Follow Mary as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini Debut!!

A 'Classic' ...

Mary's first show

In the last year since my debut on the fitness competition stage, I have continued to dedicate my time to improving my physique.  The experience a year ago was so exciting, that doing it again was absolutely a must for me.

Mary and her daughter Ayana

Competition preparation does come with its' challenges and at times, I've questioned why I am doing it.  The doubts usually come right around the time I wish I could have pizza and a glass of wine.  It's those momentary lapses that make me more committed to my goal, overcoming those hills and valleys are what count.  It's not just that moment on stage that does it for me, although it's pretty awesome.  It's the fact that I have worked so hard on my physique and presentation to be able to grace the stage with so many others that have done the same.  The sacrifices that come with being a part of the fitness competition world like dietary changes, limited social life, hours in the gym, muscle soreness, and those
occasional mood changes, are the things that give me that proud feeling. The whole process doesn't sound pretty, but you get to showcase all that hard work in front of an audience of strangers, family, friends, and of course, the judges.  I count my blessings every day. The average woman my age (40+) is not putting her body through such rigors.





The reality is that more women my age are just getting into fitness to help alleviate or reverse some lifestyle related issue.  I made a decision a long time ago not to be a part of that statistic. Instead, I would rather be am inspiration or motivation to others.  "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem" So, as I prepare for my second show, I welcome all the challenges and I am grateful for all the support from my family, Coach Malenna and my team, the Elite Heat.

Come July 26th, I am gonna bring it!!

Laura - WBFF Diva Bikini Competitor

   







After stepping on stage for the first time this past spring, I knew that I wanted to do it again! It's an incredible feeling being on that stage. Months of sweat, pain and tears all building up to that moment where no matter what happened or how you placed, you felt victorious. Victorious,  because you knew only a select few had the courage and discipline to do what you had just accomplished.  
     
Placing top  5 in my first show was a total shock for me. Initially, I wasn't even expecting to place. I simply wanted to do something I'd never had the backbone to do before.  I had a new outlook on life. I was determined because I knew that after this metamorphosis, anything was possible. From then on I saw opportunity in every obstacle.
     
After an overwhelming response from those I inspired with my transformation, I understood that my journey was about so much more than just losing weight. No one is perfect and it is for this reason that I will always be a work in progress. My journey now is to keep inspiring and giving hope to those who like me had no direction and felt lost in their struggle to succeed.
        

Although my show preparation is similar to my last, I was presented with new mental and physical feats. Right after the show, I literally could not stop eating! Don't get me wrong I was still training and making healthier choices. Yet, I was so happy to not have to log my meals and finally be able to have some forbidden carbs! I was happy that I finally got a chance to get away with my love and just relax. I stayed active while I was away but came back tired and sluggish.  
          
Mentally, I was not ready. I was not ready to give up my quest bars and my rice and beans. I was not ready to put my body through endless hours of cardio and lifting. However, I also wasn't ready to undo all I've worked for and give up on my goals. Six pounds and a few stomachaches later I got over it and I began to put in the work. 
     
 I began to reflect on my life and how unhappy I was before this new lifestyle. I thought of how incredibly supportive my boyfriend, friends, and family were and still are. I thought of all the people that look up to me. Then I thought, a year ago I would've never even dreamed that I'd be where I am today.  
        
Life is about finding that balance. Life is what YOU make of it, not what it makes of you. I understood that it didn't matter how far I had to go. What mattered was how far I had come. Right there and then I knew this is who I was and wanted to be. What I've learned and who I've become is my prize. 
     
The hardships that we encounter may break or make you. Yet, whatever happens we must get up, learn from it, and move forward. Not wanting to regress is what motivates me everyday. To be better than I was before and the best ME I can be  +today; that is my goal.  Hardwork pays off and I'm so ready to hit that WBFF stage one more time!! I can't wait to see you there!

Cary - WBFF Diva Bikini Competitor

Leading by example....

WBFF New England 2013

Why am I competing again? And why this show ?

To be honest, it was a struggle to commit to it at the beginning.  I kept questioning whether I was ready or not. I questioned more the MENTAL aspect than the physical. Then, I wondered, once my mind caught up, will my body be stage ready on time? Blood , sweat, tears , discipline and hard work all go into competing. I wasn't so worried about giving up my guilty pleasures such as peanut butter , chocolate , wine and social gatherings with friends and family (well perhaps a little), It was more about failure.





Failure of starting something and not finishing it all the way through. I then decided that the not knowing is what probably would be worse.  As a teacher I lecture my students all the time about having to work hard to achieve their goals and to not think of how long it would take them because the time will go by anyway. So, here I go. I hope I can be a good role model and set an example to others to crush their goals either way regardless of their starting point or how long it will take them. We just have to be willing to put in the work.

I also can't imagine a better place to walk on stage than in Times Square NYC. I'm a Brooklyn born and raised girl and I'm proud to represent my home town.

Follow Amy as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini Debut

The Man behind the Motivation...

Growing up as the youngest with two older brothers, following in their footsteps seemed only natural.  So,  with my brothers followed sports and more sports. From as far back as I can remember, I was always active. My mom always joked that I could roller-skate, yes roller-skate, before I could even walk. I would play my father’s Motown record in the basement and skate around for hours. I played sports my entire life, from track, to cross country, recreational basketball and many years of soccer.

It was not until 10 years ago when I decided to purchase my first gym membership to get "fit." I was introduced to a trainer, Mark Haley, who was assigned to complete my fitness assessment.  My jaw dropped as soon as I was introduced to this very handsome man and the humiliation immediately set in as he began timing how many push-ups and sit-ups I could do in 1 minute. " Is this guy serious??", I thought, as I began sweating profusely in my Umbro shorts and soccer tee-shirt. Clearly, I was not in as good of shape as I thought I was, due to my results. Trust me when I say,  after that assessment my fitness apparel and gym appearance stepped up more than just a notch!! Now I had a new challenge to get in shape...NOPE! To date this guy Mark! Needless to say,  I was blessed to marry Mark in November of 2012. He has been so influential in my life of fitness and has been my biggest fan. It was not until our honeymoon when I said to him I would one day like to compete in a fitness show. 

God works in amazing ways because the January following my wedding, I stumbled across the Fitness Atlantic Facebook page where the Elite Heat team's competition preparation poster was advertised. I took myself completely out of my comfort zone and joined the team at an introductory meeting. The team was very warm and I was extremely impressed by the transformations the teammates had made as they prepared for their shows. It was very hard for me to commit to a show due to fear and what my family would think of this. From the second I mentioned it my husband and parents they were 100% supportive. They were a little unsure as to what exactly I was about to embark on, but so was I. It was not until my knees started buckling on stage at my first show as I posed in a cupcake costume that I officially was proud of myself. The mental challenge of prepping for a show cannot be explained in words.



Excitement and anxiety of the unknown is what has taken over me at this point as I prepare for my first WBFF show. Me stepping on stage is 100% a personal choice and for me not about placing, but about the challenge and feelings that are tied to setting a goal and achieving it!

 .

Courtney Allen - WBFF Diva Fit Model Competitor

So much more to gain...

Photo credit SFX Photography

When I joined The Elite Heat some time back, I never expected to compete. And then a star fell from the sky, knocked some sense into me and I remembered how much I love to challenge myself. So I competed. And I was hooked!! Then I decided to do more than be active, fit and strong. I decided I wanted to re sculpt my body and embark on an unexpectedly LOOOOONG road of bulking. 

Last summer marked the start of a new 2 year acting conservatory at William Esper. This was on the heels of my first competition, and the beginning stages of "bulking". I can recall taking pride in my new body, enjoying the look and feel of things and quietly blushing at the lovely compliments I received from my classmates. Then things progressed, and bulking got REAL! I was new to it all and had no idea what to expect, on any level. 

A few months in, I realized I couldn’t fit into some of my favorite clothing. A close friend told me that I looked “Full”….and secretly, I wanted to cry. In those moments I began to recognize an ugliness that I’d let seep into my spirit making me insecure about my physical imperfection. I was heartbroken by the idea of having developed an insecurity with my transformation. But even more so, I was deeply disappointed with myself. How could I have become so shallow? So superficial? How would this affect me as an actress? I can't be this fluffy? What is this extra stuff? But wait, why am I judging it? What standards was I trying to measure up to?  And as I beat myself up over this, I fell deeper and deeper into my discomfort and confusion. It was no longer just a physical thing. This journey began to open itself up as an emotional struggle. Between training, and classes, I felt like a train wreck. But I continued to push.Through the extra pounds, the ripped jeans, the "harmless comments".... One day at a time. I allowed myself to experience these very human feelings. These very human ups and downs. These very human doubts and struggles. I stopped judging them. And myself. In doing that, I slowly began to heal. I allowed myself to experience the process more freely, openly and with unconditional love. I began to restore a healthy body image, reignite my relationship with food and find a NEW, more comfortable balance with who I am, where I am going and everything in between. Sure, my body is my temple. But my spirit is the intangible essence that is Me.

I will be honest and admit that I absolutely eat for pleasure. For joy. For experience. But that all takes on new meaning for me. I find joy and pleasure in eating healthy foods that make my body feel amazing. I take pride in working out and find that I am building both my body and my character when I lift like a beast and sweat like an animal. I am proud of the skin I am in, with all of its muscles, lady lumps, curves AND human flaws. As I look back on the past year plus, I am glad to have allowed myself to fall apart in order to find treasures painfully hidden in the nooks, crannies and crevices of my being. Grateful to my family and friends for their patience and to my partner in crime, my Elite Heat Sis, Dawn, who got me to the gym at 630am on those cold winter mornings when all I wanted to do was roll over and sleep. Thanks for weathering the storm right along with me. I am bringing both of our hard work, blood, sweat and tears to the stage! It was only after I allowed things to get messy, that I was able to begin making myself whole again. This time, stronger, bolder, wiser, happier and with more mass

At just 6 weeks out, after missing out on THREE (3) previous WBFF shows over the course of 7 months, I asked myself “Court. Why do this? Why compete?” ....In that moment I could not answer the thought. I could only keep searching for the “Why?” until finally it hit me, in the most random moments. I am sure I was stuffing my face with asparagus when I was reminded “You are doing this as a celebration of all you have done to become who you are today.” It has never been about competing with anyone other than myself. And my very best.

Thankful to my coach for trusting me enough to allow me to learn. First go round, I relied so much on what I was being told to do, every step of the way. This time around, I am applying knowledge learned from others while finding my own way. I will walk away from this experience feeling grounded, armed with information and full of confidence in tomorrow. It's strange to imagine just how amped I am about post show maintenance, but the truth is, this is my new life. My new body. And my new perspective.

I am excited to take the stage, in my home town of NEW YORK CITY, and celebrate my courage to break myself down only to build a stronger, better version of myself. How wonderful to share that joy with my beautiful and supportive family AT HOME! The road to the WBFF NYC Stage has been so much more than a fitness adventure. It has been a journey and evolution of my full person. 

ATTENTION all FITNESS COMPETITORS and POSSIBLE Competitors!!

COMPETITION Prep WORKSHOP THIS SATURDAY..

If you have ever been interested in competing, may be competing in the near future, or just want to see what it's all about, this workshop is for you. We will go over all aspects of competition from posing, suits, color selection, themewear, YES THEMEWEAR for some, gowns, etc.

Coaches, trainers, makeup artists, pro athletes and other competitors will be on hand to answer questions and provide a wealth of knowledge so you are prepared to take that next step if you choose. Don't miss this opportunity.

DATE:  July 19th
TIME : 11-2
PLACE : Disclosed upon registration
EMAIL us at info@jointheheat.com to sign up or if you have questions