The quiet after the storm.

                                                                                                                                         Model: Daniela Verga

So our 2014 competition season has pretty much reached it’s end with one more show in November. And as it is in our industry, one of the down sides is the weight gain and misery that follows for some. Because for some, the battle is not getting on stage, the real battle starts after.  This article is aimed at those who really struggle post show, and usually at the beginner stage. 

I recently had a conversation with a fellow Pro, how competitors have been complaining and blaming the post show rebound on the lack of information available as to what you have to do after your show. I have been thinking about this for a while now. My question is this, and I know it sounds harsh, but what did you expect you were going to do? And think about this logically now, after your show you:

Stop the hours of weight training.

Stop the hours of cardio.

Stop your diet.

Stop your water intake.

Stop your supplements.

Stop all forms of assessments. 

In a nutshell - you want to go from HERO TO ZERO and not gain weight. Not going to happen. Ever. And with the weight gain, comes that feeling of shear misery, and sometimes even depression. And if you already prone to episodes of depression, you feel even worse.

When your prepare for your show, there is so much more going on then just adding muscle and losing body fat. The training, the very clean diet and even some of the supplements we take, are methods to increase your testosterone, dopamine, serotonin & endorphin levels, all your “feel good” hormones. And even though you feeling hungry and tired pretty much all the time especially toward the end, you are focused and your adrenalin levels are high to help you push even harder. And let’s face it, that glimpse in the mirror while you training, and fitting into those really skinny denims, makes you feel good no matter how hungry and tired you are.

But post show everything comes to a grinding halt. By stopping all the good activities and introducing bad activities, you are doing exactly the opposite, which affects all your feel good hormones in a negative way, and in a very short period of time. You can imagine how this wreaks havoc with your body and mind. This is something I’m doing further research into, and will definitely share when I’m done. But definitely makes sense to me.

I warn each and every one of my clients about rebounding after their show, whether they have an easy prep, or tough prep. I always say it’s like something in your brain switches on when that show date has been decided, you are focused, determined and follow your program to the T, because you know, you have to be in that bikini/speedo in a couple of weeks. But take that goal out of the equation, and it’s as if that same thing just switches off, and you can’t stop eating. Why this happens? Because we are human beings (well some of us anyway, there are some machines) and being on a diet void of taste and variety, well, it’s just not normal. From birth we are taught to enjoy things that taste, smells and look nice. Now take it out of the equation for months on end and all you want to do is eat everything because your senses goes into overdrive! And trust me I have been there more then once, so I know exactly how it feels to look at yourself and think “how the hell did I get here?”. 

So guess what? This is your life. Whether you just want to look good or step on stage. You will be eating lean protein, good fats, low GI carbs, drink your water, keep doing your weight training, keep doing your cardio, take your supplements, do your assessments for the rest of your natural fitness life, it’s just the quantity and variety that will change. If you can get all the information and plan to get you on the stage, there is no reason why you can’t do the same for after.

Here is some tips I hope will be helpful.

• KEEP DRINKING WATER!!! I can not stress this enough. The benefits of staying properly hydrated is endless, if you don’t know why, you have some Google homework. When you eating badly and you stop drinking water on top of that, you retain ridiculous amounts of water, bad foods are loaded with sodium, sugar and preservatives, pretty much all the things you stayed clear of for many weeks. Start drinking your 4lt of water every day and flush that crap out! I can guarantee you, within 48 hours you will look and feel better. 

• I have heard this often “I am just going to go back on my pre-contest diet” If you can do it, great. But for most competitors starting out the mere sight and smell of whatever they have been eating the last couple of months is enough to drive anyone to the nearest KFC. Change & freshen things up. After my show, I just want to bake stuff! So I look for some nice healthy recipes to make. When I work out a maintenance plan for my clients, first thing I ask, what are you sick of eating? I do not believe in forcing someone to eat something they don’t want to, it is a set up for failure. There is a huge variety of healthy, lean foods to choose from, don’t be scared to try different things. 

• If you can, and I know this is hard when you starting out, try to gradually increase your calories. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find out just how much of the healthy stuff you can eat and keep your weight in-check. But this means that you will have to keep your wits about your for a couple of weeks longer. 

• With eating, also comes drinking (and yes I am generalising). Alcohol is a KILLER when it comes to weight gain in general. And I love a glass of wine (or 2…) so in NO way am I preaching here. But it really does play havoc with your body when you were dieting strictly for so long. Try and keep it to a minimum. And if you wondering why alcohol is so bad for weight loss, some more Google homework. Again, make sure you get the water in.

• As with your diet, the same goes for your training program. Change it up! Try something completely new. This is the perfect time to experiment. I don’t know if it’s because I have been in the industry for so long, but I do struggle to get back in the gym after my competition season. So I stay out of the gym until I feel mentally ready to head back. But, this doesn’t mean I do absolutely nothing, I love to go mountain biking and recently started doing bikram yoga. 

• Now… I’m going to throw a spanner in the works here…. one of the things I mentioned we stop doing is our assessments. So you know that scale that everyone told you doesn’t matter when you started out? Dig that baby out from under the bed, dust her off and start checking your weight. When you step on stage your pretty happy with how you look, so your weight is not going to bother you much. It is however going to start bothering you when you balloon out of control. If you working with a Coach, don’t go MIA. I know it’s hard and even embarrassing. But rather keep doing your weekly check-ins, and if not with your Coach, check-in with yourself. It is unfortunately human nature and much easier to turn a blind eye and pretend bad things are not happening.

• For your next show, give yourself more time to prepare. The more time you give yourself, the easier it will be on your mind and body. You will be able to eat more food, and more variety of food, and no stupid amounts of cardio. It’s when you start running out of time that all the crazy stuff comes into play, and it’s these crazy things that does the most damage to your body and mind. 

• I believe your first goal should not be your next show. Your first goal needs to be getting your nutrition and training under control again. Once this is under control, you can start planning for the future. 

Final note.

The one thing that you have to remember, at the end of the day, you are the only person that is in control of your body. No amount of information will make a difference if you don’t have self control. And having self-control, is probably one of the best feelings there is. Think about the months leading up to your show, the self-discipline was a vital key to your success. For me personally, this is what I miss the most when I have a bad post show experience. I want that control back. It gives me a sense of self-empowerment and accomplishment, because there are very view things in life we have total control over. And that motivates me to get back on track and take control again.

Online Training – Friend of Foe.

Online training has recently become the latest "craze" among fitness enthusiasts, ranging from those who would just like to get into better shape, to the more serious athletes.  The first time I caught on to online training was 5 years ago, a year later I met up with my Coach, Nathan Harewood all the way in Calgary, Canada.  Four years later, and we still going strong, and it has worked amazingly for us.  Three years ago I took my business the online route, and it's grown steadily over the last couple of years.  But I have picked up some problems.

Probably the biggest attraction about online training, is the fact that it's more affordable and you can manage your training to your own time schedule.  However, it has its downside as well, and these are just a couple of points that you need to consider before going this route.

1.       Problem: You have to know your way around the gym and especially the weights room.  If you have never seen the inside of a gym, to start off with, your program will probably be complete gibberish, never mind trying to attempt the exercises. 

Solution: Do your research.  If it’s not on the internet, it doesn’t exist.  You-tube is a fantastic option to find training videos.  You can also ask you Coach to send you the relevant video clips.  Ask for help.  If your Coach is out of town, then ask someone trustworthy to assist you.  Maybe even invest in a session with a reputable trainer to take you through your program.

2.       Problem:  Ladies often feel intimidated in the weights room, and that is with a trainer. 

Solution: Get over it! You deserve to be there just as much as anyone else.  If you need to use a piece of equipment, and someone is busy on it, ask, no one is going to bite your head off.  The gyms are also open all hours of the day and night, maybe in the beginning try to go in off-peak times.

3.       Problem:   You need to be able to push yourself.  There is no one there to tell you to push harder and make sure that you finish every set, every rep.  If you don't push yourself, your progress will be very slow.

Solution:  Keep a training diary.  You have your training program and nutrition plan, write down every day what you train, eat, tick off that you have taken all your necessary supplements, how much cardio you have done, how much water you drank.  This way you can keep close record to make sure that you cover everything your Coach wants you to do on a daily basis.  Especially on the training side, you need to make sure that you progress every week, even if it’s just a little bit.  But be honest in your diary, if you skipped a workout, write it down.  This way when it comes to assessment time, you and your Coach can have clear understanding of your progress, or lack thereof.

  

4.       Problem:  You need to be committed and consistent.  No one is waiting for you at the gym to make sure you pitch for your session. 

Solution:  Again you’re training dairy.   Also schedule your day in such a way that there can be little or no interference with your gym sessions.  Planning is everything, same as with your meals, plan your training accordingly.

5.       Problem: I am a BIG believer in proper form when it comes to weight training, you need to make sure that you do the exercises 100% right, or again your progress will be very slow, and most importantly, you can pick up serious injuries.

Solution: Again do your research and discuss with your Coach.  Start off slow, make sure that you perform every rep perfectly before moving up to a higher weight.   Concentrate and watch your form at all time.

Most importantly, go out there and enjoy your sessions! A new training and nutrition plan, is like a holiday.