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One of our resident NPC Figure competitors, Ana Tigre, lends some insight on how to avoid burnout, motivation and more. If you have a question for Ana feel free to email her and she’ll respond to your questions here on HARDBODY.com

Ana,  I have done 2 competitions and I am burned out. I don’t even feel like training. Plus all of the weight I lost to compete came back and now I am depressed. How do you deal with your off season? Why do you compete? And what keeps you motivated to keep going?

I am sorry you are going through such a hard time. What you are experiencing is called the Post Contest Blues and it is a part of competing people don’t talk about very much. When you go through a competition prep your body will be pushed to the limits. You are asking your body to go above and beyond what it is used to doing. Training for competition is not only physically demanding but it is mentally demanding. Also, the more weight you have to shed, the harder your prep will be, and the more likely you will get overtrained and burned out. When the competition is over, we can feel lost and we can’t find the reasons that make working out and eating right a priority anymore. We talk about a lot of those issues on my board, so the girls don’t feel so alone anymore.

I am a firm believer that every new competitor should do a pre-prep prep. By this I mean, take your time to go from your current fitness level to a competition prep level. Get used to the consistency of dieting and working out. Start shedding a few lbs and increase your muscle mass. All of those factors will help tremendously when it is time to get ready for a show. Plus, you will find out what your weaknesses are and how to avoid slips on the diet. You will basically find out if competing is actually for you.

You can look great and never compete. However, you can also diet and workout hard for 3 months, lose a lot of weight, look your best for one day on stage and then, go back to your old habits. I like to keep a balance between the two. I love to compete. I love pushing myself to the limits and I love being on stage looking my absolute best. But when I step off the stage, I don’t feel like my work is over. Fitness has become a lifestyle to me. From the start, my main goal was to build a healthy and strong body that will be the foundation for the rest of my life. I want to look good in 10, 20, 30 years from now. Everytime I go to the gym, I think of it as an investment in my future. Strong muscles will protect a women from osteoporosis, and a healthy bodyfat will prevent a number of diseases. I am not saying I will not enjoy some treats in the off season. I do and I think it is part of a balanced life. However, my overall focus is always to nourish my body with the healthiest food and be consistent at the gym, so I can keep improving. I compete against myself and everytime I step on stage, I want to have made some improvements. That is what keeps me going. That is what motivates me.

My advice to you is simple: take competing out of the equation for a moment. Start thinking about the reasons you started working out in the first place. Not just to look good, but how did it make you feel when you were done with a hard session? Did you like feeling strong and powerful? Add to that, the reasons why you should nourish your body with healthy foods instead of fueling up with junk. Do your skin, hair and nails look better when you eat healthy? Do you have more energy for daily tasks? Do you think you will be a healthier person if you take care of yourself and therefore be around to watch your kids and grandkids grow up? My advice is to go back to the basics. Find a workout plan and a nutrition plan that are realistic and that you can work into your daily life. Focus on health and well being. The looking good part will come as a bonus. The pounds will melt and you will feel better about yourself. At that point, you have balance. That will be the time to decide if you should give competing another shot. If you decide you want to try it again, find a trainer that will help you get in competition shape slowly (sometimes we need more than 12 weeks to achieve a stage look). And get mentally prepared to refocus on health and well being once the competition is over. I promise your whole experience will be a much happier one.

Ana Tigre
Creator of FIZEEK BRAZIL
www.fizeekbrazil.com

There are a number of questions that go unanswered in the world of competing. You can find a million and one websites and magazine articles that will talk about sets and reps. That’s great and will always have it’s place as will the questions related to nutrition and how many ounces of chicken one should eat. Again, great and all but what about the other questions many of you have but still seeking to have answered? This is where our new feature comes in with Ana Tigre.

Ana has competed in a number of shows and experienced the good and bad along the way. She recently launched her own line of women’s fit wear, FIZEEK BRAZIL, and is on the rise to success in more ways than one. If you have a question for Ana you can email her directly and she’ll answer it regularly here. Don’t worry, your name won’t be published and all communication related to the topic will be handled directly with Ana. Think of this as a Dr. Ruth meets Dr. Phil with an Oprah twist as it relates to women in the fitness industry.

Q:  Ana, I’m having a hard time finding balance while preparing for a show. Do you have any tips to create balance and still accomplish your competition goals?Ana: Balance is one of the hardest things in life. Throw in competition prep and our lives can really get out of whack.  I have competed 14 times.  The first one was right after I got married in 2002.  If I had not learned precarious art of balance, I might very well be single right now.

The most important thing is to have your priorities in order.  For me, those priorities are my marriage, my business, my dogs, and competition (in that order).  This does not mean I give my competition prep any less than 100% - it only means that I am not going to neglect my marriage, my business, or my dogs for the sake of competition.

This can be a very lonely sport, but we are only lonely if we allow ourselves to be.  The more I involve my husband, Eric, the less he feels left out of my world.  I try to get Eric involved in most of what I do during prep.  For example, we may cook my food for the week while we talk, do cardio together, or pick out my suit colors.  I also have him take my progress pictures for my trainer.

Every night, I make time to be with him and just be normal and I plan my working hours and my workouts around our time together.  That way, when I am done training for the day, I can just relax with him.  My close friends know not to call me after 7pm unless it is an emergency.  We watch some TV, talk, listen to music, and twice a week I get dressed up and we go out to happy hour (where I drink water and eat my competition food out of the Tupperware that I lug around in my purse).  I am still in bed by 10pm every night, but these little things allow me to have a little normalcy in an otherwise hectic life.

I have also learned to ask for help.  Asking for help is a hard thing for anyone.  For me, I like to think that I can handle it all (like I am a superwoman).  Unfortunately, life gets in the way and some days I get caught up in meetings or finishing up a new collection, and I fall behind my schedule.  By the time I get home, I may have to cook, clean house, do laundry, or take care of whatever chores await me.  I have found that if I ask, Eric is more than willing to help out so we can still have some time together.

Another thing we all deal with is the moodiness.  Preparing for a competition has a special way of bringing out mood swings.  Some days, it seems as if I have no control over my emotions.  Of course, those that are closest to us are the ones that suffer the most.  Communication is the most important way I deal with my mood swings.  If things are not going well, I am quick to gently let Eric know that I do not feel like myself.  And if I act bitchy, crabby, or otherwise strange, I let him know that my actions have nothing to do with him.  Sometimes, I just cannot control my emotions. He has come to understand that I sometimes have the typical prep freak out and if I get crazy or go off on him, he laughs it off or just doesn’t pay attention.

The taboo subject of sex is also relevant to the discussion of balance.  On my fitness board, we discuss sex frequently.  A lot of the competitors that I know have a hard time maintaining a normal sex life during prep (prepping can have an unfortunate way interrupting sexual activity).  I feel that maintaining a healthy sex life is very important.  Unless someone has hormonal imbalances due to diet or over-training, they may not feel like having sex during prep simply due to the overwhelming tiredness.  We may feel too sore or too weak from the constant training and sometimes we may be distracted from over-analyzing ourselves while we prepare for the looming competition.

With respect to sex, here is my advice:  make time to be intimate with your mate.  I make time for sex every day.  I have read in many psychology books that most men connect with their mates through sex, not talking.  If you try making an effort to connect that way, you can get a lot more talking in during the day.  Neglecting the needed intimacy for weeks and weeks during prep can be very hazardous to a healthy relationship.

I have a dear friend that once told me that we cannot expect to put our lives on hold for weeks or months at a time during prep and then, in the off season go back to a normal life.  The chance of alienating your mate or family is something not worth risking.

Preparing for a competition can be very hard, but if you keep your priorities in order and involve those around you, you can achieve the always elusive balance.

Ana
www.fizeekbrazil.com
www.anatigre.proboards105.com