Wow, if you told me a year ago that I would be sitting here writing this post – I wouldn’t have believed you. Because I never really thought that my “home” as a competitor would be outside of the division in which I earned my IFBB Pro Card.
But the fact of the matter is that, in essence, I am returning to my roots.
Some of you know me well – for many years. And you know the journey I’ve taken to get here. And honestly many of you don’t – you’re just meeting me for the first time.
Well, I’ve Been at This Point Before.
Prepping to be dolled up, and strutting my hard work on stage – in a pair of lucite heels, striking 4 madatory poses. And I’ve always done well actually. Having won overall titles on my own, having class wins in DEEP line ups, having done the national level.
In 2011, the NPC introduced the Women’s Physique division. And it was the perfect class for women who have more muscle than they were awarding in figure at the time, and a BIG step below body building. As a figure girl who saw her size naturally grow the more she trained, women’s physique was the perfect transition.
It wasn’t long before I earned my pro card (at Team Universe in 2013), and then found myself on the Olympia stage shortly after (2014).
But all the while, as with all things… The division started to shift, evolve, and change.
The girls got bigger, harder, drier… And it started to morph into something I personally wasn’t comfortable with pushing MY body towards. For me to attain the look they were awarding, I had to make the decision to cross lines I drew in the sand – and vowed never to cross. So basically what I’m saying is that for ME to remain competitive within the evolving division, I would have to take too much gear (steroids).
Let’s Just call a Spade a Spade and Address the Big Pink Elephant in the Room.
Now, don’t get me wrong. EVERY SINGLE DIVISION has its dabble in compounds. That’s just the truth. What anyone uses… Well I can’t say and would never openly point a finger. But when you’re at this game for a LOOOOONG time, you know what goes on. And that’s just the game.
As a competitor, you ALWAYS have to know what you are willing to do, and what you’re not.
And I’ve always known what my limits are, and it has never been worth it to chase a trophy, and put that moral integrity aside for it. So when I realized that that’s what was holding me back…
I kind of got depressed. And I decided to retire altogether.
So that’s what the REAL reason was about my announcement a few months back, for those that remember.
But after some time off, and STILL being involved in the industry, coaching clients, and STILL being a fan of the sport… I truly missed being on stage. And I missed the focus and discipline of being a competitor. And so I made the decision to transition back to the part of the sport that gave me my start – and original inspiration.
I decided it was time to go back to figure.
So Here We Are – Let The Games Begin!
The 2016 Olympia has come and gone.
And I stand here in AWE and inspired by what I saw. 3 beautiful black female competitors dominating the figure class – in a way not many seemed to expect.
Interestingly enough, I competed against TWO of those amazing women back in my figure days.
Latorya Watts in one of her first few shows in figure was in my class. I had seen her talent RIGHT away, and watching her grow as a competitor has been awe inspiring. But seeing her succeed as a friend has been even MORE of a proud spectacle for me. By the way I beat her that time… Probably the last time that will EVER happen, lol.
And in that same show was Candice Lewis, who I did go up against in the overall, and she took that title with her amazing shape and TINY waist. The judges said it was a flip toss between the two of us, and that I should try women’s physique, because I had the muscle for it, and that was the look they wanted for that division. It was actually shortly after that show – and the advice of those judges, that began my women’s physique competitive career.
Anyways, I’m going off on a tangent…
All and all, I’m ready, focused, and driven for change, evolution, and altogether new challenges.
This is Where I am Starting – and Can Only Get Better From Here.
So last week, I talked about how I’m embarking on my own 21 Day Journey to lose some fat, and change my body…
Well, I’m still essentially on that path – I’ve now simply married it into my next phase of training and overall goals. I still want to bring down my body fat, and weight on the whole. For me to have a GOOD prep, I need to start dieting closer to 155 pounds more or less. The best stage weights for me tend to hang out around 142 to 145 for my frame. And I would like to hit that for my first show out of the gate.
I have the kind of body where I lose inches first, while my weight stays pretty constant. And it’s not until a few weeks that I actually start seeing my numbers trend down.
I kind of got a little off track with my initial plans, but I’m starting fresh again this week with a new drive and focus with my diet and training. I lost a few inches in my widths (as Missy Elliott would say lol), so I’m happy with this starting point.
My current plan is going to find me in the gym about 5 to 6 days a week, hitting cardio and weights, and focusing first on bringing up some lagging parts.
What I plan to do over the next 8 weeks is a shoulder and hamstring specialization program. So basically I’ll be really KICKING UP the intensity, volume and frequency for those two areas of my body with some crazy training. The goal – GROW BABY GROW.
One of the things that I mentioned in the post I linked to above, is that my cardiovascular fitness has suffered a great deal since I took a step back from training at the levels I once did.
So another goal of mine is to just get all of that fitness BACK. I really hate the feeling of being out of breath, or winded from things that used to come SO easily to me.
NONE of that anymore! I’ve got a full cardio plan programmed into my current set up. Once which includes HIIT, outdoor runs, and even a full day of training that’s nothing but circuits, metabolic conditioning, and all the cardio I can stand within that session.
I’m on a serious mission to be my best… Because the outcome I want – and the challenge I am setting for myself is HUGE.
I want to see if I can get back on that Olympia stage.
I’ve done it before, and I know I CAN do it again… And I am officially inviting you to join me on this ride… You ready?!
Let the games begin! I’m planning on my first show being in May or June of 2017. And I’ve got a lot of work to do!
