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Mother of three competes againDate: 04.06.2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info Team Canada
Will the third time be a charm? Local fitness instructor Delphene Balan hopes so. She will be participating in her first fitness contest since birth of her third child, taking place in Red Deer June 16th.
Balan, who always enjoyed strength training and weight lifting, began competing to ‘open a different fitness road’ and hasn’t looked back.
The road to success in bodybuilding is not an easy one.
“You eat differently,” explained Balan. “You work out differently.”
Although Balan said she loves to eat ‘clean’, eating healthy isn’t always easy.
“I knew it was going to be challenging,” she said. “I am constantly having to prepare meals.”
She isn’t exaggerating. Balan eats six meals a day while running after a toddler!
“Having such a busy life already I really have to put the effort in but it’s worth it,” she said.
Her constant eating throughout the day is the key to her dieting success and she advised anyone looking to shed a few around the middle to do the same.
“You are never stuffed and you are never starved,” explained Balan. “By eating six small healthy meals throughout the day you are constantly fueling your body.”
Balan explained that her best defense against cravings is to simply go cold turkey.
“My husband can eat pizza in front of me and it doesn’t even bother me,” she said. “I’ve learned what high octane fuel feels like.”
Balan said that she has been healthy for so long that if he trainer advises her to have a high calorie meal, she will physically feel sick.
“Not everybody experiences that,” she explained. “I have a real intolerance for sugar. You really learn what your body likes and what it doesn’t.”
The results speak for themselves; Balan is ripped. You would never guess this woman is a mommy three times over by her six-pack and she easily looks ten years younger than she is. Age, Balan explained, is an advantage is her sport.
“Older girls win over younger,” she said. “It’s much harder for younger girls to have their bodies formed and conditioned. This one sport where age is rewarded.”
Balan’s exact sport has changed over the years. She is now returning to the ‘figure’ competition after a stint in bodybuilding.
“I didn’t want to stop and be a local competitor,” she explained. “You have to put on a lot of size to go pro. There are a lot of injuries, especially for women. ”
Balan chose to compete in figure which evaluates a competitors overall form partially to try out a new ‘look.’
“It’s more of an athletic, feminine look. It’s more esthetically pleasing,” she said. “They’re looking for the overall package. I find it much harder.”
According to Balan, judges are looking for competitors with leanness, muscle symmetry, a small amount of water and a small amount of fat.
“It’s more of a nice streamlined effect not ripped and muscular,” she explained.
Balan credits her amazing shape to a new trainer, Scott Able, and hopes that this time she can place better than ever before in the competition.
“His method has allowed me to attain and maintain muscle while leaning down my body,” she said. “He has me exercise on different plains of motion to build muscle.”
Although the results of a healthy diet and exercise speak for themselves, this is also a competition.
“Winning isn’t everything but wanting to win is,” she said. “It’s not even about the trophy. It’s so much more than that. You are accomplishing things all the way up to the show.”
Although Balan doesn’t care about the trophy she still dreams of an Olympic stage.
“That’s pretty much dreams came true time,” she said.
Balan encourages anyone interested in bodybuilding to take the plunge.
“If you’ve ever even had a fleeting thought about it, do it,” she said. I have made more changes in my life because of this. I have increased my confidence level, personal and physical strength. I just feel like I can accomplish anything.”
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