Brains & Biceps

Brains & Biceps

A Weekly Column By Laura Kline, BSN-RN and future NPC Figure Competitor


Ready, Set GO GO GO!!!!

So Jason recently told me that there were a couple questions that some readers wanted answered. Sorry it has taken me so long to get to them, this little lady has been busy!!

The first one is how did I know I was ready to compete? Hmm.. Well I wanted to compete last year as soon as I discovered figure competitions but I knew that was impossible because I needed more muscle. So then when I got started on lifting heavier I discovered I was doing too much cardio and not gaining as much as I could. THEN (this was a couple months later) I was focusing solely on lifting and not on cardio. It was then that I knew I was not going to compete last year but that 2010 would be my year! I was totally excited about this too because I would be 25 years old and as silly as it sounds I always wanted to be 25 when I was a little girl. There was something so glamorous about the age to me, again I have no idea why, so getting to compete during my 25th year of life definitely feels right, as if it was my ‘fate’ to compete this year… Haha! In all honesty I could use more musculature I personally think but so far as the fat is disappearing what I am seeing is good J

If you are someone who is interested in competing my personal advice is to find yourself a really good coach and let them make the decision as to whether or not you’re ready. When I met with my coach we decided to spend some more time putting on muscle before my knock down drag out prep began. It is extremely extremely extremely important to know that what works for one person may not work for you! Everybody is different and so each and every one of us may need something different. Yet another reason why finding a coach is a very good idea. I learned as much as I could on the topic and this is also very important to one’s success. Research your brains out! Know what is going on in the industry and who is winning because that will help you know what you are going to strive for.

The second question I have been asked is; what body parts were my easiest and hardest to see progress with. I have always had strong legs so as far as strength gains go these are my easiest, but they are not the first to lean out. Actually, my glutes and legs will probably be one of the last things to lean out but they are strong little suckers. My shoulders were probably the hardest to see progress with because I had NONE!! I have trained my shoulders two times a week for quite some time now and it took a long time for me to see them. Once I started adding in cardio though and the fat started to come off I really started to see them and each week that goes by they look better and better. Again, everybody is different! There are some girls who have leaner legs or girls that don’t store as much fat in their hips. Some girls have ghetto booty’s, some girls don’t!!! You have to accept your body for what it is and make it the best that you can.

I can not even begin to count how many times I have been told NOT TO COMPARE MYSELF WITH ANYONE ELSE! Do NOT do this! You will only drive yourself mad and you will feel disappointed. It is ME against ME in this sport. Everyday that I do my cardio or lift my weights I am only looking at myself in the mirror or keeping my eyes focused on my magazine telling myself “keep on pushing, keep on pushing, win win win!!” I hope whomever reads this applies it to their life and takes it with them through their career.

“A competitive world offers two possibilities. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change"