It’s now less than four weeks until the 2012 SAF Summer Spectacular, and most of the work will be done for all of you competing in terms of shaping your physique. Now it’s time to diet down, practice your stage walk, and go over the final details of your theme-wear, bikini, and all of your hair/make-up/tanning arrangements for your BIG DAY.

I hope most of you will be attending our SAF Camp in Ottawa this weekend, and if you haven’t booked yet, there is still time reserve a spot at SAFCamps.com. We’ll be there, giving out valuable information to help you succeed on the stage, whether you’re a first-timer or a veteran. It will also be a chance to meet some of the other athletes and start building lasting friendships, which, for me, is one of the best parts of competing: being with others who really share your passion for fitness, and building a strong community of friends and networking with each other.

I do want to mention one thing in particular today, and I will be going over it again at the camp: how to come off a show. Have you ever heard of the dreaded "post-show fallout"? It happens more often than you think. You spend all that time training your body, dieting down, and having a great time onstage, then you forget that your "exit plan" is just as important as the plan you are now following to get onstage. How are you going to start training your body after the show? How will you start to re-introduce more calories and perhaps more carbohydrates and fats back into your diet after the show? Do you have a show in mind in the following months to set new sights on?

I always recommend that athletes book a photoshoot or go on a beach holiday within two to three weeks after competing, to help keep them on track. I have personally seen guys and girls gain over ten pounds in less than a week from not having a clear exit strategy. One day of indulgence can easily turn into two, then three, then four days. Your body is primed to absorb and hold onto those extra calories, so beware!

You really should have a clear two-week plan for training and dieting that allows you to slowly reintroduce those necessary calories back into your meals and that also gives you some freedom in the gym. You may have been on a high-volume training program to help with your conditioning. Well, maybe it’s time to switch it up and go for less repetitions but train with heavier weights. That’s for you and your coach to decide.

Take my advice -- take some time in the next few weeks to prepare your strategy for after the show is over. Fitness is about staying healthy and happy year-round, not just for one day! Enjoy the next few weeks, practice in your heels and bikini, visualize yourself onstage, and I’ll see you either at the SAF Camp or at the SAF Summer Spectacular.

Michelle MacDonald

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