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The bodybuilding off-season isn’t always the easy part.

In this episode, Romana and Sarah get brutally honest about what really happens when the goal shifts from getting lean to building muscle, gaining weight and looking after your health.

They dive into:

• The mental battle of gaining weight - learning to see scale weight as potential muscle growth rather than automatically seeing it as fat.
• When your clothes stop fitting - wedgies, chafing, bras that no longer fit and why needing bigger clothes can actually be a sign of progress.
• Body image and perception - how extreme competition leanness can skew the way you see yourself once you begin gaining weight.
• Why BMI isn’t the whole story - particularly when it comes to muscular athletes.
• Health behind the physique - including iron levels, blood health, fatigue and the effects of anabolics.
• Hormonal health - hypothalamic amenorrhea, HRT and why protecting long-term health matters.
• Lethargy, sleep and performance - what can happen physically as bodyweight increases.
• Posing and presentation - why being in incredible condition doesn’t automatically mean you know how to present it on stage.
• The reality of coaching - setting boundaries, limiting client numbers and avoiding the “zombie” state that can come with extreme prep.
• Reframing progress - sometimes the evidence that you’re growing is as simple as your old clothes no longer fitting.

This is an honest conversation about the side of bodybuilding that doesn’t always look good on Instagram.

Because getting bigger doesn’t mean you’re getting worse.

Sometimes, the weight you’re fighting mentally is the very weight helping you build the physique you’ve been working for.

What’s the hardest part of the off-season for YOU? Let us know in the comments.

Find Romana on Instagram @romana.skotzen_ifbbpro

Watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/BrG5q4P-1Ok

🎙️ Beyond Condition brings you conversations with athletes, coaches, judges, researchers and industry experts exploring bodybuilding, performance, mindset, health and everything beyond the stage.

If this conversation resonates with you, subscribe to Beyond Condition, share the episode with a fellow athlete or coach, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Find Sarah on Instagram: @sarahparker_bb

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