My Next Endeavor and Other Things Happening This Spring
I had planned to write this post a while ago. I kept putting it off. Not exactly sure why. Was I not ready to commit to this one? maybe. Was I worried I couldn’t achieve this goal? definitely. Was I concerned how you all may react? uh huh. Once I put it to “paper” then it’s out there, and well, there is no turning back. Up until now, this big idea was only living in my mind (and my trainer’s mind) and a few select friends and family members that I hesitantly let in on my little plan for the year. How they reacted and how I responded was practice for me for when I did get up the nerve to put it out there. And a majority of the people that I told had the same surprised and less than encouraging reaction. So yeah, I am going to assume that’ll be most of your reactions. But one of the goals of documenting my journey is to maybe change your perception. Perhaps you embrace this latest goal of mine and help cheer me along. Your cheers when I trained for the marathon and ran it in Chicago last year helped to carry me to that finish line. And while this finish line looks a lot different, I need a lot more help to get there this time!
So here it is. I am putting it out there right now. And there is no turning back. Welp ….in 2023, I am entering a body competition. It’s not body building- I could never do that- it’s called “Bikini” and the format does matter. The Bikini look is “achieved by presenting a lightly muscled and not overly lean or hard appearing physique.” An hour class figure with a lower body focus is the Bikini look. “A full, round, firm gluteus maximus” will be my biggest challenge. (yikes!) Thong bikinis are not permitted. (thank god!) Judging is based on “an overall healthy looking toned body with good symmetry, fullness, balance, shape and proportion with good posture, poise, confidence, and stage presence.” Bikini competitors “should not display deep muscle separation, muscle striations or an abundance of muscle size.” I’ll be grouped with my age and will be a part of the “Debut” division since this will be my first ever competition. This competition is drug free! [information about the competition comes from the OCB website, OCBonline.com. If you are interested in learning more, check this out.]
There are a bunch of reasons I am doing this that I will share along the way. But, the biggest one is to see if my 43-year-old female body can actually get to the point where I am ready to put on that little bikini and walk across the stage. It would have been a heck of a lot easier for me to tackle this one in my 20’s when I could grow my muscles and lose weight faster but why make things easy? To be honest, I would have never had the guts or the confidence to actually take this on when I was in my 20’s. Now I say that I am competing in 2023 because I have a local show in November in mind, but I also understand that it may take my body a lot longer to get “competition ready”. I have a lot of muscle to build.
To achieve this goal, I have to start from scratch really. The classes I love and frequent are helpful for my heart and lungs, but they aren’t enough for me to build the muscle required to compete. I have to train in a way that is different than my current fitness. So I started to lift in January. You may have noticed that I have not been in the studio as much. Instead, I have been in the gym working out with a trainer. It’s been decades since I actually worked out in a gym and my body is different now. While fitness is my thing, lifting like this isn’t. So I’ve been listening to and watching my trainer. I’ve been learning the exercises and equipment used to work each major muscle group. I’ve been “fact gathering” for the ultimate blog post that, when all is said and done, will require 10+ months of “research.” Ten plus months of putting my body through the most rigorous physical work of my life. That is, if I can make that November 2023 show. I have a long, long way to go. And now that it’s out there, I really need to start kicking it up a notch in the gym (my trainer has been waiting for me to say that).
This big goal of mine didn’t come out of no where. I was inspired to do this outrageous thing because of Jessica Berger. I met Jess during my June Studio Tour in 2021 at her boutique gym, LVX Fitness (now located in Ardmore). As I got to know Jess (I love her hot sculpt class and try to go whenever my Wednesday mornings are open), I learned that she started competing in her 40’s. She is now in her 50’s and looks and feels better than ever. She truly drank from the fountain of youth that is strength training. So yeah, I want some of that, too. If it wasn’t for Jess, I wouldn’t have known that there was such a thing called “Bikini” that focuses on a more feminine figure. When I told Jess I wanted to follow in her footsteps and compete, she jumped on board to teach and train me. And while I had been taking class with her for a while now, when I started training with her, I saw a new side. I saw her true passion pouring out over that weight bar. She taught me about the mind-muscle connection that is so critical when building muscle. That mind-muscle connection that can be used beyond the gym!
There are a lot of negative connotations that come with body competitions, and I am hoping to confront them as they come up (another reason why I am doing this in my 40’s). The vanity aspect is one. On the surface, you may see a person constantly posing and flexing in front of the mirror. The posing is actually very specific and used to show off various muscles. It’s used to display all of that sacrifice and commitment and hard f*cking work! Body competitions are a sport. Those that compete are bad ass athletes. And I can only hope to be half as bad ass as the athletes I have seen in these competitions. I am noticing from my training with Jess that there is a lot of science involved - kinesiology, biology, chemistry, anatomy, nutrition. Learning to appreciate your body and its muscles, not just because it makes you look good or strong but because the human body truly is a freaking work of art.
Another touchy subject (for me, at least) is the food component. And one that I have been most concerned about, to be honest. I love to eat and hate to be restricted by what I can and cannot put in my body. I have been worried to start measuring and counting. One, I don’t want my kids to see that. And two, I hate the idea of being obsessed with food. But I have already seen the effects of not eating the right amount of the right food. Your body can’t physically keep up. I am actually way under eating, especially protein. So learning about counting macros and what my body needs to build muscle is the next big step for me. And I’ll be sharing my findings right here. In fact, I am bringing you all along for this entire ride, just as I did with the marathon last year. I’ll give you updates on the blog throughout my journey and document it all. I hope to be as honest with you all as possible. And I am sure some of it won’t be pretty. So here goes nothing…
Oh god, here is the first body pic. These will be used to track my progress. Don’t worry, I won’t share them all with you. But you have to start somewhere…
So here is my plan for this spring because I’m a girl who needs a plan! I’ll be in the gym (LVX Fitness) 4-5 days a week, doing cardio and alternating between upper and lower body work. I’ll rest on Saturday and do yoga on Sunday because I can’t live without moving my body like that. And yeah… I am reluctantly going to start counting macros. So that’s my plan for the spring. But don’t worry, there are a bunch of really great community fitness events coming up that I won’t be missing out on. And I hope you will join me for a few!
First up, the return of the FFML Run Club. Since I am running again and the weather outside has been freaking gorgeous, let’s run together! We will meet on the Radnor Trail for 3-5 miles. All levels are always welcome. Stay tuned for weekend morning dates posted on Instagram.
Broad Street Run, baby! I know a bunch of you are running it this year, and I am so happy to see some buddies on Broad Street. It will be my 10th time running the largest 10 miler in the country. If you are running, let me know (email me at fitnessfindsonthemainline@gmail.com) so that we can party together after— the best part of the race!
FFML Community Classes. I love this suggestion that came from my survey last month. Throughout the year, I’ll be hosting several classes at some of my favorite places on the Main Line, just for this community. These classes will include a special educational component/social aspect/gift each time. Stay tuned on Instagram for the details of the first one. Fit pros and studio owners, if you are interested in co-hosting with me, reach out! (fitnessfindsonthemainline@gmail.com)
Be Well Philly Fest. This packed fitness event features top fitness and wellness professionals from our area. You can take a bunch of express workouts and experience wellness services from 10 am -1 pm, on May 7. Oh and there is a happy hour following the event at my favorite rooftop location in the city, Bok bar. Buy your ticket here.
And be on the lookout for the following blog posts this spring: my annual running shoe try on session; my exercise dress haul; spring fitness fashions and new fitness studio openings. My favorite season is upon us. Spring brings newness and excitement, and I am here for it all!