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In this episode, Mandy and Gillian are BACK from their competitions and hopped right on the mic to share all the tea and their feelings about their experiences from show day! Mandy competed at the NPC Dual of Champions in Omaha Nebraska while Gillian traveled to DC to compete at the NPC DC Pro/AM on the very same day! The hosts share all the exciting details about their show day experiences, their placings and their plans following the shows- you won’t want to miss the inside scoop and how Mandy and Gillian are going to use the vital judge feedback and show day experiences to grow and improve in order to continue to rise in the bikini division! We want our listeners to learn that competing in a bikini body-building competition is about more than just winning or a placing: it's an opportunity for personal growth and self-improvement. Having a growth mindset and being open to learning and growing from each competition is key to long-term success in the sport!
Make sure to rate, subscribe, and leave us reviews on how much this podcast has helped you 💕. We’d 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 → http://bit.ly/loseweightgetsexy
Contact your hosts:
Mandy Rochon
Facebook: Mandy Rochon
Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
Facebook: Gillian Hughes
Mandy’s Posing Sessions
1:1 In Person (KC Posing Studio) → https://bit.ly/inpersonposingwithmandy
1:1 Virtual Posing → https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithmandy
Posing with Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
1:1 In Person (St Louis Posing Studio) → https://bit.ly/stlposingwithgillianifbbpro
1:1 Virtual Posing → https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithgillianifbbpro
Nuethyx Formulations Supplements →
(Use code “Momshell” to save 10% off your order)
Toxic Angelz Bikinis → https://toxicangelzbikinis.com
(Use code “GILLIAN” or code “MANDY” to save 15% off your order)
MISAJO Sports —> https://shopsiham.com/collections/workout
(Use code “GILLIAN10” to save 10% off your order)
Squeeze Me Skinny Waist Trainers → https://www.squeezmeskinny.com
(Use code “MOMSHELL” to save 10% off your order)
The Shoe Fairy competition heels → https://www.shoefairyofficial.com
(Use code “momshell” to save 15% off your order)
Labwork and Personalized Recommendations: Practitioner Depot: https://bit.ly/practitionerdepotxmomshell (Use code “momshell” to save 5% off your order)
Our Amazon storefront- fitness outfits, more supplements, beauty items and competition needs → 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. We’ll 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 you’re 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 💕
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 → http://bit.ly/loseweightgetsexy
Mandys Posing Sessions
1:1 In Person (KC Posing Studio) → https://bit.ly/inpersonposingwithmandy
1:1 Virtual Posing → https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithmandy
Posing with Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
1:1 In Person (St Louis Posing Studio) → https://bit.ly/stlposingwithgillianifbbpro
1:1 Virtual Posing → 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 → https://www.momshell-method-fitness.myshopify.com
(Use code “BAB” to save 15% off your order)
Toxic Angelz Bikinis → https://toxicangelzbikinis.com
(Use code “GILLIAN” or code “MANDY” to save 15% off your order)
Squeeze Me Skinny Waist Trainers → https://www.squeezmeskinny.com
(Use code “MOMSHELL” to save 10% off your order)
The Shoe Fairy competition heels → https://www.shoefairyofficial.com
(Use code “momshell” to save 15% off your order)
Labwork and Personalized Recommendations: Practitioner Depot: https://bit.ly/practitionerdepotxmomshell (Use code “momshell” to save 5% off your order)
Our Amazon storefront- fitness outfits, more supplements, beauty items and competition needs → https://amzn.to/3zySJ4C
Mandy (00:00)
Hello everyone and welcome back to Bikinis After Babies. Thank you so much for joining us today. And of course I am one of your hosts Mandy Rochon here with your other beautiful blonde host.
Gillian (00:13)
Mandy for that intro. Hi, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. I'm Gillian Hughes. We are back from show weekend and so excited to record this episode. Actually, Mandy and I have hardly chatted since Saturday for two reasons, like for this. But yeah, we were busy too. But.
Mandy (00:16)
I'm gonna go.
Mm -hmm.
We put, okay, we both, yeah.
But I feel like we mentally, we didn't even say that we weren't going to chat. I think you and I knew what we were doing though, right? Like, okay, so for you guys listening, Jillian and I chat all the time on every different platform. We'll see something on Instagram.
Gillian (00:43)
Yeah.
All day. All day. From like sunup to sundown. Like from like 3am to like night time. Like all day.
Mandy (00:56)
It's because it's a genre of stuff too. It's like our prep, it's our coaching questions, it's exactly family. So, yep, we'll watch a show together.
Gillian (01:01)
Business stuff and yeah, industry news like just no one else knows all the stuff that we you know, I mean I have lots of fitness friends but like, you know, if I see like some whack posing like I'm definitely going to send it to me and be like, what is this? You know? Yeah.
Mandy (01:15)
Yeah. And then we talk about it. But so I feel like the start of like check -ins on Friday up until right now, you and I like, other than like, hey, are you doing okay? Hey, how'd you do? It was like, once we like knew each other, we're good. We're like, okay, we don't wanna really talk too much. Yeah. Exactly.
Gillian (01:27)
Yeah.
We're saving it for this episode. Yeah. All the feels, all the thoughts, everything. And like throughout the day too, with the timing of our shows, because Mandy was in Omaha. Am I getting that right? I keep, I, it's a brain fart, but it's also, it's a Canadian thing. Yes. And I keep saying, I've said Omaha a couple of times, then I've said Iowa. I mean, I'm Canadian. So to me, it's all, it's all this, it's all the same. And also, yeah, that's a show. I have a client doing a show in Iowa this coming weekend.
Mandy (01:45)
Okay, it's Omaha, Nebraska.
It's because it's right there.
Gillian (02:01)
So anyway, so you were in Omaha and I was in DC and then there was a time difference and then your show followed like the standard format of like prejudging was in the morning and then finals were at night, whereas mine was all at night at four o 'clock or three o 'clock. So it was just kind of like, you know, we kept like kind of missing each other or like, you know, I didn't really have much going on and Mandy was getting ready to go on stage. So anyway, so yeah, we just kind of like saved everything for this episode so that we could just catch like the real.
Mandy (02:06)
DC.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (02:30)
talk and you know all the feels and and recap everything so so Mandy let's let's hear how things went down for you in Omaha this weekend.
Mandy (02:32)
Yeah.
Hehehehe
I was beyond ready for this show. I was about four weeks out and I was just like, let's go. Like this, this needs to move faster. I feel like I was super busy and time slowed down, but peak we came and then once Friday hit, man, I was just like, hey, it's in the barn, it's time. So Omaha's about two and a half hours from here. So I left Friday afternoon, check -ins were Friday evening show.
you know, prejudging with Saturday morning. Like, like you said, it was like here, which it's the normal format. But the greatest thing about this show to me, it was the fact that like, I, I would have expedited this show, but instead I decided to compete in it. So I knew the expeditors and I had a friend that was in town from Florida expediting. I knew a few people working for Liquid Sunrise, which was the tanning company. I had clients posing clients that were in the show. We had mom show clients in the show. I,
I knew this was the first show I had ever done where I knew so many people. And it was a little nerve wracking, but at the same time, it was very comforting. So when I got there, there was so many people I had like met at shows expediting and they're like, my God, your competing is so exciting. And the tanning people are like, look at you. And it was just so much fun. It was like just giggles all weekend. So.
Gillian (03:45)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (04:08)
Checked in, had a great time. I got my first coat of tan, put my feet up Friday night and just watched TV and chilled. Woke up Saturday morning, did hair, makeup, tanning, you know, all the normal stuff. And it just, it was so, I was so elated. Like I was just so happy. I just saw so many people. We had so many good talks. I knew so many first time competitors that were going to that show. So I knew that they were going to be really nervous and I wanted to be there for them and.
Gillian (04:37)
Yeah.
Mandy (04:38)
take, yeah, like, and just comfort them and be like, hey, we're back here together. Like, we're gonna do this together. And, and it just, it really was that, like, the camaraderie backstage was just out of this world. Like, I mean, literally, like, I was speechless. Like, making posts about the show was almost hard without, like, crying because it was just so, so inspirational and, like, motivating and, and so much quality time. But no.
Gillian (04:45)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (05:08)
So, prejudging was good. And then finals was, again, fantastic. I got first in my open class in Masters 35, and I got third in my open class. And, you know, I definitely could see what I need to work on. But I will say this was my first time walking on stage where I felt sassy. Like, I...
Gillian (05:27)
That's why I was going to ask you, like, how did it feel? Because with that environment where you knew so many people, that could like make you more nervous or it can make you feel more confident. And because you're already having a good time, like the vibes are good. So what did that feel like when you went out and did your routine?
Mandy (05:39)
Yeah.
I was so much more confident. The shakes were still there. You know, you get those nerve shakes throughout your legs and you know, like you know what's happening, but the judges can't see that. Like nobody can really see that, but you feel it hardcore, right? So I still had like the shakes and the jitters, but I like, I like danced right through it. I did my posing right through it. I was, you know, flipped my hair, super sassy. Like I just, I actually, I do have a girl that took a video of me and,
Gillian (06:01)
Yeah.
Mandy (06:12)
I will share it with you. I just got it, I think this morning, I think she sent it to me. Yeah, so it just was so good. Like I was so happy. Like no matter what I placed, I was just so happy. And it definitely felt really good. And it felt nothing. It...
Gillian (06:13)
Yeah, I want to see awesome
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's how it should feel. Like I think if you've never competed before, like you can't let show day nerves and like, you know, just kind of the low energy that you're feeling, like just know like that day, like it's like your time to have a good time. Like you should be enjoying yourself and you know, just in good vibes. Cause it really shows on stage when you're, you know, when you're, when your heart is happy, you know, you can't fake that. Yeah.
Mandy (06:48)
Mm -hmm. Yeah. And it was hard to get out of the expediter mind frame, I will say, because I need jerkingly, like when I hear or see something, I want to be like, you go there. you go look at this. But what happened, right? What happened is a lot of the competitors were, the show I just expedited was two weeks ago now in South Dakota, Sioux Falls. There was a handful of competitors from that show.
Gillian (06:56)
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, because you can help. Yeah.
Mandy (07:17)
And then there was other people from previous shows that knew I was an expediter. And so it happened anyways that a lot of people were like, hey, how does this work again? Or hey, how do I get feedback again? Or hey, and so girls still came up to me and was like, can you help me for a second? And I was like, absolutely, you know? It's just that comforting camaraderie backstage to be with everybody. And I'm like, even though I'm not expediting, absolutely, still help you and point you in the right direction.
Gillian (07:20)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So how did you feel like about your physique? Because you had 10 weeks between clash and this one, right? Was it 10 weeks?
Mandy (07:47)
Bye.
I think it was, I mentally was 12.
Gillian (07:59)
It's a long ass time. I know that it's a long time. So how did you feel about your your physique and improvements and on your posing? Because I know posing was something that you wanted to really fine tune. Yeah.
Mandy (08:01)
Yeah, yeah, and I.
Posing was a huge improvement. So posing was a huge improvement. I was gonna straighten my hair, but I didn't. I did like a blowout kind of look, which I liked actually a lot. So that was great. Suit, I had my suit resized, fit perfectly, that worked. I will say that something I didn't realize till somebody brought it up, but like I didn't really gain any weight between March till June.
Gillian (08:17)
Yeah.
Mandy (08:38)
And if you're like, that's insane. Like I really, I gained like a few pounds, but then I would lose it. And when I say a few, I mean like three or four and then lose it. So I didn't really fluctuate that much in weight. And I feel like that kind of hurt me in a way, just because I feel like my calories never got high enough. Like I was full, I wasn't hungry and I wasn't starving by any means, but like, I feel like I wore my body out at some point. And it just, I feel like in...
Gillian (08:44)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Mm, yeah.
Mandy (09:07)
Probably as you guys listen to this podcast, if you've read my post, I have pain in my back and my hip that started flaring back up. And because I couldn't rest and recover, it really took a toll on me. And I feel like I couldn't push through a lot of my workouts like I was at the beginning and in the fall and winter, right? I was able to really, even if I was like hungry or felt weak, I could still push through it easily. But now having like discomfort and pain,
Gillian (09:26)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (09:36)
There's just no way. So I feel like, I feel like I brought a still good physique because we peaked a little bit differently. I was fuller. I was definitely fuller in my glutes and my shoulders, but I still, I still needed to bring in a smaller waist and I still needed to bring in leaner legs. And so there's things that need more work and I just need more time.
Gillian (09:50)
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think that just in your check in photos, like I definitely saw improvements and you know, that was a long like your first prep into the March show was long and then like another 12 weeks, like normally back to back shows, like you spread them out, but sometimes it's like maybe three, four weeks, but that was really long. It was almost like another you don't really have time to like have an off season and then go into a prep. It was like just like tacking another prep onto a prep. So.
Mandy (10:23)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (10:26)
I could just tell towards the end, like, you know, your body was not, I want to say like worn down because you're very strong and you're mentally like very like you also have a positive mindset, but like just towards the end, like I think when you're in pain and you're trying to work through pain as an athlete, it's so challenging because and as in this sport to where like, you know, it's like you want to have these big giant, you know, like super tight glutes. And if you can't train, it just makes it really, really tough. So.
Mandy (10:48)
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (10:54)
So yeah, I really commend you for pushing through and listening to your body too, because I think you do a good job of that, like taking the recovery on the weekends and all that. We're always learning though, like that's what I always say. Like you just have to always take from all your experiences and like just use it to to get better. So, you know, I'm excited to see all your stage photos and because there wasn't a lot of coverage of your show and all day I was like refreshing. Like sometimes there's somebody at your show that's that does like.
Mandy (11:09)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah. The social media? Yeah.
Gillian (11:22)
photos of all the classes. Yeah. And so I couldn't really follow what was going on. So, yeah, I'm excited to see. I mean, I've been like refreshing NBC News online, like literally every hour waiting for stage photos to come up. So we'll see. Sometimes it's like the next day or a couple of days later. So we'll see.
Mandy (11:38)
Yeah, I think we got told ours was about Tuesday, but you never know. They could get there Monday, you just don't know. But no, I got a lot of coverage of your show though. So okay, I know, right? It was a really big show, but also because, so the time difference, it affected us talking, but I was able to watch you. I was so excited. I wasn't.
Gillian (11:42)
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
That was a big one. That was a big one. my God.
Like my whole show was done like before you went on for finals, right?
Mandy (12:08)
I know, but yeah, because you, I was sitting backstage for finals, I think the pro physique women were on, and when I was backstage and you sent me a picture and you're like, like done, and I was like, I'm literally just now eating my rice cake.
Gillian (12:18)
Done. Yeah, that was awesome. It was so great. Like we started at three. The men went in the morning and they had men's physique pros and then they had all the men's divisions. And I had to go backstage to get my tan at like 11 and there was just men laying around everywhere. And I'm like, I'm so glad they're going to be gone because the backstage area was kind of small. But but yeah, so I went to D .C., which is not in D .C. at all. I was never ever in.
Mandy (12:34)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (12:47)
the state of Washington or I don't.
Mandy (12:49)
I'm not gonna lie, I totally thought for a millisecond, Washington DC, and then you said, this was weeks ago, and you said Virginia, I'm like.
Gillian (12:55)
It is Washington, DC. Never did I ever step foot inside that state. What state is that in? I'm Canadian. Everybody's listening. I'm not ignorant. I'm just Canadian. I went to school.
Mandy (12:59)
I don't... It's... Okay. It's... It's just the fact that there's a state called Washington. So when you say DC, it's like our brains just think about the state, Washington.
Gillian (13:11)
Wait a minute. Hold on a second. So the White House is not in D .C.? Where is the White House? I thought it was in Washington, D .C.
Mandy (13:22)
We're gonna get, Jillian, we're gonna get grilled on this podcast right now. Like, don't do this. Okay, Jillian, let's just get to you.
Gillian (13:25)
Look, here's what people don't know about Canadians. You don't learn American things in Canada. You don't. You learn Canadian. We have a lot of Canadian things to learn. OK, whatever. So I went to the D .C. I didn't even go to D .C. I was Virginia Pro Am. It was called the D .C. Pro Am. OK, never. I don't know where it was, but I'll tell you, I flew in and and that was there was a Thursday I flew in. Yeah, yeah.
Mandy (13:52)
Yeah, you left Thursday, I remember, because we -
Gillian (13:55)
direct flight, got to the hotel, hotel room wasn't ready. I was like, like pissed about it. But whatever, I ended up pulling some strings and get in my room. Well, really, because the lady didn't want to like hold on to my luggage. And so she's like, let me see your ID. And I was like, my God, am I going to jail? And then she got me a room. So she has to train on Thursday. And then Friday, my girlfriend, Erin, came in. She's from St. Louis, but just relocated to Atlanta a couple of years ago with her husband, Jeff. So.
We met up and she's like the best show mom ever. And so we like mostly we just vegged all day, which is weird for me. I don't usually do that every show I've ever done before. I've always done a pretty intense like glute workout on Friday. I'm going to come back to that. I'm going to put a pin in that statement that I made just right there. It's very important that we bring that back up when we come back around. Because I think that is a contributor to some things. So anyways, didn't do anything and.
Mandy (14:39)
We gotta remember to come back to that.
Gillian (14:52)
And I felt great, you know, I felt really tight, everything felt good. Digestion was on point. I was snoozing, everything was good. Good lighting in the room, like, you know, I felt very full. And then Saturday we started to doop, doop, doop, doop, the scales, bloop, bloop, bloop, like just burning through food. And, and so, you know, I, I didn't really, I didn't see it in photos. I was like, this looks good. You know, I'm happy. I'm tight. My tummy was really tight.
Mandy (14:57)
Your photos looked great. Your check -in photos. Mm -hmm.
Gillian (15:22)
everything looked great. and so, you know, James has us check in. He's very, very thorough. It was an amazing virtual coaching experience, like for him not being there. And he was in Toronto with all of his, and they entered the Toronto pro show went on this past weekend and the way they do things, that's like their nationals. So like Canadian nationals was Saturday. So he's there with all of his national competitors. And then he's got pros competing the next day.
Mandy (15:38)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (15:51)
And James, I'm with team Atlas, they're a Canadian based team. So he's so many athletes that he's.
Mandy (15:55)
I always forget that. What's the time difference from the shows? Do you know? Cause that's another thing.
Gillian (15:59)
I don't even know. I don't even know. Well, he has you send in a text like what time it is right, right at then and there. And then what time you think you'll be on stage so he can kind of gauge where we're at. And so every 90 minutes I would send a photo and a video and you know what I ate last. And I was weighing myself every 90 minutes too. And it was like drop. I was like dropping like point two or point six, like every 90 minutes while I'm eating. And so.
Mandy (16:06)
Okay.
Mm -hmm.
wow, you were burning.
Gillian (16:28)
Yeah, and I wasn't, yeah, and I wasn't hardly doing any, I did my own hair and makeup, but it was really chill, I was super relaxed, like, I just took my time doing it all, I really was trying not to exert myself, but I was just burning through everything that he was giving me. So, head backstage, and it was, I get backstage about like 2 .45 and the pro show started, the women started at three, and it was stacked, I mean.
Mandy (16:38)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (16:53)
Yulia Baba was there. Emi Person was there. She was just third in Pittsburgh. And these girls in person are just, they're so beautiful. They're so nice. They're just, they're just beautiful. And their physiques are incredible. And Tara Greer, she ended up winning the, winning the show. Valeria Fedorenko, I think her name is, she, she is the most beautiful person in.
Mandy (16:53)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (17:18)
I've ever seen in person. She looks like a statue. She's and she's one of James's clients, but I think there's a bit of a language barrier. I think she's Ukrainian maybe. So I didn't like try to strike up a convo with her because she probably, you know, and also I like to respect people on their show day. I let them, you know, in their focus, they're in the zone and you know, they, you know, they need to stay in that spot. Yeah. So I smile, but like I don't interrupt people and whatnot, but yeah, I mean,
Mandy (17:30)
Mm -hmm.
Right? You just never know. Yeah, you never know.
Gillian (17:45)
just to see them all backstage getting prepared. And we were all kind of in a sea together, right? So they all went. And then as soon as that happened, they were lining up Masters Bikini right away because we started directly afterwards and there weren't a lot of figure competitors or women's physique competitors. Bikini is always like the biggest division. So we were lining up right away. It was just really fast. And they lined us up. My first class I was in was Masters 40, 17 girls.
Mandy (18:03)
Mm -hmm.
That's what I think, I think that's the one I watched because I was able to watch you before I had to go do my stuff and I couldn't, it said masters and I was like, is this 40 or 35? And it was, I saw all the girls. I was like, my gosh.
Gillian (18:24)
17 girls. I'm like, I think they just probably didn't expect to have that many. So there was one master's 40 class and they brought us out in like three individual groups first and then everybody did their routine. So that was good. I didn't have to like wait on stage while everybody did their routine. So, but the minute my shoe hit that stage, I was like, it's slippery. It was so slippery. It was like, like a plastic table.
Like, you know, those like I was trying to explain the texture to Brian, like a picnic table that's plastic, that's literally the surface because they said that they had wiped it down and because all the men had gone earlier. And I'm like, I've been on gym like wooden floors. I've been on it. It was not oil. It was the texture of the floor. So that threw me off. And then when I did my individual routine routine and went to the back pose, I kind of stumbled a little bit because I it was really slick. So.
Mandy (18:55)
Yeah.
Yeah.
wow.
Gillian (19:22)
So that was, I try not to let that stress me out. And then the production of the whole show, they had these huge big TV panels on the side that they were showing you individually. So I'm in my back pose and I can see this huge TV of me. I'm like, my God, my God. It was crazy. Yeah, I mean, it was really, really cool. It was a beautiful show, beautiful production.
Mandy (19:42)
That's crazy. Like that would have to throw you off almost.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (19:51)
And I remember seeing the coverage of it last year and I was like, I'm going there next year and the crowns and everything. So, so we all get lined up on the side and I'm like the second number they called for first call out. And I was like, yes, because again, I mentioned this before, but I did clash in 23 and it was, you know, it was my worst showing ever. So, you know, I was a little bit, that's the last time I went on stage. And so I felt like, I don't even care what happens at this point. I made first call out of 17 girls. So.
Mandy (20:20)
Heheheheh
Gillian (20:21)
And I ended up taking fourth in that class, which was really awesome. And then the girl who won that class ended up like winning, like her open class and the 35. She was really, really strong competitor. I actually just looked her up and she's she nearly turned pro at the Masters USA in December. So and that's why I went to this show, because I knew these this is where all my competition for nationals is going to be like this show. There was another one out in California. The NorCal was this weekend.
Mandy (20:27)
yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Mm.
Gillian (20:51)
The mile high, you know, these ones where they have like the big pro show attached to it generally. And I don't know where Sandy, I don't think Sandy was judging this weekend. So anyway, so that's why I picked it. So and I made a friend. I totally fast forwarded past through this, but Gwen, who I met at tanning on Saturday, she listens to our podcast. She just found us a couple of weeks ago. And and so hi, Gwen. Thanks for tuning in.
Mandy (20:54)
Yeah, that was.
Gillian (21:19)
But she ended up taking second in the 40 class. Beautiful, stunning girl. She is just, she's gonna turn pro. I mean, she looks amazing. So nice, but it was just nice because I had connected with her prior to going on stage and we were right beside each other in the lineup of 17 girls, but everybody was really nice. And then 35, they actually split into two. They had 35A and 35B, but each of those was like 16 girls. So I'm like huge, huge classes, yep.
Mandy (21:25)
that's so nice.
Mm -hmm.
wow!
Gillian (21:47)
So I ended up first call out of that, got third in Masters 35A. And then in the open classes, they did it differently. They did it differently in every class based on the size of them. I think the open class was like 10 or 11 girls. And we, all of us had already posed before except for one girl. So they sent us out in two groups and then we all waited on the side and then they did that.
Mandy (22:07)
Okay.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (22:12)
that one girl did her routine. So I was standing there for a long time. By the end of that class, my legs were so dead tired just from holding my pose and like 40 and 35A and then open A were like back to back to back. There was like no time, no time for water and the time to pump up nothing in between. And then I ended up taking fifth place in open, which, you know, as a master's girl, I always throw my hat in the ring at a regional show just to see how I do.
Mandy (22:16)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Let's just run.
Gillian (22:39)
So that was really good too. And the girl who won that class won the whole show. And she, I think she won the Miami show last week. The big show that was in Miami. She was the amateur winner there, I think.
Mandy (22:39)
Mm -hmm.
really?
yeah.
I saw the pro show in the Miami, I think it was just called Miami Pro, but.
Gillian (23:01)
Yeah, I think it was like the Miami championships or something and so, and she's a really, really strong competitor. So she did, she did great. She's young, so I won't be seeing her in my class at nationals, but no, everybody was amazing. And it was, and I want to say too, Fit Body Fusion, they're so nice. Like they really are just, you know, their staff, all their coaches.
Mandy (23:12)
Hahaha.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (23:26)
They're nice to everybody. Like they were cheering for me on stage because I had met Jordan on the elevator, Jordan Brannon, and she was like cheering for me. Like they were just, they're so nice. Like it just felt like, wow, like there's as much as there's so much competition because everybody wants this so bad. Like everybody is really rooting for everybody else. It's up to the judges to decide who the winners are. So, so yeah, it was, it was just a really, really awesome experience. It really was.
Mandy (23:28)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
I love that you got to meet somebody that listens to the podcast. I got to meet, the same thing kinda happened to me backstage as well. I had a girl come up to me backstage and say how much she enjoys our podcast. And you know, that's, that, and that's like why we do this, right? It's like, we love to share, not just our stories, pro stories, but like, you know, it doesn't matter what age you start at, you can keep doing this. Like, I know pros that are, that turned pro in their 60s.
Gillian (24:03)
I love that.
Yeah.
Mandy (24:19)
and 50s and 40s and look at all the people that we've interviewed, you know, so it's really cool. I love it.
Gillian (24:23)
I know. I know somebody wrote to me on Instagram and she's like, wow. Like there was a lot of girls in your class. And I said, I know there was like 17. She said, well, isn't that great that so many women are prioritizing health and fitness. I'm like, wow, I didn't really think about it like that. Like the divisions are growing in popularity is bikini growing or are women becoming more health conscious, putting self care first, becoming more, interested in, in developing muscle. Like, you know,
Mandy (24:32)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (24:53)
I think that's a really positive thing. I think it's both of those things. But how cool is that, that there are so many 40 -year -old women that showed up to DC or wherever I was. So yeah, I think it's cool. I really do. Yeah.
Mandy (24:54)
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
But I mean, that's so true though. Like I look at, I've seen now expediting, you know, this year, like just take this year alone. I've seen so much growth in the masters category and then, but on the flip side of that in the true novice category, every show I've expedited for this year has.
Gillian (25:21)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Mandy (25:30)
the true novice category, which again, for anybody listening that's new to the sport, true novice category is for people that have never ever stepped on stage at an NPC show. So across the board, stepping on stage as a true novice, it's your very first, everybody's very first time. So in bikini, I mean, these classes have 10, 15, 20 girls because we separated to A and B too. And it's crazy to see how many new competitors,
Gillian (25:39)
Mm -hmm.
Mandy (25:59)
But on the master side as well, you were seeing these fifties and 60 year olds who have just compete for fun because it's healthy. They like to stay in shape. They want to do it. And there's something to it because if you've been competing for a long time, we've all, we've all done the unhealthy way of competing, right? Like run ourselves ragged, crash our hormones, feel like, you know, feel like shit and then get stick, what is it? Sick, skinny and like go on stage. But now that we're all like older,
Gillian (26:17)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Mandy (26:27)
And we're learning, if we build muscle, how healthy is that? We have lean muscle tissue, we live longer, our skin looks better, our hair looks better, we sleep better, our hormones regulate better. It's like, well, I can look great in a bikini and step on stage and be healthy. I don't have to run myself into the ground, so.
Gillian (26:30)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right. And people coming back to like, you know, there's girls that, you know, they might not have done a show since like 2016. And maybe they thought back then, OK, I'm going to hang it up. But then seeing the growing masters divisions and going like, hey, like, I can get out there, you know, like I can still do this. And, you know, it's not over if you don't want it to be. You know, I think it's.
Mandy (26:52)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (27:05)
It's never too late to start and it's never too late to come back. You know, the stage is always there. That's like what I always say to people. So so yeah, overall, just the best, the best time, good vibes and came home yesterday and had some fun. Well, and then Saturday night, again, no idea where we were. Like we're looking at the calendar map like I don't know.
Mandy (27:13)
Yeah.
It really will. So.
Wait, wait, wait, we're gonna put a pin in that one. Let's put a pin in that, let's wait, let's wait. So you got to, cause both of us got to experience something else a little differently too. You got to step on stage and you waited for judges feedback, didn't you? Okay, so did you get judges feedback?
Gillian (27:28)
We're putting a pin in that. We're not going there yet.
Okay.
Yes, I did. Yes.
Yeah, I bum rushed the table like a psychopath. Yeah, and Bill was the head judge and he turned around. He's like, are you ladies waiting for me? He was so great. And he right away was like, number 73, right? I'm like, yes, thank you. Because normally if you stick around at Nationals and you wait for Sandy, you wait for hours and you have to have your photo because she sees like fricking 600 girls.
Mandy (27:45)
Okay.
Aww.
Hehehehe
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (28:09)
And she's wonderful. She's very thorough with her detail. Like she will talk to you for like five minutes. But you did. Yeah. I would recommend doing that seriously. Like you, you gotta wait. You got to do it. And, you know, I think it's, it's show to show, like sometimes the promoter will tell you at the meeting, please do not approach the table afterwards. We will email you, but, most of the time those judges are going to a different show the next weekend. They're
Mandy (28:14)
I got lucky like you did. I bum rushed the table with Sandy and she, she knew.
Gillian (28:37)
They're every weekend, they're judging shows. They really don't have time for all these emails. So they actually prefer to just get it out of the way, especially it was like seven o 'clock. So so, yeah, I lined up and got feedback which we're going to put to use. And that was super, super helpful. And they're always nice. They always give you a nice compliment, you know, which was good to hear. So, you know, but I know what I need to improve upon for the next one in 25 days. It's soon, it's soon. But yeah, so.
Mandy (28:42)
Mm -hmm. Yeah.
That's good.
So, right.
Gillian (29:05)
But so you got feedback too.
Mandy (29:06)
Well, so no, I did not get feedback because I did the email. So our promoter, what he likes to do. Yeah, and the judges want you to email for us. So like, but at the same time, I kind of already knew. Like I already have like a general idea. So I will get feedback. It'll probably take like a week or two, however long it takes. But your show got done at such a different time where our show, I can't remember what time it all got done.
Gillian (29:11)
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (29:35)
So, cause I had to wait for my friend who was expediting to get done for us to go out. And I want to say that I got, I don't think we left the hotel until like 10 ish something. So yeah, so ours was a little bit later.
Gillian (29:38)
Mm -hmm.
yeah, I was back in, I was in the shower at like 730 washing the tan off. So that was really great. Yeah. And that shower was.
Mandy (29:54)
Okay, so now we'll return to the pen. And now, so what'd you do after your show?
Gillian (29:58)
The shower was the, it was the best shower ever. I have never been so dark. Like that was the darkest spray tan I've ever gotten. It was beautiful. And I'm glad because just generally in the shorter classes, I always end up being like in the mix with like, you know, other dark skinned competitors. And I am not dark skinned. So that was really helpful. But it was super, super dark. So got that off. And then we just found a great little restaurant nearby, had a hilarious Uber driver that told us.
I think he had a fake British accent and didn't realize that we, like Aaron and I both have British parents. So like we were like, we'd call him out on his, and then he was kind of like, it was really weird. So I was like, just get me back to my hotel. I don't know. I don't know where I am. So, but yeah, we had food and then went to bed and then we flew out the next morning, like kind of early because early -ish. I mean, we wanted to get back and my flight was like at noon. Aaron's was at like 11.
Mandy (30:30)
to get tips.
yeah.
Did you play out really early?
Gillian (30:55)
So I was home by like two and then had a great time with the kids and the girls were so great. Like they were just excited to see the trophies and you know, the tiara and we went to dinner as a family and yeah, it was just, it was really, it was just really nice to have a day off. I haven't had a cheat meal since January and I mean, I've been to a hundred on a hundred trips and I did not cheat one time. So it was just really nice just to have a day to just kick it a little bit and.
not think about the show, but it was hard. I mean, when I woke up yesterday, I had a lot of thoughts, a lot of feelings. And I'm like, I don't want to be in a bummer mood when I get home. I just, and I'm fresh off the stage. My body's tired. I just need like 24 hours, just really process everything. And then today I feel like I feel different, but you know, you kind of go through lots of things and thinking things you could do differently. And you know,
Mandy (31:36)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (31:44)
wanting to get back to the drawing board and improve upon things as quickly as possible, but it just takes time and you just have to process all the feels and all of that. So that's kind of where I'm at today is just back to work. So what about you? You guys, it looks like fun. You guys went out and had sushi, right?
Mandy (31:50)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Okay, yeah. So that was such an exciting little adventure. So at the show I had planned, I already had my Saturday night planned. I was going to watch Godzilla on Netflix, because I had been waiting to watch the Godzilla on Netflix. And I was just going to order like steak and potatoes, burger and fries, whatever, some sort of protein. I always drink a bunch of electrolytes. I always drink like a bunch of electrolytes after the show and then...
Just whatever I feel like eating. It's hard for me because like during peak week, I feel like I'm so like focused and I don't really get hungry because my metabolism, I'm just like, this is what I'm supposed to eat. This is when I eat it and this is what I'm doing. And it takes a while for me to get hungry after a show. Like I'm not like, my gosh, I have to go eat this. I've been thinking about this, whatever. It's weird how my metabolism is all the adrenaline and nerves.
Gillian (33:01)
Yeah.
Mandy (33:01)
So anyways, one of the girls, Jen, her name is Jen. Hi, Jen, if you're listening. she is friends with Ariel and Ariel and I, she's, Ariel's one of the expeditors. We've been friends for years now and they were going to go out for sushi. And I was like, no, I don't go out really after shows. Like, it's just not what I do. And Jen's like, no, yes, you're going. I'm like, no. She's like, yes, yes, you are. I'm like, maybe she's like, no, you're going.
I'm like, I didn't even pack anything except some like sweatpants. She's like, you can wear that. We're going. I'm like, okay, fine. We're going. I'm done. She wore, she kind of like, it just sounded more fun as she's like, no, we're going to do this. It's okay. Like, I don't know. Like the vibes, like she was such a positive person and, and I forget that Ariel moved to Florida. Like I see her more for shows and stuff, but she moved to Florida. So I don't see her as often as I used to. And she was in town and I was like, you know, I'm going to go get a bite with some friends and everything will be okay. And it was like,
After the show, I took a shower, washed the tan off, watch, it feels so good. It's the best. I take two showers after a show. So I washed the tan off, leave hair and makeup done. And then we went out to grab sushi, got back to the hotel, and then took another shower to wash everything off again and then slept. So I, all week, I'm wearing a sweater and I'm still, yeah.
Gillian (34:04)
The best shower. Feels so good.
It's still coming off, like it'll come off all week. It was inside my bra today. Yeah, it's gross, it's everywhere.
Mandy (34:30)
But I also know me so well, like I know I don't sleep well after a show. So I went to bed probably at midnight, which is late for me. And I was right up at 3 .30 and I could not go back to sleep. So I just.
Gillian (34:36)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah, because you texted me like on the road and it was like five in the morning. I'm like, my God.
Mandy (34:46)
I almost didn't text you because I didn't know if you were gonna be sleeping or not and then I couldn't remember the time difference and I didn't know your flights. So I drove back and I was like, okay, like I'll meet my husband for breakfast and it like just like you said, it was just you need that day. Like I was after clash, I was so emotional. I was very in my feelings.
I didn't know what I wanted to do. I wasn't sure if I'd do another show until Nash. I just didn't know anything. And so I was very like eager. Whereas this show, I was so relaxed. I was so, I'm still like just still in my feelings. Cause I'm so just happy. Like I knew when I walked off the stage, I was done for this year. I knew that I was going to spend the day with my husband and friends. I knew.
Gillian (35:17)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mandy (35:39)
I was going to like enjoy, I know how my body handles all the food. So I knew like, I'd feel fantastic. I had today's Monday, I had the best pump at the gym, but I, yeah, Erin and I had breakfast together, which I still eat. Like, so I still eat all my regular food. Like I had egg whites, veggies, potatoes. I had a waffle, we shared a waffle. And then all day we went to the spa and we spent like a good chunk of the day at the spa.
Gillian (35:49)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Mandy (36:05)
and I got a facial, he got a massage. This spa has like a grotto hot tub pool, so we went and did that with some friends. But that whole time, I just ate chicken and veggies because I just needed a minute for my stomach to digest everything. And then it wasn't until way later that we went to dinner and I had, we shared some appetizers and I had salmon, veggies and potatoes. And then we went to the movies and I saw my monkey movie. Yes, we weren't gonna do that.
Gillian (36:14)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
nice.
Mandy (36:34)
but it was one of those things where it was like you wanted to sit somewhere dark and cozy and just chill out and be quiet for a while. So if you guys are listening and don't know me too well, I love monster, shark, dinosaur, Godzilla movies and Erin and I just got done binge watching all the Planet of the Apes movies and so I know I didn't tell you that, Jillian, but we did and they're directed really well. I really like them. Okay, so does he. So...
Gillian (36:39)
Yeah. Yeah.
my gosh.
Okay, must be an American thing, because I'm not of that vibe at all.
Mandy (37:06)
I don't know, I just think they're so fun. But so we went and saw the new Planet of the Apes movies and just spent time together like the day like you said just the day and it's fantastic. Fantastic.
Gillian (37:16)
Yeah. Yeah.
So good. But by the same token, like it did not bother me at all to get up this morning and, you know, measure out all my water and lay out all my vitamins and get my food, my Instacart on my groceries. Like I was so excited going to the gym this morning. Like this is so what I love to do. And that like occurred to me during my prep because, you know, there's been some years where the prep.
Mandy (37:31)
100%.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (37:48)
I couldn't wait for it to be over because I felt like I was missing out so much. But I've just come to like really just find that I'm so happy in prep because I'm just so proud of what I'm working towards. And I love it. I love the lead up to the stage. It's so exciting. It's so cool to be in my 40s and I get to do this. Like it feels like it's just such a luxury and I'm so happy. So I was so happy to go into the gym this morning and all the...
Mandy (37:57)
Mm -hmm.
It is.
Gillian (38:14)
Like there's like a group of like older men in the morning that work out and I'm sure they're not listening to this podcast. Maybe they are. I don't know. But they're like, kid, how'd you do? You know, it's funny. They call me kid, but, it was, it was great just walking in there today and they're so proud and, you know, just they're like, if you need anything, like, you know, we'll spot you. And I'm like, I had to fill out my glutes. Like, I don't know what that means, but okay. You know? So, yeah. So yeah. So just back to the, back to the grind and, you know, I feel like not hungry at all today. Like, I mean,
Mandy (38:20)
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
my God, that's so cute.
But I feel like we've talked to -
Gillian (38:44)
I just feel like fooded out. Like I just I just wanted to eat my normal food. It was really actually hard for me to eat lunch today. Like I ate breakfast and then after the gym, I was just like, my God, like I'm still just digesting everything from the weekend. Because again, it has been like months since I've had a cheat meal and I could hardly eat what I used to be able to eat. Like there's this little burger place and well, it's actually like a wood fire pizza restaurant in the city. And it it's so delicious. And I like was like.
Mandy (38:49)
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
yeah, that's right.
Gillian (39:13)
tapping out. I can't like I couldn't finish anything. But I was totally satisfied. And then you know, today just happy to be back on prep and not craving anything. And so so that's that's welcoming, because it stinks to like, the next day, like, you know, you start to have some crazy cravings, you know, when you start to reintroduce things, and, you know, so I'm grateful to not have that today and just, you know, be be focused on the next one. So.
Mandy (39:26)
Yeah.
Mm -hmm.
But I feel like we've talked about something similar to that on our other episodes. I feel like once you, you really have to know who you are and like your why, because I can't agree with you more. Like I've had refeed meals, so I knew what my body was already gonna do. And also this is my second show of the season. So my first show, I ate really similar. I mean, sushi is sushi. Like none, I think I had like one, a bite or two of fried sushi, but the rest of them was like, you're rice and fish, right? So like.
Gillian (39:46)
Mm -hmm.
Mandy (40:08)
I knew how I was gonna feel and I knew how I was gonna feel Sunday. So today, like I couldn't get, I was the same way. Like I got up, I did my cardio, I dropped it a little bit. I did my check -ins this morning. I got my updated plan. I got my updated workout plan, what we're gonna do, how we're gonna handle me going back to dry needling. Well, I've been doing dry needling but having a consistency of that.
you know, recovering through my hip and my leg. But like I ate my rice cakes and avocados this morning. I went to the gym, had a fantastic lift. Like I already have, I did the same thing. I have my Instacart. All my stuff's already saved. I was just waiting for my check -in. Like I was waiting for Sam to get back to me to see like, okay, like I think I know what I'm going to eat, but just in case there's something special, I'm going to wait to order it. But like I met, I just had lunch with Erin and it was like,
Gillian (40:56)
Yeah.
Mandy (41:05)
my normal lunch with veggies, you know, and then like extra carbs and all this stuff. And I just, it's who we are, right? It's like, yeah, am I a little fuller? Do I feel a little different? Cause I ate like a little more than I usually do. Absolutely. But like, I can't wait to prep my food. I can't. It's, it's what we do. Like it doesn't matter for getting ready for a stage in 25 days or 24 days or like me, like I'm not going to see a stage this year again, but I'm still going to prep my food and get it out. And.
Gillian (41:35)
Yeah, it's a lifestyle. And I've said that, like, I love my prep food. I just want more of it, you know? So like, I just, I always, I love rice. Like, I mean, I love it so much. So, I mean, just to have more rice would make me so happy.
Mandy (41:35)
Do all the stuff. Mm -hmm. It is.
Yeah.
Bye!
Okay, so I don't know if I told you this. I really don't know if I told you this, but when I was carb loading, I needed to eat rice and I needed to eat jelly and nut butter. And then I was like, well, I remember Jillian saying she added peanut butter to her rice and it was really good. And I was like, you know, maybe I'll try this and see what it did. So I added, my gosh, I added a tablespoon of my peanut butter, but I added a couple drops. I...
Gillian (42:18)
Are you living for it?
Mandy (42:21)
I can't believe I didn't tell you this. Okay, a week before, it was like a week, the week of peak week I did this. And I put a couple drops of my stevia, cause I wanted it to be like a little sweeter. my gosh. It's so good.
Gillian (42:23)
It's my favorite thing ever.
girl don't sleep on that peanut butter and rice. I don't know why it's so good. Well it's like, you know how like Pad Thai has like a peanut sauce? That's why it's good. I do. But you know, I'm surprised I like it because I don't like peanut butter mixed with anything. Like I don't like Reese's, like peanut butter chocolate. I'm like, no, like I like those things.
Mandy (42:36)
my gosh, you guys, if anybody is listening, I can't believe I didn't know about this before.
Yes, but I don't like that. But I don't like that. That's why I like -
my god, Jillian, this is good. This podcast, okay, for one, the whole DC comment and now the fact that you're sitting here saying you don't like Reese's, we're gonna cancel, we're done. You guys, this is the last episode we're ever gonna air because you legit just said you don't like Reese's. You can't live in America.
Gillian (43:02)
I'm gonna get canceled.
I know, I'm so Canadian. No, I'm just like not a fan. Like, I mean, it's not, I mean, if somebody was like, eat this or I'll kill you. Like, okay, I would eat it, but I don't hate it. I just don't, I'm like, I don't, why, I think peanut butter and chocolate are like good. Like they don't need to be married. They can just like, they can see other people. I don't know. But, but yeah, peanut butter on rice and like specifically the rice has to be like seasoned. Like I cook my rice in bone broth and so it's like, it's savory and.
It has a lot of sodium and just, it's so good. Mm, that's like my favorite pump -up thing now, so.
Mandy (43:43)
I've done that before, it's good, yeah. I just add salt.
But so yeah, that it is mine now, B cut too. I don't like pad thai. Like I'm not, I don't really like Chinese or Thai food. My dad, like growing up, my dad would always eat Chinese, not always, we'd have Chinese food once or twice a week. And I just, I just don't eat it. Like I don't like it. And so now, but when you said that I was like, I'll try this and see what it tastes like. And
Gillian (44:05)
Yeah.
Mandy (44:12)
gosh it was so good and then I put jelly with it too so it'd be like peanut butter jelly and like rice and salt and a little bit of like I don't okay we'll stop okay we can be done there but miss I don't like Reese's like no
Gillian (44:13)
So good.
See, now you've gone too far. I've just gone too far.
I gotta get out a map when I get done with this just to figure out where I was.
So crazy. You don't realize how like, how just things don't occur to you when you like, you know.
Mandy (44:32)
Anyways, but yeah.
Well, that, and our country is really big. It is. And I feel like as Americans, we don't realize how big our country is because until you travel internationally, you go to Spain and you can go, you can take a train, like I was in Spain last year, and you could take a train and be on the other side of the country. And the same with Ireland, you can go around the whole, you can go to all these different places in a matter of two days. It's nuts. But anyways, so.
Gillian (44:59)
Yeah.
Yeah.
So yeah, so next steps, you are going into an improvement season. So what's your first order of priority? Getting things figured out with the pain and your hip and back and all that?
Mandy (45:19)
It's really just recovery because I already know what it is. It's nothing new. So back, so anybody who's listening, back in 2022, I herniated my disc between my L4 and L5 vertebrae and it knocked the shit out of me. Complete nerve pain through the top part of my left hip, like literally the top where we would almost measure our waistline down all the way to my ankle. And it just was like, it felt like barbed wire was strangling my leg. And...
Gillian (45:42)
Oof, yeah.
Mandy (45:49)
Long story short, like there's other episodes I've talked about this topic. I got better by doing sports massage therapy and dry needling once a week and doing a lot of mobility exercises, taking breaks from sitting and just, you know, being active and being healthy. Like, you know, just having an active lifestyle, getting up, moving around, sitting for a little bit, getting up, moving around, mobility exercise, and it got better.
And it got better last year and that's why I was able to prep this entire time, like almost a whole year. But it was about April, it started, my foot hurt and then my calf hurt and it just started slowly growing and I was so busy and I was lifting heavier, pushing lower calories. I was already, you know, I was already done with one show into another prep. So I was like stuck basically. Like I didn't have enough time.
to dedicate to recovery and all the things that I needed to do on top of all the cardio, all the weight training, the low calories, the traveling, like I couldn't. So I knew after the show going into it that this was, I was gonna be done after the show because I needed, I need more time to recover. And it's just basically, you know, mobility exercises, sports massage therapy, you know, just walking, things. Yeah.
Gillian (47:10)
Not beating your body down with a prep. Yeah. Yeah.
Mandy (47:15)
Exactly. And being able to raise my calories back up, like being able to use that energy and, you know, like not do a long, like I think I got up to about an hour cardio towards the end, which that's not bad. And it was walking, but now, you know, drop that back down. So I'm not beating into my legs, but that's about it. So you though, nah, you, mine is boring. So you.
Gillian (47:35)
Yeah. Yeah.
Mandy (47:44)
have 24 days before you go get your pro card, 25 days before you go get your pro card. And for one, I'm so excited to eat dinner with you afterwards, which we'll talk about that later. The way that planned out, man, that's epic. So what are you doing the next 25 days?
Gillian (47:46)
25 days.
I know, I'm so excited. Yeah, that works out perfect. I know, I know. So, okay, so, Saturday I was like, you know, on Cloud 9, I was super, super happy. I got feedback from the head judge and the feedback was like he said, don't touch the front. Everything's good. Front, good.
And then he said in the back pose that I just needed a bit more pop, a little bit more density. So I and I, I think that what happened is I just think I lost a bit of my shape in the weight dropping throughout the day, because also, like I typically go on stage in the morning and then have.
Mandy (48:28)
Hmm.
Gillian (48:42)
you know, pump up food and, you know, stuff and then another meal before I go back on for finals. And that didn't happen. I had like this long day. It felt like such a long day, too, because you're just like all day. You feel like you'd be somewhere. You shouldn't have to go backstage till like three o 'clock. So I just again, I burned through food. I just couldn't get a pump backstage. I just didn't have that same sharp pop that I had two, three days prior. So that's something new. I don't I don't think that I've always said I stay so full. I always stay so full. And.
Mandy (48:57)
Yeah.
Gillian (49:11)
And this time I just did, I don't know, different methods. But I do feel like what's important is that this is not a mistake. Like this isn't like I missed my peak. This isn't like I didn't know. Like you don't know until you get out there. And I mean,
Mandy (49:27)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (49:28)
Backstage, I wasn't concerned. I was like, I feel great. I couldn't see how I looked on stage. I could only just see where I was being moved. But then when I started to look at photos and videos from the show, and mind you, I'm only looking at iPhone quality and then the video that my son took of the live stream.
So I couldn't really see comparisons. So I just didn't have the sharp pop that I normally do. So and then there was the posing stumble. And then I think just a couple of little things like I think I had too many pieces of hair in like, well, and when I and I have to watch that I look balanced because I have a big chest and then I have big blonde hair. And I just felt like when I looked at my.
Mandy (50:06)
really?
Gillian (50:15)
what I saw in my photos, I felt like I was very top heavy. I felt like my hair was too big. So I need to wear fewer pieces, probably turn my extensions just a little bit, continue to work on my posing and then just bring fuller glutes, tighten up a little bit. But it's nice not to have to feel like I've got to drop a bunch of body fat. I don't think it was a conditioning thing. I think it was just that riding that fine line of being full enough. And it's tough. It's tough to to know your own body. My coach was.
Mandy (50:33)
Yeah.
Gillian (50:44)
very attentive, but not physically there. And also, it's our first time working together. And so, yeah, so but that's why, you know, I'm a student of the sport. I like I don't take things personal when they don't go the way that. But I wouldn't say it didn't. I don't feel like it didn't go the way I wanted it to. Like, I feel like it could have gone better. Like, I'm so happy with how I did. Yeah. And I knew that it would be tough.
Mandy (51:06)
Yeah, it's one of those things you don't know who's going to show up. And it's rare a show starts that late. Mm -hmm.
Gillian (51:12)
Yeah. So I mean, nothing went wrong. It's not like I'm disappointed. I think I just woke up yesterday and I was like, do I have any business going to nationals if I just got like a third? Like I should have I should have won. But then and I have Aaron, who's wonderful, and she's been a competitor and she follows the sport and she's like, stop. Like, first of all, it's three weeks from now you're going to come in with more confidence because I will tell you, I still had clash.
Mandy (51:33)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (51:39)
in my brain of that experience of, you know, getting last and showing up and not feeling ready. That was my last experience on stage prior to this. So, you know, a little bit jittery, a little bit nervous. You know, she's like, you can work on your posing, you know, a few changes to your like, you know, glam stuff. And she's like, and it's different judges and it's going to be different heights. Like with all of 40 was.
Mandy (51:41)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (52:02)
one big class. So you had shorties, you had tall girls, you had girls with more muscle. I mean, think about the weight differences between somebody in A class and somebody in F class, how much different that muscle lays on everyone's body. So that made that class difficult. So you can't really say, well, that means I'm not going to get a pro card. That's not what that means at all. So I had to kind of get that out of my head and just and just bring it. I mean, I still feel like I've got a shot like, you know, I know that there's.
Mandy (52:12)
It's huge.
Gillian (52:29)
You know, the improvements I need to make in time for nationals, I have time to do it. If it was big stuff, like, you know, if they said you need to grow your shoulders or you need more hamstrings, I'd be just sort of like, well, I'll just show up and see what happens. But I don't feel that way. I feel like the the density issue that I had was a fullness thing. And I can come in a little bit tighter and, you know, so. So, yeah, so just working on posing like my life depends on it and.
Mandy (52:41)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (52:57)
and then just gearing up for the next one. So I'm super excited. I really am. So.
Mandy (53:02)
I think you're gonna kill it. It's like, it definitely sounds like it. And again, like we haven't talked. So this is my first time hearing all of this from you. And it's, it's like, it's so different because usually we would have already like talked about all of some of this or all of it by now. But like, that's so spot on. Like all those height classes, all those muscle bellies, the way that it's all gonna lay, it's gonna be different. Like the way they're gonna section you out, it's gonna be different. You're gonna go on at a completely different time.
Gillian (53:09)
Yeah, I know.
Yeah.
Mandy (53:29)
Right? This is your first peak with this coach. So like, you don't know.
Gillian (53:32)
and he'll be there. He's gonna be in New York for the show. So that's gonna help as well. And I feel like I understand my body a little bit more because this was a very different prep for me. I've said that multiple times. Like I've never prepped this way. So I never questioned the process because I trust my coach, but I just was questioning my own body. Like how is my body gonna respond? And I don't feel ever like it's okay to do something without checking with your coach. So.
Mandy (53:36)
Exactly.
Mm -hmm.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (54:01)
I didn't want to do anything to try to change anything. And I don't know that I really saw it happening. Like even though I was taking the photos, you know, I just don't think, I think in the course of the day, it just wasn't enough to keep me full and just being depleted. And coming back to training the day before the show, I think I have got to train hard my glutes the day before the show. I've done it every year and it always helps me. It...
Mandy (54:01)
Mm -hmm.
It works.
Gillian (54:29)
I need that inflammation in my glutes just to get like that pop on stage. And I didn't do that on Friday. And I understand why. And in fact, one of my favorite competitors posted today, her last peak week, she didn't train at all the week of the show. And she came in, you know, perfectly. She had nice pop. She had less inflammation. Just goes to show how we're all so different. So I don't think that works for me taking the Friday off.
Mandy (54:35)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (54:57)
You know, I think I've got to obviously be careful that I don't burn through a bunch of food, but like having some carbs, getting a really good, intense glute workout just to push all the glycogen into the muscles. I think it really, really helps me like, yeah, you're going to lose some of that pump the next day. But like when I'm sore and my muscles have inflammation, it's a good look for me. I'm really short. So my muscle belly is like, it's like they need that. So we're going to talk about that. And, you know, obviously I'll do whatever he thinks.
Mandy (55:06)
Mm -hmm.
Yeah.
Gillian (55:26)
But, you know, I think that that's something that might have helped a little bit just with that, like that sharp conditioning. Like I always look after I've had a leg day, like I purposely always time my leg day, my glute days, like the day before I'm going to check in because I know I'll have good check in photos. So kind of just knowing my body. That's one thing I'll say is like, you know, you have to know your body, but don't go so much that you are questioning everything that your coach is telling you because they have a whole method. It's not just here's one thing.
Mandy (55:41)
You can see it, yeah.
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (55:55)
This one thing is connected to all these like 80 other things, all these levers are pulling. So you can't, you know, just, well, I think I know better. You've got to always, you know, talk to your coach. So, but we're going to talk today and figure it out.
Mandy (56:04)
Yeah. Yeah. And I feel like, yeah, I feel like we did that with this peak a little bit because I def - I did, you know, my first peak with Sam back in March and I, like, it was fine. Everything was fine with my peak. Like nothing like happened.
Gillian (56:19)
Thank you.
Mandy (56:25)
But I was like, you know, I kind of, I looked at some numbers. I looked at like, when was the last time I peaked really, really good. I was like, wow, I carb loaded a lot more. And then looking back at like, okay, well, when I had refeed meals on like Tuesday, I was super full to, you know, Wednesday, Thursday, but then come Friday, I was like super poppy. Like my stomach was a lot tighter. I dropped in weight. And so we kind of used all of these things and then like me knowing my body to like change this peak. And I did like how we peaked to this, like this week.
or last week. I loved how we did it and I loved the timing of everything. It was just, you know, things I need to work on. But like, like you just need to communicate with your coach. It's not that you know better, it's so that you just know your body. So, mm -hmm.
Gillian (56:54)
Yeah.
Yeah, 100%. Yeah, so that's it really just I'm excited. I feel good. I mean, I'm obviously like I have a million carbs in my body right now. So that's why I feel so good.
Mandy (57:12)
I know.
I know my workout this morning was nuts. This is the same. But another thing I'm so excited about is because, so when you come back from New York is on Saturday, July 6th, I will just happen to be in St. Louis that weekend. So everybody listening, I have, I'm so excited. It's on the calendar.
Gillian (57:30)
Mm -hmm.
Date night.
I know.
Mandy (57:42)
I, even though I live in Kansas City, I have, a lot of my family lives in St. Louis, so we happen to be having a family reunion a few days prior to that. And we're just staying in St. Louis with family and I will be there and our family stuff will be done before that. So we get to go out when you come back and we can go wherever you want and spoil your run, cause you'll be a pro.
Gillian (57:59)
Yeah.
So excited. my God, I'm going to die. I mean, I just I'm going to get I'm giving this all I've got. I mean, I've never not given it all I've got. But, you know, I mean, anything could happen. Any and dreams, dreams can come true. So don't count me out. Don't count me out yet. So, no, I just, you know, and I I can go to Masters Nationals two weeks later if I need to.
Mandy (58:05)
You're gonna be impressed.
Yeah.
Yeah, you getting your pro card.
Mm.
Gillian (58:32)
You know, I'm not I don't want to be like, like, let me plan that because I'm not it's not going to happen. But you got to be smart. You know, it has to if you're that close and the next pro qualifiers just two weeks later, like for Masters girls, there's only four for Masters pro for national shows for Masters. It's at Universe. They have Masters at.
Mandy (58:38)
I'll wait and see you.
Gillian (58:57)
Masters Nationals is all Masters and North Americans. And then at the end of the year is the Masters USA. I think the Ben Weider also has a pro card. Yeah, they have a pro card. It is. And then I think the amateur Olympia. I think they have masters, but I don't think they give a masters pro card. I think it's only an open and I think they have masters at the Arnold amateur, but I don't think there's a pro card. So so, yeah, so there's.
Mandy (59:00)
You have North Americans.
Okay. I was just about to say, but I think the Ben Wheater is a natural too.
and you have to win overall for those. It's not your height class.
Gillian (59:28)
Yeah, yeah. And at Masters USA, there's only like, I think, two pro cards for the whole show in each division. Like, it's top two in the overall. So you could win your class and not win your pro card. So, you know, these are the best opportunities is Universe and the ones that all happen through the summer. So.
Mandy (59:42)
So, well, it is.
So fun fact for anybody listening, if you guys are qualified for a national show and you're looking to get your pro card, make sure you go and you read the information that Jillian and I are talking about because every pro qualifying show, they're gonna have different amounts of pro cards they'll be handing out. So that's just something you always wanna do your own self research and like look into the show notes and see like, okay, like, is it, are they gonna give a pro card to people who...
or what is it, first and second in the height class? Are they only gonna give it to the first? Are they only gonna give it to the overall? You could be going to a pro qualifying show where there's 40 plus pro cards handed out or five. So you just kind of want to do your research and strategize.
Gillian (1:00:29)
Yeah.
It's important to know because you're you you want to make sure that you're like being smart about it. Like, you know, I mean, I know that there's lots of masters girls who go to like junior nationals or nationals and and they don't have masters there, but they do give I think at nationals and USA is they they do two pro cards per height class and open and same with North Americans. But in masters, it's typically only the winner of each height class. So 40 A B C D. And then.
Mandy (1:00:38)
Mm -hmm.
Gillian (1:01:02)
there's not top two. So, but yeah, so that's the plan anyway. So we'll just keep on pushing and it's not over till the tan lady sings. So, how are you gonna finish that? So, but yeah, I think that's a good recap of kind of where I'm at. I'm just, yeah.
Mandy (1:01:04)
Mm. But yeah.
I was gonna wait until I was like, how are you gonna finish that?
Yeah. Yeah. Well guys, thank you so much for listening and as always, all of our information will be in the show notes below. If you guys have any questions for us, any coaching questions, our journey, or if you're just getting into the sport and you have like just general questions, always feel free to DM us, message us, leave comments. You can watch us on YouTube, app, you can listen to us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Gillian (1:01:48)
Bye!
Mandy (1:01:50)
Bye guys.