Well just like that it is all over.. all the blood sweat and tears of 5 months of solid training all comes down to just one day on stage to show off all your hard work.
I had an absolute ball up on that stage and loved every minute of showing off my hard work and dedication.
My training leading into my comp was pretty specific- I trained heavy weights 4 x per week- back/chest, arms/shoulders, legs, back/shoulders, I taught 3 RPM classes and also taught 2 x CXworx classes. Remember that I have trained continuously for around 5 years so I have had loads of development time, it takes TIME to gain lean mass and develop your body! Also during my comp prep I decided to give up teaching body attack and step down from my presenting role within Australia and Asia, this was such a hard decision but I decided to see how I would respond to my training by taking out the high impact cardio training and if it would make a difference to the amount of lean mass I was trying to gain, in the end it was the right decision for me. Not only did it help with gaining lean mass it gave me more recovery time and as we all know recovery is CRUCIAL!
Here is a Photo from my comp and also a before and after transformation pic on the right, the one on the top right was taken in Dec 2011, so that is 5 months before my comp.
My diet was super strict from 5 weeks out with limited fats(only before training), no carbs and lots of protein, salad and green veggie and NO cheat meals. I need you all to understand that a depletion diet is not necessarily a healthy diet and it is one that can NOT be carried on into everyday life, it is only so I can get to my goal body fat. I always say to people that when I am at my leanest I am not at my healthiest. Taking essential nutrients out of your diet is not the way to go long term, I can not stress that enough.
It was an amazing experience to compete in front of my family and to take out 1st place was just a bonus, it is always good to win but the way I see it is that you are a winner before you step on stage.
Where to from here….. I think I have got the bug again.. hehe!!! I have a feeling I might try and get my butt over onto the US stage at the end of the year, I want to do it for fun and not for any other reason but to see how I measure up against the girls overseas.
Here are a couple of you tube clips from my 3 rounds, have a look and watch me working it on stage.
I hope my videos inspire you to achieve all you dream and more!!!
Justine xx