The art and science of amateur and professional natural bodybuilding is a strenuous and very delicate process.  You get comfortable with being uncomfortable very quickly,   especially if you want to see winning results!

 

 

So today I had my first official athlete’s check in with my friend and now competition coach,  IFPA Pro Natural Bodybuilder, Ryan Davis. The pic above is from his winning show last Fall where he won his pro card in Atlanta.

It is my hope with his help to make just the right adjustments needed to step back on stage in front of a different federation and eventually crush my competition in the natural female bodybuilding circuit. My mantra now and days is #WORKHUSTLEKILL! I saw it on a #DLB video, and took it to heart! She’s one of my favorite professional female bodybuilders and she definitely works hard and kills her competition!

Anyway, back to the story. ..lol! I went into my first competition last Fall eyes wide shut, wrong federation, no connections, no trainer,  no coach, which was a little arrogant on my part because I figured,   I knew how to work out and eat right,  how difficult can this really be. Too much pride to ask for a second pair of eyes to monitor my process, needless to say it showed on my presentation on stage and going home with nothing but an “experience” of just showing up. Fast forward to today. ..

This year my mind set has changed as even the best of the best pro’s have coaches,  trainers, nutritionist,  etc to help them prepare.  It’s hard to keep your macros straight,  adjust your own diet, maintain your workout schedule and juggle it all with work, life, and living.  Having that support system of someone dedicated to your process to remind you of the important things,  check on you, keep you focused when you feel like giving up because your carb intake is so low your body starts rebelling,  and your getting cranky! Having someone in your corner,  like a professional fighter in the ring truly matters!

I’m actually pretty excited about the next 30 days, moving forward from the current shape I’m in with the help of my coach can only get better as long as I stay focused and committed to the process! This is definitely a journey I decided to embark on mainly just  for me, a little selfish,  but in the end it makes me selfless! It teaches me  to show myself what I could achieve with precise discipline.   Sometimes I second guess it, get tempted to give in to “being normal” but I look at where I’ve been,  where I am now, and how far I can go and I keep pushing,  I keep food journaling, counting macros, and busting my ass everyday in  the gym to be the best version of Candice I can be. OUTSTANDING!

Some may call it vain,  others may say it’s crazy,  but for me it’s a way of life, a passion,  something I love! My desire is to live my dreams doing what I love as a health and fitness professional and making a comfortable living doing it,  so if I never step outside of my comfort zone,  I will never be seen,  and if I’m never seen,  I will never gain the platform needed to accomplish my dreams and goals in the future! So this journey is one #tobecontinued!