So the 2010 IFBB Pro contest season is about to get started and I thought it'd be a nice addition to the blog to have IFBB Fitness Pro Sandi Stuart do a weekly guest blog as she diets down for the 2010 New York and Orlando Pro Fitness. Sandi has just come off a much needed off season and is digging into prep mode.

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Well  folks, here it is:  the beginning of the competition season. It’s nerve-wracking and exciting all at once to begin this prep. No matter how many shows I do, or how many times I diet, I always get that sense of nervous anticipation at the outset.  I started my diet last weekend, and this weekend is the 12 weeks-out mark.

After Ft Lauderdale Pro, I took my first ‘real’ offseason where I adhered  to a nutrition plan to help me meet my goals. (Notice I didn’t say ‘diet’…LOL. A ‘diet’, to me, is a caloric restriction where a deficit is created in the hopes of losing weight/fat.  This was not the goal. My goal was to improve lagging bodyparts , which meant I needed MORE FOOD.)  I was a little apprehensive about putting on weight, since I spent the better part of 2009 in competition shape or within 5 lbs of stage weight; however,  I knew a few pounds of temporary ‘fluff’ was a necessary evil in order to get myself where I want to be at showtime.  So, I worked as hard this offseason as I work during prep, and I’m hoping it paid off. Oh, and did I mention I did ZERO cardio? None. Nada.  That took some major convincing on Erik’s part to get me to agree to that, but wow…so glad I did.  What blew me away is that I was able to give my body a break from dieting and routine work while making some physique gains…without looking fat or sloppy. Mind blowing.

Week one is now in the books, and it was tough. I have yet to step on the scale, but I can tell by the mirror and the way my clothes fit that my body is already a fat-burning machine. So far, I’ve done no steady state/’hamster’ cardio, and I’m hoping  I can make it at least a few more weeks before I have to add some of that boring stuff in. I’m utilizing circuits and some sprint intervals in addition to my routine practice, and for now, that seems to be enough.  My weight workouts are faster paced and still pretty heavy, and it is a shock to my muscles for sure. I have been so incredibly sore…and tired…..but I also feel tremendously accomplished each time I make it through one of those killer workouts.  Let me tell you..those circuits are no joke.  If you think YOU train hard? I invite and challenge you to try an Erik Ledin circuit.

The best part about having my calories high in the offseason, though, is that my dieting calories are higher to start than they’ve ever been. I still get to have my natural peanut butter and my sirloin steak and even  fruit (yummmmm peaches and blueberries). Also, since I kept the offseason pretty clean, the diet isn’t  difficult; it’s just  smaller portions of the same foods I always eat.

As for routine, well, it’s coming along. I get my new music on Wednesday, and I am super excited!!!!!!  I should probably stick with an old routine and just rework it so that it’s easier, but I love the challenge of a brand new routine. There really is no bigger high than going onstage and nailing a new routine that no one has ever seen before.  I have some new strength move combinations and some new tumbling elements, and I’m really excited to get the music and put it all together.

Week 12 is going to be a repeat of this week; we generally like to assess my progress every 2 weeks and then make adjustments. Apparently, I was ‘too quick’ on my circuits, so I scored another round through them! (I was lying on the floor hyperventilating after they were over, so I’m wondering if I should have the gym staff put the paramedics on alert for the next time…LOL…just in

case I need oxygen or CPRJ) Diet is also the same, and adjustments will be made after my progress is assessed. I’m HOPING I can score a cheat meal sometime soon … hint hint, Erik? Are you listening?

I’m really excited about the 2010 IFBB pro season, and I feel  incredibly blessed to be able to do all

of this.  So far, I’m healthy with no major injuries….so, bring on the stage!   NYC, here I come!

- Sandi

Posted Jan 11, 2010 by Erik Ledin.
This entry is filed under Guest Blogs, Contest Prep, and IFBB Pros.