CMoney
27-05-2010, 01:37 PM
Cheers, Iron Canucks! :ht
I've posted a few items, so thought I should probably provide a quick intro.
I'm 41, figure competitor, mom of two (girl 10, boy 8), in a serious relationship with a former US Marine/PT/bodybuilder named David who has three kids. Yes, between the two of us, we have 5! Good stuff!!
Before getting hooked on training (which I started doing after kids to get back in shape for barrel racing--I'm an Alberta cowgirl), I was pretty much fully consumed with my part-time job as a technical writer for an engineering firm and raising my babies. I also let my health and fitness slide waaaaay onto the backburner. Common story, eh?
My friend, a provincial level FBB suggested I try competing. She wanted to switch to figure, and since our kids danced together, we talked about training a lot. We trained with her brother, the late, great Bruce Grieg, semi-pro hockey player and powerlifting champ, and I was hooked after competing in the ABBA Masters Figure and placing 10th/20.
I got serious about this endeavor, and decided to hire Scott Abel in December 2007 after doing a lot of research. I qualified for Nationals in both my height class and masters in 2008. I have a Nationals bi in masters figure and am hoping to achieve the same in my open height class. My goal is to start competiting at the national level, with an appropriate package, in 2011. Best I can tell, I'm on track. I'm competing in the ABBA Provincials in just over four weeks.
Here's my client profile, complete with pics: scottabel.com/clients/crystol.php
The pics are from October 2009. I competed pretty hard and tight. I'm going to dial in just a tad less "bodybuilder" looking in June, I think.
So, yeah, I'm an Abel disciple. I do feel he is one of the top fitness Coaches in Canada, and I frequently post his blogs, articles, and book excerpts on forums. NO, I don't get any kickbacks from doing this. I'm just passionate about wanting to help people (most especially women) get the most out of their diet and training and AVOID harming themselves through contest prep.
Empowering and educating women (through sharing my experience and introducing people to Scott's expertise ) who compete is my passion. I've seen too many women left with unbelievably damaged bodies due to ill-advised training and diet protocols. I get a lot of joy out of this process. I'm like a kid in a candy store and relish the challenges of contest prep, and I wish the same kind of experience for others.
I have a tough, tough time relating to the martyr complex I see among many competitors, male and female alike. That is, those who freely choose to suffer--sometimes only in their perception of their preps; we all know it isn't easy--and think themselves exceptional for doing so. Soldiers dying for the greater good in battle are REAL martyrs, the honorable, admirable kind. Physique competitors comparing themselves in any way to those who truly sacrifice themselves for a larger, greater good represents just the worst kind of deluded conceit. Yet that's the kind of thing I read and hear frequently from some competitors, wearing their "suffering" like badges of honor.
For my own sense of wellbeing and self-respect, my preps go swimmingly by design. Not because I train less hard, eat more food, whatever, but because I CHOOSE to make the preps the kind of experience I can continually look back upon with satisfaction.
Anyway, I realize that I can piss people off when I start in on the business of making sure your pursuit of your physique goals is empowering, not weakening. But I realize that for every person I tick off, there's at least one other person seriously considering some of what I'm saying and maybe staying healthier mentally, physically, and emotionally because of it.
Take care, train your ass off, LOVE LIFE!!!
Hugs and high-fives,
Crystol
I've posted a few items, so thought I should probably provide a quick intro.
I'm 41, figure competitor, mom of two (girl 10, boy 8), in a serious relationship with a former US Marine/PT/bodybuilder named David who has three kids. Yes, between the two of us, we have 5! Good stuff!!
Before getting hooked on training (which I started doing after kids to get back in shape for barrel racing--I'm an Alberta cowgirl), I was pretty much fully consumed with my part-time job as a technical writer for an engineering firm and raising my babies. I also let my health and fitness slide waaaaay onto the backburner. Common story, eh?
My friend, a provincial level FBB suggested I try competing. She wanted to switch to figure, and since our kids danced together, we talked about training a lot. We trained with her brother, the late, great Bruce Grieg, semi-pro hockey player and powerlifting champ, and I was hooked after competing in the ABBA Masters Figure and placing 10th/20.
I got serious about this endeavor, and decided to hire Scott Abel in December 2007 after doing a lot of research. I qualified for Nationals in both my height class and masters in 2008. I have a Nationals bi in masters figure and am hoping to achieve the same in my open height class. My goal is to start competiting at the national level, with an appropriate package, in 2011. Best I can tell, I'm on track. I'm competing in the ABBA Provincials in just over four weeks.
Here's my client profile, complete with pics: scottabel.com/clients/crystol.php
The pics are from October 2009. I competed pretty hard and tight. I'm going to dial in just a tad less "bodybuilder" looking in June, I think.
So, yeah, I'm an Abel disciple. I do feel he is one of the top fitness Coaches in Canada, and I frequently post his blogs, articles, and book excerpts on forums. NO, I don't get any kickbacks from doing this. I'm just passionate about wanting to help people (most especially women) get the most out of their diet and training and AVOID harming themselves through contest prep.
Empowering and educating women (through sharing my experience and introducing people to Scott's expertise ) who compete is my passion. I've seen too many women left with unbelievably damaged bodies due to ill-advised training and diet protocols. I get a lot of joy out of this process. I'm like a kid in a candy store and relish the challenges of contest prep, and I wish the same kind of experience for others.
I have a tough, tough time relating to the martyr complex I see among many competitors, male and female alike. That is, those who freely choose to suffer--sometimes only in their perception of their preps; we all know it isn't easy--and think themselves exceptional for doing so. Soldiers dying for the greater good in battle are REAL martyrs, the honorable, admirable kind. Physique competitors comparing themselves in any way to those who truly sacrifice themselves for a larger, greater good represents just the worst kind of deluded conceit. Yet that's the kind of thing I read and hear frequently from some competitors, wearing their "suffering" like badges of honor.
For my own sense of wellbeing and self-respect, my preps go swimmingly by design. Not because I train less hard, eat more food, whatever, but because I CHOOSE to make the preps the kind of experience I can continually look back upon with satisfaction.
Anyway, I realize that I can piss people off when I start in on the business of making sure your pursuit of your physique goals is empowering, not weakening. But I realize that for every person I tick off, there's at least one other person seriously considering some of what I'm saying and maybe staying healthier mentally, physically, and emotionally because of it.
Take care, train your ass off, LOVE LIFE!!!
Hugs and high-fives,
Crystol