I was seriously bitten by the fitness competition bug in May 2003 after
competing for the first time at WNSO's FAME in the Best Routines and the
Fitness (modified: routine only) categories. Till this day, I can hardly
believe I actually took part in this event! It was almost dream-like
standing up on stage alongside people I had seen in fitness magazines - like
Tina Rigdon - and all these super-cut muscle-gods and goddesses. I had been
working out and working in gyms on and off for about three years and
pictures of fitness competitors have always been so very inspirational! For
about a year I toyed with the idea of competing, read all about the big
competitors in mags, watched competitions on TSN, and read everything the
internet had to offer on the subject! One day I came across the WNSO
website and read all about everything they do. Since I have been a
professional dancer for about ten years (Bellydance and Latin), the best
routines competition jumped out at me. I thought it would be a great way to
get into the fitness scene using my dancing (and not doing a full-scale
fitness competition my first time!) The Best Routines category was very open
to almost anything entertaining, so I thought I would give myself a bit of a
challenge and add some fitness routine components blended with my
belly dancing choreography. I had my music mixed by Sylvia Tremblay, had my
costume made by Marie Routier, and started working on my routine with Liz
Curtis. With no background in gymnastics, it was so hard learning to do
one-armed push-ups, straddle presses, jumps, and cartwheels!!! Even though
there was no physique element to the
competition I was taking part in, I
wanted to look the part and lose some of my pudge! I also needed to build
up my upper body and core strength to execute these new strength moves for
the routine. I hired a personal trainer who I had worked with years back at
a gym. About two weeks before the
competition, I felt my routine was getting
there, I had become a lot stronger, but my body was still not looking right
at all... I knew immediately why... it was my diet for sure! Since I am
hopeless at healthy cooking, my mom helped me out big-time and made me
healthy meals everyday for the two weeks leading up to the event. It
shocked me just how much diet has to do with how your body looks. I only
wished I had started eating right earlier! At the last minute I had decided
to also enter the fitness category, because it was modified and was only the
fitness routine section and no physique judging. It was terrifying,
exhilarating, and amazing all at the same time, and I knew I HAD to do it
again!!! So, here I am, getting ready to compete in a full fitness
competition (including the physique round - yikes!). I have exactly two
months until I go to Halifax to compete in WNSO's Fitness Maritimes Pageant!
So I'm on the path. My personal trainer has started me on a fresh, new,
challenging plan that has me in the gym six days a week, this time I've
handed my dieting dilemma
over to the pros and am having Diet Delivery
deliver me Zone-favourable meals five days a week, I've chosen the music I
want to use for my routine - now I just have to have it mixed together. A
zillion other things have to be done (bikini, routine costume, choreography
for routine, etc. etc. etc.)... I'll update as days go by here on these
pages!
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