Fit and Focused With Allison Moyer: Contest Prep vs Life- Finding A Balance
Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.” ~Francesca Reigler
Sometimes it seems near to impossible to go through a contest prep without drastically doing a number on the remaining aspects of your life; jobs, friends, family, etc. Many times I have seen competitors do really well on their contest prep but only while heavily neglecting family time, relationships and even work. I also (too many times) see competitors fail at their prep, or cease to succeed in their diet/training endeavors because they simply cannot seem to strike a balance between the many facets of their life. I can’t say that it’s ever going to be “easy”, because it never will be. Some days will be effortless and smooth, other days will be a slow struggle, but there are SOME things you can do to minimize the negative effects of a contest prep on your daily life and on those around you. Much of it will relate to your mentality and in re-examining your expectations from your prep, from the show, and from others around you as you prep for your contest.
I just began my prep (last week) for NPC Jr USAS in May, and as an athlete who’s been stepping on stage since she was 20 years old, I can tell you that the longer you stay at it, the less of an “effort” it becomes. People around you begin to adapt to your new lifestyle and they begin to have an understanding of what it is you’re doing. I feel that with each and every prep I undergo, I seem to succeed more and more at balancing out the other areas of my life, and not allowing myself to be so so consumed that things crumble down around me. In the same respect, I also feel I’ve become more aware of how my mood changes and how I’m behaving at work, towards friends, family members, and others. This is definitely one of those areas where “practice makes perfect”- each contest prep will become easier as you learn, adapt and find methods of lifestyle balance that work for you.
But meanwhile- if this is your first contest prep, or if you’re thinking about competing for the very first time, here are a few tips to keeping your life and all its diverse areas in balance…..
1. PICK THE “best” TIME TO PREP FOR A SHOW- Notice I said pick the “best” time, not the “right” time. No matter when you chose to compete it will require lifestyle and scheduling changes and a whole mess of additional focus and work. So there is no real “right” time. But there is a best time. Pick a time when other things in life will affect your contest preparation the least. For instance, if you are getting married in the next 12 weeks or starting a new job, then it is probably not a good time to get ready for a figure show, because your mind is going to be otherwise engaged. Pick a time when your life is reasonably stable and with no major problems in progress. You’ll need to able to have a bit of selfishness with regards to prep so that you can be effective. The very nature of a contest prep is self centered so choosing a time in your life that will enable you to focus a bit on yourself is a must.
2. PLAN AHEAD and UTILIZE TIME MANAGEMENT- “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” This is 100% true, and contest prep is ALL about planning, especially if you have a lot going on in your life. I’m neither married nor do I have kids, but if you’re married, have a family, work a full time job and have other extracurricular activities, we’re talking about an extreme juggling act going on if you add “figure show” to the mix. Managing your time properly and planning ahead are going to be the two things that can make or break your success on your prep. I recommend that you create a daily schedule that allocates time for your training, your work and even family time. Plan your workouts ahead of time and stick to the schedule. Block out time to food prep and take care of other miscellaneous show obligations like securi
ng your suit, arranging your tan, registering for the show, and learning posing. Also make sure you schedule in your non-show based obligations as well. Pencil in time for your children, for your spouse, to call your mother, visit with a friend- to sustain and grow the relationships that are important and essential to your life.
3. ANTICIPATE SCHEDULE CONFLICTS and PROBLEMS- The better you can anticipate problems and schedule conflicts the easier it will be to adapt your schedule and continue with your contest preparation through them. For instance, if you know that in an upcoming week you have a business trip, prepare in advance and plan for that so that your contest preparation does not get impacted adversely. If you know you have a kids birthday party over the weekend, then plan to take your food with you in a cooler and either hit the gym before or after. Everyone’s prep runs into obstacles, but if you plan ahead and are aware of what’s going on around you, then you can take precautions to make sure that “life’s responsibilities” don’t become “contest prep sabotage”.
4. YOU CANNOT EXPECT EVERYONE AROUND YOU TO ADAPT TO YOUR MOOD SWINGS- I think this one is the most challenging, at least for me. Try as I do, I still wind up having days where I expect everyone, from friends and family to the cashier at the grocery store to change and adapt to my every changing moods. I get very quiet and withdrawn when I diet sometimes, which for me is pretty damn antisocial because I possess hermit tendencies as is. But even when I’m not in the mood to talk to people I make every attempt to just smile and be polite. I try to be calm. I pray a lot. I also express the fact that I do not feel well due to the low energy levels created by tons of exercise coupled with low calorie dieting (sometimes I paraphrase and just say I’m tired). But this is really going to be key, both to you own sanity and stress levels and to the sanity of those around you- YOU HAVE to maintain a positive attitude and be aware of how you treat and speak to others. When you don’t feel good just take a deep breath and focus on your goals and how amazing you’ll look on stage. Remind yourself that you love the people around you and they deserve to be treated with kindness and consideration despite how you feel physically. Do not expect others to take mistreatment because you’re getting ready for a show. Competing is an entirely voluntary process- it’s elective. We CHOOSE to do it, so if you choose to invite a contest prep into your life you need to also choose to make every effort not to inflict discomfort on those around you.
5. GET SLEEP. PERIOD- I’m not sure why, but when pre
pping for a show everyone I know tends to sleep less (except maybe me). If you struggle with sleep during a prep try some herbal tea at night, or incorporate natural sleep aids like melatonin, passion flower and valerian root. Lack of sleep elevates cortisol which inhibits fat loss. It also causes you to OVER stress- trust me. Everything is worse when you’re tired because being exhausted compounds even the simplest of daily complications. Also, getting proper sleep will help with your recovery and help you maintain high energy levels and thus a better mood. You’re training hard and running on low calories so sleeping adequately is a must. I recommend NO LESS than 8 hours a night to my athletes. Make sure that you adhere to your schedule and go to sleep at the designated time. If you lay down at night and you’re “not tired” try reading for a bit or at least lay and watch TV and allow your body to decompress and relax.
6. MAKE SURE YOUR DIET IS PLANNED OUT and YOUR FOOD IS PREPARED- Know what to eat and when to do so in advance. Your meal times should be part of your daily schedule when you’re getting ready for a show. As I mentioned with needing to plan ahead- make sure you prepare your food in advance and carry it with you at all times in cooler. You do NOT want to be stuck without your next meal when it’s time to eat. Schedule food prep time into your weekly routine and make sure you have a clearly laid out plan of what to eat and when, and have food with you so that you can adhere to your schedule. As I said- PLANNING IS KEY!
7. DON’T USE THE SHOW TO AVOID LIFE’S PROBLEMS- Sometimes problems come up during your prep, work problems, family problems, spousal conflict, you name it. I recommend doing everything within your power to minimize stress when getting ready for a show, but I NEVER recommend avoidance. Do not use your show as a scapegoat. Contest prep is not an excuse and it’s not a door with an exit sign. Prepping for a show doesn’t make it “okay” for you to be nasty to everyone around you, nor does it make it okay for you to avoid difficult conversations, hard issues, or other forms of conflict that life may throw at you. Use your time management skills to face and resolve problems as quickly as possible. Do not use your prep as an excuse. This is a surefire way to compound any occurring conflict and will only end up making things worse for you in the long run.
“Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance- when all areas of your life are pristine and aligned…”- Brian Tracey
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