After months of training, Lindsay Floer and Levi Grisewood were ready to compete — with the muscle tone to prove it. And now, they have the trophies, as well.
Floer placed first in bikini and third in master’s fitness, and Grisewood placed first in men’s physique (age 16-18) at the Natural Physique and Athletics Association (NPAA) competition in Calgary on May 21, and returned to Calgary on May 28 for the International Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness (INBF) competition, where Floer placed first overall and Grisewood placed fifth in men’s open.
“I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it,” said Floer, who was born and raised in Creston.
“I wanted to for a long time,” said Grisewood, 18, who moved to Creston from Gibsons with his family eight years ago. “I wanted to see where I could place and where I could go with it.”
He’d been into soccer for a long time and bodybuilding for two years, but for Floer, the process was a bigger deal.
“I always ate healthy, but I wasn’t at the gym,” she said.
When Floer began developing a workout routine at Simply Fit, she ended up with a similar gym schedule to Grisewood, so the pair was able to share tips — and commiserate over their diet coach’s strict regime.
“Chicken, rice, broccoli; sweet potatoes, fish, asparagus,” said Floer, describing the diet.
It wasn’t easy to just wing it, so preparation was key in maintaining the limited menu for about 16 weeks — as was sacrificing a social life.
“You’re totally ‘that’ person,” said Floer. “ ‘Can I have my chicken grilled with no salt? Can I have my vegetables without oil?’ ”
It helped that some of her supplements, such as protein powder, had dessert-like flavours, but “you lose your desire for sweets after you’re cut off from sugar,” she said.
A coach also helped Floer and Grisewood with posing, which they practiced diligently, ensuring they would do it right with no mirror on the competition stage. The hard work paid off.
“I thought it was going to be a lot harder,” Grisewood said. “It was a great experience to meet the athletes and coaches and judges there.”
Floer didn’t know what to expect when she attended the NPAA competition, and was impressed with the atmosphere backstage, with other competitors offering encouragement.
“They were so sweet and supportive,” she said. “Everybody was giving each other hugs and high fives.”
Both intend to compete again, with Grisewood taking a year before trying again.
Floer’s overall win in the INBF completion allows her to advance to U.S. and Canada national events, and she’s currently eying Seattle in April 2017. And she’ll continue the push to train and practice until then.
“Every time you step up a level, it’s going to be harder, so you can’t keep doing the same thing,” she said. “You don’t want to get cocky.”
