From figure to bikini

Competing... again

People often ask how I got involved in fitness competitions so here's the background story ;)
Years ago, I saw a fitness competition on ESPN. I saw women who were in crazy good shape, some posing in "swimsuits" (figure category) and others doing gymnastics-type routines. I knew little about the competition industry, but I knew that that level of fitness was AMAZING and something I aspired to.
In college, I subscribed to Oxygen magazine and the likes because I LOVED the way women were strong and lean and looked like athletes but were beautiful. Fitness models. I idolized them more than any skinny rich celebrity.

Fast forward several years. I got my degree in Exercise Science, became a certified trainer, and got married and had a kid. I got serious about losing the baby weight and wanted to take it to the next level and compete. I had NO IDEA what I was doing. I didn't know a single person who did that sort of thing, and I didn't know who would help me get to that stage. I hired a normal trainer, and we both worked to the best of our abilities and I did my first figure competition. 

I cringe a little bit at those stage photos.
Since then, I have learned  A TON. My body looked the best it ever had for that show, but there was a lot lacking. I didn't place well (4th place out of 4 girls in my class) because I had guessed my way through that prep. And my posing was horrible! I never felt content leaving it at that. I really wanted to train the right way, educate myself, and prove to myself that I could do better.

Enter baby #2 ;)
This was a few weeks postpartum. I cried.

Losing the baby weight seemed to take sooo long the second time around, but I got in pretty good shape on my own (I'm a trainer, after all). Competing has gotten really popular in Utah (all over, actually) and I ended up meeting lots of people who do this crazy sport. I was super inspired and knew that one day, I needed to hire the right person and do this.

My follow-up post will include this process, but when Mason (baby #2) was about 18 months, I competed again, in bikini instead of figure...
HUUUUGE improvements, and I walked away with three 1st place trophies. Redemption right there. Never felt so good!!!

To be continued.... =)