UKBFF and IFBB Categories

SO...when I first returned to competing in 2013 I came back and joined the brand new class that had been added and slotted between Bodyfitness and Bodybuilding. This class was one of the reasons I came back. UKBFF Miss Physique. It seemed perfect for my shape and amount of muscle! And then went and straight away winning my first UKBFF show at Leamington Spa and again, two weeks later stood on stage at the British was mental! I didn't expect to get placed as the line up was amazing, and there was weak parts to my physique that needed to be worked on, but I felt blessed. And the judges said I placed 8th...which I was more than happy with on my first year competing. 

Then off to Stars of Tomorrow Miss Physique to try and qualify for the following year and another regional 1st place..I was on a high AND I had found my class.

I took a year off competing just to prep and gain size for the following years British. I became obsessed in that year. Training and training and training...and over training...and not really getting where I wanted to...size gaining was slow..I couldn't think why, I stopped socialising, my business suffered...until in August I recognised the side effects of exhaustion..and had to simply lay down....for 4 days solid...I soooo needed that time off. Doors closed, no calls and most of all ...no training! I hadn't been growing due to my ever increasing amount of stress I had been putting on myself. Cortisol to the MAX!

During the year a lot changed at UKBFF. Ladies Body building category was scrapped. Which caused a bit of upset obviously amongst some of these ladies. I felt for them. All that hard work? What were they going to do? Where were they going to compete? They can't just stop nor would they want to?

Then the British 2014 came along. The day I'm spent a year killing myself for. I was excited. I went backstage...I was small!! There was some big girls in my category. I recognised some of them as body builders from the previous years. My thoughts were...maybe the judges will think they are too big as they did the year before? And I am more what they are looking for. Wishful thinking me thinks! I also had massively over trained, over dieted and over depleting and couldn't pump up...all carbs I was eating were just getting gobbled up and disappearing through eating too little for too long. I got it massively wrong. My training..as well as in the year off I had taken, UKBFF had slightly changed in that they were looking for the Physique girls to be bigger than the previous year. We needed to be in fairness...to have any chance of winning in years to come against the overseas professionals! Bums....I thought.

Annoyed, frustrated, a year of training for what?...Not sure what to do I left the theatre saying I'm done. Towel officially thrown in....

A couple of friends, and people in the industry then said 'Why not compete in Body-Fitness Category? As with the Physique girls growing..it seemed so did the Body-Fitness category. I then looked at the published picture above of what a Body-Fitness girl should look like and thought...oh...maybe I should? 

Then I had a photo shoot a week out with the beautiful Chris Bailey...who mirrored what everyone else had said. Go and do another show ...but as Body-Fitness. So I did UKONE. And won 1st place...again..qualifying for this years British Finals for the 3rd year running.

Looking at the above comparisons..I am definitely a UKBFF Body-Fitness competitor. And I can't WAIT till show season starts. 

I feel less pressured this year, I am back socialising..trying to win lost friends back, and family and business as body building is not the be all and end all. It is my hobby. And I love it...but I also love my friends, family and business.

Two weeks later...I am competing in BodyPower USN Amateur Olympia Qualifier...wouldn't it be nice to qualify for both at the end of the year in my new category. Fingers crossed!