Operation Beefcake: Day 1

For those of you that don't know me, my name is Charlotte Ord and I'm the owner of Phoenix Pro Fitness, the best fitness club in Surrey!

Unfortunately, having broken my ankle late last year, I haven't been up to my usual sporting exploits this year (triathlon, horse riding, half marathons etc) so I felt it was about time I got myself a goal! As my team and I advocate to our members at Phoenix Pro it's SO much easier to stay focused and on target if you have a target to aim for. Indeed, you HAVE to hang the target if you stand any chance of hitting it.

Bodybuilding is something I've been really impressed with for quite sometime. I think it's easy to look at the end result and cast a judgement on whether you think it's attractive/ functional/ worthwhile etc etc, but you only have to take a closer look at the rigorous regime that competitors have to commit to to realise that the process poses a significant challenge both mentally and physically. This is muscle sculpting and fat loss at it's most extreme, and it doesn't come easy!

There are two people who really got me thinking seriously about giving it a go myself:

British Bodybuilding Champion Annie Ottey (my coach! :), who I first met on a course 2 years ago and whose dedication and refusal to accept anything but her very, very best was apparent right from the start and in everything she did....



And Nicola Joyce, a fitness writer friend of mine who yesterday competed in her first ever bodybuilding comp and absolutely nailed it, winning both her class and best presentation!



Whilst the title of this blog (and indeed the name of the hypertrophy program I have written for the endeavour) is very tongue in cheek (I think it will make me smile even when the going gets tough), the process itself is pretty serious. The training is intense, and the diet strict. With only 7 weeks to go until my first comp, I am cutting preparation time about as fine as it can get, so the race is on to be in shape to stand on stage...

I'm convinced that going through this process will teach me things that will ultimately help me to help our members, and at Phoenix Pro, that's what we're all about.

I'll keep you posted!

Char