Off Season Training 5
Body Acceptance & Finding Motivation
The world of competitive bodybuilding takes more than just physical endurance—it takes a great deal of mental fortitude and dedication.
Author: Rachael Olkin
Rachael graduated from UCLA in December 2010 with a degree in International Development Studies. She is currently working towards admission to nursing school, where she hopes to obtain both a Bachelors of Science in Nursing as well as a Masters of Science in Nursing.
Rachael is also preparing for her first Figure competition and will share her journey along the way, including her goals, aspirations and struggles.
Find more of Rachael on:
Off Season Part 4
Pushing Through Lows & Highs
This post has been written over the last two weeks. Within these two weeks, I hit some highs as well as some lows. I want you to see what a week on the down is like and a week feeling great is like. It truly is incredible how quickly motivation and self-confidence can shift from up to down.
Off Season Training 3
New State, New Coach, New Approach
The downside of working a restaurant job is that the hours can be quite demanding and make meal timing less than ideal. I have been struggling to get in the calories and macronutrients needed each day, because there is about 6 hours during my workdays when I am unable to eat. The only thing I can usually manage to consume during a shift is a protein shake, but not until my shift is three-quarters of the way over.
Off Season Training 2
Training, Nutrition & Supplementation
We are now directly in the middle of my off-season training. The weights are getting heavier, and the calories are increasing. With this being my first “off-season,” I am still trying to find the balance between lifting, cardio and caloric intake.
Off Season Training – Month 1
Reverse dieting & periodization for quality gains
What does “off-season” training mean? Well, it depends on how you want to present yourself at the next competition. After speaking to many other competitors, most have something they want to improve on....
Post-Show Reflections
Disappointment, Fears, Excitement & Gratitude
It has been quite a weekend. On Friday May 3, 2013, I walked across the stage at the Emerald Cup in Bellevue, WA and completed my Journey to the Stage. The past twelve weeks that I have experienced preparing for this show were all put to the test on that fateful Friday.
It’s Showtime
Final week preparation & post-show eating
Cue “Eye of the Tiger.” It’s here…the final countdown. Just a few days to go and then everything that I have worked so hard for over the past 3 months will be over. Well, for now.
Me vs. Me
Letting go of comparisons and redefining “success”
While I continue to progress and get closer and closer to my stage-ready physique, I am not in the right frame of mind. My energy is down, and my motivation is falling. The stress of this process is beginning to kick in.
Week 13: The Grind of Prep
Managing exhaustion & staying sane
Monday…Wake up, workout, eat, eat, eat, workout, protein shake, eat, eat and sleep. Tuesday, repeat. Wednesday, repeat, etc. This is my schedule for the next four weeks.
Week 12: Turning Fears into Motivation
Visiting Home, and Challenges with Posing
It is starting to all come together. I have five weeks until I walk across the stage in Seattle, Washington and show everyone what I have been working so hard to achieve.
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