IFBB Bikini Pro Miriam Jenkins shares her journey to the IFBB as a Masters 50+ competitor with Amy Ehinger in Episode 39. Included in this interview you will hear insights on what it takes to start a professional body building career at the age of 50. Miriam shares insights on how to balance career, friends, travel and training while maintaining the prep life for the last four years. Miriam also shares her future goals and also how she was able to achieve the overall title at Masters Nationals. Follow her on Instagram @miriamjenkinsifbbpro

Episode 38 includes tips on how to increase the body's natural ability to increase testosterone. Also included in this episode are ways to decrease stress and cortisol production. As a bikini competitor we know how important it is for athletes to be in an anabolic state vs catabolic state; during this episode we present strategies that mitigate muscle breakdown and stimulate muscle growth. IFBB Bikini Pro Chris Nicole shares her thoughts on how re-framing her limiting beliefs has really helped her in her competition prep journey.

Episode 37 includes all talks bikini contest preparation with discussions regarding shoulder exercises and philosophies on the best way to build them. Other topics included are food pushers, macro banking, multiple bikini competitions, non-USA citizen eligibility, and favorite new reads of IFBB Bikini Pro Chris Nicole and Amy Ehinger. Reference of the shoulder angle article https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20512064/

Book References:

How Champions Think ~Bob Rotella 

Getting Back to Happy ~Marc & Angel Chenoff

Bikini coaches IFBB Pro Chris Nicole and Amy Ehinger talk about the new trends that are out there in the NPC in the bikini division. Other topics include feedback from IFBB/NPC Women's head judge Sandy Williamson and things that she is looking for in bikini posing and look. Other talks include peaking strategies and last minute changes that can be so crucial to success on stage.

Episode 35 includes tips and tricks of NPC and IFBB bikini posing. Other topics included are things that judges are looking for with bikini posing, stage presence, frequency of bikini posing practice and skills that are important in preparing for your individual bikini posing modeling routine.

In episode #34 IFBB Bikini Professional Regena Harrison shares what it takes to achieve pro status in the IFBB Pro League. She shares her bikini journey up to the moment she was able to earn her pro card at NPC Nationals in Miami. Also included in this episode are tips and tricks; along with the mental toughness it takes to train like a pro. You can find Regena to connect or ask questions on Instagram @regenamarie

In episode 33 bikini coaches Amy Ehinger and Chris Nicole talk about the importance of an improvement season for bikini athletes. Included in this episode are ways to re-frame limiting beliefs and the importance of having an online coach to guide you with accountability through the off season and reverse diet. Other topics include ideas from the book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", by Stephen covey – Skill #7 Sharpen the Saw.

The idea of sharpening the saw means to always become a better person. Whether it’s through attaining new knowledge, experiencing new environments, or maintaining and improving our health. Avenues that changes can be made fall under these 4 domains.

Physical:

Beneficial eating, exercising, and resting

Social/Emotional:

Making social and meaningful connections with others

Mental:

Learning, reading, writing, and teaching

Spiritual:

Spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer, or service

Episode 32 is all about the benefits of MCT oil and how it can be incorporate into your bikini competition prep. Included in this episode are: ways to consume it, the differences between MCT and coconut oil, Medium Chain Triglycerides and Long Chain Triglycerides, and 2 studies that have shown that MCT’s may induce fat loss by increasing levels of catecholamines. Study #1- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition The mechanism whereby overfeeding with diet containing medium chain triglyceride (MCT) results in diminished body weight and fat was studied 15 male rats were divided into two groups: one group was fed MCT diet, the other an isocaloric diet containing long chain triglyceride (LCT) in excess (150%) of spontaneous calorie intake Both diets, fed for 6 wk, derived 50% of calories from fat. Basal and norepinephrine stimulated 02 consumption and CO2 production, as well as metabolic rate were measured MCT rats gained 15% less weight than LCT controls and resting and maximal norepinephrine-stimulated 02 consumptions were 39.7 and 22.1% higher in MCT than in LCT group, respectively Resting and norepinephrine-stimulated metabolic rates were 38.8 and 22.2% higher in MCT than LCT fed rats, respectively. Overfeeding MCT diet results in decreased body fat related to increased metabolic rate and thermogenesis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7072620 Study #2 - European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 8 healthy young men had 24-hour energy expenditure (EE) and urinary catecholamines measured during their stay in a respiratory chamber on four separate occasions These were randomised between four different combinations of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and long-chain triglycerides (LCT), a total 30g/day, which was consumed with their habitual diet in three equal parts (10g each) Researchers concluded that relatively low-to-moderate intake of MCT (15-30 g per day) as part of habitual diet may play a role in the control of human body composition by enhancing daily EE, and that this effect is mediated at least in part through activation of the sympathetic nervous system https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8654328.

Busting through plateaus can be difficult during bikini prep. Included in this episode are talks about Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), Sleep, Measuring Food, Extra Bites Licks and Tastes (BLTs), intensity in the gym, and calories cycling for getting through a plateau. Other talks are about developing self control through getting sleep, brain breaks, chunking down goals and allowing for the prefrontal cortex to reset. Strategies are shared on developing habits that will help with decision making fatigue.

This episode includes what to look for in an online bikini coach. Other topics included are the athlete and coach relationship, how to maximize the working relationship, and also how to get the most from your training program. Bikini training should be unique to you and your programming should continue to be adjusted to help reach every new phase of the journey.