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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Typical Competitor



I was talking with someone about women who compete- specifically the "type" of woman who does this. I am sure everyone has their own idea of the typical Figure Competitor and I am sure most of those ideas are

Dead

Wrong

So, what do you think? I can guess (from talking with many people), that there are a few stereotypes.

1) The self centered bimbo
2) The bored housewife
3) The uneducated gym rat

There are certainly some of those, but I assure you, they are not the norm. The women I know who train seriously and those I have met at competitions are very intelligent women who know exactly where they are going and what they want.

Most competitors I have met hold full time jobs, and usually very demanding positions. Many of them have children and many are married. 

This leads us to the ever present question "I don't know how you can do it all!", this is the question we hear most I think. We do what every other woman does and we make the time to devote to our diet and training, and compete, with each competition taking on a  small "life" of it's own.

We do it because we are all driven - driven to succeed, driven to excel, driven to improve, driven to learn.

Once you get to know several women who compete, you will start to learn that there is a "fire", a "spark" that we all have, something that many other people lack. That fire is what drives us to do what we do, every single day.

Typically a successful athlete or competitor is an "A" type personality, and often we are very regimented in our lives. Routine is our friend! I can tell you that routine and structure are vital, and without it, we would not be where we are now.

I am a very structured person. I have all of my Thanksgiving Day menus on my computer, with excel spreadsheets of my grocery shopping, complete with day of purchase, store and person responsible. This makes the big day much easier to manage. 

I have all of my workouts on spreadsheets too.

My gym clothes are in a large covered basket in the bathroom  in "packets" (shorts, bra top, peds) all ready  to "grab and go"..I get up at 4 am so I cannot very well disrupt the rest of the family that early, nor do I want to figure out what to wear!

Pre and post training drinks and supplements are mixed and portioned into trays every weekend, and  stored in baskets ready to grab what I need the evening before, placed on the counter and ready when I need them. 

Cooking is scheduled and done while other events take place, then food is weighed and frozen, to be consumed the following week.

It all takes time, lots and lots of time.

You will find that most competitors will have similar stories, a desire to accomplish the impossible, the thrill when a difficult task is mastered. 


They are a special breed- few and far between.






5 comments:

  1. I totally agree that most competitors are very intelligent people. You have to be! You have to understand the science and physiology of exercise and diet to be able to train properly.

    And figure girls are definitely busy! It's like that saying: "If you want to get something done, ask a busy person."

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  2. Amen sister! No one, absolutely no one other than those who live with us know how scientific and planned it all is. And busy? Ain't a sloth among us!

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  3. Aloha Kristy, This is so very true! I have been asked to talk to several groups of women that have stereo typed us (fitness women) and placed in an unattractive category. After listening to my story and how I came to being a competing bodybuilder, fitness competitor & fitness model their views on me and what we as fitness women together stand for was totally different.

    Some even felt ashamed for prejudging me and others just because they didn't have the same desire as we do. They were able to see inside me on a deeper level and know why I do and am what I am. It felt really good to be able to do that. That's way I feel these blogs are so important as they show who were really are. We all have a story to be heard not judged.

    We are NOT just vain women who want a nice body.. In fact most are not vain and struggle with accepting themselves. Having a nice fit body is just a perk to the entire package of being a feeling fit.

    Debra
    http://islandgurl1.blogspot.com/

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  4. Frankly, I think I got the same share of A-type structured genes as you did. Somehow, however, they just don't translate over onto my abs... I've been busy A-typing other apsects of my life, which has certainly had its benefits, but frankly, I wouldn't mind being a bit more well-rounded... I tip my hat to you, once again!

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  5. Derek, I think all of us kids are A types, in our own way. None of us have great abs either! ha ha

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