by Maggie Mangiel

No athlete trains for second place.  If you have ever competed in any form of organized sports, you know that you always have to shoot for the stars, always go for the gold.  Physique competitors are no different.  Whether in the gym, on the hills, the bleacher, or in the kitchen, we put our sweat and tears in it.  We give it all we have.  However, there is a slight difference, our competitors are our former selves, i.e. last year’s physique.  I strive to bring a better, stronger, healthier package than what I delivered last competition.  Not improving upon the physical standard I attained last time on stage is what I truly consider a failure.  Since the beginning of the year, I have been training for my fourth competition with the WBFF.  This time, I decided to only concentrate on the Diva Bikini Category since I wanted to enhance my “lady lumps” and maintain a healthier body fat percentage.  My goal was to achieve an overall balance in my physique while revealing leaner abdominals and leaner, muscular legs and glutes.  I got down to business and came out with a plan that yielded great success.  I was so balanced I thought I might have been doing something wrong.  But the increase in my lean muscle mass and the drop in body fat percentage indicated that I was on the right path.  I was sleeping like a baby.  Totally stress-free.  Now you ask how did you do that, well let me tell you.  I sat down and asked myself a couple of questions and then was able to come up with some answers that made a difference.

First, why do I compete?  Well, here is why.  Competitions are the best way to get that fabulous physique and get in the best shape of your life.  Winning is not my ultimate reward; It is just icing on the cake. I  never focus on my placement.  After all, this is a subjective sport and five people’s idea of beauty should not be my main concern.  I swore to myself to never be the girl that broadcast her anguish and disappointment to her competitors, the judges, or the crowd in lieu of any unfavorable ruling that she might have suffered.  I am definitely not going to send the organization an angry letter about how I felt that I should have placed higher than contestants, 5, 17, or 45.  I compete for the glamour.  For that five minutes in the spotlight when I rule as Queen Diva.  It is when my inner Grace Jones comes to life.  Pull up to the bumper, boys!  This is a show not a competition and for that brief moment I am the headliner.  The audience came to see me, and I would give them the best performance of my life.

Secondly, I asked myself how do I obtain the tremendous physique I need while maintaining a healthy relationship with food and exercise?  In order to answer that, I fired my coach/trainer.  “Bad move,” you say?… No…It was the best idea I have ever come up with.  Not only did I save money, which meant I could splurge on more shoes; I realized nobody knows my body and psyche like I do.  Besides, I had failed to establish a trustworthy relationship with my coach.  In addition, three years of studying and researching sports and nutrition sciences makes me well equipped with all the information I needed.  I amended my diet plan and training regiment in a way I found ideal for my lifestyle.  I added healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to my meals and limited my cardio sessions to 45 minutes to 1 hour a day 5 times a week.

One day, as I was shopping for a new James Patterson book, I came across a soft cover by the renowned family therapist, Dr. Judi Hollis, entitled “From Bagels to Buddha”.  She illustrated how she lost weight and kept it off by embarking on a spiritual journey.  I was very intrigued.  I have been desperately searching for a way out of my sugar craving and love/hate relationship with my diet meals.  I started meditating for twenty minutes daily and doing three hours of yoga weekly.  Slowly but surely, I started to look at food for exactly what it is, fuel for my body.  I started noticing that I gained a broader focus for the the tasks at hand.  When I am running; I run. When I am eating, I eat.  My self-discipline was phenomenal.  Against enormous adversity (yes, a bikini model’s life can be hard too) I managed to not skip a training session in the last two months leading to the show.  My moods were enhanced and I held a more positive general attitude.  Also, I experimented with cooking flavorful meals while staying within my caloric requirements.

When showtime arrived, I was both physically and mentally prepared.  My family and friends were in joyful attendance as I came out floating like an energetic butterfly that had freshly hatched from its cocoon.  I had never felt better throughout my entire life.  Knowing that I had stayed more dedicated and determined than ever during my training, not only gave me the best physique I’ve ever had, but it also gave me a sense of accomplishment, victory, and a true state of inner peace.  Ultimately, I earned a top 10 finish, but in my heart I had won as soon as I stepped on stage.

Maggie Mangiel for War Room Sports