You asked… and better late than never

I get asked this over and over and over again… and I am always SUPER nervous to answer this question.  I actually get anxiety over it, because what worked for me, doesn’t mean it will work for you.  BUT… I feel like I can’t keep ignoring it.  I get asked constantly “how did you de-bulk, yet keep your muscle tone at the same time?”

Welllll….. to be perfectly honest with you some of it is possibly genetics.  I have always always been “toned”.  I’ve had what I refer to as “boy arms”.  I HATED them growing up.  I thought my muscles were gross.  Now I think I kinda like them!  My upper body?  Piece of cake.  Can’t gain weight up top to save my life, which is why I had to surgically enhance a thing (or two, ahem).  Anywho… lower body is another story.  I’ve always been told I was a white girl with a bootay.  Yes yes boys thank you I have a bubble butt (ugh).  I’ve hated it my whole life.  At least now there is a sport where it is appreciated (thank you Bikini!).

When I decided to switch categories I was really nervous about losing the 15 pounds of weight I had gained for figure.  I literally quit lifting altogether.  I started focusing on the fun classes at the gym that would keep me toned yet burn calories.  I did a lot of HIIT training.  So the next year I didn’t touch a dumbbell.

This is what I ended up with for that first Bikini Competition.  Not too bad but still a little “bulky” I thought.  So I kept doing what I was doing.  Avoiding the heavy lifting, eating super clean and continuing with my fun classes (Body Combat) in case you are wondering.  (Sept. 2011)

On to the next show, a short 2 months later in Dec. 2011 and I was a little leaner but still fuller than I wanted to be.  I have never had those lean legs.  NEVER in my life so I was really trying to find the secret to getting them.

Still no lifting.  I know this is completely crazy but for me it made sense.  As I sit here typing this I realize how crazy this sounds but it just made sense to me that in order for me to get rid of all of this bulky crap I had just worked SO hard to put on (coo coo) I had to do the opposite.  This was 3 months later.  March 2012… so far, so good.  Leaner.

Nothing had changed from this point on.  I was still doing Body Combat, the only difference here was that I added SPRINT INTERVALS.  I was doing 15-20 minutes 3-4 days a week.  30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.  That’s it.  At this point I did start adding some circuit training back in.  Oh yeah I also got the whooping cough.  It was marvellous.  Try training for a show with that.  Not ideal.  Wanted to die.  Nearly did a few times.  This was one year later, March 2013

I did a few shows in March, and took a short break until August.  This is a local show where I won 1st place and Overall!  My legs FINALLY came in.  I finally got the legs I have been trying to get since 2009.  My secret?  SPRINTS.  That is the ONLY thing that I added/changed/did different.  The ONLY thing.

Finally, Las Vegas Classic… where I took 1st place in a HUGE class November of 2013.  This was my best package to date.  Everything came together.  I still have continued doing my same training, my cardio has been spring intervals never more than 20 minutes, and body combat which is such a fun class filled with lunges, squats, kicks, punches etc.. that alone is what I feel has really helped shape, lift, tone, and keep everything nice and tight.  I have spent the last few years de-bulking and this is how I’ve done it. But as I said everyone is so very different.  My body really holds on to muscle and maintains it really well where others may not.  It’s a question I have been avoiding and I apologize but I hope that this answers any questions.

I am competing in a short 4 weeks locally to hopefully re-qualify for Nationals for another year and then the rest of this year I am focusing on National shows only.  First up is May 24th in South Carolina.  I am SO excited.  I cannot wait to debut my new suit.  It is going to be UNREAL!  Hopefully I will be able to update more.  Life has been ridiculous.  New job, so much going on, but I didn’t want to leave this hanging any longer!