02/17/2010
My article for muscle dog!
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Gleas's Blogs
My article for muscle dog!
Throughout the next several weeks, Amateur Figure Competitor
Lindsay Gleason will give us an inside look on how to prepare both
physically and mentally for an NPC competition. She will be competing
at the NPC Mid-Atlantic Natural Classic on May 1, 2010.
In
the weeks to come, be sure to track Lindsay’s training progress in the
Journals section of the MDFW Forums. You can also find out more about
her by viewing her MuscleDog profile seen here http://www.muscledog.com/Gleas.html#.
Standing
in a pair of five inch heels takes equal amounts of beauty and brawn
when it comes to wearing them onstage as a competitor in a figure
contest. If you’re new to the bodybuilding, figure and fitness
community, you’re about to get a first hand account on the
perseverance, dedication and consistency it takes to make it onstage in
those shoes, under those hot, sweltering lights. Over the next 12
weeks, I am going to share my trip with you as I transform into a
figure girl for the 2010 MHP NPC Mid-Atlantic Natural Classic….
So…I’m
sinking my teeth into a warm cinnamon bun. The frosting is sweet and
looks soft and white, like fresh fallen snow. I go to take another bite
and I… wake up! My first thought is “Oh, thank god that was just a
dream- I can’t eat that, it would ruin everything!” Not your typical
response to a delicious thought during slumber.
Its
3:50 AM on a Wednesday morning and I’m halfway through the first few
weeks of my pre-contest diet. When my eyes open, my stomach growls as
if my eyelids set the timer for my gut. Hearing my stomach ask for food
lets me know I’m dropping body fat. With my pre-contest mind
rationalizing hunger pangs as progress, I rise and head towards the
bathroom mirror to have a look. New lines are starting to carve their
way into my shape. Each day I wake up eager to view any deviation from
yesterday’s reflection— to catch even a speck of transformation.
Progress! I happily eat “meal one” and leave the house before sunrise,
starting my commute to the training studio to see my first appointment.
Tupperware
has been my transparent companion the last three weeks. Not only do I
know all of the grocery store employees on a first name basis, they
know what I came to purchase each week to fill little plastic
containers. It’s not uncommon for the tall fellow in Produce to tell me
we are out of asparagus as I walk through the store. During a show
diet, I eat six meals a day, spaced out about every 2-3 1/2 hours.
These meals are measured and weighed to meet the design diet. Never
changing from week to week, these meals remain identical each day
unless my body fat does not lower at each week’s end. Every competitor
diets differently for their show but this plan seems to work for me.
I
carry a cooler with me wherever I go. It’s not even strange to me
anymore—it’s more like a wallet or cell phone. Believe it or not, I am
starting to love the winter because my car is as cold as a
refrigerator, and that means not having to cart sweating ice packs
around. I eat all of my meals cold as there is no microwave at my job.
I eat whatever I can fit into my mouth in-between clients. Being
prepared is a must when you are working a full time job, but just as
important is having a strong support system when deciding to compete.
Later in the day (when I get the chance to sit down for a meal), I will
sit across the table from my boyfriend, Pete, a competitive bodybuilder
and powerlifter. He will pour me a glass of diet root beer and we will
eat grilled chicken, sweet potatoes and asparagus. When I am with him,
I don’t even feel like I am dieting! This is a sure step up from my
last boyfriend, who would place the warm box of pizza on my lap in the
passenger seat as he drove his dinner home. Personal relationships can
directly affect a competitor’s diet if they are not strong willed. This
idea has given me a whole new respect for figure athletes who are also
mothers. It can’t be easy assembling an Easter basket for your
three-year-old or decorating Christmas cookies while dieting for a
show, but these women find a way to balance motherhood with their
goals. Every age poses a challenge that can be met victoriously. When I
see a woman on stage who is also a mother, I feel empowered. These
ladies prove that having a baby doesn’t mean throwing out your bikini!
They stand as examples of hard work and determination while often
having to put their children first.
What am I doing
this Friday night, you may ask? I have a hot date—with an oven! I
prepare food in advance at least twice weekly. Personal training eight
to fourteen sessions a day leaves little room for down time so time
management is a must. I have a chicken breast baking in the oven with
asparagus spears, brown rice boiling on the stove top and egg whites
cooking on the adjacent burner. On top of all that, I have oatmeal
rising in the microwave.
Learning to disconnect food
from its place in society as fun and entertainment is something that
happens as I diet. I tell myself that veering off my diet to engage in
short term satisfaction often forces one to sacrifice and derail long
term goals. Instead of watching reality TV on a weeknight, I will be
picking out fabric ideas and designs for my figure suit the day of the
show. I visualize how I might look during the night show and the rush
it feels to walk across that stage. This causes a warm flush of pride,
confidence and anxiety to flow through my veins. Quenching my thirst to
beat myself and become the best version I have ever seen of me in my
life, in that very moment.
I’ll never forget the
first time I saw a figure show. The women on stage had an energy and
beauty about them that seemed surreal. They commanded attention,
combining their stunning looks with powerful presences. I left so
inspired after viewing their stage walks, admiring them perform their
quarter turns as if those mile-high heels were a pair of comfy slipper
socks. These images of strength were burned in my mind. I wanted to
experience being motivated not only by viewing them, but by being
amongst them- onstage myself! For me, it was about putting my
self-discipline to the test—a dare to see if I could beat my past
habits and remain focused enough to make the ultimate transformation. A
challenge within, a hunger for self-inspiration and a quest for
transformation—these factors serve as my motivation!
Stay
tuned for my next post in the following weeks. Find out how I’ll travel
to another city for the Arnold Classic while on a diet, how it feels to
be on a competitive workout regimen and what it takes to get the
finished look as I journal my way to the show!
Lindsay Gleason will give us an inside look on how to prepare both
physically and mentally for an NPC competition. She will be competing
at the NPC Mid-Atlantic Natural Classic on May 1, 2010.
In
the weeks to come, be sure to track Lindsay’s training progress in the
Journals section of the MDFW Forums. You can also find out more about
her by viewing her MuscleDog profile seen here http://www.muscledog.com/Gleas.html#.
Standing
in a pair of five inch heels takes equal amounts of beauty and brawn
when it comes to wearing them onstage as a competitor in a figure
contest. If you’re new to the bodybuilding, figure and fitness
community, you’re about to get a first hand account on the
perseverance, dedication and consistency it takes to make it onstage in
those shoes, under those hot, sweltering lights. Over the next 12
weeks, I am going to share my trip with you as I transform into a
figure girl for the 2010 MHP NPC Mid-Atlantic Natural Classic….
So…I’m
sinking my teeth into a warm cinnamon bun. The frosting is sweet and
looks soft and white, like fresh fallen snow. I go to take another bite
and I… wake up! My first thought is “Oh, thank god that was just a
dream- I can’t eat that, it would ruin everything!” Not your typical
response to a delicious thought during slumber.
Its
3:50 AM on a Wednesday morning and I’m halfway through the first few
weeks of my pre-contest diet. When my eyes open, my stomach growls as
if my eyelids set the timer for my gut. Hearing my stomach ask for food
lets me know I’m dropping body fat. With my pre-contest mind
rationalizing hunger pangs as progress, I rise and head towards the
bathroom mirror to have a look. New lines are starting to carve their
way into my shape. Each day I wake up eager to view any deviation from
yesterday’s reflection— to catch even a speck of transformation.
Progress! I happily eat “meal one” and leave the house before sunrise,
starting my commute to the training studio to see my first appointment.
Tupperware
has been my transparent companion the last three weeks. Not only do I
know all of the grocery store employees on a first name basis, they
know what I came to purchase each week to fill little plastic
containers. It’s not uncommon for the tall fellow in Produce to tell me
we are out of asparagus as I walk through the store. During a show
diet, I eat six meals a day, spaced out about every 2-3 1/2 hours.
These meals are measured and weighed to meet the design diet. Never
changing from week to week, these meals remain identical each day
unless my body fat does not lower at each week’s end. Every competitor
diets differently for their show but this plan seems to work for me.
I
carry a cooler with me wherever I go. It’s not even strange to me
anymore—it’s more like a wallet or cell phone. Believe it or not, I am
starting to love the winter because my car is as cold as a
refrigerator, and that means not having to cart sweating ice packs
around. I eat all of my meals cold as there is no microwave at my job.
I eat whatever I can fit into my mouth in-between clients. Being
prepared is a must when you are working a full time job, but just as
important is having a strong support system when deciding to compete.
Later in the day (when I get the chance to sit down for a meal), I will
sit across the table from my boyfriend, Pete, a competitive bodybuilder
and powerlifter. He will pour me a glass of diet root beer and we will
eat grilled chicken, sweet potatoes and asparagus. When I am with him,
I don’t even feel like I am dieting! This is a sure step up from my
last boyfriend, who would place the warm box of pizza on my lap in the
passenger seat as he drove his dinner home. Personal relationships can
directly affect a competitor’s diet if they are not strong willed. This
idea has given me a whole new respect for figure athletes who are also
mothers. It can’t be easy assembling an Easter basket for your
three-year-old or decorating Christmas cookies while dieting for a
show, but these women find a way to balance motherhood with their
goals. Every age poses a challenge that can be met victoriously. When I
see a woman on stage who is also a mother, I feel empowered. These
ladies prove that having a baby doesn’t mean throwing out your bikini!
They stand as examples of hard work and determination while often
having to put their children first.
What am I doing
this Friday night, you may ask? I have a hot date—with an oven! I
prepare food in advance at least twice weekly. Personal training eight
to fourteen sessions a day leaves little room for down time so time
management is a must. I have a chicken breast baking in the oven with
asparagus spears, brown rice boiling on the stove top and egg whites
cooking on the adjacent burner. On top of all that, I have oatmeal
rising in the microwave.
Learning to disconnect food
from its place in society as fun and entertainment is something that
happens as I diet. I tell myself that veering off my diet to engage in
short term satisfaction often forces one to sacrifice and derail long
term goals. Instead of watching reality TV on a weeknight, I will be
picking out fabric ideas and designs for my figure suit the day of the
show. I visualize how I might look during the night show and the rush
it feels to walk across that stage. This causes a warm flush of pride,
confidence and anxiety to flow through my veins. Quenching my thirst to
beat myself and become the best version I have ever seen of me in my
life, in that very moment.
I’ll never forget the
first time I saw a figure show. The women on stage had an energy and
beauty about them that seemed surreal. They commanded attention,
combining their stunning looks with powerful presences. I left so
inspired after viewing their stage walks, admiring them perform their
quarter turns as if those mile-high heels were a pair of comfy slipper
socks. These images of strength were burned in my mind. I wanted to
experience being motivated not only by viewing them, but by being
amongst them- onstage myself! For me, it was about putting my
self-discipline to the test—a dare to see if I could beat my past
habits and remain focused enough to make the ultimate transformation. A
challenge within, a hunger for self-inspiration and a quest for
transformation—these factors serve as my motivation!
Stay
tuned for my next post in the following weeks. Find out how I’ll travel
to another city for the Arnold Classic while on a diet, how it feels to
be on a competitive workout regimen and what it takes to get the
finished look as I journal my way to the show!
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