In this episode Cate speaks with two of Australasia's best coaches: Nuria Novoa & Troy Thornton, discussing their coaching journey's thus far. If you loved this information loaded two hour episode please rate, subscribe & share. @nurialolita @troyjthornton

Season 2 is here! Welcome Back Ryan Milton.

You cant miss this if you want to expand your knowledge on the bikini division within the IFBB/NPC

Show notes:

Olympia- 9mins
9:30 Free weights over machines
13:00 Condition over fullness or...?
18.30 Bodybuilding split or 6 all over body workouts per week and why?
23.54 Minicuts
26:00 Fat burners? Bloodwork and just being aware of what stresses your body out.
29:30 Protein distribution
31:20 Retaining muscle as we lean down
35:00 Reducing cardio post show
38 Glycogen depletion peak week??
40:40 Nutrient timing
42 Differentiating between which athletes compete in the bikini or wellness division
45 Whats going on if athletes are getting a little extra in their improvement season
47 Training chest if at all and thoughts on if it gives separation of the implants
49min Prioritising hormone health
52:00 Antagonistic potentiation
55 Ryan’s pick for the next Olympia

If you want to join Team FFlex you can reach out to Ryan on 

IG @teamfflex or ryan@teamfflex.com
Ryan also has a podcast Ryrant on Itunes & a youtube channel.

Episode 19 is live! What an honour to have 2x Olympia/2018 Arnold Fitness winner Whitney Jones on the podcast. A few of the topics covered: 🎙How her prep for this years Olympia is tracking along 🎙How her show the Whitney Jones Classic went on the 24th of October 🎙What you can expect when you join @theprophysiques team 🎙I asked Whitney what is it about her personality that doesn't give up when shes knocked back by serious injuries when a lot would. 🎙Cardio 🎙Why is it that bodybuilders typically opt for a high carb low fat diet 🎙Mistakes she sees women making in peak week 🎙Tips on how to grow muscle optimally 🎙Nutrition & Hydration 🎙Advice for Athletes going after their Pro card You can reach out to Whitney @whitneyjones_ifbbpro or alternatively fitwhitjones.com Whitney also has a clothing line 'FEARless by Whitney Jones'       https://www.fitwhitjones.com/shop-1 Lastly she runs the Whitney Jones Classic Annually. Info can be found @wj_classic

Episode 18 is live! Today i spoke with @caity_williamson who has competed in both the IFBB & WBFF. Now that we have the newly appointed wellness division she’s back ready to take on 2021. Some of the topics covered: 🎙Dealing with past partners that weren’t supportive 🎙What to do when you’ve plateaued 🎙How boosting up your calories can be just what the body needs 🎙Incorporating refeeds 🎙How finding the right coach can make all the difference to your competing experience & outcome 🎙Peak week methods 🎙How friendly competitors were in both federations 🎙Excessive cardio is past preps *I had to edit out a glamorous coughing fit on my behalf around the 45min mark so apologies if it sounds a little disjointed around that time. Cheers all. Please tag, share and send Caity some 💚 for coming on sharing her experiences thus far with competing.

Episode 17 is live! ⛓is in Bio. Available on ITunes & Spotify Today I spoke with IFBB Bikini Pro @jademckee_ifbbpro who has been based in Melbourne since a week before they went into a lengthy lockdown. Jade left her career as a Physio to work at the science based @cleanhealthfitnessinstitute as a coach at the beginning of the year. She works with a range of clients, from gen pop, right through to comp prep clients & women who are focusing on their fitness goals pre & post natal. Some of the topics covered: 🎙Jade’s competing history- she has impressively competed at 17 shows, with 4 of those Pro shows since becoming a mum. 🎙Where Jade won her pro card. Not too mention it was when they were only giving out 1 Pro card per division, once a year in Australia. 🎙How Jade came back from a serious spinal injury. 🎙Her experience with becoming too food focused during/post comp in the past & how to mitigate the effects in your own prep. 🎙Advice on how to prep the healthy way, with a focus on fuelling your body correctly to prevent muscle breakdown, mindset & not thrashing your body with a tonne of cardio being crucial elements. 🎙How having a great support system can make all the difference to your health and well-being in this sport just to name a few. A special mention to @bsnaustralia_nz who have been in Jade’s sponsors since 2018.’ Thanks Jade for coming on 🎙🧠

Time stamps: 0-8 mins Intro/CHCH show  8:30-13:30 Best and biggest challenge in bodybuilding career…(mention of @Sabrina Taylor) 13:30-17:00 How Nuria’s Health conditions’ have given her the life experience to help athletes in similar situations  17:30 You always hear competitors talking about what to look for in a coach, so I wanted to flip that around and ask you what you think are some good habits that set athletes apart from the rest? We also touch on what makes a great coach. 22:30 Assessing what division suits an athlete in initial part of their career  24:30 The importance of remaining ethical when coaching athletes. We discuss how Nuria’s philosophy studies have encouraged critical thinking 25:45 Mental hurdles that can arise in preps 28:45 Coaching men vs women 30:00 PEDS and impact the side effects could have on your mental health after this is all said and done and you’re say trying for a baby or you don’t like the way your jaw looks etc. 33:00 Post show support and reverse dieting when you work with Nuria. Eleanor Brown is a nutritionist Nuria works along side. Big focus on having a multidisciplinary team to cover all areas of prep. 37:15 Competing if you let it can be pricey….so have you got any savvy tips for girls getting into competing? 38:00 Peak week past disasters and how Nuria’s body reacts to to different protocols 44:00 Listeners questions….Great questions, thanks guys for writing in! 48:30 Reversing into shows if possible?? 51:00 Stomach vacuum’s? 1:03 Some of your favourite exercises for a bikini athlete if you had to superset 2 exercises for the rest of their days for: Delts Lats Glutes Hammies 1:06 Genetics 1:08 Lagging body parts and training frequency to bring them up 1:10 Things you’d love to see change about the industry  1:13 If you’re a betting woman do you think anything will get in the way of Oct 17 NZ show? 1:14 What advice would you like to give women out their striving towards winning their pro card? You can reach out for coaching/posing coaching @nurialolita or via email: nfusionfitness@gmail.com

Today I spoke with IFBB Athlete @carmen_annah  Carmen’s early years involved competing competitively as as a ski racer in Switzerland. She then ambitiously moved to the British Columbia at 16 where she joined a ice hockey academy and finished her schooling near Vancouver. It was in Canada where she unfortunately broke her L2 in a training session. Miraculously after 2 serious surgeries Carmen then went on to get a scholarship where she went earned one of her degrees in Exercise Science.  Carmen has gone on compete in physique competitons in Europe & impressively placed 8th at the Arnold Amateur in 2017.  Please share, tag & even review the podcast on iTunes ❤️  @carmen_annah has an impressive resume and history within the fitness industry so if you’re interested in reaching out for online coaching &/or posing you can find her on Instagram or carmenanna.com

Welcome back guys to episode 14.  Today I spoke with IFBB coach @frank_carroll who has competed himself in 14 bodybuilding shows, the first 11 he competed in INBA where he competed at the amateur Olympia and the last 3 in IFBB. We covered Franks personal journey into fitness after leaving a secure job in forestry that left him feeling unfulfilled. We also covered the best techniques for hypertrophy, what to do if you’re behind the 8 ball coming into a show and a bunch of listener questions submitted to both Frank and I. Please review, share and tag us in the episode so we can reach as many physique competitors as possible Timestamps: Intro-1-3 *apologies we just had to get the sound loud enough* 3 minutes: How frank got into lifting weights in the beginning 4 minutes: Franks first show at 17! 6 minutes: Business history and how Frank transitioned from leaving his study to head back into his fathers business in forestry & then into following his passion: training people. 8:00 Frank talks about about removing yourself from situations in your life that don’t sit well with you or you’re not passionate about. 9mins: Loosing it all, but knowing and having the mindset to recognise that it’s not the end of the world & you can always make it back. 10mins: Moving to Hamilton with his savings in his pocket and making a go of it. 12:00: Franks competing career from the INBA, competed at the INBA OLYMPIA and now competes in the IFBB. Not to mention totalling 14 shows so far and placing in all of them. 15:00 coaching, the pluses of having a second set of eyes on you & someone to pull you back when you need it 15.30: What Frank loves about bodybuilding 16:45 Business and nutrition philosophy when it comes to prepping clients 20:00 Prepping with his partner IFBB bikini pro @kaatestacey. 22:00 We discuss how deserving Kate was of her pro win due to her not only having a great physique but also being such a hard worker. 24:15 Dignus Victoria journal. I have to take my hat off to Frank for opening up about past struggles that inspired him  create @dignusvictoria & I love how it encourages athletes to focus on their emotional state, as well as their physical look. 32:00 What sets athletes apart from the rest of the pack and how Frank determines that an athlete really wants it. 34:00 Genetics! 36:15 Favourite techniques for hypertrophic gains 46.20 If Frank has to pick an exercise/S for shoulders, lats, glutes & hammies for bikini competitors what would he programme? 53:00 Cardio 56:45 Hiit....does it help to retain the muscle? 57:45 Salt pumps, party time! 59:00 How do u gauge finding a sweet spot for your athletes in an off season when they’re meant to be growing but not gaining too much unnecessary fat….is there a method you use to do this well? 1:01 Aromatization definition. Listen up kids 1:03 Water- How important is it in relation to getting Comp lean? For example could you get the desired look if you’re not consistent with drinking 2 litres a day or does it actually help with dropping fat? 1:06 Hypotheticals- Not ideal of course but) You’ve got a client that comes to you with 6 weeks to go before a show and they got to drop the last 4kgs or so quickly? What do you manipulate to get a quicker result? 1:11 Athletes holding water close to a show. What to do? 1:16 Salting food 1:17 If an athlete ate lean chicken one prep vs whey isolate another prep would one type of protein give a better result? 1:21 Carb loading. How to do it safely 1:25 Diuretics? 1:34 How has Franks training evolved over the years 1:37 How to strengthen the core and advice for bikini athletes wanting to go PRO. 1:38 Favourite bodybuilder of all time!!

Episode 13 is live! Phil is such an approachable and down to earth coach who clearly has a passion for not only his clients health, but ultimately their happiness as well. We covered loads of comp topics, from the anabolic window, peak week methods and how to bring up lagging body parts to name a few. You guys are going to love this one! You can reach out to Phil at @ascend_nutrition or ascendnutritionnz.com

Some of the topics we covered:

Building calories back up

Taking time off from the stage to improve your physique
PED's and hormones
Metabolic adaption
Politics in the sport?
Favourite bodybuilder and Olympia experience
Habits he’s had to drum out of new athletes
Why short term results are always a no go.
Sometimes you can’t judge another coach on face value as you don’t know what condition the client went to that coach in. Eg- The client may be on low macros to begin with and the coach is just building them up slowly to avoid the person getting stressed out by sudden fat gain.

*Around the 28:00 mark "metabolic stress" is meant to be "mechanical damage".

1-3mins Intro 3:00 Troy’s Own journey into fitness 8:00 Tom platz hack squats tutorial for all the ladies out there chasing quad gains😉 9:00 How Troy got into training women in the bikini division. 10.25 How passion, mindset and drive impresses Troy more than “ideal” genetics. 11:00 The power of having a winning mentality and backing yourself in this sport and life in general. It’s important to give yourself permission to win. 13:22 Traits and attributes that set pro physiques apart from the rest. 15:00 What ladies can expect when they join Team Destroy in terms of Nutrition and Training etc. Impressively Troy checks in with his athletes daily so he can make changes to the plan if needed. He stresses that an open communication line is an integral part of being on his team and how it encourages his athletes to remain accountable. 17:30 Troy solely overlooks his clients diet and nutrition. You can be sure the man himself is coaching you when you work with him. 18:15 Listener Question: If a competitor was looking to make a career out of competing- what federation is likely to bring you more financial success? IFBB or WBFF? 20:00 It’s normal for us all to have nerves. Vulnerability can make us all relateable. 21:45 listener question: How much do you think someone’s natural beauty comes into the equation in terms of placing….. for examples sake lets say someone had a had a larger nose they wanted to get done and a smaller chest but the athlete only had the money for 1 surgery- What surgery do you think would benefit the athletes placing more? *disclaimer: we both promote the idea that you should do what makes you happy* 23:20 Are wbff placings based on the whole package &/or is ifbb strictly body composition or does the whole package come into play as well? 24.30: Coaches that Troy respects in the industry? Special mention to @easyjuke and Troy wanted to add in that @frank_carroll is someone he’s noticed over here in Nz doing good things. 30:00 Some of the PED’s that are used in bodybuilding. While we are on the topic Troy has gone into this in detail on one of his podcasts for girls interested in learning further. 33:30 Sarms and some coaches that are possibly better at the marketing side of things rather than the coaching itself 37:25 Hypothetical round. *Protocol for someone that naturally holds a lot of water? *Steady state over Hiit? *Carb sources to fill out on? *Waist trainers yay or nay? *planks before waist trainers 😍 *meal plan or macros? *Does a bikini athlete have to lift heavy in order to grow or do you prefer time under tension and mind.m.connection? Do you have a theory on why brunettes kill it on the international stage? 47:15 posing do’s and don’ts from a males perspective. Tip: smile and enjoy yourself. Milk it ladies...it’s your day ❤️ 49:15 Pumping up protocol 51:00 Where is the look of bikini going? 52.25 Why not just do full body workouts? 54:15 Train for symmetry and proportion. Analyse what needs to be worked on 55:00 Training abs specifically? 56:00 If you had to run into a supermarket and choose 1 bang for buck:Carb, Protein & Fat source what would you choose 57:00 Exercises for top, medial, lower glute 1:00 Do you find many women you work with are hard gainers or do you have to be quite unlucky not to grow if you’re putting the work and prioritising your food. 1:03 Talking through the top 5 at Olympia 19’ 1:12 How do you deal with clients that leave you for a new coach (something that happens in every sport) 1:13 How do you feel when clients of yours start up a coaching business? 1:15 listener question- What is the first and the last thing you would alter when needing to make a change in a clients plan. 1:16 Troys interests outside of bodybuilding 1:17 I think Troy and I both love a good possible conspiracy theory so I had to ask him any that may have some possible truth to them? 1:25 Where Troy sees Team Destroy in the next 5 years. For the listeners wanting to reach out: @troyjthorton

Welcome back to the 11th episode of Bikini Down Under.

Today i interviewed Rhiannon Morgan, who went Pro at South Korea's Amateur Olympia in 2019.

This was a such a fun episode to record, we squeezed a lot into an hour and 15 minutes.

We delved into Rhiannon's competing history; the meaning of terms the judges may use when giving feedback and we answered a bunch of listener questions as well.

@rhiannon_ifbbpro background in Dance is obvious. If you're in the Auckland region Face to face is an option. For international listeners online coaching is available

Thank you so much for tuning and subscribing. I really appreciate you all writing in and submitting questions.

Intro 1-4mins
4:00: Competing history
8:45: Mindset going into the comp in South Korea
13.15: How many days out Rhiannon flew from her first international comp.
15-16 mins: The memory of winning Rhiannon’s pro card
16:45: Favourite out of prep or stage day
18:20: Dealing with nerves
19:50: Understanding judges feedback (the  terms coming in fuller and conditioning)
24:00: Feedback at the show before Rhiannon went Pro and how she went about making improvements that lead to going PRO at the Amateur Olympia in Korea
25:20: Cardio
26.15: Peak week protocols
27 mins: Listener question- is bodybuilding a younger women’s game?
30:45: Tracking all year round?
32:30: Support systems
34:55: If you had to only pick one exercise for delts, glutes and hammies what would you choose?
37mins listener question: How to add more size?
40mins: Training specifically for bikini
43mins: Prepping with @troythorton
46:45: Tips on how to tell if your plan is being personalised to YOU
50mins: Finding a coach you can build good rapport with
51:45: Being on the same page with how you want your body to look vs the look that’s required
53mins Do you ever wish it was a level playing field
55mins: Tips on keeping the waist tight
57:45: Some favourite pro bikini physiques outside of NZ
1:00: How much do genetics play a role in bodybuilding
1:02: Is politics/favouritism or being on a perceived right team a real thing?
1:03 posing tips 😍
1:07; Future goals for Rhiannon
1.12: Advice for ladies striving towards their pro card

Today I interviewed the lovely Aimee Jacobs who brought an impressive package to the National stage back in October.   In her short time competing within the bikini division she’s certainly made a positive impact within the sport.   In today's episode we discussed the importance of finding out what foods keep YOU satisfied, how bodybuilding can give your life structure and routine, not too mention how valuable it is to have a coach who walks the talk and has your best interest at heart.  Go and show @aimeej89 some love.  For all those wondering who Aimee’s coach is....you can reach out to @Kurtdell @Teamnextlevel.     Thank you to all the listeners and to the people who submitted questions. Aimee and I appreciate you all.   Have a great Anzac weekend. Stay safe, we are so close to level 3 now!    *Apologies for the technical glitch around 35minutes. Just skipped through to the next question*

Today I spoke with Kurt Dell from Team Next Level. We discussed the unsettling nature of the Covid-19 virus and what that means for competitors moving forward; especially for those who have been in a deficit for sometime and are unsure of what to do next. We also covered: -How to train when hypertrophy is the goal -Why variety in your diet is crucial -PED's & their effects -Possible reasons on why brunettes kill it on the international stage -Peak week -Pumping up & much more! You can reach out to @kurtdell  @teamnextlevel for coaching on Instagram. For posing with Team Next Level you can reach out to @rhiannon_ifbbpro who offers both face to face posing coaching in Auckland and online & @catherine_daniel_ifbbpro also offers face to face posing coaching in the Wellington region as well as online posing.

Today I had a blast recording with one half of The Bodybuilding Dietitians & IFBB Athlete: Tyarra Nelson.  In between laughing we discussed why carbs are so important, how taking salt backstage can benefit your physique and much much more!  You can reach out to Tyarra for coaching @tyarranelson

Welcome back guys! It’s been a hot minute since I recorded last but I can assure you it was worth the wait. Ryan Milton from Vegas based Team FFlex shares with us an insane amount of information on all things competing. Some of the topics we covered: Reverse diets and what it really means to implement one. How women should train glutes Prepping vegan, keto as well as other traditional methods. Peak weak PED’s Posing Go and check Ryan @teamfflex for yourself. You’ll be glad you did teamfflex.com

Today I spoke with a bikini athlete from Russia who moved to Melbourne to study an accounting degree. We discuss the methods she has used to build her physique, and how different judges in parts of the world prefer certain looks.  We cover strategy, peak week protocols and why having a coach is important; but at the end of the day you are the one that has to put in the work. *we lost Lisa’s audio in the final minute because of internet connection*

I'm so excited to share this episode with you all. 

Sheena has achieved so much within the sport of bodybuilding. 

She was the first person from NZ and Australia to grace the Olympia stage within the bikini division. She then went on to win the prestigious Bev's Gym New York Pro show and has unbelievably competed in 30 IFBB shows in 4 years all while running her successful coaching and mindset business: Sheena Jayne Fitness.

 It's clear that Sheena has a wealth of experience and really cares for the health and happiness of her athletes. 

You can reach out to her on instagram @sheenajayne_fitness or sheenajaynefitness.com

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Elif Beker. Elif impressively won her pro card at the first Comp she entered in. From there she has continued to build upon a successful lifestyle and comp press business she runs with her partner Nick-@body.royalty

Mariska Roetz shares what it's like to compete overseas. She also give us some insight into the pros and cons of having a coach based in the country you live, not too mention plenty of fitness and nutrition tips for all the women out there working towards their competing goals. Ladies another quality episode from yet another lovely competitor is live.

Today I talk with the beautiful and very knowledgeable Catherine Daniel. She goes into depth with her training, nutrition and all things competing.  You don't want to miss out on this if you're interested in learning more about the bikini division within the IFBB. Catherine is also a talented IFBB Bikini Posing Coach based in Wellington and you can reach out to her on her instragram @catherine_daniel_ifbbpro Thanks for tuning in guys. Your support is greatly appreciated. *Unfortunately we weren't able to get a great internet line so I apologise in advance for the audio not being as crisp as I would of hoped for.*