Posts Tagged :

wellness

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

 150 150 Whitney Wiser
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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

 150 150 Whitney Wiser
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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

 150 150 Whitney Wiser
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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 Heather Barbee, IFBB Women’s Physique Pro & Owner of Lolli’s Pop Aesthetics

 150 150 Whitney Wiser
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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

 150 150 Whitney Wiser
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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

Guest Interview with IFBB Olympia Head Judge Sandy Williamson

 150 150 Whitney Wiser
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Guest Interview with IFBB Olympia Head Judge Sandy Williamson

As a competitor, have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of the judges? What are they looking for? Why did she place higher than the other girl?

Well, this conversation is as close as you can get!

Today Whitney talks with the illustrious Sandy Williamson, women’s chairperson for the NPC/ IFBB, head Olympia judge, and co-promotor of Junior Nationals. As one of the most sought after judges in bodybuilding, Sandy brings a wealth of knowledge and offers an important perspective for competitors. 

We begin with Sandy telling us how she got started in bodybuilding and how the sport has progressed over the years. When she first started, women weren’t even allowed in the weightroom at The Y and there were few co-ed gyms. Sandy loves that today we have shows like Nashville Fit Show and GRL PWR to showcase female competitors. When Sandy began judging, she realized she belonged at the table instead of on the stage. One of Sandy’s goals is to prepare more women judges for the National and IFBB levels before she retires. 

Sandy is always generous with her time in helping competitors improve. She talks about the pre-show seminars she offers and how they are catered to meet the needs of the athletes. Because of NPC News Online, athletes no longer have to rely on magazines for information. Sandy says answers to commonly asked questions can be found there.

Whitney and Sandy discuss how a competitor knows when they are ready to move on to the national level and why there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. As Whitney opens the discussion to questions from followers, the most common question is about the criteria for the Wellness division. While there is a set criteria, competitors have to consider what looks best for their body, within the criteria. In closing, Sandy offers advice to first-time competitors. Enjoy your day and remember where you started. You can learn something from every show!

CONNECT WITH WHITNEY

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

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

Time Stamps:

[0:01] introductions

[1:11] Sandy’s start in bodybuilding

[4:28] Sandy’s start in judging

[8:00] Changes in the sport over the years

[10:22] Pre-show seminars

[12:24] Common presentation mistakes

[14:00] Information available on NPC News Online

[15:00] What Sandy looks for while judging

[17:30] How to know when to compete at Nationals

[21:06] Wellness division criteria

[26:05] How judges compare different competitors

[27:05] Advice to first time competitors

[30:00] Junior Nationals show