NATURAL BODY BUILDING - IS IT? NATURAL?

I gotta tell you when I read ahead (I am a control freak what can I say) about figure competition, I seriously thought I just might not be able to make it jive with my new found love of health and fitness or my nursing “hat.
"Why you say?"

Well I was not feeling that there was anything natural about natural body building and figure competition.You know, the muscle hypertrophy, the tanning, the leaning or cutting, the 5” heels, the supplements, the temporary lost breasts,dehydration to make the muscles pop, pre-comp enemas, preparation H muscle wraps. I have been wrestling with this for some time.

It hasn’t kept me from continuing training – I love that too much to give it up..but I was concerned. Then I really thought about it (not much else to do on the commute to work) and figured, what the heck IS natural these days. Even NATURAL stuff can make you sick.Some examples..people who try to grow 'organically' and are not aware of some dangers like – improperly composted or rotted heifer dust (manure) AND can infect themselves with Ecoli.

I read about a person who took all kinds of Chinese herbs without proper advice and ended up hallucinating and becoming psychotic. Have you BEEN to a natural treatment appointment? Bet you can’t leave without a whack of medicinal herbs supplements, and testing with a plethora of strange machines for which there is no or little scientific research to support. Most of our foods have been tinkered with over the years to produce better bigger more copious crops while we have not evolved as fast to be able to assimilate the end result. So what is ‘natural’ about what we eat?

But still...there are some challenges I will have to work on and see if I can come up with a compromise.Tanning for example. I have spent years protecting my skin. I thought in this day and age there would be a product to put on topically and there are…but apparently you still need a ‘base’ such as the sun or tanning beds or the products look streaky. That really is not an option for me - tanning that is.

My clinical esthetician says it well “A tan is damaged skin.” Not to mention the skin cancer risk. So I will have to do more research on that.

During my initial weight loss program which had worked too well for a short period I lost weight fast and furiously (my trainer adjusted everything very quickly to slow the weight loss down) but for a brief period I had lost quite a bit in the ahem…hooter department. Actually with my weight loss I actually enjoyed that part of the downsizing – it sure spared my overtaxed shoulders and I had a lot more clothes choice. Not to mention I could wear some of most gorgeous bras comfortably from Victoria's Secret or La Senza. Before I was only able to wear ugly elastic garments.

Now I feel am am the perfect size but I worry after perusing numerous body building pics devoid of breasts (except for the obvious tear drop silicone ones) that I would have a boy figure. I guess I should have tried to find some ‘off season pictures’ because apparently the cutting and leaning is a very brief period for competition and everything including the ‘girls’ come back when out of the competition mode.

Phew.. I really really did not want to be mistaken for a boy – I was once on the beach when I was 12 and I certainly do not want to relive that experience!

In a later post you will find out how you actually get a breast lift through weight training - along with a healthy body fat level - you will retain and enhance your breasts better than ever before.

So..onward … I have a strong feeling that everything will work out fine. If you want to know a lot about figure competition or women’s body building you may want to check out Karen Sessions ebooks. They are excellent.

Iron Dolls
Figure Competition Secrets
The Competitive Edge

Her books are very professional, and detailed and she gives great online support. You can also train online with her and it is very very reasonable.

And always remember to Eat Clean AND DRINK LOTS OF WATER - IT IS FREE (well at least till they put the water meters up - but still good value for the money ;)