Life is a series of decisions. Every day we make decisions about what we are going to do and what our priorities will be. We decide our thoughts and if they are going to be positive or negative. We have no control over the decisions of others, but we have the ability to be in full control of our own thoughts and actions. Having said that, my talents of commitment, dedication and determination are a choice every day. Like all things in life, sometimes they come very easy and other times it can be more difficult. God gave me the capacity to use these gifts to better myself but these are gifts He has given to all of us. Everyone can choose to exercise will power. It’s not always easy but it does get easier. For me, it’s just a way of life. It’s how I build structure for my life and how I work daily to challenge and better myself.
This brings me to what I really want to tell you about; my journey to make a personal dream happen. I grew up in an athletic home. My mother was a bodybuilder back in the 80’s when Cory Everson and Rachel McLish were revolutionists in women’s fitness. While my mom never actually competed as a bodybuilder, she had a passion for the sport. She lived the life and certainly was in competition condition. We didn’t have stacks of Good Housekeeping sitting around the house; instead it was stacks and stacks of Muscle & Fitness. I grew up surrounded by fitness and it really became a part of who I am. I can remember back as early as junior high school looking at the magazines and wanting to be one of those women. I would go into my parents’ home gym and “workout” from time to time. I took a weightlifting class in high school, but that was really not what I was hoping for it to be. I’ve had a gym membership since high school and have always made the gym a part of my life. I wanted to be fit in a feminine body building kind of way, but I just never thought I could do it. I don’t know why I set that limitation but for some reason I did.
So, I turned to other athletic adventures. I started running when I was 17. By my early 20’s I added biking and swimming to my repertoire of activities. I’ve participated in all kinds of running, cycling and triathlon events and have done well at many. I’ve even been the top overall female finisher at a few of these events, but not anything on a “big” scale.
Through all of these adventures and all of these years my love and respect for body building has always remained. I would look at magazines like Oxygen and see the women that had competed in Fitness and Figure competitions. I always desired to be one of them. I just didn’t think I was capable.
Through all of these adventures and all of these years my love and respect for body building has always remained. I would look at magazines like Oxygen and see the women that had competed in Fitness and Figure competitions. I always desired to be one of them. I just didn't think I was capable.
Finally, something happened that changed my mind. I reconnected on Facebook with a childhood friend of mine, Joan Dandeneau. Like me, Joan has been an active gal. She too, leads a fit lifestyle and even helps other women reach their fitness goals. Back in November of 2010 Joan wrote a blog about a personal experience. She did what I had always wanted to do. She started training and 12 weeks later competed in her first Figure Competition. Joan was already fit but she took things to a whole new level. I read her blog and looked at her amazing transformation in photographs. Her story totally inspired me. For the first time in my life I actually considered the idea that maybe I could do it too.
That's where this whole crazy adventure started, on Facebook. After thinking about things for a while and going back to Joan's pictures and blog almost daily, I decided to contact her and ask some questions. Joan was quick to respond and even quicker to encourage me to try this for myself. From the very beginning Joan said, "Kim, you can do this!" and for the first time in my life, I thought "Holy Cow!! Maybe she is right!"
I thought about it some more and asked lots of questions. By the time I finally told my husband what I was considering, I had really already made up my mind that I wanted to try it. The second important consideration was the support of my husband. I knew this would be a HUGE commitment and that I would need his support. Although he didn't yet know everything that getting ready for a Figure Competition would entail, he knew I could do it. Nearly all of my friends had the same response. It's funny how all these people had a first response of, "You can do this!" but it took me 33 years to say it to myself.
Not knowing for sure what I was really getting into, I hired a coach, Sarah Long. Joan had used Sarah to coach her through her first competition and said I would love her. She was right. From our very first conversation, I knew Sarah would be the perfect person to help me reach my lifelong goal. Sarah was a National Figure Competitor with plenty of knowledge and experience to share with me. Her husband, Don Long, was a pro Bodybuilder so together they are the BEST coaching team around. Of all times to start, I began my "off season" diet and training the week before Thanksgiving and by January 1, 2011 I was in full swing with my "on season" diet and training. I had targeted a show in Jacksonville, Fl on March 26. For almost 3 months I trained 7 days a week and did not eat even 1 meal that I had not prepared myself (6 per day). I was very committed to my plan and to reaching my goal. Whatever Sarah told me to do is exactly what I did.
I kept a very rigid training schedule. I'm an early morning person so my day always starts at the gym. I begin each workout with my abdominal routine and then move to my weight lifting program for the day. I end with cardio and often do a second session of cardio at the end of each day. Suffice it to say, of all the athletic endeavors I have ever endured, this was the hardest. The combination of 3-4 hours of daily training (weights and cardio) along with a VERY strict diet created levels of complete exhaustion that I had never experienced in my life. To put it in perspective for you, every single workout for the last 5 weeks before the competition, felt like the last 5 miles of a marathon. Training for this competition was the most physically and mentally exhausting event for which I have ever trained. However, through each workout, I knew it would be worth it in the end.
During all my weeks of training I also had to learn and practice the very specific art of Figure Posing. These are required poses to be performed on stage in front of the judges. While this seems like it could be a minor detail, it is in fact just as important to execute these poses properly as it is to be in great visible muscular condition. Thankfully I had a great coach! Let me just say this, there is nothing natural about this style of posing. In the beginning not only did I look like the most uncoordinated and stiff person on the planet but it hurt too! I can't believe Sarah didn't burst out laughing with my first attempt at posing. Well, at least she didn't laugh in front of me, but I'm sure when she got home she had a good chuckle. Don't worry, I was laughing at myself.
Weeks of planning, training and dieting were behind me and now I was just days from getting on stage in what would be the smallest "bathing suit" (for lack of a better description) that I had ever put on my body. Like any athlete I questioned everything. Did I workout hard enough? Did I spend enough time practicing my posing? Was I in good enough shape?? I was nervous but excited. Oh, did I mention? I was completely exhausted!!! The night before the competition, after I had eaten my last meal of the day, my husband brought out this big bag. It was full of gifts some of my close girlfriends had put together for me. There were gifts of all the treats I had been deprived of and craving for all these months including a box of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. It was so funny! I was very touched by all the cards and well wishes for what I was about to do. They all said how much I have inspired them, but little do they know that they are the ones who inspire me. One of the gifts I got was from Gwen. She is very talented & artistic and she made me a piece of artwork that simply said, "We can do hard things". It sent chills all over me because it was spot on and just perfect. Gwen was right, "we can do hard things", I can do hard things.
Throughout my training people kept asking me how I felt about being judged solely on my appearance. This sport is unlike any other in which I've competed during my adult life. All of my other sports are very measurable. You finish in whatever time you finish and you are either the fastest or you are not. Those sports are not open to subjectivity or opinion what so ever.
Figure Competition is the complete opposite; it is completely subjective. There is nothing really measurable about it. Where you place is based solely on how you look and what the judges think looks best. They don't care how many hours you trained or how much weight you lost. They don't care how many kids you have or if you can lift the most. It's all about their own professional, but personal, preferences.
I was cool with this. It wasn't until after the competition when I was talking to my mom that it finally hit me. I had been judged like this almost my entire childhood. I was a cheerleader from the time I was in 2nd grade through high school and for the better part of my childhood life I had competed in just this way. Every time I tried out for cheerleading or participated in a cheerleading competition I was judged in much the same way as I would be at the Figure Competition. No wonder this type of competition didn't bother me, it was how I had grown up.
Competition day started very early and went so quickly, it's almost a blur. Prejudging was in the morning and stepping out on that stage for the first time was quite an experience. I was nervous but not about what I was doing, more about the newness of this particular experience and the fact that I was actually accomplishing a long time goal!
A few quarter turns and some big smiles later, it was all over. I did it! Not only had a worked my body in to a condition that I never knew I could achieve, but I had actually stood on stage and competed against other very fit women. I was so proud of what I did and the challenge I conquered. At the end of the day I was awarded 2nd place in the Masters 30-39 Division and 3rd in the Open Division, Short Class. While it felt great to place at my first competition, my ultimate victory was my conditioning and what I had achieved personally.
What I hope you will understand and believe from this story is, "We can do hard things." YOU can do hard things! You don't have to be extraordinarily gifted to achieve extraordinary goals. You just have to make a decision, have a plan and stick to it. I'm a real person; I poop too and I, like you, can do hard things.
Since the competition in March, I have competed in another event where I placed 3rd in the Masters 30-39 Division. I have two more events planned for 2011. For now, I plan to keep competing as an NPC Figure Competitor. I will see where this new found passion takes me, but most importantly, I have learned to not limit myself.
Now that you know my story, let me share with you what I did to achieve my goals. As I stated earlier, I am a morning person so I prefer to get up early and get through the majority of my workout before the day really gets rolling. I start every workout (Monday-Saturday) with my abdominal routine. I pick 4 different ab exercises and do 4 sets of 25 reps for each movement. I also do 1.5 to 2 hours of cardio 7 days a week which mostly varies between running, biking and the elliptical trainer. I am a runner at heart so much of my cardio time is spent running outside.
Monday: Chest- 4 different exercises each one with 4 sets 20, 16, 12, 10 reps increasing weight as I go. I end the workout with back and shoulder touch-ups (4 sets of 20 reps).
Touch-ups are when you do light weight sets to get blood flow to a muscle group. Since I only work each major group once a week, the touch-ups help get a slight pump to the muscle group on another day during the week. The key is to use a light weight.
Tuesday: Calves- 3 different movements, 4 sets 25 reps. Quads- 4 different exercises each one with 4 sets of 20, 16, 12, 10 reps increasing weight as I go.
Wednesday: Shoulders- 4 different exercises each one with 4 sets 20, 16, 12, 10 reps increasing weight as I go. I end the workout with back touch-ups (4 sets of 20 reps).
Thursday: Calves set a goal and commit myself to it without
looking back- 3 different calf movements, 4 sets 25 reps. Bis & Tris- 3 different exercises for both my biceps and triceps with 4 sets 30, 25, 20, 15 reps increasing weight as I go and super setting between bis and tris. I end the workout with back and shoulder touch-ups (4 sets of 20 reps).
Friday: Hamstrings- 4 different exercise with 4 sets of 25, 20, 15, 12 reps and supersets of lunges, step-ups and dead lifts in-between each set. I end the workout with hyperextensions (4 sets, 20 reps).
Saturday: Back - 4 different exercises each one with 4 sets 20, 16, 12, 10 reps increasing weight as I go and super setting with lighter weight back movements. I end the workout with 4 sets of hyperextensions and chest touch-ups (4 sets 20 reps).
Sunday- 1.5 to 2 hours of cardio
Oh yeah! I eat too!
I maintain a VERY
clean eating plan with no processed foods.
I eat 6 meals per day and my “on season”
diet looks something like this:
Meal 1: Protein Pancakes- mix 4 egg whites w/ 1 yolk, ½ scoop Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein powder & ½ cup of rolled oats in a blender and then cook in a skillet like pancakes or on a waffle iron. Add cinnamon & stevia to taste. I LOVE my protein pancakes/waffles. I top it off with calorie, fat & carb free maple syrup. This is my favorite meal of the day!
Meal 2: A protein shake with Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein and a tablespoon of natural peanut butter on a salt free rice cake.
Meal 3: 5oz of protein (fish, chicken, ground turkey), 6oz of fresh veggies & ½ cup of healthy carbs (rice, sweet potatoes or black beans)
Meal 4: A protein shake with Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein and a tablespoon of natural peanut butter on a salt free rice cake.
Meal 5: 5oz of protein (fish, chicken, ground turkey), 6oz of fresh veggies & ½cup of healthy carbs (rice, sweet potatoes or black beans) Often times I will make my AWESOME protein pancakes again for dinner w/ a side of my veggies.
Meal 6: I end my day with another protein shake using Beverly International Ultimate Protein Powder. Often times I will make a cup of hot chocolate using the BI UMP chocolate powder. There's nothing like going to bed with a warm cup of coco to end a hard day of training!
Kim Mixon at a Glance
Age: 33
Occupation: Licensed Realtor in Georgia & Alabama
Husband: Joey Mixon
Current Residence: Smith Station, Al
Height: 5 ft
Weight: Off-Season, 114 lbs; Contest, 107 lbs
Favorite Bodybuilding Meal: I LOVE my protein pancakes/waffles using BI Ultimate Muscle Protein Powder (see diet for recipe)
Favorite supplements: Beverly International UMP is a primary part of my daily protein intake. I use quite a few of the BI supplements including Advanced Anti Oxidant, Quadracarn, Multizymes & Glutamine but my absolute favorite BI product is the Ultimate Muscle Protein Powder. The nice part is that it has such wonderful taste and texture and so many versatile uses. I can really be creative with it and keep what is otherwise a pretty bland diet fun while feeding my muscles the clean forms of protein needed to grow.
