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Ashleigh Thurston

@ash_b_fit

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fitness, wellness + real life in nyc
former D1 runner • nationally qualified bikini competitor

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Three weeks ago, I stepped on stage for my first-ever bodybuilding competition!

After months of early mornings, cardio sessions, meal prep, saying no to plans, and chasing a goal I'd had for years, I earned my National Qualification.

The process of prepping for the stage and competing was truly an incredible learning experience, and I'll definitely be back up there! 😏

To come back better than ever, I'm doing everything I can to recover and set myself up for success.

I'm reverse dieting, rebuilding my metabolism, improving my health, getting stronger, and finding balance again.

The goal now is to build an even stronger mind and body than I had before, while turning that process into a lifestyle I can sustain long-term.

This next era will be about performance, recovery, growth, health, wellness and flexibility! 🌱

I'm working on a few exciting things at the moment and doing a lot behind the scenes to document my journey and be a resource for those who have questions about competing, prep, recovery, and everything in between. I can't wait to put it all together and share it with you soon! ✨

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#reversediet
#growthseason
#bodybuildingjourney
#fitnessjourney
#fitnesstransformation taken in New York, New York by @ash_b_fit

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5 months ago

I did it! I competed in my first bodybuilding show! 🌟

I’ve wanted to compete for years. I trained on and off for it, mock prepped, bulked - all self taught - and at the end of last year, I had a feeling that it was finally my time to go for it.

I consulted with multiple coaches looking for the right fit for my first official prep, but once I connected coach @erinkamm_ifbbpro and saw the culture of the @fitbodyfusion team, I knew it was where I could thrive…and starting in December, we got to work.

Months of consistent, relentless belief in the version of myself you see right there. Early mornings. Late nights. Cardio sessions. Lifts. Meal prepping. Steppies. Exhaustion. Discipline. Growth. Sacrifice. Every bit of it led to that moment.

Standing on that stage, I felt exactly where I was meant to be.

This prep is one of my greatest athletic achievements.

I got to prove to myself, once again, that I am an absolute BEAST when I fully commit to something.

First-time bikini competitor and nationally qualified at the first ever @nypro_ amateur show 🗽❤️ 🥹

I will always be proud of my perseverance and resilience through each challenge that came my way during this prep.

I honestly don’t even know where to begin thanking everyone who supported me through this...to my partner, my family and friends, and to all the people I've met throughout this journey who believed in me, checked in on me, trained with me, and listened to me talk about everything I was doing to prepare for this moment. Thank you for keeping me grounded and for reminding me how much of an ABSOLUTE BADASS I have always been to be able to achieve what I set my mind to.

This is only the beginning 😈...time to reverse and grow!

I’m gonna go build glutes the judges can't refuse 🫡🤌

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#nypro #bodybuilding #bikiniathlete #npc #nationallyqualified taken in New York, New York by @ash_b_fit

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5 months ago

Will go down in history as the Barcelona bulk 😤

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#bulking #building #steppies #barcelona taken in Barcelona, Spain by @ash_b_fit

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2 months ago

Been picking things up and putting them down a lot lately muahaha 💪🚨😽💕

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#muscles #bodybuilding #building #fitnessmotivation #gymreels taken in New York, New York by @ash_b_fit

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3 months ago

Ordering a side of water with my americano because we do our best to stay hydrated ovaaa hereeeeee 😗☕️💧

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#dehydrated #coffee #nyc #weekly #fitnessmotivation taken in New York, New York by @ash_b_fit

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3 months ago

Keepin the party goinnnn 😛

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#offseason #updates #gymgirl #fitnessjourney #bodybuilding taken in New York, New York by @ash_b_fit

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3 months ago

Realizing I have not shared enough of my show day photos! So, here are my 'official' stage shots 📸💫

Looking back, I'm incredibly proud of everything it took to step on that stage. My first NPC Bikini competition, my first National Qualification, and a day I'll never forget

As proud as I am of this version of me, I'm even more excited for what's ahead

A little over 2 months post show now & building! 🧱

Can't wait to get back up there with an even better look!

The best is still to come 😉

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#bodybuilding #npcbikini #bikiniprep #bikiniathlete #fitnessjourney by @ash_b_fit

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3 months ago

these shoulders aren't gonna build themselves 🚧🪨

first workout in a while that I was genuinely excited for...back on my bs 😼 taken in New York, New York by @ash_b_fit

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4 months ago

oop 🫪 forgot who I was for a second 🙈

Butttt guess whaaattt?! 👏👏

Ya gorl is on the come up now 😌

Ngl, the last few weeks have had me feeling a little all over the place lol 🌪

Between post-show recovery, my digestion doing literally whatever tf it wants, and my body trying to settle back into some kind of normalcy, the fluctuations have definitely been messing with me a bit 🥴

HOWEVER...

This weekend I was reminded that I am THAT bih 💅💪 and no future pro is out here forgetting that shi 😤

So while I'm still trying to get my health where I want it to be, the last few days felt like a MUCH NEEDED step in the right direction 🙌

I had a bit more energy than I have in previous weeks and felt wayyyy less out of it than I had been lately, so I'll absolutely take that win 🙂‍↕️👌

Spent the weekend back home in Jersey with my bf and my little puppa 🐶 we ran a few errands, drank some really good coffee ☕️ and celebrated a friend's birthday with a little bowling night 🎳

The real highlight though was getting puppa in the pool for the first time 🥹 my baby had his first swim lesson and did SO good 😭💙

Other than that, just enjoying the start of summer, keeping the tan up, and feeling excited for everything we've got coming up over the next couple months ☀️

Most importantly, I'm just happy to be feeling a little more like myself again 😽✨🤍 taken in New Jersey by @ash_b_fit

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4 months ago

Another week in the reverse ⏪️ ~6️⃣ weeks post-show 💭 & if I'm being honest, this phase hasn't gone quite how I expected 😅

The scale is up, the lines are fading (which is totally fine and expected) but my recovery doesn't really feel like it's caught up yet 😮‍💨

I've been dealing with fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, inflammation, and back pain...and training definitely hasn't felt as strong as I thought it would at this point 🙄

I have been sleeping A LOT 💤 yet somehow waking up more tired each time?! 😅 Even my Garmin seems concerned at this point ⌚️‼️

& I'm doing my best to stick to my macros and trust what's been outlined for me, though there have definitely been a few days where I've gone over because I felt like an actual bottomless pit 🕳️ ...as well as a few days where I've struggled to eat because my body feels so full from bloating and digestive issues 🤰

Navigating what my body needs right now has been challenging 🫩 my main focus is just getting back to a place where I feel good again because despite looking 'healthy' on the outside, I definitely don't feel my best at the moment 😅

(Part of why I've been a little MIA lately is because I've been trying to put my energy into figuring that out!)

I'm staying on top of PT, reviewing bloodwork, working through the digestive issues/getting GI testing done, and figuring out what foods work best for me as I add more variety back into my diet! Some things have gone great, others...not so much 😂 ...it's actually wild how one off-plan meal can make my body look and feel like it's filing a formal complaint 🗣️🚨

Other than all that 💁‍♀️☀️ I've been trying to get outside and enjoy summer in the city 🗽 a little sunshine on tar beach (aka la rooftop), long walks on the UES and reminding myself that life exists outside of the *totally optional* sport of bodybuilding 💪

My bf and I have a pretty exciting trip coming up at the end of July, which has given me something fun to focus on ✈️🚢 as someone who loves planning almost as much as traveling, I'm hyped to be mapping everything out 🗺

Taking recovery one day at a time and hoping my body gets the memo sooner rather than later 🙏 taken in New York, New York by @ash_b_fit

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4 months ago

Some moments from this past week 💕

Twas my first time stepping into a @hummusfit store and let's just say... I was immediately overstimulated 🙉🙈🙊 If it was cookie butter or rainbow cookie flavored, it was coming home with me 💁‍♀️🛒🛍

Had some friends over to watch the @nyknicks get the win 💙🧡🏀 enjoyed a little buzz from my favorite non-alcoholic beverages by @drinknewbrew 🌱🫧 I've been a kava drinker for years, and these are my go to drinks when I'm shifting into party mode🍹

From a reverse perspective, not gonna lie, the post show fatigue has been hitting hard 😵‍💫 between the hunger, recovery, and trying to settle back into a more normal routine, this reverse has been a bigger adjustment than I expected BUT despite feeling tired, my workouts have actually been really strong 💪❤️‍🔥 and getting my steppies done early in the day has been such a win lately 🐱🎀

Anddd my bf and I have also been making it a point to explore more of our neighborhood this summer ☀️🏙️ which gets us out and moving 😇...one of the best things about NYC is that there's always something new to discover, even when you've lived here for years 🕵‍♀️🕵‍♂️

Doing my best to focus on feeling healthy, finding more balance, enjoying the process, and making the most of the start of summer ☀️🤍

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#reversediet #bodybuilding #npcbikini #nyc #fitnessjourney taken in New York, New York by @ash_b_fit

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4 months ago

Why didn't anyone tell me Italian cookies were anabolic? 🇮🇹🍪

Because after this weekend and having one of the best lifts I've had in a while, I'm starting to connect some dots 😏...

My 'free meal' day foodies consisted of a highly scientific bakery crawl through Arthur Avenue, and quality control testing of both black & white and rainbow cookies ☕️🍪

Then it was off to celebrate a friend's birthday with a side of sushi, cooking steak over a fire pit, great conversation, and even better company ❤️🍣🥢🔥🥑🥩

Capped the weekend off with a long walk through Central Park, where it seemed like every turtle in NYC had the same idea and was out sunbathing 🐢

Reverse dieting has been teaching me that balance doesn't have to mean choosing between your goals and your life

You can train hard, stay consistent, and still make room for the moments that end up becoming your favorite memories

Not a bad way to kick off summer ☀️🤍✨

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#reversediet #italiancookies #summer #fitnessjourney #offseason taken in Arthur Avenue by @ash_b_fit

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5 months ago