Maya Avelino

How Did You Get Started?

I got started when I met my personal trainer who gave me the motivation to compete. I wanted a new goal to strive towards, so I trained hard for 8 weeks and entered my first competition, the WNSO FAME Nationals in May 2004. I placed 7th out of over 230 other women and needless to say, I got the competition bug!

Also visit my web site at: www.mayaavelino.com

What Workout Plan Worked Best For You?

I find that I get the best gains when I generally train one muscle group per day, allowing time for my body to relax and grow. For cardio, I like to run outdoors (or on the treadmill, depending on the weather), and I enjoy a great boxing workout.

Boxing works wonders for the body and its fun too! My training varies on and off-season, but a typical week when I'm training to compete may look something like this:

Training Program:

Sunday: 1 hr boxing
Monday: 1 hr cardio, bi's, tri's & abs
Tuesday: 1 hr boxing, chest & shoulders
Wednesday: 1hr cardio, calves
Thursday: 1 hr cardio, legs, glutes & abs
Friday: 1 hr boxing, back
Saturday: 1 hr cardio

Depending on how close I am to the show, my cardio may increase or decrease. During this time, I will also work with my trainer twice a week to help me kick my butt into gear! When I am off season, my weights will usually stay the same, but my cardio will decrease to about 3 times a week at 45 minutes.

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What Nutrition Plan Has Worked Best For You?

I follow a clean diet all year-round, eating six meals a day with a combination of lean protein (chicken, tuna, sirloin steak, egg whites, etc.), carbs (oatmeal, sweet potato, brown rice, veggies), & fat (Udo's Oil, Almonds, Natural Peanut Butter).

When I am training to compete, I don't cheat in my diet because when I'm onstage, I want to know that I've achieved the best results possible. My favorite meal is chicken and sweet potato (with hot sauce! I love hot sauce on anything). Off-season, I do indulge in my sweet tooth & a nice glass of red wine.

What Supplements Have Given You The Greatest Gains?

Glutamine really helps me with recovery, and protein in my shake in the morning and right before bed. I find that they both help in getting the greatest gains, in addition to all of the natural food that I eat.

Why Do You Love Fitness?

I love fitness for the way it makes me feel overall; strong in the mind and body, confident in my physique, and full of energy!

What Are Your Future Bodybuilding Plans?

I plan to stay within the competition circuit for a while, and keep on fitness modeling. Ultimately, I would love to be a prominent name & face in this industry & make some money at the same time!

If I could, my dream job would to be to host a travel & leisure show on TV, with a fitness focus. Hopefully, I can be picked up by a few sponsors too!

What One Tip Would You Give Other Fitness Competitors?

Be confident and happy with how far you've come by challenging yourself - judging can be so subjective & political, so get out there and just have fun!

Who Are Your Favorite Fitness Competitors/Bodybuilders?

All of the competitors and bodybuilders at The Personal Training Station are such an inspiration to me. It's amazing to see everyone getting ready to compete and how their bodies change every week. And of course, Arnold!

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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