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So today I am celebrating 35 years of life, and will be spending the entire month of October doing all of the awesome fit and fun things I love the most!

So to continue a list from a previous post from about 3 years ago with a countdown to the 32nd celebration of the day of my birth, here is a continuation of that list with now 35 additional things I have learned and fallen in love with about my life to date. Once again in no particular order, but just as they came to mind over the course of the past few days:

#35 – No net…live as if there’s no turning back, no do-overs, no safety net to catch you when you fall. Travel light!

#34 – Discretion is a decision. The world only knows what you decide to tell them…Surrender to Silence. People will always think they know you when they really don’t

#33 – Hold your mule…in the stillness of life…love happens. Wait for it. Pray for it. Be still and know that it’s happening.

#32 – It’s okay to let go

#31 – Not everyone will understand you, but those that matter will, and will cherish what you have to offer

#30 – Love yourself first, it’s not selfish.

#29 – Consciousness is your friend, think before you act

#28 – Fitness is the fountain of youth

#27 – Be present, let people know that you care

#26 – Failure is never an option, but a choice

#25 – Plan for success and believe in your plan

#24 – Take chances, put your neck in the noose of life

#23 – Food is for physiological nourishment, not mental pleasure, practice santosha

#22 – Ask questions, answer questions, nothing’s off limits for debate or change

#21 – Be fearless

#20 – Take the road less traveled

#19 – Be outstanding

#18 – Root to Rise

#17 – Follow your dreams, they know the path to your true happiness

#16 – Dare to dream, and dream BIG!

#15 – Keep growing. Keep living!

#14 – Be transparent, live out loud

#13 – Live such an fascinating life, that it’s open book worthy

#12 – Reach your goals, but take time to listen to the goals of others

#11 – Be a light…enlightenment is a gift

#10 – Shock yourself, then go out and shock the world

#9 – Do any and everything you ever thought about doing

#8 – Never let anyone tell you what you can’t do

#7 – Can’t is not a word in my vocabulary, it’s meaningless

#6 – Eat breakfast

#5 – Move everyday. Moving heals. Sitting kills.

#4 – Become obsessed with you, there’s only one, love it to pieces

#3 – Take the keys and drive into your future, don’t sit back and wait for others to give you permission

#2 – Love people for who and what they are, and don’t be afraid to leave them where you found them, you only control you, love and protect that!

#1 – Pray every day!

As the days and the weeks roll by, I am certain there will be more that comes to mind. However I won’t spoil God’s timing and save those for the next celebration of my birth year post, and I will try not to let 3 years fly by without an update….. This past year has been a year of some pretty big and exciting milestones, so I can only imagine what Chapter 35 has in store as I travel into yet another year of life. So, until next time. … #LoveGod … #LoveYourself in order to #LoveOthers

~ I AM CANDICE MARIA ~ and this is ~ CANDICE MARIA’S FIT LIFE ~

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Part 1: Becoming a Fitness Industry Certification Specialist

So you want to work in the fitness industry? You attend your first group exercise instructor certification workshop. You meet the person or persons leading the workshop, only to leave at the end of the day thinking to yourself “their job seems so awesome!”

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Very few people realize the amount of time, patience, and financial investment it takes to become that “person” leading such an educational seminar of sorts.

The numerous hoops you jump through after you’ve become certified in your desired fitness specialty, then apply, audition,  and interview for the position to lead workshops for that particular certification.

The most cumbersome part,  is the apprenticeship. Before you can lead a workshop on your own, you have to prove that you can, through co-presentation with an established and experienced presenter.

Availability of workshops can be scarce or not fit your schedule, and often get cancelled last minute due to low registrations, so be prepared to hurry up and wait. This also continues once you gain your official examiner and/or presenter position as well.

The typical route to becoming a certification specialist is to first apply to become an examiner for the certification workshop you want to someday present. In this instance, if you also apply for the presenter position as well, you can utilize your check-off time wisely and finish your unpaid examiner check-off as well as practice presenting at the same workshop,  so on your next workshops visit you can get checked off on presenting and paid for examining the workshop candidates as well.

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So before you begin to think it’s all glitz glam high life being a fitness educator, remember it can take as long as a year just to complete the application process, get scheduled at at your minimum two workshops for your presenter apprenticeship, or your one practice workshop for your examiner check-off, which is unpaid and not reimbursed, unless you are progressing onward through the presenter apprenticeship process, then at your second apprenticeship workshop you can serve as an examiner as well and receive compensation for it.

Part II: Working as a Fitness Industry Certification Specialist

As fitness education specialist, we also at times have to travel a long distance from home,  for a weekend, usually a day trip only or so, depending on the workshop length, location, and format, and put up with any and everything that could take place once we arrive. Issues can arise anywhere from rude staff and inadequate facilities,  to ill-prepared, unsafe participants that refuse to adopt company policies and philosophy,  as well as just being in an unfamiliar city for a day.

Luckily,  most of these extremes I’ve been blessed to not encounter,  but they happen according to fellow colleagues in the industry.

However,  at the end of it all, this role is very rewarding in that you have the opportunity to enrich the lives of pure strangers for a day and help them launch their dreams of becoming the best fitness professional they can be, with national credentials to boot. Something to be very proud of.
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Until next time…I AM Candice Maria

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In the continuation of my #fitblog series on my experiences in natural bodybuilding and my competition season,  we move into the realm of what some refer to as the dreaded and often much anticipated “off-season” or “bulking season.”

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Building season max weight: 132

This point in time for most bodybuilders is not our most “glamorous” time. Don’t expect to see that skimpy swimsuit on us, ripped and stage ready shredded. This is the part of our sport where we go back to being “normal” people with an edge. Still fit and lean with a little extra padding on our muscles while still maintaining a small degree of our definition,  compliments of our lifestyle and dietary discipline. #IIFYM!

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Building season muscular definition: weight 126

We allow ourselves to gain weight,  some more than others unfortunately. i use the Rule of 10! No more than 10 pounds over the weight of my last competition.  Bulking is a horrible misnomer for some,  because they immensely interpret it as eat any and everything and get big. When in fact it’s the opposite,  yes you eat more,  but we still keep it clean with the occasional cheat meal. That’s how you stay within the appropriate weight range for competition prep. Gain slow, true muscle mass grows slowly.

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Clean bulking: Weight 130

  During this time we also begin to train differently. Our workouts change, the schedule changes,  our focus is on progressive strength and mass gains. Maximal muscle hypertrophy and endurance. There’s a lot of work at stake. Once you have your feedback from the judges, that becomes the precedence for your building season. Building up the areas you were critiqued on most and maintaining the areas you were praised for the most, making them even better for next season.

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Building season Post workout selfie: Weight 127

Don’t for one think that the “off season” from competing is an inactive one. Hence the reason I like to call it the “building season” and here’s why:

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3 weeks into new training regimen: bulked 127 to 129

1. Growth – adding additional calories,  adds fuel to help the body, specifically your muscles, to grow, hence the moderate weight gain within healthy reason

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Building season: Gaining strength, plus back, shoulders and hamstring thickness and definition

2. Strength – in the midst added fat free mass, and caloric energy, your body becomes stronger as evidence by being able to lift heavier with each week of your training. I keep the focus of my workouts on the primary big lifts, bench, squat, deadlifts, etc, those compound exercises that facilitate maximal muscle recruitment from multiple muscle groups using more muscle fibers in one rep.

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Progressive strength on the bench press

3. Rest – nothing grows under constant stress all of the time. Stress is detrimental to muscular development. This is the season when you rest from your labor,  actively of course. Allow yourself an extra rest day from lifting,  you should be lifting heavier than during competition prep, so your body will need the additional recovery time to grow. 

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Under Construction for 2015

In this sport the old adage is true: “Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is the body, so Lift Heavy, Lift Often…EatClean, Build Lean. To be continued..I AM CANDICE MARIA

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In exactly 30 days, 1 month from today I will be celebrating 32 years of life, with great new friends in an exciting city, doing all of the awesome fit and fun things I love!

So to countdown to the celebration here is a countdown list of 32 things I have learned and love about my life to date in no particular order, just as they come to mind over the course of the day:

#32 – It’s okay to let go

#31 – Not everyone will understand you,  but those that matter will, and will cherish what you have to offer

#30 – Love yourself first,  it’s not selfish.

#29 – Consciousness is your friend, think before you act

#28 – Fitness is the fountain of youth

#27 – Be present, let people know that you care

#26 – Failure is never an option,  but a choice

#25 – Plan for success and believe in your plan

#24 – Take chances,  put your neck in the noose of life

#23 – Food is for physiological nourishment,  not mental pleasure, practice santosha

#22 – Ask questions,  answer questions,  no thing’s off limits for debate or change

#21 – Be fearless

#20 –  Take the road less traveled

#19 – Be outstanding

#18 – Root to Rise

#17 – Follow your dreams, they know the path to your true happiness

#16 – Dare to dream, and dream BIG!

#15 – Keep growing. Keep living!

#14 – Be transparent,  live out loud

#13 – Live such an fascinating life, that it’s open book worthy

#12 – Reach your goals,  but take time to listen to the goals of others

#11 – Be a light…enlightenment is a gift

#10 – Shock yourself,  then go out and shock the world

#9 – Do any and everything you ever thought about doing

#8 – Never let anyone tell you what you can’t do

#7 – Can’t is not a word in my vocabulary,  it’s meaningless

#6 – Eat breakfast

#5 – Move everyday. Moving heals. Sitting kills.

#4 – Become obsessed with you,  there’s only one,  love it to pieces

#3 – Take the keys and drive into your future, don’t sit back and wait for others to give you permission

#2 – Love people for who and what they are, and don’t be afraid to leave them where you found them,  you only control you, love and protect that!

#1 – Pray every day!

The more I got into writing this list the more I realized how much more I could add, but I’ll save it for year 33….lol! Until next time. … #LoveGod … #LoveYourself in order to #LoveOthers

~ I AM CANDICE MARIA ~

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Ustrasana - Camel Pose - Santosha - Contentment