A week has passed since the Arnold festivities closed and I am still glowing from the honor of being named a top five athlete at the Bikini International. I will never forget the feeling of standing on stage with the other 15 beautiful, awe-inspiring Bikini International athletes looking into a packed house sparkling with camera flashes and hearing my name called for fifth place.  When my name was announced, I was filled with a tremendous sense of gratitude and joy, as I started to truly appreciate that I had earned a place among the best physiques in the world as well as a place in Arnold history.   This is a realization that I do not take lightly, especially given the quality of each athlete who competed at the inaugural Bikini International.

Since the show, I have received lots of wonderful messages from fans, friends and family, most offering congratulations, but some with consolation-type messages like, "I am sorry you did not place better."  While I cherish any message of support, I have to laugh a little at the notion that I would be anything but thrilled to be honored as a top five athlete in the Bikini International.  While I have managed to place in each Pro show I have competed in, I never take that for granted or feel entitled to any placing and always maintain an attitude of gratitude.

More important than any placing bestowed is knowing that I stepped on the stage without regrets having done everything in my power to present my best package on the day of the show. If I have that knowingness, then I have "won" no matter if or how I place.  Having that kind of internal peace and self-assuredness has allowed me to appreciate any placing I receive and has kept me focused on becoming my best. That does not mean that I do not want to continue to improve my placings and one day receive the top honors; it just means that I can be satisfied as an athlete as long as I continue to improve and evolve.

From what I have seen, when individuals experience success, especially those who experience it regularly, it can be easily taken for granted.  If you are not mindful of remembering what it takes to be successful, before you know it, success will evade you.  Thus, I am remaining focused on the work that I need to do every day to become the better competitor I have sought to be in 2011 as I prepare for my next shows--the Orlando Europa and the Pittsburgh Pro. I know that the small decisions and daily effort we invest in our goals add up to big changes over time; as I have said before, it's all about "winning the day."

I want to quickly say how much I enjoyed meeting and talking to so many of you at the Arnold. Thank you so much for seeking me out and sharing with me your thoughts and reflections on this blog. I love that I heard one of you yell out, "WIN THE DAY" when I took the stage for pre-judging.  (Thanks, Heather!) You have no idea what that meant to me!

As of today, I am back training and following a nutrition plan at 100%. I feel rested and ready to begin my prep for the Europa Orlando, which is at the end of April.  I am excited to begin my journey to this next show, as I anticipate making more positive changes to my physique and presentation with the help of my trainer, Shannon Dey. More on this to come!

Until next week, enjoy your journey!

Jaime Baird
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
Facebook
For appearances, sponsorship, modeling, etc.: fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net
 

It's the final countdown to the big show--the inaugural Bikini International! It's pretty amazing to think about the history we are making as the first group of women invited to compete for the Bikini International title.  Our names and images will forever be associated with the debut of the division at the Arnold.  When I really start thinking about the enormity of this event and its place in our sport's history, I start getting butterflies and very excited.  If you are not careful, the pressure to perform and the general hustle and bustle of the final week's prep could get the best of you.  I have learned the hard way how critical it is to maintain a focused, positive mindset during the final week so that I can take the stage feeling vibrant, confident, focused and graceful.  One of the methods I use to maintain a healthy mindset is visualization.

In the past, I approached visualization in the standard "mental rehearsal" method. This is where you repeatedly picture yourself doing something in your mind.  For instance, basketball players may mentally rehearse making three-pointers, dancers may mentally rehearse an entire routine or nailing a triple pirouette, and physique athletes may mentally rehearse their posing routines.

While this is certainly an effective method of getting your mind prepared for competition or performance of any kind, I have recently amped up my visualization technique after being introduced to the concept of "magnetic visualization" in the book "Let's Manifest Miracles" by Clardy Malugen.  This method of visualization has been much more powerful for me, as my visualizations are more focused, detailed, energetic and real.  In every instance that I have used this method of visualizing, I have felt more prepared for the situation I have been envisioning and have attracted the outcome I sought.  In addition to supporting my future goal, I have been able to utilize these visualizations to help create and maintain a positive, confident mindset in the present. Good stuff, right?

While I cannot fully describe the magnetic visualization process in just a few paragraphs, I have summarized, in my own words, a few of the keys to the process below:

See it: First, set your intentions for this vision. What it is that you want?  In my case, one of my intentions is: To look, feel and perform the best I ever have to date on the IFBB stage.  You can have multiple intentions; it is just necessary that you are clear on what you want to achieve.

Believe it:  Utilize all of your senses to envision what that intention/goal looks and feels like.  For me, I envision what I look like in extremely clear detail, from head to toe, as I perform my posing routine.  I also envision how I am feeling, from how the stage feels under my feet to how the lights feel on my skin.  I also imagine what I see, who I am making eye contact with and how people react to me.

In doing so, I also identify a snapshot moment that represents the culmination of everything I want to achieve. Perhaps it is standing in the first call out, hoisting a trophy over your head, or just hitting a pose perfectly. Whatever it is, it needs to be a very powerful moment that represents the goal of your vision and should be charged with positive emotions. This snapshot moment should be replayed in your mind over and over again and can also be called upon to create positive focus during a stressful or negative situation. For instance, just today, I was growing impatient while waiting in a long line.  Instead of allowing the moment to get to me, I just closed my eyes, took a deep breath and focused on my snapshot moment. I immediately felt this amazing peace and joy fill my entire body.

Become it:  Declare your intention/goal as if it has already happened. You can do this by speaking it out loud, writing it on paper and/or thinking it to yourself. I have a little sheet of paper sitting on my desk that reads, "I am so ecstatic! I just had my best show to date in the IFBB. I am so proud and grateful!" Before too long, I will start exclaiming this to my husband.  

As you can see, magnetic visualization is pretty simple. It is about investing positive, focused energy into your goals and dreams so that you can make them a reality. I can honestly say that I am living many of the dreams and reaching the goals I set for myself daily, and I for that I am so grateful.  That being said, I know that this could not be accomplished alone. So before I take the big stage in just a handful of days, I must send love and thanks to my support team: My husband Eddie, my family (especially Mom), Shannon Dey, Team Bombshell, FMG, J.M. Manion, my dear friends and FABULOUS fans.  I am so grateful for each of you, and I promise to make you proud this Saturday.

If you are coming to the Arnold Expo, come see me at the MET-Rx booth. I would love to meet you!  

If you can't make it to the Arnold and want to know how things are going, you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I'll be checking in throughout the Arnold weekend.

Until next week, enjoy your journey!

Jaime Baird
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
Facebook
For appearances, sponsorship, modeling, etc.: fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net

It's Saturday, February 19th, exactly two weeks from the Bikini International, and I just got home from attending a butt-kickin' Bombshell Camp put on by my coach Shannon Dey.  At this moment, I am feeling on-fire with excitement. Today was the day that I could clearly see the progress my coach and I have made with my physique and I'm ecstatic! Besides seeing the results of all the hard work invested since the Olympia, my coach verbally communicated the message all of us athletes relish hearing: "You are ready."

While hearing this feedback and realizing my progress filled me with confidence and joy, the amazing energy and excitement I am feeling right now is not totally related to this.  It's actually largely a result of something completely unrelated to my physique. You see, attending Bombshell Camp was a reminder of one of this sport's greatest gifts--the amazing friendships it fosters.

I Love My Fitness Sisters
Being around "my girls" energizes and inspires me. Whether we are chatting about life, encouraging one another, sharing a tough workout or laughing at girl stuff, my spirits are always lifted by time spent with other like-minded women. This is why I choose to spend time with my fitness sisters during my final two-weeks before a show rather than isolating myself from others.  Some feel that being around other athletes, especially those with whom you will compete, may lead one to make comparisons which could cause a loss of confidence. I figure that as long as I have done everything in my power to become my best, I have already "won" and there is no reason get stressed about how I measure up to another.  I leave that to the judges.   Instead, I focus on truly enjoying time with fellow athletes leading up to a show and taking advantage of the opportunity to inspire one another to achieve our best. Doing so seems to keep me feeling positively energized, which is exactly how I want to feel heading into contest week.

Female Friendships Improve Well-Being
This past week, I came across an interesting finding that reinforces the power of female relationships--female bonding has positive effects on female's well being. A UCLA study done by Dr. Laura Cousino Klein and Dr. Shelley Taylor discovered that women deal with stress better when they interact with other women. The research found that women release oxytocin when stressed to keep the stress levels at bay. When women interact positively with other women more of the oxytocin is released providing an increased feeling of calm.  Pretty cool, huh?  

Fitness & Friendship Role Models
From what I have personally experienced, it seems that most women in this sport and women into fitness in general share a similar supportive and loving attitude toward one another. This is one of the reasons that I have found a home in this sport and have a profound love of fitness.  It is so refreshing to see women support one another in their endeavors and to be so far from the catty, cliquey stereotypes that women often fall into.  We are all so much more powerful as individuals when we bolster one another rather than work against each other.  I think you can agree that, as women, we have enough to worry about without having to also fight off negativity fostered between one another.  

On that note, when I was driving home from Bombshell Camp today, I was thinking about how each of us as a fitness enthusiast, whether or not we compete, serves as an inspirational role model for others. On a daily basis, our healthy choices influence others to want to make positive changes for their own wellness. In addition to being fitness role models, I say that we also consciously become inspirational examples of supportive, empowering female friendship. Perhaps we can help diminish the negativity women often express toward one another and help foster more supportive, empowering relationships.  As the UCLA study uncovered, strong female bonding will ultimately help us live healthier lives.

To be the inspirational example of supportive, empowering female friendship, I don't believe you have to be best friends with everyone. You need only to exhibit respect and understanding for one another, appreciate that each of us is a unique individual worthy of celebration and seek opportunities to support and positively promote one another.  I think those actions will inspire others to do the same.

That being said, I want to take one small step to promoting the greatness of women. I want to dedicate my Facebook Fan Page this week to promoting women who inspire you. I invite you to post their name and why. The first 10 people to do so can receive an autographed picture, if you would like it.

Until next week, love your sisters and enjoy your journey!

Jaime Baird
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
Facebook
For appearances, sponsorship, modeling, etc.: fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net

Happy, peaceful, grateful and strong is how I am feeling today as I write.  This is exactly how I wanted to feel at this point in my Arnold prep when I envisioned my path to becoming a "better competitor."   This also contrasts greatly with how I have typically felt at about 3 weeks until show time. In previous preps, "three weeks out" has been a timeframe when my confidence has faltered. From senseless worrying to (in the most extreme cases) sobbing on the bathroom floor, self-doubt has manifested itself in a variety of ways for me over the years. To say the least, I am thrilled to have made it through this "critical time" without a major meltdown.

The funny thing about making it through this timeframe gracefully is that my lack of an emotional freak-out freaked me out a bit.  In fact, I had a day this past week where I went looking for a problem, because clearly my prep could not be going this smoothly.  After obsessively examining progress photos looking for red flags, I got a grip, laughed at myself and took a moment to fully appreciate how far I have come as a competitor.

Over the years, I have found that many other competitors go through a similar tough time at three weeks out from a show. While I'm sure that there are a variety of factors creating this 3-weeks out phenomenon, I think it was related to a show being close enough that I didn't feel like there was enough time to make huge changes, but it was still far enough away that I couldn't quite see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Both reasons are classic cases of taking one's focus off of what can currently be controlled--the present moment--and worrying about the future.

Thanks to a philosophy I adopted last August from Oregon's head football coach Chip Kelly--"Win The Day"--I have been training myself to stay firmly focused on the present moment.  I am taking advantage of each individual opportunity I have, as small as it may be, to become a "better competitor."  If you think about it, it's very easy to stay focused on being your absolute best on a single day; it becomes much more overwhelming to consider doing so for 90 or more straight days. I choose to focus my energy on what I can do now to "Win The Day." When I do so, a few fabulous things happen:

1. I almost always feel confident with where I am, as I will know that I have done everything within my control to be my best.
2. I do not waste energy dwelling on past mistakes or less than ideal days or worrying about what may or may not happen in the future.
3. I have more energy to invest in my present opportunities to improve (i.e., each rep, each meal, each minute of cardio, each thought I manifest).
4. I achieve my goals--winning the day leads to winning the week, then winning the month, then winning the year, etc.

"Winning the day" does not mean that everyday is my very best day. That is not realistic. We all have our trying days.  Rather, "winning the day" means that I have given all that I possibly can to my goal on a particular day. When I can end the day knowing I gave my all, I will rest easy and move on to the next opportunity to be my best.

As for applying this philosophy to your life, it does not require any complicated instructions. It only requires a whole-hearted desire to be your absolute best.  You also need just a little discipline and concentration.  For example, I had to stop making mental grocery lists during my bicep workout and start connecting my mind to the muscle working throughout the set.  I had to stop catching up on Twitter while doing cardio and start challenging myself to increase the intensity of each session. I had to stop allowing negative thoughts to creep into my mind and start crowding them out with inspirational inputs, positive affirmations and positive visualizations of me on stage.

As you can probably tell, "Win The Day" has been a very powerful phrase for me. This philosophy resonated with me the moment I heard it last August, and it has since helped me on my path to becoming a "better competitor." I hope that "Win The Day" inspires you and your goals as much as it did for me.

If you have a mantra or philosophy that you have adopted to guide your training or other life goals, I would love to hear about it. You can leave a comment here or find me on Facebook or Twitter.

Until next week, enjoy your journey!

Jaime Baird
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
Facebook
For appearances, sponsorship, modeling, etc.: fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net

I'm a little less than four weeks from the Arnold - I can't believe it! It's finally starting to feel real. With only a month left, I'm pushing very hard to make the most of each opportunity that I have to become the "better competitor" I set out to be in 2011. To do so this past week, I had to dig deep and really lean on my support system, as my work schedule and life responsibilities forced a number of my days to start extremely early and end very late. Despite all of my positive mantras, yoga breathing and meditation, I was exhausted.

In fact, by Friday, I was a bit of a mess in the gym: I was dragging myself from one exercise to the next, barely catching my breath between sets and standing like 5-inches shorter than usual. Eddie, my husband, took one look at me from across the gym and knew he needed to abandon his training for the day and intervene. He came over and gently coached me through my final sets and joined me for my cardio session.  I feel so lucky to have someone in my corner during those "tough days."

When I decided to compete 3.5 years ago, I didn't fully appreciate how much that decision would impact everyone around me, especially those closest to me like my husband.  Our loved ones, especially our partners, make sacrifices, put up with all sorts of inconveniences and can suffer from a little neglect from time to time. Over the past few years, I can say with confidence that I have become a much better competitor to live with and love.   I am, of course, still learning and improving, but I have definitely figured out a few things along the way.

Based on the conversations and emails I have received over the years, I know that many athletes from all different sports struggle with maintaining the support of their partners.  So, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I thought I would share with you a few of my "secrets" to keeping your partner supportive of your competitive journey:

Remember that your attitude is contagious. One of quickest ways to deplete our partners' support of our competitive pursuits is to develop a negative and un-empowered attitude toward the process.  Constantly complaining about having to do this or eat that begins to wear on our partners and, eventually, causes them to resent the process and the sport.  Each of us must remember that we chose to compete, and we cannot allow the stress of the process to victimize us.  I think the best way to maintain a positive demeanor towards the demands of the sport is to always keep your reasons for competing top of mind; I actually have mine posted by my desk as a daily reminder.

Involve your partner in your journey. In addition to valuing my husband's advice, I want him to feel invested and involved in the decisions that I make, so I always ask for his input on my shows, shoots, events, etc.  Leaving partners out of important decisions can definitely lead to resentment.  On a slightly different note, if your partner does not currently live the healthy lifestyle, gently encourage him/her to join you on your journey. While Eddie and I met in the gym ten years ago (so I did not need to encourage him to start the lifestyle), he was inspired by me and decided to kick it up a notch. As a result, he competed in a bodybuilding show in 2009 and will be doing Men's Physique in a few months.

Balance your needs with those of others. When we get deep into contest prep, it's very easy to get a little self-absorbed. Moments of being totally focused on one's self is okay, but it is critical to not always live like that for many reasons, including the happiness of your loved ones. I'm especially conscious of not constantly talking about the sport, staying as engaged in my husband's interests as he is mine, and remembering that he has to eat too.

Don't have any "talks" when you are both hungry. Eddie and I learned this one after a series of irrational interactions.   We both have sensitive blood sugars and turn into little monsters when we are hungry.  So, if he needs to bring something to my attention that requires intense discussion or vice versa, we always do it when we are both fed.  

Show gratitude.  As with anything in life, I have found that a gracious attitude toward your partner goes a long way toward endearing them to you and your competitive journey. A thank you card, a dinner cooked with love, a huge hug, a simple thank you, etc. are just a few ways to show appreciation.

My "secrets" to keeping your partner supportive may seem pretty straightforward and obvious, but each is something that we can forget, especially when prep gets intense.  I know that I do.  If you do nothing else with this information, take the opportunity this Valentine's Day to thank your partner and loved ones who have been affected by your competitive journey. I know they will appreciate it.

Wishing you all the love and happiness imaginable this Valentine's Day! Until next week, enjoy your journey.

P.S. If you have any other tips on keeping your partner supportive of your competitive journey, please share them here or with me on Twitter or Facebook.

Until next week, enjoy your journey.

Jaime Baird
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
Facebook
For appearances, sponsorship, modeling, etc.: fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net

I have to start this week by thanking those of you who have sent me messages of support and feedback over the last few weeks. I love hearing from you! Among the messages, I have received several requests to write about how to effectively "deal with contest dieting," especially the hunger that comes along with it.  While I wrote that topic down as something to eventually address, I did not anticipate that it would be this week. Call it ironic or the Law of Attraction, but this week I was hungry--unusually hungry considering that I am still 5 weeks out from the Bikini International and am currently following a very balanced, reasonable diet.  I guess this week is as good as any to discuss this topic a bit.

 

Starting last Tuesday, I found myself uncomfortably hungry and tired about an hour after each meal. I was trying everything to stay focused on work including copious amounts of caffeine, which seemed to just bounce right off of me. I was frustrated and made no secret of it. Throughout the week, every time someone asked me how I was doing, I would tell them, "I'm hungry, tired, and caffeine is not working."  I must have said it ten times a day.

 

Before I went to bed each night, I thought, "tomorrow will be different." However, each day this past week was the same--tired and hungry. On Friday, I finally realized the problem: I was breaking one of my most important rules for life and contest prep--never focus on the negative.  That being said, here is my hunger strategy #1:

 

Strategy #1:  Reframe negative thoughts/words into empowered, positive affirmations.  I was not doing myself any favors staying so focused on the negative and repeating my "hungry and tired" situation over and over again to others. In fact, I was keeping myself hungry and tired by continually reinforcing it. I needed to change my view and my words to be more positive and empowering, so here is where I landed:

 

A little hunger and discomfort is a part of any program where losing fat is the goal. Since I am totally committed to achieving my best on stage, I enthusiastically accept each sacrifice, discomfort or challenge that comes with the goal. Given this, I welcome a little hunger; it means that my metabolism is roaring and I'm on my way to my best. Based on this attitude adjustment, I replaced my "I'm hungry, tired..." whining and with a positive affirmation, "I'm getting leaner...woohoo!" Miraculously, after doing so, I started feeling better.

 

Besides changing the way I was thinking about being hungry, I used a few tricks to help curb the discomfort without destroying my diet.

 

Strategy #2: Distract myself with things that make me happy. Over the years, I have found that creating a positive distraction is often the best way to forget about being a little hungry while dieting. This strategy is very simple: I just take a few minutes to do something that I love. When I do, I almost always forget that I'm hungry.  Here's how you do it:

 

Make a list of 20 things that you love to do and that make you happy. Next time you are hungry (or unhappy for whatever reason), go to the list and pick out a positive distraction to enjoy for a few minutes. A few of my favorite distractions are reading a chapter from a great book, hanging out with my pups, calling my hubby, family or friends, emailing with my coach (Shannon Dey), reorganizing something (yes, I'm one of those people) or, one of my favorites, online shopping!

 

Strategy #3:  Feed my body with a lot of fluid (especially, water) and a little food.  Whenever I'm hungry, I immediately start chugging water, as sometimes we can mistake thirst for hunger. I love to squeeze fresh lemon into my water - it seems to help suppress hunger.  Also, I usually make a cup of green tea, which I will sip over an hour or so. While I'm sipping the tea, my hunger usually feels less intense and the caffeine gives me a little energy boost. If I determine that my hunger actually necessitates eating a little something, I grab 1 - 2 ounces of green veggies that are currently on my diet. I usually go for green beans.  This is typically enough to carry me through to my next meal, which is never more than 2 - 3 hours away.

 

So, if you are having a day/week like I did last week, try out these strategies and let me know how it goes. I would love to hear from you. You can find me on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Until next week, enjoy your journey.

Jaime Baird
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
Facebook
For appearances, sponsorship, modeling, etc.: fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net

I'm a little more than five weeks away from the Bikini International and I'm so happy to report that I'm feeling fantastic! Yes, I'm a little tired, hungry and sore; but overall, I've been managing stress well.  I keep striving to balance all of life's responsibilities and truly enjoying my fitness journey.   Why is this prep going so smoothly?  It's definitely not that my diet and training are less demanding or challenging - in fact, I've never worked harder.  I believe it's my mental approach to the season that has made the difference in how I am feeling day-to-day. One of the many things I am doing differently is proactively managing stress.

Stress is everywhere and we all experience it daily in varying degrees.  However, it becomes a bit more difficult to manage when stressors starting piling up (i.e., restricted calories, training twice a day, career pressure, family issues, health concerns, etc.).  When not managed well, stress can make us sick, sleepless, exhausted, gain fat, hold water, etc.  None of these results are ideal for building a healthy, attractive physique.  Besides the physical tolls stress has on our bodies, it can also cause us to feel and act irritated, depressed, anxious, angry or even delirious.  Not fun for anyone.

I'm definitely not the kind of person who lives in a constant state of stress, however, there have been times when a number of stressors have intersected, and I became my "less ideal self."  (That's the nice way of describing it.) So, in my quest to become a "better competitor" and "better person" in general, I'm being more deliberate about managing stress in 2011.

At the encouragement of my yoga-instructing best friend, I decided to try her craft as one method of maintaining a relaxed, graceful demeanor. The idea of adding in another commitment to my already over-scheduled life was not appealing at first, but curiosity and true desire for self-improvement motivated me to give it a try.  I found the perfect class at local yoga studio that focuses on breathing and meditation and heralds the benefits of stress-reduction and improving the mind-body connection.

The majority of the class focused on yoga breathing exercises and guided meditation. The meditation involved imagining a light slowly filling and traveling throughout your body while executing the yoga breath. This method was very effective and relaxing until my meditation was interrupted by a Ludacris song spontaneously and incessantly playing in my head and by a tantalizing image of a chocolate chip cookie creeping into my consciousness. Sooo, to say the least, I am still working on my focus and meditation skills. However, what I have mastered and am utilizing daily is the yoga breath, which is known to be an extremely powerful detoxifier, energizer and stress-reducer.

Yoga breathing is essentially deep breathing and is very simple to do. I do it for a few minutes before I get out of bed each morning, during the early afternoon slump, and whenever I feel a little stress or irritation coming on (i.e. driving in tons of traffic, on the phone with a difficult client). There is no need to sit in a yoga pose or lay down to do it (although, the more comfortable you are the better). While there are several varieties of yogic breaths, here is a simple description of how one is done:

• Breathe in deeply and slowly through your nose filling up your abdomen with air. (Yes, push out your stomach.)

• Continue the inward breath now focusing on filling your chest.

• The inward breath is complete when the abdomen is extended, the rib cage is expanded and you cannot inhale any further.

• Exhale slowly though your nose, fully releasing the air--first from your chest and then from the abdomen.

• The breath ends with your abdomen being drawn inward as far as you can and your lungs feeling emptied.

• Repeat. (The breath should feel comfortable; however, expect the first few breaths to feel a little awkward until you get a comfortable rhythm).

Try out the yoga breathing for a few minutes twice a day. It will refresh you and create a sense of calm and focus. Let me know how it goes. You can find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Jaime Baird
Twitter: @JaimeBaird
Facebook
For appearances, sponsorship, modeling, etc.: fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net

I am so thrilled and grateful to be able to share my journey to the inaugural Bikini International with you.  Thank you to Muscle & Fitness Hers for the opportunity to write this blog and to you for joining me on this journey. I hope that you will follow me weekly as I share my honest reflections, fumbles, struggles, epiphanies and celebrations while I prepare for one of the biggest stages of my life--The Arnold.

I started competing 3.5 years ago as a Figure competitor. I had some success as a Figure athlete, but the truth is that I don't have great genetics for the division. My curvy physique doesn't hold a lot of muscle and likes to hold onto fat.  Not exactly an ideal formula. So, when Bikini was introduced, I took the advice of a few judges and my trainer and made the switch.

I earned my IFBB Pro card in 2009 at the USAs in Las Vegas and kicked off my pro career at the 2010 Orlando Europa where I was awarded second place and my Olympia qualification. Not bad for my first show.  During 2010, I competed in three other Olympia-qualifying events earning a top three placing in each.  However, I never captured the top spot, and, as a result, I have been referred to as the "perpetual bridesmaid." Nevertheless, I had an incredible finish to my 2010 season when I was awarded fourth place at the 2010 Bikini Olympia. All in all, it was an amazing season and I could not have asked for more. 

I am currently preparing for the inaugural 2011 Bikini International, which is a little less than seven weeks away.  I have been in prep mode for several weeks now, after having a few months to rest, recover and make improvements.  During my improvement season, I spent much time reflecting on 2010 and considering my goals for 2011, both on and off of the stage.  I realized that at a few points last year, I succumbed to the pressures of being a pro physique athlete: Stressing out about whether or not I will "make it," stay relevant, look good enough, or be able to hang with the younglings in the division. During these times I drove those closest to me a little crazy and created all sorts of unnecessary stress. That is not who I am and certainly is not the example I want to set for others.

This season, while I would like to finally shake the "perpetual bridesmaid" label and win a Pro show, I have a greater focus for my season.  Rather than solely aspiring to earn better placings, I am striving to become a better competitor.  I want to master what I call, "The Art of Preparation and Competing."  To me, this includes (but is not limited to):

1)      Maintaining a graceful, stress-free demeanor throughout the entire preparation and   competing process.

2)     Enjoying prep every day by continuously identifying opportunities to make it fun and fulfilling.

3)     Making the most of every training session by staying more connected and engaged in every single rep, step, jump, lunge, etc.

4)     Investing more time helping others, in and out of the sport, to achieve their fitness best.

Keeping my focus on becoming a better competitor will allow me to maintain a vibrant, graceful, empowered demeanor that will inspire others to want to reach their fitness best.  It will also allow me to enjoy each moment regardless of my placing.

Over the last month, I have incorporated some new things into my life and prep to help with this goal of becoming a better competitor.  Some have been successful and some not so much. I look forward to sharing those experiences and much more with you over the next few months. Check out my blog her at Muscle and Fitness Hers every Tuesday!

Until next week, enjoy your journey.

Jaime Baird

Twitter: @JaimeBaird

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FMG (Fitness Management Group) at: fitnessdivasproductions@verizon.net