Competing in pageants has given my a new look on life, in regards to my physical fitness. At one point, I worked out to to “lose weight”, not that I had any worth losing, or “tone up”. I didn’t have any specific goals in mind, so I didn’t see any specific results. Competing in pageants, and being on stage in a bikini really opens your eyes to the importance of a fit and healthy lifestyle. As a result of watching myself on stage during the Lifestyle and Fitness category, I have developed a fitness regimen that has provided me with the best personal results I can obtain.
The biggest myth when it comes to being fit, especially for females, is that a great body comes from hours of cardio. Whether its running on the treadmill or an elliptical, a good body comes from sweating.
While in swimsuit, many girls feel they need to focus on their abdominal region. This is also a myth. There is no way to target fat loss to one area. If you have that unforgiving “pooch”, you need to attack it from all sides. Doing a hundred sit-ups or crunches each day will only make it worse! The two most important body regions that should be focused on are the legs and the back. These muscle groups, if worked properly in balance with healthy eating habits, will in turn help you develop a sexy core. Females are often afraid of lifting weights because they think that they will become bulky like a man or a power lifter. But a females hormones don’t let this happen. A female’s body is physically not capable of becoming bulky simply from lifting heavy weights, without years or heavyweights and potential supplements. By lifting weights, the person gains muscle. Muscle burns fat. Muscle shows hard work. And muscle looks good.
Legs:
When you are on stage, strong legs give confidence. Toned legs, calves and hamstrings, will elongate the leg and lengthen the body. A body that looks taller will in turn look slimmer.
Back:The muscles in your back are literally the “backbone” of every other muscle group. A strong back will promote a healthy posture, which shows confidence. Strong shoulders will pull back and lift your chest.
Nice abs are, well, nice. However not the focus. Many pageant directors say that the Lifestyle & Fitness category can be won from the neck up. Having confidence in your body is the most important characteristic, however having nice legs and a nice back will provide that confidence to win.
Regardless of whether there are 6 months, 6 weeks, or
6 days until your next pageant, a healthy pageant girl is always keeping her personal fitness a priority. The lifestyle and fitness category does not judge your size, but rather how hard you work to maintain a positive body image. This category is important because the judges can see if you are working hard to gain this body, or if you are simply “skinny”.
A skinny body can be developed in a short time. More often than not, it is done by unhealthy eating habits, and the person gains back the pounds and inches shortly after the pageant. It is a vicious cycle. However muscles take time to develop, and also take time to lose. Maintaining a muscular and toned body year round will help prevent last minute crash diets, or instant regain of weight after a single celebratory burger or piece of cake.
Here are my two fitness plans I follow, to give me the best body I can have. Everyone is different, and their bodies may need different methods to see results. But this is what works for me.
After reading the above fitness plans, you may be at a loss of which specific activities to perform.
The first decision comes from deciding whether a machine based, free-weight based, or body-weight based fitness routine is best for you. There are definite pros and cons to all of these methods. I balance my routine with 6 machines, and 2 body-weight exercises, however some machines may be dropped, others added in, and I always enjoy having some fun with dumb bells.
Although I may spice things up with 10 minutes on the treadmill, or some hyper-extensions but for the most part, these are my daily activities. I try to workout 5-6 days per week, but if my schedule doesn’t give me time, or my body needs a break, I don’t push myself. I know my limits.
If you’re interested in know which specific machines I use, including the Miracle Maker (One exercise that will work every muscle, and leave you looking chiseled and toned everywhere), check out My Favorite Gym Routine
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Let me know what you think. Comment with your opinions, or if you plan on following my plan. As always, message me with any questions! I hope to see you on stage, wearing your invisible crown, soon!
The PageantFile 