3 Weeks Out!

My thoughts and feelings regarding the figure competition change with every passing hour (and while this could be due to lack of carbs, I’m not using that as the sole reason).  At 7:30 this morning two ran through my head.  The first and most exciting being “The competition is less than 3 weeks away!”  The terrifyingly second, “The competition is less than 3 weeks away”.  Gulp.

I’m excited because I will be able to get back into a more sane diet and exercise schedule.  I love the results I am seeing and the progress I’ve made, but 6 days of intense lifting and cardio on very few carbs is not something I would advise doing for longer than 2 months. 

The overall figure competition preparation can be broken into 3 different phases.  Phase 1 consists of incorporating lifting into your exercise routine 4 days a week while increasing your protein intake.  Phase 2 kicks things up a notch to 6 days of lifting with increased protein and reduced carb intake.  And phase 3, the one I am currently in, involves 6 days of lifting with 4-5 days of high intensity interval training, along with consuming protein, few carbs, no added sweeteners, and gallons of water a day.  I am 2ish weeks in and have 2 ½ to go. 

I hope you can see how excited I am to conquer this challenge and get it over with!  The final week will bring additional struggles, but I think I will learn a lot about myself in the last stretch of the process. 

A few things I’ve come to learn over the past 3 weeks:

Figure competitions are not for the faint of heart. 

I didn’t realize how much I love cereal, and how much I hate not being able to eat it.

The amount of carbs you eat can really make or break a workout.

I can lift heavy weights for longer than I thought I could.

High intensity interval training is the best bang for your buck in terms of cardio.

                One can do just about anything if internal motivation is present. 

If I am still able to function, I will post more as the final week approaches :-)