It is difficult to resist over-indulging during the Cup Match holiday when food and alcohol is so plentiful. It's what makes the holiday one of the most popular of the year.

However, for several body builders and fitness enthusiasts in the final build-up to the Bermuda Body Building Federation's Night of Champions Competition at City Hall on August 9, indulging just a little bit could be the difference between winning and losing.

This week four women who have intensified their workouts in the gym over the last few months in preparation for the competition, spoke about what drives them to reach peak condition for the show. Some are in the gym as early as 5.30 a.m. four days a week, doing cardiovascular work before coming back for weight training. Diet is equally important.

"I train regularly and have been doing it for years, but when I heard they were going to have a new category it was of interest to me and so I decided that I wanted to start training specifically for that," said Jennifer Hawkins who competed in a fitness show in 1998. This year she will be competing in the newly introduced figure category which requires participants to wear both a one-piece and two-piece swimsuit in two rounds of competition on the night.

"It's not like I just started training and had never done it before, I've been training for years and this is just a new challenge for me," she said.

Understandably it is a very competitive sport, but the competitors keep it in perspective. Ms Hawkins competing in the figure category with her regular training partner, Sandra Simons who is known in the gym as `Smokey'.

"It's competitive but I like to remain on good terms with everybody," she said.

"Actually my training partner is competing against me in the same category so we will be on the stage together. I've been training with her for several years and decided to compete in the same category this year.

`Smokey' and I train at 6.15 in the morning. Basically we're doing four days of weights but I also do two days of cardio and abs so I'm in the gym five to six times a week."

Added Ms. Hawkins: "During the winter season we would do more heavy weights but now we're doing more high reps (repetition), high intensity to shape our muscles.

"We try to put on a bit of size over the winter months and now it's time to `shape up and lean out' in preparation for the show. We're stepping up the intensity for training, not so much more training because I already train four days a week with weights.

"The most important thing to prepare is your diet. Certain things you would need to cut out - alcohol, a lot of sugar and high fat foods - but increase your consumption of whole grain unprocessed foods. In terms of carbohydrates you would eat brown rice, sweet potatoes, a lot of vegetables and also a lot of protein - fish, chicken, lean cuts of red meat."

As those preparing for competition will tell you, the sacrifices are worth it.

"Definitely, I've seen a lot of progress and to me I don't really look at it in terms of sacrifice," Ms Hawkins stressed.

"My motivation is driven by my love of being in the gym, so competition or no competition I train hard and eat right. So I considered a show to be an avenue for showcasing my progress and my hard work.

"My natural physique isn't conducive to bodybuilding, I'm more tall and lean and the figure category matches what my natural figure is. I'm having a lot of fun getting prepared for the show, the training and putting together what I'm going to wear."

Beverly Hayward will also be competing in the Figure category. Her naturally slim physique means the 41-year-old mother of a 23-year-old daughter often cheats on her diet. Still, she is serious enough to be in the gym five days a week.

"I'm gone 40, had a baby and I think I'm the bomb," said Ms Hayward who is also the gym comedian.

"When I walk down the street I always get a second glance. I don't diet, my body looks like this from eating whatever and whenever. I might say I'm going to diet tomorrow but by the time I leave the gym in the morning and get to work, at 10 o'clock I'm eating a chocolate bar.

"I come to the gym every day, it's like a hangout spot for me. I'm a comedian, I have to have fun. I can't be serious and do this.

"I bring the party. If I'm not here they miss me. I initially started in the gym so I could put some weight on, I was so light."

Ms Hayward placed second amongst the body building novices two years ago. On August 9 she just wants to go on the stage and enjoy herself.

"I'm just going out there to have fun and get the crowd to groove with me and have a good time," she stated.

Alvina Brangman is preparing for competition in the bodybuilding category, and began preparing in earnest about three months ago.

On the night there will be men's and women's bodybuilding as well as women's fitness and figure competitions. Of the 18 competitors 12 are women.

"I started cutting out fatty and greasy good and started eating six meals a day and also cardio twice a day," explained Ms Brangman.

"I start cutting out fruits, all sugar, five weeks before the show. It depends on the individual and even though it is natural sugar you want to get as cut and lean as you can.

"I still have red meat at least twice a week for the protein and it is extra lean red meat. I still have chicken breast and fresh fish as well."

This will be Ms Brangman's third year in the competition and she placed third two years ago in the heavyweight category.

"I was very disappointed and will not be making the same mistake twice," said Ms Brangman, 30, who has been working out for four years.

"My goal for this year is just to say that I dieted right this time around and that I looked better than the previous years I competed. I work out six days a week, morning and night. At 5.30 in the morning I'm doing cardio and seven o'clock nights I'm here training (weights)...by myself.

"You do get those days where you get mood swings at times, because you are craving different things. I often have a craving for cake which I love very much, but as the time gets closer you just say `I'll give it my all and cheat later' which is your reward after the show."

Added Ms Brangman: "I'll be staying at home Cup Match and that weekend I'll be tanning. The darker you are the more muscle you'll be able to see.

"I can never see me stopping bodybuilding, I truly enjoy it. It's a sport you have to love. I had a friend, Tyrone Smith, who started training and he invited me to come one day and ever since then I've been enjoying it. Every day I have to be in the gym."

Miss Bermuda in 2000 and 2001, Carrie Paul, has also kicked her training into high gear.

"This is my fourth year in a row competing," she explained.

"It's a lot of work, I work full time as a dental hygienist and have a five-year-old daughter. My daughter has gone home (Canada) for the summer to spend time with her grandparents so it has given me time to train.

"In order to get ready for a show you have to do cardio in the morning and training at night and basically my diet is very, very low carbs (carbohydrates) so you are very low on energy and you have to push yourself to get through your workouts.

"I usually start my diet in the first week of June. The first two years I competed and won Miss Bermuda, I tried to peak for the Bermuda show which I did. But then the Caribbean Championships are six to eight weeks later and it's difficult to hold that peak for that length of time.

"My goal is to look presentable for the Bermuda show and then peak for the CAC's which is the end of September. When I lived in Canada I played soccer and used to be a triathlete and then when I came here I got into bodybuilding after I had my daughter. It suits my lifestyle more now."

For the serious bodybuilders the gym is a place to set and achieve goals.

"I have training partners, I usually like to train with the guys because they push me harder," said Ms Paul.

"I'm here twice a day, at 6 a.m. for cardio and then come back after work to do weights and cardio again. It's rewarding, you just push yourself as hard as you can and see how far you can take it. It's a personal thing."

Aprille DeShield, a local professional, will be co-hosting the show and doing a demonstrations. Next week she will be competing in the United States. Another local female pro, Cathy DeCouto, is based overseas.

Tickets for the show can be purchased at International Sports Shop and member clubs for $35 for the evening session. Prejudging is 10a.m. and tickets are $15.