My Husband and I - Ange's PRO debut edition!!!

[ange_d]

Here I go again, lol, 11 weeks or so out from the Toronto Pro Supershow!
Never in a million years did I think I would be starting a journal as a Pro!

Here's a link to our past journals:
http://www.canadabodybuilding.com/showthread.php?17772-Sudbury-Provincials-prep-my-wife-and-I
http://www.canadabodybuilding.com/showthread.php?18579-Prep-for-2010-CBBF-Figure-Nationals-By-ange_d
http://www.canadabodybuilding.com/showthread.php?22288-2012-Provincials-My-Wife-and-I-East-Coast-Edition!
http://www.canadabodybuilding.com/showthread.php?23727-My-husband-and-I-National-s-2013-Edition!!!

Cleaned up my diet last week and dropped a few pounds.
I worked hard this year trying to build up my lower body, especially hams and glutes (of course - always my weakness).

Going to try to keep this journal updated with stats and pic's.
I thought it was only fitting Steve and I both contribute to this thread as all our other journals have been done together!

Looking forward to this prep and stepping onstage with the best. Must admit it's quite intimidating and I am not expecting to place well. Just want to enjoy the experience and see if I have made any changes/improvements to my physique and/or presentation.

:yeah

[cog]

Best of luck.You have the discipline to make a good showing.

[MuSuLPhReAk]

Good luck Ange. Will be reading your log.

[steve_d]

I worked hard this year trying to build up my lower body, especially hams and glutes (of course - always my weakness).


You're glutes are MY weakness too...

The first time one of us competes without the other since 2007! I'll admit it's kinda sad since I've always had fun doing it side by side. This time I'll be able to be hopefully the most supportive one could be and make at least part of the prep as easy as possible. Ange has a crazy ability to make prep "easy" once she's made up her mind to do it. I put easy in quotes because it's never easy. But I know part of her successes is being able to enjoy almost every minute of a prep and not focus on the end result. I can tell she's extremely pumped about competing again.

[Delt King]

Looking forward to reading this log.

[69challenger]

Looking forward seeing and cheering you on in TO!!!

[ange_d]

Ok...first progress pic's! I am jealous of the way bikini competitors stand from the back, I find it so flattering on me even with fat still to lose.
10 weeks out and finally feel on track. Been a tough week with stomach flu in our house and I had a hard time sticking to a diet, which is weird for me. I guess I needed to see results in pic's as the scale is playing mind games on me! Time to relax and let the magic start happening. :)

[ange_d]

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7 weeks out now. Feeling kinda behind. I am really not following any diet plan and probably eating too much. So, time to write out a plan. Going to start some cardio this week to jump start this last 7 weeks.
This is a harder prep than others. My 5 year old is too old and smart now to fool or distract. He is well aware Mommy's mood is changing :(. This will likely be the last prep unless it miraculously becomes easier (not counting on it!). Maybe now that the spring weather is here getting outside will help us all.
Some pic's post gym today so that I can keep track of my progress. First one I took because I found some fun lighting in the gym :).

[ange_d]

5 weeks!
Feeling on track now...that cardio before bed and not eating too much every 3rd or 4th day did the trick, (shocking, lol).

I seem to be in a grove now. Spending a lot of time on posing and presentation.
Not that strong anymore but Steve assures me I have more than enough muscle, so lower weight-higher reps and burning cal's up in the gym.

Can't believe only 5 weeks, time is flying by! So 5 weeks to lean up bum and ham's.
Funny thing is that my right glute and hip is way fatter than my right, it's always been like that. So weird. Oh well, plenty of time...

I am really looking forward to this event. I think I was feeling intimidated and a little scared to be on the pro stage but now I am back in the right mindset. I can't let nerves ruin my presentation. That is the only way I will be disappointed.

[steve_d]

I always say as long as someone can continue to improve, there is no reason to hang up the trunks! I also say it's rare for someone to noticeably change one's shape in a year but she's going to prove me wrong once again. A lot more width in the lats to create a larger v-taper and definitely some added roundness to the glutes. Just going to see how long she can keep that fullness.

It's funny, as a bodybuilder it's easy to say figure is "easy" in the sense that they might not need to worry as much about mass, and bodybuilders need to stay full but stay shredded, etc. But I think figure is harder to get the perfect balance. You have to get lean, but you can't be striated, you have to be full, but not round, you have to stay sexy but remain classy, have perfect symmetry left to right (in my opinion symmetry is probably the most important for figure of all the physique divisions). You can't just drop water, carb up and hope for the best. In bodybuilding if you carb up too much you might lose some definition but gain size... figure, not so much, eat too much you're bloated and you're out. Eat not enough and your scrawny and look too thin, out. pump up too much and you look round - out. You basically have to try to minimize all flaws. The ones with the least flaws usually come out on top.

I'm biased, but any of what I thought were flaws in the past are now her strengths. Keep on going Ange! Under 5 weeks and I see the passion coming in full gear. Once she has her mind set, nothing stops her! We've got the flights and hotels booked, now it's just a matter of going through the motions. Best Ange to date coming to Toronto...

PS: I'm going to try to get a video together of her in the gym soon.

[MizzFitt]

Excited to follow your journey! You always look amazing and will do great! ��

[ange_d]

Excited to follow your journey! You always look amazing and will do great! ��

Thanks! I don't know if I'll do great but I plan on looking great ;)

Is that a pic from Atlantic's? You look awesome!

[ange_d]

So 4.5 weeks...

Had a bit of an issue last night. My 2 year old insisted on feeding me her fruit loops. So after saying "No, Mommy's full, Mommy doesn't like those" a few times I thought what the heck can a fruit loop do, ruin me? lol. What I did not count on was the fact that fruit loops taste like little rings of heaven at this point! So I ate a few bowls of fruit loops (even got the milk out!). Oops. It sure gave me good energy in the gym though.

They have started announcing competitors on the TO Pro Supershow fb page. I saw Ann Titone is defending her title this year...it gave me goosebumps to think of sharing a stage with one of the best pro's out there! Such an honour to even be qualified at this level.

Here's some pic's of me this morning after my impromptu fruit loop carb up, lol. I think I look fuller and more symmetrical then ever. Mostly due to posing but may have added a bit to the booty and hams (at least I hope) :)

[TT Eric]

Amazing shape! Clear improvement since last year! Congrats.

Eric

[ange_d]

Some more pic's this morning. Big changes this week!
First couple days after my fruit loop ordeal were tough. Hungry and lots of cravings.
Now back in the zone. Energy not the greatest but sleeping ok and mood is getting better (probably because I feel ready now ;))
You can tell I feel better about my progress when I post so many pic's at once, lol.

Weight is starting to drop fairly fast. If it continues this way then more food or less cardio :)
Time will tell.

[ange_d]

So by Friday night cardio was near impossible and I woke up Saturday morning kinda light and kinda "gross" looking :)
To be quite honest I was getting really bitchy and mean too. So decided it was a cheat day to clear up the "crazy eyes" (as we call it) and enjoy family and life again.

Ate quite a bit Saturday to try to fill out again. Mostly good food, steak, potatoes, veggies, yogurt, fruit but also some chocolate, rice krispie squares, candy, and a cinnamon roll mmmmmmmmmm.
It's so funny how clear the world becomes after a totally depleted refeed.

Energy lasted until this afternoon (Sunday) now feeling empty again already...going to be a long, hard, but productive week!

To be honest I really like this full look. Steve and I are already talking about carbing me up really early to ensure full and feminine. No hard, deflated, striated look.

Pic's from Friday end of day.

[TT Eric]

Really impressive! You have such a nice symmetry/balance and esthetic physique, pretty much like a female version of Frank Zane, no wonder you made pro.

Eric

[Delt King]

I'm impressed. You'll be turning the judges heads on contest day.

[MizzFitt]

Thanks! I don't know if I'll do great but I plan on looking great ;)

Is that a pic from Atlantic's? You look awesome!

Oh wow thank you! It is. I'm most likely going to switch to physique this year. I think that's more suitable for my body type.

Best of luck to you. You're looking incredible! I cant get over the changes your making. Very motivating to follow your journey thats for sure.
You will do great and we will all be very proud 😃👍💪

[ubcpower]

Very interesting log. I'm really impressed you are able to compete at the elite level with youngens around. I show my female friends your log at work and they are so motivated after!

[ange_d]

Very interesting log. I'm really impressed you are able to compete at the elite level with youngens around. I show my female friends your log at work and they are so motivated after!

I'm so happy to motivate others!
Most of the time I think I'm nuts for doing this! lol

But even though I have those "crazy times" at the end of it all your family is only happy when each individual in your family is happy. Competing (even though it carries many down sides and stereotypes) makes me happy. Happy Mommy happy family!

I like the goal, the feeling of accomplishment, watching my body change, and keeping in great shape. The competitive scene is not all good but not all bad, as with anything in life. We are all only here for a very short time I say do whatever makes you happy :)

[ange_d]

11 days to go....

:)

I've had my ups and downs. Unscheduled "cheats", moodiness (poor Steve), self doubt, all those things I like to refer to as the "crazy eyes". But all is coming together. I worked this year on my legs and lats and I think it has paid off. Now just trying not to shrivel up too much in the next couple weeks then show time!!!

I love getting all dolled up for shows, I always say it feels like a wedding day!

Kids are out of the house next weekend so my final week of this prep will be kidless. That will make things easier (on them mostly, lol).
These next 11 days will seem like forever but fly by at the same time. Before I know it it will all be over so I'll try to just enjoy these final days.
Not changing anything too drastically. Cal's a little lower and no cheat this week. Cardio pre bed, slow 45 t0 60 minutes max.

Here's a pic from earlier today. I am very pleased with my overall shape and improvement.
:)

[kg2105]

you look awesome , good luck at the show. you will do well !

[steve_d]

Updates. Ange is 3 days out and looking amazing. Better than she ever has. We had a hurdle this week which put a downer but life happens! Coles notes version: we were dropping kids off Friday for a week with my folks, but our 2 year old got really sick with a stomach thing. By Sunday things were looking up so we took both of them, but while at my folks, (3 hours from home) she took another turn for the worse and just wasn't getting better. overnight stay at emergency, bypassed all the people waiting - lost 20% bodyweight - severe dehydration. no sleep for either of us. 12 hours IV to get her fluids back up. Even after the IV it took 2 more days to even act herself in the least. Competing was looking less and less likely. Our daughter is doing better now (thank god - its been almost a week now!)

Ange was ready, and since I don't believe in last week 'magic' it ended up a minor setback. And this is why I have all the admiration for my wife in the world. On Friday when the sickness started, off was 'fitness Ange' and on was 'mommy Ange'. No late night cardio, no final week 'must-get-to-the-gym' attitude. Family first. It was great to be at my parents because we still managed to get in some workouts in while they made sure our kids were okay. We made it back to Halifax, and enjoying this little mini vacation. Ange is all smiles, and you'd never guess she was doing a show in a few days from all the energy she has. Pics of her after last nights workout, lots of water, full belly.

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[TT Eric]

Dang it seems your last week out is often abnormally hard for you guys! 20% of BW is quite something, most I've lost was 15% and it was really hard. Anyhow, Angela look awesome as always, not a dent. GL with the show!

Eric

[natenator]

go get'em Ange :)

[Primal]

Sorry to hear about your daughter, glad she is better now! Best of luck at the show! :)

-Primal

[steve_d]

Update of toronto pro show. We're back and settled in. I'm sure Ange will give some closing thoughts to the thread once she gets a chance. SHe placed an amazing 8th of 28 (I think this was one of the biggest figure line ups ever). Lots of big names in this line-up, 3 girls who won a figure pro show before, a few recent USA national champs, many Canadian girls doing their figure debut, and some seasoned competitors. She could not be more pleased with the results and has had some positive feedback all around.

I think this was the best she's ever looked. The focus was to get really lean, but not overly dehydrated. Some body types can suit less lean, but those are rare - particularly at a pro show. Ange learned that once you're really lean, water doesn't stick and nothing drastic needs to be done to get 'the water out'. She carbs up all week (tuesday right through the show). Basically near double daily calories all week with calories coming half from carbs and split between protein and fat. Water was never cut (until saturday morning essentially), and sodium only marginally reduced on friday. Even with all that, by saturday morning she was really dry.

Pics I attached are a call out shot (her 2nd call out where she was moved to the middle eventually with each round of posing). Another during prejudge I think and the one in our hotel just before night show.


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[TT Eric]

Congrats!

Eric

[vytis]

Awesome. Congratulations!

[cog]

She looks like the leanest competitor on stage.

[steve_d]

^the hope was she didn't come in the leanest on stage. Typically the way it works in the judges mind is not to look for the best in people, but to look for flaws. It would be easy for a judge to say 'too lean', 'not lean enough', 'too muscular', etc. The goal is to fall right in the middle of all those 'flaws'... IE - not be too anything. In that line-up, she was probably one of the leaner ones, if not the leanest. The first call out, had a couple who were leaner, including the winner.

I mentioned this earlier in the thread about how tricky it is to get the perfect amount of everything. And as Ange says 'you are only as lean as your fattest bodypart'. Probably the hardest part to figure out because had she come in less tight, her lower glutes / hams would have stuck out as being not conditioned. In the end, I think we got it right! We were just talking about it yesterday, at the pro level, the top girls really have different genetic structure. Wider frame, clavicle width, etc. Quad sweep etc. Ange is genetically a straighter shape. I'm definitely impressed with what she was able to look like. #1 in my books!