Pro Fitness Model: Samantha Baker Talks With Simplyshredded.com [Updated

Quick Stats

Age: 31
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 130-135 lbs.

How did you get started with bodybuilding?

I was always active and I had danced my whole life, I played sports and I began to workout in my basement the summer before I started college and it just became addictive. From there I started going to the gym and I really made it a part of my daily routine. I saw the changes that my body was making and I was watching what I ate a lot more and really liked the results. I was a cheerleader for a few years and it was necessary to stay in great shape and I still wanted to incorporate the gym along with all the dance practice and once I was done with that I really wanted to continue to pursue this passion I had for working out, training and dieting. I decided to try my hand in the arena of fitness modelling.

I had some success pretty quickly and from there I decided to try competing as well. Now that I get to incorporate both in my life I am very happy and satisfied.

Where does your motivation come from?

My motivation comes from seeing results and the harder I push, the harder I train, the better I feel and the better I look. When somebody tells me that seeing me train in the gym day in and day out or seeing me in a magazine motivates them to want to do the same or even try the gym for the first time, it just makes it all worthwhile!

I also love a challenge, I love knowing that I can push myself to higher limits every time I step into that gym.

What is your training routine like?

My training routine consists of cardio in the morning and then training weights in the evening, with abs 2-3 times a week. My exercises, repetitions and weight vary depending on what I am training. There are certain body parts that I am trying to always improve upon, such as back, and shoulders and there are others that I need to just maintain and keep as is such as arms and legs. My training routine will also switch up according to my schedule, for example getting ready for a shoot, show, etc.

Full Routine:

Monday: Back

Wide Grip Pull Ups 3 sets to failure
Bent Over Barbell Row 1×15, 1×12, 1×8 w/dropset light x 25
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down 1×15, 3x 8 heavy
Standing Wide Cable Lat Pullover 3×12 heavy
Seated Cable Row 1×20, 1×8, 1×6-8 w drop medium weight x12
Hypers BW x25, BW plus 10 x 20, BW x25

Tuesday: Arms

Sitting Overhead Tricep Dumbell Extension 4x failure
Tricep Pushdowns 4x failue
Incline Bicep Dumbbell Curls 4x failure
Straight Bar Wide Grip Bicep Curls 4x failure

Wednesday: Shoulders

Standing Barbell Military (Shoulder Press) 1×20, 1×12, 1×12 drop to bar x20
Standing Laterals 5×15, 10×15, 15×15, 10×15, 5×15
Rear Delt Machine 1×20, 1×8, 1×8 with dropset to failure
Front Deltoid Dumbbell Raises 1×20, 1×20, 1×15, 1×8
Lateral Machine 3×20
Dumbbell Rear Deltoid Bent Raises 4×20, back to back, no rest

Thursday: Cardio/Abs

HIIT
30 mins Ab workout

Friday: Legs

Leg Extensions 4 sets 1×40, 1×30, 1×20, 1×10
Lying Ham Curls 3 sets 1×40, 1×20, 1×10
Barbell Squat w/ plates under heels 3 x20
Leg Press Wide 5×20
Seated Ham Curl 3×15, last set drop x30

Saturday: Cardio/Abs

HIIT
30 mins Ab workout

Sunday: Rear Delts

Bent Over One Arm Rear Delt Isolation 4×20, 1×8
Standing Lateral Raise 1×25, 1×15, 1×10 – 3 sets
Rear Deltoid Machine 1×20, 1×15, 1×8 dropset x20
Wide Grip Upright Row 1×20, 1×12, 1×8 dropset x20

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

Squats – I think it’s one of the best exercises for your glutes and that’s where I am always trying to improve for both competing and modelling.
Wide Grip Pull-ups – It really helps shape and define the V taper that every figure girl likes to achieve
Shoulder Press – Capped shoulders along with the V-taper from the pull-ups will make your waist look even smaller, the overall aesthetics that you can achieve from these three exercises is amazing no matter what you do.

What is your diet like?

Right now I am getting ready for a number of shoots before I lead into my next show in July. My diet right now is the following:

Meal 1: 5 Egg Whites, 1/2 cup of Oats
Meal 2: 4 oz. Turkey, 1/4 cup of Oats, Greens (Beans, Asparagus, Spinach etc.)
Meal 3: 4 oz. Tilapia, 1/4 cup of Rice, Greens (Beans, Asparagus, Spinach etc.)
Meal 4: 4 oz. Chicken, 1/4 cup of Oats
Meal 5: 4 oz. Turkey, Greens (Beans, Asparagus, Spinach etc.)
Meal 6: 20g Casein Protein

What are your favorite cheat meals and foods?

Some of my favorite cheat meals are pizza definitely, that never gets old with me and I love cookies! Chocolate chip, m&m’s and white chocolate chunk. I’ll stop there!

Favorite foods would definitely be Italian food like Lasagna and Spaghetti! I don’t get to eat it often but when I do I absolutely love it.

What has been your biggest accomplishment in the fitness field?

I would say that my publications in various magazines, nationally and internationally are some of my biggest accomplishments.

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

I vary my cardio just to keep my body guessing as well as catering to what I have coming up in my schedule.

I like to do straight forward cardio on the treadmill at an incline, elliptical, bike then I also like to throw in some HIIT training as well to change it up if I have a shoot, show, etc. coming up.

What are some of the biggest training mistakes you’ve made?

Some of the biggest training mistakes I have made are overtraining and overdoing the cardio. It is necessary to give your body time to rest and recoup, regenerate and rest allows your muscles to grow. It’s also important to remember that cardio is a weapon, it is an added benefit to diet and weight training to help you get to where you want to be. It is very easy to get caught up in doing too much cardio and not seeing enough results. Every once in a while I have to take a step back and re-evaluate my routine especially after a show prep where cardio is intensified and increased. I also used to make the huge mistake of not drinking enough water.