How did I accomplished a 22 week prep?

It wasn’t done off of motivation or thinking about the end goal, it was taking each day as it came. If you truly love this sport, you’ll prep for however long that is needed. Why? Because you want to make sure you’re ready for the stage in a healthy manor and in good conditioning.

Shop HERE for a replica of Brooke's Donut Angel Competition Bikini posing practice suit.

I normally do a 14-16 week prep but I was aware we had some more work to do year. My first show of the 2018 season was the NPC Natural Northern on March 31st. I started prepping for it November 1st.

Shop HERE for a replica of Brooke's Hologram Teal Angel Competition Bikini competition suit.

After 22 weeks of prepping for my first show of the 2018 season I had a total loss of 34 pounds! Some of this was water weight from not being on a proper diet before hand and also shedding fat that was put on by not being in a proper reverse diet which I take blame for. (Reverse dieting is adding back in calories after being in a caloric deficit for so long slowly, week by week, so your body adjusts to the increase in food.) It was by no means an easy road of losing the weight I needed but having the mentality that “You can do hard things!” got me through.

How did I have 34 pounds to lose?

After my 2016 season I turned 21 and decided to take a step back from competing and live life. Now this was great and I made incredible memories! I think we all have a calling in life and the competing lifestyle was mine. Being a competitor isn’t the normal thing in today's society as lots of outings are centered on food and drinks. This led me to an unnecessary weight gain that in a way made me lose myself and become uncomfortable. I thought being 21 I was suppose to be going out 3x a week drinking; while it may be for some people and be just fine, I felt it was not for me and knew I wanted to get back on to stage. My coach (Adam Atkinson) who prepped me for my season in 2016 believed in me to make a comeback. He knew the work we could do for 2018 but warned me that it would take longer. I was all for it!

Shop HERE for a replica of Brooke's Hologram Teal Angel Competition Bikini competition suit.

When prepping for a show you need to think about the real reasons why you’re doing it and know it’s not as easy as you may think. Doing a 22-week prep that involved no cheat meals, strict diet and cardio/lifts everyday wasn’t a “chore” for me because I love this lifestyle. Yes, some days were hard and yes, I got hungry but I was even hungrier to get myself back! I knew I wanted back on stage so I put in the work everyday and here we are down now a total of 37 pounds for my next show that will be Junior Nationals.

Shop HERE for a replica of Brooke's Hologram Teal Angel Competition Bikini competition suit.

It’s okay to fall off. It’s okay to miss a workout or a Monday. But this isn’t the rest of your life. If you pick yourself back up and push past the frustration you can do anything you set your mind too. Failure is just one part of success.

Keep up with Brooke's fitness journey on Instagram: @musclebarbiebrooke