Okay, I decided to write my own blog to share my experiences with you

A brief background:  I started training for contests in late 2009 and won my first show in May 2010, since then I've done five shows including winning the Amateur Ms Bikini Olympia at the British Grand Prix and placing 5th at the European Championships.

I am now 6 weeks out from the Arnold Europe, 7 weeks out from World Championships in Serbia and 8 weeks from UKBFF British Championships. I am competing in IFBB Amateur Bikini. I am very excited to be taking part in these contests as I will representing UK on behalf of UKBFF and will be the only Bikini athlete from UK at the Arnold which is the first event of its kind to be held in Europe (Madrid).

I've been working hard since my last contest which was the IFBB European Championships which took place in Tyumen, Russia in May where I placed 5th.  I enlisted the help of Shannon Dey`s Team Bombshell to help me try and up my game. I am very pleased with the improvements I have made and am looking forward to bringing my best package to the stage in October.

Over the next 6 weeks, as well as training hard, I will be working on my presentation, which is so important in Bikini. The judges take into account face and hair as well as physique so you are judged to toe front to back. I'm going to be practising my walk and poses to see if I can get the best out of my physique. I have been on stage often enough to know you can never have enough practise and nothing prepares you for the stage lights and looking out into the crowd, last thing you want to do is worry if your in the right position and keep looking down at yourself!  My new suit arrived last week so I will use this to practise in, it is really helpful to have your outfit early so you can make any adjustments and get used to what you look like in it. I will also practise my hair and make up as this is not my strong area. I find it difficult to get the balance of looking pretty and getting the make up strong enough under the stage lights. At my last contest I used a shiny bronzer on my face and looked like a weirdo.  I was in Russia by myself so I am sure if I had had a friend with me, they would have told me it didn’t look good!!  I wish I could have a make up artist and spray tanner but in Europe we don't have these facilities. I'm going to try some different hairstyles also, what looks nice in real life doesn't look striking enough on stage.

So... I have got lots to perfect over the next 6 weeks.  I will be sticking to my training and diet program and trying to give everything I have (even when I am tired).  The diet for me is the hardest as I have a sweet tooth and I have pretty much been on a contest diet since late 2009!!  I try to have only one cheat a week closer to a contest so these last 6 weeks are the hardest for me. After October I think I will take a few weeks off!!!    I don’t feel I have too much body fat to lose before the contest, it is just about refining my shape and tightening up.  You don’t want to be too lean on stage, it is important to get a healthy looking balance and still with a feminine softness,  I have been keeping up to date with the US Pro shows and  it seems girls are getting marked down for too tight abs or being too muscular. So lean and tight but still curvy I think is the way Bikini is going. Who said Bikini was the easy option???   I will keep you up to date with my progress and any obstacles I encounter along the way... anything you would like me to write about please let me know, I welcome your feedback :)

Michelle