I must say……………………………… Competing in the IPL was so much fun with the different divisions available to compete in. In the beginning of the day of competing was swimsuit model. For swimsuit model this is more like “Sports Illustrated” type of posing being playful with your hair and body movements as if you are posing as a swimsuit model (I know it’s in the title of the division but just for clarification). For this division they recommend a plain swimsuit two piece. I was a.. little nervous about my bikini bottoms (I didn’t want them to turn into a thong- no thongs in any division) but was able to still compete without it moving around thank goodness. I bought my suit online on amazon! Yeah! I wanted to do a bright color since I knew the tan was going to make that stand out more. On show day my other competitors thought the same too! We all had neon-colored suits! I have had previous experience with this type of “model” posing with performing in the Angel Competition Bikinis Fashion show, (I am also one of their ambassadors use discount code MeganB to get your discount on their website). Which I plan on writing about in another blog post (yes it has been a while and I’m getting back on track with connecting with you!) I placed first in this category, so I was off to a great start for show day!
Next up was bikini division, what I have had the most experience competing in. For the IPL it is quarter turns so there is a front pose, side pose, back pose, side pose, and back to front pose when the head judge calls the quarter turns. I had two pose downs with the same girl for bikini, proud that I held my own even though I was not as lean as her. I was posing so hard and holding the poses to the best of my ability I was indeed SHAKING! And …. if you know how to pose in bikini or wellness or any bodybuilding division you will know if it doesn’t hurt then you are not doing it right. For this category I placed second twice for the two “groups” if you will, to keep it simple for novice and open category of the bikini division. Not too bad for not being as conditioned as I would have liked. This is why you are advised to be prepared in advance, so it is not as stressful to get stage ready when it comes to show.
Following this was sports model. For my sport that I choose I chose to be a cheer leader! I once was a cheer leader I was a base, so I was tall and would be in the very back to lift the other girls up. On show day for this category, you are to be in the “character” of your sport. So here I had my pompoms, slightly heeled sneakers with my sports athletic set. Basically, I pretended I was on the sidelines cheering for my team and threw in a little high kick from time to time being on stage and for my t-walk routine. I also placed first for this category. Think this might have been my favorite! Again… Shaking once I was walking back behind the curtain from how much movement and smiling I was doing!
Next up was Angel’s category. This gives you the vibe of Victoria Secret Angels fashion show! It feels majestic to wear the wings and to flow through the poses with ease. MY mistake in this category was I was more stagnant. I didn’t even realize that they wanted you to still be moving around in this category, so this is where I fell off my game during the day and ended up placing 4th 😦 During my time on stage it was very difficult with the spacing so many times I had someone else’s wings in front of me. Still enjoyed wearing the glam for this division and even wore one of my newer suits from angels competition bikinis (discount code Meganb) that was pink with touches of gold within the ombre of the contrast colors. Definitely on of my favorite suits!
Lastly was the evening gown round. This is where my stage presence turned from being bubbly from the sports model, into a regal pageant walk. I work a red sequence dress with a low cut back, as low cut of a back I could find. The jewelry I wore I didn’t realize was going to compliment the dress. My necklace had a long dangle in the back, and I wanted to add a little bit more to my look. Normally in bikini division you do not wear necklaces, or ankle jewelry or anything that will take away from the look. For evening gown, I felt that I needed a necklace just as if I was stepping on the red carpet (I mean hey, maybe one day). I ended up placing first again in this division.
At the end of the long day, show went on longer than anticipated by a couple hours. To give you a glimpse of eating for this day I had about 4 rice cakes a couple times with a tablespoon of almond butter to give me some energy throughout the day, sipped on water as needed and with my water I had my bcaas that I normally take from Klean athlete. But my day wasn’t over yet! I had one more round of posing before heading home with my 3 pro cards for swimsuit model, sports model, and evening gown. Here were the results of the last shoot of the day.
All in all, it was an amazing experience! Can’t wait to get ready to compete again and looking to snag that top bikini pro status. Right now, I’m working on growing my upper body and further developing my lower body, and enjoying the process with mindful eating, and training intensity.
If you are interested in competing and are natural, men and women not taking testosterone steroids, I am more than happy to help guide you in training, nutrition, and posing to get you results for stage and confidence for life!
Megan Training and Nutrition 