Overall Update 3 weeks before my 2nd BodyBuilding Competition!!
WELCOME!
I am so excited to be bringing you guys along on this journey with me!! For those of you who are new here, WELCOME! My name is Sammy JO, I have been into fitness and bodybuilding for about 5 years now. I competed in my first Bikini Bodybuilding competition in March of 2022! I placed first in my division which qualified me to go to nationals to compete for my IFBB pro card! I am going to be competing again in a local show on November 5th 2022 to get my jitter out before stepping on the National stage in Vegas for Olympia Amateur to get my pro card. I am so grateful to document this journey for you to give you a little insight on the fitness world specifically competitive bodybuilding! I have most definitely been slacking on producing these updates for you but BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!! 🙂
WORKOUT TIME!
I started my day off eating my typical pre-workout breakfast; English Muffins with Avocado and everything but the bagel seasoning!! If you haven’t tried that before I HIGHHHLY suggest it, its healthy, filling and sooooo YUMMY!! You can thank me later 😉 After the I hit a KILLLLLLLER Shoulder workout, that I will list below for you!! Simple yet EFFECTIVE!! If you are interested in a workout plan or program always feel free to reach out to me via my contact email for coaching!!
Shoulder WORKOUT ROUTINE:
- Banded Warm Up
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press (3setsx12reps)
- Side Lateral Raises (3setsx12reps – drop set 10reps)
- Tricep Pushdown (4setsx20reps)
- Cable Rope Face Pull (3setsx15reps)
Posing Practice!
After my workout I did some posing practice! It is super super important to practice posing as much as possible! It is the MAIN thing you’re doing on stage to show off your physique to the judges. So to have make sure you have a confident presence on stage to present your muscle definition and overall package you’re bringing! During my routine you can see 2 main pose that a NPC Bikini competitor focuses on. This is going to be the front pose and the back pose. This is standard for all division, and those are the official poses the NPC judges focus on and really take a look at the competitors shape, muscle definition and body symmetry. Once you have your tan and bikini, which is a must to compete, you’re able to see the muscle definition a lot more! Every division has slightly different posing but overall the judges are looking at the competitors muscle definition and symmetry in every women’s division.
Rest and Recovery for bodybuilding and fitness
Rest and recovery is very important overall whether it’s for bodybuilding competitors or even people interested in living a healthy lifestyle! As a bodybuilding competitor massages help release muscle tension or knots that form overtime from bodybuilding! I was lucky enough at my appointment to get someone skilled in sports massages. So as I was getting massages the therapist was also stretching me and targeting specific muscles and knots! I always get a 2 hour deep tissue sports massage prior to getting on stage and competing. It helps loosen the muscle to pose better and just overall stress and tension relief.
Previous Show vs. Current Show!
Okay so at the time of filming this video I was 3 week out from my show! I am feeling absolutely amazing I have greaaaat energy and a lot more mental clarity this time around. I think in my previous show/prep I was so beyond nervous and anxious that I tuned out everything around me to make sure I didn’t fall off track. I had no clue what to expect of the show, the competition and most importantly the mental and physical changes I would go through. This prep is so different because this time around I know what to expect so I can really enjoy the process and especially document it for you all! I can prepare properly, pack everything I need now that I know what to expect in terms of the show and what I need day of! The biggest thing for me this time around is knowing what to expect in terms of my body changing and the mental shift as well during prep!
Overall Physique Update!
So as I mentioned I am feeling so energetic this time around and really just present and listening to my body! I will say this time around, at the 3 week out mark I have the same physique I stepped on stage at my previous show! Meaning for my personal goal and physique I am ahead of where I was before!!!! I don’t measure body fat during my prep, I more so focus on how I am feeling and looking. I am also up in weight from my first show and seeing muscle development in areas I was lacking in last time! I am starting to lean out even more week over week, seeing a huge difference in my weekly check ins. The package I am bringing this time around is totally different then my last stage look, which is such a rewarding feeling!
WHAT AM I DOING DIFFERENTLY!?
This time around I am really prioritizing my sleep and making sure I am getting full rest and recovery day to day. I sleep about 7-8 hours each nice to ensure full REM sleep is achieved each night! I am also focusing on higher quality workouts, implementing progressive overload and tracking my weights and rep ranges week to week. The CRAZIEST thing I have started doing is cold showers every morning “EEEEEK” it is the most dreadful yet BENEFICIAL thing ever! Cold showers help with a few important things: reducing inflammation, lowering stress levels, improves circulation and reduces muscle soreness and fatigue! Again, this is a pretty dreadful process that I HATE doing if im being honest but SOOOO BEYOND BENEFICAL! I have noticed a huge different in my moods, tightness and recovery since adding this into my routine!
Where do we go from here??
So from here I will continue my week to week check ins and my daily weight check ins to my coach. Once this November 5th show is over we are back in prep to prepare for Olympia Amateur where I will compete for my IFBB Pro Card. I will have about 5 more weeks to adjust and dial in for that show. Taking the feedback from the judges and tweaking my physique to the suggestions they make!
I am so excited to be sharing all of this journey and opening people up to Bodybuilding competition! I have a few more videos for this upcoming show that I will be posting. Once I compete on November 5th then all focus will shift to Olympia Amateur and the ROAD TO OLYMPIA starts!!
If you have any questions or video suggestions feel free to reach out to me on my Instagram and I would be more than happy to help!! Many more videos and blog to come, keep a look out!!
I am so excited to be bringing you guys along on this journey with me!! For those of you who are new here, WELCOME! My name is Sammy JO, I have been into fitness and bodybuilding for about 5 years now. I competed in my first Bikini Bodybuilding competition in March of 2022! I placed first in my division which qualified me to go to nationals to compete for my IFBB pro card! I am going to be competing again in a local show on November 5th 2022 to get my jitter out before stepping on the National stage in Vegas for Olympia Amateur to get my pro card. I am so grateful to document this journey for you to give you a little insight on the fitness world specifically competitive bodybuilding! I have most definitely been slacking on producing these updates for you but BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!! 🙂
WORKOUT TIME!
I started my day off eating my typical pre-workout breakfast; English Muffins with Avocado and everything but the bagel seasoning!! If you haven’t tried that before I HIGHHHLY suggest it, its healthy, filling and sooooo YUMMY!! You can thank me later 😉 After the I hit a KILLLLLLLER Shoulder workout, that I will list below for you!! Simple yet EFFECTIVE!! If you are interested in a workout plan or program always feel free to reach out to me via my contact email for coaching!!
Shoulder WORKOUT ROUTINE:
POSING PRACTICE!
- Banded Warm Up
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press (3setsx12reps)
- Side Lateral Raises (3setsx12reps – drop set 10reps)
- Tricep Pushdown (4setsx20reps)
- Cable Rope Face Pull (3setsx15reps)
After my workout I did some posing practice! It is super super important to practice posing as much as possible! It is the MAIN thing you’re doing on stage to show off your physique to the judges. So to have make sure you have a confident presence on stage to present your muscle definition and overall package you’re bringing! During my routine you can see 2 main pose that a NPC Bikini competitor focuses on. This is going to be the front pose and the back pose. This is standard for all division, and those are the official poses the NPC judges focus on and really take a look at the competitors shape, muscle definition and body symmetry. Once you have your tan and bikini, which is a must to compete, you’re able to see the muscle definition a lot more! Every division has slightly different posing but overall the judges are looking at the competitors muscle definition and symmetry in every women’s division.
Rest and Recovery for bodybuilding and fitness
Rest and recovery is very important overall whether it’s for bodybuilding competitors or even people interested in living a healthy lifestyle! As a bodybuilding competitor massages help release muscle tension or knots that form overtime from bodybuilding! I was lucky enough at my appointment to get someone skilled in sports massages. So as I was getting massages the therapist was also stretching me and targeting specific muscles and knots! I always get a 2 hour deep tissue sports massage prior to getting on stage and competing. It helps loosen the muscle to pose better and just overall stress and tension relief.
Previous Show vs. Current Show!
Okay so at the time of filming this video I was 3 week out from my show! I am feeling absolutely amazing I have greaaaat energy and a lot more mental clarity this time around. I think in my previous show/prep I was so beyond nervous and anxious that I tuned out everything around me to make sure I didn’t fall off track. I had no clue what to expect of the show, the competition and most importantly the mental and physical changes I would go through. This prep is so different because this time around I know what to expect so I can really enjoy the process and especially document it for you all! I can prepare properly, pack everything I need now that I know what to expect in terms of the show and what I need day of! The biggest thing for me this time around is knowing what to expect in terms of my body changing and the mental shift as well during prep!
Overall Physique Update!
So as I mentioned I am feeling so energetic this time around and really just present and listening to my body! I will say this time around, at the 3 week out mark I have the same physique I stepped on stage at my previous show! Meaning for my personal goal and physique I am ahead of where I was before!!!! I don’t measure body fat during my prep, I more so focus on how I am feeling and looking. I am also up in weight from my first show and seeing muscle development in areas I was lacking in last time! I am starting to lean out even more week over week, seeing a huge difference in my weekly check ins. The package I am bringing this time around is totally different then my last stage look, which is such a rewarding feeling!
WHAT AM I DOING DIFFERENTLY!?
This time around I am really prioritizing my sleep and making sure I am getting full rest and recovery day to day. I sleep about 7-8 hours each nice to ensure full REM sleep is achieved each night! I am also focusing on higher quality workouts, implementing progressive overload and tracking my weights and rep ranges week to week. The CRAZIEST thing I have started doing is cold showers every morning “EEEEEK” it is the most dreadful yet BENEFICIAL thing ever! Cold showers help with a few important things: reducing inflammation, lowering stress levels, improves circulation and reduces muscle soreness and fatigue! Again, this is a pretty dreadful process that I HATE doing if im being honest but SOOOO BEYOND BENEFICAL! I have noticed a huge different in my moods, tightness and recovery since adding this into my routine!
Where do we go from here??
So from here I will continue my week to week check ins and my daily weight check ins to my coach. Once this November 5th show is over we are back in prep to prepare for Olympia Amateur where I will compete for my IFBB Pro Card. I will have about 5 more weeks to adjust and dial in for that show. Taking the feedback from the judges and tweaking my physique to the suggestions they make!
I am so excited to be sharing all of this journey and opening people up to Bodybuilding competition! I have a few more videos for this upcoming show that I will be posting. Once I compete on November 5th then all focus will shift to Olympia Amateur and the ROAD TO OLYMPIA starts!!
If you have any questions or video suggestions feel free to reach out to me on my Instagram and I would be more than happy to help!! Many more videos and blog to come, keep a look out!!