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Before you started competing the idea of spending £300 upwards on a bikini seemed like a crazy notion. Once the competition bug bites you may not have thought twice about having a new bikini for every show, but post the covid-19 pandemic most of us have had to tighten our financial belts and re-think how much we spend on competing. You might want to look into getting a second hand bikini to save costs, and there are some great facebook groups that specialize in this area. With the fitness and body building competitions only just kicking off in September this year, leaving us with only three months left of the competition season it is now time to think about sorting your competition bikini out. If you are on a budget, and dead set on a new bikini or are a first time competitor, it is time to think about making your bikini last for more than one show. Not only does it make financial sense, but it's more environmentally conscious too. With that in mind I have some top tips on how you can make your bikini last more than one show, all it takes is a little planning before-hand. Things to consider before you buy First you will need to look at the competitions you want to compete in and if the styles and rules are compatible. For example your 2BroPros bikini bottom is too small for the UKBFF federation rules but fine for the PCA. You can check out my blog that specifically discusses the shape and size of the bikini bum here. Next you want to design your bikini with the 'upgrades' in mind. So this means starting simple. Your designer should be able to advise you in this regard, and give you a clear indication of the bikini for each show. It is way easier to add things onto a bikini than remove anything...especially if the thing you want to remove is glued on. Not only is glue really hard to remove but you may damage your bikini trying to rip crystals or trimmings off. Lastly, you will need to clean your bikini really well as soon as you can after you take it off. The longer you leave cleaning off that nasty tan the less likely it is to come off. Also think about the colour of your bikini before you order, as a general rule darker colours will hide tan stains better than paler colours so you will get more use out of a darker bikini than a light one. If you are planning to use the same bikini for more than one show, not only are you saving yourself some cost but also being ecologically responsible. Upgrading your bikini without breaking the bank Now for the fun stuff...getting into the nitty gritty of what you can do from one competition to the next. Some of these are structural and will require more than a basic knowledge of dressmaking, you can either plan the changes over the competition season with your bikini designer, employ a local seamstress to alter the bikini for you or if you are a keen dressmaker why not get crafty yourself ( if you have the time and energy). For competitions on the sporty end of the spectrum you have two options to change the look of your bikini... 1 Adding extra crystal Adding in crystal works better for more simple crystal designs rather than complex ones. Here are two examples of forward planning, in one I added an extra colour and the next filling in a simple design. You can also add crystal to a complex design if you generally stick to filling in the base or background colour, it's hard to add design features and details to a complex design....but with some serious thought and planning a great result can be achieved. 2 Changing the connectors For a quick change you can just change the connectors for a different design. By searching ebay you can come up with a variety of different connector designs to choose from, then all you have to do is unpick the old ones and sew in the new ones. Or if it has fabric straps you can cut or unpick the sides and insert whatever connectors take your fancy. If you are competing in the pageant style shows such as WBFF, Pure Elite, Diamonds and cross-over shows like FMC or UFE you can really stretch your creativity even further: 3 Add some lace details Lace can be a fabulous edition to a bikini, if that's your style. If done correctly you can actually embellish the lace itself so it can be sewn on or removed from the bikini with almost no damage whatsoever to your bikini base. 4 Add a collar For a full re-style you can even change the style of the bikini. You can add a collar, multiple straps, take off the straps and put see through ones on...just make sure you don't mess with the basic engineering of the bra structure, especially if you have large boobs, keep the back strap strong and parallel to the floor and the shoulder straps supportive at the side. You can even change the bottoms in a similar way if you wish. 5 Get strappy Following the current trend in lingerie design for cage and strappy styles you can add a little extra sex appeal to your bikini. You can add straps to the top and the bottoms depending on your final design. So there you have some great idea's to help you save some cash this year by making your bikini work for you over a few different shows, while we all look forward to a more normal life and competing season in 2021! #bikinidesigner #fitnesscompetition

Today I want to tell you the story of this silver angel costume from a different perspective and let you in behind the scenes of a Miss C creation. I have often dreamt of making an epic angel style costume...so when I actually got asked to do it for real I jumped at the chance. First...this is the costume in all it's glory! Lizzy absolutely bossing the stage!!! This is the bit you all get to see....the final cut. We are so used to thinking about an 'end product' as the thing we are buying that we seldom think about what it actually takes to get to the end product stage. My passion for this work goes beyond the shiny end product (although that is super cool), it's a mental process that gives my life routine and meaning and along the way the huge investment of time and energy between a creator and their creation has defined the way I live life. This is not a tutorial of how I made the costume, I will not be displaying the construction methods per se and you will never see the blood, sweat and tears that go into each costume. I want to show you how a costume comes to life...first in the mind and then into reality. I was really excited about this costume because it gave me scope to play around with some new idea's about construction....and as always trying new things means a lot of problem solving along the way. I was completely satisfied by the final look of the wings, and privately relieved that it all worked reasonably according to plan. Cracking down on the concept Firstly Lizzy and I sat down and had a long discussion about the design, colours, size, and of course, budget. I think we had about a two month lead into the competition so time was going to be against me all the way. Large costume pieces can take a long time to research and develop and with every single costume I have to figure out how to construct it as I go along. Every costume is so different, with differing materials, weight, balance....there is literally no cookie cutter way to make these things! It's like flying blind with no seatbelt. Well, not quite, but hopefully you get the idea that drawing something on a page and making it a real wearable piece or art are very different skills. Research and Development So it all starts with sketching it out and roughing out scale and materials and rolling idea's around my head. Once we had agreed on a budget I could start hunting for materials... I reckon I trawl the internet at least 3 hours minimum per commission, especially if it is something totally bespoke. I have to find materials that will work the design concept, compare different suppliers for best prices and if I can't find what I want within budget there can be some too and froing between myself and the client to see if the budget can be extended or if compromise on the design must be made. Since the feathers had to be imported from China, to keep costs as low as possible, they would take up to 40 days to get to me .....so it was very important to keep that deadline in mind when planning. While I was waiting for the feathers I could design and make the frame and fabric parts of the wings and crack on with making the bra. Construction and problem solving Every single costume is different so there is no set way of approaching a final piece without literally getting stuck in. For wings I always start with a cardboard mock-up to have a look at the shape and size on a dummy. Drawings are nice, but you can't really see the proportions without doing that. Wings that are too big can literally engulf a person and create an unbalanced costume, as well as being too heavy or unmanageable that the client literally can't walk or do what they need to do on stage. Size, proportion and weight all have to be in mind when building the piece.....then it's down to business with the engineering. First I must make the wire frame and the individual feather pieces that will come together as the final piece. I had to do some strengthening across the wing structure to add extra stability and then finally the feathers arrived and I could add them in. Overall I think the wings took me the best part of a solid week to construct, which was 2 days over my budgeted time. They were heavier than I anticipated and kept flopping over backwards which was no good, when I put them on and tried to walk around...they bounced so much that it literally put me off my stride. The extra two days were spent scratching my head, finding a solution and making it happen. This was our first test run of the wings with Lizzy in them. We had to check for balance as she moved through her posing routine. All in all it was a pretty good run through with some adjustments here and there and a lot of tweaking to get these feathers just right until I was happy with them. Whilst the wings were slowly coming together I could crack on with the bikini: This was one of the heaviest bra costumes I have made, it was so heavily decorated. It really had the WOW factor and I was super excited when I finished it. When you are using one colour for the bikini and decoration (ie: silver for this one) it needs much more detailing and texture so it doesn't look flat and boring. There are three different styles of lace used on this bikini that had to be individually cut, placed and appliqued on. Then I used a two row crystal chain to break up the cups into sections, you can see my working diagram above for the layout of the main decorations. I always stitch laces and crystals on if I can....gluing things on leaves the fabric hard and stiff so my motto is: if it can be sewn it should be sewn! It adds hours to the process but it is so worth the effort, and it also means that the bikini can be changed and recycled without the trauma of trying to pick off glued on parts. After the stitching I then get to it with the hotfix crystals to fill in area's so they sparkle beautifully. Here is the back of the wings...you can only see it when she turns around. It has to be more pretty than the front. Here I have used the same lace and sew on crystals as on the bra...except this time gluing them on was my only option as there is so much wire in the support structure. I love the curve of the feathers that gives these wings such drama. So all in all I reckon this piece took me 5 hours in planning, designing, finding materials, consulting and measuring my client and fittings. The bra took me 10 solid hours to make and decorate the bra and 30 hours to construct the wings. That is a total of 45 hours solid work time with probably an extra 8 hours thinking, procrastination and sweating the small stuff. The great thing about a fantastic project like this to work on is that you can truly stretch your abilities and that it informs everything that follows. I actually felt sad when this particular piece left the building, it had been a constant companion in a really busy and stressful time. A lot of love has gone into it, and I hope that it gets to go on stage again and again. #themewearwings #feathercostume #costumedesign #fmcofficial #themewearcostume #wingmaker #angelcostume #behind

While most competition rules just specify a 2 piece bikini and some kind of parameter for the amount of glute they cover 2 Bros has some unwritten rules you will need to observe when selecting your bikini. Here are the guidelines, lifted directly from their website for the bikini class: "Competitors will compete in a two-piece suit. The bottom of the suit must be v-shaped. No thongs are permitted. Competitors can compete in an off the rack suit. All swimsuits must be in good taste. Athletes will be warned about improper suits and are advised to bring two (2) suits to check in. The fronts of the suits must be constructed high. Athletes will be scored down if the suit is not up to standard." This should be all you need to know...but it is not...in my experience each show has a flavour and preference for many aspects of the bikini that just aren't in the rules. The 2Bros Pro shows are affiliated to the IFBB Pro league, and look to the NPC for aesthetics. Check out my cheat sheet if you want to step on stage level pegging with your fellow competitors in a 2 Bros Pro show... So here is what cut and style you should be wearing and how to wear it in a nutshell: scoop front bottoms not too low simple connectors worn high on the hip Pro cut bum style (no thongs) triangle cups are preferable but not obligatory simple connectors on bikini straps simple crystal designs, 1-2-3 colours max and no complex patterns Colours are important too. Generally if your hair is dark wear a bold dark colour. Greens, reds, blues and purples are strong on stage and are usually high in the scoring zone. Blondes stick to mid tone colours such as turquoise, reds, emeralds and royal blues. I would avoid gold, silver and pale colours like the plague unless they work REALLY well with your skin tone. Crystal designs The bikini class in this division are very understated, in terms of crystal. Stick to a simple design such as an overall grid in one or two colours that stick closely to the chosen colour of your bikini. You could also have a mix of colours and AB colours, or perhaps an ombré design ( one colour transitioning into another) but make sure it sticks to the tone of your bikini. Of course having the right bikini is only part of your overall stage presence, but it can't hurt...right? . . . #bikinidesign #2brosprobikini #2brospro

Themewear is one of my favourite rounds in a fitness show. Think Victoria Secrets, Miss World National costume and full on samba regalia at carnival and you are in the ballpark! If ultra glamour and dress up are comfy places for you to strut your stuff you will love doing the themewear costume round! The themewear round was first conceived by the WBFF, but most pageant shows have their own incarnation. Pure Elite has the underwear round in their International Model category, UFE has their glamour round, FMC has a themewear round in their Bikini Model category and Glifting Girls also has a themewear round. In most of these categories your costume will involve a bikini and a variety of costume pieces and props. You can wear anything from carnival wings to elaborate head-dresses to flowing chiffon skirts....it's all about showing off and getting creative. The exception to this is the Pure Elite's underwear round...in this particular show you can still wear all the costume pieces and props but instead of wearing a bikini you will be wearing underwear. Not only will you be wearing a fabulous costume, but you must also be able walk the walk in it and ooze personality whilst on stage. In this category you are expected to pull off the ultimate costume round and display your unique style and personality, and I would advise you to go full out to get noticed....this is not a round for shrinking violets! The judges will be looking for a unique eye catching costume as well as your stage presence and poise. There are a variety of ways in which you can nail this round, it just requires some planning and investment. First you want to get your concept together....what exactly do you want to express on stage? Do you want to become a warrior on stage, a goddess, a super-hero, or villain or perhaps a pin-up or creatuer of fantasy. Take inspiration from other shows, but don't direct copy another competitors costume... unless of course you have bought your themewear second hand from another competitor. In which case try to find a way to add or mix it up to truly make it your own. If you are stumped about where to start looking for idea's I have a pinterest board for you, but please feel free to browse all my boards ...there are quite a few! You also need to think about colour. Do you already have a killer bikini or underwear set to use as your base garment? If not you will need to get one in the right colour scheme to fit your idea's....or maybe you already have something fabulous that could be used to springboard your concept from? Whatever you have already to work with ...work it baby! Scale is important too. Remember that you have to share stage space with, on average, ten to twenty other ladies. It is always better to wow the judges with the quality of your costume not the square footage that it occupies. You wear the costume darling...not the other way around! And finally consider your budget. This is usually the most expensive round to take part in because the materials and expertise needed to make the props are very specialist and usually expensive themselves. Feathers are particularly expensive to buy and import with the current economic downturn so factor these things in when planning your competition season. Here are some of the costume pieces I have created over the years, and I had lots of fun creating them all. Some of them even have their own blog posts if you would like to read up on individual costumes. And finally...have fun with it. Absolutely let yourself put on the character of the costume you have chosen and go for it on stage...you have about five minutes to make your impression on the judges, so own it! RECAP Shows that have themewear rounds: WBFF Pure Elite UFE FMC Glifting Girls

Revised and updated 21/1/2022 Every so often one of your favourite clients wants you to make the coolest costume that literally makes you fist bump the air....this was one of those costumes! Chloe Anderson, incredible pole artist and teacher contacted me after I posted up a robot inspired mood board on Instagram and commissioned me to create a pole costume that lit up. Well that got me wired! Then she told me that we only had three weeks until performance day...….ack! Design Process I took inspiration from the original moodboard and get sketching my ideas down. First I sketch put as many ideas as I can, and then start eliminating the weakest ones and keeping the strongest ones to develop further. This is one of the designs I liked the most...but it wasn't the one Chloe picked in the end. Chloe wanted to stick very closely to one of the costumes on the moodboard, and with a bit of too and froing on whatsapp we had a working idea of our costume, a budget and even picked out the boots to go with. Once the design was set I had just over two weeks to execute the design ready for show day. The next step was doing a bit of research and ordering the materials required. I had never used electrics in a costume before so I had a lot of research to do and very little time to pull it all together. Materials and Making Chloe wanted to use PVC as the main fabric. It is slick and sexy and matched her pole heels. Pole costumes, like all dance costumes need to be able to stretch so the dancer can move fluidly, so I needed to use a combination of lycra and PVC fabrics strategically. Sometimes synergy just happens, and that was the case with this costume....it just seemed to flow and develop itself. Until the electrics arrived anyway... I usually have a good grasp of what I need to do in advance, and I searched online to find tutorials and information. I knew this one was going to stretch my skills, but I was pretty sure I could figure it out. Resources I found some really great information online on how to use EL wire in costumes. The most useful resources were Adafruit and Enlightened. I decided to use two different types of EL wire. Insert piping has the wire is encased in clear plastic and a lip that can be sewn within the seam of the garment for the neatest possible finish and I decided that this would work very well on the jacket collar. Then I used EL wire sewn on directly for other corset and suspender belt details. Final fitting Final fitting took place just under a week before deadline. I needed to check the fit of the whole costume and test the parameters of the costume to check the costume for flexibility and comfort. The costume has to be danced in so there are a lot more things to think about than if a model is just walking and posing and it has to be far more robust. the costume needed to stretch in the right places but stay in place the jacket needed to house the battery pack so we needed to figure out where that should be placed the suspender belt needed to clip onto the boots and not ping off. After checking the costume, and giving it a test run my part was done. It was now up to Chloe to perform her routine. Here is the final costume in action, worn by pole artist and teacher Chloe Anderson. Photograph by The Image Cella. #couturepolecostume #misscbikini #bespokecostume #troncostume #polecostumedesign

Updated for 2022! This is part 2 of my beginners guide to fitness competitions. In part 1 you found out how you pick the right federation for you. Go and read that first if you haven't already. Here we will covering in more depth the SPORT end of the competition spectrum and explain the categories you can compete in. This guide is useful for the following federations: UKBFF, NABBA, BNBF, PCA, 2BROS PRO, BNBF, WABBA and I strongly advise you to go and read the rules carefully for your specific Federation as their are some variations in bikini style and glute coverage that should be noted. I have also written a handy guide on which bikini bum shape you need for each federation, to read up on that follow my link to What's the Crack?... So...you've been to some shows, watched some video's and selected your federation, now it's time to see which category (sometimes also called class) you fit into. Category Breakdown These are four main categories in the sport federations...bikini, wellness, body fitness and physique. These can be further divided by experience, age, condition and height if there are a large number of competitors. Bikini In the larger federations bikini categories will be sub-divided by condition, experience, height and age if there are a large number of competitors in a class or category. CONDITION Bikini (UKBFF) and Bikini toned (PCA)is the 'softest' of the fitness looks. Bikini competitors are expected to look fit and healthy with good muscle tone ( but not defined muscle tone) and balance across the body. Bikini trained (PCA) is a step up from bikini toned, for women with a more toned muscle structure and lower body fat. Symmetry, balance and proportion are also very important. HEIGHT Most of these federations separate out height classes for bikini categories. The idea being that like is being judged by like....to make it fairer in comparison. Expect at the minimum to have a short and tall bikini class, 2BROS PRO are the exception and go further with 8 height classes (published on their website). If particular height classes are undersubscribed they will probably be grouped together with another height class. AGE Junior is aimed at women under 23, open is open to all ages and masters is generally for women aged 35 and over. For most of the shows the bikini style is fairly flexible in terms of design. You can wear either the triangle or bra cup design according to your personal preference and bottoms can be fitted with or without connectors. Bikini style bottoms are usually scooped at the front and always scrunched on the bum. If you are competing in a 2Bros Pro show they have bikini 'preferences' which I strongly advise you to follow if your aim is to place high. You should wear a triangle bikini top, and a pro bum cut with connectors worn very high on the hip. For a quick visual look at all the bikini styles CLICK HERE wellness (UKBFF/2BROS PRO) This is a relatively new catagory and sits between the traditional bikini and body fitness. It is for women with less body fat, more muscle definition and who have more development on the hips and upper leg than the upper body. PCA equivalent would be the aforementioned Bikini trained. Bikini style for all bikini divisions is a 2 piece bikini, the colour, style and material is of course your own personal choice. body fitness Figure (BNBF) and Body Fitness (UKBFF) categories are for women who have defined muscle on their upper and lower bodies and low body fat but by no means are as heavily muscled as physique. It is also very useful to note here that the posing for bodyfitness and physique differs greatly from that of bikini and wellness and a different bikini style is worn. Body Fitness and Physique traditionally wear a 2 piece bikini that crosses over at the back and attaches to the bikini bottoms. For a quick visual look at all the bikini styles CLICK HERE physique Physique (UKBFF), Trained figure (PCA), BODYBUILDING (BNBF) are the most muscular women's categories and are designed for those women who display clear definition and striations in their muscle tone and have a heavy over-all muscle tone and very little body fat. Physique is one of the categories with the least competitors but has it's roots deep in the old school bodybuilding federations. NOTES links to federation rules: UKBFF PCA NABBA/ WABBA BNBF 2BROS PRO

My last costume piece hit the #WBFFofficial stage at the O2 Indigo London on 26th May 2019. I wish I had been there to see Rachel Louise Turner Fitness take the stage. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Rachel, and realise her costume from inspiration to final product. So lets start at the beginning. It won't come as a surprise (when you see the finished costume) that the original inspiration for this costume was an image of Kendall Jenner on the Victoria Secrets catwalk show 2019. Well, I thought...game on! From my original source material the specific parameters that Rachel had set were the colour scheme of black and silver, that it had a cropped bolero long sleeve top and wings. From these points I could begin to create my own version...because who wants to just copy? Not me. This feather backpiece was more than likely created by Killer (but I am hard pushed to find any definite source...I have tried) who has been a wing maker for Victoria Secret fashion shows for many years. To read more about Killer and her work read this article Inside Killer Studio. The very afternoon Rachel made her enquiry I was off sketching, planning materials and thinking about how I was going to make it.... I was so excited! Finding feathers within budget is always the biggest problem...and unfortunately I have to source them from China to bring the costs down for almost any project that includes feathers. Feathers can take over a month to be shipped, and the financial climate since Brexit has made importing any materials....well, you get the jist. For these wings I decided that keeping them strong and spiky was a must for the strength of the design so I chose to use layers of pheasant feathers for the main body and lady Amhurst tail feathers sparingly to give it more height. The original Killer version is almost a circular halo behind Kendall Jenner, but I wanted mine to have more central height to properly frame Rachel and give her more stage presence. While I built the wings I was also cracking down on the other elements of the costume: the bikini and super cropped bolero. For the bikini I wanted to use the supercool strappy style that is fashionable in lingerie design at the moment. It nods nicely to the VS designs whilst not copying them. It's also a style I have been developing since 2016 and I was really glad that Rachel let me run with my idea's and didn't at any point put the brakes on me. (thanks Rachel) I proposed using sequin fabric for the main body of the bikini because it would just shine on stage under the lights and then I sourced some lovely black lace to overlay the bra and panties so I could bring in my black elements into a cohesive design. The black lace was also useful for balancing the costume, especially in the bra. Sometimes if a costume is all one block of colour on a large busted figure it will visually make the overall look very top heavy, and Rachel and I both agreed on this overall effect. Originally I was going to use AB crystals on the stars and to decorate the bra...but when I put them on they just looked too 'busy' compared to the stark strong design...so I vetoed them and opted for crystal clear instead. Every time I watched the video of Rachel walking around in her wings the whole backpiece took on a motion all of it's own, the stars were especially bouncy so I wanted to bring some of that movement back into the costume...so I added some diamante dangles and we were cooking on gas! Then I finally got into the bolero using lace offcuts from the bra to add detail to the collar and cuffs and add stability to those area's to take the weight of the diamante detailing. I am still waiting for show pics...will add them as soon as they are available. #WBFFLondon #themewearwings #themewearcostume #Indigoo2 #London #Fitnesscompetition

Name – Shivani Age – 38 Federations – MiamiPro and PureElite Categories – Bikini and Bikini over 35 List your competition placings please, starting with the most recent... April 2018 PureElite Pro Show PureElite Bikini Pro – 3rd Pure Elite Bikini Pro Over 35 – 1st MiamiPro Pro Show MiamiPro Bikini Pro – 2nd MiamiPro Bikini Pro Over 35 – 1st April 2017 MiamiPro Amateur Show MiamiPro Bikini – 4th MiamiPro Bikini Over 35 – 3rd and Pro Card Was there anything in particular that got you interested in competing? I became interested in competing after seeing the changes and progression I was making from weight training. I always admired the girls that got on stage to compete so made that my goal. When was your first competition and how do you feel about the experience in hindsight? My first competition was in April 2017 – it truly was a challenge with work alongside it. There were moments where I wasn’t sure I could fit everything in and if I’d made the right decision to compete at all. It taught me a lot about discipline, self motivation and how far I can push myself. The first time you compete is always the best one! You compete in Pure Elite and Miami Pro....what do you like about those federations? MiamiPro was my first show and my heart will always be there – Angie the CEO has a great set up; backstage is fun and it has a real carnival feel. PureElite has a lovely family feel and they have more smaller shows during the year – great for first time shows! Both shows allow for creative stage wear and flexibility in posing - so you can show of both your physique and personality. What is your favourite thing about competing? The challenge and the opportunity to show off all the hard graft from the gym! How do you fit competition prep around your day job? This is by far the hardest part for me – I get really organised with food prep and plan, plan, plan! Make allowances for slip ups in during your prep period and socials have to be sacrificed unfortunately. There’s a lot of dry shampoo and baby wipes involved to get everything in!! When you are prepping for competition what's an average day like for you? Tough!! Also depends on where I am in the world with work and travel. Usually cardio at 6am, 8-6pm work, weights 8-9pm follow up with work 9.30 10.30pm, 11.30pm sleep. Quite often I check work emails etc during cardio. I’ll have 4 meals spread throughout the day, plus a protein shake after my weights session. What guilty pleasure do you treat yourself to after a competition? Sleep!! Lots of it! Followed by sushi, goat curry and lamb samosas!! Do you consider yourself to be a body confident person? Not always – it took me until my mid 30s to love my body in all its shapes and sizes. I now love it stage lean and off season. Competing has taught me to understand all stages and changes of my physique. As females we have hormones too which can have a huge impact on how our body looks and how we feel about ourselves. It's impossible to stay in stage condition...how do you deal with off- season? If you want to grow you have to eat! I don’t believe in a huge bulking season, I take the time after the show food wise very seriously and reverse diet for 6-8 weeks. I then start to allow myself a few extra treats as my food increases and my body stabilises. I keep track of my lean body mass and don’t overdo the naughty things. Do you have the body you want...or are you still working to improve? I am happy with the body I have for sure! But once you start competing in aesthetics and bodybuilding I think there always room for improvements – more glutes, more shoulders… What's your super power? Power of the mind! #ShivanfitnessPro #PureElitePro #RealLifeStoriesFitness #fitnesscompetition

Q What kind of shoot excites you as a photographer? I love photographing people and showing them a whole new way to see themselves. I love the confidence that a photoshoot with a good photographer can do... I love watching people transform in front of the camera- when I get them to come out of their shell and really reveal themselves. It is an amazing thing to watch and I never get bored of it! Q What influences your style of photography? I love the work of Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, Ellen Von Unwerth, Kai York, Bob Carlos Clark, Herb Ritts are all inspirational as well as the amazing educators on Creative Live which I find an invaluable resource. I'm more definitely more influenced by fashion photography than other fitness photographers. I have a background in sculpture. I studied it at University in Toronto, Canada where I am from originally. I love creating shapes and sculpting the body with light and shadow. I think this is why fitness photography particular appeals to me. Bodybuilders and athletes push themselves to the limit to shape and sculpt their bodies so photographing their already sculpted physiques really lends itself to creating beautiful images. Q What was your introduction to the fitness industry? I very much happened upon it by accident. I was trying to think of a new project one January- which is a terrible month for portrait photographers as most people eat too much over the holidays, get spotty and feel bloated and pale. The last thing your average couch potato wants is a photo shoot! That was when I met Francis Williams, a personal trainer in Brighton who works at the Underground Gym. We arranged several shoots together and from there I learned a lot more about this amazing industry. I'd been shooting mostly fashion and burlesque photo shoots at that time so it was a totally new industry for me... I found it really inspiring and the people within the industry are so driven and have such self belief I loved it right from the beginning. As discussed, you do fitness shoots...but your work is very varied....what's the craziest thing you have done with your job? The highest profile and most stressful job I've ever done was when I was chosen as one of 5 photographers to photograph the Commonwealth 2018 Summit in London. I was lucky enough to photograph 54 heads of state the Royal Family as well as numerous other influential people in Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St James Castle and other venues around London. It was an amazing thrill and such a privilege to be asked to do so. One of the craziest shoots I'm doing this week is a Twisted Circus- KinkyCarnival Fashion shoot where I am taking 8 models and a film crew to a beach hut on Hove seafront to create some crazy original images. Q-I see a lot of fitness photographers have a set style, how would you describe your signature style? I try to make my work unique. I don't like everyone to have the same photo as anyone else. When I shoot women particularly I want them to look strong and sexy and confident but to really let their femininity and unique personality shine through. Q-Do you have set idea's in your mind about fitness shots or do prefer ad lib? Until you actually meet the model it is difficult to know what they will be capable of- So I tend to try and keep an open mind until I meet them... Saying that I always have a massive load of ideas I am always waiting for the right person to come along so I can try them out! Q You make women look so sexy and beautiful, how do you get ladies to release their potential? I think that after the relaxing process of having your make up and hair done people are usually a bit anxious but they know they look their best. When I start to photograph them I help them to pose and to make the most of their bodies. I explain through out why I am getting them into certain poses and we always have a laugh during the shoot. It is loads of fun and I think every woman should have a photo shoot at some time in their lives so they can feel how amazing the process feels and see how amazing they can look when they go to a good photographer. ​​ Q- Do you prefer studio shoots or location shoots? I love them both for totally different reasons. The studio is great as it is totally controlled... Models feel safe and you can build a set there. Location shoots are amazing too for the unpredictability and the stories and atmosphere that the location adds to the photos. I particularly love shooting in Boutique Hotels... though sometimes the lighting is tricky. What is your dream photo shoot? My dreams are always changing! At the moment it is to create a Dusk Til Dawn inspired shoot with one of Chrissie's designs and a gorgeous albino Boa! We will likely do this this summer! My other dreams would be to shoot on some exotic beaches around the world and other breathtaking locations. I will be planning some of these this winter. What is your super power? My superpower?I make people look and feel amazing. Susan Grace Hinamn is a Canadian born portrait photographer working in Brighton and Hove. UK. She specializes in making women look beautiful and sassy. www.susangracehinman.co.uk #SusanGraceHinman #photographyshoot #fitnessphotography

Getting the right make up look is essential to any shoot. For our Poppy shoot we were working on a sultry siren look to go with our opium fairy concept and Liz Allen was just the right lady to help us with that! Over to you Liz.... Shivali had amazing skin and obviously eats very healthily and trains everyday . Having only seen a profile photo making sure the right foundation used was essencial . Shivali doesn’t normally wear much make up but on meeting her I knew our collaborated ideas for a ‘sultry opium fairy ‘ was perfect for her. I first moisturised skin and then used Mac prep and prime I did a very light coverage of Mac NC40 studio fix all over face which was a perfect match for models skin tone . It’s important on darker skin not to go too light as can make the skin look grey and too dark can make skin look dirty . I used Mac paintily eye primer all over eye to brow line and used my finger to press gentle into skin . This acts as an anchor for the eyeshadow and gives more depth of colour. Shivali already had great brows but I enhanced and shaped them using HD brows palette and mac eyebrow pencil in Spike I knew Chrissie wanted a deep intense smokey eye and having been sent a photo of her amazing red bikini I interpreted a look for our sultry sexy poppy field opium fairy I used the Anastasia Beverly Hills Renaissance palette alongside urban Decay smoky naked palette to build up colour and depth to create a soft but strong smouldering eye using colours TEMPERA, BUON FRESCO , VENETIAN RED,LOVELETTER, CYPRUS UMBER . Vermeer for highlighting brow line . Black Mac eyeliner in sleek on top Black Dior mascara and a set of eyelure false lashes to complete the look I then re applied foundation.. used a little urban decay concealer under eye and contoured using Kat Von D shade and light.a little Mac prep and prime highlighter medium plus on inner and outer corners of eye to mane them ‘pop’ I also put a little on Shivali’s top lip to enhance her pout . Lips were lined and filled in with Mac vino lip liner .. it gave a deeper base ..lady danger Matt Mac lipstick with a little dot of Dior flash red lipgloss on bottom lip A dusting of Mac bronzing powder MAC MOCHA blusher set the look with prep and prime finishing powder also Mac. Sprayed face with MAC fix+ #fitnessmakeup #LizAllenMUA #photographyshoot

Seldom are my business posts so personal as this one as I say goodbye to my dear friend. To many she was Dometria: fierce and formidable body fitness competitor.... but to me she was also Koulla, a vibrant and strong woman who's life and soul was her family... she was the loyalist of friends, life mentor and someone I looked up to for constant inspiration and real talk. Like all those who were close to her the tail end of last week doesn't feel real, I find it hard to articulate my confusion and sense of loss. Dometria had just celebrated her win at the IFBA Italia just over a month ago, and was gearing up to compete in the UKBFF later this month. She was so happy at this moment, this is how I will remember her....full of pride, larger than life and dedicated to pushing herself as far as she can go. True story: she was also the very person who got me into making bikinis! If it wasn't for Koulla I wouldn't have found my little niche in the world. Like many who knew her I feel like the world just got a little less bright, I'm certainly going to miss her hilarious stories of misadventure and her constant advice and support. I'm finding it very hard to write this post, I still feel shell shocked that I won't be seeing her or speaking to her again so I will end it here. Rest in Peace beautiful angel, Koulla Kakoulli and all my love and sympathy to her family.

Nikky Ricks, nutritionist, personal trainer, powerlifting and strong man coach, owner of Waugh machines gym and UKBFF South Coast champion 2017 talks candidly about her fitness journey so far. I have always admired Nikky Ricks no nonsense attitude...it fills my Northern heart with joy. Nikki is a champion of self authenticity, coaching and supporting many people to achieve their own body transformations...and she is a dab hand at doing her own bikinis, which have a somewhat anti-hero theme in the last few years. When did your fitness journey begin? I first began with gymnastics at the age of 9. However I became too tall to do anything but vault and floor and so then switched to athletics. A knee injury finished that career and so I then moved on to boxing and karate ( the latter of which I didn’t get on with) then moved on to kickboxing. After realising I was probably a bit too old for all that nonsense I switched to bodybuilding. It’s a lot less painful as the weights don’t hit back Was there something specific that triggered it or have you always had a good relationship with keeping fit? I have always been active in one way or another. When did you decide to compete? My bodybuilding journey started because someone told me I couldn’t cut it. I love a challenge Have you always been a figure girl/bodybuilder or did you make a conscious decision to go in that direction? Because of my sports background I could never compete in bikini. I have visible abs all year round and my legs are solid from years of jumping around. I am built like a 14 year old boy. Definitely the wrong shape for bikini. I’m also an ectomorph by nature, so putting on mass is a mission. I am definitely not genetically predisposed toward bodybuilding but as I said before, I love a challenge How has your body confidence changed through your years of training/competing? I have never been particularly bothered by the way I look. I don’t wear makeup and you’re generally lucky if I remember to brush my hair before I leave the house. Having said that, if I do go out, I do like to dress up. Training and especially body building teaches you to think about your body in ways other than as a way to be attractive. I don’t think of my body as something to attract the opposite sex so other peoples opinions on the way I look are none of my business. I am a work in progress always but how I look is not a reflection of who I am. People often seem to feel the need to make comments but its not a reflection of me it’s a reflection of them. Why should it bother anyone else how I look? Have you achieved your own body goals now or is there still work to do? Oh my!, no where near lol. This will always be a continued process. Like I said before though, its not a negative thing. It’s a positive one. Its what drives me. That chase for improvement. You can’t achieve perfection but It doesn’t stop you chasing it. How do you cope with the off-season? I freaking love off season. I actually don’t enjoy being very lean. Its extremely uncomfortable. I love my food too. However food for me is a means to an end too. I will eat rubbish but it’s a choice and always factored in. I eat mindfully and I can tell you exactly what I have eaten in the day, even offseason. Do you enjoy competing? I love it or I wouldn’t do it. I love the offseason, the prep, show day, everything. Its just so much fun. I often feel people take it all far too seriously. We are not hardcore or badass, we are a bunch of guys and girls that train, diet and get tanned up to prance around in sparkly pants. We aren’t exactly saving the world so enjoy what you do but be realistic about it. Oh and there's the cheeseburgers after, never forget the cheeseburgers What's your favourite competing moment? I think probably winning the south coast championship last year. Not because I won but because I had all my gang with me. The day was so relaxed and such fun. What was your worst competing moment? Oh my goodness lol. Getting up on stage is such a myriad and complex cache of emotions but I think I speak for all bodybuilders when I say getting up on stage knowing you’re not at your best is the worst feeling ever. When you are training to compete, who coaches you? Me … Sadly I do have a few health issues which make me a little hard to prep. I would love to find someone who can cope with it one day and then can hand the responsibility of it all over to them. Prepping and coaching yourself is hard and keeping it level headed when you’re at the tail end is always a challenge What are your personal demons when you train to compete? That I am not good enough to compete. My gym is full of British champions. Its enough to give anyone an inferiority complex lol What's your super power? Sarcasm lol If you would like to contact Nikki for coaching: Waugh Machines gym Unit 2 Building 1 Whitehall Works Kent CT12 6DF 01843854400 www.waughmachinesgym.com facebook Nikky Ricks … Waugh machines gym Insatgram @Nikky_Ricks…@waughmachines Twitter @nikkyricks….@waughmachines #RealLifeStoriesFitness #bodyconfidence #femalebodybuilding #UKBFF