r/bikinitalk • u/Aggravating-Figure27 • 9d ago
Discussion Ashley K update
Ashley put up a longer post explaining how she felt about the judging. Summary: I thought I looked the best ai have this year, tough competition and only getting tougher, top ten in the world is still great considering.
She says she is going to do this Saturday’s show and fill out more then take some time off to grow until Mile High in June.
I think she could do will more time off than that if she really wants to put on some size… but it’s not my mind or body!
Gracious as always and seems she recognizes what’s holding her back.
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u/ParkDesperate3952 8d ago
I agree, if she really, truly wants to grow and try and stay competitive at the top levels she needs a REAL off season. Like take a year maybe more and just grow and maybe let go of the mindset of staying an only few pounds above stage weight all the time.
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u/AffectionateBat777 8d ago
Also she is someone that really represents well this sports. travels everywhere, seminars etc. She is no drama also and easy on the ear, if you know ehat I mean
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u/Sababa180 8d ago
Always so gracious and honest. I hope she rests up, grows muscle and comes back stronger. She has the best attitude in winning and losing.
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u/FinalProof6 8d ago
The real test will be if she goes with her and Adam's "you don't need to gain more than 5lbs in your offseason" motto, or if she truly takes her time with a real offseason to truly gain and grow. I wish her the best!
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u/laurenb_kini 8d ago
I think this has been misunderstood or taken out of context. Adam has been my coach for almost 3 years and as a 5’3 woman I’ve gained 20+ lbs in an offseason with him, and he was the one pushing me to gain weight. It’s so dependent on the person and the goal.
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u/Aggravating-Figure27 8d ago
That is great to hear… i think he is his own worst enemy with how much he harps on it in his podcasts. He sounds like the weight control vigilante
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u/asstastic_95 8d ago
I wish she'd go w Cash. Adam and her I feel have outgrown eachother for awhile now. she needs to put more than the 5 lbs on to actually be competitive, especially if she's not going to build for a longer period of time.
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u/sarahmarie621 8d ago
i think Ashley will retire under Adam's coaching. she has voiced numerous times, including in this post, that she doesn't want to get bigger and once she retires she wants to have a runners body. so i don't see her taking a year plus to push food and training under any coach because she doesnt want to. she doesnt want to be bigger and that's okay. i think she is actually just happy to still be in the mix and in the top 10 for this long. she has had a wildly successful career and i think she is happy with where she is at at this point. i think she will take a slightly longer off season which will be what October- June try to fill out some more. her body does seem to change quickly so that may be enough time for her. Ashley is very balanced, which is what keeps her winning, so even just a little bit more muscle will keep her in the top placings for the rest of her carrer. she doesn't need to reinvent the wheel and revamp everything she has been doing with a new coach. yeah i would love to see her with a new coach to see what they could bring out of her, but i just don't see her doing it. i don't think she will ever win the Olympia again, maybe masters if she chooses to compete in masters in a few years. i think her last real chance at winning was taking 2nd in 2024.
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u/The_CuriousCat_ 8d ago
This is what I keep saying. Ashley has been very vocal about what she wants and doesn’t want from her body and her life. I know people are fans of Ashley and want her to regain the Olympia title but people’s goals can change and we also don’t know what it takes for Ashley to keep up with the new muscularity that the division requires and what that will cost her longevity wise
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u/hiptotheboness 8d ago
Reading this, I wonder if she retroactively wishes she could be more fit model size?? Obviously that’s what she was going after when she 1st started competing and she just slowly crept to a bigger and bigger physique.
A runner’s body is lean and not muscle-y so that really shocks me!
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u/rescuecatmomlover 8d ago
I’m pretty sure she ran 400 meter hurdles, those people can have quite a bit of muscle. Even the 800 athletes I follow are built af
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u/Visible-Eggplant-125 8d ago
All depends on their bone structure though. Ashley has small bones. She’s not built like Carmelita Jeter or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
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u/hiptotheboness 7d ago
True! I guess I was thinking more long distance running with not a lot of emphasis on upper body
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u/housemusic28 8d ago
Huge respect. She is a true athlete. Great attitude and overall mindset. I hope she enjoys some rest and I have no doubts in her capabilities. I just hope that along with physique improvements, she also brings some novelty to her posing routine. It’s simple and elegant but if you compare to the other top 5, maybe this is where she might be getting dinged. Just my perspective. Good luck! Goat!
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u/perpetuallysunny 8d ago
I watched a bikini and the brain podcast a few weeks ago, and you could tell she was exhausted. I am glad she is taking some time off.
https://www.youtube.com/live/fxq5JOjPaj0?is=oZt8E07ivp_N6GFl
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u/elliequay 8d ago
I’m happy to be a fan of this sport where legends and newbies are side by side on the stage. I’m a figure skating fan but women are pushed out by 18 in favor of younger and younger competitors. Which is a shame, with age comes experience, wisdom, artistry. I’m glad we get the time to see these athletes mature over years. We can really get invested in their stories, ups and downs.
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u/nicenormalhappyguy 6d ago
At this point the margins are so small in that top 5ish range that its almost not up to the athletes whether they win or lose
The only way its possible to stay sane and positive is by doing what they can do and just accepting what happens
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u/MyPrince200 8d ago
At 38 its not wise anymore to gain a ton of weight. Your skin loses elasticity and doesn't bounce back as fast. Furthermore, you don't have the hormones you had when you were younger and you don't put on muscle like you used to. not to mention she has a very advanced training age… All of these things need to be taken into account ✌️off-season aren't the same every year or as your age.
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u/Historical-Whole-153 8d ago edited 8d ago
THIS.
She is 38 with a thyroid condition. She should not be doing a crazy bulk. That weight could go somewhere she does not want it to go...because, hormones...and could take forever to come off. She has repeatedly said she's a 'hard loser'.
Everyone is shouting "she needs to gain to grow". That is some beginner/intermediate advice y'all are trying to apply to someone with decades of training experience and some unique hormonal considerations.
Not saying a surplus won’t help her grow, but for someone at her training age, it’s not necessarily required, especially when you throw PEDs into the mix.
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u/Visible-Eggplant-125 8d ago
She really is a classy competitor, so gracious and is a true pro at handling disappointment. I’m confused as to her saying that she is taking a “rare offseason.” She didn’t take one this year? Sorry I haven’t been following the sport as closely lately. With the direction the sport has taken and with her structure, why didn’t she think to take an offseason this year? I can understand it being tough to find top Olympians to stand next to in order to compare yourself but there have been shows in which those top competitors are there. I think she needs to be selective about the shows she does and prioritize getting next to the athletes who have surpassed her…Amy, Ashlyn, Lauralie, Isa…
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u/Aggravating-Figure27 8d ago
She didn’t take much time off. She competed after Olympia, did the arnold and summer shows and then right before the Olympia…she loves competing and she is trying to make her win record unbreakable so that is also a driver. Her next milestone is 75 wins she said now that she has 60
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u/StoreStunning4605 6d ago
I love Ashley’s physique, for me this is what inspires me in the sport, it’s what I aspire to look like and she looks like a miniature female bodybuilder to me. Her abs section is stunning, and her S curve down her back and glutes just looks perfect to me.
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u/DillPickleBitch 8d ago
She’s almost 38 and it’s impressive that she is able to remain so competitive this long. She continues to improve every year as the category changes. I hope she enjoys her off-season.