2014 Baltimore Gladiator Championships (March 22, 2014)

On March 22, we competed in the NPC Gladiator Championships, held in Towson, MD. I began my prep for this year with a new coach Matt Porter, and a different contest prep diet that's been going on for 24 weeks now (this is not including the 14 weeks of pre-contest dieting Matt had me on). Needless to say, going into this show, not only was I hungry for a win, but I was starving for a burger...and donuts, pop tarts, cookies, pies, cakes, pasta, and every other tasty morsel of food I've been deprived until this point!

When arriving to check-ins Friday afternoon, I was eager to weigh in, excited for the first show I was competing in for this season. Donned with my spray tan and posing suit, I headed straight to the scale. Last year at this same show I weighed in at 139 (I was 136 morning of the 2013 Gladiator), so I was originally hoping to be around that size this year, but expected to be better conditioned. Well, I was a little off that target! I weighed in at 153 (morning of the show I was 147)...I was undoubtedly more conditioned, more vascular, and couldn't have been more proud of how much muscle mass I had put on over a year's span.
(Here's the link for the official pictures posted to the NPC site
http://contests.npcnewsonline.com/contests/2014/npc_baltimore_gladiator_championships/ )

Also, here are some pictures from Pre-Judging.

 

Unfortunately, I was the only female bodybuilder in this show. But when it's all said and done, bodybuilding is a feat against yourself. Pushing your personal limits, breaking past stereotypes, and thriving to bring the best physique possible up on stage. My competition isn't the girl standing next to me, but the girl that looks back at me in the mirror every damn day. Yes, it's a competition against others for who has the best chiseled body, the fullest muscle bellies, perfect symmetry, and striated glutes but it's also about who has their mental game on point to be able to sustain the discipline for such an extended period. Considering how much improvement I've made, I'll take the win with a smile.



2013 Baltimore Gladiator Championships



2014 Baltimore Gladiator Championships