WBFF Pro Fitness Diva World Champion Miryah Scott Talks With Simplyshredded.com

How did you get started with bodybuilding?

A lot of people don’t know that I first started working out when I was 16 years old with Tae Bo videos in my basement and have been in and out of the gym ever since. But I haven’t always been the fit woman you see today. When I was 24 years old I graduated University and entered the corporate world. The days consisted of sitting at a desk, attending business lunches and networking functions, and partying on the weekends. In short, I fell away from the healthy eating and treated my body very poorly. This lifestyle caught up with me and I found myself 30 pounds overweight and very unhappy. My self-esteem was extremely low, nothing in my closet fit and I was headed on a downward spiral until I had a life changing “ah-ha” moment. One day I took a good long look in the mirror, and it shocked me that I did not recognize the woman in the reflection.

I knew that girl wasn’t who I wanted to be so I decided to change my life. I hired a personal trainer and embarked on a spiritual and physical journey that changed my entire life forever.

The first year had a lot of obstacles to overcome. I still faced the challenges of working in an office setting but on top of that I was involved in a pretty severe car accident and also suffered an injury that caused me to have knee surgery. But this didn’t stop me. I still lost 20 pounds in the first year of training and was so happy to get my body back. Little did I know that the journey was just getting started.

My trainer saw the changes in my physique and one day asked “Have you ever considered competing?”

I had always admired the girls in the magazines and wondered if I had what it takes to look like them. After a lot of thought I decided to take my passion for fitness to a new level and enter my first competition. This was a long time dream of mine and I didn’t want to look back and wonder what “if”. I lost another 20 pounds in the 8 weeks of training leading up to my first show at the 2009 WBFF Alberta Championships (totaling a 40 pound weight loss). The competition was tough and I stepped on stage against 53 other gorgeous women and to my complete surprise I placed first! Since then I competed in the 2009 and 2010 WBFF World Championships placing first in both shows.

I am very proud to say that I am currently the two time WBFF Pro Fitness Diva World Champion. Wow, that still gives me shivers.

Where does your motivation come from?

My motivation for competition preparation is different than my motivation to stay fit and healthy on a daily basis. When preparing for a competition I am motivated to push myself to new limits and strive to be my absolute best. I want to step on stage with confidence of knowing that I did everything I could to bring my best body and presentation possible. On a daily basis I am motivated by the way my body feels when I make healthy choices. I like celebrating the small wins over daily temptations. It’s empowering! I never want to feel the way I did when I was out of shape. I felt like a victim to daily temptations.

Another major source of inspiration comes from all of the wonderful messages I receive from supporters. These messages mean so much. There is nothing more rewarding than being a source of inspiration that creates positive changes in lives of others.

What workout routine has worked best for you?

I have been working out for a long time and I have a good muscle base already, so conditioning is my main focus and I use resistance training to maintain my desired body shape. I never do the same workout twice, but in general my training looks something like this:

Monday: 60 mins steady state cardio
Tuesday: 35 mins HIIT, Shoulders and Back
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: 60 mins Cardio, Arms and Legs
Friday: 35 mins HIIT
Saturday: 60 minute Zumba class
Sunday: TKO class (this is a total body training)

If you have to pick only 3 exercises, what would they be and why?

Walking lunge with torso twist
Deadlift with single arm dumbbell thrusts
Push ups with single arm dumbbell rows

You get a lot of bang for your buck with these exercises. These are all multi-joint movements that focus on core stability while simultaneously working many of the major muscle groups.

Cover Models Miryah Scott & James Ellis

What is your diet like?

Sample Diet:

Meal 1: Egg whites, oatmeal with cinnamon and almond butter
Meal 2: Bodylogix Protein shake, berries and almonds
Meal 3: Fish, quinoa, mixed green salad,
Meal 4: Fish, cucumber
Meal 5: Salmon, green beans
Meal 6: Bodylogix Protein shake

They say that the pre and post-workout meals are the most vital meals for the day, what do yours consist of?

I typically have something small before a morning cardio session then go home and eat my first meal. I do weights later in the day and make sure to eat a meal about 30-60 minutes prior to the training and then follow the workout with a protein shake.

When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?

I get bored easily and find that I get the best results when there is a lot of variety in my workouts so I like to combine both high intensity interval training with steady state cardio. The duration and frequency of the cardio sessions depend on where I am in my training relative to the upcoming show or photo-shoot. I also keep the intensity high during resistance training sessions by incorporating plyometrics and other intervals.

This elevates your heart rate, burns extra calories and also helps keep each training session fun and new.

What is your supplementation like?

Bodylogix Women’s Multi Vitamins
COQ10
Glutamine
Vitamin C
CLA’s
Bodylogix Women’s Protein Shakes

Favorite Bodybuilders?

My favorite all time classic bodybuilder is of course Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Brant is undisputedly the Queen of fitness. Monica and Arnold are amazing not just for their fabulous physiques but also for the huge impact that they have made on the fitness industry.

I am also a big fan of Jamie Eason. She not only has every woman’s dream body, but she is also one of the most genuine, sweet, smart, and savvy women in the business.

Favorite Quote?

I read a lot and have come across a lot of inspirational quotes that have kept me going in challenging times, so it’s difficult to pick just one favorite. But one thing I have always said is: