Time Flies When Your {GAINING MUSCLE} // Change Your Body in a YEAR!

It was only a year ago that I started training for my very first Bodybuilding/Fitness Competition. I started telling friends that I was considering doing one last February and attended Aaron Callister's Competition seminar. I'll admit I was completely intimidated by how many women there already looked the part. I had only recently lost an additional 10 lbs off my frame from going Gluten Free so I felt leaner, but did not have any significant size on my frame yet.

PREVIEW OF MY MUSCLE GAIN

Picture on Left: 1st Competition in May 2011
Picture on Right: 2nd Competition in November 2011

My main goal to compete was to be able to do FITNESS so I could perform and dance for a crowd again. My friend and trainer, Al Norby suggested that I network with fitness professionals to learn more about what this would entail. At the seminar I met Lenore Theobald, a local figure competitor, who was immediately warm and friendly. She reassured me that the "stereo-type" of figure women might be true for some competitors, but ones like her were down-to-earth, sweet and extremely approachable. This made me at ease that if I could pull this off I would want to remain level-headed like Lenore and do this sport purely for fun and for MYSELF!!

Photo taken in February 2011 - about 15% body fat (118 lbs)

After that I had a consultation with pro-bodybuilder Aaron Callister and my trainer. He gave me the run down on how the training diet works and that it had to start right away since we were about 13 weeks from his show at that point. By looking at me he could tell that I was at 15% body fat and he firmly stated that I would have to get under 10% and close to 9%, maybe 8% body fat to even compete at his show.* I'll admit, walking into the meeting I felt confident with my weight and newly trimmed self, but all of the sudden I was asking myself "CAN I DO THIS?" Quickly I remembered that it was only a year before that that my body fat was double (24%) and I had already accomplished most of the hard work. With my new Gluten Free lifestyle, eating clean and carb-cycling was just more for me to learn and I WAS READY.

* CLARIFICATION: 8-9% body fat is not a healthy percent to maintain. It's a lot of hard work to get down to that # and would be impossible to stay at all of the time. The 9% is just for competition day and is mostly from water depletion. It's just how our physiques are judged ;)

My Body at 18-20% body fat.

This was a shot from FALL 2010 - The old "curvy" me!

I decided to train for not only Fitness, but Figure as well. The best part about this journey is that I had no idea what to expect the entire time. I've always had curves, thicker arms and dancer legs (strong quads and yes, my calves are the one defined muscle I've had since I was a teenager). Aaron Callister set me up on a carb-cycling diet and I was supposed to check in with him once at week at the end of the lowest drop and email him my weight. The goal was for me to drop at least one pound each week.

March 2011 - 12% body fat (115 lbs)

At about 8 weeks out from the show I was feeling pretty good about my progress. I was excited to order my very first figure suit from a designer in Las Vegas. When it came in the mail I quickly wiggled the thing right on and took a look in the mirror. Here's where my mind came in to play. I thought "HOLY CRAP, I have some more work to do!" This was a good motivator. I could've let it freak me out, but instead I knew that I could keep going and make the neccessary changes in the next 8 weeks. Well, I didn't exactly know I could do it, I just decided I HAD TO!

I stuck to the program and didn't give up! Certain weeks were harder than others and sometimes I didn't drop a pound like I wanted. But then there was one week were things really shifted and my metabolism must have been shocked because I dropped about 3 lbs. That was just the push I needed and I knew that this was going to happen. The best part was having the close friends around me be so supportive and encourage me as I got closer to the show date.

PROGRESS PHOTOS

Picture on the left shows I had built muscle,
by the right picture shows a leaner version!

I tried my hardest to maintain the goal of losing 1 pound a week on the carb-cycling diet. There was also quite a bit of water depletion the couple of days before the show so part of the show weight is simply dehydration. I went into my show feeling as good as I could feel my first time and had a blast. The fun suprise of the night was to find out that the judges thought I looked great too. Against about 17 other first time beginner competitors the judges scored me the highest for my overall look giving me the 1st place Beginner Figure Title. On top of being able to perform my first fitness routine, look and feel the best I had ever in my life, I also won!!!

SHOW TIME - Being judged against the other winners!

SHOW DAY: 108.9 lbs, 9% body fat, 5'1"

After that night I was on such a high for life and wanted to do more! I was blessed to meet my Competition coach Tara and we made plans for the fall. The best part about deciding to compete in the fall was that I kept going with my workouts and clean eating. So in a sense my training never stopped! On Saturdays a bunch of us fitness ladies get together to workout and practice posing and later in the summer I remember a specific day when a friend couldn't help but notice how different my upper body looked from a month earlier. I was just as shocked around the changes. In May I already thought I looked strong and didn't know that I could keep growing. And GROW...I DID!

MUSCLE GAINS started to show by July/August.

After new muscle gains with the Perfectly Prepared ladies!

Progress photo in October 2011

November 2011 - Photo Shoot before Fitness America

After I saw this image from a photo shoot, I was stunned by how different my upper body looked from May. I had no idea that with continuing my training all summer that I would gain so much lean muscle mass. Choosing to compete in the fall was the best decision I've made! Since this fall I've been able to really work on gaining size in specific areas like my lats and glutes. It has been fun to feel like a sculptor and literally change how my physique looks with targeting certain muscles for a better look.

For example, by the time I had depleted for my show in Vegas I was surprised that I had lost so much cushion in my glutes. I was hit with the reality that my glutes did not have enough muscle, just fat. In the photo below you can see what I did post-Vegas with gaining a bit weight back and hitting glutes hard. My mission is to create a super strong backside that is built of all muscle!!

Glutes progress photo - February 2012

I talk about CARB-CYLING as my diet routine. You can find out more about how I carb cycle in this post: http://anyonecangiveup.blogspot.com/2012/03/you-know-what-happens-when-you-assume.html
Recently a friend asked me about a book I would recommend so they could start a no carb/low carb diet. Here's what I shared with them You want to CARB CYCLE not just do a LOW CARB DIET. Good Carbs will make you skinny and strong ;) (P.S. I love my carbs and would'nt have transformed without them, people who go super low carb and never allow some high days will eventually crash and binge) If you guys have any more questions let me know, I'd love to help and encourage!!!!

This is the book I'd recommend:

by Roman Malkov

Optimize your health, lose weight, feel great—without giving up the foods you love!

Build muscle and lose fat with the real-life answer to no-carb/low-carb diets. Low-carb diets like Atkins and South Beach are notoriously difficult to maintain over time and have been deserted by millions of people. Health-conscious people all over America are ready for something better. Discover the secret that athletes and trainers have been using for years with a healthy carb cycling diet.

By allowing you to eat full, nutritionally balanced meals on any day, The Carb Cycling Diet breaks away from the "deprivation model" of most diets onthe market today. Alternating between limited-carb and normal-carb days, you have your cake and eat it, too, without having to rely on supplements or sugar substitutes.

The Carb Cycling Diet includes easy recipes and meal plans for normal- and low-carb days. Monitoring what you eat is simple with the Carbohydrate Content and Glycemic Index tables included. Plus, The Carb Cycling Diet provides tips on exercise, sports supplements, and how to keep motivation high.

Here is an example of my workout routine that switched up throughout 2011, it was all about consistency! There was never a week that I didn't get into the gym somehow ;)

Sunday: 90 minute Hot Vinyasa

Monday: Cardio Hip Hop/ 30 minutes of Shoulders and Triceps

Tuesday: Warrior Scuplt Yoga (low resistance weights)

Wednesday: 45 minutes of Glutes and Legs

Thursday: Cardio 50/50 (low resistance weights)

Friday: 30 minutes of Back and Biceps

Saturday: REST

Thanks for taking the time to enjoy my MUSCLE GAINING transformation!! I look forward to show new photos of my 2012 Competitions so you can see how things have changed even more.

Hope to see you cheering for TEAM PEANUT next weekend

at Fitness America - Great North (MOA)

or Mr. and Mrs. Natural MN in May

(Bloomington High School)

Luv, BethanyJN

(PEANUT)

Feedback: Hello Bethany! I just found your blog through Tara's Perfectly Perfect on Facebook and you are amazing! I am gearing up for a photo shoot in August - I am making my longtime goal of becoming a fitness model a reality! You are such an inspiration. Thank so much for your article! I can't wait to read more. Good luck!
Tiffany - www.tiffanystaples.com

(Please feel free to leave a comment or feedback below!)

"Best Night of my Life!" - My 1st {FITNESS} Competition

Pictures I took along the way!

Earlier this year I decided to enter my first "Figure/Fitness Competition". I started my diet and training about 13 weeks before May 20th (the day of the show). Check out this post to read about {My Transformation Story} and how I got things started.

Everything was done in week intervals. My carb-cycling diet plan, my weigh-ins, the weight training, and the amount of cardio sessions I needed to do in order to stay on track. Before I knew it, the weeks were just flying right by. I had things to get in order like my posing suit, clear high heels, jewelry, tanning/nails/hair appointments, dance sneakers, costume and so much more! This part was just as fun as the training because I love the "girly-side" of the presentation. It was like getting ready for a Beauty Pageant made for Fit & Muscular Women.

Read this blog post

"What's Your {HOT HOBBY}? Scrapbooking, Photography, what about FITNESS?"

from my Fizzy Blog to see all of the fun things I ordered from

Etsy Sellers (like me) in preparation for the competition.

I truthfully had so much fun with my training during the whole 13 weeks. Go to "My Workouts" page to get an idea of what my training schedule looked like. I guarantee it's not what you would expect! About half-way through my training, my posing suit came in the mail and I was excited to see what it would look like. I put it on and tried not to panic. I already knew that I had started to get leaner (which I had) but with the suit on I had to fight those negative fears that I was too far behind and wasn't going to be able to pull this thing off. Instead of listening to those thoughts I just ignored them. I decided to have faith that if I kept forging ahead... everything will come together eventually.

3 coats of Spray-Tan!

 The week of the competition, I had my last weight training session and cardio class to keep things light and lean. In my free time, I would practice my posing and Fitness routine so I could to get things down and gain more confidence. I had an appointment set up by the show promoter to take a "polygraph test" to clear that I had been drug-free in the preparation for this show. The day before the show I had my very first couple of "spray-tanning" sessions which was interesting and sticky to say the least. I took it easy the night before. I ate light, watched a movie and tried to go to bed early.

I'll admit that the day of the show I was excited, nervous and anxious. I had no idea what to expect! It was like training for a marathon without ever have competing in a race before. When the competition started and I simply went with the flow. There were women in posing suits and heels EVERYWHERE! You could tell that the majority of the competitors had done a show before, so I tried to follow their lead. It was a little crazy at first because I had to go out on stage and pose without heels for the "X-treme Fit" category. Then run off-stage to get my clear high heels on as fast as I could because the "Beginner Short" category followed right after. My trainer, Al Norby would keep me focused and pumped up back stage with bicep curls, tricep dips and push-ups.

Competition Weigh-In: 108.9 lbs. (8-9% Body Fat)

I would have to say the most nerve-wrecking part of the night was presenting my "T-Walk" which is a solo performance of walking and posing on stage. This was my opportunity to strut my stuff and stand out from the crowd. I stayed calm and smooth once I started my walk. Hearing my friends and the rest of the crowd cheer made it even more exciting. I also made sure to focus my attention on the judges. I wanted them to feel like I was performing for them! I had no idea how my body ranked up against the rest of the women so I just did my thing!

After the "T-Walk" I quickly changed into my "Army Soldier" costume and got ready to perform my Fitness Routine. My choreography was a complete reflection of who I am: Sassy, Strong, Funky, Flirty and FUN! When I got to the 1-armed push-ups in the routine the crowd went crazy. It was so amazing to highlight my love for dance with the showcasing of strength. A combination that is the perfect fit for me!

The night went by like a blur even though the show lasted over 3 hours! Before I knew it, it was after intermission and we had the "awards section" to complete. They called out the Beginner Figure Short Class (myself and 3 other women). The swiftly named out the titles and awarded me with the 1st place trophy!!! What a feeling! I smiled as they took my picture, but in the back of my mind I knew that this meant I had another round of posing to do in front of the judges to compete for the Beginner Figure "Overall" title. Thankfully my posing coach, Lenore Theobald, prepped me for this possibility. I quickly went back stage with such a rush of excitement and grabbed my dumbbells and bands to get pumped up for more posing.

Eventually, they called us out, the Beginner Medium Winner, the Beginner Tall Winner and myself. We went through our quarter-turn poses twice which was intense and adrenaline pumping! The judges did their last minute notes and sent a note to the MC with the winner's name on it. After a dramatic pause, the MC announced the 3rd place title and then said "#24 Bethany Nelson" takes 1st Place for Beginner Figure Overall". My friends said they also heard the MC say "I'm sure we'll be seeing more of this competitor in the future!" as I walked off stage with my trophy. It officially was the "Best night of my life" and I hadn't even found out how I placed for the X-teme Fit category yet. It honestly didn't even matter that much anymore because I had accomplished so much already. I ended up with 2nd place for the X-treme Fit class and was proud to pack up 3 trophies for the night! What a great feeling and I CAN'T WAIT to compete again and see where things will take me!

{POSING DURING MY "T-WALK" PRESENTATION}

photography by OCB Productions

(see more photos here)



{X-TREME FIT DANCE ROUTINE}

photography by OCB Productions

(see more photos here)


Best Benefit:

Seeing where I could take my body physically

and learning how to COOK more!

Best Investment:

"30 minute" Personal Training Sessions

2-3 times a week with Al Norby.

New Guilty Pleasure:

A SHELLAC manicure at Salon Intrigue with Lisa

Hardest Hurdle:

Having allergic reactions to certain foods

even ones that are already Gluten Free.

Favorite Find:

BeautiControl Skin Care products.

Best Moment:

Seeing my "Family of Friends" during intermission

and then hearing my number called for the

Overall Figure Beginner Title.

Special Mentions to my Trainers,
Fitness Instructors and Coaches!

al norby
curt dahlen
aaron callister
lenore theobald
katie haggerty
nick bez

A New Life Chapter { My Transformation Story }

Growing up I was a fairly active kid, mostly dancing all throughout my teenage years into college. "Working out" was something very foreign to me by the time I hit my early 20's. My body had a different metabolism and the weight started to climb right on. By the age of 23, I weighed in close to 145 lbs at only 5'1".




Age 25 (2007) - 122 lbs

 

I asked my friend who knew his way around the gym for some help. I started to lift weights regularly with him and found a fun cardio "dance class" to keep my body moving. I also started to eat a "better" diet with more protein and less junk. Within a year or two, I was able to slowly shed roughly 20 lbs. off of my very short frame. I had never felt better and I started to look much younger as I got "older" in my twenties. I used the photo on the right as a head shot for a NBA Timberwolves Dance Team Audition and it also marked my new found "healthy" body.

Fast forward a couple of years. I was currently working full-time when I had an onset of chronic wide-spread pain and fatigue. I was so crippled by this disorder that I had to quit my job and couldn't really "move" myself at all. Over the next 2 years, I struggled with having fibromyalgia and I was forced to get my "Fizzy Glassware" business up and running because I couldn't hold a job.

While I was busy painting away I wasn't "working out" from my constant pain and the weight quickly "re-visited" my body. By last summer, I was back at 135 lbs and it took a photo of me with my friends at my birthday lunch (see below) to realize that my body fat had gotten out of control once again.

NEW BEFORE PHOTO - Last Summer

Age 28 (May 2010) - 135 lbs and 24% Body Fat



I knew I had to change some things quick! I really focused on eating better with more fruits and vegetables. This started to give me more energy and my pain began to let up a little. I was slowly able to be more active as well. By last fall, I had a new major onset of pain and made a discovery. GLUTEN had been attacking my body. I have been gluten free since Thanksgiving and my pain... ALL of my chronic pain/fatigue has vanished from my body. Yes, the diet can be hard, but I feel like I got my life back! After seeing the changes in my physical health once I took gluten out of my diet I decided to take on a new life challenge. Enter my first FIGURE/FITNESS COMPETITION! So about 12 weeks ago I began a specific diet of protein while I rotated my carb intake along with working out 5-6 days a week.

NEW AFTER PHOTO - Fitness Training

Age 29 (2011) 110 lbs and 10% Body Fat

Meet My
Personal Trainer:

AL NORBY

The biggest support I've had through this journey has been my consistent weight training sessions with my personal trainer. Al Norby has kept me motivated, encouraged and challenged throughout this whole adventure. He also kept things interesting with quick and intense sessions that were only 30 minutes long! If you are looking to achieve some personal goals for yourself, I STRONGLY recommend investing in a personal trainer who will show up when you don't "feel" like doing the work. Al trains at a Snap Fitness Club in Minnetonka, MN. It is one of the largest Snap Fitness clubs in the Twin Cities and has access to excellent cardio and free weights, cables and other fitness equipment.

"Specializing in motivation, accountability and expert strategies my passion is simply seeing clients ENJOY success." - Al Norby

Thank you for checking out my Fitness Blog!

Check back for new posts about my training,

diet tips and special features!

- Bethany