I have landed on the ultimate sport for obsessive types like me. A sport that channels obsession into results, marrying three distinct parts together – three sports in one.
Yesterday David, Willa, and I attended the Mile High Pro IFBB body building show. We watched the pro bikini competitors, the division I’m working towards. It. Was. Awesome! The girls were strong, poised, electric, dynamic, and polished.
Here were the top 5:
I think people have misconceptions about what the bikini division of bodybuilding actually is so I’ll clarify and illustrate.
History
It is a fairly new division, created in 2009. Since then it has evolved, and continues to do so, but in essence it is the division for the smallest size, focused on symmetry and balance, not massive amounts of muscle and striations that come to mind when thinking of traditional bodybuilding. There is a strong focus on presentation and overall head-to-toe package.
It is not a swimsuit contest.
This is an excellent visual of the evolution. The link also has more detailed information about history and standards.
Standards
While the standards continue to evolve, this is what they are currently.
NPC AND IFBB PRO LEAGUE CRITERIA FOR JUDGING WOMEN’S BIKINI COMPETITORS
Criteria for Judging Female Physiques:
- Muscularity – the amount of muscle will vary between the divisions
- Condition- will vary depending on the division
- Symmetry and Balance
- Presentation (Posing)
Bikini athletes should display-
- A foundation of muscle which gives shape to the female body
- Full round glutes with a slight separation between the hamstring and glute area
- Small amount of roundness in the delts
- Conditioned Core
- Overall look- hair, makeup, suit, and tan
Bikini athletes should NOT display –
- Muscular density seen in a figure physique
- Squared glutes
- Muscle separation seen in figure competitors
- Graininess
- Striations anywhere
For some excellent visual examples, go here and start clicking on the names in the BIKINI list.
It is a really beautiful look and attainable for me and my small build. AND a FULL 180 from anything I’ve ever done! New Me, New Goals!
Three Sports in One?
Yes. I see it this way. First, the obvious sport is the workouts involved – weight training and cardio. It takes specific work in the gym to put on the required muscle and some cardio to boost metabolism and burn off fat. The key to doing it right is to hire a coach so workouts are exactly what is needed. For me, I need to put on muscle so I’m lifting heavy, working around my current limitations. I can’t really do much for my legs, booty, and core right now, but I’m working hard on my shoulders and arms. Cardio is minimal for me right now because I’m already very lean.
This is a HUGE change from my typical endurance athlete workouts. I’m used to several hours a day of workouts and now it is 30-90 minutes total, including my mobility work, depending on the day. It has taken me some time to wrap my head around that.
Sport Two
The second sport is the posing. There’s a lot to this! While it appears fairly casual, it isn’t. Every part is choreographed, down to the hair flip. This is where the femininity, poise, and confidence shine through. This is where all of the hard work in the gym gets shown off – or falls flat. Someone could be a master of the work in the gym, come in with the BEST body, but blow it on a poorly executed posing routine. So, this is a sport in itself, requiring daily practice. For me, coming from endurance sports where efficient linear motion is the name of the game, this is F.O.R.E.I.G.N! I will need a lot of work and practice here, but I know it and am taking it seriously.
Sport One is the RAWR and Sport Two is the MEOW
Sport Three
This one is 24/7. Food! None of this works without the correct nutrition plan, and it must be adhered to 24/7. This isn’t ultrarunning where we ate whatever we wanted, whatever worked and sat well in the tummy. This is highly specific and can change week to week. A coach is a MUST! Bodybuilding is a sport of discipline and this part of it requires the most. This is where obsession shines.
All together these three elements create a really fun, unique triangle. It can work itself out in many forms of balance – equilateral, isosceles, scalene, obtuse, etc. – every person is different. The game is to get to show day with all aligned at the right time.
I’m excited for the new challenges and cannot wait until I get my next surgery done so I can get to it in the gym better! In the meantime, I’m continuing to nail my diet and am working around my limitations as much as possible.
Show Results?
The winner was Ashley Kaltwasser! She is coached by the same coach as me, Adam Bonilla. She is the most decorated bodybuilder of all time, having won 26 pro shows as of today, including Miss Olympia 3 times. She is STUNNING! And, I feel fortunate to have chosen Adam as my coach – he knows what he is doing!
Time to get to it! My dreams only work if I do!
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