Well, hello ladies and gents, Robert Sykes, Keto, savage.com. In today's episode, I've actually got my lovely wife Crystal here in the room and we're going to record a little podcast, kind of recapping the competition season from her
perspective. What the highs were, what the lows were, the wins, the losses, the pros, the cons as my wife, as the person that has been with me through it all, who's meal prepped every single one of my meals, what it was like having our year and a half year old with us throughout the entirety of it. So yeah, this was just a really cool podcast record. Rigel was asleeping when we when we started and then he woke up towards the end. So we had to kind of call it a little short.
But we got a lot of really good info out there and it was just awesome to have her sit down and talk about it from her perspective. Because when you're doing a competition prep, you have your inner circle and you are impacting them in multiple different ways and just to bring them to the center stage because so much of what you're able to do is accomplished through their sacrifices.
So I wanted to really highlight that and I wanted to just give her the mic and give her opportunity to share her thoughts towards the entire endeavor. So that is what this episode is all about. We've got her on the podcast here talking about it, what it was like from Crystal's standpoint. So I've got no doubt that you will take something from this and enjoy it. So that further delay, sit back, relax, enjoy the conversation with my lovely wife Crystal.
And we are live. We get Crystal Sykes, my lovely bride in the building. How you doing, baby? I'm doing wonderful. You're doing wonderful. This is actually a monumentous moment. We are sitting at the kitchen table. We are not inside the podcast studio, but we are recording from our kitchen table. Not an Airbnb's kitchen table, not a hotel, not a not Akoa. We are at our kitchen table. We've got Rigel taking a nap. We've got the monitor in front of us here. He may wake up while we're
recording. I just got done with the workouts and I'm feeling really good. And Crystal and I are sitting here recording this podcast. Are you feeling pretty good, babe? I'm feeling really good feeling. Feeling very excited to be home, very excited to be home. So I was going to record a wins and losses episode kind of similar to how it recorded the wins and losses for the amateur shows.
I was going to record a wins and losses for the pro shows as we've been kind of behind on podcast recordings. But I figured what would be an even more interesting episode is to have Crystal jump on here and just kind of talk about the entire prep in its totality from her perspective. And then it's just kind of go back and forth with a few things that stood out. So here we are and I'm excited to peel the curtain back and dive in. Today is actually what is today, Saturday.
So it is almost a week post world show. Tomorrow will be a week post world Show. We have Thanksgiving, so we just got back from the farm. We go to the family farm every year for Thanksgiving. We literally just got back from that yesterday. We haven't even unloaded yet. I got my workout in this morning. We're trying to jam out a podcast recording because this is going to go live on Monday
and I'm way behind on episodes. But I'm excited by this because all of this experience is fresh on our minds. We just got done doing something that was relaxing and then we went to the farm for Thanksgiving and the reverse diet has officially started as of this week. We have a lot of exciting things in the pipeline and I'm just excited to to share that with you all. So crystal, where would you like to start? You want to just start from the top.
We have just concluded 33 weeks of competition prep and you are the unsung hero in this for sure because you have sacrificed a ton. Anybody that's done a prep knows that they put the people that are closest to them through a lot, and the same is true with you for sure. So I kind of like to just get your perspective on what the last 33 weeks have been like, what the pros have been, the cons, the wins, the losses, the highs, the lows, and just kind
of get your insight. So start from the top, babe. OK. So I guess to start, I'll start like at the beginning of the 33 weeks. It was really easy. I feel like it was our typical life. I mean, I always make our food anyways, so there's that. It was probably different just because I wasn't prepping your food for the entire week. In Tupperware. I would make like dinner when you came home. I don't even know what that feels like anymore. I'm making you dinner when you
come home. Do you like meal? Meal. Prepping for me Because you were. I mean you, you've literally meal prepped every single one of my meals to prep. I would figure out my macro intake. I would figure out what every manipulation I need to make as far as nutrition was concerned. I would figure out what foods to hit those macros and then I would share my meals with you and then you would prepare them for the week. Did that that weigh on you or was it pretty?
There was a couple annoying aspects of it, like you would prep your food. Like, no, you were prepping on macros and whatever based off of the food that you wanted to eat that week. And if I went to the grocery store and they did not have exactly what you needed, I we don't have a lot of grocery store options here, especially for like anything organic or pasture raised or grass fed or anything like that. So it's like there's two stores to check. And that's pretty much it.
So if we didn't have it, then I'd have to call you and you'd be like in the middle of a podcast. You'd have to read your, read your macros. And then I could like, and I was like stuck at the store. Because we live so far away from the store, I can't just like make a quick trip trip back. So, like, there was like annoying aspects of things like that. But as far as, like, actually making the meals, no, I actually like. I enjoy cooking and.
A lot of times it felt like a little break for me because you would often times take Rigel. So it was like, I get to just be in the kitchen when usually I'm cooking and rigel's at my feet and like pulling on my shirt and all that kind of stuff. So it almost felt like a little break. I don't know. That sounds weird. And honestly, all my meals were pretty consistent. It was ground beef and eggs or ground venison and eggs or ground elk and eggs and egg whites pretty much throughout
the entire day of the prep. Yeah, so like, it was nothing extravagant, like you weren't having to make some five course meal or anything. Yeah, Yep. And yeah, it was it was all really simple. I think this was probably the easiest prep as far as food goes too, because. Before you would have me like cook the eggs in the pan and sometimes like depending on like what your fat ratio is and stuff, I'd have to literally scrape the pan so that like all the eggs came off and
everything. And this time it was like all I had to do is cook the meat, put it in the raw egg and the stick in the oven. So it was just, it was the meals were super efficient for me. So I think it was, I mean I I enjoy making your meals. I I know I like to be accurate. I am more of a Baker than a cooker because I like to have a
recipe to follow. I like to know exactly what I'm doing, so I enjoyed it. I had no problems, you know, prepping your food and stuff And honestly, little silent tangent here. Anybody that's doing a prep or a weight loss phase or a fat loss phase. Having your meals prepped, whether you prep them or you're lucky enough to have a wife like me that preps them for me, having your meals prepped and ready to go, so it just takes the guesswork out, takes that decision fatigue out is so
incredibly important. Like for me, being able to wake up, pull that that day's meal out of the fridge, stick it in my to go bang, and then put it in my warming tray. Things that it was hot when I wanted to eat it. I mean, there was no, there was no guesswork. There was no, there was no What do I eat today?
Where do I go to hit the macros? There's no recalculation of the macros, like it's just consistently perfectly dialed in. And I think that's one of the main reasons I was able to get as lean as I did this year,
because there was no guesswork. And honestly I think that helped from a psychological standpoint because a lot of people that leave more variability on the table just expend all this mental math and and macro manipulation to try and make the numbers work on a day-to-day revolving basis. And that often times leads to more variables that distract from their focus of getting as lean as possible. Yeah, I agree. So I owe you big time for them. How how many preps have you been with me through?
I have been through 2015. Three, so four all together. The first one, we had just started dating and so I wasn't like fully with you a lot. And I went on. We were kind of hit and miss on that too, like our dating was on and off. And I was like, on a trip the entire last month before you actually competed and I met you at your competition. Yeah. So it was kind of like I was definitely there and I saw you at your competition all that. But like, I wasn't as involved.
As I was like, I started getting really involved in 2017, that's when I started prepping your food. So, and that is when I unveiled you on my YouTube channel, because I started daily. I started vlogging that prep in 2017 because that was when I was doing ketogenic prep. That's when the keto brick was formed.
That's when all this stuff happened initially, and on the way to the show, you were with me, and that's when I started actually putting you in front of the camera and making it known that I had a significant other in my life. That was in 2017, which is kind of crazy. What was the next 1/20/20, which would have been the pandemic prep. And you were right there with me throughout that whole thing. You prepped on my meals there. We just didn't get to compete because it got cancelled due to
the pandemic and then this one. So four prep seasons and you would say this one's the smoothest of all of them? By far, this one's the smoothest. 2 1015 was probably rough for you because we were kind of like on and off dating. I didn't understand like I didn't. I didn't get it And in like we didn't really like stay together and. So it was just kind of like you were kind of more of like, hey, I'm going to come and support you on the show kind of thing, not like part of the life.
Crap. Yeah, it was just like we would hang out or we would like, go grab a coffee or whatever, But what you drink didn't affect me, you know? So it was like, I didn't even think about that. And I was totally not into fitness, nutrition, anything like that. So it was like, totally, I totally didn't get it. And I really didn't get it. Until you stepped on stage and I was actually there at your competition and I was like whoa, this is kind of crazy.
Like I always just thought. I thought what the typical person thought. Like I just thought bodybuilders, Oh my gosh, all they care about is themselves And and like it's such a thought process as someone who doesn't work out like that is exactly the process or the thought process as someone who doesn't work out is just not interested in in. Nutrition or fitness or whatever at all. Because as soon as you start to get into that world, you get it like you usually get it.
And I'd say usually some people still don't get it, but some people won't get it unless they themselves step on stage or they are closely related or tied to someone that is on stage because they just haven't taken it to that level. Yeah, Yeah. But in 2017? That's when I was fully involved. We lived together. I prepped all your meals. We worked out together, but that was a hard prep, I'm sure, because we were often times rocky in our relationship.
We were saying we were Rocky, we were planning to move to Arkansas. So I feel like we were pretty solid by that point. But like obviously we were still dating. We were still young. We were broke. We were. So broke. Yeah. We like, like budgeting for the food was much more of a an issue. Yeah, that was that was tough. And like we were, we were dating officially. But you know, like I would often times have to distract from our relationship to focus on building the business or going
to the gym. And it was everything was just super, super sporadic because I was working. I was working like 4 jobs. Yeah, And then I was trying to work a lot. I just got my personal training certification. So I was like trying to get a job doing that. And I was working in the coffee stand and I was trying to fill in hours. So that I could save up money so that we can move. Yeah, in 2020 was probably hard because we had moved to Arkansas at that point. We.
Had just gotten married. We had just gotten married. There was all the emotions that come with them, and we were building the business in Arkansas. We had like a ton of issues with employees. We lived in a warehouse. We lived in a warehouse that we. Had was not a kitchen. Like there was no sink even. Yeah, so that was an issue that just didn't go smooth. We did it, but it didn't go smooth. And then this year we are established in our relationship.
We have a son, which I would have thought would have been a lot more of a distraction with the crib, but that wasn't really a hiccup at all. We can talk about that in detail, but like we have our own kitchen, we have our own home and we traveled a ton this season way more than ever in the past. But I feel like it went super smooth and there was never really a point where I got bitter or you know, just negative.
And I feel like a lot of times and in prior perhaps I've done that and it like you you are like that more with the people you are closest to. And I remember, you know, being super irritable and just not a nice person in prayer preps. And I don't feel like there was literally one instance where I blew up or lost my cool in this prep. Yeah, I mean, years prior you had definitely lost your cool or like, just not been super nice to me. And I like we would even go to the gym.
You'd be like, so laser focused that like, you would almost be rude to people because you just like weren't even. There. And so I would be like, I'm so sorry he's in his prep. Don't worry. Like, we're almost through it, you know, like just trying to be apologizing for you. And then, yeah, like, same thing with our crew. Like I would always have to like, try and soften a blow, you know? But I don't feel like I was like that at all this.
Not at all this year, you know, there was literally one time I got frustrated with myself posing, so I tried kicking the punching bag and I fell. And then I get mad and I just laughed it off. But I wasn't, you know, directed towards anybody, obviously. And then I think that that may have been there's one at a time where like raise my voice, but literally I could probably count it on two fingers.
Yeah, I think. I think, like there was times I think I explained it to like Chip or something the other day I was like, there's times like you got frustrated. Like we got frustrated with each other, but like that's. Also, just being a human. Yeah, like you get annoyed or you get frustrated or you get stressed out or whatever. But it was like, like, I think we got along better this prep
than we ever have before. I would even venture as far as to say that our relationship improved as a result of this prep. Like, I feel closer to you now having gone through this prep with you. Like like normally the couple will finish their prep together and like, oh man, I'm glad that's done with. Now we can get back to being in a relationship and I feel like our relationship only got better because of the prep.
Yeah, I agree. I don't know why necessarily, except for the fact that I was much more reflective and just tried to focus on being present and really double down on gratitude throughout this prep, in which case I was, you know, very grateful for you. But that was an interesting thing. I didn't expect that, but I'm certainly glad it happened. Yeah, even more different. Like when I would come to you with different things like that would normally be an issue, like or like.
Like, I don't know, maybe, 'cause some friction or some stress or something like that. I would come to you and you would be like, so chill about it and I'm like what the heck, like what's an example? I don't know, but it did it happen like several times where I'm just like. I kind of expected that to go differently and not like I expected it to go terribly or anything, but I just I think you just became so OK or like so like reflective and just you.
Took. Yeah. So like you took in like every moment and you're like, OK, that's all right, we're we'll work through it or it's OK. I just said this or you know, whatever it was. So it's just funny. So it's just, I don't know. But then also like, I do think like, you know, Robert always talks about like the libido on his like posts and stuff when people are like, I can't believe you put that on your newsletter. I can't believe you put that on social media posts and all that.
And it's like this is truly part of the sport. Like everyone who has done their prep pretty much knows like by the end of it you have no libido. Like it's just this usually the way that it goes and and it's also not a priority in your mind like. That is not where your brain is at. You have very low energy because you are in taking so little that that is going to be like the first thing that your body shuts
off. It's like when you're pregnant and your body's trying to keep this baby alive, your hair stops growing on your legs and things like that, Like it just happens naturally. Your body just naturally shuts down what it doesn't absolutely need. So there's that aspect of things where people are like, oh, you know, Roberts libido sucks. They probably aren't like intimate but. We started sleeping in separate beds. So I can improve my sleep quality so like all the signs of a relationship are.
Rocks but I think it it allowed us to kind of like take a step back and get closer in different ways and be intimate in different ways and just connect differently and I think that that is that can be I think so healing for a lot of people like they don't they don't get that they don't like they just you get so stuck living in your day-to-day and you're.
Normal stuff. But when something throws you through for a little loop, like you just find different ways to connect and different ways to be there for each other. So yeah, I mean it's just, I feel like, I feel like we have grown together, but like and in different ways. And I just think it's cool. I don't know, but we are excited to have sex again. We are, yeah.
Yeah, that'll be good. So as I put on more body fan, get back to healthy body fan and my hormones stabilize a little bit, that will be in the pipeline, but we won't dive too deep into those details. Yeah, we're going to not. What about traveling? How? How'd that go for you? Like we in the past, we lived in the areas that we competed in, like when we were living in Washington, we were competing in Washington in 2020. We had planned on moving or not moving, but traveling, but that
show got cancelled. So here we are living in Arkansas this this prep season and we literally travel to the first show which was in Utah, the second show which was in New York, the third show which was in Washington. Those three we all drove to the 4th show, which was in Boston, MA which we flew to, and the 5th and final show Worlds, which was in Seattle, WA which we flew to. All traveling with a year and a half year. And a half year old.
And. Managing multiple businesses and just total chaos from a travel standpoint. What was that like for you? I want to say it was enjoyable for the most part. I think you and I really tried to make it enjoyable like we were like, we like, we knew going into this year that we were going to do an entire prep. We were going to travel a lot at the end of it, like we knew it was going to be chaos. So I think we had like a year to really think about it before it actually happened and I think.
And before it actually happened and we were thinking about it, we were, like, overwhelmed by it. Oh yeah, It was like, because. We had all the conferences too, yeah. So we were traveling for the conferences and then as soon as the conferences stopped, even while the conferences were going to some extent because I was four weeks into prep at Keto Con and there was some more conferences after that, like the cruise I was in prep during the cruise, low carb cruise. So all of my meals were
accounted for there. Like, there was just overlap, but total chaos. From a travel standpoint, Yeah, I feel like, I don't know, there was a lot that fell on me because because you were in a prep and we do have our child and I don't know all that comes with that. But I think you and I just, we put our mindset in a place that it was like let's enjoy this. Like this is going to be a process. We are going to travel a ton, but let's try to enjoy each, each trip.
Like let's think like each trip is a brand new thing, like let's just redo. And I think that that really helped us or me at least keep my mindset, right. Because I I would like we would be driving. And it's like day three of driving. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, I'm so tired. But I'm like, I'm in South Dakota right now. Like, it's so beautiful. Look how beautiful South Dakota is. And, you know, like you would.
I. You just have to soak in those moments and realize like where you're at, what you're doing. There was a lot of times where Robert and I were like both. Like this is what we're like. This is what we do for a living. Like like we get to do this. Like we get to go on a two week trip. To go to a competition like that is so cool. We get to bring our son with us. You know, like you just have to change your mindset around like Oh my gosh, this is miserable. This is so hard to we get to do
these things. And there was definitely hard times. And I think my friends that are like, closest to me, they definitely were. They're supporting me. But it was, I was never like, Oh my gosh, I'm so annoyed. This is the worst. I hate traveling. Robert's so selfish. So like, it was never like that. It was like, man, this is a long day or, you know, we're almost there. We've almost made it or whatever like it was. It felt all felt good, even though it at times was
exhausting. Because there were times where like, you know, I would go, we would be driving and we'd be staying in the KOA. And then the KOA, like they kick out at 11 typically in the morning. And then we would start driving and you know, we'd stop at a gym somewhere so I can get my workout or cardio in. And then I would work out for two hours and then I would pose for half an hour, 45 minutes. I'd go do cardio and meditate for, you know, 30 minutes or so. So you and Ryan's are just stuck
in the vehicle. Why? And then I'd eat and then the whole time you are just. Trying to make yourself busy and not miserable. But I mean, we'd we'd be, we'd be stopped somewhere on the side of the road for four hours and you're having to entertain Ryan, Jill and keep him occupied. Sometimes he would nap, sometimes he wouldn't. Yeah, it was like it was literally every time we pulled over to go to the gym, it was a
four hour thing. So it was like I would try to find anything in the area to do so. If there was a store and I I didn't want to take, we had that big rig and we took the rig for two of the trips and I did not want to have to drive that around town and then have to drive it back to Robert. So I'm like I'll just walk wherever. So like there was a mall that was like a mile away. And so I just took Rigel. We walked to the mall and then went to a couple stores and then
walked back. And so there was definitely, definitely some interesting times there. And see moments like that. I would recognize that you were being put out like that. Like, I couldn't not be grateful because, I mean here I am asking you to take our son, who is a handful of times and just be content for four hours while I go do my thing. You know, like that's a lot to ask of anybody. And we did it every day for multiple days on end while we're in an unknown territory.
So yeah, like, I had no right to not be grateful. Yeah, I felt, but it was nice because you were grateful like, and I would say, hey, this is like a really long day. Like, this is a really long break. I really need you to just like take him for a second. And then usually, usually we'd get in the car and he would crash. Like, it was perfect because like, during that period of time, it was like right before his nap time and then we'd get in the car and he would just
crash. So I was able to just kind of like sit and unwind. And it's just so funny. It's like, so funny to look back at all that. I'm like, Oh my gosh, I cannot believe we did that because there were some times where I was like, holy mackerel, like this is this who I'm doing this right now. But like, I was just tired because he, he was between, what, 15 months and 18 months this whole time, 14 months and
18 months. And so it was like he could walk and he could stick things in his mouth and he could like he like any little mischief he can get into. He was like getting into all the drawers, getting into anything that he possibly could. And like, you take him into the grocery store or any store and he's like pulling things off of the shelf. So it's like you have to watch
him on everything. Like, he's just like in that little getting into mischief age, you know, And it's so much fun, but it's also a lot when you're not home. Like, I remember just like coming home and being like, whoa, like he can actually be free to do what he wants while we're home. Because I have already made sure that, like, he can't break anything.
And if he does, it's our own. It's not like a lamp at an Airbnb that I don't want him to break, you know, it's like a it's our own thing if it breaks a well, you know. So it's just so different watching your child in the world rather than at home with, you know, acres and stuff that he can run around on and stuff. And so many of these trips, like the ones where we took the big rig on, were so atypical anyways, like, we stay at Akoa, yeah.
So, like, we're having to walk to go use the shower. We're all sleeping in this little bitty rig, which means a big rig. But like, when you're sleeping in and it's not that much space or I'm like pulling a cot out to sleep outside the rig in a cot while I'm in a prep on peak week. You know, like all these strange things that most people be like, we did what? But we just made it work. And it was like, you can't do this and not just smile at the fact that you're doing it.
You know, this is freaking cool. How would you compare travelling? Because you're pretty apprehensive to flying, or at least you were prior to this. You get really bad anxiety flying. But we did two trips with the big rig, one trip with my truck, and then two flights. Which would you say is the smoothest? What did you like? What did you not like? Rachel's stirring, so we'll have to see what he does. He's waking up. He's fully awake. He might be able to come out here and play. Yeah.
You need to go grab. Him. No, I'll give him. You just kind of talk about those trips comparing the, yeah, the different modalities, all right. So I would say I'm going to just turn off the monitor because he's going to be loud. So I would say, gosh, the the trips with the rig was a lot because the rig is big and it's not the most convenient. Especially we drove to New York and that was the hardest trip with that vehicle because the roads are super small.
There's a lot of people. There's a lot of, I mean, I was just kind of crazy, but the rig is an awesome vehicle, but it's it is definitely a lot. It is definitely big and does take a little bit more energy and efforts when you're driving it. But it is also convenient because there is cabinets and drawers and things like that, that you can put away all of your stuff. So we had a little bit more space and then we went to, we went to Washington in the truck, the pickup and I really liked
that trip. I think the truck was way more comfortable to ride in, but we were a little bit more crammed for space for all of our stuff. And then we stayed at the Koas at when we were staying in truck and that was kind of nice because we actually got the cabins and we stayed in the cabins at the KOA. So it was a little bit more comfortable and stuff inside and then the flights were just so easy. I got anxious about I get
anxious of flying. Anyways I don't love flying but I think it was definitely was not as bad as I would had anticipated this go around like I I don't know why my brain was just like so much more OK with the flying, but I was more anxious about how Rigel would do on the plane than anything. I think just like as a mom you think, Oh my gosh my if my kid screams the whole time or whatever. And Rigel's not a screamer, so it's really not like not that he
would lose. It's not like he would go crazy or anything. But you know he does get fussy and whiny and things like that. And so I was just afraid that he would, you know fuss and whine and Dr. everyone around us crazy. But he actually did so well and he slept on every single one of the flights we It timed really well. Hi, buddy timed really well with his naps as well and he would just pretty much snooze for two of the four hours on each flight.
We ended up getting direct flights, which I'm so grateful for because I think if we would have gotten, what are those called? Connections, connecting flights. Yeah, if we would have gotten connecting flights, I think our day would have been a lot more miserable. But we got direct flights, so we would go straight from our location to that location. So it was like once we got there, it was no big deal. It was a little chaotic because
we had so much stuff to bring. Yeah, that was a pain in the butt. We had 11 bags total. Yeah, most of which. It was camera gear. We had the gym. Rigel and I had two bags. I had one rolling bag and one backpack. Yeah, we had our we had all of our clothes, our luggage, our supplements, our food, our camera gear, baby gear. Like we had 11 bags, six of which were being checked at each
flight, and we have. 6 bags. I mean, you like you have to get those little trolley things and then you have to load them up. And like you've got, you're pushing this, I've got Rigel on my shoulders. Half the time you're carrying them. Half the time it's like I'm carrying because we decided to take his car seat, which I highly recommend taking a car seat, But we took his car seat, so I'm like lugging his car seat through the airport, have him.
The other arm has a backpack on my back and it was just like, Oh my gosh, it just felt like a lot. And then once we would get there, we would have to get a rental car. And neither one of us have. I don't think I've ever gotten a rental car at a airport, but the these specific airports suck. And the rental car thing, you have to get on a shuttle to go to the rental car. So all of it was in my name, so I had to leave.
Poor Robert it. Wouldn't have been mad if we could just walked to the place, but I had to like leave Robert with these 11 bags and Rigel who's like already over it because he's been in a plane for four hours and he just wants to run around. Oh my gosh. So then it would end up taking like 1/2 hour to get back to get him. So anyways, I enjoyed the flying because it was quick and I'm grateful that we saved those
trips for the end of the prep. But I enjoyed the driving for the amount of time that we were all able to spend together and the different, like we were able to drive different directions and see different things that we've never seen before. So I don't think that there was a winner. I'm glad that we had the experiences that we did of driving and like we I just like Rd. trips. So like that's a fun thing to me. And then the flying was just probably easier.
There was higher stress moments of the flying because of trying to get in like on our Oh my gosh, on our last trip, we almost missed our flight. Yeah, to come home for Thanksgiving. We literally just made it so we. Had to get like on the train, we had to get the rental car like. It was just total chaos, yeah. And it was like, I was like, did you guys ever checking every everyone in? They said, yeah, are you Sykes party of three?
And I was like, Oh my gosh, yes, like they probably been saying our name on the loudspeaker and oh gosh. So anyways, we just had made our flight. So there was definitely higher stress moments with the flying, but it was quicker. So it's, I don't know, it's just they're just a different experience and I I think either is fine. So Rigel is awake now.
He's rummaging through the house, so he may have to make this a little bit shorter, but I kind of want to finish out if he cooperates with us, just what your take is on the outcome of the shows of me competing. Just like seeing me on stage as you being my significant other and being such a part of this journey through and through from the very beginning and you seeing all the stuff that nobody else is seeing like you seeing.
My highs, you seeing my lows, you seeing me at home in my comfort spot, like just you seeing me in my natural habitat. What has that been like for you? It's been pretty cool. It is really cool to be the only person that sees this side of you. Like that's always in life. Like I'm your wife. I get to see the every single day insurance and outs. Like I'm the only one that knows you this well. Like that's a really cool
feeling. But especially when you're doing something hard, it is even cooler because you get to watch the mental and like the your your mental strength strengthen like like and I get to watch it real time. I get to watch you make it through hard moments or stressful moments with the business and like how you're going to handle that on top of everything else that's going on. And I think you honestly handle everything with such grace.
And I don't know, it was just, it was it was really cool to watch you. This is the lamest I've ever seen you, the lamest you've ever been by far. I mean, there was points where you're like, am I the latest I've ever been before? And I'm like, I don't know. But then I think it was like after your first show and I was like, Yep, you're by far the leanest you've ever been.
And that was kind of cool too. Like it's cool that I've been there for four shows like or Four Seasons and you've only had five. You know, Like I've only not seen one. And I know it's just I I really think that you knocked it out of the park this time. And I you guys should have seen me like I the show that Robert went pro at, I literally Rachel was sleeping and I was just like jumping up and down screaming. That was a pretty cool show. I mean, that was the main one on my sites.
That Washington show, like the the two pro shows after that were awesome. I was super proud to be on that stage as a pro. But that Washington show that I went pro at is definitely like the highlight of this prep. Like my parents were there supporting me. We got some great footage at that prep. You know, I I won my class, I won the overall. That was the show that I've been trying to to win multiple Times
Now and I finally did. So that was like the two pro shows were just bonuses on top of that? Yeah, I think it was interesting this go around because we did go to so many different shows. I was able to decide like what shows I liked, what shows I didn't like, like different promoters that I had preferences for, you know, organization, all of that kind of stuff. Like it really mattered. Like there was some of the shows where I was just like, I know
nothing. Like I have no information and you know some people wanted to go to the shows and I'm like, I can't actually give you information because they haven't put anything out for this and we're a week out. So it was just it's cool to also be able to know now like OK, what what, what one would I go back to what one. You know, the things like that. It's just it's kind of cool to
figure those things out as well. But I think you brought the best package you could have with each and every, each and everyone. Like I don't know, you did keep getting better and better with with every single one. And I think that is appropriate too because then you were competing as a pro and really bringing in the the your A game then. And I don't, I don't think like with all of the feedback that you got, there was nothing that you could have done to change it
in that moment. Like you couldn't change who showed up. You couldn't change how much lean mass you had in those moments. Like it's like, OK now I'm going to take this and go and work and do what, you know, all the things that I need to be competitive next go around. But in those moments, you brought your best package. You became the leanest you could. You were hard. You were like all of the things. Posing got better.
The yeah, the posing. I mean, you guys should have seen the audience every time Robert did his routine, like they were just blown out of the water and it was so cool to be his wife. Like, you know, in those moments you're like, that is my husband. And people are just like ooing
and awing over him. And to be able to, it was almost as just as cool to watch the judges or watch the audience or hear them behind you like, oh, look at #111 or look at, you know, and they were like talking about you. And it's like, yeah, that's my husband. You know, like, it's pretty cool. You proud of me, babe? I'm. Very proud of you. I'm proud of you. I could not have done this without you. I would not have wanted to do this without you and these these
preps. Like, they really make me focus on what I'm grateful for and what I appreciate. And I appreciate you and all that you sacrifice to make this happen more than I could ever begin to put into words. And I honored that I honored our dedicated that show in Washington. The first one that I went pro at to Rigel, and to have him there as part of it was awesome that
my parents there. See, it was awesome to have you there, Having been with me through all the trials and tribulations and see the fruits of that labor unfold real time on stage was awesome. And nobody can take that from me. No judging feedback can take that from me, No placing can take that from me. Like, these are all things that will continue to resonate with me now and into the future and and and transcend just the the prep and the art of bodybuilding itself.
But they will go into every aspect of my life and I'm just incredibly grateful for that. I'm incredibly grateful for you and I love you with all my heart, babe, I. Love you too. There's a lot more that I want to talk about, but Rigel is banging things together right now and he's hungry. So we're going to call that a wrap on this one. But we are going to do another podcast talking about all the exciting things that we have coming post show. Can you give it up for just a
second? We've got a lot of exciting things coming now that the shows are done, like the homesteading aspect of things, like our reverse diets. Like Crystal's got a lot of building stuff that she's going to do. She's going to work on her building phase, put on more lean mass. I'm going to be doing that as well after this reverse diet. So we're going to do a whole Part 2 on all the things that we're excited about as a family, as athletes, as a couple, as a
relationship post show. So we will certainly do that. But I thought this is a pretty good little recap with rides are getting a little ballistic over here on the shows themselves. So thanks for tuning in. Appreciate the conversation babe. As always, where do people go to find out more about you? They can go to the dot lady dot savage on Instagram and pretty much anywhere you can find a Robert, you can pretty much find me. We have our YouTube channel. We have.
Yeah, you know, all the things. All the things. All right, let's get this munchkin butt some food. And we'll call that a wrap on today's podcast. Love you, babe. Love you too. Love you, Rigel. Love you, Rigel. All right, Y'all appreciate y'all tuning in. Thanks for listening and we'll talk to you next time.