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How Did You Get Started? My brother was my earliest motivation for getting in shape. Although I
participated in sports throughout high school (soccer, track, and
basketball), by the time I graduated from college, I was about 40lbs
overweight! So I focused on getting in shape by walking/jogging until I
could run 30 minutes nonstop - something I'd never done before. I nearly
stopped at this goal, but remembered my brother saying: "Can you truly say
you've ever been in your best shape ever?" I realized I couldn't and hadn't
even tried to come close, so I hired Kenneth Williams as my personal trainer
and after my first grueling track workout, knew I was in the right hands.
I went down 3 sizes (!) and loved training so much that I became a certified
personal trainer. Of course, this wasn't enough; the fitness bug had bitten
me! While it was fulfilling to see others improve as I had, I found myself
needing another challenge to take myself to the next level. My friend told
me about her experience with figure competitions and after a lot of thought
and self-doubt, I decided to go for it! Twelve weeks of the hardest
training sessions and strictest dieting I've ever faced brought me to my
first NPC figure competition and 4 weeks later to a Top 5 finish! I was so
excited that night!
 What Workout Plan Worked Best For You? Heavy, heavy weights and interval cardio works best for me! Right now I
weight train 4 times a week and do cardio 6 times a week. Interval training
on all machines (treadmill, elliptical, climber) and outside really helps
me burn calories in a shorter period of time. It also helps preserve my
muscle as I diet for competitions.
What Nutrition Plan Has Worked Best For You? I love to eat, so I eat frequently, splitting my calories over 6 or 7 small
meals a day. I eat meals that consist of lean protein (poultry, egg whites -
Lana's Egg Whites by the bucketful! - and lots of fish!), a vegetable, and a
carbohydrate, such as oatmeal or a yam. I only eat the carbs in the morning,
though, to ensure I burn them off throughout the day. I determined my ideal
caloric intake based on my basal metabolic rate and have tweaked it, as
needed. My pre-contest diet doesn't vary greatly, except the portions get
much smaller, of course!What Supplements Have Given You The Greatest Gains? To my surprise, my Essential Fats, such as Flax Seed Oil. As I increased
them, I found I made great gains - plus my skin tone improved!
Why Do You Love Fitness? The world of fitness has allowed me to challenge myself in ways I never
thought possible. (No really, ask my brother, I doubted I had the ability to
change my body!) I have improved my health, improved my attitude toward
life, and reversed years of bad eating and exercising habits in a couple of
years!
Also, health and wellness awareness among my family and friends has
increased dramatically over the past couple of years. Being involved in
fitness allows me to pass on tips and advice to them and others to enhance
their knowledge. Just the other day, my recently retired mom was talking to
me about how she much she can bench press! Whoa!
What Are Your Future Fitness Plans? I'm definitely going to continue competing at figure shows. Overall, it
really is a lot of fun! (Dieting excluded!) Over the next few years, I'm
also hoping to participate in an athletic competition, such as the Galaxy or
Women's TriFitness challenges, and open a fitness studio/gym!
What One Tip Would You Give Other Fitness Competitors? Have fun! It's so easy to get wrapped up in being the best that you can lose
sight of your original reason for competing. If you relax, you can learn a
lot about yourself, make a lot of friends who also love fitness, and have
something to brag about to your grandchildren! Who Are Your Favorite Fitness Competitors/Bodybuilders? Jenny Lynn, despite having a fabulous physique, is a wonderful posing coach,
a fantastic business woman, and a really fun person! I also hope to meet
Davana Medina one day! She has a fantastic look and is also one of my
favorite figure competitors.
More Profiles:
:: Current Fitness Competitor Of The Week.
:: Other Previous Fitness Competitors Of The Week.
:: Amateur Bodybuilder Of The Week.
:: Over 40 Bodybuilder Of The Week.
:: Teen Bodybuilder Of The Week.
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