What I Learned At Amanda Graydon’s Latest Contest

A few weeks back, I published a short article called “The Amanda Graydon Project.”  In this article, I showcased the awesome physique transformation of PN Director of Customer and Expert Relations, Amanda Graydon.

Amanda started out fit, healthy, and strong.  Yet she wanted to take her body to the next level in order to compete in a women’s figure contest.  Many weeks later, after more fasted morning walks, conditioning circuits, and strength training workouts than she’d like to remember, she stepped on stage.

And she won!

Amanda Winning The Short Class at the Woodstock Level 1 Figure Competition

Fast forward 4 weeks.

This past weekend, Amanda once again put her lean physique on the competitive stage.  And again she walked away the short class winner, this time qualifying for the Ontario Provincial championships next spring.

Amanda Representing The Short Class in the Ottawa Level 2 Figure Championships

Amanda Bringing Home More Hardware

As her coach – designing all her workouts and nutrition plans leading up to both events – I got a special pass this weekend to be backstage at the event.  And backstage, I got to hang out with Amanda, I got to keep her company during the long intervals between stage appearances, and I got to help her out with all the last minute preparations. (That hard body isn’t going to oil itself up, ya know.)

Being backstage I also got to meet a lot of competitors.  (I think there were over 150 at this particular contest).  I got to see what they were eating, I got to see what they were doing to pump their muscles up before walking onstage, I got to see what advice they were getting from their coaches, and I got to ask a lot of questions.

You know, it’s interesting what you can learn by just kicking back and observing.

For starters, I learned that there are some 47 year old women out there that I’d definitely try to pick up at a bar, at a Starbucks, at the grocery store, at the gym – oh, hell, wherever!

Sharon Briand, Grand Masters Figure Competitor - That's Right, She's 47!

Sharon Briand Again - This Might Not Be "PC," But That's Quite A Butt!

But that’s not the only thing I learned.

In talking with some of the people at this contest, I also learned that people of all ages, shapes, and sizes – and from all walks of life – can get into phenomenal shape – contest shape – by exercising hard and eating right.

Take PN Member Daniel Jodoin, for example.  Daniel, seen below, gradually whittled down his 5′ 5″, 212 lb body into a 150 lb stage-ready physique over the last coupla years.

Daniel Before

Daniel After And On Stage This Last Weekend

Steve Duperre, the head judge of the contest this past weekend, is another great example.  Steve is a former skinny guy who’s become a top Canadian lightweight bodybuilder without the help of steroids.  He’s also a long-time PN reader and personal friend of mine.  Get a load of this physique!

In the end, probably the most important lesson I learned is this one.

Almost every top competitor this past weekend was there with a coach – someone who helped them plan their nutritional intake, someone who helped design their workout programs, someone who helped oversee their posing routines, and someone who helped them put the finishing touches on their competitive physiques.

Note that I didn’t say that every competitor was there with a coach.  I said every TOP competitor was there with a coach.  In fact, as I wandered around, I noticed a pretty strong correlation between having an awesome physique, doing well in the contest, and having a coach.  Indeed, it seemed like a prerequisite.

My good friend, Valerie Waugaman is a fitness expert, IFBB figure pro, and American Gladiator.  She helps people transform their bodies day in and day out.  And she still used a coach to get ready for her competitive events.

Val Onstage At The Arnold Classic

“I definitely came to the table with a solid background and 2 years of show experience, but after I decided to work on my own for a year, it was too much for me… I wanted to find an expert who could take me to the next level as well as provide some accountability/support.  That’s why I chose the PN Team.”

Heck, when I was competing, I always used a coach to plan my training and nutrition.  In fact, this weekend, when talking with Steve Duperre, I told him that if I ever decided to compete again, I wouldn’t write up my own programs.  Instead, I’d bring on a coach to oversee the process.  It’s just too hard to be objective about yourself to do things right.

Carter Schoffer, long-time PN coach knows this all too well.  He wrote my training programs for years – even if I wasn’t competing.   But he works with competitors too.  Right now, in the PN Member Zone, you can follow one of his clients, Pete, as he prepares for a bodybuilding contest on November 15th.

Pete Getting Ready For An Upcoming Contest With The Help Of Coach Carter

Female nutrition expert and PN Lean Eating Coach, Krista Schaus knows the drill too.  She also seeks out help when she’s preparing for her physique contests and her powerlifting contests.

Lean Eating Coach Krista Schaus On Stage

Now, don’t make the mistake of thinking that coaching is just for the top athletes or the top bodies.  On the contrary, coaching is what CREATES the top athletes and the top bodies.

Indeed, our latest Lean Eating Coaching Group saw this very thing first hand.  With the help of our PN coaches, our male and female clients lost over 2,000 lbs of body fat!  And that’s amazing considering that each and every one of those clients tried, for years, to do things on their own.

It wasn’t till they sought out coaching that they really made it happen.

So, if there’s one thing I’d like to leave you with it’s this one.  If you’re looking to change your body, whether you want to lose fat, improve your cholesterol levels, feel better, or step on the competitive stage, coaching is where it’s at.

My recommendation is to find an awesome coach – one who you know will look after not only your body composition but also your health – and do exactly what they say.  I guarantee it’ll make all the difference.