Way You're Training? - 
The instant you walk into the weight room, it's hard not to feel self conscious. Whether it's how you look, or what you lift, it's to be expected that you're aware that everyone's eyes are constantly on each other, even in the most friendly environments.  It's just the nature of the gym.  But regardless of if you're the biggest guy or girl in the gym, unlike everyone else who may casually refer to themselves as a bodybuilder, you actually are one. You're not there to talk, you're not even there to listen, and you certainly shouldn't put any care into what anyone else in the room thinks.  I've seen so many guys with amazing potential waste their training because they're more worried about their ego than their program. But here's the thing - if the people you're trying to impress we really worth impressing, they'd know what to look for, and they'd know an impressive lifter when they saw one.

And don't tell me you just go in there a lift whatever whenever. I don't care if you even at least have a certain day for a certain bodypart. You can train as hard as you want, but if there's not method to your madness, you just simply won't make the best possible size and strength gains.  While when it comes to diet and supplementation I recommend a fair amount of research, you can be a little bit more lax when it comes to your training. But here's the rule - some programs are better than others, but having one at all is still going to get you a lot farther than just simply winging it. All rep ranges have a purpose in muscle building, and if you're wasting your time always trying to hit your one or three rep max on some compound movements, you'll be seriously missing out on some potential size.

So you tell me "I look great right now! You can't tell me I'm wrong!" Well to that I say: Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.  While plenty of people end up lucking into finding a good enough, if not much more difficult, route to getting the winning physique, there are many more who quit because they think they've already peaked in the middle of the pack. If you're going to do this sport, if you've become okay with the fact that you'll be on stage with and in front of a bunch of strangers in your underwear (or less) and that you want to be in the kind of shape only 1% of the population ever reaches, then you cannot listen to people and get your advice from that other 99%.  Why not bite the bullet, admit that you are not the world's leading expert on all things bodybuilding, and do a little reading. No one should ever be closed off to advice or improving upon their methods.  Although the methods Cliff and I use for our athletes already do work consistently, we're still always looking for ways to simply or make them even better.  There's a lot of information out there that you are closing yourself off to, and no matter what your competition history is, no matter what your physique looks like, there's always ways you can improve.

Little Miss Crankypants Goes on a Diet

So I was greeted when I logged in just now with a message telling me this blog was "in the process of being deleted at the request of the user". -Uhm- Oh hells no! So whoever you are, joke's on you, I got it back, and I'm not goin anywhere, mofo!

Anyways, onwards and upwards! So while some of my blog has/will be dedicated to my thoughts on Natural Bodybuilding and competing, some of it is/will also be about my personal journey to the stage- and this is one of those times:

So after 2 failed attempts due to my Celiac Disease, I am finally in the midst of 2011 contest prep dieting. And I am hungry. All you out there in the midst of your prep are either commiserating, or rolling your eyes like 'well what did you expect'.  But give a girl a break, I miss my breakfast carbs.  That said I really have nothing too interesting to report. My weight this week is down, but I never really count the first week's loss being that eating less means less food weight in your stomach, expected drop in water weight, etc. The second week is where the real fat loss starts.

Yesterday was a high carb day for me after three low ones in a row. I bumped myself up to just under 200, up from my low days' ~115g. Being that it was a non training day it meant all of them came in the form of food and not just shakes, so that was a nice bonus. The farther into my diet I get, the less options I get, but early on I try to keep myself from mentally burning out by getting some variety on these days, so long as I hit my macro's and the sources are healthy.

What I ate yesterday:
CARBS:                          PROTEIN:                       FATS:
Sweet Potato Chips         Chicken Breast                 Flax Meal
Rice Cakes                      Beverly UMP                   Almond Butter
FF Hash Browns             Greek Yogurt
Flax Meal
Green Beans
Greek Yogurt

I make a point never to put hard numbers or calories out there, because I cannot emphasize enough how individualized diets are. I mean, yes I may have two clients who have similar body types, even weight and height, but the way their bodies process and respond to things can be completely different, so this in no way means that their diets will be the same.  On top of that, your calories and macros on any diet will be tweaked here and there depending on progress, etc, so just because you lose at one level doesn't mean it'll work all the way til show day.

So in all, this week wasn't too eventful [sorry!]. Being that I'm already very lean, the last 8lbs I have to lose here are going to be slow and steady. But each one will take me that much closer to winning my class. And for those keeping up, I promised I wasn't just going for the experience this time. If I'm going to put myself through this, be tired, hungry, moody and sleep deprived, I better go all the way.

In the meantime, I've got my nose to the grindstone. I'm focused, and I know with so much certainty that this is worth it at the end of the day. After all I've lived through the last 2 seasons, and with all my restrictions and health problems, it really forced me to step back and reassess. At the end of my life, I'd always regret being on the sidelines and never being one of the ones on stage. Regardless of my potential in this sport, I care more about my potential as a person.  I want to do something most people can't, or won't. I want to challenge myself. I want to endue. I want to persevere. And that's what I'll do.

Look out, here I come:)