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As a follow up on last weeks episode, I wanted to dive a little deeper on my point that growing/building phases are actually much harder than dieting phases (when done well). It's important to know WHY, so that you can actually embrace and maximise these phases (and your progress) to your full potential. Thank you for listening as always!  If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️ Enter or Spectate the 2026 NBW International: https://events.naturalbbworldwide.com/ Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx

On this week’s episode I wanted to discuss the idea of ‘earning the right’ to diet. Essentially, being in a position where you can actually warrant going into a fat loss phase, doing it well & getting the results you want (without an unwanted negative experience or side effects).  As it can sometimes be hard to know if dieting is or isn’t the right call for you… where it be a case of simply deciding whether to pursue a growing or fat loss phase, or off the back of a recent prep. Today I cover WHY it’s important we do an assessment before going into a diet phase & some of the points you should consider. If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️ Enter or Spectate the 2026 NBW International: https://events.naturalbbworldwide.com/ Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx Chapters 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 01:09 Main topic: Earning the right to diet 02:08 Why most people prefer dieting over building muscle 03:07 The false perception of quick aesthetic results 04:00 The challenge of a proper growing phase 05:24 The misconception that dieting provides instant gratification 06:24 Social media's influence on body image and dieting standards 11:08 When not to diet: building muscle first 12:35 The importance of muscle mass for revealing physique 16:22 Assessing readiness: muscle, health, and psychological factors 20:40 Psychological and hormonal considerations for dieting 26:19 Timing and proximity to previous diets or preps 33:30 Health over aesthetics: the priority in dieting 35:53 Conclusion: The importance of earning the right to diet

Hello everyone! Hope you are all doing super well as always - coming at you with a replay episode this week (as we are very much in the thick of competitive season), and I wanted to re-fresh and re-address this episode on 'Peaking' Female Competitors. Hopefully you can find this insightful from both an athlete and coaching perspective. Thank you for listening as always!  If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️ Enter or Spectate the 2026 NBW International: https://events.naturalbbworldwide.com/ Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx

A brief but important reminder & little chit chat around this topic to discuss this week  🫶🏻 Thank you for listening as always!  If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️ Enter or Spectate the 2026 NBW International: https://events.naturalbbworldwide.com/ Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx Chapters 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 02:37 The importance of enjoying bodybuilding prep 05:56 Building a foundation of enjoyment in bodybuilding 08:49 The impact of perspective and content consumption 11:40 The importance of enjoying the entire process 14:05 Controlling your mindset and enjoyment 15:05 The role of content and community in mindset 16:01 The cross-transfer of mindset skills from other sports 16:58 Building mental resilience and accountability 18:54 Final thoughts and encouragement to enjoy the journey

Figuring out what class or category to compete in can be a little bit of a whirlwind at times, especially if you are new to the sport and all of the divisions feel so overwhelming. Ultimately there are some factors that we can assess (in order of priority) to help increase your understanding of what division is ultimately right for YOU. Thank you for listening as always!  If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️ Enter or Spectate the 2026 NBW International: https://events.naturalbbworldwide.com/ Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx

Feeling like you're 'missing the mark' with your condition & just simply struggling to get down into the condition you want as an athlete, can be super frustrating. But there's a usually a few things you can look at to assess IF you really aren't lean enough & if so, why that's the case (how you can fix that moving forwards. As always I hope you find this episode helpful and thank you for for supporting the podcast! If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️ Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx Listen to the Natural Female Muscle Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ACytE60wOsCU2yPF8AtX6?si=rilOgxK0Q8aYV84SpxH9LA Chapters 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 01:09 Why natural athletes often struggle with stage condition 02:09 The debate around conditioning and natural potential 03:33 Impact of assisted vs. natural athletes on conditioning 05:56 The importance of muscle mass for leanness 06:24 Muscle mass as a prerequisite for stage lean condition 16:47 Starting prep with too much body fat and insufficient time 17:16 The value of long, steady prep processes 21:42 The importance of realistic timeline management 29:52 Fatigue, inflammation, and peak week strategies 33:55 Adherence, effort, and honest communication in prep 41:04 Nuances and individual differences in natural bodybuilding

It can be so easy to get so caught up in a world of comparison where you feel like your goals are insurmountable. You feel so far away from the things you want to achieve & might even find yourself believing that you’ll never get there.But it’s why it’s so important to remember that every single person has to start somewhere & go on their own journey. Those starting points in and of themselves are also immensely special in their own way too. Thank you for listening as always!  If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️  Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx

It's very common for you to hear athletes complain about 'missing their peak' on show day (maybe you have even experienced this yourself) - but what does this ACTUALLY mean? And how can we address this to ensure we in fact do NOT miss our peak on show day? I dive into some of my thoughts and considerations in this weeks episode that I hope you find valuable! Thank you for listening as always!  If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️  Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx

Competing can become very addictive or even simply something we feel as if we 'have' to do on a regular basis once you label yourself as a competitor. But competing more frequently is often not the answer to what you actually want in your bodybuilding journey. In this episode I dive into the risks of competing too often, the issues you will encounter and WHY you might benefit in a number of different areas by competing less frequently (taking time off between preps). As always, thank you so much for listening! If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️  Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx

It cannot be understated how important training longevity is for us to acknowledge and prioritise with the way that we approach bodybuilding. I've definitely made my fair share of mistakes in the past that would have absolutely hindered my longevity, and would not have ended well if I kept going down that path. I want to share some of my best pieces of advice to help you get the absolutely most of your own training journey. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and personal trip reflection 01:23 My training journey and injury history 04:49 Why training longevity matters beyond aesthetics 06:15 The importance of long-term progress in bodybuilding 07:38 Common barriers to training longevity: injuries and mindset 08:07 Differences between bodybuilding and health-focused training 09:28 Managing training intensity and avoiding overtraining 10:58 Realistic strength progression and patience 13:23 Training intent and muscle engagement 15:42 Emotional attachment to movements and ego lifting 17:07 Recognizing trigger movements and replacing them 19:26 The risks of overusing assistance gear 22:22 Injury prevention: mobility, rehab, and warm-up routines 24:49 Ignoring injuries and the dangers of denial 27:15 Balancing growth phases with recovery and pullbacks 29:28 Final thoughts on long-term training and injury management

Sadly we often see people come and go from the sport - not because they didn’t love it, but because they got burnt out.  But this is absolutely something you can manage and avoid with the right understanding and systems in place, so that you can continue doing the things you love with passion. I have learnt a LOT about this over the year & wanted to share some helpful insight!  Thank you for listening as always! Please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️  Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Relevance of Burnout in Bodybuilding 00:30 Recognizing the Signs of Burnout and Disillusionment 02:23 Loving Bodybuilding and How to Sustain It 04:44 Key Turning Points in Loz's Bodybuilding Journey 15:17 The Importance of Having a Life Outside Bodybuilding 22:26 Flexibility and Time to Switch Off 32:02 Managing Bodybuilding Content and Overanalysis 33:57 The Pitfalls of Constant Competition 42:30 Timing and Managing Competition and Work 48:45 Understanding Motivation and Long-Term Passion 51:39 Sharing Personal Journey to Inspire Longevity 53:03 Connecting with Loz and Final Thoughts

Being accountable to the goals you want to achieve is of course such a huge part of making them a reality. Understanding WHY you struggle to accountable to yourself, and to the goals you want to achieve - is an important part of being able to make actionable changes in your life that help drive you see the improvements you want.  I hope you find this episode helpful as always & can take some valuable points on board that help you with increasing your own accountability!  Thank you for listening as always! Please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️  Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx Chapters 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 01:09 The importance of accountability in achieving goals 02:08 Understanding cognitive consistency and its role in accountability 04:02 Breaking down long-term goals into manageable phases 10:18 Logical breakdown of inputs and outputs for accountability 18:31 Creating systems and environment to support accountability 25:42 The power of daily reflection and self-awareness 26:12 The role of coaching and external accountability 33:20 Optimising environment and social support 42:28 Locking in accountability through process and investment 44:23 The importance of verbalising goals and making them real 45:51 Conclusion and key takeaways

Growing phases can be extremely hard to handle, not just physically... but mentally over anything else. Especially as a female when there is so much narrative around being 'smaller', it feels backwards to chase doing the opposite. But it's ultimately such a wonderful and important process to embrace - to not only make amazing progress - but to fully embrace being the best version of yourself (not the smallest version of yourself) So here's some of my advice on how to do this ❤️ If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️  Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx

This week I wanted to touch on some really common habits I see people falling into when it comes to managing their daily nutrition that can be really detrimental towards your progress (without you realising). Hopefully this episode can help you to nip these things in the bud & avoid them if you really want to make the most progress possible. Thank you for listening as always!  If you enjoyed the episode, please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️  Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx

It cannot be understated how important training longevity is for us to acknowledge and prioritise with the way that we approach bodybuilding. I've definitely made my fair share of mistakes in the past that would have absolutely hindered my longevity, and would not have ended well if I kept going down that path. I want to share some of my best pieces of advice to help you get the absolutely most of your own training journey. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and personal trip reflection 01:23 My training journey and injury history 04:49 Why training longevity matters beyond aesthetics 06:15 The importance of long-term progress in bodybuilding 07:38 Common barriers to training longevity: injuries and mindset 08:07 Differences between bodybuilding and health-focused training 09:28 Managing training intensity and avoiding overtraining 10:58 Realistic strength progression and patience 13:23 Training intent and muscle engagement 15:42 Emotional attachment to movements and ego lifting 17:07 Recognizing trigger movements and replacing them 19:26 The risks of overusing assistance gear 22:22 Injury prevention: mobility, rehab, and warm-up routines 24:49 Ignoring injuries and the dangers of denial 27:15 Balancing growth phases with recovery and pullbacks 29:28 Final thoughts on long-term training and injury management Thank you for listening as always! Please make sure to give the podcast a 5 Star Rating ⭐️  Message me about your goals here: https://wa.link/q50uty Coaching Enquiries: https://form.typeform.com/to/iZ9zMXjK NBW Clothing (Code LOZ): https://nbwclothing.com/ Join the Natural Bodybuilding Worldwide Community today: https://naturalbbworldwide.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loz.v/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@loz.vickers Shop for ALL of your Supplements over at Pitstop Nutrition, Code ‘LOZ10’:  https://pitstopnutrition.co.uk?sca_ref=9492715.ne77awIvi8bNpx