Off Season, nothing really off about it!

I have been in my first off season now for almost 12 weeks and I can assure you that there really is nothing off about it.  My workouts are longer, my diet is still super clean and my schedule seems even crazier.  Being that I am so small, I still have to watch my calories but I am treating myself to cheats so that I can go out with my hubby and enjoy some of "regular life" outside the gym and kitchen!

That being said, I love it!  I am really seeing my body grow, biggest improvements would have to be chest and upper body.  Becoming stronger builds my confidence and as I become stronger in my resolve to continue to grow I become even more confident. 

Now, when I say grow I am speaking primarily of muscle.  I am growing in other areas too and losing my showtime leanness, this is a little hard to deal with sometimes but I know that it will pay off for in my 2012 season and beyond.

 

Looking for your votes!

As you know, I started my journey in figure competition this year and I am currently training hard to be competitive next year as a pro. I am always on the lookout for opportunities to share my story and inspire others to embrace their goals. In that effort I have entered an online contest with Bodybuilding.com to be voted Spokesmodel of the year for 2012 with an opportunity to be featured on the cover of IronMan Magazine.

Voting is now open and you can vote one time per day and I would love for you to vote daily for the entire month of November.  My bodyspace username is orchidalive that will be the way to find me..please let me know if I can count on your vote!

Go to www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2012-bodyspace-spokesmodel-search.html
Click on View Women
Scroll down to & click on orchidalive

Click Vote Now!

What an amazing first year in Figure!

It is hard to believe that my first year as a figure competitor is already complete.  I am proud to have achieved my goal of pro qualification.  On July 23rd 2011 I took the overall win and earned my pro card with IFPA.  I competed as a pro twice and placed in both shows.  It has been a year filled with lessons beyond my wildest dreams and a transformation of my body and mind to match.

May 2010

August  2011

The next step in my journey is to add more muscle to my body so that I will be more competitive in the pro divisions I will compete in next year.  Starting 2 weeks ago I began new training, 4 days a week of heavy lifting.  These training sessions are intense and I can already see some muscle growth!  My diet includes slightly more variety but is still extremely clean and I am cycling between low and high calorie days.  This is considered the off-season but thus far, I am not seeing the "off" part! My workouts are even longer and more intense but I enjoy my time in the gym and look forward to the continued growth in the coming months.  It is difficult to see my lean figure begin to fade and I really do miss the stage but I know that in order to continue to compete I must step off the stage and grow to be ready for next year.

10 Days Out!

It is hard to believe my next shows are right around the corner!  It has been an exciting 1st season of figure competition for me and I look forward to the experiences waiting for me at my upcoming shows.

First up, Saturday September 24th at Gwinnett Center, the following link has all the details http://wbfcatl.com/2/
I will be competing in the Pro Figure Class, hoping to take home a beautiful 1st Place trophy and other great prizes!

and the week following Muslemania Sunday October 2nd in Marietta - Southern Polytechnic University, the following link provides all the details
http://musclemania.com/events/ads/11/11-DIXIE.jpg
This show will feature a live webcast so that even if you aren't local you will be able to watch me in action, see this website to sign up http://musclemania.com/publicity/webcasts.html

My preparation for these shows has been a little different from previous shows.  Since my prior show was only a little less than two months ago the diet has not had to be quite as restrictive.  The exercises I have been doing for the last two weeks and will continue until showtime consist of work to target my back and shoulders as well as maintain my legs.  I have been doing 6 days of training with some high intensity cardio following each day.  In addition I practice my posing at least once a week.

Here are a few photos from my last show,  SNBF Gulf Coast Pro show - August 6, 2011, which was my first pro show!

Catching Up

I certainly had a busy run of competition and excitement. For the past three weeks I have been allowing my body to heal and to spend some quality time with my husband. I have been working out and teaching classes getting back to the usual routine.

I have 3 shows planned for the remainder of the year, first up September 24th - NGA 14th Annual World Cup at Gwinnett Center, and the week after October 3rd - Musclmania Dixie at Southern Polytechnic Univeristy in Marietta, and to finish of the year November 5th - SNBF Pro at Berkmar HS in Gwinnett.

I will be gearing up for the first of these three remaining shows with a new plan starting this week.

Going Pro!

When I decided to compete in the NANBF Peachtree Natural Classic this past weekend I was excited to try out a different federation I did not consider the fact that I had was walking into my next chance to go pro...

I competed in the open class, took first place and then went head to head with the open tall winner in a Posedown for Overall winner and Pro Status, and I did it, I won!

Next up...my first Pro Show - SNBF in Fort Walton Beach, FL next Saturday August 6th, after that I will be making my way to Kansas City September 16th for the IFPA Natural KC Classic Figure Championship!

Here it is, the video of the posedown for Overall Winner and Pro Qualification..

Show Results!

I had a blast entertaining the crowd at the SNBF show, I was awarded most creative theme and took home a beautiful 2nd place Open Figure Award.

I am thankful for the feedback I got from the judges. They told me they loved my stage presence and enjoyed watching my enthusiasm, though one said I might have been a little over the top, I will be working to tone that for the next time. With regard to my development I was praised for my leg development but will need to be working to develop my shoulders and back more in the coming months to better match my legs.

Next up, this Saturday July 23rd, I will be doing my first NANBF show, the Peachtree Natural Classic! There will be another opportunity for me to go pro in the IFPA if I qualify on Saturday!