Blog

Interview with Becca Sizemore IFBB Fitness Pro and Olympian, NPC Judge and Statistician

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Join me today as I interview with Becca Sizemore, IFBB Fitness Pro and Olympian. She is also an NPC judge and statistician. Through her roll with the NPC, Becca offers a unique perspective on competitions and competitors. What an interview!

Topics we Cover:
-How She Got Her Start in Fitness
-Who Can Compete in the Fitness Division
-Her Role in the Industry Now
-How the Judging Works
-How the Scores are Calculated
-How to Progress in the Sport from first-time NPC Amateur to IFBB Pro Athlete

Interview with Marie Ann “Mo” Newman, IFBB Figure Pro, IFBB/NPC Judge, NPC Carolinas Vice Chairperson

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In my interview with Marie Ann “Mo” Newman, IFBB Figure Pro, IFBB/NPC Judge, NPC Carolinas Vice Chairperson, we cover topics so many competitors are asking about! There is so much value in this conversation!

Topics we cover in this episode:
-Your Overall Stage Look
-Keep it Simple, Don’t Overcomplicate it
-What You Have to Have
-Makeup: No Muddy Faces
-Competition Suits Talk! How It Should Fit & How You Should Wear it
-Stage Presentation Posing: What Actually Matters
-Mo’s Top Piece of Advice for Competitors

Interview with Allen Sizemore, NPC TN State Chairman & IFBB/NPC Judge & Promoter

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Join me today as I interview Allen Sizemore, NPC Tennessee State Chairman & IFBB/NPC Judge & Promoter. The insight he offers as state chairman is invaluable! If you’re a competitor or are hoping to compete, you won’t want to miss this conversation!

Topics we Cover:
-Allen’s Vision for the NPC in TN
-Carrying Yourself as a Pro
-Q&A from Competitors
-Benefit of Doing a “warm up” show for Nationals
-The Importance of Stage Presentation
-Allen’s Top Piece of Advice for Competitors
-What is an NPC card?

And So Much More!

For the Love of the Sport: Bonus Episode with Mo Newman

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Join me in this bonus episode where Mo and I talk about the “Post-Show Blues” and how to regroup and find balance when your show is over and you don’t have another one on the calendar. We talk about avoiding the term “off season” and why “improvement season” can be better for maintaining balance. Mo is a master with the power of words. You don’t want to miss her insight!

Topics we cover:

-Training Your Brain to Build Your Body
-Tips to Conditioning Your Mind
-How to Cope with Post-Show Blues
-Improvement Season & Making it the most of it

Tune in to Mo’s NEW YouTube Series “Mo Newman’s Mind Prep” on her channel Mo’s World!

Guest Interview with Shawn Hektor-Lewis IFBB Bikini Pro, Miss Atlantic Coast, Owner of Shawn’s Couture Cuties, Overall Stage Look Specialist

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Interview with Shawn Hektor-Lewis IFBB Bikini Pro, Miss Atlantic Coast, Owner of Shawn’s Couture Cuties, Overall Stage Look Specialist and so much more!

In this episode we talk about:

-How Shawn & I met… back in the early days of competing
-The Process of Designing Your Suit
-Shawn’s Process as a Suit Designer
-Suits Colors: What’s Safe & What’s Not
-Shawn’s Experience in the Sport & How it plays into how she helps competitors now
-Stage Make-Up Do’s & Don’ts
-What To Look for in a Makeup Artist
-Dealing with the Mask Situation
-Stage Hair Styles
-Do Blondes or Brunettes Win More?
-Shawn’s #1 Piece of Advice to New Competitors

Shawn hosts one main event every January called Cuties Conquering the Stage, multiple posing workshops, and is on IG LIVE EVERY week night offering tons of valuable information!

Where you can find her:
On instagram at @shawnscouture
Or on her website at suitsandposing.com

Guest Interview with Shawn Hektor-Lewis, IFBB Bikini Pro, Miss Atlantic Coast, Owner of Shawn’s Couture Cuties, Overall Stage Look Specialist… ROUND 2!

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In part 2 of my interview with Shawn, we focus on social media and the comparison that can happen. It can be so tempting to look at other competitors and compare yourself to them, but it can also be harmful to your progress. Shawn reminds us that it’s easy to look good by yourself in a photo, but what matters is how you look compared to others on stage.

We talk about:
-Social Media & the Stage: How is it impacting your placings & mental state?
-The use of Photoshop and filters
-The importance of stage presence
-Enjoying your time on stage
-Getting judges’ feedback
-Having the right people to support you
-Connecting on Social Media

Shawn hosts one main event every January called Cuties Conquering the Stage, multiple posing workshops, and is on IG LIVE EVERY week night offering tons of valuable information!

Where you can find her:
On instagram at @shawnscouture
On her website at suitsandposing.com

Guest Interview with Amber Larkins Owner of Fitography Files, Fitness – Branding – Empowerment

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Today I’m speaking with my friend Amber Larkin, a fitness and branding photographer who uses her talent to help women heal their trauma through photography. She takes great care to listen to their stories and plan shoots that can empower them. You won’t want to miss this powerful episode!

In this episode we talk about:

-How Amber Got Started in Photography
-How She Uses Photography to Empower Women
-Her latest project: Transformation through Trauma The Process & Purpose of these Shoots Inspiring Others Through Sharing Stories

Where you can find her:
Instagram: @fitographyfiles
Website: www.fitographyfiles.com
Email: Amber@fitographyfiles.com

The Fit Show Story Project 2021

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Everyone has a story of something they’ve overcome in their life. 

…whether they know it or not. Some are more obvious than others… some are buried down so deep that so many layers of protection have subconsciously been placed on top of the traumas – big or small – that we forget they are there.

From my personal experience, competing played a vital role in my ability to overcome tragedy. The resilience that I developed during some of the darkest times in my life turned out to be a key characteristic that I needed to push me to the next level in every aspect of my life in the long run, not just in competing.

When I was run down and crushed under an SUV 10 years ago, the doctors told me I may not walk again…but most certainly would not compete on stage again. After my back surgery to fuse my spine together with metal rods and screws, everyone doubted that I would ever be the same.

The doubt around me didn’t matter because I built a wall of protection around myself… deep in my heart I knew God saved my life for a purpose and he’d use that traumatic event to inspire hope in others… I just had no idea what that looked like at the time.

When He gave me the vision to create something different in the bodybuilding industry, all-female competition, the doubters came again inserting negativity into what they believed would be possible. My goal was to simply take my experiences from competing all over the world in over 30 shows and create an experience for athletes here in Nashville, TN like no other. To make these female athletes feel like the strong & powerful ROCKSTARS that they are! My vision for this show was to inspire confidence and strength among women. To EMPOWER & cultivate an environment of support & community focused on thriving… to say that it has far exceeded my expectations would be an understatement.

With that vision & mission still in mind, the Fit Show Story Project will be the avenue to bring even more light to the power of sharing stories of overcoming… to inspire the hope, resilience & strength in others to overcome too.

We want to showcase and honor the amazing & strong women who are the FIT SHOW BRAND. 

The 2021 Whitney Wiser Overcomer Award will presented on stage by me, Whitney Wiser, and the NPC/IFBB Pro League Nashville Fit Show… prizes will include a FREE Empowerment Photoshoot by Fitography Files, Custom Designed Crystal Award & Crown, a spot in a Stock Trading Group Mentorship provided by Real Life Trading, FREE Entry into the IFBB North American Championships OR the 2022 NPC/IFBB Nashville Fit Show and many more to be announced!

Submit your story via this LINK by August 8th.

Guest Interview with Heather Barbee, IFBB Women’s Physique Pro & Owner of Lolli’s Pop Aesthetics

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In this episode, Whitney talks to Heather Barbee about her journey to becoming an IFBB Women’s Physique Pro and her life now as an aesthetics nurse. Heather started competing in 2009 in figure, but when Physique was introduced in 2011, she knew it was the division for her!

Turning Pro was never her initial goal, but when she started getting positive feedback and doing well, she gained the confidence to move forward with the new goal of earning her pro card.

Whitney and Heather dispel the myth that competitors are catty and unsupportive. Competitors cheer for each other and want each other to do well. Heather knew after she earned her pro card, she would have to step up her game because she was starting at the bottom.

Heather speaks about the lessons she learned from competing that have stayed with her since stepping away from the stage in 2015. Competing helped Heather gain confidence and that has carried over into all aspects of her life.

As a nurse aesthetician, she likes to develop relationships with her clients. She works on their insides while beautifying their outsides. She helps them reveal their inner confidence. Aesthetics is more than her career, it’s her platform to help people. To end the interview, Heather speaks to the importance of finding the right coach and doing her research.

CONNECT WITH HEATHER

IG: https://www.instagram.com/lollis_pop_aesthetics/

BUSINESS IG: https://www.instagram.com/heather_barbee/

CONNECT WITH WHITNEY

IG: https://www.instagram.com/whitneywiserfit/

BUSINESS IG: https://www.instagram.com/nashvillefitshow/

Time Stamps:

[1:00] How Heather got started

[4:41] Pro in physique 2011

[7:30] talks about her journey to turning pro at Jr. Nationals

[11:00] camaraderie in bodybuilding

[13:30] starting from the Bottom as a pro

[14:35] personality trait learned through competing

[16:35] starts competing “late”

[18:40] Focusing on goals after stepping away from the stage

[21:20] Working with competitors as an aesthetics nurse, offering guidance from past experiences

[22:20] Heather offers best advice to competitors

Guest Interview with IFBB Pro head judge Becky Clawson

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In this episode, Whitney interviews IFBB Pro head judge Becky Clawson. Becky started judging in 2010 when she considered what she would do after competing. Her love of the sport and her analytical brain made judging the perfect avenue to stay active in the bodybuilding community.

As a former Pro bikini and figure athlete, Becky wants to break down the barrier between athletes and judges. Becky is known for her show recaps on her Instagram page. She believes by helping athletes understand the judging process, they can have more faith in the placings.

Becky speaks to the claims of politics affecting placings. She believes blaming politics is just a cop out. Rewarding someone who doesn’t deserve it hurts the sport. She encourages athletes to stay after shows to get feedback instead of emailing judges. The judges want to help competitors improve and are happy to give feedback.

Whitney shares the most common listener question: what is the criteria for Wellness? Becky explains because it is a new division in the US, competitors are still working to fit the division standards. At local shows especially, the placings may be confusing, but the judges can only judge who shows up.

Answering more listener questions, Becky explains the importance of posture on stage. Keeping your posture the whole time you’re on stage can help hide loose skin and help maintain your shape. The judges are always watching! Becky also answers if shape or conditioning is more important.

The conversation ends with Becky offering her best advice to new competitors and how they can make the most of show day!

CONNECT WITH BECKY

IG: https://www.instagram.com/fitprobecky/

CONNECT WITH WHITNEY

IG: https://www.instagram.com/whitneywiserfit/

BUSINESS IG: https://www.instagram.com/nashvillefitshow/

Time Stamps

[0:04] How Becky got started in bodybuilding

[2:11] Early days of competing

[4:04] Deciding to judge

[5:40] Becky’s life outside of judging

[6:40] Experiences expediting

[9:19] Giving information on Instagram, posing misconceptions

[10:00] Ideas of politics in judging

[13:14] Getting feedback

[14:29] Wellness criteria

[18:19] Importance of proper conditioning

[21:09] Having loose skin on stage

[24:45] Advice for new competitors