AMBASSADOR COMPETITION

***UPDATE***
Thanks everyone who voted, I really appreciate your help! I won the competition and am now the New Ambassador for GoNutrition!
ORIGINAL
I have been using GoNutrition Supplements for over a year now, I recommend them to my clients and gym members, so when an opportunity came up to apply for a sponsorship I was excited to apply! Out of 150 people I have been chosen as one of 5 finalists, one of whom will win a full sponsorship which would mean the world to me!The final athlete will be chosen by public vote which is live now! CLICK HERE TO VOTE JULIA
I don't know when voting will finish so I need your help now!
Please can you spare a sec to click on this link and scroll down, click the button by my name to register your vote. m in the lead as I write this, but its really close, so every vote is vital!
If you have a sec to support me I would really appreciate it!
Many Thanks!!
Below is the bio that is listed on the website so if you like my bio, please show your support!

BIO JULIA HUBBARD

'I’m a former Team GB Bobsleigh Athlete, Masters 200m World Champion and current Natural World & Natural Olympia Figure Champion, earning Pro status in 2014. I am currently preparing to compete in Figure and Bikini competitions in the USA, Spain and UK in October and then I will be focussing on more competitions in 2015 along with the Masters Athletics World Championships in Australia'.

I have a degree in Sports Science & Physiology and have been Personal Training for nearly 20 years. During that time I’ve also worked in Gyms, Sports & supplement retail, Promotions and owned my own Gym. After 5 years competing in the Figure class of natural bodybuilding, I now also coach other women to compete and I love helping them achieve their personal goals. Highlights in my fitness career have been a feature in Muscle & Fitness mag and a cover on Ultra Fit Magazine. Competing in Bobsleigh then Athletics & Bodybuilding have all given me amazing experiences and opportunities to travel and meet new people and I hope to continue this for the foreseeable future!

 

I would love to be an ambassador for GoNutrition and I feel I would make a good ambassador as I have such a varied background in the world of health and fitness. I would really like to inspire other people to chase their sporting dreams despite whatever barriers they face. I have overcome the adversities of being diagnosed with a heart condition and recovering from a broken back (bobsleigh accident), so I can also empathise with how tough many people find it trying to get fit. I’m almost 40 and believe in lifelong health and fitness, its never too late to get started on improving your health & fitness! I’m also a Vegetarian athlete, so I love to inspire others who wish to follow this lifestyle to reach their goals on a Vegetarian diet too. I already use many GN products and recommend them because I love them.”

As well as the above mentioned achievements, Julia has also bagged herself the following titles:

 

Bodybuilding:

2015

INBA World Champs Dubai

4^th Figure

4^th Sports Model

4^th Bikini

2014

2^nd PNBA Miss Olympia Silver Figure USA

1^st INBA Olympia 3 x Gold Medalist USA

1^st World Champion WNBA Fitbody SPAIN

1st NAC UK Championships

1st NAC Beach Body Physique & Bikini

1st NPA West Britain Trained Figure

4th Sport Model INBA World Champs SLOVAKIA

2013

1st British Championships Trained Figure NPA

1st South West Britain Trained Figure NPA 2013

1st Miss Galaxy Universe Supreme Champion Fall Classic

1st Miss Galaxy Universe Supreme Champion June Show

1st West Britain Trained Figure NABBA

1^st Miss Hercules Toned Figure WABBA

4th FitFactor Bodypower

2012

2nd DFAC WORLD FINALS USA

1st BNBF British Trained Figure Champion

1st Place NPA South

1st Place BNBF Wales

1st Bournemouth Bodybuilding Show

1st Place Miss Galaxy Fitness Champion

2nd Place Miss Galaxy Fitness Model

2nd Place Miss Galaxy Overall Champion

1st Place WABBA Miss Aphrodite

BodyPower Bodyfitness 2nd Place 2010

Ms Hercules Bodyfitness 2nd Place 2010

Athletics:

World Masters Championships Brazil 2013

Bronze in 100m Bronze 200m

European Masters Indoors 2013 Spain

World Champion 4x200m Silver 400m, Bronze 200m

World Masters indoors 2012 Finland

World Champion 4x200m Silver 200 & 400m, Bronze 60m World Champion 4x200m European Masters Indoors 2013
Silver 400m, Bronze 200m

World Championships 2011 USA

World Champion 200m 100m Silver World Championships Bronze 100m & 200m Masters Athletics, Brazil 2013

World Champion 4x200m European Masters Indoors 2013
Silver 400m, Bronze 200m
World Champion 4x200m World Masters indoors 2012
Silver 200, 400m, Bronze 60m World Masters Indoors 2012
World Champion 200m w35 2011
Silver medalist 100m w35 2011World Championships Bronze 100m & 200m Masters Athletics, Brazil 2013
World Champion 4x200m European Masters Indoors 2013
Silver 400m, Bronze 200m
World Champion 4x200m World Masters indoors 2012
Silver 200, 400m, Bronze 60m World Masters Indoors 2012
World Champion 200m w35 2011
Silver medalist 100m w35 2011 World Championships Bronze 100m & 200m Masters Athletics, Brazil 2013
World Champion 4x200m European Masters Indoors 2013
Silver 400m, Bronze 200m
World Champion 4x200m World Masters indoors 2012
Silver 200, 400m, Bronze 60m World Masters Indoors 2012
World Champion 200m w35 2011
Silver medalist 100m w35 2011

First body building comp of the year! Adapt and Focus!

WOW what a couple of days.
I flew to Dubai on the overnight flight getting in Friday morning and pretty much everything that could go wrong did, despite lots of planning!! I had tanning booked Friday afternoon, so we booked an early checkin at the hotel in advance, so i would have time to get ready.. with hardly any sleep, we got off the plane, headed to the hotel and then had to wait 2 hours for our room as they forgot our early checkin, but we scored an upgrade to a huge suite, so not all bad... I got my tan sprayed on at a local gym, they used protan which is my favourite, after my tan i went straight to registration...i  then spent 6 hours at registration and drug testing (blood and urine), it was an endurance test in itself, utter chaos, queues everywhere, lots of stressed people, but bodybuilding is often chaotic, so you have to go with the flow... my pro class was cancelled :(  gutted. I love Figure Classic and it was the reason i decided to compete here... but adapt and overcome.... so I competed in amateur figure, model, fitness and bikini to enjoy my time here! Back in my room i got my comp bag packed, then and i topped  my tan up with my bikini mousse from showtimetan tan (which i then got a second spray on top coat on the day of the show, perfect!) So after a VERY late night due to the crazy day things didn't improve we got up early and headed for a taxi...5 of us jumped in together for what's a 15 min trip... normally... but our driver had different plans...thought because we were 'outoftowners' he could try and drive us for an hour round Dubai, including a petrol stop???? - we had a local with us, she didn't realise at first but when she did- firmly put him in his place and eventually he stopped and reset the meter, but it didn't help us get there any quicker, but eventually we got there! This champs was massive, the biggest event ive done to date with well over 400 competitors, most competing in multiple classes, from 40 countries! The line ups were incredible in terms of standard and number.

I have 2 key thoughts to take away ADAPTING & FOCUS,
So much went wrong this weekend, but I learned i can adapt! I could have folded, got stressed, upset and angry, but i do this for me, for fun and its not worth getting upset. Its really important to hope for the best but plan for the worst. I refused to let any of the things that went wrong affect me, i came here to enjoy the experience and things often go wrong, and i believe true champions are not made when things go right, but how you cope when things go wrong- yes its frustrating and but you have to be able to cope with the things that could stress you out!!

I learned i have an adaptable physique
I got 4th in Model, Figure and Bikini and 5th in Fitness - Placing top 5 in all my categories was awesome, but I learned a lot today. I love competing and love different aspects of the different classes available and i learned i can successfully adapt my 'athletic' physique to several classes, using different stage presence, posing styles, different flexing and outfit choices. To place in every class at a World Champs, in huge line ups of quality athletes, was an amazing feeling, as its not easy to stand out from a group of athletes - in very different categories, which brings me to my next point...

FOCUS
I learned that I suited a lot of categories, but i need to decide which class I really love and focus on that, in order to get up to the higher placings, There are improvements i can make to suit each category better so its back to the gym to work on improving myself. BUT I have decisions to make!I need to decide where I want to take my body next, to improve i need to focus on specific things to enhance my physique, but this depends on what class i prefer! You have to live in your body all year round so its important that you like the affect your training and diet has on your body. I want to improve, but you have to be specific, otherwise you can lose track of where you are going. So im going to have a couple of days off to enjoy the city of Dubai and then i will head home and to make some decisions and make some focused plans to work on improving myself!

Ask yourself....Is your training and diet specific to your goals? Or do you need to set some specific goals to focus your fitness journey to your goals? If you aren't focussed, you could waste a lot of time or put in effort and not get the results you actually want!

Plyometrics

I love Plyometrics. As a sprinter and as a bodybuilder! There's so many ways to incorporate them into your training. If im doing a track session I do running drill plyos and if im at the gym I do bodyweight and box plyos. I will focus on track plyos in another post for sprint specific drills and plyos.  Here I am looking at the benefits of gym based plyos. This playlist demonstrates some of my favourite gym based plyos.

 

 

 

 

So what are plyometrics?

Basically they are jumping and hopping exercises that help develop speed, power, explosive strength. They are an advanced training technique.

 

Who should use them?

Athletes have used them for years to improve sports performance, but the general gym user and physique competitors will benefit from them too!  

 

How do you fit them into your routine?

You could make a circuit of a few of them as a conditioning session, you could use them as a TABATA session  (type of high intensity cardio) or for advanced lifters, you could include them in a superset with strength exercises like Squats, deadlifts and leg press (this is quite taxing on the central nervous system so if you do this, just do it for  a few weeks then have a break from it) Plyos are often included I general circuit training and bootcamps.

 

How do I get started

Start with two footed exercises and a few sets with full recovery and build up volume gradually. Progress to single leg (hopping) exercises as a more advanced exercise as more stress is placed through the joints. 

 

Different uses

If you are using plyos for conditioning, take short recovery's between sets. To develop speed, power, strength and explosiveness, perform exercises fast and take full recovery between exercises so you can generate as much power as possible!

 

Results

Regular plyo training in conjunction with strength, conditioning, sport specific training etc can assist sports performance, improving speed, strength and explosiveness. So they are essential for any sports where acceleration, speed and explosiveness are key! As a physique competitor I use plyos instead of cardio to maintain muscle mass on my legs, keep a great shape in quads, hamstrings and glutes and its so much more fun than endless cardio!!!! As plyos are high intensity exercise they help boost your post exercise metabolism, go great to use if trying to lose fat!

 

Considerations

Plyometric exercises involve an increased risk of injury because large forces are generated whilst performing them. Plyos should therefore only be performed by well conditioned individuals under supervision. You should already have good levels of physical strength, flexibility, and coordination before embarking on plyometric training. Make sure you don't do plyos every day, recovery is important! Always check with a doctor & Fitness professional before starting any new exercise regime!

 

So that's my beginners guide to gym based plyos! Im off to the gym now and i'll be finishing my session with tabatas of a couple of my favourites! Im 3 weeks from my first comp of the year so I want to fire up my metabolism with some high intensity work!

 

 

 

General Feedback for bodybuilding / fitness competitors

After I judge a show I am often asked for feedback, but there are lots of aspects that competitors commonly get wrong that can easily be fixed with some research, preparation and practice! So here's my top feedback tips

First impressions
The Walk on .....the World is your stage, enjoy the moment, breath in the atmosphere, relax and take control, focus your mind and don't waste 12 months in the gym by rushing on and off the stage in a few seconds! make eye contact, Smile, Be happy- you earned your moment to shine. The first impression you make as you set  foot on stage can make you memorable or fade into the background. SO make sure as soon as you hit the stage until you walk back behind the curtain, remain focussed.

Physiques.
When judging physiques, the importance of different criteria does depend on the category- some are more focused on the muscle size, shape, tone, level of body fat but other elements common across the category's are  symmetry, shape  and proportion. Does your front match your back, does your upper body match your lower body. Does your physique flow, or does one body part dominate? Competitions are not won because of crazy abs or shoulders, the whole physique needs to be impressive. Have a look at your photos, you should be able to see if you have weaker areas to work on, so focus on those elements in your training, everyone has their favourite workouts, we are all guilty of focussing on the things we like most, so really try and balance your training to work more on weaker areas.

Posing
Each competition has its own regulations, as does each class. So make sure you know what is required. You may need to learn compulsory poses, comparison quarter turns, t walks or routines. Learn the poses initially with a mirror but then practice posing without a mirror, into a video or camera, so you can learn how to feel a pose so that when on stage, so when you hit the stage you aren't lost without your visual feedback. The best form of feedback is to wait for your professional shots or video footage-  If you rushed your T-walk... you may not have so many pics, if you didn't hold the pose long enough for the photographer to get his shots then its unlikely the judges got a good look at you either! So make sure you take your time and hold poses long enough so the judges don't miss it. Look at the poses, if you have a choice of poses, check, do they really show off your best bits, choose poses you can do that shows your physique off to your best. If in doubt hire a coach or go to a workshop organised by the federation you are competing with to learn what is required. In a close competition, placings could be determined on posing and someone with a better physique may miss out just because they cant display it properly. Also, have a set pose to use back of stage - do not switch off! The number of times I've wanted to have another look at an athlete at the back of stage while another judges call out is on and they have lost their posture, have relaxed, are messing with tan / costume - you are being judged all the time you are on stage!

Stage presence
Getting your personality across to the judges is really important. In a large line up, you need to catch their attention! Some competitions and categories are looking at more than just a physique marking you for stage presence, confidence, marketability, the 'full package'.
Common mistakes are forgetting to smile, looking at the floor and not engaging with the judges. You don't need to stare at x marks during a T Walk, your peripheral Vision should allow you to head roughly for a marker without looking directly at the floor- you know roughly where to walk, so keep your head held high and engage with your audience while walking across stage.  Were you smiling, happy, smouldering, pouting, being sexy... or looking scared or bored lol ... The image you portray can make you look like a pro competitor or a scared first timer. Fake it til you make it!

Presentation
Does your outfit fit criteria. Some federations have rules on costume type, shoe  type etc. So its important to check this out! Presentation is key especially in model and bikini and mens physique, so many hours of hard Work training in the gym can be let down by the things some may not put the same amount of thought into presentation
Shoes ....are they a correct fit? Can you walk in them? Really walk elegantly? .... Not march or hobble along or stomp like a baby elephant?
Make up
Does your choice of makeup suit your complexion, your eye colour, do your eye lash extensions accentuate your eyes? 
Hair
Length, colour, cut and styling - do they compliment you?
Other outfits
fitness wear, evening wear, do they suit you, show off your physique and style? Does the colour and material work well under harsh stage lighting. Can you walk and pose comfortably? Ive seen dresses that go transparent, dresses where you can see VPL and padding, dresses too tight to walk in, ill fitting gowns.... if you have an amazing dress but it doesn't fit properly... get a seamstress to alter it for you! Even an beautiful expensive dress can look terrible if its ill-fitting!
Tanning
Whether you apply your own tan or use a professional show tan service, make sure you are dark enough. Make sure you did your skin prep, tan can go patchy and green if the skin has not been prepped. If unsure what tan to use, check with the federation or use a company like www.showtimetan.co.uk who can advise you on what the best tan for your category and competition are and then you can buy it online.
Jewellery / accessories and props
Some federations have rules on what can be worn / used. But make sure they don't distract or hide your physique and compliment your appearance.

So these are the most common mistakes and things to consider, so if you have just competed, see if theres anything you can already see that you can improve from and if you haven't competed yet, you could look at these points and maybe help avoid commonly made mistakes!

Bodybuilding

Coming soon- videos, pictures, information & reviews.

Topics to be covered will include training, nutrition, posing, tanning, competition info, behind the scenes, contest prep advice, product reviews, food prep advice.

Got a question or topic you would like covered? Comment on the blog and I will try and help out!

Also check out my nutrition blog at Sporty Vegetarian for tips on food prep.

The blog isn't just for vegetarians, I have recipes for high protein snacks, home made protein bars for clean eating suitable for any bodybuilder or sports person!