July 19, 2022 • 30 mins
Ivy Sims won 1st Place at her first NPC Bikini Competition show. She and her coach, Rashad McDade, talk with Gammy about the fitness and health journey she went on to prepare and compete in her first bodybuilding show.
Guest Information:
@c_belafonte Ivy’s Instagram
@mrmindyourownfitness Rashad’s Instagram
Host Information:
@gammynorris Gammy's Instagram
@gammynorris_ Gammy's Twitter
@gammynorris Gammy's Facebook
@gammynorris Gammy’s TikTok
#PositivelyGam
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
What's up everybody. I'm Gammy and this is Positively gam.
As you all know, I love working out and something
I've always been fascinated by his body building. It really
takes a different level of commitment to do body building
and compete in shows. So today I have two girls
who are going to take us into this world. First,
we have Ivy Sims. We have a friend in common
(00:34):
and that is Kizzy Martin. Kizi introduced me to Ivy
and so we stepped together and we also rod skate together,
both of which I was really new as Ivy recently
competed in her first MPC bikini show and placed in
all four classes. We're also joined by one of her coaches,
(00:57):
Rashad mcdaide. He is the fai under an owner of
the Hidden Gym and brings nearly two decades of experience
in nutrition and fitness planning, including having directed numerous fitness
and conditioning programs for collegiate level Division one and Division
two athletics. Welcome Ivy and Rasha to positively gam. So
(01:21):
today I want to talk about working out and getting
in shape, but really I just want to focus on
Ivy and this amazing win and body building. I mean
it was crazy. So to start off, Ivy, what led
you to getting involved with body building? I never saw it.
I never saw it coming. So first, let me say
(01:43):
so happy to see your face and here that'd be
more accent, and thanks for having me on. So okay,
so in a nutshale, I've been working out and you
just never know, like who you inspire, who's watching you, right,
(02:05):
and like how social media really truly is an influence.
So a couple of years ago, Selena Johnson posted that
she had dropped sixty pounds um and did a figure
competition and that was like a thought for me where
it ended up in the back of my head like
maybe I could, but it wouldn't be something that I
would probably commit to, but it was just a thought. Um,
(02:28):
Selena Johnson, is that the singer Selena Ja? Okay? Yeah,
she posted on her Instagram and then I'm gues estimating
maybe about nine months later, Rashane Ali I believe Selena
posted a picture of Rashane Ali and her first competition,
and I started paying attention, like she and I are
(02:51):
by same age or by same body type, and for
me it was like, now I'm seeing somebody that looks
like me doing it right, and so that started to
plant the seed. And then I just kind of followed
her journey on social media and I saw that she
had some medals and our screened shot at her win
(03:16):
and I was like, if I ever do this. I
was like, she's got a winning team, and that's the
team that I want. So I held onto it for
about a year. Okay, so you've been thinking about it
for a year before you decided to do it. Yeah, okay, okay,
and ra shot. How did you get into coaching? Well,
I started or thanks for having me. First of all,
(03:38):
I started about twenty years ago. I used to run
track and I got into trek and field coaching ever
at clark Landy Diversity some other universities, and I got
into personal training and ever since then, I got into
the bodybuilding world about I want to see about seven
eight years ago, and I started my journey. Uh, wanted
(04:02):
to try to find a different challenge instead of running track.
I want to always be still compete and bodybuilding was
one of the forms of competition I want to look into.
So started doing compete myself and then after I did
a couple of shows and learn the business and learn
how to train athletes. That's when I started coaching. So
(04:22):
everybody's different. And one thing I've learned in my process
is everybody's body type is different, everybody's personalities different. So
I had to adapt in the last few years in
regards to how to train athletes. So so let me
let me ask this too, because like just just training
in the gym, because I mean, I trained with the trainer,
(04:42):
you know, and I've done that for years, like over
ten or twenty years, I've I've trained with the trainer,
different trainers, but bodybuilding and that kind of training is
really really different. It is really um like, so describe
what what that is like? Well, it's it's it depends.
(05:03):
Everybody is different, right, So a lot of times I
would consider you a lifestyle client, right, So a lot
of times you have a different Everybody has different lifestyles,
so you have to kind of transition people from the
lifestyle world to the body building work. So everybody trans
is gonna be different, whether it's your social life, whether
(05:23):
your mother or four mother or two, or you have
a four time job. So uh, in that process, you
have to make sure that each athlete has their own walk.
If that makes sense. So let's say Fransas, Ivy, for instance,
when we first met, uh, it was one of the
things that we had a conversation. In our conversation, it's
gonna be like, Okay, you work, sometimes you travel, and
(05:45):
you have to take all that consideration without a consideration.
You have to move accordingly and set the programs accordingly,
depend on everybody's uh individual lifestyle. And once you make
that transition, it's a different commitment. There's a whole different uh.
It becomes a lonely sport sometimes and you have to
make some sacrifices. You have to be very disciplined in
(06:08):
that process. That process can take it over between nine, twelve, sixteen,
sometimes twenty four weeks to get to the final goal.
So let me ask you, Ivy, because first of all,
I want to know how you found Rashade. Then I
want to know I'm really queuing in on what Rashad
(06:28):
is talking about that it's a lonely journey. Because even
for me when I first my my journey into just
fitness was very connected to my um my journey into recovery,
and so I used fitness to help me as I
was trying to get clean right and nobody. None of
(06:51):
my other girlfriends were working out. That was a decision
that I made, a decision I had always been kind
of interested in and a nice tone, fit body, and
so I didn't have anybody to to go on that
journey with me. But once again, that body building commitment
is whoa that That is like when it comes to
(07:14):
eating and just the level of commitment it takes it
like you were in that by yourself. It's no question
about that. Yeah. So first let me say, I'm going
to go a lot of precursors. You've been on my
vision board for your ABS, so just say okay um.
(07:38):
And so the first question that you asked was how
I find ra Shote. So when Rashane Alieve posted so
she was former host of Sister Circle I Believe with
Selena Johnson, and so when she posted hers, she gave
a shout out to Rashote and also to opposing coach Ashley.
(07:58):
And when I screamed out that I had talked to
some other coaches. But really, I say, and I tell
Rashide this this was all in divine order because and
I get emotional because this was not something that I
was going searching for. This was something that It was
like a thought, a seed planet, you know, I acted
on that seed and I talked to a couple of
(08:19):
other coaches, but really, truly, in my mind, I felt
like was my coach. I felt like Ashley was my coach.
And um though I talked to a couple of other
people like Rashide and I think we played phone tag
for like a week. And I was in North Carolina
and I had decided like I'm gonna go ahead and
(08:40):
do this because I had learned how to come my macros.
I had a body fat percentage goal for myself to
get down to seventeen per cent, and I what is
that account? Macros? What? What is that? It's in a
in a easy way to describe it, think about own
in calories, but instead of counting calories, you're counting your facts,
(09:03):
your carves, and your proteins. So you're you're just counting
your calories with you're counting them in a series of proteins, carves,
and facts, so your body can take in only what
it needs to be ever to Like Lou, just thinking
about that, like I can't even count calories. Seriously, I
(09:26):
don't know how to count calories. It just that's the
reason why you hire a coach for you. You know
you gotta do it, just fall the plan. Yeah, yes, yes,
we do the homework for you, and we set up
your mill plans, we set up your workout plans, and
then you know, all you gotta do is fall the program.
A lot of times we always say trust the process.
(09:47):
But but you're saying, Ivy, that you learned how to
do that. How did you learn how to count macros?
You know, I've done a lot of research, and I um,
I think I bought a program like off Instagram to
do a workout, and she had a whole like the
person that I bought it from had a whole section
on macros and I just like did research to figure
(10:09):
it out. And once I got it figured out, I
was like losing my body fat percentage. But then I
hit seventeen point three and I kind of felt like
a climax and or plateaued I should say um. And
so at that point I started thinking, like, if I'm
not sure if I can get me there, why don't
(10:29):
I have somebody else help me get there? Because I'm
not getting younger, I'm getting older, I might as well
like just take the next step and just see if
I you know, see if I can do it. And
I remember he and I first talked and I said
I have a body fat percentage gold of seventeen and
he was like, but get that sevente. He was like,
we're gonna be way being a seven. You know, so
(10:51):
you wanted it lower than seventeen, and shot, yes, yes,
especially you want to compete on the NPC level. She
has to get lord in the seventeen. Then what does
MPC stand for a National Physic Competition? Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah,
so that's the it's a governing body for amateurs to
get It's an amateur level where you can go and
(11:11):
get your pro card usually later on once you get
to go through a couple of shows. Okay, Now the
other thing that that really shocked me is that you guys,
we're doing all of this virtually. Yes, so I understand
how you could do the plan, you know, the the
(11:32):
nutrition plan virtually, but how are you working out virtually?
So training her virtually, But we use the app and
within the app, um you can program all the workouts.
You can put the meal plan there, you can set
the calendar for all the workouts, whether it's cardio. Uh,
you wait room workouts and we do a virtual on
(11:55):
Saturdays and Sundays, we'll do a workout at her gym,
local gym, and so she pretty much have a tripod
of and I walk her through the gym of which
machines to get on which and all that good stuff. So, uh,
there have been moments where you know, I wish I
was physically there through those fourth reps a lot of times.
You know how it is, when you're starting to burn
(12:15):
and start to hurt, you want to stop. So sometimes
I get fresh fight. I wish I was physically there
to kind of push the way for her. But we
had a couple of moments I was like, you gotta
work through it. You gotta work through it. But um,
she did everything. She did everything she's supposed to do
from the time we started to the time we completed.
So and they say, this is what I'm talking about
when I'm talking about commitment, because I know what it's
like to be in the gym and not feel like
(12:38):
doing it. And especially that food part. Man, the food
part that the nutrition plan is just insane. You can't nothing, nothing,
You're want to be consistent, right because a lot of times.
That's why you pretty much eat someone eat the same
thing over and over again, because once you introduce something
(12:59):
new to your body, you don't know what it's gonna do. Right.
So let's say if you decided two, if you're doing
creamer rice and you want to do oatmeal because it
tastes better, you might blow by oatmeal. You don't know
that it could be healthy, but your body might digest
it differently than I would with open Does that make
sense yes, So that's where you want to be consistent
and make slight changes as you go along. Just something
(13:21):
to ask, So Adrian, Like the last time that I
saw you, I was, I believe two and a half,
three weeks into training, because I started training November one.
I think we saw each other like that November sixt weekend,
and I had all my meals prepped in the room
that weekend because I remember asking him. He said, don't
(13:42):
go crazy. But when you talk about it is a
lonely sport. Um. It is something that like in the gym,
I can talk to you for a hot second, but
I gotta keep moving because and this is you know,
I'm sure because I was new to it and like
trying to figure out all of the work involved. But
(14:03):
it would be times that I would be in the
gym three and a half hours a night, you know,
so I don't have time to have conversations at the
gym because everybody else can leave when they want to.
I can't leave, you know. And and let me tell you,
I would ask him for days off. But I was
pretty much in the gym seven days a week for
six months. And you know, I think when I saw you, Ivy,
I don't I don't think that I knew you were
(14:25):
preparing for a contest. I thought you were just on
the fitness journey. But I think I mentioned it at
the tail end because I remember saying pray for me,
because okay, because I didn't know, you know, you just
don't know. I mean, in my head, I was committed,
like I never wanna ask somebody for health not follow through.
(14:49):
So it was a long time that I didn't say
anything to anybody because I wanted to make sure that
like I was committed to myself, you know. And I
just it's just where you feel like a submarine, like
deep diving into a zone and you just kind of become,
you know, get up to make the donuts kind of thing.
(15:09):
You just gotta go to the jam. It's not anything
you can really think about. You just gotta do it right.
And I also I also understand and and the fact
that people will try to talk you out of it
or try to act like why are you doing that?
You're doing what? Why are you doing that? Girl? Please
all of that, you know what I mean. And your
(15:31):
journey is your journey, you know, and you you know
this was a decision that you made for you, you know,
So I give you. I give you props for actually
keeping that close to your chest and not allowing any
of that negative energy to seep into, you know, get
(15:51):
you off track. So I think that's important. That's important.
So you all didn't actually even meet in person until
competition day. That's crazy to be that, I mean, that's
so insane. And I guess a lot of that was
because of the pandemic too, right, Well, no, not necessarily,
(16:13):
because I mean we were gonna train online completely anyway.
And even when we got to show time, Rashaw said,
you know, I don't wanna come to the back. I
want you to figure out like backstage. I want you
to figure out like when it's your time, you know,
and you are paying attention to that. So that we
we didn't meet until I think the show started at ten.
(16:35):
We didn't meet until about one thirty PM, and we
did are you would you would go through a pump
just to get the blood flowing through your muscles before
you go on stage, and we did that over Instagram video. Um,
And I think it's just because he wanted me to
take ownership of what I was doing, you know, So
we didn't meet until, you know, after first round. What
(16:55):
I mean, listen, I'm still kind of flabbergas because us
You're going to a show. You've never even been to
a show to watch a show, you know, to witness
the show before. Now you're competing and you're there on
on your It just seems like an awful lot. Can
you walk us through that? That day, I got up
(17:18):
I think probably around four AM something like that, so
I could eat my first meal and then we had
to go. So I got ten the night before and
then you go get a touch up tan in the morning,
so I think about six o'clock I went down, got
a touch up tan, came back up, the makeup artist
met me in my room. To do my makeup. I
(17:39):
think maybe I might have eaten another meal headed over
to the show. I'll also point out, like, you don't
get no water that day, uh, Like I think I
got less than eight houses of water on that day
in the morning. And because it just bloats you, yep,
because I found out, correct me if I'm wrong, But
(18:01):
you have water that fecia organs, and then you have
water that lives right up under your skin, so you
want to dehydrate that water so it's not bloating you
was you know, right up on the ester. Yeah, you.
So you don't want to look puffy anywhere, right, Yeah.
So we were at the end of all of the divisions,
(18:23):
me and then women, So it was a long wait
m So it's obviously like nerves going on, you know, um,
trying to make sure that everything stays intact while you're waiting.
I mean, for the most part, I think I was
in my suit and just waiting. Um. Sometimes you can
go back and you know, check out who's on stage,
(18:43):
but it is a lot of waiting to start. And
then I was first one out on my class, so
I can look at all of the other women, including myself,
and were also cleaning our little legs shaking. We're looking
like chicken out on the stage. But um, you know
it's crazy because my personality would be I would want
(19:07):
to be on stage, but I'm like, I'm a little
too introvert for that. Yeah. And when I walked out
on stage, because I was the first one out, um,
and I can hear my posing coach in my head,
you know, while we were practicing, because the shot told
me like, I know you want to have things together.
So he suggested that I started posing early. So I
started posing practice three months prior, and which was like
(19:31):
a god seeing because it put me in such a
great position. Um. And so while I was out there
and I hit my front pose and made my transition
to my back pose, and I could hear my opposing
coach in my head saying, make sure you do this,
make sure you do that, And I hit my back
pose and he then let me tear like my pop
of the shock like ten times through the roof, and
(19:53):
I was like, oh my god, I love things. I
wouldn't have never known that. I you know that that
would have been something that would have fed me like that. Yeah, yeah,
I feel you because I feel like my back. I mean,
everybody talks about my ass. My ass are fat and
flabby now, but I always felt like my back was
the best part of my body. Oh. I always felt like,
(20:15):
what place did you get? Because you competed in four
four different categories? Right, yeah, so run it run it down,
run it down. Okay, I got that tr around four.
My first place win was Masters thirty five years enough,
(20:36):
My second first place win was Masters forty five years enough.
My third place win was true Novice. So that's all
of us competing for the very first time. And then
my uh fourth place win was open. So and which
I will correct me if I'm wrong, but open is
if you win first place and all your categories and
(20:58):
you are are your classes, and you win open, then
you have the opportunity to compete in nationals to try
to go pro. Is that correct? That's if it's a
national qualifying show, so you have certain shows as national
qualifying shows. So so she's Class A, she wins Class A,
and then there's if it's Class A through D, they
(21:19):
take all the class winners. Once all the class winners win,
they're go on stage and they'll do a pose down.
Once they to depose down with the wind. Overall, if
it's a national qualifier, you can qualify for nationals, whether
it's in Miami or Vegas or where is that that
particular year. Awesome, Awesome, And I think the audience needs
to realize just what an introvert you really are. Ivy
(21:41):
is a very quiet, suite uh person, you know what
I mean. So this, it just really seems so much
out of out of character for you. I'm just so
proud and and happy for you because you know, it's
it just goes to show you that just a regular person.
You know, you just a a little sweet sweetheart, and
(22:02):
this is a decision that you made for you in
your life and you and you did it, you accomplished it.
So last question, is this something that you think that
you want to do again? Are you going to compete again?
So if you would ask this, let's say a month ago,
(22:22):
I would have been like, let me get through the
first show. I don't know, it was just a bucket
list item. And after you know, mom winds uh uh,
We're gonna do another show where targeting July, and if
I can hang on a little bit more than we'll
potentially target a show in November. Oh man, that's exciting. Wow,
(22:47):
I'm surprised because I know people that that have competed
and just you know, they competed, they won, and they're
good and they have, you know, because it is so rigorous.
So to hear you say that you're gonna continue on
this joint journey, Wow, kudos to you, says kudos to you.
(23:09):
You got that. But I might have to talk to
you rashot about getting me a nutrition. Playing together. It
was a one a challenge that I met, you know,
for myself. So you know, I'm I just say I'm
so proud of me. You know that I was able
to start and finish. And I am proud of for
(23:33):
because I used to say, when I'm gonna get some legs,
like when I'm gonna get some legs, I'm no muscles
in my legs. And I remember when I started posing
and I started posing practice and I was videoing and
as I made just a slight move, like a muscles
popped out of my legs and I was like, you
were like wow, it was such a good experience for me. Um,
(23:57):
even all of the grueling things that happened. And at six,
you know, this time in the gym and eating and
all that stuff. Um, but it was such a good
experience because I felt like Rasha delivered what, you know,
what I expected that he would deliver. And um, my
opposing coach, you know, I would say to her, I'm like,
(24:19):
I feel like we are spirit animals. It was like,
it's just something about her. She has a really good spirit,
and um, she was able to share some things with
me throughout her journey as well. So it was like
I had these two different perspectives, you know, to kind
of feed my curiosity and things, um that I was learning.
(24:40):
And I remember talking to my cousin and I said,
you know, I feel like I'm doing my best. And
my cousin was like, if you're questioning that, you probably not,
you know. So Um, for me, it was you know,
I should really never hit his expectation because his expectation
should always be higher than mine. Got you, got you.
(25:09):
Now it's time for the segment. Wouldn't you like to know? So, Ivy,
what book are you currently reading? I am currently reading
no book. No book, okay, no book? All right? Are
you listening to any books? Uh? No, I'm going to
the gym. That's the only thing all right, now, okay,
I got it. I got it. So when you go
(25:30):
to the gym, are you do you listen to music?
Got got it? Okay? And my current playlist right now
is a Fat Joe mix. Okay, all right. What about you, Shot,
Do you have a favorite book or are you reading
a book right now? Well, I have a two year
(25:51):
old and she's in the potty training world right now,
so I'm reading a book called Potty Train. That's funny. Okay, alright, alright,
so okay, back to you. What is one thing you
want to get off your chest? Um? Partnerships in business?
(26:13):
That's one thing I'll get off my chest. Make sure
you do your research on who your partners are when
you and regards to go into business where there's any business,
whether it's open the gym, whether it's the Carl car
a lot, where the case is, do your research before
you get a partner. Yeah, that that's good advice. That's
always good advice. What about you, I v um, what
is one thing you want to get off your chest?
(26:35):
One thing I want to get on my chest. We'll
see how this goes. So I'm currently in another competition
to try to get the cover of muscle and fitness hers.
Oh better go ahead. So if you go to my
social media see underscore b E l A f O
N t E. Uh. There's a link in my bio um,
(26:56):
but it is it requires votes um to keep me
in the competition, and then they'll be doing some cutting.
So I'm just trying to stay in like the bottom
tiers so I don't get clapped. But it goes to June.
So you got it? Okay? Yeah, and I participated in that.
And you can vote every day, right every day? Yeah? Okay, awesome?
(27:20):
And what's the model I v that you live by.
A model that I live by is fail fast, fail forward,
and learn from what you're failing from. I don't want
to be on a learning curve forever. I want to
fail fast. Tell me what I'm doing wrong so I
can improve. Got you, got you? What about you? Rashod
(27:42):
money on fitness, Stay in lane, stay you on fitness journey.
I go by Mr Monyo on fitness, by the way,
but I'm always see my clients Monyo on fitness. Keep
the nay sayers out of your ear and uh, stay
your on lane and focus on what you want to accomplish.
So that's my model. Mind your own fitness because a
lot of times Instagram really distorts your mind in regards
(28:06):
to what working out and what fitness looks like. So
I always tell people, sometimes you're not ready to do
that exercise you so on Instagram, you know, So you
gotta start where you're at and stay in your on
lane until you can get to that point. Right. That's
a really good one. I'm gonna remember that too because
I've gotten many many injuries not accepting where I am
(28:27):
in my fitness journey, and I keep getting injured. So
but but just look out for me, ra shot, because
I might be reaching out to you to get on
that plan because I'm definitely struggling with with this. I've
I've gained a couple of plans. I don't look like
I look five years ago. But part of that is
just too. Part of that also is being able to
(28:49):
accept where you are in life, and age is definitely
a factor, so I can't ignore that to recognize it absolutely.
All right, guys, thank you, it was such a joy
to have you on. Good luck to you, Ivy. I
hope to see you soon on the wood girl. Yeah no,
thank you Ivy and Rashad for stopping by positively gam
(29:12):
and talking to me about body building and what that
process looks like. And where can listeners find you on
social media? Rashade at Mr Mono on Fitness on Instagram
and also at the Underscore hitting Jim Perfect and what
about You Ivy on Instagram see Underscore b E L
A F O N T Eat awesome. Alright, congratulations, thanks
(29:37):
so much, guys, Thank you so. My one takeaway for
today is pretty much what Rashad's motto is, and that
is manage your own fitness. Your fitness journey is your own.
Pay attention to what your goals are and make your
fitness journey work for you. And that's our show for
(29:58):
this week of positively Gam. You can follow me online
at Gammy Naris help us out by leaving a five
star review on Apple Podcasts and by hitting the follow
button on I Heart Radio. Stay fit, y'all. Positively Gam
is produced by Red Table Talk Podcast and I Heart Radio.
Executive producers are Adrian Vanfield, Naris, Valin Jethro and Jada
(30:22):
Pinkett Smith. Our audio engineer is Calvin Bali, and our
associate producer is Irene Bischoff. Burger our theme song is
produced by d Books.
What's up everybody. I'm Gammy and this is Positively gam.
As you all know, I love working out and something
I've always been fascinated by his body building. It really
takes a different level of commitment to do body building
and compete in shows. So today I have two girls
who are going to take us into this world. First,
we have Ivy Sims. We have a friend in common
(00:34):
and that is Kizzy Martin. Kizi introduced me to Ivy
and so we stepped together and we also rod skate together,
both of which I was really new as Ivy recently
competed in her first MPC bikini show and placed in
all four classes. We're also joined by one of her coaches,
(00:57):
Rashad mcdaide. He is the fai under an owner of
the Hidden Gym and brings nearly two decades of experience
in nutrition and fitness planning, including having directed numerous fitness
and conditioning programs for collegiate level Division one and Division
two athletics. Welcome Ivy and Rasha to positively gam. So
(01:21):
today I want to talk about working out and getting
in shape, but really I just want to focus on
Ivy and this amazing win and body building. I mean
it was crazy. So to start off, Ivy, what led
you to getting involved with body building? I never saw it.
I never saw it coming. So first, let me say
(01:43):
so happy to see your face and here that'd be
more accent, and thanks for having me on. So okay,
so in a nutshale, I've been working out and you
just never know, like who you inspire, who's watching you, right,
(02:05):
and like how social media really truly is an influence.
So a couple of years ago, Selena Johnson posted that
she had dropped sixty pounds um and did a figure
competition and that was like a thought for me where
it ended up in the back of my head like
maybe I could, but it wouldn't be something that I
would probably commit to, but it was just a thought. Um,
(02:28):
Selena Johnson, is that the singer Selena Ja? Okay? Yeah,
she posted on her Instagram and then I'm gues estimating
maybe about nine months later, Rashane Ali I believe Selena
posted a picture of Rashane Ali and her first competition,
and I started paying attention, like she and I are
(02:51):
by same age or by same body type, and for
me it was like, now I'm seeing somebody that looks
like me doing it right, and so that started to
plant the seed. And then I just kind of followed
her journey on social media and I saw that she
had some medals and our screened shot at her win
(03:16):
and I was like, if I ever do this. I
was like, she's got a winning team, and that's the
team that I want. So I held onto it for
about a year. Okay, so you've been thinking about it
for a year before you decided to do it. Yeah, okay, okay,
and ra shot. How did you get into coaching? Well,
I started or thanks for having me. First of all,
(03:38):
I started about twenty years ago. I used to run
track and I got into trek and field coaching ever
at clark Landy Diversity some other universities, and I got
into personal training and ever since then, I got into
the bodybuilding world about I want to see about seven
eight years ago, and I started my journey. Uh, wanted
(04:02):
to try to find a different challenge instead of running track.
I want to always be still compete and bodybuilding was
one of the forms of competition I want to look into.
So started doing compete myself and then after I did
a couple of shows and learn the business and learn
how to train athletes. That's when I started coaching. So
(04:22):
everybody's different. And one thing I've learned in my process
is everybody's body type is different, everybody's personalities different. So
I had to adapt in the last few years in
regards to how to train athletes. So so let me
let me ask this too, because like just just training
in the gym, because I mean, I trained with the trainer,
(04:42):
you know, and I've done that for years, like over
ten or twenty years, I've I've trained with the trainer,
different trainers, but bodybuilding and that kind of training is
really really different. It is really um like, so describe
what what that is like? Well, it's it's it depends.
(05:03):
Everybody is different, right, So a lot of times I
would consider you a lifestyle client, right, So a lot
of times you have a different Everybody has different lifestyles,
so you have to kind of transition people from the
lifestyle world to the body building work. So everybody trans
is gonna be different, whether it's your social life, whether
(05:23):
your mother or four mother or two, or you have
a four time job. So uh, in that process, you
have to make sure that each athlete has their own walk.
If that makes sense. So let's say Fransas, Ivy, for instance,
when we first met, uh, it was one of the
things that we had a conversation. In our conversation, it's
gonna be like, Okay, you work, sometimes you travel, and
(05:45):
you have to take all that consideration without a consideration.
You have to move accordingly and set the programs accordingly,
depend on everybody's uh individual lifestyle. And once you make
that transition, it's a different commitment. There's a whole different uh.
It becomes a lonely sport sometimes and you have to
make some sacrifices. You have to be very disciplined in
(06:08):
that process. That process can take it over between nine, twelve, sixteen,
sometimes twenty four weeks to get to the final goal.
So let me ask you, Ivy, because first of all,
I want to know how you found Rashade. Then I
want to know I'm really queuing in on what Rashad
(06:28):
is talking about that it's a lonely journey. Because even
for me when I first my my journey into just
fitness was very connected to my um my journey into recovery,
and so I used fitness to help me as I
was trying to get clean right and nobody. None of
(06:51):
my other girlfriends were working out. That was a decision
that I made, a decision I had always been kind
of interested in and a nice tone, fit body, and
so I didn't have anybody to to go on that
journey with me. But once again, that body building commitment
is whoa that That is like when it comes to
(07:14):
eating and just the level of commitment it takes it
like you were in that by yourself. It's no question
about that. Yeah. So first let me say, I'm going
to go a lot of precursors. You've been on my
vision board for your ABS, so just say okay um.
(07:38):
And so the first question that you asked was how
I find ra Shote. So when Rashane Alieve posted so
she was former host of Sister Circle I Believe with
Selena Johnson, and so when she posted hers, she gave
a shout out to Rashote and also to opposing coach Ashley.
(07:58):
And when I screamed out that I had talked to
some other coaches. But really, I say, and I tell
Rashide this this was all in divine order because and
I get emotional because this was not something that I
was going searching for. This was something that It was
like a thought, a seed planet, you know, I acted
on that seed and I talked to a couple of
(08:19):
other coaches, but really, truly, in my mind, I felt
like was my coach. I felt like Ashley was my coach.
And um though I talked to a couple of other
people like Rashide and I think we played phone tag
for like a week. And I was in North Carolina
and I had decided like I'm gonna go ahead and
(08:40):
do this because I had learned how to come my macros.
I had a body fat percentage goal for myself to
get down to seventeen per cent, and I what is
that account? Macros? What? What is that? It's in a
in a easy way to describe it, think about own
in calories, but instead of counting calories, you're counting your facts,
(09:03):
your carves, and your proteins. So you're you're just counting
your calories with you're counting them in a series of proteins, carves,
and facts, so your body can take in only what
it needs to be ever to Like Lou, just thinking
about that, like I can't even count calories. Seriously, I
(09:26):
don't know how to count calories. It just that's the
reason why you hire a coach for you. You know
you gotta do it, just fall the plan. Yeah, yes, yes,
we do the homework for you, and we set up
your mill plans, we set up your workout plans, and
then you know, all you gotta do is fall the program.
A lot of times we always say trust the process.
(09:47):
But but you're saying, Ivy, that you learned how to
do that. How did you learn how to count macros?
You know, I've done a lot of research, and I um,
I think I bought a program like off Instagram to
do a workout, and she had a whole like the
person that I bought it from had a whole section
on macros and I just like did research to figure
(10:09):
it out. And once I got it figured out, I
was like losing my body fat percentage. But then I
hit seventeen point three and I kind of felt like
a climax and or plateaued I should say um. And
so at that point I started thinking, like, if I'm
not sure if I can get me there, why don't
(10:29):
I have somebody else help me get there? Because I'm
not getting younger, I'm getting older, I might as well
like just take the next step and just see if
I you know, see if I can do it. And
I remember he and I first talked and I said
I have a body fat percentage gold of seventeen and
he was like, but get that sevente. He was like,
we're gonna be way being a seven. You know, so
(10:51):
you wanted it lower than seventeen, and shot, yes, yes,
especially you want to compete on the NPC level. She
has to get lord in the seventeen. Then what does
MPC stand for a National Physic Competition? Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah,
so that's the it's a governing body for amateurs to
get It's an amateur level where you can go and
(11:11):
get your pro card usually later on once you get
to go through a couple of shows. Okay, Now the
other thing that that really shocked me is that you guys,
we're doing all of this virtually. Yes, so I understand
how you could do the plan, you know, the the
(11:32):
nutrition plan virtually, but how are you working out virtually?
So training her virtually, But we use the app and
within the app, um you can program all the workouts.
You can put the meal plan there, you can set
the calendar for all the workouts, whether it's cardio. Uh,
you wait room workouts and we do a virtual on
(11:55):
Saturdays and Sundays, we'll do a workout at her gym,
local gym, and so she pretty much have a tripod
of and I walk her through the gym of which
machines to get on which and all that good stuff. So, uh,
there have been moments where you know, I wish I
was physically there through those fourth reps a lot of times.
You know how it is, when you're starting to burn
(12:15):
and start to hurt, you want to stop. So sometimes
I get fresh fight. I wish I was physically there
to kind of push the way for her. But we
had a couple of moments I was like, you gotta
work through it. You gotta work through it. But um,
she did everything. She did everything she's supposed to do
from the time we started to the time we completed.
So and they say, this is what I'm talking about
when I'm talking about commitment, because I know what it's
like to be in the gym and not feel like
(12:38):
doing it. And especially that food part. Man, the food
part that the nutrition plan is just insane. You can't nothing, nothing,
You're want to be consistent, right because a lot of times.
That's why you pretty much eat someone eat the same
thing over and over again, because once you introduce something
(12:59):
new to your body, you don't know what it's gonna do. Right.
So let's say if you decided two, if you're doing
creamer rice and you want to do oatmeal because it
tastes better, you might blow by oatmeal. You don't know
that it could be healthy, but your body might digest
it differently than I would with open Does that make
sense yes, So that's where you want to be consistent
and make slight changes as you go along. Just something
(13:21):
to ask, So Adrian, Like the last time that I
saw you, I was, I believe two and a half,
three weeks into training, because I started training November one.
I think we saw each other like that November sixt weekend,
and I had all my meals prepped in the room
that weekend because I remember asking him. He said, don't
(13:42):
go crazy. But when you talk about it is a
lonely sport. Um. It is something that like in the gym,
I can talk to you for a hot second, but
I gotta keep moving because and this is you know,
I'm sure because I was new to it and like
trying to figure out all of the work involved. But
(14:03):
it would be times that I would be in the
gym three and a half hours a night, you know,
so I don't have time to have conversations at the
gym because everybody else can leave when they want to.
I can't leave, you know. And and let me tell you,
I would ask him for days off. But I was
pretty much in the gym seven days a week for
six months. And you know, I think when I saw you, Ivy,
I don't I don't think that I knew you were
(14:25):
preparing for a contest. I thought you were just on
the fitness journey. But I think I mentioned it at
the tail end because I remember saying pray for me,
because okay, because I didn't know, you know, you just
don't know. I mean, in my head, I was committed,
like I never wanna ask somebody for health not follow through.
(14:49):
So it was a long time that I didn't say
anything to anybody because I wanted to make sure that
like I was committed to myself, you know. And I
just it's just where you feel like a submarine, like
deep diving into a zone and you just kind of become,
you know, get up to make the donuts kind of thing.
(15:09):
You just gotta go to the jam. It's not anything
you can really think about. You just gotta do it right.
And I also I also understand and and the fact
that people will try to talk you out of it
or try to act like why are you doing that?
You're doing what? Why are you doing that? Girl? Please
all of that, you know what I mean. And your
(15:31):
journey is your journey, you know, and you you know
this was a decision that you made for you, you know,
So I give you. I give you props for actually
keeping that close to your chest and not allowing any
of that negative energy to seep into, you know, get
(15:51):
you off track. So I think that's important. That's important.
So you all didn't actually even meet in person until
competition day. That's crazy to be that, I mean, that's
so insane. And I guess a lot of that was
because of the pandemic too, right, Well, no, not necessarily,
(16:13):
because I mean we were gonna train online completely anyway.
And even when we got to show time, Rashaw said,
you know, I don't wanna come to the back. I
want you to figure out like backstage. I want you
to figure out like when it's your time, you know,
and you are paying attention to that. So that we
we didn't meet until I think the show started at ten.
(16:35):
We didn't meet until about one thirty PM, and we
did are you would you would go through a pump
just to get the blood flowing through your muscles before
you go on stage, and we did that over Instagram video. Um,
And I think it's just because he wanted me to
take ownership of what I was doing, you know, So
we didn't meet until, you know, after first round. What
(16:55):
I mean, listen, I'm still kind of flabbergas because us
You're going to a show. You've never even been to
a show to watch a show, you know, to witness
the show before. Now you're competing and you're there on
on your It just seems like an awful lot. Can
you walk us through that? That day, I got up
(17:18):
I think probably around four AM something like that, so
I could eat my first meal and then we had
to go. So I got ten the night before and
then you go get a touch up tan in the morning,
so I think about six o'clock I went down, got
a touch up tan, came back up, the makeup artist
met me in my room. To do my makeup. I
(17:39):
think maybe I might have eaten another meal headed over
to the show. I'll also point out, like, you don't
get no water that day, uh, Like I think I
got less than eight houses of water on that day
in the morning. And because it just bloats you, yep,
because I found out, correct me if I'm wrong, But
(18:01):
you have water that fecia organs, and then you have
water that lives right up under your skin, so you
want to dehydrate that water so it's not bloating you
was you know, right up on the ester. Yeah, you.
So you don't want to look puffy anywhere, right, Yeah.
So we were at the end of all of the divisions,
(18:23):
me and then women, So it was a long wait
m So it's obviously like nerves going on, you know, um,
trying to make sure that everything stays intact while you're waiting.
I mean, for the most part, I think I was
in my suit and just waiting. Um. Sometimes you can
go back and you know, check out who's on stage,
(18:43):
but it is a lot of waiting to start. And
then I was first one out on my class, so
I can look at all of the other women, including myself,
and were also cleaning our little legs shaking. We're looking
like chicken out on the stage. But um, you know
it's crazy because my personality would be I would want
(19:07):
to be on stage, but I'm like, I'm a little
too introvert for that. Yeah. And when I walked out
on stage, because I was the first one out, um,
and I can hear my posing coach in my head,
you know, while we were practicing, because the shot told
me like, I know you want to have things together.
So he suggested that I started posing early. So I
started posing practice three months prior, and which was like
(19:31):
a god seeing because it put me in such a
great position. Um. And so while I was out there
and I hit my front pose and made my transition
to my back pose, and I could hear my opposing
coach in my head saying, make sure you do this,
make sure you do that, And I hit my back
pose and he then let me tear like my pop
of the shock like ten times through the roof, and
(19:53):
I was like, oh my god, I love things. I
wouldn't have never known that. I you know that that
would have been something that would have fed me like that. Yeah, yeah,
I feel you because I feel like my back. I mean,
everybody talks about my ass. My ass are fat and
flabby now, but I always felt like my back was
the best part of my body. Oh. I always felt like,
(20:15):
what place did you get? Because you competed in four
four different categories? Right, yeah, so run it run it down,
run it down. Okay, I got that tr around four.
My first place win was Masters thirty five years enough,
(20:36):
My second first place win was Masters forty five years enough.
My third place win was true Novice. So that's all
of us competing for the very first time. And then
my uh fourth place win was open. So and which
I will correct me if I'm wrong, but open is
if you win first place and all your categories and
(20:58):
you are are your classes, and you win open, then
you have the opportunity to compete in nationals to try
to go pro. Is that correct? That's if it's a
national qualifying show, so you have certain shows as national
qualifying shows. So so she's Class A, she wins Class A,
and then there's if it's Class A through D, they
(21:19):
take all the class winners. Once all the class winners win,
they're go on stage and they'll do a pose down.
Once they to depose down with the wind. Overall, if
it's a national qualifier, you can qualify for nationals, whether
it's in Miami or Vegas or where is that that
particular year. Awesome, Awesome, And I think the audience needs
to realize just what an introvert you really are. Ivy
(21:41):
is a very quiet, suite uh person, you know what
I mean. So this, it just really seems so much
out of out of character for you. I'm just so
proud and and happy for you because you know, it's
it just goes to show you that just a regular person.
You know, you just a a little sweet sweetheart, and
(22:02):
this is a decision that you made for you in
your life and you and you did it, you accomplished it.
So last question, is this something that you think that
you want to do again? Are you going to compete again?
So if you would ask this, let's say a month ago,
(22:22):
I would have been like, let me get through the
first show. I don't know, it was just a bucket
list item. And after you know, mom winds uh uh,
We're gonna do another show where targeting July, and if
I can hang on a little bit more than we'll
potentially target a show in November. Oh man, that's exciting. Wow,
(22:47):
I'm surprised because I know people that that have competed
and just you know, they competed, they won, and they're
good and they have, you know, because it is so rigorous.
So to hear you say that you're gonna continue on
this joint journey, Wow, kudos to you, says kudos to you.
(23:09):
You got that. But I might have to talk to
you rashot about getting me a nutrition. Playing together. It
was a one a challenge that I met, you know,
for myself. So you know, I'm I just say I'm
so proud of me. You know that I was able
to start and finish. And I am proud of for
(23:33):
because I used to say, when I'm gonna get some legs,
like when I'm gonna get some legs, I'm no muscles
in my legs. And I remember when I started posing
and I started posing practice and I was videoing and
as I made just a slight move, like a muscles
popped out of my legs and I was like, you
were like wow, it was such a good experience for me. Um,
(23:57):
even all of the grueling things that happened. And at six,
you know, this time in the gym and eating and
all that stuff. Um, but it was such a good
experience because I felt like Rasha delivered what, you know,
what I expected that he would deliver. And um, my
opposing coach, you know, I would say to her, I'm like,
(24:19):
I feel like we are spirit animals. It was like,
it's just something about her. She has a really good spirit,
and um, she was able to share some things with
me throughout her journey as well. So it was like
I had these two different perspectives, you know, to kind
of feed my curiosity and things, um that I was learning.
(24:40):
And I remember talking to my cousin and I said,
you know, I feel like I'm doing my best. And
my cousin was like, if you're questioning that, you probably not,
you know. So Um, for me, it was you know,
I should really never hit his expectation because his expectation
should always be higher than mine. Got you, got you.
(25:09):
Now it's time for the segment. Wouldn't you like to know? So, Ivy,
what book are you currently reading? I am currently reading
no book. No book, okay, no book? All right? Are
you listening to any books? Uh? No, I'm going to
the gym. That's the only thing all right, now, okay,
I got it. I got it. So when you go
(25:30):
to the gym, are you do you listen to music?
Got got it? Okay? And my current playlist right now
is a Fat Joe mix. Okay, all right. What about you, Shot,
Do you have a favorite book or are you reading
a book right now? Well, I have a two year
(25:51):
old and she's in the potty training world right now,
so I'm reading a book called Potty Train. That's funny. Okay, alright, alright,
so okay, back to you. What is one thing you
want to get off your chest? Um? Partnerships in business?
(26:13):
That's one thing I'll get off my chest. Make sure
you do your research on who your partners are when
you and regards to go into business where there's any business,
whether it's open the gym, whether it's the Carl car
a lot, where the case is, do your research before
you get a partner. Yeah, that that's good advice. That's
always good advice. What about you, I v um, what
is one thing you want to get off your chest?
(26:35):
One thing I want to get on my chest. We'll
see how this goes. So I'm currently in another competition
to try to get the cover of muscle and fitness hers.
Oh better go ahead. So if you go to my
social media see underscore b E l A f O
N t E. Uh. There's a link in my bio um,
(26:56):
but it is it requires votes um to keep me
in the competition, and then they'll be doing some cutting.
So I'm just trying to stay in like the bottom
tiers so I don't get clapped. But it goes to June.
So you got it? Okay? Yeah, and I participated in that.
And you can vote every day, right every day? Yeah? Okay, awesome?
(27:20):
And what's the model I v that you live by.
A model that I live by is fail fast, fail forward,
and learn from what you're failing from. I don't want
to be on a learning curve forever. I want to
fail fast. Tell me what I'm doing wrong so I
can improve. Got you, got you? What about you? Rashod
(27:42):
money on fitness, Stay in lane, stay you on fitness journey.
I go by Mr Monyo on fitness, by the way,
but I'm always see my clients Monyo on fitness. Keep
the nay sayers out of your ear and uh, stay
your on lane and focus on what you want to accomplish.
So that's my model. Mind your own fitness because a
lot of times Instagram really distorts your mind in regards
(28:06):
to what working out and what fitness looks like. So
I always tell people, sometimes you're not ready to do
that exercise you so on Instagram, you know, So you
gotta start where you're at and stay in your on
lane until you can get to that point. Right. That's
a really good one. I'm gonna remember that too because
I've gotten many many injuries not accepting where I am
(28:27):
in my fitness journey, and I keep getting injured. So
but but just look out for me, ra shot, because
I might be reaching out to you to get on
that plan because I'm definitely struggling with with this. I've
I've gained a couple of plans. I don't look like
I look five years ago. But part of that is
just too. Part of that also is being able to
(28:49):
accept where you are in life, and age is definitely
a factor, so I can't ignore that to recognize it absolutely.
All right, guys, thank you, it was such a joy
to have you on. Good luck to you, Ivy. I
hope to see you soon on the wood girl. Yeah no,
thank you Ivy and Rashad for stopping by positively gam
(29:12):
and talking to me about body building and what that
process looks like. And where can listeners find you on
social media? Rashade at Mr Mono on Fitness on Instagram
and also at the Underscore hitting Jim Perfect and what
about You Ivy on Instagram see Underscore b E L
A F O N T Eat awesome. Alright, congratulations, thanks
(29:37):
so much, guys, Thank you so. My one takeaway for
today is pretty much what Rashad's motto is, and that
is manage your own fitness. Your fitness journey is your own.
Pay attention to what your goals are and make your
fitness journey work for you. And that's our show for
(29:58):
this week of positively Gam. You can follow me online
at Gammy Naris help us out by leaving a five
star review on Apple Podcasts and by hitting the follow
button on I Heart Radio. Stay fit, y'all. Positively Gam
is produced by Red Table Talk Podcast and I Heart Radio.
Executive producers are Adrian Vanfield, Naris, Valin Jethro and Jada
(30:22):
Pinkett Smith. Our audio engineer is Calvin Bali, and our
associate producer is Irene Bischoff. Burger our theme song is
produced by d Books.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!