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

Follow Suehade as she makes her Fitness America Bikini debut!

No longer a wall flower...

Growing up I was always that girl, the girl that can eat whatever she wanted and slide right into her double zero jeans (which were extremely hard to find).  I was always skinny and I could out eat any body. Eventually my poor eating habits caught up with me. During my early twenties, I managed to put on 35 pounds! I was never fat, but I became what is known today as “skinny fat”.  People began to make comments about my weight gain and it opened up a whole mess of insecurities. It wasn’t until someone congratulated me on my pregnancy (I wasn’t pregnant) that sent me running to the gym.

I worked out for two years and I couldn’t understand why I didn’t have any muscle definition, no abs, no “toned” arms or legs. I was training with a trainer who placed me on a 850 calorie diet and a workout program that consisted of me running for miles. I became a skeleton. I got frustrated and became sloppy with my meals again and stopped going to the gym. I slowly started gaining the weight back, I panicked and decided to go back to the same trainer. I had my gym bag packed and ready to go back to my old trainer but my friend convinced me to try a small and upcoming gym in Brooklyn. I heard about the gym before but I tend to stick to what I know.  Nonetheless, my friend convinced me to go with her.

I met my new trainer and attended a few sessions. Within the first week I was hooked. I signed up right away.  I’ve learned and am still learning so much from my trainer. After a few months, I started seeing results.  I approached one of my coaches and told him I wanted more muscles. We discussed my goals and my program was reassessed. My calories went up and I began lifting heavy weights for the first time. I was benching, squatting, dead lifting, and overhead pressing. I was in love! I loved and still love every minute of weighting training.  My body was changing and I was becoming stronger. I was doing things that I never thought I could. Every goal I set they helped me not only meet it, but exceed it. I found my love of weights here and I also found myself. I became more confident and more comfortable in my skin.

My best friend quickly picked up on my obsession with working out and showed me a picture of a friend who began competing and was a member of the Elite heat. I was blown away by her transformation and admired her for competing. One night I decided to show the picture to my sister. She too was blown away. She then looked at me and said “You should compete too.”  A thousand excuses came to mind and all my insecurities instantly overcame me. My sister knocked every one of them down.  She kept saying “message her and ask her.” You see, my sister and I are complete opposites. She’s the social butterfly and I’m the quiet wallflower. She sees, she wants, she gets. I see, I dream, and do nothing about it. I thought about it a lot. I wanted to do it but I couldn’t find it within me to go for it.

My friend had asked me to join her for a boot camp class she got off of groupon. She told me our friend would be attending and I would have someone to talk about my love of fitness with. Our friend couldn’t make it but after our third session, Malenna ended the class and asked us to write down our names and email. A few days later, she emailed me and asked me if I would be interested in competing. I played it cool and said “sounds interesting”. She stated she will be accepting new members in a few months. I just thought it wasn’t for me. A whole year went by and I couldn’t shake the idea off.  Then I received another email about a workshop for those interested in competing. I decided to go. I missed so many opportunities to do amazing things due to my own fears and insecurities. I wanted to finally do something for me. I wanted to actually go for it. I knew competing would help me overcome my shyness. I turned once again to my sister. She calmed my nerves (yes, I was nervous to attend the workshop!) and told me to go for it. I was embarrassed to even say it out loud, in fear of judgment or being laughed at.  I went to the workshop and signed up, never admitting to Malenna that I wanted to compete.

Before I knew it, I was prepping for my first show. I was given a workout plan and my food intake was being monitored. I was learning even more about my body and about myself. For me the journey is not about winning it’s about doing something out side of my comfort zone.  It’s about finally going after something and not allowing fear to hold me back. It’s a personal journey. I decided to keep this experience to myself, to block all the negative comments that may come about.  I needed to do this for myself, no distractions. I let my trainer know (which took me three weeks because I was super nervous) and he was on board and has been supporting me ever since. My mom, sister and my best friend have also been a great support system and I am so thankful for them. I’ve met so many beautiful girls on this team helping me and cheering me on this new journey.

Throughout this experience I’ve challenged myself mentally as well as physically.  I am so glad to be surrounded by amazing women and an amazing coach.  I am extremely thankful and can not express in words the gratitude I have for my coach and team.  I can’t wait for May 17!

Follow Joesie as she makes her Fitness America Bikini debut!

When SKINNY Isn't Enough....

As much as I thought of myself as somewhat in shape, I'd never really been fit. In hindsight, I now know what I really was. I was “skinny fat.” I was the girl who never paid attention to her diet, worked out once in a blue moon and still always looked thin. The first gym that I ever joined was three years ago. It was one of those self-proclaimed gyms for women. This basically meant there were a ton of classes, archaic machines and cardio machines of which there were never enough to go around. This is where I thought I belonged. Coed gyms intimidated me and since this gym was designed for women I believed this was all I needed to stay in shape.

I started going to the gym twice a week doing 30 minutes of cardio on my own, or attending a class for 45 minutes. I was content, I thought I was looking and feeling good.  As I look back I think deep down I knew I could do better.


Last year I had an epiphany. I had just come back from a 10 day trip to Nicaragua where I was eating gallo pinto by the bucket. When I got back I started back up with my same workout routine and realized my body was not bouncing back to the “skinny fat” that I was so used to. I looked in the mirror and realized I was just plain old chubby. At this point I knew I had to make some changes. I did some research and finally joined a “real” gym. I started to incorporate weight training into my routine, but after a short time I reverted back to my comfort zone and slipped back into my old cardio-only workout habits. I realized then that I needed help. I needed an accountability partner and after a little research I found Malenna Saunders and the Elite Heat. Through Malenna, I began to truly learn about my body and how to effectively incorporate weight training and nutrition into my everyday life, for this I am forever thankful.

It’s hard for me to qualify the confidence and physical and mental benefits I’ve received on my journey from “skinny fat” to “skinny fit.” I began this year with the desire to try new things outside of my comfort zone and to constantly set new goals for myself. So far, I’ve exceeded all of my expectations and now have a new outlook on what I can accomplish. I've met an amazing group of women on this journey and cannot thank them enough for their constant support and camaraderie. I look forward to helping them reach their goals and to growing with them as we continue to challenge ourselves to be the best that we can be.

Follow Clare as she makes her Fitness America Bikini debut!

Fearless...

"In all my 48 years, I have never owned a bikini. Ever until now"

Something happened to me when I hit my 40's - I woke up one day and was tired of settling for what was staring back at me in the mirror.  Like most women, I struggle daily with body image and tend to see only my flaws.   Given that, the decision to train for a fitness competition is some what difficult for me to explain, even to myself. I've always enjoyed sports in some form as a child. I began running for fitness in college, and have continued with that throughout the years, finishing a couple of marathons and a number of shorter races. But always, in the back of my mind, I wanted a certain look. Why didn't I look like I worked as hard as I felt like I was?

Pushing myself through endless cardio classes didn't seem to be getting me where I wanted to be, but I realized now the issue was in my head. I was afraid to acknowledge that I wanted to look cut, to look athletic.  It seemed shallow to me - if I was healthy, why should I be unhappy with how I looked? Especially when I had a job I loved as well, as a network producer. It seemed unseemly to be complaining about something like my abs.

As an adult, I moved on to sports where looks didn't matter. I learned to play ice hokey at 40 and play on 3 teams.  Having been afraid of team sports, fearing I would be picked last, be the weakest, etc, it's been a joy to experience what being on a team means.  I also took up triathalons four years ago despite a paralyzing fear of swimming.  For the most part, I have been able to work past my fears. All of them except the fear of how I look, and being openly judged about it.  But last year, a number of things happened that changed my outlook.

• surgery on a torn hamstring that would sideline me from most cardio activity for months
• turning 48 which meant 50 was just around the corner

A friend of mine, Kelly Kalley, did her first bikini fitness competition with WBFF in Montreal.  A fashion designer with a great sense of style, Kelly seemed fearless. I remember saying to her that I couldn't imagine putting myself out there to be judged in that way.  But her journey intrigued me more and more as it went on, and I resolved to get past my surgery and refocus my training.  If she could stay so impressively fit without a lot of  cardio, I wanted to see if I could do it as well.  But the training is only half the battle. As they say, you cannot train a bad diet, and I needed real help. That's when an article in the Wall Street Journal, by a woman who reminded me of, well me, caught my eye. Alyssa Abkowitz-Cendrowski wrote a great story about her coach Malenna Saunders, and a team named the Elite Heat describing her journey to the competititve stage. It was clear from Alyssa's story that diet was the missing link in my regime, but I needed a road map, and I didn't want to do it alone. 

When I met with Malenna and the team members I realized I didn't have to. With Malenna's help, and starting with the Advocare 24 Day Challenge, I have been able to revamp how I eat, and while it hasn't been easy. it truly was the missing link in the chain. 

The final fear to face will be standing on that stage. But I know I can face it with the help of my great coach and wonderfully supportive teammates.  Losing those fears and hangups is the best weight loss I can ever imagine.

And the Trophy Goes To......

How'd they do?

Daphne

Laura

A few days ago you were introduced to Daphne and Laura, our newest fitness competitors in prep.  Each of them shared their personal journey, the reasons they wanted to compete and the struggle of competition prep. Their debut occurred in Wallingford, Connecticut, just this past weekend.  Bikini, Fit Model, Muscle Model, Figure and Male Fit Model athletes from all over graced the stage in over 4-6 hours of comparisons, posing, quarter turns and pose downs.

We hopped in our SUV rental early Friday morning and made the 2 hour drive to an unknown and exciting fate. Friday, after arriving at the hotel, we could rest, get situated, hopefully nap, but energies were flying all afternoon. We made a trip to the local Walgreens for incidentals and once we made it back to the hotel, we needed to get ready for the athletes meeting.  At this meeting, the ladies were to be informed of the agenda for the following day so their attendance was mandatory. After the meeting, we grabbed dinner just to get together one last time before the big and long day.

Dinner !

Daphne and Laura ready for the athlete's meeting!

Saturday morning began at 5am with hair and makeup, determinations on meals, tanning, and packing for backstage. By 9am, we had to be at the venue and ready to hit the stage. Showtime began promptly at 10am. When the ladies for bikini short filed onto the stage, we thought the line would never end. 44 ladies later, all the athletes were on the stage and ready for comparisons. The competition was long, and tough. 

Backstage before prelims

All the athletes in the bikini short division

Prelims occurred in the morning. We had a small break, and then went back to the theater for finals. This show had all the lights and glamour Fitness Atlantic delivers every year for their audience.  I had the distinct honor and pleasure of being a presenter during the awards ceremony and looked on at the table of trophies wondering if two of these were going to our girls.

 How did they do? See for yourself :) Our next show is May 17th...Stay tuned.

Daphne Espinal 2nd place- Bikini Masters

Laura Gutierrez- 5th place - Bikini Short