Countdown to Competition

Dress rehearsal went okay today. I am really exhausted. Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to get through tomorrow.

My knee is really bruised up. I have it wrapped right now. I can hardly bend it. My hams are really tight as well. I hope going through the routine has loosened them up some.

The routine looks a little better today, for the most part. I am lacking energy for some of it and hope the adrenaline will kick in tomorrow so I don't look like I'm working as hard as I really am.

My blood pressure has been really low lately, 85/47 yesterday and 82/54 earlier today. I've been having to take caffeine and Sudafed to get it up to a more normal level. I am really dizzy and out of it when my bp gets as low as it has been. The doctor thinks it's because of my diet lately and I hope he's right.

Anyway, here is the dress rehearsal from today. (I just got done loading it, so if it isn't up when you click, try back in a few minutes)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJyzpmFjb7E

Sophie
http://angel.catfangz.com

remind me, which show are you doing, like city, state, name of contest and federation is INBA I guess, Ms. Fitness people.
Linda

Come Visit my websites! www.figureteam.com www.lindacusmano.com www.bodyrushpersonaltraining.com

ORIGINAL: Italianangel

remind me, which show are you doing, like city, state, name of contest and federation is INBA I guess, Ms. Fitness people.
Linda

The federation is the IFSB (International Fitness Sanctioning Body) show is Ms. Fitness Great Lakes in Columbus, Ohio.

Sophie
http://angel.catfangz.com

Results:

Well, there was two of us. A seasoned figure competitor turned fitness competitor and me. Needless to say she won. We both "qualified" for Team USA and Ms. Fitness USA.

The confusion lies between the two different organizations. Ms. Fitness is run by a separate organization than who put on the show I was in. What Ms. Fitness told me and what was on their website as outlines are different from what is on the hosts website. The host's website also has some things on it that they didn't do, such as give us scores.

Either way, it's over. I don't think my knees could have taken much more of that routine. I'll be nursing them back to regular movement for a week or more now.

Sophie
http://angel.catfangz.com

I called Ms. Fitness today and told them about my experience and they apologized for how the contest was judged and handled. The other contestant did things that were against Ms. Fitness protocol and since they did not judge using points, she did not lose any points for it. The contest was supposed to allow me 60 seconds for my speech, not 30 seconds.

Showing the person we talked to at Ms. Fitness pictures and my routine she said I needed to speed up the routine and lose some muscle and body fat to bring out the lines better. I also needed to tan more. She said I'm too muscular.

I explained how I gain muscle easily and have a hard time losing. She named two other competitors like that and told me that they didn't even lift weights. I might have the genetics that do not allow me to do well if I continue lifting weights. I LOVE lifting so I don't know what to do.

I guess I'll just have to do low weight and high reps during contest season and lift like I want to during the off season. At least the off season is longer than my contest season.

Sophie
http://angel.catfangz.com

I don't know that I agree, I personally thought you needed more muscle and she may have said that to make it sound a bit better than simply saying you needed to be leaner and drop more body fat.  I agree that the routine could be faster or more dynamic but it depends on the level you compete at as well, for a beginner show you were okay but of course we always try to improve at at higher levels you will want to make it more exciting with more expression to the audience/judges.......just my 2 cents.
Linda

Come Visit my websites! www.figureteam.com www.lindacusmano.com www.bodyrushpersonaltraining.com

At least you commited and went for it. Kudos to that. And at least now you can brag and say you are a Team USA qualifier.

5'6" 125/ Bench: 115 / Front squat: 90 / Deadlift: 205 / Pullups: 10

Follow me! www.twitter.com/bobbigoes

The woman on the phone told me I was too muscular and bulky. She said to lose some of the muscle and drop some body fat. She said a good competition weight for me would be 106-110 and I came in this one around 114.

We'll have to see what changes I can make before August which is when the next Ms. Fitness competion I will be competing in is.

If worst comes to worst, I'll bulk back up afterwards and then compete as a bodybuilder. I will not stop lifting to do a fitness competition. I would much rather lift and compete in a different category.

Sophie
http://angel.catfangz.com

Dropping a little body fat could help with your leaps and strength poses too.

5'6" 125/ Bench: 115 / Front squat: 90 / Deadlift: 205 / Pullups: 10

Follow me! www.twitter.com/bobbigoes

ORIGINAL: rippedchick

Dropping a little body fat could help with your leaps and strength poses too.

I'm not sure about the leaps, but I'll have to find other strength poses to do other than body holds. The key to those are bending you back to get more clearance from the ground. My back was fractured and I can't bend it.

I have NO idea why I can't leap. I've never been able to jump very high. It may have to do with my bad knees or the fact I haven't really practiced that much.

Sophie
http://angel.catfangz.com

106-110 and I came in this one around 114.

I think 105... maybe 100lbs.. OldNavy told me you generally lose 1 lb of muscle for every 3 lbs of body fat.. So i think cutting off 10 - 14lbs should make a slight noticable difference in your BF% and also you wont lose too much of the muscle that you worked so hard to build up.

I do not see much wrong with your routine... Maybe cardio twice per day 5 times a week?  I am only saying that because I still think a major problem is your diet.. alot of calories from fat... you eat what i eat when im bulking... Nuts chicken steak white rice pasta  etc...   It should be fruits veggies chicken fish brown rice oatmeal egg whites etc...  You did say you can't really control that though,  so maybe increase the amount of cardio vascular work.

This is also what I have told her as well, b/w her meals of lunch and dinner, she said she just consumes nuts, which is not very optimal.

I can't jump very high anymore either. We can work on that together.

5'6" 125/ Bench: 115 / Front squat: 90 / Deadlift: 205 / Pullups: 10

Follow me! www.twitter.com/bobbigoes

Will be starting a new journal on Saturday for my next contest which is on June 16. Going to train for it differently this time and see how it works.

Sophie
http://angel.catfangz.com

Sophie, I know I may sound annoying but have you taken any of the guys and my advice on your eating, you seem to be ignoring them? Your eating is equally important or actually much more important than your training. If you have seen Linda's journal, you'll understand what we are talking about. But don't take this the wrong way (there's this one guy was doesn't seem to like people's criticism (he knows who he is), so I have stop posting in his journal), all I'm trying to do is help.