By Emily Saunders
Hey guys, it’s Emily! I am 12 weeks out from my first show of 2011 and wanted to keep you in the loop throughout my preparation. I will be competing in bikini at the NPC Victory in the Valley in Hickory, NC in May and I am excited to see if I can make improvements over last year. I have been successful in the Fitness Model category and most recently came in 8th place out of over 50 girls at the Fitness America Competition in Las Vegas last November BUT, the Bikini Division in the NPC is different and I am still tweaking my physique to bring what the judges are looking for.
For me, it is all about the booty and building my glutes while maintaining my leanness and upper body curves too. Growing my glutes has been a long hard process (I have been at it for about a year and a half now), but I have definitely achieved results through a combination of one heavy lower body day and one lower body “detailing” workout combining lighter weights, higher repetitions and plyometrics with the help of my wonderful Jillfit trainer, Tara Ballard. I train my upper body 3 days per week on my own varying the muscle group “splits” to keep things interesting and make sure my body doesn’t adapt to the same routine over and over.
I eat clean year round (with the exception of a weekly reward meal) because I love living the Fat Loss Lifestyle not just because I like the way I look, but I love the way I feel and enjoy knowing that I’m treating my body well! Therefore, I do not typically change my diet for competition until between 8 and 4 weeks out from the big day. At 8 weeks out I will consult with Jill and we will make a plan from there. Usually this will include taking out some of my starchy carbs and cutting down on treats that include artificial sweeteners like protein bars and other treats with sugar alcohols. For now, I am going to keep training hard with my eye on the prize! But up first! I am heading to Jamaica in a few weeks with my husband, so the next blog from me will feature, “How to Enjoy your Vacation without Sabotaging your Fat Loss Progress” coming live from Jamaica the first week in March! See you soon!
Emily at 12 Weeks Out
