What It's Like To Be a Bikini Bodybuilder
- What It's Like To Be a Bikini Bodybuilder Elizabeth Garr 33:15
Silja Paulus spent a year pounding weights in the gym, tailoring what she ate (and often massively restricting calories), and sculpting her body–all for a few short minutes posing in a bikini and high heels in front of a panel of judges. This is the life of a bikini fitness athlete, a form of bodybuilding that requires a particular form of dedication. Silja had to train her body in a variety of ways–from lifting weights and learning to walk “naturally” in 3-4 inch heels, to dealing with “brain fog,” a result of extreme calorie restriction. Silja shares humorous behind-the-scenes stories too: getting spray tanned with other muscular (sometimes unclothed) bodies; 4:00am makeup calls; and why her best friend needed to shave her back. Silja also opens up about the dark side of this endeavor–women often temporarily lose their menstrual periods, and bodies can rebound and put on excess weight in the aftermath of a competition. Silja is now a health coach, and strives to compete in bikini fitness in a “healthier, more positive” way in the future.
In this episode:
01:50–Describing what “bikini fitness” is and how it fits into the bodybuilding world
04:10–The importance of knowing how to pose correctly and walk in high heels
06:55–What it's like backstage at a competition
08:46–Why athletes scrub with dishwasher soap and shave everywhere before competitions
10:32–The layers and layers of spray tans (and occasional naked bodies)
13:22–What Silja would do after a competition
14:32–Why Silja switched from marathon running to bikini fitness competitions
17:40–How her training changed
18:39–How her Diet changed
22:06–“Brain fog”–what it is and why it happens
24:34–Silja's sudden, unexpected weight gain after her last competition
26:00–Her new approach: listening to her body, treating it well
28:43–Biggest misconception about bikini fitness athletes
Want to know more about Silja?
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