Everything Else In Bodybuilding podcast

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The So What from BCG

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Re-Recruiting and Other New HR Strategies You Can’t Ignore 18:09

för 3 dagar sedan18:09

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HR is no longer just about managing people—it’s about shaping the future of work. Jens Baier, BCG’s HR transformation expert, discusses how AI and shifting employee expectations are forcing companies to rethink talent strategies. From re-recruiting to upskilling employees, HR must adapt to a rapidly changing landscape. Learn More: Jens Baier: https://on.bcg.com/41ca7Gv BCG on People Strategy: https://on.bcg.com/3QtAjro Decoding Global Talent: https://on.bcg.com/4gUC4IT…

Everything Else In Bodybuilding

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Most people discover bodybuilding for the first time by word of mouth. Many competitors often make preventable mistakes from working with unqualified coaches, listening to industry bias, and following the crowd with the latest industry trends. How about the taboo topics that get swept under the rug and the people who suffer in silence too? To add to the confusion there are many federations and many divisions to choose from and they are all different. It’s time to remove veil and consolidate all the info on the entire industry into one place. Host Michele Welcome brings her first hand knowledge from 20 years of competing, coaching, and judging across 6 federations in the bodybuilding industry to help you make educated decisions on how to be your best on stage (whatever stage that is), have longevity in the sport, and not make mistakes on - and off - stage that were preventable. Get ready for a whole lot of Real Talk! Welcome to The Everything Else in Bodybuilding Podcast. Learn more at: www.eeinbb.com

56 episoder

#Fitness #Society #Podcasting Education #Michele Welcome

Everything Else In Bodybuilding

updated för ungefär ett år sedan

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56 episoder

#Fitness #Society #Podcasting Education #Michele Welcome

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55: Weekly Discussions With Vassilios & Michele: Pre Workouts, Fat Burners, and The New Miracle Weight Loss Drugs 42:47

för 47 weeks sedan42:47

42:47

Together Vassilios and I share our experiences and opinions on all things pre-workouts, weight loss drugs, and workout performance (both good and bad). We discuss the truth behind weight loss drugs, how they work, and a statistic that will make your eyeballs pop out when you hear it! We discuss the psychology behind getting a good workout in, and supplements and protocols we believe actually work for long term success with your fitness and bodybuilding goals. Share away! Post in your groups and on your socials to spread knowledge. Want to chat about everything I discussed in this episode? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for an OCB or NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW Class on Sundays for Women’s Figure & Men’s Physique (Class #3)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW Class on Thursdays for Bikini & Wellness Competitors (Class #4) http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Our experiences with pre-workouts (4:00) *Our opinion on Creatine (13:00) *How consuming Salt, electrolyte, and energy based supplements changed our workout performance - good and bad (15:00) *How the “miracle weight loss drugs” like Ozempic work & their side effects (24:25) *Suggestions on how to have weight loss & competition prep success without extreme protocols (28:00)…

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54: We Are Going On Tour Across The USA! Exclusive Peek At What’s To Come This Year 16:14

för 1 year sedan16:14

16:14

A couple months ago I woke up with an overwhelming feeling to grab my notebook and write down the words, “United States Posing Clinic Tour.” Tune in to find out how this idea all came about, where we will be heading this year, who has endorsed the tour, and all the things you will learn when you attend a clinic. Want to chat about everything I discussed in this episode? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -2024 USA In Person & Virtual Posing Clinic Tour Dates, Info, & Registration: http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW Class for new people beginning to learn how to pose (Posing Mechanics)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *The moment I knew I was going to be a bodybuilder (2:43) *Why posing and stage presence became my focus (4:07) *The challenges of being a posing coach today (6:08) *How I discovered my virtual posing clinics and classes for all divisions and federations (7:55) *The birth of my collaboration with the OCB (10:33) *What you learn when you attend a clinic (13:02) *2024 USA posing clinic tour dates and locations (13:48) ---TRANSCRIPT--- There have been many times in my life when an idea pops in my head followed by a strong feeling to do something with this idea. It becomes overwhelming. I can’t stop thinking of this idea and what I can create with it. An outpouring of thoughts and feelings keep coming and coming as if a dam just broke loose. When this happens you can tell me all kinds of reasons why the idea isn’t going to work and I will still feel the strong need to pursue it. Often I do not have a clue how it’s all going to work out, but I just know I have to keep the faith and put things in motion. My latest idea that I have an overwhelming need to pursue is my United States Posing Clinic Tour this year. But first, let me give you some background on how it all came about. It first started over 20 years ago when I went to my first bodybuilding competition to support my friend Shelley at her first show. At the time the only divisions were fitness and bodybuilding and Shelley was a bodybuilder. I remember that overwhelming feeling coming over me while in the audience watching her on stage. The feeling told me that I absolutely was going to be a bodybuilder starting right then. I was 20 years young and bodybuilding at the time didn’t have the appeal to as many people as it does today because there weren’t all the different categories that there are today. In fact, after my first show I brought a picture of me with a thank you note written on it to the gym I worked out at and gave it to the staff at the front desk who always seemed so supportive of me while I was there training for my show. The next day, I noticed the picture was missing, so I asked the people at the front desk what happened to it. They said they were told to remove my picture because they didn’t want to promote “that type of stuff” here at this gym. I’ll never forget how that made me feel. But I had that overwhelming feeling that told me to keep going regardless of how other people thought or treated me. There will be judgement by others for anything you want to do, no matter what it is. But, we wake up with our thoughts and live with ourselves all day long. I’d rather be inspired by myself than repressed to please others. And now today over 20 years later bodybuilding is still a major part of my life, including here with this podcast, where I talk to you guys about all things bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is also a major part of my life with my posing business too, which also came about from a strong, overwhelming feeling that I needed to create products and services all about posing and stage presence. I started this business 11 years ago at the gym I owned by hosting weekly posing classes and booking private 1 on 1 lessons. When I sold the gym and focused primarily on posing and stage presence I definitely received a lot of backlash. People thought I was crazy to not want to focus on the nutrition and training component of bodybuilding in addition to the posing. To others, posing was this thing over here that didn’t need its own focus. But I knew differently. After my experience with people literally traveling 4 hours each direction to come and learn how to pose and perform from me (before there was ever something called a posing coach), I knew 100% there was a market for what I do. I knew that there are people out there that have never been on stage before and will spend money to learn how to perform their best on stage in their underwear. I knew from experience there are people who do care how they present themselves and would pay for the right help. I also know as a bodybuilder myself that at the end of the day we want to win and will leave no stone unturned in order to give it our best shot. I don’t need the world to agree with me. In fact, if you don’t value what I can do for you, then you aren’t my customer anyways, and that’s ok. Even today with the popularity of everyone wanting to be a posing coach, it’s risky to focus on just posing because you still have coaches who do the nutrition and training component and want to control their clients in every way. I don’t blame them because they want their clients to look their best on stage, and with the amount of terrible posing instruction out there, how do they know who to trust to send their clients to that is actually going to elevate their client’s posing and stage presence skills? But on the flip side some coaches are holding their clients back from looking their best by not outsourcing the posing component to a true specialist. 100% of what you do on stage on show day is nonverbal. And when you are on stage with a ton of people, every little detail counts in order to stand out. Those details need to be isolated and refined by a specialist. Today everyone is a posing coach. It’s challenging to separate the quality of instruction out there and find a true specialist. If you want to know if someone is decent posing coach, ask him or her to show their client transformations. If someone can take a person from hot mess to show stopper then you have my attention. If you are seeing transformations of customers who were already decent at posing and they show just a small tweak in the transformation, I’m not impressed. It’s like advertising an Olympian as your best student. They are an Olympian because they are already above average versus people just starting out are often awkward at posing. I’ve had clients go from placing 4th and 5th in their contests to winning their shows. I know with every ounce of my being that posing wins shows. But to those who don’t know me, I’m just another person showing people how to pose. I have students that are always so supportive and posting about me in the groups on Facebook that they are a part of, but their comments are overwhelmed by tons and tons more comments of other posing coaches too. It’s not easy to stand out in a saturated market and some think that what I do won’t survive, but the overwhelming feeling inside me tells me otherwise. I’ve also had a lot of naysayers tell me that people want in person posing instruction and I’ll never be successful with an online posing business. I know with every part of my being that my virtual classes are not only effective, countless students have become really phenomenal with my 100% virtual class method. So I don’t need the world to approve of what I do. I know differently. Plus, there are students in my weekly group virtual posing classes that have been a part of them for a year, so I know there are people who enjoy what I teach in my classes, because I teach more than just how to pose. The way I see it, I’d rather have a smaller pool of people who are driven to succeed, and happy to be there, than a large pool of people who don’t care as much as I do. My husband always says I care too much. He is right, so I’d rather have people want to be a part of what I do and care about it too. A few years ago I created a program that included a bunch of posing courses and digital products I made for bodybuilding. These products were designed to make people better at posing. The students that bought my program were willing to spend good money for all the things I made. They were excited to have all of my tools. But there was one major problem. The people that bought my program weren’t who I thought they would be. The people who bought my program were either brand new to bodybuilding and had no clue how to pose, or they had some experience with competing, but their posing skills needed a lot of improvement. I remember waking up with this overwhelming feeling that I needed to do something about their lack of basic posing knowledge. I couldn’t in good conscience allow people to spend good money on the products that are meant to *elevate* their skills without them having a foundation of skills to build off of. It wasn’t right. I felt the overwhelming need to help them. So for no extra charge I added 16 weeks of weekly live virtual calls to the program where we met as a group online so I could teach them the foundation skills on how to pose properly for their divisions and federations. 16 weeks was excessive, but I cared about their success, and I wanted to help them. The classes HAD to be virtual because the people in the program were worldwide and not local to me. I had men and women students getting ready for shows in different divisions and federations too, and since I have experience first hand in all of them, I discovered I had no issue switching hats between divisions and federations with my posing instruction right on the fly on every call. Over the 16 weeks each and every student not only learned the foundation skills they needed to pose correctly, they utilized the additional tools they bought from the program to elevate their skills. It was 100% group virtual instruction and 100% digital products, and the combination worked. It worked incredibly well. They all became really good at posing. I learned from this experience that not only could I teach a group of people how to pose at once, I could instantly switch between men and women divisions and federations on the fly. And I could do this 100% virtual. And every one of my students had great results. And from this experience, my virtual posing clinics and weekly virtual classes for all men and women federations and divisions were birthed. I started hosting one-time virtual posing clinics to teach people how to pose for all divisions and federations followed by an invitation to join my weekly virtual classes. My clinics went from being generalized for all federations to growing to the point where there was enough demand for me to separate the clinics by federation. So far I have hosted virtual clinics for OCB, NPC, WNBF, and USBF. At first none of the organizations promoted my clinics. I simply promoted them myself and through word of mouth referrals. But then it changed in late 2022 after interviewing Sean Sully Sullivan from the OCB organization here on on my podcast. Sully and I hit it off so well that when I asked Sully and his organization The OCB if they would endorse my virtual posing clinics, they agreed to promote them to their athletes starting January 29th, 2023. For all of 2023 I hosted my virtual posing clinics every single month for the OCB with the OCB’s blessing and the incredible promotion skills of OCB powerhouse Marjorie Thrash. The clinics proved to be a success for the organization, the athlete, and me. The relationship worked because the OCB and I together believed that the service I offer for athletes is valuable to the athletes and actually helps them, so it is a win win for all involved. Then, a couple months ago, I woke up with a new idea that I couldn’t shake. I had to pull out my purple notebook and a pen so I could physically write down my thoughts as they poured out of me. The first thing I wrote was…United States Posing Clinic Tour. I am so passionate about my method of instruction in my posing clinics and how quickly I can help people get up to speed with their posing skills, that I woke up with an overwhelming desire to take my clinics on the road to get the word out as much as possible. The goal is to continue to host my monthly virtual posing clinics and weekly virtual posing classes to reach people globally, but during 2024 I mapped out in my notebook a coast to coast posing clinic tour across the United States. The #1 thing I wrote in my notebook on why I want to do this USA tour is because I thought it would be a lot of fun. And the #2 thing is that I truly believe that what I do helps people learn things the right way from the start on becoming their best on show day. But there is a lot of noise out there and I want to reach as many people as possible. So my goal is to pound the pavement and get the word out that my method of instruction is the starting place to becoming a champion poser. Pounding the pavement means reaching people anywhere and everywhere both in person and virtual. And to my surprise, when I asked the OCB if they would endorse this in person posing tour, in addition to my monthly virtual posing clinics, I got the full blessing not just from the organization, but the promoters in every single location you will see on my tour. These promoters are stand out promoters in my eyes. They truly believe in what I am doing and how it helps the athletes so much, that they, too, gave their full blessing and cooperation to host a live in person clinic in their region of the country. These clinics are not giant expos that showcase the most famous athletes in the organization. They are not celebrity showcases that make you feel intimidated for being new or newer to the sport. They are not events that say you are going to learn how to pose, only for you to be SHOWN how to pose by the pros with no actual method of instruction to take home with. My clinics are about you the athlete. When you come to my posing clinics whether they are virtual or in person, you will learn how to pose for your category, whether it’s men’s bodybuilding or women’s bikini, I teach all the divisions. You will learn what you really need to focus on for your stage walks and posing routines so you feel your best and not awkward on stage. You will learn strategy so you score your highest on show day. You learn everything you need to know so you can look and feel like a champion. They are the starting place to becoming your best on show day. My United States posing tour starts March 2nd in Daytona Beach Florida followed by March 9th in Nashville Tennessee. March 16th I’ll be in Columbus Ohio, followed by April 13th in Rochester NY. In June we head west starting in Dallas, TX June 29th, Orange County California July 20th, and then Las Vegas NV on July 27th. There are a couple of mystery locations that will be added in May and June too since a few more additional promoters are reaching out wanting us to add their location to the tour! I also have virtual clinics planned for March 23rd, April 20th, and ongoing every month during the entire year. My virtual NPC clinics will continue during the year as along with all of the virtual posing classes that I teach every single week for all divisions and federations. In fact, after a clinic, you should totally join my virtual classes so you can take what you learn at a clinic and elevate your skills. Even if you know how to pose, come to a clinic and join me live in person or online! This year is going to be a lot of fun and you can never know enough when it comes to posing and stage skills. For details on each of my posing clinic locations and to register for one, head on over to learntopose.com ! Click on the tour tab and it will take you to all the in person locations this year. If you keep scrolling the page you’ll also find information on my virtual OCB and NPC clinics as well. It’s all there at learntopose.com ! I hope to meet many of you either in person or online this year! If you are a podcast listener, be sure to tell me. I love hearing from you guys. I’ll keep you posted on the behind the scenes details of our tour here on the podcast this year. I also have some cool interviews planned this year too. Plus, stay tuned as I finish the series I’ve been working on these past few months with my top 10 tips for your first prep. Ok guys, signing off. See you soon!…

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53: Weekly Discussions With Vassilios & Michele: Things We Wish We Knew When We Started Lifting 34:43

för 1 year sedan34:43

34:43

Together Vassilios and I share stories and insight on our experience over the years with nutrition, training, and bodybuilding. We discuss things we know now that we wish we knew when we started. Hear about that one time I passed out in the gym too. Tune in for some real talk and some laughs too. Share away! Post in your groups and on your socials to spread knowledge. Want to chat about everything I discussed in this episode? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” ...and come join the conversation! Additional Resources: -Getting ready for an OCB or NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW Class for new people beginning to learn how to pose (Posing Mechanics)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *How long it takes to make a significant body composition change (2:25) *Weight loss vs Bodybuilding (6:50) *That time Michele passed out at the gym (16:25) *Food before workouts (18:00) *Deload weeks (22:15) *The hip thrust (28:50)…

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52: 2023 In Review: Gossip and Opinions on The IFBB, OCB, WNBF, PNBA, and WBFF 23:01

för 1 year sedan23:01

23:01

Welcome to 2024! Thank you for listening to the show and sharing it with others. 2023 was an incredible year and I’m excited for what’s to come in 2024. But first…to kick off the first episode of the new year, I’m going to do a 2023 recap and review some of the biggest shows of the year in bodybuilding across a few of the larger organizations. So tune in and get ready for an honest assessment of all of them. Want to chat about everything I discussed in this episode? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” and come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for an OCB or NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW weekly posing class for new people beginning to learn how to pose (Class #3 on Sundays)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Updates including the new Strut in Heels program (2:00) *Thoughts and observations on the IFBB Olympia (3:45) *Thoughts and observations PNBA Natural Olympia (11:35) *Thoughts and observations on the OCB Yorton Cup (13:05) *Thoughts and observations on the WNBF World Championships (15:55) *The mass exodus of athletes from The WBFF and rise of a new organization (18:35) *OCB and NPC virtual posing clinics coming up (21:25)…

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51: Weekly Discussions With Vassilios And Michele: Food Timing & Workouts 40:04

för 1 year sedan40:04

40:04

In this week's episode Vassilios and I talk about how we position our nutrition in and around our workouts. We discuss the various nutrition protocols we have tried, the difference between food timing in the off season vs when cutting for a show, and our experience with pre-workouts. Even hear about Vassilios' experience with the raw food diet! Want to chat with us about the episodes? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for a NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at https://learntopose.com/NPC -Getting ready for an OCB show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next *OFFICIAL* virtual posing clinic at https://learntopose.com/OCB -New to competing and want to learn how to pose correctly from the start? Join my Posing Mechanics Class HERE ! http://www.weeklyposing.com -Know how to pose but aren’t sure how to bring your best package to the stage? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Vassilios’ food timing and workout protocol (5:00) *The body’s ability to adapt and how it affects gains (7:00) *Vassilios’ experience with various nutrition protocols and how it affected his workouts (9:45) *How nutrition in the off season vs cutting phases affects our training (15:05) *Our experience with pre-workouts (21:50) *Vassilios’ raw meat diet story (27:40) *How time of day affects our workouts (31:25)…

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50: 10 Tips For Your First Prep Part 3: How Much Time Is Needed To Learn Various Posing And Performance Skills 13:15

för 1 year sedan13:15

13:15

The #1 thing you need to do on stage at a bodybuilding show is present yourself to a judging panel for consideration on how well you meet the judging criteria for the category and organization. You aren’t doing a workout for the judges. You aren’t food prepping for the judges. You are 100% performing on stage. Making this connection from the beginning and preparing for the expectations of the show day itself will ensure that you avoid scoring lower than you should and instead you receive your highest possible placement at your show. Tune in as I elaborate more on what it takes to prepare your posing and stage performance for show day in part 3 of my new 10 part series, "10 Tips For Your First Prep." Want to chat about the episodes with other listeners? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for an OCB show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com/ocb -Getting ready for a NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com/npc -Ready for the next level? Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -Justing starting to learn how to pose? Come to my beginner posing class on Sundays on Zoom (called Posing Mechaincs)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Posing is an add-on service (3:08) *Watching Posing tutorials vs creating the poses yourself (4:30) *Standards in bodybuilding versus other sports (6:00) *Four common posing and stage presence skills people want to learn and an estimated timeline on how long it takes to achieve these goals (7:20) *Upcoming posing clinics (11:45) --Transcript-- Welcome back guys! Today is part 3 of my new series called 10 Tips for your first prep and it’s all about the #1 thing you need to do on stage on show day…and that is to pose and perform in front of a judging panel for consideration on how well you meet the judging criteria for the category and organization. Most people focus on the training and nutrition component to get their physique ready. And then underestimate the importance of presentation on show day. When people first learn about bodybuilding and are encouraged to give it a try, it’s likely because they have a great physique or had a really great body transformation. It’s not because they randomly hit a front double bicep and someone said, man that front double was awesome man, you should give bodybuilding a try. Or you were standing in line at Starbucks holding a bikini back pose with your feet apart, glutes high, and ordering a triple grande mocha loca frappacino latte and someone tapped you on the shoulder and said, man you have amazing mobility in your lower back, you should give bikini competitions a try. When you were introduced to bodybuilding it had nothing to do with posing and everything to do with your physique. In addition, if you are going to hire someone to help you prepare for a show, you are likely going to hire a nutrition and training coach first. Posing is the afterthought. Your training and nutrition coach might offer some posing assistance too as an add on as well. Like the last minute impulse purchase you made but didn’t know you needed after waiting for 15 minutes in the check out aisle at the TJ MAXX store. For me just the other day I grabbed socks that I didn’t know I needed. The time before it was chocolate with hazelnut pieces from Belgium that I never heard of but were freaking amazing and didn’t last long in my house. I put the candy in a bowl on a table and every time I walked by the bowl there was a huge dent in the amount of candy in it. Apparently my husband liked them too. Who would’ve known. TJ Max check out aisles are full of things you didn’t know you needed. So when you start in bodybuilding you are aware it’s a physique driven sport but when you look into things a little further you realize that there is a presentation component to bodybuilding too. So you start looking up posing tutorials, you start following people that are actively competing, and you might even attend a show too. Then it occurs too you that there is a lot more that goes into preparing for a show than just training and nutrition. This epiphany occurs at different points for everyone. I’ve had people attend my virtual posing clinics who are a week or two from their first show and think one clinic is going to be enough to prepare their posing and stage presence. And then they learn that looking at a tutorial or a photo is a lot different than recreating the poses themselves. Being able to move and shape our bodies in the unusual shapes required in bodybuilding poses requires a lot of mind body connection. Sometimes there are areas of our body that we don’t have a connection to, like for example, the lats. There are divisions that require you to have your lats engaged in a certain position in your poses. This engagement is absolutely critical. But sometimes people aren’t able to make this connection with their body and can’t recreate the pose. I always say there are two reasons people aren’t engaging their lats in their poses. One is a simple fix and requires a specific execution style that they so far learned backwards. And the second requires a literal mind body connection change. In my 12 years of teaching men and women how to pose, the #1 most common reason people started coming to me was for this one thing, to engage the lats. I had some students back in the day nickname me the lat whisperer. I have it down to a science now and if you don’t have lat engagement it takes about 2-3 weeks to get it. And then after that it’s all about improving the engagement. If you are showing up to a posing clinic a week or two before your first show and you are one of those people that needs to build a mind body connection to lat engagement, you are not going to be prepared on show day. Plain and simple. But now you know better for the next show. Things like this happen because no one emphasized to you the importance of learning how to pose. Posing was an add on to the service you were given so it is perceived as being of less importance. You wouldn’t find this in any other professional sport. Football or baseball there are different coaches for different aspects of the game. The needs of a linebacker are different than the needs of a quarterback. The needs of a pitcher are different than the needs of a catcher. There are different coaches that specialize in these different positions of the game because the level of competition is that much fiercer in these sports. Every little detail and skill can make or break you even being considered to be on a team. In bodybuilding, the stakes aren’t as high as they are in other sports. In bodybuilding when you win a pro card the only thing most people earn are the opportunity to spend more money to compete. Even as a pro you pay entry fees to compete. In other professional sports you get paid to play. In bodybuilding you might get some free supplements or become an affiliate for a company you purchase products from versus in other professional sports you can earn major endorsement deal opportunities. You have to be that top 1% in the bodybuilding industry with a million followers to get any paid endorsement deals. And you don’t even have to compete to get these endorsements if you have the following and industry reach. When the stakes aren’t as high, the standards aren’t as high. In bodybuilding posing, which is the #1 most important thing you have to do on show day, it is still an add-on service for many coaches. Which means you will learn the basics, but you won’t learn how to be great. You will learn average skills. My students learn skills from basic to advanced and there is an order in which they learn these skills. Let’s take four example goals that students have come to me with and I’ll break down the timeline on how to achieve these goals. In fact, I’ll take four of the most common reasons people have stated they are attending my virtual posing clinics. I ask every person that attends my clinics why they are there and here are four of the common answers and an estimated amount of time it will take to learn the proper skills to achieve the goal. First one: I don’t want to look like an idiot on stage Well, you are at my clinic so you are already not going to look like an idiot. So BOOM done. Second one: I don’t know how to make the poses look flattering on me. No matter if you are a bikini competitor, classic physique, figure, wellness, women’s physique, men’s physique, or bodybuilder, you will learn the poses for your category and proper execution that day of my clinic. That is step one. Making them look flattering requires more practice and refinement and that happens at my weekly classes just by coming to them and practicing with the rest of the students on a consistent basis. You can do a lot in 4 weeks, but a good 8 weeks of practice will help you feel much more comfortable in your poses. And then to become really good, you need consistent practice year round, like what we do in my weekly virtual posing classes, where you build upon what you already know and learn more advanced skills. Third reason people say they come to my clinics: I don’t know how to transition from pose to pose and make it look flowy and natural. The first thing you need to do is learn the proper execution of the poses first and stop focusing on all the fancy stuff right away. When building a house, you pour the foundation first, don’t you? Learning the basics on poses is building your foundation first. Learning improper execution of poses in the beginning is like building a foundation that cracks right away. Take the time to learn the poses with proper execution. Only when you are confident and consistently doing the poses correctly, only then start to focus on the transitions. You can learn the footwork pretty quickly so don’t stress about it. Most of my students laugh and joke with me when I show them how simple the footwork really is with my signature style of teaching footwork. Transitions are less complicated than you think. Plus, making the poses look flowy and natural also comes with more consistent practice. Give yourself 8 weeks minimum of structured practice to get confident at posing and moving in and out of the poses. Get through your first show. And then keep going so you can learn some more advanced skills for your next show. You will be good your first year of competing, but you will be unrecognizable on stage in your second year of competing from learning and practicing more things. And finally, the last reason people say they come to my clinic is: I want to win and earn my pro card. If you really want to earn your pro card and actually be competitive as a pro then your journey to the stage is going to be different than the average person. Students who come to me to learn to pose and be a stand out on stage, need 8 weeks minimum for a posing overhaul. However, someone with only 8 weeks is going to be provided a different path of skill development than someone who comes to me 6+ months out from show and wants to be undeniable. I can do a complete posing overhaul in 8 weeks, but with more time, you’re gonna learn more skills, and skills build upon skills, and it is only with time do skills become engraved in you to become exceptional. One of my students has been in my virtual Classes for 10 months. She competed in the bodybuilding division a couple weeks ago on a world stage and her individual posing routine was so captivating, she had people coming up to her after the show at the hotel wanting to take pictures with her. There were hundreds of people that competed at that show but SHE was the stand out. That didn’t happen from 8 weeks, that happened from 10 months. So in summary, you can never start too early when it comes to learning how to pose. Most people underestimate how long it really takes to become good at posing. Many of my students tell me that they wished the started sooner. If your show is in the spring starting to learn how to pose NOW is an emergency. If your show is summer or fall next year, starting now will ensure that you build a proper posing foundation and have enough time to build some of your own unique style and personality on stage. If you are a pro, you should never stop practicing and learning new things. When you stop practicing posing, just like when you take time off from exercise, you will get rusty and out of shape, so plan accordingly. Alright guys, I hope this episode sets your expectations up a little better on when and how to learn how to pose before a show. If you are an ocb or npc competitor I have virtual posing clinics coming up that you should attend. The ocb one is an official one and they run monthly. The next one is this Saturday. Go to learntopose.com/ocb for info and register. The next virtual NPC clinic also runs monthly and the next one is the following Saturday. Go to learntopose.com/npc for info and to register for that one. You can also just go to learntopose.com where I have free posing tutorials, info on my clinics, and keep scrolling and you will find my weekly virtual posing classes too. Thanks for listening! I’ll be back again soon with another weekly gathering episode I did with my husband vassilios followed by part 4 of this series of 10 tips for your first prep. Talk soon…

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49: Weekly Discussions With Vassilios And Michele: All About Confidence 33:02

för 1 year sedan33:02

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In today's episode Vassilios and I discuss what it takes to increase your confidence when you are new, after situations when results do not meet your expectations, or coming back from self perceived failure. Want to chat about the episodes and be a part of our weekly podcast group gatherings? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for a NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at https://learntopose.com/NPC -Getting ready for an OCB show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next *OFFICIAL* virtual posing clinic at https://learntopose.com/OCB -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW weekly class for new people beginning to learn how to pose (Posing Mechanics)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Internal vs external validation (4:34) *Vassilios experience with Battle of the Bands in LA for the Ozzfest (6:45) *Michele’s parent’s 50th wedding anniversary grand entrance (10:15) *New competitors hyper focus on details to feel more confident (13:45) *Your WHY dictates your attitude (18:50) *Practice builds a knowing which builds a confidence (22:15) *How self imposed pressure affects confidence (27:28)…

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48: Meet The Federations Part 4: The NPC And IFBB With Guest IFBB Head Judge Becky Clawson 1:28:11

för 1 year sedan1:28:11

1:28:11

My guest today is IFBB Pro League Head Judge, and Mr Olympia & Arnold Classic Judge, Becky Clawson, who chats with me about the NPC and IFBB organization as a whole, each of the men and women divisions, the judging for each of the divisions, pro cards, drug testing, and so much more! Today’s episode continues the series that spotlights each of the organizations in bodybuilding and what makes them special and unique. Tune in for a full well, rounded picture of the NPC and IFBB! Want to chat about the episodes and be a part of our weekly podcast group gatherings? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for an NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at https://learntopose.com/npc -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW weekly class for new people beginning to learn how to pose (Posing Mechanics)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Meet Becky Clawson (2:32) *Is the judging process the same for the NPC and IFBB locally and internationally? (8:20) *Why Becky thinks you should compete with the NPC/IFBB (11:55) *What do “natural” vs. “not natural” shows mean in NPC and IFBB (14:14) *How to get your pro card (16:40) *Why doesn’t the NPC and IFBB drug test all of their shows? (23:04) *A breakdown of each of the different men and women divisions (27:23) *Biggest change Becky has seen in the sport (43:56) *Why is the IFBB pro card so sought after and does Does Becky believe it gives an advantage in life (47:41) *Does the IFBB have standards, expectations, and certain “looks” they go for and want to see on stage (posing, suits, hair, stage walks, etc)? (52:25) *How does the NPC and IFBB score their athletes in each of the divisions (and do the scores change?) (53:47) *How do you become an NPC and IfBB Judge and learn how to judge? (1:04:30) *Does the NPC and IFBB require you to use certain coaches, suit designers, makeup, wear specific hair, etc.? (1:09:57) *What division does Becky think is the most difficult to judge and least difficult to judge? (1:16:45) *Becky’s favorite competitor of all time across all divisions (1:18:03) *Will there be any new divisions added to the NPC and IfBB coming up? (1:20:10) *What’s next for Becky? (1:21:08)…

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47: 10 Tips For Your First Prep Part 2 - Get Bodybuilding Lean (And What To Expect) 14:31

för 1 year sedan14:31

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Bodybuilding is about sculpting our bodies into muscular works of art. Instead of a tangible sculpting tool, to unveil our masterpiece for a contest, we prioritize losing body fat and preserving as much muscle as possible. Bodybuilding is far beyond general weight loss and the expectations surrounding preparing for a show should be set accordingly from the beginning for best results. Tune in as I elaborate more on getting lean in part 2 of my new 10 part series, "10 Tips For Your First Prep." Want to chat about the episodes and be a part of our weekly podcast group gatherings? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for an OCB or NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW Class for new people beginning to learn how to pose (Posing Mechanics)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Bodybuilding often means being hungry (2:50) *There are those who struggle to keep weight on (3:38) *The "sorority of suffering" (5:00) *The new weight loss pills (7:15) *What is "bodybuilding lean" (8:13) *The process of getting lean for a bodybuilding show. (9:18) --Transcript-- What’s up guys! I’m back again with part 2 of my new series where I break down in detail 10 tips for your first prep. If you listened to part 1 you are well versed on the different categories there are in bodybuilding and now know how important it is to choose the right one since what you are being scored on will differ depending on the category. Today I’m going to talk about what it means to get lean for a show and how hunger is often confused with leanness. Food, including excess food, or the opposite, hunger, are a major part of what makes bodybuilding unique. For the average person, if you are preparing for a bodybuilding show, there will come a time when you are going to have to just be hungry. But there is a difference between being hungry and actually starving. We are not starving when doing a bodybuilding show. Everything we are doing is our own doing and choice. There is a fridge with food in it, even if it’s not for you, it’s still there. You can still eat it. There is choice. Starving would mean you have no food and limited access to it. There is this sorority of suffering out there that loves to be overly dramatic about how hungry they are in their prep. Hunger when preparing for a show is your own will. And it’s part of being a bodybuilder for many, and it’s part of what it takes for many to get really lean. And in my opinion most of the people complaining about how hungry they are, don’t look lean or very close to contest ready. More on this in a minute. First let me put in perspective that there is also a group of people who can’t keep weight on and in order to grow muscle they have to eat excess food beyond what their hunger tells them in order keep the weight on. We all know people like that, and it may be you too. They are always lean and struggling to put on size, and never do cardio. So again, they are lean, but they aren’t complaining about being starving. In order for them to be lean and muscular, they have to eat more food and be mindful of calorie expenditure. The extreme to this is with the IFBB open men’s bodybuilding division. Their struggle in bodybuilding is that they have to eat an extreme amount of food in order to keep the mass on. 4x Mr Olympia, Jay Cutler, used to wake up in the middle of the night to eat or he would drop too much weight. Derek Lungsford just announced last week he is withdrawing from the 2023 Olympia after a year of preparing for this show because he has been throwing up food and can’t keep it down, despite trying to force it down even after vomiting. He is having stomach issues and is now prioritizing his health and not the contest. He believes that once he gets things figured out he will be back to focusing on bodybuilding again. So there are two types of people, those who have to put extra effort into keeping weight on, and those who have to put extra effort into taking weight off. Those who have to eat a lot to keep weight on, you don’t really hear complaining from them on the internet. Those who are a part of the sorority of suffering are those who are being drama about having to be hungry while controlling their calorie intake to drop weight. And they are also those who tend to not come close to being lean enough for a show, complain a lot about how hungry they are their entire prep, stuff a luggage size bag with junk food to eat the minute they get off stage, continue for the next week to eat like an asshole after their show, and then gain a ton of weight after the show, and blame their weight gain on “metabolic damage.” This behavior is all over the internet and gives bodybuilding a bad name. Some people are legit hungry from bad coaches with protocols that include 800 calories, white fish, and gobs of cardio, which you guys have heard me talk about in one of my first podcast episodes on what I call the death of credibility. But for the majority of people who have to control calories to get lean for a bodybuilding show and are not a part of the sorority of suffering, I think most new people get into bodybuilding with grandiose expectations on weight loss and underestimate how long it really takes, and how much consistency you need to have following the protocol, in order to get bodybuilding lean. Personally, when I want to drop weight, I know that for about the first 4-6 weeks I am not going to see any positive reinforcement from my efforts to lose weight. I have to keep my head down and stay consistent, and just not think about it. During this time I’m always hungry too. Plus I love food. Besides bodybuilding, I would say eating good food is one of my favorite hobbies in life. There is nothing like a good meal. I don’t like complete junk though. I like real good food. And I’ll pay good money for it too. After all the years of bodybuilding I learned some foods aren’t worth the calories or some foods are just a chemical shitstorm that I don’t want to put in my body. But real good food. I’ll travel for it. So when preparing for a show or even just trying to lose the 15 pounds I’ve been telling my husband I plan to do for a few years now, amazingly good meals go away. And that makes me sad. Plus, I know that I just have to be hungry and pull out some of my tricks from my competition toolbox to help me suppress my appetite. So the process of getting lean is really not that fun for me until the freaky shreds appear. Until then, it’s freaking boring. So I understand how controlling hunger is what makes weight loss a challenge for anyone, not just a bodybuilder. And tackling this issue is big business. You guys have all probably heard of the new weight loss drugs that are flying off the shelfs across the country. Drugs like ozempic for example. I will be launching a separate podcast here shortly all about these drugs and fat burners and pre workouts too. Vassilios and I recorded it live last week in our Facebook group Everything Else in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders at our Thursday 1pm EDT show. Come join the conversation if you haven’t yet. This one caught a lot of attention in our group. In summary, these new weight loss drugs control hunger. That’s pretty much it. If you have a medical condition like type 2 diabetes or severe obesity then these drugs would be considered a medical intervention. For the rest of society, they are, in my opinion, not needed and do more harm than good. Especially if you are a bodybuilder, one of the side effects would be especially detrimental to you. I explain it all on the recent show we did and again you can check it out in our group or stay tuned here because I will be launching the audio here shortly. So what is bodybuilding lean and how do you get there? The goal of being bodybuilding lean is to be able to view the shape and detail of your muscles under the surface of the skin. In order to do this, your #1 goal is to drop body fat while trying to preserve as much muscle mass as possible. The lower your body fat, the more detail we will see in your muscles. How much muscle you have and the detail we want to see will depend on your division, with the bodybuilding division requiring the most visible muscle, and the bikini and men’s physique divisions requiring the least amount of size and detail of all the categories.. Regardless, at a minimum, for women, no matter what your division, you need to make sure your abs are tight and your glutes and hamstrings are tight. Whatever body fat you need to be for this to happen will be uniquely you. For men, same thing, you need to make sure at a minimum your abs are shredded for all your divisions. Again, whatever body fat you need to be to get there will be uniquely you. If you are in divisions that require more muscle, these same suggestions apply and are an understatement because you will need to show additional detail, which likely means you need to be even leaner. So it’s not a magical scale weight or a dress or a pant size. It’s a specific look. Your first prep is a quest to discover your muscle in all is glorious detail for the first time. It’s hard to say how long it’s going to take to get you there. I highly suggest you stay open minded about the literal show you are doing. If you want to pick a division and federation, cool, that will give you somewhat of a target to focus your training and nutrition on. But wait on picking your first show until you are in beach shape. I often say there is a difference between looking hot on the beach and looking contest ready. If you are looking great on the beach, you are not lean enough for the stage. But you are in great shape and with some extra focus you can be contest ready very soon. If you aren’t inn beach shape and still have excess weight to lose, my suggestion is to not pick a show but to lose the excess weight first and then pick a show that is 10-20 weeks out. Don’t pick the show first and torpedo into it. Get your body ready and take the time to do so. The shows will always be there. And the process of weight loss is not linear. So if a week goes by and you didn’t lose a pound, your bodybuilding life isn’t over, you just need to stay the course and give your body time to budge. You also need to start the process a lot sooner than you think. I feel like a lot of times people set themselves up for failure by picking a show and under-estimating the time it’s going to take to prepare for the show. What makes bodybuilding special is the ability to lose body fat and preserve muscle so that should be the priority, not the literal pounds. You want to give your body plenty of time to slowly lose the body fat so you can not just preserve as much muscle as possible, but also allow ample time for your body, your hormones, your psyche, to adjust to the weight loss. Ever see someone continuously yo-you diet? They lose all the weight fast, only to gain it all back and then some. Weight loss, especially a lot of weight loss, if done slowly will likely become something you can sustain rather than purge after. Many people who have done these extreme weight loss protocols to get on stage never come back from it. Their relationship with food sucks. Their relationship with exercise sucks. And they disappear from bodybuilding. And this was all completely not necessary. What’s the rush to get to the stage for? There are hundreds of shows all throughout the year. Why is it such a big deal to wait another 6 months to do a show? What is so important about that one particular plastic trophy that makes you willing to compromise your health over it? For myself, I estimate a pound of weight a week is good. But this is an average. I am not expecting to literally lose a pound a week. One week it might be a half, another zero, another 2lbs. It’s an average. But right now, if I wanted to do a show, I’m carrying what I consider excess weight to a show anytime soon. If a show was a goal for me, I would make it a year to a year and a half from now. I would first lose about 15-20lbs over a 20 week period of time, so about 5 months, and then live there for a while at maintenance calories before even setting my sights on a show. So in summary, getting lean for a show is the same process as regular weight loss. We just do it longer. How long it will take for you will depend on where you are right now. Are you beach ready? Then you are within target of a show 12-20 or so weeks depending on your category. Still have excess weight to lose? Take the time to lose that first, live there for a bit, and then go back to dieting to get bodybuilding lean. Your goal would be to stay at hot on the beach or now hot for the holidays for those of us in America for just your regular lifestyle. Then take the 12-20 weeks to get ready. Having healthy expectations for the time it will take you to get lean for your show will set you up for success. If you dial in sooner than expected, that’s a beautiful thing. Your coach will pull back on the throttle a bit. It’s better to be early than behind in the process. There is so much nonsense out there. So please spread the word about this show to even one person today that is competing or thinking about competing. Also, if you can take a moment to leave me a review in iTunes, or post the podcast in the groups you are a part of on your socials to neutralize the nonsense that would be cool. Thanks guys for listening. I’ll be back later in the week with another episode with my husband. I also have a really great interview coming up for those interested in the NPC and IFBB federation. You won’t want to miss this one. Speaking of NPC, I have another NPC virtual posing clinic for all men and women categories from bodybuilding to bikini coming up October 28th. Get the scoop on the judging differences, what makes NPC unique, and how to be a stand out on stage. Competing in OCB? I have an official virtual posing clinic coming up November 4th too. Info on both these clinics and my weekly virtual posing classes can all be found at learntopose.com . I’ll be back later this week. Talk to you then!…

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46: Weekly Discussions With Vassilios and Michele: What Does It Mean To Live A Bodybuilding Lifestyle? 51:48

för 1 year sedan51:48

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Vassilios and I discuss what it means to us to live a bodybuilding lifestyle and share our own personal fitness tips and tricks we utilize every day. Guess what.. we also went to <<< Dairy Queen.... >>> :) Want to chat about the episodes and be a part of our weekly podcast group gatherings? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for an OCB or NPC show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW Class for new people beginning to learn how to pose (Posing Mechanics)! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Our gym obsession (4:00) *Our interpretation of a bodybuilding lifestyle (5:50) *Bodybuilding then and now (13:45) *We went to Dairy Queen (19:25) *Protein as a secret weapon? (25:30) *Additional Tips (30:00) *Getting Lean (36:25)…

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45: 10 Tips For Your First Prep Part 1: Picking The Right Category 22:12

för 1 year sedan22:12

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Welcome back to the show! Today I’m starting a new series where I share 10 tips to help you better prepare for your first competition. The first tip I'm sharing today is to pick the right category. I break down each of the categories in detail to help you better understand what they are, the goal of each of the categories, and help you better determine which one fits you best. Want to chat about the episodes and be a part of our weekly podcast group gatherings? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Want to learn how to pose for NPC, OCB, or Fitness Universe? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW weekly posing class called “Posing Mechanics for all men and women divisions” now available on Sundays! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *The Bikini Category (3:15) *The Men’s Physique Category (4:30) *The Wellness Category (5:50) *The Figure Category (7:52) *The Women’s Physique Category (9:21) *The Classic Physique Category (12:30) *The Bodybuilding Category (16:05) *Pageant style shows and their categories (16:20) Welcome back guys! Just me here on the mic again today with a new podcast series I’m doing that breaks down my top 10 tips for all you new people thinking about doing shows. This is also a great refresher for you veterans too. A lot of you new people probably stumbled across this podcast after a lot of bumps and bruises while combing through all the nonsense out there trying to figure out this thing called bodybuilding. My federation is better than yours. Our federation is better because we are natural. My federation is the most prestigious. My federation is the most glamourous. You will hear me say over and over that the best federation is the best option for YOU. This is the most exciting and one of the most expensive hobbies you will ever take part in. So regardless of which federation you choose, today, I’m going to talk about the first of my 10 tips to help you better prepare and feel more confident for your first prep. Starting with the different divisions. There are so many to choose from it can get confusing. You’ve got bikini, wellness, men’s physique, figure, classic physique, open bodybuilding, women’s physique, and then you have other divisions that are more glammy like fitness model, model, muscle model, and so on. Knowing where you best fit is important because it can be discouraging to spend all the time an money preparing for a show only to place really low in a category for no reason except your body was better suited for a different category. So let’s start with the bikini, men’s physique, and the wellness divisions. Bikini is looking for an athletic amount of muscle and a proportionate physique. The amount of muscle required in the bikini division is the least amount you are going to see on a bodybuilding stage. This is usually where people start when they are new to training and bodybuilding, and especially after a weight loss transformation. You will see the bikini competitors in non drug tested federations leaner and more muscular than drug tested federations so if you are brand brand new you might want to make note of this. It can get confusing when you start looking at pictures. In fact, I saw a social media post recently of a side by side competitor photo from a coach who only works with clients training for NPC and IFBB shows, which are not drug tested. The “before” photo of his competitor looked like the “after” photos of what many new competitors look like when competing for the first time on drug tested bikini stages. So this might help you put things into perspective when I say the look of bikini is different in drug tested versus non drug tested organizations, but it’s still the least amount of muscle required among all the different categories. Men’s physique is the entry level division for the men’s categories and requires the least amount of muscle compared to the bodybuilding division, so this is a perfect starting place for men who have had a significant weight loss or those who are somewhat new to training and are hitting a stride with their workouts. The biggest stand out with men’s physique is the tight abs and a dramatic shoulder to waist ratio, so make sure your 6 pack is showing and you know how to flare those lats. There has been a dramatic upswing in the amount of men’s physique competitors coming to me to learn how to pose and who are over 50 and looking to do their first show. It’s a perfect division for you! My over 50 men’s physique posing clients start off a little shy at first. In a private session I asked one of my students to do something with hit foot and his initial response was, “I feel like a ballerina.” I took a screen shot of him and pulled it up for him to see what he looked like with the foot position change and compared it to a screen shot I took of him without the adjustment. His response was not only did he not look like a ballerina, he looked pretty freaking good. And slowly the confidence blossomed. So, men, you can look strong, athletic, powerful, and artistic at the same time. Just freaking let go and watch the magic happen. I won’t let you look like a ballerina, ok? Wellness is probably the division that confuses people the most. Wellness isn’t an out of shape bikini competitor. Or a soft and thick bikini competitor. Wellness is a division that rewards a very specific body shape and appearance. Wellness is for women with trained physiques that are structurally lower body dominant. Many women are confusing this category because they are assessing their body when they are carrying excess body fat and thinking that this is their structure. Remember, I said wellness is looking for a trained physique. In layman’s terms, you need to be muscular. So assessing your physique when you are leaner is important. For example, me, I’m nowhere near contest shape right now and am loving lifting heavy and getting stronger. I have a boootay right now. And some thick legs too. If I wear shorts I got a little SWISH going on with my quads as they sweep past each other with every step. My fat distribution is lower body dominant at the current moment. But if I drop 20lbs and show my trained physique this is not the case. Structurally I am quite symmetrical. When I drop weight the symmetry shows. So you can’t be analyzing your body in the off season when it’s not looking as trained and detailed. I’m seeing a lot of symmetrical bikini girls thinking they are wellness and doing some super squatty posing to create more lower body dominance. I don’t advise doing this. I advise you get an honest assessment on your structure and best category from the beginning so you can start posing and learning better stage presence for the category you want to score your best in. Feel free to post in my Everything Else in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders group on Facebook and ask more questions on this. It’s a free group where we have conversations on all of these episodes and all things bodybuilding. Moving on to the more muscular categories like Figure, Women’s Physique, Classic Physique, and Bodybuilding. Starting with Figure. Figure is looking for a trained, symmetrical, physique. Figure was designed originally to provide another option for Fitness competitors who were required to do an athletic performance as part of their scoring. Many fitness competitors didn’t want to have to do the routine that included things like strength holds, flexibility, gymnastic tumbling, dance, and more. Many suffered injuries. So figure was born and it was meant to look a fitness competitor. Over the years it has evolved into being a division that looks for a very specific style structure. A wide shoulder to waist ratio. Very trained physique with visual cuts in the quads and detail in the hamstrings. Broad shoulders with dense caps to them. And of course tight abs and a small waistline. You don’t develop this type of physique with 2 years of training. So the figure division is for very athletic women who have many years of training under their belt and are symmetrical, not lower body dominant. But don’t be scared by the description of capped shoulders and quad cuts. The posing that is required for the figure division is meant to dramatize these features on you. The poses are not shapes we stand in in everyday life. In fact, I remember my friend Shelley calling me a “sleeper” because when I stood normal I look unassuming and small. But when I flared my lats and flexed, poof, I look like a completely different person, and joked that I looked like a flying squirrel. So don’t be intimidated by this division. It’s a great option for those who have developed and carry more muscle. Women’s physique is a relatively new division that was started because the bodybuilding division in the non drug tested federations evolved into having an extreme amount of muscle, yet women still loved the concept of bodybuilding poses. I started in the bodybuilding division. My foundation is bodybuilding. And I will always love bodybuilding poses and I love teaching all of it to men and women in my weekly virtual posing classes and 1 on 1s. But with the evolution to an extreme look in the bodybuilding division in non drug tested federations, popularity decreased and there was even a time that the women’s bodybuilding division was removed completely from the Olympia competition, which is the largest bodybuilding competition the world, until die hard women’s bodybuilding fan Jake Wood bought the show and brought it back. Women’s physique became widely popular when it first started and Dana Lynn Bailey won the first Olympia in 2013. She has since gone on to become a mega star. The distinct difference between women’s physique and the bodybuilding division is the amount of muscle and definition of the competitors, although over the years, since about 2017, this line has blurred in the non drug tested federations, and if you ask me, women’s physique is barley recognizable from when it first started. It’s super super lean and very muscular now.. The posing is also distinctly different with women’s physique competitors being required to do muscularity poses with open hands rather than with closed fists. Both divisions do not require women to wear the high heels like you have to wear in the figure divisions. Since it’s inception, drug tested federations have adopted the women’s physique category and over time its popularity trumped the popularity of the women’s bodybuilding division and now some federations don’t even have women’s bodybuilding anymore and their most muscular division stops with women’s physique. This is not the case everywhere though. Some drug tested federations don’t have women’s physique at all and still have bodybuilding, because again, the initial adoption of the division was because there was a need for it in non drug tested federations where the jump in muscle from figure to bodybuilding was significant. This is not the case in the drug tested - also called - natural bodybuilding. The evolution in the natural bodybuilding federations that added the division was based on popularity of the look with the open hands and style of posing. In addition there are federations that have physique style posing where they do require you to do them in high heels, which can be super fun. So there is merge of the concepts in some places as well. I love teaching the posing for these divisions. In fact I have a weekly virtual posing class every Wednesday night at 6pm EDT for women’s physique, bodybuilding, classic physique, men’s physique, and the division with heels called Fit body. Come learn to flex and look like a badass ladies! Go to weeklyposing.com for more info. Next up the men’s classic physique division. The reason for the creation of this division is similar to the story I just shared about women’s physique and bodybuilding. The open men’s bodybuilders in the non drug tested federations became what is called “mass monsters.” These competitors are still hitting 300lbs in their off season! Not every one wants to carry this amount of size or do what is required to obtain this amount of size. People starting comparing the look of Arnold and the guys from the golden area of bodybuilding and saying how aesthetic bodybuilding used to be. From this was born the classic physique division and the first Olympia was in 2016 with Danny Hester claiming the first title. Although since then the current champion Chris Bumstead has gone on to be debatably the most popular bodybuilder in the world right now. The natural organizations have different opinions on this division. Some natural organizations say that classic physique IS natural bodybuilding and don’t see a need to adopt it. And other natural organizations have included the division because of its popularity all over the world and created their own distinct judging requirements for this division that separates it from the bodybuilding division. It’s a very fun division because the posing styles are more artistic. I’m seeing a rise in popularity of this division among the young bodybuilders who love the posing style. Plus you wear classic style shorts and not the banana hammock you need to wear in the bodybuilding division. So if you are a proportioned, trained athlete who loves bodybuilding poses, this is a great option for you. My best suggestion for you guys is to have an honest conversation with yourself about your best angles, shapes, and really focus your posing your body to accentuate all of this. I work on this a lot in my weekly group virtual classes too. In fact there is such a desire for this division from OCB competitors that I had to create a whole separate class. This class runs on Sundays at 12pm eastern. Go to learntopose.com and scroll down to the ocb class to find out more info. Ok so let me summarize all of this for you. A quick way to choose the right division is to assess how much muscle you have. Bikini and men’s physique are for those who are new or newer to training with a couple years under their belt; however, in the non drug tested federations this is still true but you might need a few more years of training to build the muscle that they tend to reward there. Figure and wellness are for those with more trained physiques and with more years of building muscle under your belt. Wellness is just as trained as Figure except where you carry your muscle is more lower body dominant than in the figure division. Men’s classic physique and women’s physique are spin offs of the bodybuilding division and have gained popularity over the years for their uniqueness in posing styles and the celebrity of athletes like Chris Bumstead and Dana Linn Bailey who really helped expand the popularity of these divisions worldwide. These divisions require more muscle and more leanness in body fat compared to the bikini, figure, wellness, and men’s physique categories, but not as much as the bodybuilding divisions. So if you have been training for quite a long time and love the idea of muscularity poses, classic physique and women’s physique are great options. And the bodybuilding division, is the most extreme of all divisions, and requires your body fat to get down to extreme levels to showcase all of your muscle and detail. Besides all of these bodybuilding options are organizations that provide a completely different style of competition that is more pageant like than what you get with a standard bodybuilding show. You might really enjoy lifting and want a fun goal. Or you have had an incredible weight loss transformation and you want to be judged more on your uniqueness not how well you fit within a specific bucket of criteria, or how tight your glutes are, or how lean you are. You want to celebrate and showcase your uniqueness on stage and be scored on that. You want more stage time and not be spun around in a circle 1 or 2 times and then shuttled off stage. You want to wear costumes and design something fun that showcases your personality and style. You want more focus on how glamorous the stage looks and the best lighting for your moment on stage. If this is you, there are options for you. Fitness Universe and Musclemania are the longest running organizations for this style of show. It was originally a television show that was on mainstream ESPN back in the day. The men’s options include physique, classic, and Model. The women’s options include Model, bikini, and figure. The judges are modeling agencies, actors, choreographers, and other industry experts. You are 100% scored on your uniqueness. And the look is not extreme. You don’t have to have the most etched glute and hamstring tightness on stage to win. This is a perfect option for those who want a fun fitness goal without the extremeness of a bodybuilding show. Come to one of my official virtual posing clinics to learn more about the categories. More info at learntopose.com and scroll to the clinic section The WBFF is also more of a fitness meets fashion show but they are under a lot of heat lately for their judging and financial practices. They just made a huge announcement about many changes happening in 2024 with their scoring and judging practices. They have a bikini, fitness model, wellness, and the figure category for the women and a male model and muscle model categories for the men. Similar to bodybuilding organizations, the amount of muscle rewarded in the categories is what makes each of them distinctly different. What makes the organization unique is there is more than just a swimsuit round for most of the divisions. Theme wear or evening wear are required as well, which can be super fun for people. They do reward a more muscular physique so this is definitely a glamorous organization but you have to have some muscle too. The bikini girls aren’t ripped but they do have full round quads. The fitness model girls have cuts in their quads. The figure girls are super jacked. The men’s categories are lean too with the muscle model being simply just more muscular than the model category. The biggest difference between this organization and a regular bodybuilding organization is you better be able to work a stage. There are also theme wear divisions like this in the INBA/PNBA and the OCB even has a glamour division they just added to a couple of their shows too. These divisions are an add on to the bodybuilding style shows so the show experience isn’t like a tv show like the Fitness Universe and Musclemania, but the divisions are still super fun for those looking for more than just a standard bodybuilding experience. So as you can see there is something for everyone. If you love to perform and the idea of theme wear excites you, there are options for you. If you would rather stick a needle in your eye than wear a costume, there are more traditional options for you too. But for the most part, even if you are competing in a pageant type show or a traditional bodybuilding show the difference between the categories is….yup, you guess it…. The amount of muscle you carry and how lean you need to get to be competitive. The difference in the categories from federation to federation is their interpretation of acceptable muscle and level of leanness for each category with the drug tested federations rewarding less muscle and leanness than non drug tested organizations. Ok guys I hope this help you weed through all the different options there are out there. Share this with your friends that are competitors or thinking about competing. Help spread the word and even consider leaving a review! If you want to continue the conversation in our private group, come join the everything else in bodybuilding insiders Facebook group. Also, I have upcoming virtual posing clinics for competitors preparing for NPC, OCB, and brand new clinics for the Fitness Universe organization coming up. You can find out more info on all of them and my weekly virtual posing classes by going to learntopose.com I’ll be back later this week with another weekly discussion episode with my husband Vassilios. Talk to you then!…

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44: Weekly Discussions with Vassilios and Michele: How To Know You Are Ready To Do A Show 47:56

för 1 year sedan47:56

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This week Vassilios and I discuss how to know when you are ready to do a show and how it relates to Vassilios’ experiences as a touring and signed artist. We discuss the different divisions, expectations, peak week, where to start if you are new, and a healthy mindset in and around competing. Want to chat about the episodes and be a part of our weekly podcast group gatherings? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” on Facebook and come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for a OCB, NPC, or Fitness Universe show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW COMPETITORS - weekly posing class called “Posing Mechanics for all men and women divisions” that breaks down all the poses! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Expectations when competing (3:45) *Being ready for the Bikini division (10:05) *Being ready for the Figure and Men’s Physique divisions (15:19) *How Vassilios knew he was tour ready and how it relates to bodybuilding (16:25) *Being ready for the Bodybuilding, Classic, Women’s Physique, & Wellness divisions (22:10) *Peak week (26:15) *Where to start if you are new (28:25) *A healthy Mindset in and around competing (36:00)…

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43: Switching Federations: What Are The Rules? 18:58

för 1 year sedan18:58

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Welcome back guys! Just me on the mic today addressing the question I get all the time about what the rules are on competing in multiple organizations. Can you? What happens if you do? Tune in to find out. Want to chat about the episodes and be a part of our weekly podcast group gatherings? Search for the group called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” And come join the conversation. Additional Resources: -Getting ready for a OCB, NPC, or Fitness Universe show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW weekly posing class called “Posing Mechanics for all men and women divisions” now available on Sundays! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *My background on this subject (3:40) *Why people want to switch between organizations (6:30) *An overview of the rules on switching organizations (11:10) *Why some of my virtual posing clinics are official and some aren’t (13:15) *Why where you hold your Pro card status matters if you want to switch organizations (14:55) *Virtual posing clinics at learntopose.com (17:33) --TRANSCRIPT-- Welcome back to the show guys! I hope you have been enjoying listening to the men’s perspective on bodybuilding and fitness with the addition of my new weekly discussion episodes with my husband Vassilios hosting with me. He and I will be back again later this week with another episode. We also record these live every week in the Everything Else in bodybuilding podcast insiders Facebook group in case you want to watch these episodes and participate in the discussion in real time. But today it’s just me here sharing some of my thoughts on a topic that I think is very important for those who wish to compete in more than one federation. Over the years the bodybuilding industry has changed a lot and more and more federations have popped up giving people new opportunities to compete in their local area. There are also the federations that have grown into empires with a large pool of participants and a large number of shows around the country and world. With this many organizations and opportunities to compete, I’ve had many people ask me what are the rules on changing federations? I’ve mentioned it before that many coaches will align with a particular federation and only coach athletes for shows within that federation. Some coaches will only coach athletes for drug tested federations because of their strong belief in natural bodybuilding. Some coaches will only coach for NPC because they believe that their federation is the only one of value in the bodybuilding industry. And some don’t care where you compete and will coach you anywhere you wish to go. This is relevant for posing coaches too. Many stay in their lane and coach for the division they competed in themselves. Some will only coach for the federation they competed with. There is nothing wrong with specializing in one area. For example, when I was searching for an orthopedic for an injury, I had to weed through the orthopedics on the office roster to find a doctor that worked on the area of the body I needed help with. Just like in bodybuilding there are specialists within specialists. This is very common. I consider what I personally do uncommon because because my speciality is posing for ALL bodybuilding federations and all men and women divisions. I work with hundreds of athletes a year and this year alone I’ve taught posing for athletes in over 10 federations. My current roster includes men and women bodybuilders, classic physique competitors, wellness competitors, figure competitors, bikini competitors, men’s physique competitors, women’s physique competitors, fit body competitors, glamour, and the list goes on. In any given day I will switch between all the divisions by the hour. And my virtual group classes will include anywhere between 3-5 divisions in one hour. Yes, in one of my classes, I will manage, teach, and provide value to men and women in 5 divisions at ONCE. Wonder how I provide value to so many? Well you have to come and see. Right now in one of my classes that has 5 divisions, most of these students have been in the classes for 9 months. Those who leave tend to come back. And many tell their friends and teammates about the classes. So my speciality is very specific in that it’s posing for all of bodybuilding, but it is much broader than what you are going to find anywhere else. The reason I say all of this, is because my experience means I know all the different nuances among the federations. And today I’m going to share my thoughts on some dos and don’ts and spoken and unspoken rules when switching between federations. Let me first say that there are two very different paths you can take in bodybuilding. One path is drug tested federations like the OCB, WNBF, INBA/PNBA, Musclemania, Fitness Universe, USBF, and so on. And the other path is the non drug tested federations like the NPC/IFBB and the WBFF. Some people are surprised to hear that WBFF is not drug tested. It is in fact not. By the way just because you compete in a drug tested federation doesn’t mean everyone is honest. There have been many people caught using banned substances in drug tested federations. The INBA/PNBA even has a “wall of shame” where they will put your picture on their website to make sure everyone knows you are banned from their federation for lying about drug use. And just because you compete in non drug tested federations doesn’t mean you are on drugs. I’ve competed and won shows in the NPC and competed on the WBFF pro World stage too. I am 100% natural. You can absolutely compete in these federations if you are drug free. I think the biggest issue today with people coming into the sport is that these non drug tested federations have a different interpretation of acceptable amount of muscle. So it’s not that you can’t compete there, it’s a question on whether you will be COMPETITIVE when you compete there. This is one reason people switch between federations. If you look at the amount of muscle on the figure, women’s physique, classic, wellness, and open bodybuilding competitors in the IFBB, which is where you compete when you get your pro card in the NPC, and compare it to the amount of muscle in a federation like the OCB for example, you will see there is a dramatic difference in overall size and hardness of the muscles. I think it’s safe to say that if you are a pro in any of these divisions in the IFBB you are on a completely different path than the OCB. In my opinion, you cannot build the amount of size these people carry without drugs. Unless you are that 1% of the population like 5x Figure Olympian champion Cydney Dillon who claims to be a natural athlete. Which leads me to the bikini and men’s physique categories. These categories were introduced to bodybuilding as more entry level divisions for those who are new to the sport and don’t have the years of training and muscle building behind them to be competitive in the other categories. Originally the descriptions of these categories even said “beach body.” Adding these categories was the boost bodybuilding promoters needed because it dramatically increased the amount of people capable of competing in shows. Which increased registrants and audience attendance. This goes for all bodybuilding federations. The beauty of these divisions has made it possible for people from all walks of life, all ages, to have an incredible physical transformation and compete in a show as a way to showcase it. In fact, the largest growing age group reaching out to me for posing assistance are men and women over 50. It’s a beautiful thing to hear their stories and how many of them always wanted to compete but things never aligned in life to do so until now. So where do they go? Where do they compete? NPC non drug tested? Drug tested? A lot of them compete in BOTH. Because from a physique and acceptable level of muscle standpoint, as an amateur, and let me be clear that this is an an amateur, there are much more people capable of being competitive in either drug tested or not drug tested federations on the local and national level. Once you get to the pro level with the non drug tested federations, it’s a different conversation because the level of muscle and leanness is on another level. But locally as an amateur, you can absolutely do well in either federation if you are a bikini or men’s physique competitor. Many new to competing look to see what shows are offered in their local area. With NPC being a very large federation they have thousands of shows around the country. Not every drug tested federation has competitions in every state like the NPC does. In fact many drug tested federations have a presence in a specific region of the country. So if you are in a state that doesn’t have shows offered, especially if you are new, you are not likely to want to pay for airfare, car rental, and additional hotel time just because you want to do your first show. So most people compete locally at first. Which brings me to the rules on switching federations. Many new people to bodybuilding compete and win their pro status very quickly in the non drug tested federations but for various reasons want to compete with other organizations besides the one they are a pro in. These reasons range from: wanting more stage time, not feeling like they are ready to compete with the pros yet, and many competitors who get a master’s pro card (which is a pro card for those in a category over a certain age), are disappointed to see the number of shows offered to master’s only pro competitors is very limited, and they want to compete more. Can you do this? Overall as an amateur you can do whatever you want. And I encourage you to get on stage more than once for more experience. Plus you worked really hard to get on stage for your show, why would’t you want to do more than one after all that work? The day goes by so fast. However, once you get a pro card, the rules as a professional in each organization are different. And you have to read the fine print. Or feel free reach out and ask me or ask in our podcast insiders group. In general, if you get a pro card in the NPC and become an IFBB pro, you are discouraged from competing elsewhere. You sign contracts when competing too. IFBB is very restrictive. In fact, I have judged for 4 federations in the bodybuilding industry. A couple years ago I reached out to the NPC district chairman in my region and offered to judge the local NPC shows in my area. I was asked to provide a resume so I did. I described my experience as both a head judge and a panel judge for multiple organizations, a champion competitor in the NPC, my decades of experience, and so on. The response I received was black or white. I was told that if I wanted to judge for the NPC then I can no longer judge for any other federation. This was just judging you guys. You don’t make a living judging. In fact you get paid pretty much just gas money when you judge a show. You are a judge because you love the sport and want to give back to it. Which was my intent. Needless to say, I decided not to judge for the NPC and to instead give back to NPC competitors by continuing to help with their posing and choreography with the business that I own and operate full time and make my living with. I am proud of being versatile in the bodybuilding industry and love that in the past year alone I judged the Fitness America and Musclemania weekend in Hollywood last November, head judged for the WNBF pro am show in NY, and judged multiple pro am shows for the OCB too. Not one of these three federations ever asked me to not judge anywhere else. In fact, I have the honor of doing the official OCB virtual posing clinics every month. Marjorie and Sully both thank me for doing them and tell me how much they appreciate what I am doing for their athletes. They tell me they appreciate me. They feel that what I do is a service to their athletes. And they know I teach and judge for other federations. In addition, I’m about to launch official virtual posing clinics for the Fitness Universe and Musclemania organization too, beginning October 1st. Fitness Universe is nothing like the OCB organization. Competing in OCB and Fitness Universe is nothing like the other. They are completely different so they aren’t competitors if you ask me. Regardless, each owner knows I teach across all federations for my full time job and they both believe that what I provide their athletes is a great service to them. I do also have NPC virtual posing clinics going on monthly right now, but they are not official, and, as you probably guessed, this is because I teach for other organizations. They provide the athletes in the NPC the exact same in value and education custom to the federation. In fact, one of my previous NPC clinic attendees said she learned more in 15 minutes at my virtual posing clinic than she did at an in person event run by the organization. So if you are thinking of competing in any of these organizations I highly recommend you start with one of my virtual posing clinics. I have them all listed on my website learntopose.com if you scroll down to the services section. So again, what you can and cannot do once you are a pro or working professionally within an organization depends on the organization. Many competitors fear they will lose their pro card if they compete elsewhere. If you are an IFBB pro, you will be discouraged from competing elsewhere. As an amateur, no one is going to prevent you from competing at a NPC show if you ran across the street and did an OCB show. Again, it depends on amateur versus pro status. Now let’s talk pro status in the natural federations. The OCB had a rule that if you were an OCB pro and you competed in a non drug tested federation you would no longer be eligible to compete as an OCB pro. A large number of athletes reached out the OCB and voiced their concerns that they wanted to compete locally so they didn’t need to fly to compete and there were NPC shows in their area. Last year the OCB heard the athletes and removed their rule. So going forward as an OCB pro athlete you can compete where you want and not risk losing your pro status. A large number of other drug tested federations have actually signed a pact amongst each other that allows you to compete as a pro in their federation no matter where you received your pro status. A pro is a pro to them. So you are not discouraged at all to compete in other federations. They don’t care. Other federations will discourage you from competing elsewhere but don’t make a big stink out of it and disallow you from coming back. They prefer that you not win a show and take money and to leave, but that’s not a requirement. The three main pro federations that draw a line in the sand once you become a pro are the IFBB, WBFF, and Muclemania/Fitness Universe. You do risk your pro status when you leave and compete elsewhere. You will have to re-qualify for it. But again this is the pro level where you are now competing on stages and, with the exception of Fitness Universe and Musclemania, you are earning money within that organization. Once you start earning money things change. Up until that point as an amateur you can pretty much do whatever you want. Some coaches will say you can’t cross over but that’s really just their opinion and people being drama. Alright guys I hope you found this episode helpful. Let me know by commenting, liking, and subscribing to the podcast! Head on over to the everything else in bodybuilding podcast insiders group on Facebook and join the conversation too. And if you are getting ready for a show and want to learn how to pose and be competitive on stage in your category, I have official virtual posing clinics for the OCB every month, next one October 7th. and, beginning September 30th, I’m starting back up my NPC virtual posing clinics too, and finally one more big announcement, on October 1st I will be hosting my first official Fitness Universe virtual posing clinic. Fitness Universe is great for those interested in trying a federation with production like a tv show and divisions that include male and female model. A list of all clinics can be found on my website learntopose.com in the services section. Alright I’ll be back later this week with my husband for our weekly discussion. See you later!…

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42: Weekly Discussions with Vassilios and Michele: Hiring and Firing Coaches 45:40

för 1 year sedan45:40

45:40

This week my husband Vassilios and I discuss coaches in bodybuilding and now to best weed through all the noise and confusion when it comes to choosing or parting ways with one. Come join the conversation and be a part of these weekly LIVE episodes in the group: “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” . Additional Resources: -Getting ready for a NPC or OCB show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW weekly posing class called “Posing Mechanics for all men and women divisions” now available on Sundays! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Professionalism in the music industry vs bodybuilding industry (3:20) *Expectations in the music and bodybuilding industries (9:00) *Tips when shopping for a coach (13:58) *When to fire your coach (21:35) *Red flags to watch out for (30:45) *Final thoughts (42:00)…

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41: Weekly Discussions With Vassilios And Michele: Post Show Diet And Mindset 53:35

för 1 year sedan53:35

53:35

Welcome to my new weekly podcast series that includes discussions on various topics in and around bodybuilding with my husband Vassilios Metropoulos. These topics were chosen from suggestions made by the listeners in the "Everything Else" in Bodybuilding Facebook group. Come join the conversation and be a part of these weekly LIVE episodes in our group! The group is called “The ‘Everything Else’ in Bodybuilding Podcast Insiders!” . Additional Resources: -Getting ready for a NPC or OCB show and want to learn how to pose? Register for the next virtual posing clinic at http://www.learntopose.com -Want to feel fully prepared on stage at your competition? Join my weekly posing classes at http://www.weeklyposing.com -NEW weekly posing class called “Posing Mechanics for all men and women divisions” now available on Sundays! http://www.weeklyposing.com -FREE posing tutorials for Figure, Bikini, Wellness, and Men's Physique competitors at www.learntopose.com -FREE ebook “5 Things Every Bodybuilding and Fitness Competitor Needs To Know Before Preparing For A Show” at www.eeinbb.com -Grab your “My Own Motivation” tank top at shop.killitwithdrive.com -Want to WIN your next competition? I can help! Learn more at: www.posingwinsshows.com Key Takeaways: *Welcome to our weekly discussions! (2:15) *Meet Vassilos (4:15) *Post tour blues vs post show blues (10:00) *Preventing post show blues: goals (18:00) *Preventing post sow blues: nutrition (24:20) *Preventing post show blues: mindset shifts (38:00) *Listener responses to why they are competing (49:00)…

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