BreeM09’s BodyBlog

well, i did not place at the north americans, but did have a good time, which was my main goal.  as i predicted, i was smaller than the other girls, and after reviewing the first callouts, it looked as though the judges wanted a bigger and harder look for this competition.  i really liked my physique and feel like i presented it very well, but obviously the judges did not!  i think the judging changes from show to show, so when it comes down to it, you really have to have the right look at the right time.  also, many of the girls who placed high have been doing national shows for a while, so maybe i just need to keep at it, and hopefully will get recognized next year.  in the off-season, i plan on adding a little muscle to my frame, especially in my shoulders and hamstrings.  i have been dieting for about five months this year, so i am so ready for some time off, but will continue to eat clean…just more!  i hope i do not get the "post-competition blues" as i start gaining weight, which i must do in order to gain muscle!  next year, i plan on starting the season with the jr. USAs and then probably 1-2 more national shows.  there are many good pictures posted on musculardevelopment.com and ironman magazine…  http://magazine-directory.com/Muscular-Development.htm    

http://contests.ironmanmagazine.com/index.cfm?go2=contests_year&ContestYearID=775

i was in figure class C

congratulations to all the competitors and top placers, and especially to those who obtained a pro card, which i hope to do someday!  thanks to everyone who has posted good luck wishes for me and many sweet and motivating comments.  this experience has just made me want to train harder, so i can come back full-throttle next year!  any feedback is much appreciated!  bree marsh

so it just hit me this morning as i was eating my carb-filled oatmeal/banana pancakes, i will be in cleveland tomorrow!  i read my emails as i ate and got my appointment times for tanning and of course my first time is a time when i will still be on the plane!!!  hopefully they can change that no problem, but it made me extremely nervous, and i usually do not get nervous!  i have been feeling pretty good so far this week, anxious, but excited, so hopefully my nerves will go away, so i can enjoy the experience!  my weight has been very stable, which is good, feelin a bit puny today, but hoping to fill out over the next few days as i eat my carb-rich meals and snacks.  wondering how many girls are doing the show, the list has not been released, so it is making me think it is a ton!  i just want to have fun, so hopefully i will meet some very nice people, get my name out there, and know what to expect for 2008, as i will only be doing national shows next year.  picking out some suits today for my photo shoot on sunday, which is at 8am!!!  can’t believe i don’t get to pig out saturday night!  i guess it can wait one more day!  i have heard the show is run really well, so that’s good to know.  if i can just get my tanning appointments fixed and my nerves under control, i will be good to go…see everyone there!!!

well, i did my last hard workout today, legs and back, then i did some stairs/jump-rope for about 15-20 minutes.  i am trying to maintain my physique for the next week, trying to stay at the same weight, about 124lbs.  so not much cardio at all.  my energy is awesome considering i have been dieting for the last 10 weeks.  tomorrow i will play some volleyball and get some sun, sunday i will do a short walk, then monday and tuesday will be weights, but not too heavy, just enough to deplete my glycogen, so i can carb up starting wednesday.  i am very excited to compete at the national level, i really hope it is a good experience so i will continue doing it next season…i am also excited to gain a little more muscle starting immediately after my show (maybe i’ll take a week off!!).  ready for the stage again, hope i catch the eye of the judges and get my name out there!!!  wish me luck!

so i won my class at the NPC coastal USA this past weekend….i felt so great….my body looked the best it’s ever looked…i felt so healthy the whole time.  i enjoyed myself, met some great people (Annie Rivieccio, she is awesome…i hope to do a photo shoot with her at the north americans), my tan was awesome, and i just felt ON!  i received one negative comment backstage from the promoter about my stance on stage (he said i stood like a bodybuilder, although i thought my stage presence was tremendous, so whatever!), i tried not to let it get to me!  i really, really wanted to win the overall and thought i was going to, but didn’t.  i am very excited to get on a national stage and be compared to some of the best figure girls from around the country.  i am going to just try to maintain my physique for these next two weeks, push myself pretty hard in the gym this week, then do the same final week prep next week.  i did not cut my water out this past weekend, i drank 2 liters the day of the show, which i feel kept me looking full, plus i didn’t feel sick at all.  i also kept my carbs up for 3 days prior to saturday, which also helped me stay full.  overall, it was a wonderful experience, and although i am a little disappointed that i didn’t win the overall, i am very happy for winning my class and bringing my best package to date and feeling healthy the entire time!  any feedback is appreciated!  the only comment i received from one of the judges is to add just a little muscle in the off season, especially in my hamstrings.  ready for nationals baby! 

so i am 5 days out from my 2nd show of the summer, the NPC coastal USA, which is 2 weeks before the north americans…i am actually feeling very good, healthy, confident, so hopefully my positive attitude will last through the week!  i am doing a mild carb deplete today and tomorrow, then wed, thur, friday, i am increasing my carbs so my muscles stay full and round!  i am doing some upper body weights today, lower body tomorrow, then resting and practicing my poses the rest of the week.  i am drinking 6 liters of water today and tomorrow, then i am going to cut it just a bit to 5L on wednesday, 4L on thursday, and 3L on friday…hopefully this will help me stay full and feelin’ good…i am not going to cut my water out because i did that last time and felt horrible and looked flat and depleted on stage!  i am excited this time because i do not have to mess with tanning at all!  i am getting a professional airbrush tan on friday night from mobile tan Ga, which uses jan tana on-stage competition color, so i am pretty confident that will turn out fine.  my husband is also very happy about this because he hates applying it on my backside!  my brother’s girlfriend is doing my hair, so i don’t have to worry about that as well.  everything seems to be in order, so i am just going to enjoy myself, which is my ultimate goal this time around!  and hopefully i will come home with a trophy, i really want to win an overall title before i go to a national show, but you never know in figure, it is so subjective…hopefully the judges will like my look, i know i do!

it is so hard these days to figure out how you should look for figure shows…since i am doing a national show this year (north americans - in 3 weeks!), i have been looking at photos of all the girls from the previous national shows to see what the judges are looking for, what they prefer more…a harder, more defined, leaner look or a softer, still conditioned, but more pleasing to the eye, stream-lined look.  this research has not cleared things up for me at all!  it seems in all height classes, the winner will lean towards one of the mentioned looks, but the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th place finisher will be the exact opposite!  i also think that many of the national level figure competitors are bigger than most of the pros, which confuses me even more…during my training/dieting, it is so easy to second guess myself…i am not lean enough…i am too lean…i have too much muscle…i don’t have enough muscle…aaahhhh…i guess ultimately, you just have to present a package that you believe looks best for your body type and hope you catch the eyes of the judges.  for me, i think i am going to look as beautiful as i can and try to have exceptional stage presence, since there is nothing more you can do to your body the day of the show.  i think i will be a bit smaller than most of the other girls, i am only 26, so my muscle maturity may be lacking a bit, but i think i have great symmetry, so hopefully that will be my strength.  if anyone has any thoughts on what judges look for these days in figure, let me know!

well this time around i changed my cardio program from low intensity/long duration cardio to high intensity interval training like sprints, stadium running, intervals on the elliptical, boxing, and walking around my very hilly neighborhood.  no more than 30 minutes, 5x a week.  i also decided to cut my cardio out 2 weeks before my show, hoping this will prevent me from looking flat and depleted on stage.  however, i am doing high intensity circuit training, while keeping the weights moderately heavy.  i am really trying to work on areas that i feel need a little help, like my shoulders…i think they need more roundness and definition b/w them and my triceps.  trying to get the fat off my tricep also…which is the biggest skin fold when measuring my bodyfat!…really don’t know how to do this though!  this time, i am not going to cut my water out completely!!!  i will deinitely cut it down a bit, but keep drinking all day on friday and try to get a full liter the day of my show…i have come to realize that water will keep my muscles full and i will not feel like crap!  i am also going to carb up 3 days before, so i stay full, energized, and happy!  i am also trying to enjoy my training as much as possible, there are definitely days when i am not feeling up to it, but there are also days when I feel I can do anything and those days are what keep me going!   so if all goes well in 2 weeks, i will do the same prep for the north americans at the end of august!  getting excited!

I will be posting more photos soon…stay tuned!

well, i have been competing in figure shows for the last 6 years, but have only took first once (out of 5 shows!).  i feel i have a very balanced, symmetrical overall physique, but do not have one feature that really stands out.  plus, i have never really perfected the little things like tanning (for some reason i am never dark enough!), hair, make-up, perfect suits, etc.   this time around, i am hoping to have everything straight and in place!  i am getting a professional spray tan for my local show in 2 weeks and at the North Americans in 4 weeks, i have beautiful suits from CC Fitwear, i practiced my final week nutrition, and have also practiced my hair and make-up for a photo shoot 2 weeks ago.  In my previous shows, i feel i have either been flat from depleting myself a bit too much during the last week, or i have been full, but not lean enough!  this time i hope to be leaner and fuller!  doesn’t everyone want that!!!   we’ll see if it all works out in 2 weeks and the judges like what they see…i hope to have more fun this time as well!  No matter how i place, i feel this is the best my physique has ever been and i hope to enjoy it for the next 4 weeks, then i need a break!

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