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Silja Paulus spent a year pounding weights in the gym, tailoring what she ate (and often massively restricting calories), and sculpting her body--all for a few short minutes posing in a bikini and high heels in front of a panel of judges.  This is the life of a bikini fitness athlete, a form of bodybuilding that requires a particular form of dedication.  Silja had to train her body in a variety of ways--from lifting weights and learning to walk "naturally" in 3-4 inch heels, to dealing with "brain fog," a result of extreme calorie restriction.  Silja shares humorous behind-the-scenes stories too: getting spray tanned with other muscular (sometimes unclothed) bodies; 4:00am makeup calls; and why her best friend needed to shave her back. Silja also opens up about the dark side of this endeavor--women often temporarily lose their menstrual periods, and bodies can rebound and put on excess weight in the aftermath of a competition. Silja is now a health coach, and strives to compete in bikini fitness in a "healthier, more positive" way in the future.

In this episode:

01:50--Describing what "bikini fitness" is and how it fits into the bodybuilding world
04:10--The importance of knowing how to pose correctly and walk in high heels
06:55--What it's like backstage at a competition
08:46--Why athletes scrub with dishwasher soap and shave everywhere before competitions
10:32--The layers and layers of spray tans (and occasional naked bodies)
13:22--What Silja would do after a competition
14:32--Why Silja switched from marathon running to bikini fitness competitions
17:40--How her training changed
18:39--How her diet changed
22:06--"Brain fog"--what it is and why it happens
24:34--Silja's sudden, unexpected weight gain after her last competition
26:00--Her new approach: listening to her body, treating it well
28:43--Biggest misconception about bikini fitness athletes


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