Today I'm posting a guest blog from LBC client Anca Saccaro, who wanted to share the stark contrast in her competition prep experience last year, relative to this year, with some photographic 'proof' of her progress. Anca is an example of someone who gets results because she works hard and works hard doing the right things and as a result, she's progressed and looks better than last year. And that's what it's all about - making improvements. If you look the same as you did last year (and you're trying to improve in some aesthetic sense) ... chances are you're doing something wrong.


This next month will mark two years since I started training with the specific purpose of becoming a figure competitor. At 30 years old, 25%+ bodyfat, with little muscle tone and plenty of “jiggle”, not being able to do 10 push-ups from the knees and (gasp) being a runner at heart- entering a competition was a scary decision. But I was tired of being “soft and squishy” and I was ready to do everything it took to change the way my body looked.

After a short lean-out phase, a 6 month bulk and a grueling 5-month “old school” prep with a popular online trainer I stepped on stage in September 2007- 20 lbs lighter, looking lean but flat and depleted, and totally exhausted. I had been doing more than 14 hours of cardio weekly for months, lifting weights for one hour Monday through Saturday and having absolutely no rest days for five months straight. I was not allowed dairy, fruit, potatoes or any added fats. My hair had started to fall out more than usual and I had lost my period three months into the prep.

I managed to avoid the dreaded rebound by slowly backing down my cardio and upping my calories to maintenance levels over the following 10 weeks. I knew I could not go through that kind of prep again and felt that I had spun my wheels the whole year because I had lost quite a bit of the muscle I had worked so hard to build during the bulk. I said to myself “there’s got to be a way to build muscle without adding a ton of fat, and to maintain that muscle by doing a healthy prep!”.

It was at that point that I made the decision to hire Erik.

I was lean enough still so we decided to do a long bulk. I loved the variety and monthly changes in splits, tempos, rest times and I reached quite a few PRs- including being able to do 35 regular push-ups in a row. The diet was a blast! I had fun experimenting with healthy recipes within my allowed macros but I kept it clean with the exception of 1-2 free meals every week.

24 weeks and 13 pounds later, I was ready to start leaning back down. I’m currently four weeks out from the NPC Tournament of Champions in Anaheim, and seven weeks from the San Francisco Figure Championships. Saying that this prep has been fun would be an understatement! I’m doing (a lot!) less cardio now than I did at 16 weeks out last year, I train only three days a week and I love the challenge of the workouts! I’ve been eating cottage cheese, fruit, peanut butter and almonds every day and I get “yummy junk” for my post-workout meals. That includes Oreo Crisps, ice cream sandwiches and bread! Starting this week I will also get a weekly high-carb refeed.

The 13 pounds are gone already and I’m looking forward to getting leaner over these next few weeks. I have a long way to go towards that full, muscular “figure” look but it’s a great goal to work towards! My main goal this year (the only one I could control since this is such a subjective sport when it comes to placings) is to look better than I did last year.

The pictures below were taken at 8 weeks out in July 2007, and at 8 weeks out last month (July 2008). (so the same stage in my prep)

Thanks, Erik!

Posted Aug 19, 2008 by Erik Ledin.
This entry is filed under Contest Prep, and Motivation.