The Secret Life of a Bikini Competitor

This week’s episode is with the amazing Belinda Croxford, who is a WBFF Figure Pro, online coach from Melbourne and owner/director of Bodies By Bel.

Belinda’s work ethic and growth mindset is second to none - I love watching her progress and how hard she grinds towards her goals. There’s lots to learn in this episode!

In this episode we spoke about:⁠

• How Belinda managed having her first international pro show cancelled due to COVID and what she took out of the experience
• Bel’s epic work ethic and ‘relentless’ mindset
• How Bel started competing and overview of her competing history
• Overcoming anorexia with the help of bodybuilding
• Learning from each prep - what not to do and what works
• How can competitors empower themselves and get the best out their prep
• It’s OK to pull out of a comp if you’re not ready!
• What it likes getting as lean as figure competitors have to
• Can you have balance as a high level athlete
• How to involve your non-competing friends in prep
• How to smash your goals
• Eating to grow and dealing with weight gain mentally
• Importance of gut health and being more aware of what we put in our bodies
• Misconceptions of pros
• Belinda’s competing goals and plans

And SOOO much more!⁠

If you want to follow Belinda learn more about her and at her coaching service you can do so at https://www.instagram.com/belindaamarie___/ ⁠

If you love the episode don’t forget to share to your stories and tag us both in so we can see and share too!⁠

Until next time...⁠⁠

Love you!⁠

R x

This week, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Tyarra Nelson who is an IFBB Bikini & ICN Fitness competitor, dietitian, online health, fitness, nutrition and physique coach and co-host of the awesome Bodybuilding Dietitians Podcast.

It was great to learn a little more about Tyarra’s competing background and then spend a good chunk of time chatting through some listener Q&As that we received ahead of the show. It was so awesome to sit down and pick Tyarra’s amazing brain on some really interesting topics and I hope you guys get as much out of this as I did! I will 100% be having Tyarra back on the show sometime in the near future so keep those questions handy!

In this episode we cover:
- Why she started the Bodybuilding Dietitians podcast
- Tyarra’s sporting background and how she got into bodybuilding
- Her surf lifesaving experience
- Moving from track sports to weightlifting
- Feeling empowered through weightlifting
- Taking three years to build up to her first comp
- Coaching herself to stage
- Competing for the experience AND having a winning mindset
- Loving the prep process
- Taking full advantage of competing seasons and experimenting with federations
- Her work as a physique coach
- Listener Q1: How to work out maintenance calories after a cut (+tracking weight trends)
- Listener Q2: Can you ruin your metabolism with a bad prep?
- Listener Q3: What food do you recommend pre/post workout and is food timing important?
- Listener Q4: Advice for gut issues or bloating?
- Listener Q5: Macros or meal plan?

If you want to follow Tyarra you can do so https://www.instagram.com/tyarranelson/ and if you want to listen in to her podcast head to https://www.instagram.com/thebodybuildingdietitians/ or search on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Both Instagram pages have a TONNE of valuable health and fitness information on too.

Until next time,
love you!
R x

We are back with the next instalment of PREP FILES where I take you with me on my journey to the WBFF stage in October.

It’s been a month since episode one, so I was hopefully there was going to be lots of fun things to chat about! But to be honest, I was feeling a bit demotivated from my weight not dropping and a bit of stress going on in my life - I didn’t really feel like I had anything to update you on. But then I realised, that there in itself it the update.

Prep isn’t always exciting and eventful. More often than not it’s just putting one foot in front of the other, trying to keep your head in the game, be patient and focus on the process.

Some of the things I cover off in this episode:

• Why I am seeing a psychologist (for prep)
• How I’m dealing with some injuries
• My biggest wins right now
• What happens when your weight doesn’t drop?
• Dealing with an acne flair up and skin infection on my face?!?
• Stress and its effect on my body
• Importance of trusting your coach
• Diet slip ups
• Motivation vs. discipline when it comes to training
• Listener Q&A! Including:
  • How do you copy with dieting i.e. food anxiety?
  • Line for a coach between tough love and support - how to know the difference in prep?
  • What to expect in peak week and show day for a first timer + tips

And PLENTY more weird and wonderful things as usual.

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode and if you love the show feel free to leave a 5* review and/or share to your Instagram stories and tag me so I can see!

You can find me and the show on Instagram at @secretlifeofabikinicompetitor and @robynzimmy

Love you,

R x

#SLBC #prepfiles

Hello friends - I am back with the next instalment of PREP FILES where I take you with me on my journey to the WBFF stage in October.

We are bloody on now mates. Progress has been bloody fantastic the last six weeks, despite being in lockdown for two weeks. So good in fact, I can’t quite believe it! Lots of learnings in this week’s episode for y’all!

Some of the things I cover off in this episode:

• Going into lockdown (AGAIN) + garage gym of dreams
• My dating (?) life lol
• Momentum with weight loss and making strides in progress!
• The power of our beliefs and identity
• Visualisation
• Non-negotiables
• Full update on my stats, condition, weight/cm loss, challenges, goals
• Listener Q&A! Including:
  • How to determine the right comp for you - I have tattoos and small boobs!
  • Do you journal?
  • What is your daily routine
  • Stress relief techniques?
  • Fave meals in prep?
  • Post comp food plans?
  • How is your mood and energy now 20 weeks out?
  • Who are you most excited to be on stage with?
  • Toughest part and easiest part right now?
  • Any placing goals this season?

And PLENTY more weird and wonderful things as usual.

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode and if you love the show feel free to leave a 5* review and/or share to your Instagram stories and tag me so I can see!

You can find me and the show on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/secretlifeofabikinicompetitor/ and https://instagram.com/robynzimmy
And don't forget you can now grab your limited edition SLBC MERCH from the link in my Instagram bio!!

Love you,

R x

#SLBC #prepfiles

It’s the final epi for the year!!! Another year done and dusted (can you believe it!?).

Dropping one last episode for 2021 to give you an update of how my reverse is going, what I’ve been doing/eating/feeling and some (hopefully helpful) reverse diet tips I’ve learned along the way!

In this episode I I run through:

• Deleted from IG but viral on TikTok?!
• Reverse diet update, including weight, calories, training, wins, challenges, learnings
• Biggest reverse challenge
• Importance of ‘self coaching’ mindset work
• Managing social occasions while reversing + finding balance
• Give yourself a break and permission to relax
• Managing scale weight / body fat changes
• How I’m planning to tackle the xmas break & my reverse
• Things I did to set me up for a good reverse
  

And that’s a wrap for 2021!! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has supported me and SLBC this year. It’s been another insane year but I’ve learned and grown so much, and it’s been awesome having you all along for the ride!

Have the happiest of holidays and here’s to continuing to smash our goals in 2022!!!!

Love you,

R x

#SLBC #prepfiles