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00:00.00 acbikinis Hello and welcome to angel talk I am here with the one and only Jackie Newen Jackie is an online fitness coach. She's a business owner of beyond performance and she excels in pulling a woman's highest potential and quality of life to the surface. Let's welcome Jackie. 00:18.34 Jacqui Nguyen Hello Hello I'm so excited to hear. 00:21.73 acbikinis Um, we are so excited to have you? How are you doing today. 00:26.21 Jacqui Nguyen I'm doing pretty good. You know going into my next show I'm already on peak week and you know when food gets a little higher your spirits get a little higher so that's always ah a good sign. 00:34.88 acbikinis Yeah, wouldn't say you're on peak week again I'm like okay could you just competed in. There is thirteen days in between right? Yeah, kind of like after you compete it was like okay we're right back in peak week again. 00:41.27 Jacqui Nguyen Yes, which I don't know how we already got to 7 00:50.40 Jacqui Nguyen Quickly. Yes, and I was it was a interesting mental and physical transition. 00:56.90 acbikinis Yeah, so I know a lot of our listeners are really interested in your story because you just placed second edging your nets which is so amazing. But at the same time Second place can be like mentally the hardest place to get right. 01:10.98 Jacqui Nguyen Absolutely and it's it's really funny you highlight on that because this was I would say out of all the years I have been competing at national shows. This is the first time that I think I was ever bummed that I got second place I have always. 01:14.73 acbikinis Potential. 01:30.64 Jacqui Nguyen Kind of had a lot of pride in my response and my reaction to not winning and I think that's a big part of what's gotten me to where I am now is because when I would place just shy of my pro card at shows in maybe the first few years of. Hepping on those stages I'd always be like I'm so excited I can't believe I placed third out of all of these amazing physiques which is really yes, what's happening internally naturally for me. But I think as you get closer and closer and closer. You know you hyper focus so much on it's not as good as winning. And yes, that can be a toxic trait but also, you know I know I'm grateful for getting second which is a placing that I think a lot of people would have killed to have in that situation. So I'm still very grateful for it. But I know I'm so close and I'm very driven. 02:23.16 acbikinis Yeah, well thank you for being so honest about that because that can be hard to admit, but let's give a little bit of backstory because you how many times have you gotten? Thank it. Okay. 02:34.95 Jacqui Nguyen I've actually never gotten second. So this huge improvement for me actually and I mentioned that to my husband and I said I can't believe it I actually finally got second versus third which is because my own ising is always third. But I've placed. 02:50.61 acbikinis Um. 02:52.80 Jacqui Nguyen Anywhere between third and fifth consistently I'd say since 2018 there was only 1 show early on in my my national stage competitive years that I placed in second callouts. 03:04.50 acbikinis Yeah, so you've done 5 years of getting consistently in the top 5 and I think that's really important and inspiring for a lot of our viewers to hear because so many times girls go to nationals and think that they can give their pro card their first shot. Which you can but it takes it usually takes time and just keep getting those top 5 places. 03:30.42 Jacqui Nguyen Um, yeah, bodybuilding has taught me a lot about delayed gratification and how that to me is kind of the most beautiful part about bodybuilding is. 03:33.99 acbikinis You. 03:42.22 Jacqui Nguyen Throughout that process of delayed Gratification. You learn to appreciate a lot of things that you go through emotionally and physically and I think that's the type of character that I've built not just as a competitor but like as a person I think that's something that not everybody recognizes. So if you feel lost. Little bit in the sauce in your competitive career. Just kind of slow down your mind and think about all the things that you're learning about yourself and all the things that you can appreciate in the process versus just the result I think that's what sets the rookie from the pro is appreciating bodybuilding for the process versus just. 04:19.78 acbikinis Yeah, that's so wise and you are so wise from all of your years of coaching and training and I love how you take the lessons you learned from bodybuilding and it's down into your character because bodybuilding can teach us so much if we're willing. 04:20.90 Jacqui Nguyen Winning the show. 04:37.43 Jacqui Nguyen I Think that's the other thing you you have to have an open mind you have to walk into it knowing that this is more than just winning. That if if you can be open to that process I think you can actually succeed more and actually shine more and. 04:37.51 acbikinis To learn from it. 04:55.76 Jacqui Nguyen Yes, there are definitely competitors that literally step on stage in their first one to 2 years going from like a complete amateur to a pro right away. But I think that also goes to show the proof in when you step on stage. It is very objective. It's not about how hard you worked. Judges don't know that they don't know that you cried on the stair master for the last seven days they don't know that you sacrificed so much they can assume but at the end of the day bodybuilding is a sport that you kind of do have to take your emotions out of it when you are on the stage. It's a matter of are you standing next to somebody that looks better than you. If you happen to be the best looking physique that day you might actually win him. 05:36.19 acbikinis Yeah that's so important to talk about your emotions taking your emotions out of it on show day because I think a lot of us are taught from a young age. You know the harder you work the more you will be rewarded but it's not always the case you know and. There's also the same thought of the harder you work and the harder you work at something the more victorious and the more pleasure and joy you will feel when that work pays off so even getting sunk it onsage and how many times have you earned the top 5 spot. 06:11.26 Jacqui Nguyen I honest to god have lost count at this point but I have been competing on national stages since 2018 and I think the funny thing is. 06:11.71 acbikinis You don't even know. 06:26.10 Jacqui Nguyen That I have pretty much held onto my national qualification this entire time not only because of those top placings. But when there wasn't the top placing like I mentioned. 06:30.34 acbikinis Have. 06:38.66 Jacqui Nguyen I will absolutely give some credit to the pandemic for changing up some of the rules and allowing me to continue to just focus on the national stage so that was a happy accident that they just let me keep my qualification so it's been. 06:45.45 acbikinis Yeah. 06:56.29 Jacqui Nguyen 2018 I can say that we are well over the 5 show Mark though. 06:57.60 acbikinis Um, yeah, so one thing I just thought of you don't do too many regional shows right. 07:06.16 Jacqui Nguyen No, don't and a lot of people have asked me why? It's funny because I just competed in Tennessee for the first time and I actually just moved from Tennessee I lived there for almost ten years and and it was. So kind of surprising for everybody to even see me there competing but, yeah, no I I tend to believe that when you are this deep in the process and you're also very close. You don't want to put your body under any additional stress that it doesn't need and I know a lot of people consider. If I don't need to do a regional show I should do in anyway is a warmup show or to get feedback. It's like you know you have to consider some variables that may serve you in this department or not do I feel that it would be. 07:43.37 acbikinis 1 07:52.80 Jacqui Nguyen Necessary to put my body through a peak week just for the shits and giggles of it. And then stress my body out for the National show. No I would much rather let my body just kind of marinate until that national show some people respond really well to their. 08:08.38 acbikinis Um. 08:10.22 Jacqui Nguyen Second peak though right once you get depleted and you have that post show meal. Some people wake up the next day looking a lot better and I think that that's a conversation that I want a lot of competitors to have with their coaches because a lot of competitors aren't asking these questions or diving into these details like. Hey we've competed in this many shows together just based on how you've seen my body respond to maybe a post show dinner or a second peak week. Do you feel that it makes more sense to either do a show or if you want to save money It's okay to do a mock. Peak week and a mock show day. These are things I've even done with my own clients where I say cool. We're going to treat today like show day but it's going to be in your living room. 08:53.25 acbikinis Okay, you know that's an interesting perspective because you know on my side of Thinkton like well wouldn't it be fun to go and compete at a regional show and just take the whole show. 09:03.25 Jacqui Nguyen Yeah, and I that's why I think it really is. There's so much nuance in in that whole process I know for me I would want to not put additional peak week stress on my body if it's just not necessary and I'd rather save that energy for the national stage. 09:19.38 acbikinis Yeah, well I love that let's let's talk about your feedback because looking like objectively at your stage photos you I don't have an adjective to say like how amazing you look like it was just everything looks perfect. 09:22.93 Jacqui Nguyen Multiple. 09:32.96 Jacqui Nguyen Are. 09:37.37 acbikinis And so your feedback we were kind of talking before this you were holding on to maybe a little bit of inflammation in your lower abdomen which I don't see at all from your stage photos but it just shows you how crucial every single little variable it. Let's talk about that. 09:53.10 Jacqui Nguyen Yeah, absolutely and you know what's funny is a lot of people said they couldn't notice that and I think because I look at my physique with such detail. I didn't really pay attention until I got that feedback from edla's notes. She was the only one that really mentioned like. You could control the lower stomach a little bit more and that could be from multiple things. There's variables that I communicated with my coach where we were carving me up with a lot of rice cakes and I felt those rice cakes I said you know what once I kind of reach past. 4 rice cakes I feel like my stomach gets a little dense I feel air in there. So we're gonna make that adjustment. Maybe I just need to consume more rice in my meal aside from more rice cakes. You know it just needs to be easily digestible for me. But also I do notice that when I get on stage and this is a great note for competitors. Don't go through your posing routine too quickly. I know there's a lot of adrenaline up there I know we're very excited and you might speed through the whole thing which means you do lose control of a lot of the stuff that you do in your check-in videos in your check-in photos where everything looks perfect. I do believe it was a. Like combination of both and so my plan into universe is to just take my time a little bit on stage and count in my head like I do when I'm posing in front of my camera you know I hold my front pose for 3 seconds in my head I transition. 11:19.90 Jacqui Nguyen I hold my back pose for 3 seconds in my head and I really pay attention to every small detail rather than just kind of blow right through it and I get very excited on stage and I prance up there and I go past and I think that can be a variable that's easily fixable so you just have to like remind yourself the adrenalines there. But. 11:28.88 acbikinis Yes. 11:39.70 Jacqui Nguyen Slow down and control all of those little things that could make a huge impact in your posing. But yeah. 11:44.76 acbikinis Just hearing you talk about all of this makes me realize how knowledgeable you are as a coach because there are so many variables and it's like you're just spot On. You know every single variable in how to fix it and how to approach it and you talk about this sport from such an athletic. Mindset versus just kind of I don't know how to explain it. But you you talk about it from an athletic perspective of you know playing with the variables and learning from your body and I know you have a history of Sibo does that have any effect on your lower abdomen. 12:23.20 Jacqui Nguyen Not really, um, you know I do't really have too much of an aggressive issue with my gut health I think it was a matter of things that were more in my control than anything else I communicated so much with my coach on my gut issues and luckily I chose a coach who's it's. 12:24.63 acbikinis And. 12:41.35 Jacqui Nguyen Experienced in handling a lot of these things. I think if you have and you're searching for a coach. You should ask a lot of those questions and say like hey like I want to look into XY and z do you have experience with that because again, if that's not the case. Then maybe you're working with the wrong coach. 12:41.80 acbikinis Is. 12:58.94 acbikinis Is. 12:59.85 Jacqui Nguyen But he was able to really apply a lot during my offseason to help improve my gut health going into prep where I have not experienced any issues with my gut health but I do believe looking at my history and my eating habits. 13:06.72 acbikinis Are. 13:16.70 Jacqui Nguyen It wasn't necessarily what I was eating but it was how I was eating and this is something I think a lot of people can look into which is going to cost less and you're in more control over your results I am a grazer I will eat all day I like small high volume meals. 13:17.35 acbikinis And. 13:23.70 acbikinis Oh. 13:33.33 Jacqui Nguyen Moment that I started to change that and actually eat more complete meals and have more time spaced out between my meals. That's when I was able to naturally improve my gut health. 13:45.60 acbikinis That's so interesting that you say it's it wasn't about what you were eating. It was more about how you were eating it. So what steps have you taken to improve your gut health with your new coach. 13:48.85 Jacqui Nguyen And this f rows. 14:00.45 acbikinis You can keep talking I think the video froze but you're still there are you there. We'll pause this. 14:05.33 Jacqui Nguyen Ah, oh and get furze
00:00.00 Jacqui Nguyen You know I think that's a really loaded topic. But I think that working with a lot of young and Amateur new competitors and then on top of that Also just being able to talk to a lot of competitors backstage and hear their story and you know I Think. We have to understand that going into any type of contest prep whether it's her a smaller show or a big national show or even a pro show. This truly isn't just a bucket list thing. It's you know, a lot of people who step into contest prep. 00:22.28 acbikinis Much. 00:36.80 Jacqui Nguyen You know who do it just to say I want to just say I can do it or you know I would love to hope that this fix my body image problems. There's a lot of different reasons people go into contest prep. It's kind of equivalent to just saying like hi. It's a Tuesday today I'm going to go join the Nfl you know? yeah. 00:52.91 acbikinis That one. 00:55.64 Jacqui Nguyen That same idea. You know and I think people go into a contest prep regardless of how experienced you are and they're almost like hit with this brick of like oh god if I really want to do this right? I have to do it right. And I think we get really caught up in our environment. We get caught up in people who don't understand why we're doing it it alters our decision making and it really does affect the amount of effort you put into it I think if your goal is to get to a place where maybe and not to. In any way like boost myself. But if somebody looks at me and they say I really wish I could get to that point I want to get to that state of conditioning and leanness I want to place second at that national show I want to get the top 5 I think you have to have a very. 01:31.21 acbikinis Plus. 01:44.95 Jacqui Nguyen Real and hard conversation with yourself that to get to that point you must give it one ah hundred plus percent of you. There really is no sort of like halfway mark to getting to that point you have to say no to a lot of things. You're going to have to wake up that hour early to get your cardio done just to fit in your workday and all the other things you want to do you probably have to say no to just being around other people and going to events because you know it's going to negatively impact your mindset. You're going to have to make that sacrifice if that is your goal to get on stage and to bring something that's actually competitive not to just say you stepped on stage and I think that this is something that people just aren't willing to really give up all the time and they don't know how to maybe make that call to either stop their contest prep. Or they're afraid of disappointing other people. This is not an easy thing to do I know it looks glamorous but to get to that moment where you've got the makeup on you've got the tan on you've got the suit on and you look so glamorous and perfect to get to that point there is a lot of stress. A lot of crying a lack of sleep absolute disastrous hunger and I think if you're willing to understand that it's going to be an incredibly hard road. No matter how long your prep is. 03:07.42 Jacqui Nguyen If you're prepared to make that sacrifice. You will absolutely bring something that you will be proud of and what will reflect your work and will reflect your coach's work as well. 03:15.67 acbikinis Yeah I think that is so crucial to understand and a lot of times I think it takes going through the process going through a prep and seeing how hard it actually is because I mean for myself I did my first show back in 2013 and after I stepped offstage. 03:32.86 Jacqui Nguyen Are. 03:32.91 acbikinis Go I'm gonna go get my pro card and you know for a while I was like I'm gonna get it I'm gonna get it and then I realized the amount of sacrifice I would have to make in my life to get my card and when I tell people like because people will ask me Oh when are you gonna get your pro card when are you goingnna go nationals. 03:45.30 Jacqui Nguyen Um, please. 03:51.97 acbikinis Like well I Really don't have the desire I Admire those who have that drive and that dedication and are willing to make that sacrifice. But for me I know the sacrifice that I would take on my business on on my life and so. 04:05.60 Jacqui Nguyen Um, who. 04:06.72 acbikinis I do not aspire to be an ifvb pro and I'm willing to admit that if I wanted to be a pro I would definitely choose the Ifbb professional league route. Don't get me wrong? But I think it's very important for people to understand you know when you are setting your goals up for shows. You know if you just want to be a regional athlete. 04:14.27 Jacqui Nguyen Yeah. 04:26.70 acbikinis That's fine. It doesn't take as much as a sacrifice. But if you say I want to become an isvb pro that comes with a lot of sacrifice. So what are what are your tips on navigating that sacrifice. 04:36.34 Jacqui Nguyen Absolutely I think you you have to recognize if if you're in a position like me where I'm a business owner. You know you have to communicate a lot. You have to tell people where you're at and not be afraid to tell people when you can't give your absolute best self to something. I feel like I've learned to communicate with my environment with my workspace with my coworkers with my husband with my family. The communication really helped set up my environment for that sacrifice versus just trying to like. You know, find my way through it without anybody's help or like not really sure like what I need from other people but with sacrifice comes support and you have to communicate that type of support. Do I feel that if I didn't live in a household that 100% was on my page all the time would I be able to get where I am today probably not. You know I have a husband who is a dietician and fully understands what I'm going through and he's very patient with the process. You. 05:39.10 acbikinis Wait a minute does he fully understand. Um. 05:44.50 Jacqui Nguyen He supported me since a one I've basically been a competitor since the day we started dating. 05:44.46 acbikinis Um, yeah, so I know that he completely supports you but I'm saying like when you are having those extreme hungry moments. You're so tired. It's taking everything you can to just move like does he understand that. 06:03.10 Jacqui Nguyen Um, he does and I do feel that you know I'm lucky to kind of have an environment that maybe only like you know, 2% of competitors actually have you know he understands because he does understand the the science. 06:03.52 acbikinis See. 06:16.64 acbikinis Yeah, definitely. 06:18.37 Jacqui Nguyen Over like for me physically and psychologically and he's incredibly patient. So I really think like to help you kind of like get more in tune with the sacrifice you have to make you also have to pair it with your communication and really set up your environment and your support system because here's the thing. 06:34.26 acbikinis And. 06:36.78 Jacqui Nguyen Bodybuilding is an incredibly selfish sport and it can be very isolating. But if you truly have the people around you who are cheering you on and who are helping you when everything is tough and who give you the space when you need it. And who don't guilt you and don't push you to only do the things that will make them feel better right? Like we've got friends who go oh no, one's going to know if you just have like 1 wine you know or 1 sip or something like communicate be very loud about what you want and your goals because if you don't. This is really where you will fall behind because you're gonna be hyper focusing on what other people want from you disappointing them making other people happy. Not really knowing if you're supported. Um, it's going to really skew your mindset throughout the entire thing. 07:16.97 acbikinis You. 07:23.91 acbikinis Yeah,, that's really helpful for people to hear and I like how you're talking about how your environment is helping you in this journey to your pro card because that's something that you have actively created. It's not something that just happenstance you fell into this perfect environment like you have taken so many steps. To create the environment to create your circle of people and communicate and that is so big in life and it's something. That's so much easier said than done. You know we can always talk about oh just communicate and get your point across, but it's so hard for humans to communicate because. 07:45.14 Jacqui Nguyen Is. 07:52.71 Jacqui Nguyen With. 08:01.25 acbikinis You know we all speak this different language and we all live this completely different life. So it's very important to not only communicate but communicate your core like what you're really feeling what your real true desires are so something that I wanted to talk about with you is. 08:13.39 Jacqui Nguyen Yes, yeah. 08:18.36 acbikinis Ah, difference between being an elite human versus an elite competitor. 08:20.86 Jacqui Nguyen Yes I love that I mentioned that but before I even dive into that I think I also want to just highlight communicating with yourself to help your sacrifice because you have to really dig deep into why you're even doing this in the first place. If you don't understand your why then you can't move forward with success at all. 08:42.79 acbikinis Do you have any tips on how to better communicate with yourself on that like are you journaling about this or or what what sort of things. Do you do. 08:51.51 Jacqui Nguyen I Really think that you have to just take a moment and slow down and look back at your life and what you're really looking to accomplish in the long term versus just the short term for me. It's not about looking extreme for me. It's about. Finishing what I started because I've struggled with that my whole life I've struggled with never really accomplishing anything that I truly felt really proud of and bodybuilding is only in my control I'm the only one who can make these results happen. I Am The only one who can bring my absolute best and so for me, it's just really taking a moment to reflect on my entire journey and the things that I struggled with mentally and physically and I always felt like I had this missing factor. 09:42.18 acbikinis You. 09:44.29 Jacqui Nguyen In my life and this to me just kind of proves that I can continuously finish what I start that I have full control over my success and my results and that's my why is that like it really empowers me to love the things that I can accomplish. 09:55.66 acbikinis Move. 10:01.27 Jacqui Nguyen So I think it's yes you can journal, but I think it's it's also you have to slow down life for a second. 10:06.98 acbikinis Yeah, hearing your why is so interesting to me because when I'm hearing you talk I'm like wow Jackie she has accomplished so much in her life. You have this booming business I mean you for a successful singersongwriter. You've done things you've accomplished things that only people can dream of. And you're still saying you know I want to finish what I've started I've never feel accomplished and that is sort of part of being a bodybuilder is it's almost never good enough but you still are content. You know, never satisfied but content is kind of the way I I look at it. 10:34.44 Jacqui Nguyen Um, yeah. 10:38.72 Jacqui Nguyen You know? Well, it's like you know when I look back at all the things I've accomplished in the music industry as a dancer growing up I felt like a lot of those opportunities were being taken away from me against my wishes and will as I got older and. 10:43.22 acbikinis Um. 10:58.34 Jacqui Nguyen The 1 thing that I truly realized about not just bodybuilding but just health and my training is nobody can take that away from me I can do it whether or not I get on stage or not. It's in my full control. It will never be stripped from my life. 11:13.35 acbikinis Yeah I love that Thank you for sharing. Okay, let's talk about Elite Human versus Elite competitor because I love this idea. 11:15.12 Jacqui Nguyen So that to me why I I stick to it. Um, as I Always tell people. This is something I've said to so many competitors and even my clients throughout my life is you can't be a. Successful competitor unless you're a successful human you cannot live for the stage. You should be getting on stage just because you can that to me is really what sets people apart. So for me right? whenever I stop Prep. There's never this like. 11:35.83 acbikinis And 2 11:52.90 Jacqui Nguyen Switch that just goes off and I just remove all the things that I do in prep whether it's making better nutrition choices versus I continue to keep like my training routine in some manner I always have goals I always want to be able to just fluidly blend into life and health. Season versus like you're either in prep or you're not and you're just treating your body like total trash and you know it's like you're 2 different people Jekyll and Hyde, and so I always tell people like to be a successful competitor focus on being a successful human with yourself and also your relationships. So for me, this is my final season before I take the longest break that I've ever taken in my competing history I've taken you know maybe eight months to close to maybe twelve months off but it was always an offseason to get ready for the next prep is okay I'm gonna take. 12:46.45 acbikinis Um, the north. 12:48.62 Jacqui Nguyen Ah, moment to just focus on bringing back my energy to my marriage and my relationships and my relationship with food and my body I want to be able to be in a place where I can eat more intuitively and maybe change the modality of my training and focus on just improving me as a person. And when I'm able and ready to get back on stage. It's not something I feel like I have to start from square 1 again just to get back to that place I can just pick up where I left off and improve from this season which in your bodybuilding is just always about improving. You're never done so. Always tell people like if you want to be an elite competitor. You have to give just as much energy to your life your relationships and yourself versus just living for the stage and then being a completely different person when you get off. 13:36.88 acbikinis Yeah I think it's so important to really define those core values in life. You know for you, it sounds like your marriage is one of them. You know so make sure when you're prepping are you filling your marriage bucket every single day which can be very easy to not. 13:43.49 Jacqui Nguyen Are. 13:53.61 acbikinis Because I have been here before where you know I put my marriage and some things that are my true core values on the back burner and then when I realize it I'm like whoa Kara you need to really just like go back to your core values and evaluate what are your priorities in life. Okay, so. You are competing in seven days eight days what show is at you. 14:17.22 Jacqui Nguyen Um, it's gonna be universe in teennic which by the way very excited that this is the first national show I get to drive to. 14:25.35 acbikinis Um, oh wow because it's in Pittsburgh New Jersey okay 14:27.13 Jacqui Nguyen No, it's in Tienac New Jersey and it's also the town I was born in so that's very exciting and almost. It's the town I was born in at holy name hospital I'm from North Jersey this is my energy. This is my home space like. 14:34.75 acbikinis Wow, It's like it's meant to be. Ah. 14:45.70 Jacqui Nguyen But it's great to know I can drive to the show because I can you know want to be strategic about packing I'm bringing my rice cooker by the way. So I mean I'm I'm going a lot but it's only like two and a half hours yes 14:52.51 acbikinis How car of a dry is that for you but okay, that's amazing. Yeah, so oh okay, this is getting exciting So after Universe Do you have any plans after that. 15:06.62 Jacqui Nguyen If I do get my pro card. I would love the opportunity to immediately go into my pro debut and it would be nice to have that be republic of Texas mostly because it's right around the corner July Eighth and that's also where my coach is. 15:12.20 acbikinis Who for fun. 15:24.60 Jacqui Nguyen So it's very convenient and exciting I've competed in republic of Texas as an npc amateur competitor and that was the 1 time I did a warm-up show with him because it was my first time working with my coach and he wanted to learn about how my body responds to peak week and I thought that was a really smart move? But with that being said, You know I would love to go into a pro-day view because I would love to get that early feedback. That's something I truly believe in if you are able to become an ifbb pro if you have the opportunity to really step on stage and analyze and assess where you're currently at as a pro and how you compare to the more. In season prose if you're very serious about taking it further and trying to get that you know o like o spot you know I believe that just because you just got it doesn't mean you're not worthy of stepping on a pro stage. You're now a pro so go do it. And then my goal would be to take that feedback go into that show literally with no expectation of wedding to 0, but take that feedback for the next two to even 3 years and really just have that in the back of my mind of what I would need to bring to the stage when I get back on. 16:32.52 acbikinis Okay, because you're talking about taking a 2 or 3 year break 16:36.48 Jacqui Nguyen Um, yeah, which is long and for me, it's really long and ah for me, it's it's because I want to be able to have the opportunity to have a family and get my back to a healthy state where you know my. 16:42.80 acbikinis For you. It's long for me that's short. Um. 16:47.98 acbikinis Yes, yes. 16:54.51 Jacqui Nguyen Reproductive hormones are thriving and and I can do that and, you know for for me I think it will be good to also take a break from tracking my calories as strategically as I do and relax and go on date nights and you know just treat my body like a temple and you know just maintain my health and happiness and. When I get back on stage I Also think that it will be a good time for me to enjoy prep again because I think what's triggered me to really make this decision is that this prep was very stressful that I think I had the hardest time I've had in a while and maybe that's my sign that Okay, it's okay to say you're a little burnt out the stage isn't going anywhere. I'm telling you anybody hearing this if if ifbb in the Npc stages got through a pandemic.. It's like a cockroach. It's going. Absolutely no. 17:40.67 acbikinis But that's so true and it's so helpful to hear because I even myself I am like oh I want to compete again I Want to compete again i' like it's not going to nowherear just calm down and pick in like I like my body lights long off seasons I takes me a long time to gain muscle. You know, absolutely. 17:48.84 Jacqui Nguyen Um, yeah, yeah, not a yeah, a really hard decision because my my third backup show was going to actually be the first time I'd step on the master's stage because. 17:59.40 acbikinis Hundred people. 18:07.77 Jacqui Nguyen Pittsburgh masters nationals is actually on my thirty fifth birthday on July twentieth which I thought was going to be like this big moment like oh my god what if I go pro on my birthday at masters but I had to have a really hard conversation with myself and say can you make it that far and I can't. 18:27.19 acbikinis Yeah I Absolutely love that you are able to have that hard conversation with yourself and make that choice because I would say most people can't do that like they would just keep pushing and pushing and pushing and. 18:27.29 Jacqui Nguyen And and that's okay I don't feel bad about what. 18:40.52 Jacqui Nguyen Ah, no. 18:46.11 acbikinis See the detrimental of text down the line. 18:46.47 Jacqui Nguyen Um, and it's funny because it's four weeks and I've had a lot of people say it's just 4 weeks I'm like have you been in prep well weeks is not just four weeks that's four weeks of a lot of stress a lot of. 18:58.71 acbikinis Yes. 19:01.51 Jacqui Nguyen A lot going on in your mind and your body and I'm so proud of myself for not having anxiety over saying no in the past I used to be like Nah keep going keep going keep going and I can guarantee I will not bring anything impressive to that show I will be very tired I will be. Ready to take my break. So. 19:21.51 acbikinis Yeah, and the coach that the judges can see that they can see that on stage and there's so it's so much about stage presence is is everything. So if if you're saying that now like that's that makes me so happy to hear you be able to just verbalize that because it's something a lot of people can't do okay as we wrap up. Up here something you said really resonated you with me. Well I guess it made me laugh so wanted to share it. You said it's the most unsexy way to get sexy which I think is hilarious I've never heard anyone put it that way. 19:52.54 Jacqui Nguyen Yeah, this is my motto in my entire coaching philosophy whether I'm kind of verbalized to new competitors or people who aren't competitors and they just want to be in their best body getting sexy is not a sexy process. 20:00.30 acbikinis Um. 20:10.12 Jacqui Nguyen You know, especially as a competitor. It's your job now to build muscle efficiently. You can't do it comfortably Anymore. It's time to be in a calorie surplus. It's time to gain weight that you can look ripped. It's time to do all the things that aren't comfortable and when you're in Prep. It's time to do all the things that are uncomfortable that get you down to such an extreme state of leanness. You know you're not going to look good. You know throughout the day you're going to decide that makeup can go in the trash Now you're never going to brush your hair. Um, you're going to smell all the time because of all the you have to do. You know you're going to have to you know, eat certain foods that you know probably don't even smell good either and you're going to have to do all the things that just do not make it glamorous or easy. And yeah, that's that if I could have a bumper sticker. It would be that. 21:02.61 acbikinis No way you truly love the process. You truly love the journey. You love the grind you love all this you love not brushing your hair and pushing your body to the extreme and you love the unsexiness of it and that's what makes you such an amazing competitor because it's not about that. 21:11.15 Jacqui Nguyen Um, points the process. 21:19.67 acbikinis Ending place not about the top of the mountain. You know it's a journey to the top of the mountain and you can totally tell that from everything you say and you preach and it's so authentic and it's It's very refreshing to hear. 21:28.71 Jacqui Nguyen You know? Yeah I think that's my my my purpose as a coach is to be an open book and. Never come off on the internet like everything's always perfect like if I'm having a really hard day I have no problem telling other people about it I have no problem letting people know that like I can't think right today I'm not showing up for myself today or this day is like really getting to me or. Yeah I would rather people see maybe competitors that they look up to having that same mentality that maybe even those amateur competitors or just people who are thinking about competing might be going through and I think that just social media in the last honestly probably the last like 5 years or so has really transitioned from. Fbb Pros just being like you know, spokeswome right? Always looking perfect. Always having the perfect airbrushed look an outfit on like you know posing with a product or something to like us showing up on social media and and really talking about like what life is truly like and who we really are as. 22:31.93 acbikinis With. 22:34.95 Jacqui Nguyen People. I think that that transition and how people open up on social media is changing the game for anybody going into this entire process or making this lifestyle switch. 22:46.88 acbikinis Yeah, and I really love that you are very honest and vulnerable and you have no problem sharing the struggle because when I started competing I didn't see that to me I saw girls on social media that did a show. They got their pro card life was so easy. It was so great and that's what I saw so it's very I have noticed in the past five years or so people really opening up and being more honest with you know, there's something beautiful about the struggle is there's something beautiful about the journey of of all of this. So um, as we. 23:03.73 Jacqui Nguyen But. 23:21.77 acbikinis Wrap up here if there was something that you could go back and tell yourself after your first show. What would it be. 23:27.62 Jacqui Nguyen Um, um, think I could tell myself it would be oh God I don't even know feel like it's whole life is a blur. Yes I would probably say. 23:37.64 acbikinis Because your first show was in 2017 right 23:45.35 Jacqui Nguyen God I didn't even think white red hair and wear a rose gold suit at the same time. Don't do that? I really say you know what? Let's into yourself as much as possible. 23:45.90 acbikinis Don't wear it. Don't wear a coral sue on stage. 23:58.00 acbikinis Um. 24:02.70 Jacqui Nguyen And don't worry so much about only the direction and opinion of others go with your gut I spent a lot of time focusing on other people's thoughts and I think naturally without forcing it I started really listening to myself more and trusting myself more which. 24:07.16 acbikinis I Love that. 24:20.77 Jacqui Nguyen Be honest with you when it comes to that sort of flow that transition I talked about about going from prep to not in prep. That's where you really thrive and you start to trust yourself more. 24:28.77 acbikinis Wow, That's some really powerful words really listen to your gut and listen to yourself and not to opinions of others that's something that's a reminder that I need to hear every time every day to help listen to myself. Don't listen to others because of humans. You know that's that's how we evolve So that's such a. 24:42.39 Jacqui Nguyen Um, same. 24:47.95 acbikinis Very very wise advice for you Jackie and thank you so much for sharing everything you have everyone go follow her. She competes in eight days and we cannot wait and to see what she does. So thank you so much for being. 25:00.74 Jacqui Nguyen Um, but ah, much better this time about being on social media that day to follow all the fun. So yes, all right? Well you so much for having you on this I Love talking to you. It's always so much fun. 25:07.72 acbikinis Um I will be stalking you next Saturday i. 25:14.59 acbikinis Yes, thank you I Hope you have the best day ever and we are all cheering very loud for you bye. 25:22.94 Jacqui Nguyen Yay Hello Thighi girl.

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