The Amanda Graydon Project

What Would It Take To Get Really Lean?
Over the last few months, PN Director of Customer and Expert Relations, Amanda Graydon has been on a mission…a figure mission, to be exact.

Being a long-time athlete, Amanda started out very fit, strong and healthy. Yet she always wondered what it would be like to take her body to the proverbial “next level.”

She wondered what would happen if she trained to be “figure competitor lean” – you know, like the figure girls she’d been seeing in the magazines. Like Precision Nutrition Athlete Valerie Waugaman.

She wondered what it would be like if all those abs under her belly fat became visible and all the fat on the back of her legs and butt were to slowly disappear.

But Amanda, the former competitive figure skater, also knew that wondering was one thing. Doing, on the other hand, was something else entirely. So she sat down and established some goals.

Putting The Right Team Together
Although Amanda is a top notch health and fitness expert, she’d never embarked upon a physique challenge of this magnitude. She knew she’d need some help. So she enlisted the PN Team.

I took her under my wing, designing her training, nutrition, and supplement programs. And of course, I didn’t do it all alone.

On almost a weekly basis, I’d pick the brain of long-time PN coach Carter Schoffer. Carter provided a ton of valuable suggestions and guidance to make sure I was always right on track with her programming.

I also sent her to another long-time PN’er, Krista Schaus, for help with posing and some of the “girly” things associated with being a female physique competitor. And yes, I’m quite happy to admit that I don’t know a whole lot about putting on make-up properly, standing in 5″ shoes, or arching my butt just right so that people don’t see my gluteal fold!

Amanda also found some great help in her training partner, Alyson Wills, who’s also getting ready for a figure contest of her own.

And finally, the entire PN Team sent her weekly emails encouraging her along in her body transformation. I’ve rarely ever seen a group as encouraging and supportive in all my years.

Reaching Her Goal
Many weeks later, after more fasted morning walks, conditioning circuits, and strength training workouts than she’d like to remember, as well as a ton of low carb days (that’s right folks, the process was FAR from easy), the calendar told us that Amanda was at her goal date.

And when she looked in the mirror, she saw that “figure competitor body” she’d been looking for. Excited about this “new body” of hers, she decided to take it one step further and jump on the competitive stage, entering her first figure contest.

This past weekend – October 4th was the big date. So what happened? Well, rather than describe it, I’m going to let the pictures tell the story.

Amanda From The Front - Before Figure Training

Amanda From The Back - Before Figure Training

Amanda From The Front - After Figure Training

Amanda From The Back - After Figure Training

Amanda with Her Trophy and a Big Smile

Amanda and Her Coach - Some Berardi Guy

I’d like to be the first to congratulate Amanda on a job well done. I know how much hard work went into this achievement and all of us here at PN are very proud of her.

But the work’s not done yet! Amanda, in winning this contest, qualified for the next level of figure competition and will be entering another contest against and ever better line-up in 4 weeks time. Go Amanda!

If you are proud, impressed, or inspired by Amanda’s accomplishments, please post your thoughts below. Not just to make her feel good about what she’s achieved. But moreso to jump right in and be part of this dynamic and supportive PN community.

The PN community is here for this very reason. To provide both expert support and peer support. Regardless of your goals, we’re here to help, motivate, inspire, and even, from time to time, give a good kick in the butt.

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Special congratulations are also in order for female fitness expert and long-time PN moderator Krista Schaus. Krista also won her class and the overall competition (in women’s bodybuilding) at the very same contest as Amanda.

Krista Schaus