Here is another guest update from IFBB Fitness Pro Sandi Stuart as she continues to prepare for the 2010 pro season ...

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This weekend marks 10 weeks until the New York Pro Fitness.  Things seem to be progressing nicely, and it’s hard to believe I’ll soon be in the single digits of prep weeks! Time flies when you’re having fun, eh?
 
I got my new routine mix last week, and with the help of my gymnastics coach, I’ve almost finished the choreography. Hopefully, on Monday, I’ll be meeting with Maria Bellando to get a ‘second opinion’. For those of you who don’t know her, Maria is an IFBB Fitness pro who lives in Miami, and she is known for her dynamic, sassy routines. As a competitor, I think it’s important to solicit advice from people who are knowledgeable and brutally honest; Maria definitely fits the bill on both counts.  She’s watched me progress with my routines over the past few years, and I trust her judgement. (BTW…I’m also a little scared of her…LOL….even though she probably weighs about 100 lbs soaking wet.)
 
In the gym, I am thoroughly enjoying my workouts. I continue to surprise myself with how much strength I’ve gained since Erik started designing my programs.  I’m on a 4 day/week training split for now (comprised of one upper body day, one lower body day, and two full body circuits). Cardio is still at just two sprint interval sessions per week, and I am thrilled to not have to set foot on the stepmill just yet. For the most part, I’ve been running sprints outside.
 
I have to say that I’m really enjoying this prep so far. I can tell I’m losing weight/bodyfat by the mirror and the way my clothes fit, so I’m not super-obsessed with the scale ... yet.  It is a good feeling to just enjoy training, eating clean, and to be having fun with this entire process. I think at times, I’ve over-focused on the show ... over-focused on the scale ... over-focused on a placing; and in doing that, I made this much harder than it has to be. Competing is a hobby, and it should be FUN, not a source of stress and aggravation.  Eventually, as body fat reaches very low levels in the final weeks of prep, it won’t be QUITE so enjoyable (haha, you fellow competitors know exactly what I mean), but it still is something I find gratifying and feel very blessed to be able to do.
 
What excites me the most, though, is that I’ll be competing in Orlando as well this season.  I have so many friends, coworkers, and family members who are curious about competitive fitness/figure/bodybuilding, and I can’t WAIT to show them exactly what it is I do. All they see is the endless Tupperware and the peeling, orange, post-competition tan, I can’t wait for them to see the ‘finished product’ onstage.

- Sandi

Posted Jan 24, 2010 by Erik Ledin.
This entry is filed under Guest Blogs, Contest Prep, and IFBB Pros.