Female Physique Athlete Research Study

Currently I am back living in Australia and completing my Masters Degree in Sports Nutrition with The University of the Sunshine Coast which is by research. 

I obviously love the outdoors and extreme sports but I also have a fascination with sports where competitors have to make weight or have a low body weight as well as aesthetic sports. This is where the inspiration for my current research in female physique athletes (i.e. athletes who compete in body building competitions or other divisions such as bikini model, fitness model, and figure) came from.

At the moment I'm searching for female physique athletes with competition experience to complete an anonymous survey focusing on training methods, supplement use, eating attitudes, body image and menstrual cycle.

If you are a female physique athlete who has competed and  willing to donate your opinions, experience & expertise to scientific research please visit:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/59D8WGC

Not only will you be making a contribution to scientific research but you will also go in the draw to win one of five 6 Pack Bags!

‪#‎bikinimodel‬ ‪#‎fitnessmodel‬ ‪#‎figureinternational‬ ‪#‎figureathlete‬‪ #‎femalebodybuilder‬ ‪#‎femalebodybuilding‬ ‪#‎bikinicompetitor‬ ‪#‎femalefitness‬‪ #‎girlsthatlift‬ ‪#‎anbnationals‬ ‪#‎anb‬ ‪#‎ifbbpro‬ ‪#‎ifbb‬ ‪#‎inba‬ ‪#‎nabba‬ ‪#‎wff‬ ‪#‎msfigure‬‪ #‎npc‬ ‪#‎femalephysiqueathletes‬ ‪#‎womensphysiquecompetitors‬‪ #‎femalephysique‬ ‪#‎fitspo‬ ‪#‎6packbags‬ ‪#‎naturalbodybuilding‬

Control Strength Yoga

I've not posted anything for so long as I don't have the usual excitement in my life (well in the context of endless traveling, kayaking and rafting) although there are still things to be excited about.

After not being home for over 3 years I decided to move back to Australia last year in August so I could focus on completing my Master's Degree.

Even though Australia is my home it's been difficult to settle back into what now seems like a completely new environment and form a routine. I guess living in such a big city it means it's harder to make new friends as I'm no longer living in environments such as small towns/rural villages where you get to know almost everyone in the community.

Whilst I was living in the UK I got into Jivamukti yoga and had a fantastic teacher called Salema. I loved how challenging her classes were and the fact we had the same group of people in class every week - all supporting and encouraging each other. I tried a couple of yoga studios when I first moved back to Melbourne and I was a little disappointed that they did not have the same vibe as Salema's classes. This disappointment ended up in me stopping yoga for about 10 months.

A lot of people make the comment that with yoga it's all about the teacher. Everyone has their own individual preferences and will find different teachers will meet their needs differently to other yogis.

2 months ago, by chance I came across a new studio in Prahan called Power and Posture with an incredible teacher called Shimi. I knew straight away that she was the teacher I had been searching for.

Chin Balance - Ganda Bherundasana 

Shimi's classes are challenging because we focus on gaining control strength so we can learn and perform different inversions and arm balances. This appeals to me as I've never ever been able to do a handstand (not even against the wall!), or a headstand. We do a lot of gruelling core work, drills and Shimi's signature 'psycho sequence' - all in the one class. In only just 2 months I have found myself to be able to get closer to achieving inversions I never thought possible and arm balances I've dreamed of.

The best part is we have small classes, with the same people attending consistently. This means we have all quickly become great friends who support and encourage one another. Even though the classes are intense there is a lot of fun and laughter in the class. If I haven't been to class for a day it feels like a week as I get so excited about class and what we may learn next.

The week before the program ended Shimi arranged a photoshoot for us. It will be really great to look back on these in the future to see how we have progressed because even though many of us can do certain inversions and arm balances if we keep up the hard work obviously we will gain a lot more strength, control, flexibility and achieve better alignment in our poses.

Eka Pada Koudinyasana - Still got some work to perfect this pose!

These photos were taken by a faboulous photographer called Grace Petrou.

A Snapshot into the World of Studio Lighting

A few months ago I did a few 1 day photography courses - Location Lighting that I have mentioned in a previous blog entry, Flashguns and Studio Lighting.

I have to say Studio Lighting was the most interesting and fun! There is so much to create and explore!

We worked together in a group of about 5 people to create images for different scenarios. Below are some of my favourite shots from the day (unfortunately the files were given in a small jpeg format so they are only small images compared to the rest of my blog).

Leeds Castle

It's been wonderful summer weather in the UK but it always seems to be during the week when I am working then will turn grey with showers over the weekends. I took a chance by going to Leeds Castle anyway on the weekend and the clouds cleared and stayed fairly consistent throughout the day which meant I could play around with my camera taking photos!

And no, Leeds Castle is not in Leeds but in Kent near Maidstone. It's such a lovely castle with a moat around it like from a children's story book.

Location Lighting

Last weekend I went to a location lighting workshop and got to play around with flashes and speed guns outside on what photographers call a 'sunny 16' day.

The tutor summed it up as 'not being rocket science' but after the group of us got many scenarios to capture you can see the potential of how images can be manipulated greatly from the use of light which requires some more practice

.
Now I have a big wish list of gear that I have a feeling Santa may not bring this year :-)

Hever Castle

A couple of weeks ago I made the most of a sunny British day (which can be rare) and visited Hever Castle in Kent.

Loggia and the Lake

Loggia and the Lake

Hever Castle is the childhood home of King Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn and is open to the public artifacts, rooms furnished how they may of been during the time Anne lived at Hever Castle and Tudor Portraits.

I haven't taken photos for a while so thought this would be a nice place to spend a few hours taking pictures whilst getting some fresh air.

Water fountain - Loggia

Loggia

Loggia

View of the Water Maze from Loggia

Italian Gardens

Italian Gardens/Loggia

Italian Gardens

View of Hever Castle from the Tudor Gardens

Hever Castle

Hever Castle

Hever Castle

Hever Castle & Astor Wing

Hever Castle

Astor Wing

Hever Castle & Astor Wing

Italian Gardens

Italian Gardens

Italian Gardens

Italian Gardens

Walled Rose Gardens

Walled Rose Gardens

Walled Rose Gardens

Walled Rose Gardens

I costs 15.50GBP for entrance to Hever Castle and Gardens or 13GBP just for admission to the gardens. I didn't find it too overcrowded but it's best to get there early as parking is mostly in a field and has potential to fill up quickly. Lots of people were relaxing the gardens having a picnic but there are plenty of other places in Kent just as beautiful where you can relax for free. Hever Castle is worth visiting at least once but would be an expensive day out just for a picnic with the family!