Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
This week, as we close out our 2026 season, we are recapping our shared show weekend: the IFBB/NPC Kentucky Bourbon! We are sharing the moments, the laughs, the memories and results. We also share our feedback and future plans and comparing how this reverse feels for both of us as we end our 2026 preps.
We hope you enjoyed this episode so please comment, subscribe, and leave us reviews on how this podcast has helped you π Weβd also love to hear from you about future topics you would like us to discuss so please leave us a comment or reach out to us with your questions and suggestions!
About Momshell Method Fitness:
Ready to embark on your fitness journey? We would love to help you reach any fitness goal from losing the baby weight to crushing your competition goals!
Follow this link to schedule a discovery call with one of our team members and learn how Momshell Method Fitness can provide you with the tools you need to be successful with customized nutrition and training plans for busy moms β http://bit.ly/loseweightgetsexy
Contact your hosts:
Mandy Rochon
Facebook: Mandy Rochon
Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
Facebook: Gillian Hughes
Mandyβs Posing Sessions
1:1 In Person (KC Posing Studio) β https://bit.ly/inpersonposingwithmandy
1:1 Virtual Posing β https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithmandy
Posing with Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
1:1 In Person (St Louis Posing Studio) β https://bit.ly/stlposingwithgillianifbbpro
1:1 Virtual Posing β https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithgillianifbbpro
Nuethyx Formulations Supplements β
(Use code βMomshellβ to save 10% off your order)
Toxic Angelz Bikinis β https://toxicangelzbikinis.com
(Use code βGILLIANβ or code βMANDYβ to save 10% off your order)
MISAJO Sports β https://shopsiham.com/collections/workout
(Use code βGILLIAN10β to save 10% off your order)
Squeeze Me Skinny Waist Trainers β https://www.squeezmeskinny.com
(Use code βMOMSHELLβ to save 10% off your order)
The Shoe Fairy competition heels β https://www.shoefairyofficial.com
(Use code βmomshellβ to save 15% off your order)
Labwork and Personalized Recommendations: Practitioner Depot: https://bit.ly/practitionerdepotxmomshell (Use code βmomshellβ to save 5% off your order)
Our Amazon storefront- fitness outfits, more supplements, beauty items and competition needs β https://amzn.to/46GL1nd
Creators and Guests
Host
What is Bikinis After Babies?
Bikinis After Babies is the one and only podcast where real moms talk about their bodybuilding contest experiences. We are sharing the inside scoop, the nitty-gritty, the hardships and the victories as we navigate the rigors of competition prep while juggling family and careers. Weβll be joined by IFBB bikini pros who share their incredible stories of managing many responsibilities as athletes while defying stereotypes as women who compete in bikinis after babies!
Whether youβre a new mom thinking about stepping on stage for the first time, or a mom looking for inspo and insight on how to manage contest prep as a busy mom, this podcast offers helpful tips and inspiring stories for moms with big goals!! Make sure to rate, subscribe, and leave us a review to let us know how much this podcast has helped you π
About Momshell Method Fitness:
Ready to embark on your fitness journey? We would love to help you reach any fitness goal from losing the baby weight to crushing your competition goals!
Follow this link to schedule a discovery call with one of our team members and learn how Momshell Method Fitness can provide you with the tools you need to be successful with customized nutrition and training plans for busy moms β http://bit.ly/loseweightgetsexy
Mandys Posing Sessions
1:1 In Person (KC Posing Studio) β https://bit.ly/inpersonposingwithmandy
1:1 Virtual Posing β https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithmandy
Posing with Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
1:1 In Person (St Louis Posing Studio) β https://bit.ly/stlposingwithgillianifbbpro
1:1 Virtual Posing β https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithgillianifbbpro
Contact your hosts:
Mandy Rochon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandyrochonfitness/
Facebook: Mandy Rochon
Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillianhughes_momshell/
Facebook: Gillian Hughes
Momshell Method Fitness Supplements β https://www.momshell-method-fitness.myshopify.com
(Use code βBABβ to save 15% off your order)
Toxic Angelz Bikinis β https://toxicangelzbikinis.com
(Use code βGILLIANβ or code βMANDYβ to save 15% off your order)
Squeeze Me Skinny Waist Trainers β https://www.squeezmeskinny.com
(Use code βMOMSHELLβ to save 10% off your order)
The Shoe Fairy competition heels β https://www.shoefairyofficial.com
(Use code βmomshellβ to save 15% off your order)
Labwork and Personalized Recommendations: Practitioner Depot: https://bit.ly/practitionerdepotxmomshell (Use code βmomshellβ to save 5% off your order)
Our Amazon storefront- fitness outfits, more supplements, beauty items and competition needs β https://amzn.to/3zySJ4C
Mandy (00:01)
Hello everyone. Welcome back to Bikinis After Babies. Thank you so much for joining us today. As always, I am one of your hosts, Mandy Rashon, here with your other host, IFBB Bikini Pro Jillian Hughes, who was just asking me why I am so fidgety. And I just wanna because my adductors are still really sore. And I was actually, which we'll talk about that, but my adductors are very sore. And so
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (00:16)
Yeah, how come?
Mandy (00:27)
Sitting actually helps, but I have to sit a certain way, like with my legs kind of like I always say to the the fetal position, you know, with your legs kind of curled up in a ball. And so no, like kind of like you're in like just curled, like in a ball. Yes. So they it feels really relieving when it's like that, but then also the rest of my body gets uncomfortable. So then I kind of just fidget a little bit. But it it actually was the opposite this year. Like driving and sitting all the time felt nice.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (00:37)
Like crisscross applesauce.
like this? β okay.
Yeah.
Yeah. That's good. Welcome to the show. Yes, we're eventually gonna have like a jingle and a little intro if we ever have a break in our busy schedules. Like don't you feel like we've just kind of been like, Okay, when we get through this next thing, when we get through this next thing and I feel like now we're through prep and the it's just a big laundry list of stuff we have to do.
Mandy (00:58)
It wasn't bad. So anyways, welcome guys to Bikinis After Babies. Yes. We
So many things. I do I do feel that. Especially as like business owners, we're always like, This is we're gonna do this when this is over. We're gonna do this next semester, next season, when we're done with prep, when we're this and then the next thing we know we're like, β well, it's on to the next thing. And it's just it's a never ending list until we die. β
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (01:27)
yeah.
I know. It's just until we die. I know there's some there is some it's good though. Like I feel like I was just telling you this, like we got when we got home, β like it was Monday and it was boom. There was just like all these things that have been waiting for me when I'm out of prep. and so I think that's been a little bit of an adjustment, but I think my reverse is like it's off to a pretty good start, but it's still just I don't think I really expected it to feel different and it kind of does.
Mandy (01:42)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (02:04)
just because now the goal is different and you know, just all the emotions and just like I don't know, just like shifting years and and I it's finding time for things too that, you know. Anyway, sorry.
Mandy (02:13)
Well and I I wanted
Yeah. I I know, I just wanted to ask you a question because I think our listeners would actually like to know about this 'cause I I'm curious about this. So as you're going into reverse, which we will talk about our next season's plans, but as you're going into this reverse, do you find it different than when you were going into reverse last year from your pro debut? Do you feel different? Does mentally anything does it have you know, what do you feel?
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (02:20)
okay.
Yeah, it's so different. It's this whole season was different though. Like last season was like, you know, my first like it was my rookie pro season. I did so many shows. It felt like it went on forever. and I feel like with that season, it was like I started out not it didn't hit my mark, and then I just get better and better and better and tighter and leaner. My physique like got more impressive as the season went on. And like this was so different because we came in a little bit too
Mandy (02:55)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (03:12)
tight and hard in the beginning and then had to soften up. So like I don't know. It's it's just weird. Like I just feel like I just was like, well everything's kind of the same. Like I didn't really have to like reverse my calories. β so I think that's a little bit strange. I almost feel like not it's not easier to have to like, you know, scale back cardio and you know move your calories up. But like I just don't feel like anything's like that different because the only thing that's changed is like, well now there's not a show in X amount of weeks. β
Mandy (03:36)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (03:42)
And I'm not posing as much, but like I I didn't have to like, I wasn't doing any cardio and I had a lot of food. β but I I think like my mindset so different, even just like from the beginning of this year, and we could talk about that later, but β I don't know if that if that answers your question. Yeah, it does feel different. It's I feel very satisfied because I walked away from Kentucky achieving a goal that I'd set for myself. So that that was great. The whole show experience was like it was a really good finale to the year.
Mandy (04:06)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (04:11)
So I'm happy about that. And I think probably like maybe some of the like relief and the letdown of the like emotions is like how much anticipation I had going into that last show. Cause like I got rocked by a horrible cold going into peak week. Like I came back from Aruba and then I mean we had to push off recording our last episode because I didn't have a voice and I'm still a little bit stuffy, but like even during peak week, like I was coughing my butt off.
And I kind of like didn't even actually feel better until show day. So the pressure and the stress of that and going like this is my last show until I don't know when. And all these people are coming to watch me. And like there was a lot of like just no not noise. I don't know what it is, but like just busy, like my mind was racing. And so like kind of getting to Sunday and just being like, my God. Like I did it. You know, like I pulled it off everything. Yes, getting to the couch.
Mandy (05:04)
god, getting this Saturday night on the couch was was getting.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (05:08)
Yes. Like I was just like, man, that was like I've had preps where I've physically pushed myself to a to limits I'd never like reached before and to goals I'd never achieved. But like this season was all about pushing myself to like new growth β as an athlete mentally and in my mindset and in like my outlook. And so that was different for me. And β I'm grateful for the experience, but it was definitely β it was a it was different for sure.
Mandy (05:33)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (05:38)
So does that answer your question?
Mandy (05:38)
That's good. Yeah, I will Yeah, it it definitely did because I feel like I feel like whenever you got your pro card going into that off season was astronomically different. Cause you shared that before. How dramatically different going into that off season going as a pro into your very first pro off season improvement season was handled so differently and with so much more care. And then you go into your first
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (05:53)
Yeah.
Mandy (06:03)
after your first pro season and how you handled that and how you handled this, like just kind of the overall mental and physical β shift and how you're handling it, you know? Compared to I I would guess MPC level, right? So it I was just
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (06:12)
Yeah.
And I think it's different. Like for anybody who let's say they their last show was twenty twenty four and they're coming out now. It's different because the end of twenty twenty four we had the announcement of Fit Model. And I do think as much as people don't want to admit it, I think it has changed the physiques on stage in the bikini category and β
I don't it's it's been an interesting year of learning what look is gonna look best for me, what physiques are showing up, what's placing well. β I don't think that the standards have changed, like the criteria is not different. It's just there are different people showing up. That happens all the time. so I think that was a new challenge this year of kind of being like, like how do I adapt to what the judges want to see from me? And can I do it in the amount of time that we have? β and of course, like at the pro level, like you don't have height categories. So
That's challenging when you're petite and you're getting on stage with girls that are coming in and they're c they're admittedly coming in heavier than when they turn pro. Like I know someone who's competing 13 pounds heavier than when she got her pro card. And so it's like kind of like, okay, like there's just a lot of changes and I but I love it. Like I I'm excited to evolve and excited to grow and like I love the look that's being rewarded. So I'm gonna take some time to like fit into that mold a little bit more.
Mandy (07:21)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (07:40)
β but it just kinda stunk to like get up there in that first show and be like, β like maybe we're not like maybe we didn't understand the assignment and not that we didn't, but just you look different in a lineup that looks like that. So that was different.
Mandy (07:47)
Yeah.
Well, I think you kinda you brought up something really important because I think as much as we don't really recognize that how much fit model has maybe changed bikini, we're kinda not taking into consideration that now there's this whole new division that the like a softer look can go into. And so you're taking away a lot of those comparisons. Cause if all of those girls would have stayed in bikini, you would have had a plethora of comparison of of softer look. So then that would change the way that like
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (08:09)
Yeah.
Mandy (08:20)
they're judging, right? So since that is taken away now and we have a whole new division for that look, now it's a causing bikini to evolve because a different criteria of woman is kind of showing up, you know, compared to what was showing up before. So that makes a lot of sense. Like I guess a lot of people want to think about that. But if you think about like comparisons, right? Like that that would make a lot of sense. It does.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (08:32)
Yeah.
Yeah. And that's all that matters. Like how you look by yourself is great. But like it's you it's how you're gonna look on that stage. so yeah, I mean w but that's it. Like that's why you can't get like upset about it. And β like I think it's still like you know, some of the feedback was tough because I was like, Do they like even like me? Which is like so dumb, like that I have even thought that. I'm like that they're not like they're not like I don't like this person, right? But like
Mandy (08:48)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (09:09)
You know, because every feedback I got was never like, you really suck and you don't belong up there. It was just like just work on this. And then I realized that like these little itty bitty things are enough to knock you out of the top five when everybody is so good. So like I think maybe like a greater now I've done eight pro shows. So like I have a greater understanding of what that looks like and just knowing that like, you know, there's a lot of things that have to come together perfectly. And
Mandy (09:21)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (09:36)
And y it just might not be your day. Or i it could be your day. The judging doesn't the lighting's not what you want. Like there's so many factors. So I think like I had to ask myself, like, do I still like this? Like, is this fun? Like, is this worth it? Because after Battle of the Bodies, I was like in a d a sad place. Like I have no business getting up there, like da da da, whatever. And then I was like, I don't wanna stop. Like I love this and it I think I just have to change my mindset. So
Mandy (09:43)
So many.
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (10:05)
Like that's a piece of the growth too, is just like understanding that like you can absolutely love your photos and be proud of them, but you didn't even get a medal. β but I d I don't know that everybody feels that way. β I'm jumping ahead 'cause I wanted to talk about this later, but β I've heard this a couple of times and I've even said it. Enjoy your time in the NPC. And yeah, you you definitely should. Like I don't think that people should well I don't I don't wanna tell people what to do, but I don't know that it's a great
like v it's not vast experience when you like do one season and then you turn pro. Like it's just like you've so much to learn and you need so much more experience. And it's rare. People don't really do that. But some people are in quite a hurry to like get that pro card. And when you turn pro, yes. And that's like but then so many people stop competing when they turn pro or they compete once and then they don't love it anymore and now they can't do the thing that they love. So so in some ways I think that too. But like then I think
Mandy (10:47)
The road to pro. pro.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (11:03)
Okay, so if you're doing well at the β amateur level and you like win overalls and then you're like winning all these, you know, getting top five at nationals or whatever, and like you're, you know, just like you're you're you're too good to be there. You you should be a pro and then compete at a higher level. And like, yeah, is it like starting over? Yeah, but like there's more challenge in it. Like that fifth place medal I got in Kentucky, like felt like the day I got my pro card. Like it it
Mandy (11:32)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (11:33)
It's not like I'm not like on Instagram when it like with a crown on my head I'm the the winner of the show. But like the journey and like how much that means to like be top five as a pro, it means so much. So I think like I don't know, I think yeah, you should get your experience in β the NPC and and there were times like this season that I like, Man, I miss like, you know, these overalls and you know
being in the mix and all the stuff that I when I was at the amateur level, but I'm like, now it's time for this new challenge and I'm just gonna have to keep growing and leveling up to β to reach those goals there. And it doesn't mean like, it sucks here. I'm not gonna compete anymore. You know what I mean? Am I making sense?
Mandy (11:57)
Yeah.
yeah. No, you make total sense. And I talk about it quite a bit with like clients and more of the gym people now, β just because it's you said it very right. Like it you wanna be able to do what you love. Like the thing that you love so much, right? And I feel like once we compete once, 'cause you never know if you like it until you compete like once or twice, right? Like you go through it and you're like, Wow, I really love this. Like I've been
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (12:26)
Yeah.
Mandy (12:36)
I've been talking to so many women lately, like this past year, of like, I've been doing this on and off since 2016 because I love it. Like, because I love it. And so I was talking about judges' feedback, you know, we'll kind of circle back, you know, tie all tie all this together because it does actually go well together that you brought this up this time at this time. So with getting judges' feedback consistently from my first, second, and third show, for one, I'm in the right category. That was one.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (12:42)
Yeah.
Mandy (13:02)
Big thing I wanted to make sure. I'm like, am I supposed to be in fit model? Am I supposed to know? I my structure is where it needs to be. So that was like checkbox that done. When I got my feedback from Hot Springs and Georgia, it was like, you need to develop overall. Like overall, you you need development. Okay. A lot of times in the NPC level, we're such in a rush to go and get our pro card.
We would pack it up right then and there. I wouldn't compete for two years and then I'd come back in two years with like more muscularity, right? That's taking away so much joy of the sport. It's also taking away a mass amount of experience. Yeah, we need to develop, but like you also need to hone in your posing, hone in those lights, what it feels like, the your peak, the show day, what you like, what you don't like, what like all those things. And if you take that away, then okay, you have the muscularity, but now you don't even fit in the category.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (13:33)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (13:55)
that's been evolving the two years that you've been away from stage. So continuing on to another show, even though I know I need development, was like, like you said, Kentucky was like s
I'm s I loved that show. Of course we did it together, so that was so much fun. But I like I learned how much I really like my hair straight. I learned how I talked to the judge. β the feedback there was so specific. It was specific in Georgia too, don't get me wrong. They wanted to see like they want you to get in your front pose and back pose and they like they're like, I'm gonna touch you. Is this okay? This is what we're gonna talk about. And so, like, just to get more precise feedback, more precise development, and then take all of that knowledge, pack it up until like I can build and chill until next year, like
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (14:26)
Yeah.
Mandy (14:36)
Could you imagine if I to I I wouldn't have done it. I wouldn't have had that much fun. I wouldn't have competed with you. I wouldn't have got that knowledge, that experience. Yeah, I do. I know I need to develop, but now I got even more specific feedback because I didn't just go away to keep building to get closer to a pro card. Like, that's and so like that wouldn't it I would have lost so much joy, so much experience just because like I wanna try to go pro someday, which of course my goal someday is to go pro, but I also like
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (14:43)
Right.
Right.
Mandy (15:04)
I have so much fun. I had so much fun this year. I I can't explain it. And like I learned so much about so many things. Like you and I can talk about the dopamine rush and crash. I think that's super important. Like post show. Like how like we're so excited Sunday, we're so excited Monday. And then Tuesday hits and we're like, we hate the world. But it's not like that. But that's not good.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (15:09)
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I think like sorry, go ahead.
Mandy (15:31)
No, I'm just saying like you learn that it's like, okay, how do I how do I handle that? How do I control that? How does you know, you just learn these things about it because you you wanna keep doing this, you wanna keep growing, you wanna find like what works for you because everybody is different, just like everybody's different Saturday night, everybody's different post show Sunday. And the more experience you have with those things, the better athlete over time you can be. So yeah. Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (15:52)
Right. It's so personal. Like everybody's doing the same thing but in like a different way. And I think like what I was kind of struck me about this conversation was almost like, well, I don't wanna comp I'm I I wanna win or like something around like the the idea of like I compete to win. And I'm like, Well, I mean nobody com nobody trains for last place. Like but like I also think like that's maybe not
Mandy (16:13)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (16:19)
gonna not the mindset that'll keep you in the sport that you love and doing all these things. Like I I think, yeah, you wanna be competitive and you want to like continue to improve and lift up but and level up, but like you're gonna lose more than you're gonna win in this sport. So like it can't be about that. So I don't know. I just think like like if I owe if I never win again, am I gonna keep competing? Yeah. Like what are you talking about? Like
Mandy (16:42)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (16:44)
I I just think that like to me, I'm like, well, I think everyone's in it for different reasons, of course, but like I also don't really have an ego. Like, I even when I got last place at Battle of the Bodies, I was like, anybody can click on my name and look at those pictures. And I'm so proud of my physique. I don't look like last place. And this is the IFPB, so whatever. Like I don't really care what anyone thinks because I was so proud of of myself. I think I was just kind of scratching my well, what am I supposed to do now? Right. β and also you don't want to keep showing up getting last place, but
Mandy (17:04)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (17:14)
at the same time, I don't think like having that mindset of just like, I mean, like you at the beginning of this year, you're like, I want three overalls. Do you feel like you lost? No. Like think about how you feel going like all every achievement and getting up in some of those classes, like Kentucky classes were big. I mean, and you're like, you know, landing right in that like top three. Like that's and these girls, these girls are like gonna go to nationals in a couple of weeks and
Mandy (17:22)
my god no. And I knew
I know.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (17:38)
lot of them are gonna turn pro. So like you have to look at the big picture, right? But I think also like it's okay to aim really high. And if you don't make it, like you have to be able to go like, okay, I didn't quite like like you know, I I aimed for the stars and I didn't quite make it, but I s I landed just a little bit underneath and that's okay too. It was still worth it, right?
Mandy (17:55)
Mm-hmm. I love that. That's what we all do in business too. We're like, let's aim for a billion and see what we get. You know? Like like are you gonna get that? Probably not. But like how close are you gonna get because you tried so hard to get something so high? And that's like, yeah, it's
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (18:01)
Yeah.
Yeah, you can't be disappointed. You have to also go, Well, I also achieved quite a bit, you know. So
Mandy (18:13)
Yeah. And I and I and I hate thinking like this, but this was okay for my train of thought. I will say that. Once I like saw my structure, like on stage and everything, like Hot Springs, Arkansas, I knew I'm like, okay, I'm probably not gonna win an overall this season. I am I don't even want to say I'm okay with that. I I this sounds so bad. I didn't care. Like I was just like, I'm still gonna do everything I set out for, no different.
And nothing was any different. Did I try over like bust my butt over and over and over at everything I did? Yes. But and I was okay with like you said, it's like, this may this is probably not gonna happen for me. Okay. Well I'm still gonna keep trying and trying and trying, you know? I
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (18:58)
But think about it like this. Think about if you did go to that show, which was kind of smaller, and you did like sweep up the, you know, first place and the overall, right? The whole trajectory of the rest of your season would have been different. You would have moved differently. You maybe wouldn't have had that fire of like, I want to improve. Like I have X amount of weeks before my next one. And these are the improvements I want to bring. I'm gonna try this. Like throughout this season, like every show you got better and better because you were aiming
Mandy (19:24)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (19:26)
higher and higher, right? So I think like sometimes that's like a a a good thing, like to to just to really go, okay, it I see that there are things that I can't improve in a short term. But in the meantime, I'm gonna make these small changes and work really hard so that I can im and you can put all three sets of your pictures together and go like, wow, like look at how much I involved in this season. Right. So I think that's cool too, where that's why I say do more than one show. But
Mandy (19:49)
I know. Yes. It really it's still like the video it's funny because of course we don't have our Kentucky photos yet, but like of course, like you I know. That's a whole different story. So eventually sometime MPC News Online will have our Kentucky photos. But hopefully. But the video from you being in the crowd, that video you sent me will live rent free in my head.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (20:09)
Hopefully soon.
β I love it.
Mandy (20:19)
I don't even know how long because because you're like
Getting that like stacked classes and not not just getting first call-outs, but then getting pulled into the center area, and then seeing Becky, which goes back to like the judge, do the judges even like me? Becky talking, talking about me to the other judge. She's literally like leaning over, points at me, points at the girl next to me, points back at me, and they're whispering back and forth. And I'm like, What are you? Like, what what is happening? But the
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (20:29)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
What are they saying?
Mandy (20:55)
But like now, like looking back at the video that you sent me and everything and the feedback I got, I I know what they were saying. They were saying like my structure, my glutes were great. I need to come in tighter tighter in my legs and then my lower abdominal because I was push like the way I was posing and pushing, like I need to focus on my like lower abdominal, which is all that stuff's great and we talked about it. But like that video you sent me of that angle of just how
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (21:02)
Yeah.
Mandy (21:20)
great my glutes looked and I'm like those that's my that's my glutes that's my glutes and being able to see that I'm like that's incredible like I worked so hard for that and I'm so proud.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (21:22)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, and imagine you were that person that's like, okay, well, but I didn't win. Like, like, that's just like you wouldn't miss it. You would miss all of the growth. And like you and you should be proud of yourself. Like I think that's some people have kind of lost sight of that because they get so deep in this. And and maybe like some people really need the win for other reasons and maybe there's some work they need to do. But like I think you have to like always just find, you know.
Mandy (21:34)
my god. No.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (21:54)
places where you're really proud. And that's how you that's how you end up doing this. Like what was that my thirty first show? That's how you end up invested in this for so many years because you're always growing, right? So
Mandy (22:03)
Yeah. Which I hadn't written down how many shows in my placings I did and now I forgot. I thought it had it written down somewhere on my phone because I was gonna answer because you asked me like a couple episodes ago. Now I forgot. Anyways, we'll come back to that. But I we've kinda been all over the place this episode and it's already been twenty minutes. We should kind of recap our like I kinda guess we recapped a l like some of our Kentucky weekend. But like yeah Yeah, but we can kinda go over our Kentucky experience togetherness and then
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (22:16)
We have
Yeah.
A little bit. We give the spoiler of how it amounted.
Mandy (22:31)
how our reverse is going, 'cause both you and I are done for twenty twenty six. So do you wanna well, I mean, I guess we kinda did it all together. Like I drove through to St. Louis Thursday night, which was four hours for me, met up with you, caravan the rest of the
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (22:36)
Yes.
Yeah.
We got into the most beautiful stay in the most beautiful hotel we've ever seen. We had to buy ant traps and candles. Okay. We had no dresser. It was I will say everyone was nice. but it was yeah, it was just like there was ants and a funny smell. But like we really couldn't like complain because we didn't
Mandy (22:49)
Hm, yeah. We don't need to talk about that lie.
And we had no dressers, no dressers, no microwave.
The pe yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (23:12)
There was no like the hotel was completely oversold, so we wouldn't they wouldn't have been able to give us another room. So
Mandy (23:15)
Well, and you and so y also keep in mind when we when both you and I go for a show weekend, both you and I are going very specifically. Like I I feel like there's a distinction with this because you and I also are like we are trying to capture like stuff for like our coaches are very on top of us. Like we constantly are sending them photos, text messages. You haven't in your per your coach was there, so you have to do in person. So you and I this is like it's business. Like it's very much like
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (23:43)
Yeah.
Mandy (23:45)
Yeah, we have this amp problem. Yeah, we have this, but we gotta do our tan. We gotta do we gotta set we it like it's like we just lay some traps, call it a day, but what's your schedule? Where do you have to be? What do you have to do? Where do we have to go? Yeah, so yeah. Yeah, and that's basically it. Thursday night was rough because it was late and with the Wi Fi and everything.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (23:48)
We gotta deal with it, yeah.
There was too much else to do. It was like just get to bed, we'll figure it out. And we did, so
It was. And there was an hour time change, which I didn't realize. So we were getting in so late. And I think that kind of messed me up a little bit Friday. It was all fine by show day. Yeah, because I didn't like my stomach was off on Friday because I just my digestion was a little bit off. β but it all it all evened out. But and it was rainy. Like, wasn't it really crappy rainy on Friday?
Mandy (24:05)
Yeah.
I must both of us, remember? Yeah, it jacked with both of us.
Okay, so okay, let me say this because I think this is really funny. Because I feel like God knows how much I love gloomy ass weather. Every time I traveled somewhere, it was gloomy, cozy, foggy weather. And I, it fuels my soul, let's just say. Anyways, but yes. I vacation I don't like Seattle. So I went and vacationed in Washington. I went to Mount Olympus in December. It was stunning. Like it was
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (24:37)
Yeah. You should like live in Seattle, 'cause isn't it like that all the time there? Do you like that kind of weather?
Mandy (24:51)
So it was one of my favorite vacations. We stayed on a lake. It was the whole like we went to the like Twilight City. Like we didn't go there for Twilight. We just were like, we're here. But literally there is a place there called Hall of Mosses. Mosses, like O S S. Thousands and thousands of different species of mosses. And you are literally feel you're in a Dr. Seuss book. I will send you the photos, but like, you know how Doctors like the style of Dr. Seuss. You are hiking for miles in Dr. Seuss land. It's so unbelievable like pick
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (24:53)
Yeah.
Really?
That's so cool.
Mandy (25:21)
pictures can't capture. Anyways, I just I just love the seasonal change into the spooky fall stuff and it's cozy. The smells, all that stuff. But you and I were the s it's weird because we were so the same Friday. You and I both had digestion issues. I think you remember you just like you fell off. My sleep was really terrible. It was the first time ever in a peak that I had bloating issues. Like my coach was like what like basically like what's wrong with your core? And I'm like, I can't hold it. Like I can't
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (25:40)
Yeah.
Mandy (25:50)
like control it. He was like, take a nap. Remember, I ended up having to drug my I ended up hav
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (25:54)
Yes. You did. You took a Benadryl at like one in the afternoon. I'm like, no. But I I know. I was like, what did I do? I think I just did my makeup for two hours. I don't remember. I was curling my hair extensions and I checked in with Jamie. Yeah. And you slept and I was like, my gosh.
Mandy (25:59)
And I was like, Jillian, get out. Jillian, get out, or be quiet. And it worked though. Like, I I No, I think you you ended up having to go to check in and then stay in the bathroom. Yeah. But then Yeah. But it was that sleep. And then you and I were really good about like, hey, something's off with both of us. We need to go to bed at like seven tonight. And we did. Super. We yeah, we it was
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (26:23)
We did. We went to bed early on Friday for sure. That was still helpful.
Mandy (26:27)
Perfect for me because I woke up at my normal time, which I hate to say was like four AM on Saturday morning, but I went and walked the hallways because somebody, believe it or not, was already on the one treadmill that this place had.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (26:40)
One treadmill.
Mandy (26:41)
I but I was like, I'll just walk up and down the hallways. And the makeup artist was in the room down the hall from us. So athletes were already like coming and going. So it honestly was homey for me because like I walk my dogs every morning. So I ended up walking for like 45 minutes. Digestion was great. I like lot what was it? Like four pounds I dropped and then we fed back into the evening show. It was just like it was it was super chill. Mm mm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (27:04)
And we had a really chilled day too. Like I I woke up not stressed on show day because we didn't even go to the venue until like three o'clock. and they were 3 45 is when they finally started the pro show. and when they started the NPC show, it was like two hours later. And and then they the they did routines for NPC. So that kind of dragged things out a little bit.
Mandy (27:11)
Yeah. We don't go on state three forty five. Go ahead.
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (27:28)
but then once finals hit it was really, really speedy. But I think just having that extra time honestly was kind of nice because like well, we watched all those freaky ass shows about like murderers and like bad, bad yeah, toxic on what was it? HBO plus or something. It was that was wild. β so yeah, that was a nice distraction because I was thinking about β psychotic people while doing my hair.
Mandy (27:39)
Toxic. Toxic, yeah.
HBO
Okay. But like I will say when β Mard my first show to go to Hot Springs, my friend Marta, who, you know, is learning about the bodybuilding world, that's what her and I did. We're like, well, what do we do? And I'm like, I'm like, I guess we just throw on this weird β documentary as to crime documentary. Like, it's so fun just to have a girly cozy weekend and just like relax. We don't have to be talking to each other. We don't have to be doing anything, you know? So like
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (28:01)
Yeah. True crime. Yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (28:19)
You're right. Like it was just very chill. And both of both you and I felt fantastic Saturday. Like the world just was like mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (28:21)
Yeah.
Yeah, I felt so much better. And I just like I think I just switched my mindset too. Like I was started to just think about like just being grateful to be there. It was my it was my last show of the season. And I'm like, you know what? I want this day to be really fun. I wanna be smiley happy and I I wanna, you know, talk to to people. There were so many girls that I've have met either through Instagram or through a podcast and people I'm not gonna be seeing for a long time because I know I'm taking a big long break.
Mandy (28:33)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (28:51)
And β and I just wanted to be really proud of my routine and I wore a red suit and I just I felt really, really good that day. And so it was just everything and I and I think like moving into my off season and then thinking about competing again, I just need to bring that energy again. Like I think I went into the season with like really high expectations for myself and like just feeling like I was bringing it and then when it didn't go that way, I was just gutted and it was just it was a different mindset than the former me that was just like
manifesting more of those positive vibes of like, you know, I'm in the mix. I got this. Like I, you know, just I think it it does radiate on stage. Like every sh every pro show that I've been in, the girl who wins is the most amazing poser. Like, hands down. Like it just is. So I think bringing more of that does really show the judges like, you know, what you what you've got. And β so I think that that helped me clinch that.
first call out which was really, really exciting. So
Mandy (29:49)
Yeah. There was also moments this weekend that were surprises for you.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (29:56)
Yes, there was. So Coach Kate from Mom Shall β came on Friday, which I was so happy to see her and she just like completes the circle. Like obviously I wish Brooke had been had been there too, but β she wasn't able to travel. So β and then so that was really great. She came Friday and then and her client Gillian was it Gillian with a J β was in the show too and so I don't know, just made for like a real
Mandy (30:00)
Yay.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (30:23)
fun time like in the crowd and then backstage, like just kind of having all of us there. β and then my son, Brady and his girlfriend surprised me and showed up for prejudging. And β yeah, so that was really nice too because he he always wants to come and support. And I think he was supposed to have a wrestling tournament that β was still on as of like Thursday and then Friday it was cancelled. And so he spontaneously made the trip with Halen who hasn't been to a show and hasn't seen me on stage before. So
Mandy (30:51)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (30:52)
β so yeah, it was just and my husband flew in on Saturday morning, β and was there for the show too. So β yeah, it was just
Mandy (30:58)
He was such a trooper spending the girly time with us too. He was. He was great.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (31:04)
Yeah, I mean, he's used to kind of sitting at these things and waiting around. Like and I think like when no one else was there, like I used to have to be like, I'm in the middle of this group, my number is this because he's like, Everyone is looks the same. Like he would have a hard time and he's like, Is this forty? Is this thirty five? Like w what height clap like at nationals, I would have to like, I estimate I'm on stage in eighteen minutes. And the group before us is like this, 'cause he would just be sitting there like, no, that's not her. that's not her, right? So
Mandy (31:19)
Aaron is. Yep.
yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (31:33)
He's been to so many of these, but it's harder now, like just with schedules and stuff. And I'm like, You don't have to come to every single one. β but it was nice that he got to be in Kentucky 'cause that ended up being like, you know, the the best one of the season for me. And yeah, it was all around. It was super fun show weekend. So
Mandy (31:37)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. It's actually I didn't think about it till just now, but like 'cause you know and I've shared multiple times on this podcast, Aaron doesn't come with me to the shows, he stays home. Like you said, the schedules are just so hard. And it's so much easier for him to stay home and just we do Sunday fun day together. But it is funny as I'm planning my next season how which I have a I got very blessed this year with this season because I pr I planned this season, I will say like early.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (32:00)
Yeah.
Mandy (32:18)
Like I knew I was gonna do the Dragon Ball show. And then a couple months later I'm like, I'll do the September show. You had brought up doing Kentucky. So I'm like, I'll do these three shows, maybe four shows. And I never had a problem executing the plan. So I was very blessed with that. And I per s I predict that I will be very blessed with that again next year. So I had already ki I already kind of have a plan on how I want to end my season next year. Rather it ends ends, but like I actually want to end it with Aaron,
So I will do the Dragon Ball show next year, no matter what. And it's it's really interesting because I will either β I will try my my I will dip my toe into a national show and whatever happens to the national show, I will still be able to always do the Dragon Ball show because they always do pros and amateurs. So anyways.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (33:07)
Right.
Mandy (33:09)
I go to Gatlinburg next week for our romantic Smoky Mountain getaway like we do every year. So I was telling him how, man, I literally went to Gatlinburg, Atlanta, flew all the way back home just for us to drive or β not I'm sorry, Dalton, Georgia. For me to fly all the way back home, for us to now drive, because we have mountain bikes we have to take with us, so we have to drive for us to drive all the way back here. So next year, my husband's gonna be with me for the show. Yep. And there's
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (33:27)
Yeah.
and then you can just tack that trip on the end. That's smart.
Mandy (33:37)
There's this really beautiful, I will send it to you. It's absolutely insanely breathtaking. There's a resort that we want to go to right after the show that is like on it's like a romantic on top mountain. It's it's outside of Chattanooga, which is 30 minutes away. But it's it's insane. It's like this spa resort for like couples and you're on a spa like over the mountain kind of thing. Anyways, so to your point, like
our husbands support us and love us so much at home that like it's because they've been with us so many times at these shows and the same thing. They're like, when do you go on? What do you look like? What class? How long? When do I need to be there? I'm like, just just go. Just mm-mm So yeah. They love us.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (34:11)
Yeah.
Yeah. I think like I always say like I'm I'm good, like I don't but I do think it was nice having him there. I feel like I was like more like, β I really wanna show what I've been working so hard for and you know, it's certainly like we live together and I'm just like my hair's in a pineapple on top of my head all the time and I'm in my suit and heels, but I'm like this, you know. So to see it all kind of come together and you know, and he was so proud and I know he knows what it means when
Mandy (34:25)
yeah.
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (34:47)
You get first call out and you're kind of in the middle for a while. Like I I knew he was watching going like this is fucking awesome, like being really excited, you know. So it did just like it felt really like felt really special. But then I also was like, gosh, what if I screw up? But I think I had already s like in my mind said, especially when Brady and Halen were there, I'm like, I have to sh I have to show my family that no matter what, we hold our head high. Like we're not gonna walk out there and be sad or
Mandy (35:12)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (35:17)
you know, beat down our hard on ourselves because we didn't get the placing that we we hoped for and the season didn't end how we wanted. β so I was kind of prepared for both outcomes. But β obviously the latter happened, which was, you know, a dream and awesome. And I mean I was fifth place. I didn't win, but fifth place was like my first medal this season, which was really great. And it was a big lineup. Like there was a lot of girls. So β I felt yeah, I've I was really excited. And the feedback was like very good. But I I it doesn't make sense to keep going. Like
Mandy (35:35)
Yeah.
There's sixteen girls. There's so many.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (35:47)
I think, like, yeah, I've we made progress this season, but the progress I need to make. Yeah. No, no, you're good. Yeah. So Becky came backstage and talked with each of us with our coaches present, which was really nice too, because I think it that like it's like two sets of ears listening. β and she was she was so sweet. Like she was like, my goodness, like this whole look, this whole package, your waistline, the suit, the posing, the beauty, everything. And she said, Your skin is.
Mandy (35:50)
Will you share your sh sorry, I don't mean to cut you off. I just wanted you to share your feedback.
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (36:14)
Great. Like, you know, sometimes in masters, that's something that we don't always see. β and I have had loose skin in the past, but I think that was because I came into this show quite a bit fuller. And lo and behold, fuller means no loose skin for me. So it was nice to hear that because I kind of am like, what what can I really do about loose skin? Well, fill it out. So that was really good. β and she said she just f it's it's very minor that she just wants to see a little bit more glute projection. β
Mandy (36:30)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (36:43)
So I didn't get the imbalance comment, which I had gotten earlier in the year where my legs were didn't match my glutes. and I didn't, you know, β I wasn't too hard, which was β good. So I think like it was β as probably as best of an outcome as we could have achieved in this time. Like I'm not gonna build density in a prep. and β yeah, and so I think like I think for me, I I love my my whole look, but
I do think I compromised my waistline a little bit by coming in fuller. β because we Yeah, we had to do it fast because we only had β like five weeks and I went to Aruba and honestly came back from Aruba looking just like I did in at Battle of the Bodies and I was kind of like, like I stayed really hard and you know, I'm I'm really tight. Like I don't I'm not really getting full. Then I got sick. And
Mandy (37:15)
I was gonna ask about that actually, 'cause that's yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (37:39)
Getting sick is what softened me up, honestly, because I think like my metabolism just like it's just slowed down because I was my body was fighting infection and β my training output wasn't great because I'm, you know, feeling like crap. And β so I was a bit watery the week of the show and kind of freaking out because I'm like, my god, like am I gonna like totally miss the mark here? so I think there's a couple things that affected my waistline, but I think
Mandy (37:41)
Ha ha ha.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (38:09)
just being able to build more density so that I don't so that I can have a tight waistline and the density. I just think it was hard to kind of I think two can exist at the same time, but I think for me it was hard to push all that food and then keep my waistline tight, tight.
Mandy (38:22)
Mhm. yeah. I absolutely believe both can exist in the same time and that's kinda where we can kinda transition, you know.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (38:29)
Yeah.
Mandy (38:29)
this like a little like kind of a pivot because I know we wanted to talk about that a little bit because I we have this conversation sometimes with our clients too of like we need to come in full, but there is a compromise. And sometimes the compromise isn't worth it. And I feel like this is a balancing game as as bodybuilding coaches that we have to play, right? So if we feed our clients or if we if you're feeding into a show, right, you're having more carbohydrates, r no matter what it may be, you're just having more calories and you're filling out
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (38:42)
Yeah.
Mandy (38:57)
At what point are you going to not be able to control your core? And it's not even because see, here's the thing I've really learned is you can send picture, picture, picture. That doesn't matter. You need to send your posing routine mo over and over and over. Because just because you can send me a picture of you holding your core, that's fantastic, right? But when that's one shot, can you go through your whole routine and hold your core while your glutes are full? Well, maybe we don't fill you out as much, right? Maybe we withhold some of that. And then you get the feedback, like you said, like your feedback's like, β
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (39:09)
Yeah.
But that's like one shot, like yeah.
Mandy (39:27)
Well, you need to be fuller. You can't come in because okay, I'm gonna use myself for example. Like they did ding me on my they're like, you need to come in tighter in my lower glute area. My tie ends are there, but like my skin isn't i'm not full enough. I can't there is no way. We pushed we pushed as hard as we could where β because especially I do great going in on Saturday evening. I need to always do Saturday evening shows. But I could
barely hold my core and I still got dinged on my lower abdomen. So for like I I can't come in fuller. I have to grow. So like if I would've came in fuller my glutes would have been there, but then they would have dinged me on my waistline. So, you know, it's like you said
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (40:09)
Yeah. I think I'm in the same place. Like I think for me, like it's the same thing. Like if we push food on me and you can't push simples on me, because if you give me a bunch of honey, I just end up with veins everywhere. So they have to be slow digesting carbs, which slows my digestion down, makes it harder for me to like I just and I don't like feeling full. You have to push enough water to push those carbs through. Otherwise you will spill over. So it's a really tough balance for me. So the only answer is c like.
Mandy (40:19)
yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (40:38)
build that density so that during peak week we're not chasing the this scenario because I've never had this experience before like I did this year with like like dropping weight while pushing food and then just getting tighter. Like that's never happened to me before. I I say I think it's because I've really just finally like really like switched up my metabolism and stayed really consistent for a long time. β but I think it it it's not fun. Like people who are chasing that and then I also think too
Mandy (40:44)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (41:08)
I've been on stage and not been in shape before and that doesn't feel good. But you know what doesn't feel good? Going on stage and feeling like β deflated, like feeling like not full and and not tight. It it's not a good feeling. And that was kind of what happened in Oklahoma. I was like, I don't feel like I felt like I didn't have that pop. I didn't have that hard, full feeling. So I think it it's like you said, like I've just gotta build that density so that we're not chasing it during peak week and trying to fill out for stage and like I think almost for me, like it's
Mandy (41:25)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (41:37)
Like better to feed and fill me out Friday. And if I sleep good, Saturday morning's great. But Saturday evening show is hard to hold that. So β and I do think my digestion could be a little bit better. I think it started to suffer a bit when we had to all of a sudden push food. It was like we flipped a switch because we were in Pittsburgh in July and my macros were not very generous. And
Mandy (41:57)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (42:01)
For whatever it was, I think that trip and and like I just started traveling a lot. And then it was like mid-August. Then we were pushing food and it's like I couldn't keep up. Like I'm a little person, so to give me 300 grams of carbs, like it's like I couldn't really digest it. So I think I'm still kind of trying to get that sorted out and my sleep could be a little bit better. So there's a lot of things that I β need to like just kind of optimize and so that waistline. Cause I think like that is like one thing I want to be the most proud of. And we've worked so hard on it. Like we work with
Mandy (42:13)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (42:29)
hand and we do our vacuums and all of that. So but it I think it's like
Mandy (42:31)
yeah. I'm so excited to like work in the off season with her. Like yeah, just to be yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (42:35)
In the off season, yeah. It's like a never ending goal though. I feel like it's, you know, always something. And now with growing, I'm like I definitely wanna make sure that my waist, you know, stays really, really tight while I'm in this growth phase for however long it takes.
Mandy (42:47)
Yeah. So so as you listeners know, so Gillian got fifth and her and her show, which was the show doing it together is astronomically awesome. So the pros got to go first and then MPC went later. So it's I got to be able to watch you, take pictures, cheer, all the fun stuff. And then as soon as you walked off stage, I was able to walk back.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (43:04)
Yeah.
Okay, when you came up to me after prejudging and I kind of felt bad because actually I I didn't really people who know me know I'm not being an asshole, but like I'm w I come off stage and like they make you wait until like everyone's done, just in case I do like a confirmation round, but like sent us off stage.
So we wait and then we start leaving. I'm like kind of first to start walking back. So like everyone's behind me and I see you and I sprint and jump into your arms because I'm so we're so happy that I got first call out and you're like, you did it. Like we would have thought I won the whole fucking show. But I was so happy and you knew how much that like meant to me. And I was like, gosh, I just made a big scene about nothing. β but that was like a really special moment too. And then yes.
Mandy (43:33)
Yeah.
It was so bad.
We got to do it twice too, because then finals, whenever y like, awards were done I yeah, we didn't know.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (43:53)
We thought I was maybe fifth or sixth. And obviously sixth place doesn't get a medal, but also you never know. You could be eighth place. You don't know. So when they brought out the top five and like I came out from around the curtain and you guys were like, Yeah you know, that was like a cool moment too. So yeah.
Mandy (44:00)
Yeah.
So fun. S yeah. So and then I went on and I did β Masters thirty-five and open and then I got
I got second in Masters and third in open. Again, it was nice because it was it was so stacked. Like it was so fun being against like a handful of girls and actually getting first call out and then battling to the center. So just all of that was such a great experience. And then the icing on the cake was the fact so Gillian and I shared a room up until Saturday. And then I got a separate room with Kate so Brian could stay with Jillian and then got to go home. You know, you guys drove home Sunday. We all drove home Sunday. So Kate and I were in a different hotel, different rooms. So we actually had like a living room in our hotel. So then we're
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (44:21)
Yes.
Mandy (44:45)
Even even Jillian
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (44:48)
It's late too. It's like ten thirty.
Mandy (44:50)
Even other Jillian was like barely like keeping her eyes open. And so we're all like texting while we're waiting to go back. We're like, let's order food real fast. Let's pick up food and we'll just have girly couch party. I it was the first time my whole season where I like didn't take like makeup photos. I didn't take like I didn't take all the cutesy photos. I was like, Gimme in the shower, gimme in the food, you guys get here. And it was I I don't know if you I'm sure you I had so many compliments on our couch photo. People are like, that's the cutest thing. It was like
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (45:17)
It was a cute picture. It was one shot, too. One picture.
Mandy (45:20)
Yeah, Brian was like click click. He took a couple, but like it was just one photo. We're like, that's all we needed. We just threw it was just it was such a great time. And then and then β I know. But she Yeah, we've all well, especially when as coaches, like when we're in prep and we have to go, like they want to go out to a restaurant, then we sit and whatever. But
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (45:24)
Yeah.
Yeah, it was fun. And Kate was eating her chicken and broccoli. I felt bad. But we've all been that guy. Like we've all been there when someone was eating and we couldn't.
Yeah, and we're like, sure, we're drinking coffee at ten o'clock at yeah.
Mandy (45:44)
Yeah, trying to stay alive, trying to stay warm. And we wanted to share with you guys something that actually w I mean we've never really shared before, but we wanted to share what we eat post-show Sunday. I will do the best I can to remember everything I ate. So do you want to go first or you want me? This is kind of a random thought. Okay. I will try to remember this.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (45:53)
Everything I ate post show, yes.
I should have like we should have written it down. You can go first. When do you want to start? Start Satur Saturday night? What you ate?
Mandy (46:06)
Okay, so Saturday night, okay, sure. So Saturday night we got a kind of different. I got a burger, fr burger and fries, and then I got I didn't share with you guys either, which I felt bad, but not really. But β I got pretzel sticks because I love a good warm pretzel with some cheese. So I finished my burger. I didn't finish my bur my fries and pretzels because I had a couple bites of your guys' pizza. That was really good, by the way. Whatever, your guys' custom. So then I drove home Sunday.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (46:31)
Yeah, that was so good.
You had an eight hour drive, by the way. That was long.
Mandy (46:36)
I
Okay, here's something that was crazy. I only slept for like an hour or two and I couldn't sleep anymore. So I told myself I'd start my drive and I had a book to listen to. And I'm like, if I get tired, I'll just get another hotel. If something happens, I'll stop. Nothing I stopped in St. Louis, so there was four hours. I had I got like break I got breakfast at first watch, which was like egg whites, potatoes, veggies, like the cutesy breakfast. I didn't do I just got normal breakfast. Continued my journey home.
I got home with Aaron. I had I was starving by then because it was lunchtime. I had we went to a restaurant. I got shrimp tacos and we split a chicken sandwich. Delicious. I love this place. β then we just relaxed at home for a little bit. And then that's where like it was time to watch movies and everything, which I love. Like good I love like a good spread just to kind of pick at. So we went to High V.
And Chipotle. And so we got Hive's like a grocery store that's here. That's like one of our, you it's a good grocery store. And we just got like chips and taziki dip. β it was chips, t it was like a spinach taziki dip. You're gonna think I'm crazy for this. I got a Chipotle bowl so I can mix it all together and have it as like a nacho dip. And so like I would dip some okay, so I'm not crazy. Erin's like, it's because you're not normal. I'm like, no, this is delicious. So then I would just that
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (47:41)
You had chip lunch? I love chip lunch.
Yeah, that sounds bomb. No.
Sounds good to me.
Mandy (48:02)
And we watched a couple movies. I ate that all day. And then I had β the Boom Chick a popcorn. You give me some good white cheddar popcorn, boom chickka popcorn. And then I had protein ice cream. and a Panera cookie. I've never had Panera cookies. Those are good. β yes, chunky, 'cause I like chocolate chips, yeah. Cause that was another thing. I didn't want a big dessert. I'm a savory person. I like snacking on like the salty chips, chicken. β
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (48:10)
Yeah.
Did you get the chunky one? Chocolate chunk. Mm, so good.
Mandy (48:30)
And then yeah, because that's how we ended. We s I snacked on the we snacked on that like the whole night because he had his Chipotle and his dip and all his stuff. β and then the I there's this protein ice cream that is really good. You can get it by the pint at Target or high V. It's it's like 30 grams of protein. I have no idea the name. I'll send you the picture of it though. β but yeah, no, they have a lot of different flavors. Like it's really good. So I got cookie dough and then I heated up the cookie and I had a hot cookie and and that was my Sunday.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (48:44)
What's it called?
That sounds good.
Mandy (48:59)
And then I was right back on plan Monday. I I I feel great getting right back on plan. It wasn't until Thursday to where I had I guess off plan food, you would say again. But even then, like it was normal breakfast, like egg whites, hash browns, went to the gym, and then I hosted a a boo bash party at my house where we made charm bracelets and I cooked all that and it's all like protein chicken chili and I made a dessert protein cheesecake. So I snacked on all that and
Then I was fine, now I'm back on plan. So that was it. Yep. What about you? Your turn.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (49:34)
Okay, β so after the show, well I cracked open an alani right away because I hadn't had one all week. and then we went we got Domino's and we got like that like barbecue chicken pizza and then like another pizza and I drank some rose and then I ate some candy because I love gummy candy. Like love it, love it, love it. And I had a stash at home because I like
kept picking up things like chocolate cover gummy bears and I didn't really bring any of it with me. But when we got back to our hotel after we left your hotel room, first of all, Brian was like, just throw the pizza away. I'm like, we're not doing that. So I went to the front desk and I was like, hey, we have some leftover pizza. And they're like, we'll take it. So I we gave I didn't want to take it back to the room. Also we had a tiny fridge. And I'm just kind of like that. Like I don't really want to see the food the next day. Like I'm just like, I'm not going to want this. And I knew we were going to dinner. Yeah. So β but I hate wasting. So that worked out. And then
Mandy (50:05)
Mm-hmm.
β
Yeah, I'm the same way. I don't even like it in my fridge.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (50:28)
Brian went to sleep right away and then I was wired. Like it was late. Like I'd already did I have a sh I'd had had a shower, but I needed to wash my face. And I was trying to sort up my room. And so I think he went to sleep and it was like twelve thirty and I was still awake. β and then I ate a giant Kit Kat, like the fat ones. β so that gave me heartburn. So like then that kind of like spoiled my like Sunday drive home like thoughts of eating. and I think I had
Mandy (50:46)
Yep, you love those.
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (50:58)
I had breakfast that I brought with me, like my cream of rice and stuff. So I ate that in the car. And then we stopped somewhere and it was like, β kind of like it's called Zaxby's. It's like a chicken finger restaurant. And it just like, I'm like, this is gonna be awesome. And it just didn't. And I'm like, mm-hmm, I'm good. We I just brought it all home. I didn't even have it, but I drank a lot of Diet Coke. And then we went to dinner when we got home and went to like our favorite restaurant here in St. Louis. It's called Basso, and they have like wood fired pizza and they have really good burgers.
Mandy (51:08)
we have that. Yeah.
No, yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (51:26)
But like we split a burger and then we got a pizza because I just know myself, like I'm gonna think I'm gonna eat it all and then I won't. And their fries are so good. They have like these like truffle fries with like really good like sauces for dipping. And then the pizza was like this fig and prosciutto and feta with like it had like a like a sweet drizzle on it. Holy shit, that was good. β so that and then like some candy. Then Monday I was going to be on plan, but I hadn't had a cheat meal with my kids yet. So
Mandy (51:32)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I know what you're talking about, yeah. β
β
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (51:55)
β they wanted to eat with me, so we got kava, which is I mean, it's not that bad, but it's delicious. I mean
Mandy (52:02)
I have not had kava and we keep passing it and I'm like, someday I will eat you. It just never we don't have one close to me. I have to go like 40 minutes and there's one. And I'm just like, every time I'm near one, it doesn't like it's not fitting into the day. Ugh. No.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (52:05)
β my god.
Yeah, yeah, it's like not a day that you're gonna have a cheat. I know this one opened like earlier this month and β and to be fair, every time they open, like you can't get in. Like if you ordered a carryout, it's four hours to get it right. So it just worked out perfectly that my daughter was home from school and so we got it and it was so good, but it was a million calories. Like I tried to track it and I was like, forget it. Like when you get all the stuff, like I mean, you get feta and it means it's like basically like Chipotle, but Mediterranean.
Mandy (52:24)
That's not heard. It's still good.
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (52:43)
so it has a lot protein in it. It's not super fattening, but it's just a lot of food. β and you can't stop. It's so good. So we watched Dancing with the Stars and ate that, and then we ate some candy. β so Tuesday back on plan. And β yeah, I mean, I but it hasn't really been hard. β I'm looking for some new options because I'm a little bit bored. So I switched up my dinner, but I'm basically eating my same breakfast and β meal two and three are basically the same. And and we've had little things like I've had, you know.
Mandy (52:50)
I need to try this place.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (53:11)
like treat here and there and like the other night β I made like a pe like a pizza for the kids and ate some of that and it's it's been fine. Like I've had little bites and stuff, but my reverse is not like it's not like I'm you know, I don't have low macros so I could fit stuff in. But I Jamie did say like I need you to track all that stuff because it's just hard to track. I'm like, d was that an eighth of a pizza, you know, like it just it's so much easier to track like food that's you normally eat. So
Mandy (53:26)
Yeah.
my gosh, I I could not Yeah, that'd be so hard to track. But like it's it's really funny because for me, like I it's
It's basically the same thing. Like I got right back on plan, but there's little swaps I've did. So, like, you know me, I've been eating shrimp consistently. Well, one of the I'm like one of my meals, I don't want to eat shrimp. I'm actually eating chicken thighs. And I really like chicken thighs and I get that extra fat. My calories have increased actually quite a bit because like I've just it's felt great. So like I haven't had that same thing. Like there's no urge.
I love my cream of rice. It's so desserty that like it scratches any desserty itch and now I have more of it. But like there's certain things like like I've been having a fruit problem. I only like bananas. Like that's it. Like so every time he's like, Eat some blueberries, I'm like, nope, I'm swapping that out for something. Like so these little swaps that I do here and there. But my like I make Carson pizza all the time. I don't but it's not good pizza, but I've been making all these protein crock pot meals for the farm.
for the property. And I will say, like, yeah, to your point, like I'll have a couple bites of that. And it's like a medley of like it's sometimes chicken or beef. And then it's like sweet potatoes or beans. And it's like I'll take a couple extra bites of that. And I like I wouldn't have done that in prep, right? So like that kind of stuff. It's it's like Yeah. β
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (54:53)
Yeah. And that's usually enough for me. Like I I don't know if you're the same or I don't want to that's not gonna be my meal. Like I'm still what?
Mandy (54:59)
You're gonna laugh. I there's something else. That's so funny. I can't So there is something I have been going slightly overboard with and I haven't
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (55:07)
Coffee. Diet Coke.
Mandy (55:10)
Course Diet Coke. Like when you said Diet Coke on Sunday, my blood was Diet Coke on Sunday. Let's be real, okay? Because I I cut out soda for peak week and I'm fine with it. I don't, I'm like, I'm like, it is what it is. Who cares? god. I just it is what it is. So β so that is like the only thing I have in my fridge, or I make sure that Saturday I will be able to get one. So Sunday.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (55:16)
I'm not shocked. Yeah, same. I miss it though. Yeah, it's like one of the first things I want.
Mandy (55:34)
I can't drink soda in the mornings. It's a thing. It was like my childhood thing. We couldn't drink soda till the afternoon. So the second, the second that it was like lunchtime, I lived off Diet Coke. β no, I've been going hard on almond milk lattes. And I'm like, Mandy, you need to stop. Like every every time like we go to like I've gone to a place, like church, I went to a farmer's market. Instead of just getting my normal black coffee, I'm always like
I want an almond milk latte. And I always check the stupid almond milk to make sure it's not something crazy. Like that's just a normal habit. But still I'm like, it's only forty calories. That's okay. So okay, I've been going slightly overboard with that. Like I've yeah, like every day.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (56:16)
I mean, that's not a crime, so
Mandy (56:19)
No, it's not. But like you said, like it's just these little things that you wouldn't do leading into a show or close to a show. And now it's like that's gonna be okay because we can you know, we're almost at an hour, but we can kinda talk about our next year plans if you want. So 'cause like so to continue with that, like I know I'm not gonna be stepping on stage till next fall. I plan to do what I'm calling chill and build. β because I don't I really don't like calling it an off season. There's no such thing as a switch.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (56:33)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (56:49)
We all like so many people call it off season, so of course I'm gonna say it. I don't like it, but it is what it is. I like to say just build season, improvement season, just because it's not a switch for me. I still literally wake up and do exactly the same thing. I do the same mobility, same walking, same food, like it is the same. But and I just I have this like s I want to build my physique. So I wanna s my goal is to step back on stage next August through October.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (57:07)
It's the same.
Mandy (57:19)
That would be my time frame of of show season. So that's my plan as of now. I don't see a reason it would change unless something occurs. But I don't even know what would occur. Like we're Aaron and I have a pretty good like trajectory of business. So like nothing's gonna change. There's nothing really moving. Like nothing's really like that would change that. So like that's my plan as of now. What about you?
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (57:48)
Yeah, so I'm gonna take a pretty long break just I think with having been in the sport for as long as I have. β I just need I need more time to build significantly. Like well, I mean significant is not. Like I'm not trying to like have a different body and they don't want that. Like, you know, the these changes need to be minor, but it still will take a long time because I'm not new. and so I don't think it makes sense for me to get on stage much earlier than
Mandy (58:04)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (58:17)
the very end of next year or maybe early twenty twenty-eight. β so I don't know. I think it it is harder for me to do those early spring shows because of cheer and so much travel. But then I don't know. I if this is how I'm prepping now, like and I'm not doing two and a half hours of cardio a day and feeling like a zombie, then I don't see why I mean and and that was truly my goal this year. So I so that's a goal achieved, right? Because I
went with Jamie and Fitbody Fusion because I saw her athletes showing up on stage all year. Like they'd be on stage in April, then they'd show up in June, then you'd see them in September. And I'm like, how the hell are they doing this? Like I had always had like this like off season, then this like dramatic prep, and then you cram all your shows in and then you're done. Like that's how it's always been for me. β so like when this year when I'm going into my shows and I'm like, this is weird. I'm not doing any cardio like I feel like that is exactly why I
chose her and took the time to kind of do that so I could have more of like β like, you know, it's not this dramatic like shift in and then you do a show or you do a bunch of shows and you feel like death, right? So so I don't know. I just think that β you know, I I know there's gaps in my physique, β that I want to improve upon and it's just gonna take time. And I I think I gave myself
Mandy (59:23)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (59:38)
an appropriate amount of time. I'm curious what it would have looked if I'd given myself a bit more. But we were on a timeline of like, you know, I knew the shows were gonna kind of run out with my schedule. And so β yeah, I think there's no rush really. Like she said to me, if if we think we're ready towards the end of next year, then I think that we could get on stage, you know, November, December. But I'm also like, I don't know if that makes sense. Like maybe we just take off the entire year into spring and then like
Do those shows, but I don't even know what the goal is anymore. I said this after my first show the season, like, is it the Masters Olympia? Like, I don't know if that's the be all end all. Like, I think there's so much more I can gain out of this sport, β and just, you know, like compete, show up, like be proud of the improvements and you know, be in the mix. And but I know if I want to compete for those like top two spots, I'm gonna have to make changes that I can't do by just showing up and just
c changing conditioning and posing, it's gonna take a build. I just need more glute density. So β and that just takes time. So I'm I'm not excited about taking this much time off. But I think once I get into a groove, it'll be okay. And I think the thing that helps me is that like I'm still really involved in the sport. Like we're always at shows. Yeah yeah. So I I think like I it's not like I'm gonna be so far removed. I think the biggest challenge for me is going to be staying on top of my posing because
Mandy (1:00:51)
I was just about to say that.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (1:01:04)
I know that taking a really long time off, like it really does hurt you when you get back into posing. And if you haven't done it in a long time and then 16 weeks out, you put your heels on, you're like, okay, it takes such a long time to find your groove again. So that's something like, and I I think what I'll probably end up doing is just booking a session with someone at least once a month so that I know I'm practicing leading up to it. I'm practicing post that meeting. β just so that I'm always working on it so that when I am getting sh close to show, it's not like
Mandy (1:01:31)
Yeah.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (1:01:34)
I'm dusting off the heels, you know.
Mandy (1:01:36)
Yeah, I will say, like, both of us are so 'cause I went through this with IVF in a sense of like you're just still so active with in the sport, right? We ha we have athletes that are competing, you know, we you have boosts that show, we have, you know, look seminars. Like it's just never like it's I I mean that in a good way, it's never ending, like in a positive way. And so it always keeps you I talk to a lot of like
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (1:01:51)
Seminars and
Yeah.
Mandy (1:02:01)
People that struggle in the reverse about this, or people that struggle with kind of just finding their groove in the industry when they're in there, like, like what do they really want to do? And I'm like, well, there's a million things you can possibly do. It's just a matter of what makes you like the happiest, you know? So it's just going to the shows, being in the atmosphere, you know, presenting yourself, dressing up, having fun, learning, you know, making connections with people. And then the before you know it, like time.
Flies, flies. It's about to be November. Like it flies. So like
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (1:02:27)
Exactly, it does.
Mandy (1:02:33)
The fact that like you're going to blink and it will be the end of next year before we know it is just gnarly. So I always think that. And so also, if any of you listeners are thinking about stepping on stage, remember Gillian and I both are coaches with Mopshell Method Fitness. So you can always reach out to us with any questions that you possibly may have. Even if you're not sure you want to step on stage, but you really need to develop like those lifestyle habits, we can definitely help you with that. So you can always reach out to us on any platform that you're watching or listening to us on.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (1:02:40)
Yeah.
Yes.
send us a message and we always love to hear your questions and things you'd like us to cover in future episodes. So β we definitely take all of those comments into consideration. So you can message us or leave a comment below. And don't forget to share and like and subscribe and do all the things because it really helps us to keep showing up.
Mandy (1:03:17)
Yeah.
Yes. And to right. And to everybody that came up to us this year, which of course we will still be we have two more shows that we're gonna be at. We're gonna be at the Kansas City show here in two weeks. And then we're gonna be at I keep calling it the holiday show. The show in St. Louis here in β Holiday Muscle Fest. And
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (1:03:36)
The holiday muscle fest in Saint Louis on November twenty first.
Mandy (1:03:40)
We will be there as well. We are ac we are actually the headlining sponsors. So Gillian's Mom Shell Method Fitness, we will be there as well. So if you do see us, please come up to us and talk with us. We always love to meet anybody that is listening or watching or, you know, just it means so much to us 'cause this is like our passion baby. You know, we love doing this and being able to put, you know, information and connection out there in the industry. So always, you know, thank you guys so much.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (1:03:45)
Yes. We're excited.
Yeah.
Yes. And also I do want to say that if you are a pro that's listening and you would like to be on our show, we'd love to interview you. Like we always want to bring new athletes to β you know, the view of others. And so β I've had people say like, I I just never thought you would ask me and so if you are we're always looking for guests and β or if you've got a specialty area that you think we would be, you know
what we would be able to share with our audience. We would love to bring that on as well. So we're always looking for new ideas. We won't have any like show recaps for a while. So we're gonna be filling our β schedule with lots of interesting topics and guests. So we're always open to suggestions.
Mandy (1:04:38)
I know.
Yes. Yeah. So thank you guys and and happy Halloween.
Gillian Hughes IFBB Bikini Pro (1:04:47)
Yes. Happy Halloween. Yes, this comes out on on Friday, β October thirtieth. So have a happy Halloween, everybody. Okay, bye.
Mandy (1:04:52)
It comes out on Fridays. And so s and then Saturday. Yeah. Bye guys.