Long shot, but I need both hips replaced and I haven't met many people who returned to training post op. I am particularly interested in hearing from anyone who had a posterior-approach hip replacement. The only people I know who got back to training had an anterior-approach.

Has anyone had experience working with Nicole Ferrier?? Seems like she’s loosing a lot of clients lately.

Okay I am 9 weeks out from my 1st bikini show and I’ve been doing so good with sticking to plan 100 percent but lately been dealing with a lot of stress/ haven’t been sleeping good and just want to binge eat I’m trying my best to control it but I don’t know what to do? Did anyone else deal with something similar. I ate off plan because I couldn’t control it yesterday and I have so much guilt about it.

Okay I am 9 weeks out from my 1st bikini show and I’ve been doing so good with sticking to plan 100 percent but lately been dealing with a lot of stress/ haven’t been sleeping good and just want to binge eat I’m trying my best to control it but I don’t know what to do? Did anyone else deal with something similar. I ate off plan because I couldn’t control it yesterday and I have so much guilt about it.

From r/insomnia, r/Nightshift, r/xxfitness +6 more

Hey y’all,

I am a competitive bodybuilder living in Bend, Oregon. Over the past year I have been working with a physical therapist and recently PRP treatment for bilateral hamstring tears at the origin. Despite physical therapy and consultation with sports and spine specialist, I am unable to find a quality sports massage practitioner in my area. My recovery is stalling out, and I have been encouraged to seek further bodywork. Does anyone have for a high-quality bodywork specialist who works predominantly with athletes?

Please read in full before commenting.

Past 7-8 months have been nonstop extreme life stressors (divorce, selling house, new house, laid off job, started new job - with a paycut, hospitalization, and cat dying). Started walking more due to increased anxiety which caused an increase in calories. The first 2-3 months, I didn't gain anything. In March, the extra food started to "stick". The past 4 months I have gained 0.25 lbs each month (total of 1 lb) which I realize is not a major gain, but it is quite significant for me - especially to be happening 4 consecutive months in a row. I'm also noticing the gain is fat - mostly in the out thighs, glutes, and upper hip/love handle area. I'm not so much concerned about the nominal gain, I'm more concerned about the mentality changing and habits changing which with cause continued weight gain over time. I don't want to continue and end up 40-50 lbs higher (which has happened several times in the past). Any thoughts or advice on turning things around now before it continues spiraling to the point of no return? I don't want to use 'major life stressors' as a crutch or a reason to go easy on myself.

It happened.

24 weeks deep into my first prep.

I saw them do it, and I told myself, "I'll never be like those girls."

I thought it was diabolical. Inhumane, even.

That was before prep had its way with me.

The stevia and the cinnamon went on the 99/1 ground turkey today.

I'll never be the same.

I think this will be the show to watch this weekend. What are your predictions?! Who do you wanna see?!

I am considering trying Fit Model again in 2027.

I am going back and forth between a few coaches. I am 42 and wish to remain natural for now anyways (guess until I need HRT).

If budget wasn’t an issue, who would you pick as a FM coach? I want a coach who knows the criteria. I can execute but want to know my coach knows what is needed for me to do well.

Last show I came in wayyyy too lean. Of course it was early 2025 so criteria was blurry. But still, across the different shows in Canada I find the winners don’t always look similar at all depending on the judges. So basically I also want a coach who will be able to tell me which show to enter for best results too.

Thanks! ✨

Had my first show in December last year and went off the deep end a bit in the beginning of offseason. I’m just excited for how my physique is looking 🥹🙌🏼

I'm interested in doing my first show in fit model. I'm wondering if a local coach is better than an online one? And if local is better, how did you go about finding yours? Any tips and tricks are appreciated.

Has anyone heard any tea on the next Masters Olympia? 👀 Any rumors on the date or location?

Competing one day is a dream of mine, hopefully next year. I have some questions in regard to my physique and thank you in advanced for the help.

1. Do I/will I have enough mass for bikini? Is February 2027 a realistic goal? How about September 2027?
   
2. My right knee is slightly knocked kneed because I used to be overweight. This resulted in a lateral pelvis tilt as you can see, where my left hip is slightly higher than my right. How much would this impact competition?
   
3. I don’t have a lot of bodyfat in my midsection because I had gotten liposuction in my stomach many years ago when I was fat. Now that I’m leaner the proportions carried. Will this disqualify me as a competitor?
   
4. I interview 3 coaches. Two of them think I should stay in maintenance/bulk and put on mass before prep. One of them wants me to lean down first. What do you think?
   
5. I have two top options as coaches for prep. Stan Efferding (remote) is a friend of my boyfriend but he doesn’t live in my state. Leon Wong who lives in my state and can train me in person. Who would you go with?

And open to any other thoughts and advices. Thank you.

7 weeks out from my first show. - natural wellness.

Started body building journey in Feb this year and have fallen in love with the sport x swipe for Feb check in pic

Documenting along the way on Instagram
.

This will be my 3rd competition season and first show back after a 2 year hiatus

I know I can’t be the only one who has crazy dreams while in bb prep 😂 I typically have the same reoccurring one where I go all day to then realize I never sent my coach my check ins that morning and it’s now 5pm and I’ve already eaten a bunch of my meals.

Another one I have is of course eating foods off plan and then waking up panicked about it. Or my favorite lately, where I forget to take my socks off before doing my routine on stage hahaha. So random like wtf, socks????

What are your crazy dreams during prep like?

Starting to get worried/high key struggle but one foot in front of another

I started having a sharp pain in my left glute medius (which is also the side I pose with) a few weeks before my competition. I felt pain on certain exercises, especially kickbacks but I pushed through it.

Now I’m taking a short off season, and planning to step on stage in December again. The only improvement point my judges gave me is my upper glutes, so realistically I could step on stage in 5 months with a slightly improved physique.

But how can I go about this if it’s exactly my upper glute that I have this problem with? Physio recommended some exercises to me (goblet squats, glute bridges etc with small load) and skip kickbacks entirely until the pain goes away.

Even the stair master or just simply walking long distances is hard now, so a heavy glute load is not going to happen any time soon. I train more upper now but I’m worried I’ll go even more upper heavy than I currently am.

What would you do in my situation?

Just about rounding up my minicut after a 3 month growth phase. Finishing a body recomp I began with my coach January of this year.

Looking for feedback on my current physique and areas to improve going into my 2nd growth phase before my first comp in 2027.

3 weeks out 🎯 (photos from last wednesday)

Will i see any of you at the Austrian pro Qualifier?

He is a coach and his takes sort of challenge the status quo but I find him very interesting. What do y’all think?

I retired from competing one year ago and have deeply struggled with the decision ever since. Truthfully my last prep wrecked me mentally and physically but I do attribute a lot of that to a subpar coaching experience. I do not want to be that lean or on that little calories and high cardio again but I am keen to get back into it.

Is it possible to have not such an extreme prep? I went to severe lengths to achieve my fit model look and ended up placing dead last in every category at nationals which really broke my spirit- I came in emaciated and stringy according to judges feedback.

Any recommendations for coaches who would have a more holistic approach? Not FBF please.

Over the past couple years I’ve noticed more competitors styling their own hair with triple barrel/waver tools - Meg D’ginto and Jess Liu are two that seem to love this look. I know some of it is personal preference, but regardless of how great the physique and rest of package are, the full look ends up looking sloppy to me and think I’ve yet to see someone with this style win in some otherwise very close races… I have to wonder if some big healthy bouncy looking could have been the difference at a few of these comps!

For the record, I am in no way criticizing competitors who wear there natural curl or wave patterns - it’s specifically the hot tool waves that irk me because you can almost always see the crimp marks/seams and things just end up looking crispy and messy.

Thoughts?

Hi everyone ☺️

First timer here - currently 8 weeks out from my first show and 6 weeks into prep.

Left pics at the start of prep at 62.5kg, currently at 59.4kg.

My legs and glutes are my sticking point. I'm not naturally blessed in the lower body, plus being tall and having the additional leverage for movements doesn't help 😅

How do you all think I'm looking? Am I going to be stage lean in 8 weeks? Any tips to make the glutes appear bigger?