What to Expect During Your Rookie Year in Bodybuilding

“I haven't even hit the stage yet this is so worth it.” —Taylor Baker

Competing in bodybuilding is not a decision to be made lightly— it requires a significant investment of time, energy, and resources. However, the reward of seeing your hard work reflected back in the mirror, transformed into a symphony of perfectly chiseled symmetry, is worth every bead of sweat. 

That’s how Taylor Baker, a character as feisty as they come, feels about starting her bodybuilding journey. Taylor has always had a certain affinity for pushing her limits since her early youth. Despite her spine surgery at 15 that threatened to crush her fiery spirit, she stood undeterred. Drawn in by the rigorous training and discipline, Taylor found her adventure in the world of bodybuilding. As one might expect, she found herself hopelessly enamored with the sport.

Listen in as Taylor shares her excitement about her very first competition and how having a support system allowed her to live an exciting life. Taylor and Sherrie also reveal what to expect in your first year of bodybuilding, why having a strategy tailored to your needs helps in reaching your goals and advancing in the game, how to adjust your routines as your body changes every year, and more!

Connect with Sherrie: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherrie.massiakapach 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mindbodysoul_hypnothetapist 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherrie-kapach-b5bb26243 

Email: skapach40@gmail.com 

Episode Highlights:

01:15 Loving the Extreme

03:37 The Power of a Support System 

09:23 Adjusting to Body Changes

13:11 Finding Family in a Competitive World

Transcript

Sherrie Kapach: Welcome to Beyond The Prep. I'm your host, Sherrie Kapach. I'd like to welcome Taylor Baker to the show. She's competing today. Thank you for coming.

Taylor Baker: Thanks for having me.

Sherrie Kapach: I know it's a busy day so I won't take up too much of your time. What got you into bodybuilding?

Taylor Baker: Well, I've been working out consistently since I was 16, and I just think it's really cool to do extremes. I saw a couple people on Instagram and I was like, cool. Actually, I have a spinal surgery on August 15, which they can tell you you've had your anything, you're never going to do the extremes, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, do it. I'll prove everybody wrong. So I got really into the gym, and that's how it started. I can lift heavy, and I can train hard. And then I did cheerleading for a couple of years, mostly cheerleading in college. That was a cool experience, hard training. And then I went to a bunch of different colleges and they didn't have a cheer team so I just hit the gym really hard. I just want to see if I can do it. And then once I finished college and got my diploma, because this is expensive. I was like, hey, try that.

Sherrie Kapach: For them saying that you couldn't do something and you power through it.

Taylor Baker: Yeah. That's kind of a hard age, if someone likes us to put you down and you're 15, just straight to your heart. My parents and my sister are a super supportive family. They were like, if you want to do it, then do it. If you want to go into a profession where people say that you're not gonna be able to do it, do that. So they're super supportive. Do whatever you want to do, and follow your dreams. I remember that I saw a guy one time, what are you doing? The average bodybuilding.

Sherrie Kapach: Nice. So how many competitions have you been to?

Taylor Baker: One ever.

Sherrie Kapach: What are you thinking?

Taylor Baker: The last couple days have been hard. No one around me is doing this. I don't have any bodybuilding friends, so it's been tough. I've had a few people who have done one in the past. At the beginning, it was good. I was eating lots and training hard. And then the last couple of weeks, cardio gets increased. And then we're going to a steak dinner and everyone's eating brisket, chicken and rice. I was like, I kept saying to everybody like, on July 2nd, so I always told people that, when I'm done with this, we're going for a drink. When I'm done, we're gonna go for supper. Instead of doing the whole half, I'll try that. My boyfriend is very, very supportive. He was like, I want to eat out at Burger King, or Dairy Queen, or whatever. He would get it when I'm at work, which was nice because I didn't have to watch it. But at the same time, you're not doing that. I don't want you to suffer. So a few times you, it paid. But yeah, it was interesting. When I was working, I ate healthy just for me. People would be like, come on. Don't be so lame, eat this. And when I started doing prep, I'd have a little less time because I would be like, no, I'm doing crap. I want to look my best. I don't want to show up and be like (inaudible). Then I started telling people like, no, I'm doing practices. And then the people that I surround myself with are so supportive and don't offer me things like, I think sometimes it's out of respect. Being polite to be like, hey, do you want to have this bag of chips? But then it got to the point where they realize that I'm gonna say no anyways.

Sherrie Kapach: Yeah, and it's nice that they were supportive because you do lose connections along the way because they don't understand. They don't want to be part of that lifestyle and everything so it's better to just break apart. So it's really nice to hear that they accepted it, accepted and supported you.

Taylor Baker: I think lots of people took it. My boyfriend's friends are taking advantage because I always have, we go to someone's place and I'm not drinking. They'd be like the driver. I would try to, no, it's okay. I'll be your driver all night. And then everyone was on board with me now.

Sherrie Kapach: Yeah, it's easier for you. I'm wanting to offer you a drink. No, no, no. She's our driver. So how has this past week been for you?

Taylor Baker: Really hard. Yesterday, it was really hard. I worked all week, up until yesterday. I worked Monday to Thursday, which was good because I work in recreation on long term care so I have a lot of energy. And then I'm doing things all day so I'm not thinking about food, or what I'm going to eat. I'm not a foodie. I've never been the person that's thinking about my next meal, even outside of prep. But I found in prep, I would think about my next meal because I was so hungry. So I think working was hard, but I didn't know that I would take the full week off because Wednesday was my last day working out. So I kept myself busy. And then Thursday, because I didn't go to the gym, I went and did posing at the gym for like an hour, which is great. I might just kill time, and then I got to work. I got to work out my garden, really trying to stay busy which is almost hard. The harder part, I got hangry a couple of times. That's probably my biggest downfall is I need food. I was trying to schedule this, and I waited as long as I could. Anyway, I tried to find all the strategies and stuff because you don't really get the strategies that other people use. So it's kind of my own. This week was tough. Yesterday, I was ready to rip space off. I was like, I want to do this again. I'm like, but he's so hard. But I want to do this again because I talked to a guy downstairs and he's like, it gets easier. Your first shows, I want to do this again.

Sherrie Kapach: Every year is a learning experience. Every year, your body changes as well. Yeah, then your stuff is different. But the unknown for that first year, like you say, you're hungry and you're like, I can't even stand myself sometimes. That's normal. That's part of the community. So it must feel good for you to be part of this community these past couple of days, you're able to relate to people and everybody's like, yes, we've been there. I understand. This is what I've done, talk to as many people as you can. And when you're backstage, just talk to people. Everybody's so supportive.

Taylor Baker: That's it. I texted my coach last night, wow, everyone's so nice. Because my coach's first prep client. She's practicing her first show, but then COVID came. So she's done the prep, like, she's never done the stage. I'd text her like, while everyone is on the same page, there's people here eating chicken rice. And it's not weird. It's normal here.

Sherrie Kapach: That's good. That's great. Talk to people, connect with them because they will be your long term family. Just get all the information you can and it'll just benefit you. So what category are you?

Taylor Baker: I'm in a bikini. Okay. So I've been in three classes.

Sherrie Kapach: Okay, so novice?

Taylor Baker: Yeah, true. Novice. 18 to 23, because I'm 23. This is my last chance. The open class would be interesting. I have an issue. When I first started doing this, I was like, I'm gonna be very, very, very competitive. But then I was like, you know what? If I don't win, then next year, I will come back with a better packet. I learn. I wasn't gonna do open class because there's people that have done like--

Sherrie Kapach: It doesn't matter because they're not--

Taylor Baker: I can just learn. I'll see them, learn from them. You never know until--

Sherrie Kapach: You never know on stage. You just never know. So it is a great experience that you're here. You're ready. Yeah, that's exciting. Good for you.

Taylor Baker: My favorite thing that he said to me in this prep is, you can't swim in your bikini.

Sherrie Kapach: Stones don't go well.

Taylor Baker: Another thing, it's costly. Like now, I have earrings. And now, I have heels. People asked me, is it expensive? Yeah. But if I did again, it's not going to be that expensive. So it's all worth it. Maybe I want to buy a new bikini.

Sherrie Kapach: You can get them secondhand. When I started, it was a funny story. Actually after my first show, I went and bought (inaudible). She said, I was on stage beside you. Oh, my god. So we're looking at pictures and I bought her (inaudible). Small world when you start talking and meeting everybody. It's a great community.

Taylor Baker: Yeah. Yeah, everyone's just, seems so many.

Sherrie Kapach: They're all going through the same thing. I know, we're all suffering. But for a good cause.

Taylor Baker: Exactly. It's all worth it. Even after waking up this morning, I sent my pictures to my coach so she can see as I go along. And I'm like, I'm so good. Like, I haven't even hit the stage yet and I'm like, this is so worth it.

Sherrie Kapach: Great mindset. You worked hard to get here. Now, you just got to straighten your stuff.

Taylor Baker: I've been waiting for this day for three months.

Sherrie Kapach: Yes. And here it is. So on that note, I want to thank you for coming and wish you all the best. Hoping to get down there to watch, so good luck. Thank you for being here.