EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to the athlete journal of Allison Moyer. Allison is a nationally ranked NPC Figure Athlete, nationally and internationally published fitness model, an avid CrossFit athlete, BSN, C.P.T, C.S.N, C.N.W.C, and owner of Alli-Fitness Systems and Predator-Diet. Read all about Allison’s unique approach to training and diet every other week.
This past weekend I competed at 2013 IFBB North Americans. I went in with a full heart, confidence, and a whole lot of hope. I felt my best. I felt I looked my best. But then I was third callout.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with the phrase third callout, here’s what it means. Figure in the National Physique Committee (NPC) is classified by height, not weight. There are six classes, A-F, beginning with short heights (A class) and ending with tall classes (F class). I am in Figure E. When they lead the class out initially, the ladies are quarter turned for comparisons then led off to the sides of the stage. From there the judges perform callouts, which is a request for the competitor to step forward by number for comparisons. The first five ladies called out are usually top five. The second five ladies called out are usually top ten. Third five ladies are top fifteen. When I got that third callout, suddenly I was overcome with a deep sense of failure.
Failure is my biggest fear. In anything, I think.
In fact, to anyone who’s afraid of stepping outside of their comfort zone or making a life change – all I have to say is that to some extent you will never stop being afraid. I am afraid every single day.
Every time I know I’m training heavy barbell.
Every time I know I’m snatching.
Every time I know there’s a new movement or a technique I am not proficient in.
Every time I compete.
Step on stage.
Step into the rack.
Every time I send progress pics to my coach.
I’m afraid of failure on a daily basis. Life changes scare the shit out of me sometimes. But fear is only a deterrent if we allow it to be, and it’s never an excuse. Fear can be a paralyzer, sure, but if you allow it, fear can also be a motivator. It’s all in how you view it.
At the end of the day, I’ve come to realize that the only true regrets I ever have are when I allow fear to stop me from going after what I want, and I want my pro card in figure. After a year away from the stage, I stepped back into the contest prep swing and had my most successful and healthy prep ever. I didn’t let my fear of failure prevent me from dusting off my heels and getting up on stage again. And even though I failed at my pro card, I learned a lot about myself, my body, and my strength in the prep process.
Failure is one of life’s best teachers. Nowhere is that more evident than in something like figure, especially when you work hard for weeks upon weeks and then let it all hang out on stage for a panel to judge. You open yourself up to criticism voluntarily. And it’s hard, when the feedback isn’t what you want. It hurts to be third callout. But the judges are there to demand the best, to push you to your limits, and to force you to continue to improve. After receiving feedback from the panel and speaking with my coach, I feel confident I know what I need to do to improve upon moving forward. I’m scared, of course, but in no way will I allow fear to deter me from plunging forward with passion, focus, and the hopes of a pro card in the future.
This week I’m focused on reverse dieting to avoid any unwanted adipose tissue accumulation, and on getting back into my training. Aside from being a little sore and feeling a bit “meh” due to coming down from the pre-show anxiety and adrenaline, I feel awesome. My strength isn’t killer yet, but it’s sound, and it feels good to train again. For me, this is what it’s about – the stage is secondary. I always have and always will prefer my barbell to high heels.
Fasted AM Training:
- 5K: This was my first 5K in a while. Felt pretty good except my IT band and hams were super tight. Still, managed a 25:23, which was solid.
- Push Ups: Accumulate 50
- Sit Ups x 100
Back (Mountain Dog Training)
Notes: John Meadows is my nutritionist, and in an effort to add some size/muscle to my weaker areas I will be incorporating his notorious Mountain Dog Training methods into my training routine three times a week. The program I’m currently on is very aptly named “Pain & Suffering.” Go figure.
- Warm Up: 10 minute treadmill warm up, 5 minutes 30:30 run/walk. Ran at pace of 9.0, walked at pace of 3.0
- Deadlift: EMOM for 6 minutes, 2x @ 70% 1RM (For me this was 205.8lbs. I rounded down to 200lbs even, since this is my first week back post show)
- Meadows Rows: 2 warm up sets, then 3×10
- Pull Ups: 3×5 (rested 30 seconds in between), then 5 solid weighted pullup singles. I began with a 20lb dumbbell and worked up to 35. Rested about 45-60 seconds between sets.
- Cable Low Row: 3×12
- Dumbbell Pullover: 3×12
- Narrow Grip Pull Ups: 2 sets to failure. I got 11 reps the first time and only a pitiful 5 the second.
- HyperExtension (1 dropset): I held a 15lb dumbbell and banged out 10 solid reps then dropped the dumbbell and went to failure
- Reverse Hyper (no weight): 3×10
- Treadmill incline intervals: 15 minutes. I don’t do traditional “steady state” cardio. But this is figure and I need to have a good set of glutes and since I’m not genetically blessed in that area, this requires some effort. I did 15 minutes with a high intensity bout of 20:10 every other minute.
Today’s Thought: “A serious athlete is one with a drive that can not be deterred, a will to accomplish that does not accept failure, and the mental toughness to make positive advances each day to reach one’s goals. As athletes we have made a commitment to ourselves to perform at the highest level of our potential and we are driven to take steps to ensure our success.” –Athlete’s Mentality
