ilovegod888
New member
Hey everyone!
About a month ago, I posted progress pics from my bikini competition prep. Here they are again -
At the start of my prep:
Seven weeks out:
And here is a link to my final show day pics:
I competed in the NPC Bikini Novice class only, and I got first place in my height class! Granted, there were only two other girls in the class, so there was less competition, but I am still very proud of my progress and the amount of work I put into this. Here are some post-competition reflections:
But I don't want to make this sound like it was a completely horrid experience. It wasn't. Like I said, I am proud of what I accomplished and I'm proud that I saw the whole thing through. I also learned a lot about exercise and nutrition during this whole process. I think I could have came in more "tight" on show day, could have taken cardio a bit more seriously, and I could have looked a bit more confident on stage, but this was surely an experience I won't forget. Being there on show day was exciting, and I enjoyed being a part of the bodybuilding community for the day. Taking home a trophy wasn't bad either
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EDIT: Adding my stats, workout split/routine, as well as some info about my nutrition!
Height: 5'6.5
Starting weight: 138 lb
Show day weight: 127 lb
Body fat %: I measured my starting body fat at 20%, but unfortunately, I never got to measure it at the end.
Workout routine: I worked out for 5-6 days a week. I switched up the days depending on what I wanted to do that day/what was convenient:
Day 1: Legs
Day 2: Chest/tris/abs
Day 3: Plyometrics - a lot of whole-body circuits involving body weight exercises & lights weights.
Day 4: Legs again
Day 5: Back/bis
Day 6: Shoulders & abs
Day 7: REST
Here is a sample routine from one of my leg days. I can't post the full routine because my coach wouldn't like it, but I will post just one day:
Conventional Deadlifts
• 4 sets x 6-8 reps -
Weighted Hip-Thrust
• 3 sets x 10 reps
• 1 burnout set x 20 reps
Romanian (Stiff-Leg Deadlifts)
• 4 sets x 10-12 reps -
SUPERSET (SS) #1
• Weighted Walking Lunges SS Jumping Split-Squat Lunges
2 supersets, 20 walking lunges each leg, 20 split-squat lunges each leg
SUPERSET #2
• Quad Extension Machine SS Hamstring Curl Machine
3 supersets, 8-10 reps each
In addition to lifting/plyos, I incorporated HIIT cardio into my regimen. I started out doing 4 days of 15 min HIIT, and by the end of the program, I was doing 5 days of 30 min HIIT (I have to admit, I skipped some of these HIIT workouts or cut them short at the very end, which definitely brought me in less lean than I would have wanted).
Macronutrient info:
Starting macros:
Protein: 120 g
Carbs: 180 g
Fat: 55 g
This comes out to about 1,695 calories per day.
Macros at the end of prep (I did carb cycling, which means I consumed a different number of carbs throughout the week. I am posting my lowest carb day):
Protein: 130 g
Carbs: 100
Fat: 40 g
This comes out to about 1,246 calories per day.
About a month ago, I posted progress pics from my bikini competition prep. Here they are again -
At the start of my prep:
Seven weeks out:
And here is a link to my final show day pics:
I competed in the NPC Bikini Novice class only, and I got first place in my height class! Granted, there were only two other girls in the class, so there was less competition, but I am still very proud of my progress and the amount of work I put into this. Here are some post-competition reflections:
- THE PREP WAS VERY HARD. So much so that I am not sure whether I want to do this ever again. I think I underestimated how difficult this would be for me. I've been a regular gym goer for over 2 years, but prepping for a show is an entirely different ballgame. I think the physical changes I experienced affected me mentally A LOT. I became extremely moody - one day I felt happy and optimistic, and the next day I felt depressed and depraved of everything good life has to offer. I didn't get my period the last few weeks of prep when I was expecting it. I know this can be a side effect of competition prep, but this worried me, as it signals that something is off hormonally.
- My coach prepped me with flexible dieting, which I think had its pluses and minuses. The obvious pluses: I could eat anything I wanted provided I met the macro numbers for that day. I ate clean 80%-90% of the time, and there were about 3-4 days during my whole prep where I went considerably over my overall macros. There were no repetitive meals every single day, and I had that flexibility of choosing my own meals.
But I don't want to make this sound like it was a completely horrid experience. It wasn't. Like I said, I am proud of what I accomplished and I'm proud that I saw the whole thing through. I also learned a lot about exercise and nutrition during this whole process. I think I could have came in more "tight" on show day, could have taken cardio a bit more seriously, and I could have looked a bit more confident on stage, but this was surely an experience I won't forget. Being there on show day was exciting, and I enjoyed being a part of the bodybuilding community for the day. Taking home a trophy wasn't bad either
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EDIT: Adding my stats, workout split/routine, as well as some info about my nutrition!
Height: 5'6.5
Starting weight: 138 lb
Show day weight: 127 lb
Body fat %: I measured my starting body fat at 20%, but unfortunately, I never got to measure it at the end.
Workout routine: I worked out for 5-6 days a week. I switched up the days depending on what I wanted to do that day/what was convenient:
Day 1: Legs
Day 2: Chest/tris/abs
Day 3: Plyometrics - a lot of whole-body circuits involving body weight exercises & lights weights.
Day 4: Legs again
Day 5: Back/bis
Day 6: Shoulders & abs
Day 7: REST
Here is a sample routine from one of my leg days. I can't post the full routine because my coach wouldn't like it, but I will post just one day:
Conventional Deadlifts
• 4 sets x 6-8 reps -
Weighted Hip-Thrust
• 3 sets x 10 reps
• 1 burnout set x 20 reps
Romanian (Stiff-Leg Deadlifts)
• 4 sets x 10-12 reps -
SUPERSET (SS) #1
• Weighted Walking Lunges SS Jumping Split-Squat Lunges
2 supersets, 20 walking lunges each leg, 20 split-squat lunges each leg
SUPERSET #2
• Quad Extension Machine SS Hamstring Curl Machine
3 supersets, 8-10 reps each
In addition to lifting/plyos, I incorporated HIIT cardio into my regimen. I started out doing 4 days of 15 min HIIT, and by the end of the program, I was doing 5 days of 30 min HIIT (I have to admit, I skipped some of these HIIT workouts or cut them short at the very end, which definitely brought me in less lean than I would have wanted).
Macronutrient info:
Starting macros:
Protein: 120 g
Carbs: 180 g
Fat: 55 g
This comes out to about 1,695 calories per day.
Macros at the end of prep (I did carb cycling, which means I consumed a different number of carbs throughout the week. I am posting my lowest carb day):
Protein: 130 g
Carbs: 100
Fat: 40 g
This comes out to about 1,246 calories per day.