"...What are you training for? What is a figure competition?"

The title of this post sums up many of the questions I get about why the heck I'm working out so much and following such a strict diet. I'm going to try to answer these questions here...

First: What is a Figure Competition?

I am training for a figure competition. What is that, you ask? It's a female body competition that includes less heavy muscle mass than bodybuilding, but more muscle mass than the bikini division. The easiest way to understand is by comparing pictures, so I included some below. The first picture is of Nicole Wilkins, a figure competitor & one of my biggest fitness idols.

This next picture is Nicole Nagrani, a bikini competitor. In bikini, the poses are different and there is less muscle mass.

And this photo is Iris Kyle, a bodybuilder. Can you now see the difference between the three divisions?

The division I have chosen is figure. Figure competitors are judged on muscular symmetry and tone, and muscle size is downplayed. In the competition, the women stand onstage in front of judges, wearing a special swimsuit designed for these competitions, and clear high-heels. They stand side-by-side and make quarter-turns so the judges can compare them in terms of symmetry, conditioning, leanness, muscularity, femininity, presentation, and even skin tone, makeup & hair.

Next question ... Why are you doing this?

Now that I've shown you what my ultimate goal looks like, the next question might be ... why? Well, because I LOVE the fitness lifestyle. It's certainly not cut out for everybody, but I love it for a long list of reasons, including:

- I love setting high goals and working toward them
- I love the regimented, planned-out lifestyle (it's the "Type A" in me)
- I love being able to eat 6 times per day (no starvation!)
- I love lifting weights and the empowering feeling that comes with that
- I love watching my body change from month to month
... I could go on and on!

When I tell people about certain elements of my fitness lifestyle (the strict diet, the 5AM cardio sessions, the early bedtime, etc), I get some raised eyebrows. This is understandable. The way I have chosen to live is certainly not considered "normal", and it's definitely not easy. But I love it, and will never "go back" to my old ways, which included...

- Obsessive amounts of boring cardio with a constant focus on calories burned
- Practically starving myself and struggling to find the "right" diet (Vegan/vegetarian? Raw food only? Juicing? Counting every calorie? I tried 'em all.)
- Never being skinny enough. Hating my body and punishing it every day.

Today, I feel strong physically and emotionally. I finally found my sport, and I hope to pursue it for many years. My goal is to eventually become an "IFBB Pro" (IFBB stands for "International Federation of Bodybuilders"). In order to do this, I must first earn my IFBB Pro Card by winning some upper-level competitions! This might take me a couple of years, but I have no doubt in my mind that I'll do it!