It’s February 2nd, and almost 5 weeks into 2018! 5 weeks since I’ve truly committed to this journey to a physique competition. While I’ve made some progress toward my goal, and I’ll proudly share my 5 week transformation in a couple days, I’m not sure it’s the kind of progress I NEED to make, and I’m arguably still 100% ignorant about what I need to do to get ready in the next 20 weeks.
So what have I been DOING for the last 5 weeks? And why am I no closer to being informed about my goal? And what am I going to do about it?
Well, I started out the year KNOWING that I would compete in this specific physique competition sometime on June 22-24 in Indianapolis. It’s called the Beachbody Classic, and one of the requirements to compete is to follow a Beachbody workout program. So, even months ago, when I decided to do this, I had at least a jumping off point: pick a Beachbody program and work it! I even knew which one I’d choose – Body Beast, because that is the weight-lifting, strength-training go-to program. I’d never done it before, but I knew I’d incorporate this into my training. It’s a 3 month program, and I knew I had 6 months of the year to train for this competition, so I knew I needed a game plan for the first 3 months. That’s when I chose 80 Day Obsession.
This particular program lasts 13 weeks, and launched January 15th. It’s an intense program that has you working out six times a week, and also includes a structured eating plan, that tells you not only what to eat, but when to eat! All I knew before I started was that it would focus on your abs, arms and ass, which I knew were the three places I needed to tone for this physique competition, so it seemed like the right choice.
However, I also knew I had two more half marathons to get through – one on January 16th and one on February 3rd (tomorrow!). So I knew I needed to incorporate running into the program, at least for the first 3 weeks. So. My initial game plan was:
The first two weeks of January, before 80 Day Obsession launched, focus on healthy eating, and getting into the routine of working out again, after the holidays (relatively low-key for me). Then, on the launch of 80 Day Obsession, jump into that program, sticking to the nutrition plan and workouts, modifying slightly (and sometimes not so slightly) around my running schedule, which basically consisted of one long run (8-10 miles) a week. I had my first half marathon on the first Sunday of 80 Day Obsession, so I worked out seven times that week. Now, three weeks into the program, my last half marathon is tomorrow, and I’ll have worked out seven times this week as well!
But now, it’s five weeks into the year, and after this half marathon I’ve realized two things: 1) I’m really going to have to get more focused and more intentional towards this competition, no more excuses. Because, at least for the first 5 weeks, I can say, well, I was training for the half marathons, and that is completely different than training for a physique competition. Which is true, but that brings me to thing 2) I don’t actually KNOW how to train for a physique competition. After three weeks with 80 Day Obsession, I can definitely see results, but I can also see how this isn’t going to get me where I want to be. I’m going to have to supplement with…um, SOMETHING. Again, not sure what. I know a big thing about physique competitions is the nutrition. Like anything, the nutrition is 80% of it. And while I know how to eat healthy and clean, I also know that nutrition for this very specific goal is very specific. I just don’t know HOW. Same thing for the workouts. I know there are things I need to focus on, I’m just not sure what.
So this past week, I’ve been feeling a bit unmoored. The half marathon deadline, and my last anchor for an excuse was looming, and I still didn’t really have a PLAN. So, I finally bit the bullet, reached out, and decided to hire a professional. I found a woman who is local who SPECIALIZES in preparing people for these types of competitions. I told her my requirements (the Beachbody programs), and asked her to work around these, and she’s willing to do that. I’m feeling so much better now, because I have a professional, who knows what she’s doing, and she’s going to tell me exactly what to do, and all I’ll have to do is follow the plan. I’m very good at following a plan and trusting the process. I just needed to have a process in place.
So to recap: My plan as I know it right now is and was: 2 weeks of gearing up with mostly healthy nutrition, getting back to a workout regimen, 3 weeks of 80 Day Obsession + running and half marathons, 10 more weeks of 80 Day Obsession + additional workouts and nutrition provided by a professional, and finally 10 weeks of Body Beast + professional input. I think I’ve now set myself up to win and I have 20 more weeks to make it happen (which, according to this person I’ve hired, is just the right amount of time). Now that I have a plan in place, I can kick back, relax, and…work my tail off.
Looking forward to it!
Healthy Heart and Sole 