Hello everyone! I hope this page can give you a small insight into both my journey over time as well as who I am. When I’m not in the gym, I enjoy writing novels, reading books, playing video games, baking (of course!), and being an introvert (full time hobby tbh.) I’ve written ~6 fantasy novels to date (all unpublished so far & will remain unpublished & private until I get a literary agent)
Balance between prep/recipe creation/lifting/writing is nigh non-existent. I’m sad to admit it, but my writing tends to fall to the wayside when prep starts. It’s hard to be balanced when you have to give prep 100% of yourself!
Here is my timeline, which I think can better explain my journey than any other long paragraph:
February 2016: Started working out with cardio & bodyweight exercises in my tiny dorm room as a way to improve my mental health.
May 2016: Started doing Power Yoga 3-5x/week & got up the strength & bravery to start lifting weights in the gym (1-2x/week)
January 2017: Finished my Power Yoga Teacher Certification Course & started teaching (still lifting weights ~1-2x/week)
September 2017: Moved to a tiny town in France where yoga was NOT a thing. I taught one class a week in French in exchange for a free gym membership. THIS was when I say I started “really” lifting weights since I was going 3-5x per week and was working out my whole body.
March 2018-July 2018: Moved back to Texas & did a “cut” on my own & started tracking macros. Here I was lifting 4-5x a week & teaching yoga 4-6x a week.
August 2018-January 2019: I BULKED on my own, focusing on progressive overload & squatting, benching, & deadlifting HEAVY. Didn’t track macros accurately here, but I ate enough to put me in a surplus & made sure I was eating enough protein. At this point I’m pretty much doing all weightlifting & using yoga to warm-up & cool down.
January 2019-May 2019: I CUT on my own again & was in the gym 6 to 7 days a week. (I had not yet learned the importance of rest!)
Middle left: July 2018 after I did my first “cut” and started tracking macros
Middle right: January 2019 after I bulked on my own to gain muscle
Far right: May 2019 after cutting on my own. This was taken a day or two after I decided to compete & signed up with my coach.
May 2019: I signed up with my first coach & we started my first competition prep!
July 2019: Did my first show & came in third.
August 2019-February 2020: Reverse dieted from my show & then did a conservative, lean bulk with my coach the whole way. He set my macros & gave me my workout programs
February 2020: My second prep started! My first show of this year will be June 13th. I plan to do at least 2 this summer.
Update: *laughs painfully* Coronavirus –> every single one of my planned shows was postponed! Now I’m planning on the first available show in Texas (August 1st) & then a second show September 5th, and MAYBE a third show.
Update Update: I competed in my first show of the season August 1st, 2020 & made a show day vlog about it!
Although I did my best 100% through the pandemic & nailed my routine on stage, I was disappointed with the results. People around me actually suggested I give up–and after only one poor placement!?
So I switched coaches & went ahead with my original goal of 2020 to compete at a national level competition (my placement from my show in 2019 qualified me)
AND I DID SO WELL!
It was my first national competition and I came in 11th (which for nationals is amazing) my physique actually did a 180 and my glutes did a whole transformation.
Then I quit my full time job & decided it was best to head into off/improvement season.
So now I’m reverse dieting & focusing on gaining weight so I can put on muscle. My judges feedback from nationals was to tweak my posing in my back pose & develop my shoulders & upper body more to create more balance between my upper & lower body.
Find me here:
And don’t forget to subscribe!