How did you get started with bodybuilding?
Well where do I begin? I’ve been training with weights since high school. It’s funny to think back to a time when I didn’t know the difference between a barbell and dumbbell! I remember having a family reunion back when I was in Jr high school and we had to do family photos. I didn’t hear about it until a few years later but some of my little cousins made a nickname for my immediate family “The fat family”. Looking back at the pictures I could see how people could see us like that, me a little bit chubby and my two sisters, mom and dad we were all more than a little overweight. I decided to do something about this immediately! I joined a gym and started reading as many fitness magazines as I could get my hands on. I saw gains within a couple of weeks and I’ve been hooked ever since! After high school I went to school to become a Commercial Pilot and to date I am flying a jet commercially for a private company. As I’m sure you can imagine the life of a pilot can be quite sedentary. To stay fit on the road I always pack a skipping rope, an elastic band and make sure to book at a hotel with lots of stairs!
I have competed in four fitness competitions now and bodybuilding has just become a natural part of my everyday life!
Where does your motivation come from?
My motivation comes from inside of me. I believe that anyone that wants to be successful at anything including weight loss or creating your dream body, needs to set out clear goals and have a plan on how you will attain those goals. I like to journal everything! I keep a journal and I write out what it is that I want, why I want these things and why I think that I do not have them yet, also what I plan on doing in order to get it (or if I have achieved my goal already then good job ?).
I try to review these goals monthly as what I want changes from time to time and it helps to keep me focused, motivated and on track with my fitness goals.
What workout routine has worked the best for you?
I think that everybody’s different and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. The right combination of cardio and weight training gives me the best results. I try to switch things up every day but typically I do cardio 4-6 days per week for 45 minutes and train with weights 3 to 4 days per week. I try to train my abs everytime I’m at the gym anywhere from 3-5 times per week. And I love to do Yoga; I try to fit it in at least once per week because it is so important for flexibility.
I find that mixing up my cardio and weight training and trying different things not only makes my body respond better but keeps me more interested in working out.
Monday – Sprint Training and Abs
- HIIT Cardio x12 intervals
- Elliptical training (45 minutes)
- Big ball crunch 25 x3
- Big ball mini crunches 25 x 3
- Big ball hip thrusts 25 x 3
- Bicycle 25 x3
- Full crunch 25×3
- Plank 1 minute x 3
- Side plank 1 minute per side x3
- Supermans 25 x3
Tuesday – Cardio, Chest and Back
- 45 minutes – elliptical hard intensity
- 3 sets of 20 push ups
- 3 sets of 15 reps Cable flys
- 3 sets of 20 reps big ball bridge dumbell flys
- Reverse Pull ups negatives 3 sets of 10reps
- Bent over barbell row 3 sets of 15 reps (heavy)
- Straight arm pulldowns 3 sets of 20
- Bent over Barbell row 3 sets of 20 reps
Wednesday- Cardio Track Circuit and Abs
- Run up and down a set of stairs 8 times
- Run around the track 4 times
- Skip rope 100 jumps single (Repeat 3 times)
- 20 jump squats (Repeat 3 times)
- 20 side to side jump squats (Repeat 3 times)
- Decline bench crunch 20x 3
- Reverse Decline bench crunch 15x 3
- V sit crunch 15×3
- Weighted ball crunch 25×3 + 25 pulsesx3
- Hanging straight leg raise 15×3
Thursday- Legs
- Walking lunges (warm up)
- Walking lunges 20lbs barbell
- Walking lunges 25lbs barbell
- Walking lunges 30lbs barbell
- Walking lunges 40lbs barbell
Friday – Arms & Shoulders
Circuit #1 – do all exercises one after the other take a 1 min break then repeat 2 more times
- Bicep barbell curl 20 reps
- Tricep dips on bench
- Barbell press (in front of head) 15 reps, then 15 behind the head
Circuit #2 – do each exercise one after the other no breaks complete 1-5 rest 1 min, repeat 2 more times.
- Bicep curl dumbells singles 20 reps (1 rep is one each side)
- Bicep curls dumbells together 20 reps
- Skull crusher 20 reps
- Bent over tricep extentions dumbells 20 reps
- Bent over lateral raises dumbells 20 reps, dumbell lateral raises 20 reps, dumbell over head press 20 reps
Saturday – Cardio and Abs
- Cardio- Swim laps 45 mins
- V sit 3×25
- Straight leg raise 3×25
- Flutter kick up n down 25×3
- Flutter kick feet x over 25×3
- Hip thrust on bench 3×25
Sunday – Yoga Rest Day
- 45mins Yoga
If you had to pick only 3 exercises what would they be and why?
- Walking lunges – Because it targets so many muscles in one move and I like the lift it gives my butt ;)
- Chin up – It’s a great move especially for women who have weak upper body stregth. I like to jump up into a chin up and go down slow for a count of 10 to increase strength.
- Bicep Curls- I’ve always had smaller arms and I need to train my arms or they get tiny!!
What is your diet like?
I am actually in the midst of creating a bodybuilding cookbook so I eat a large variety of foods and I have a lot of fun creating new and interesting recipes to keep my taste buds saying more!!! ? I eat 6-7 meals every day. I try to eat 30grams of protein, 30 grams of carbs and 4-5 grams of healthy fat at each meal. If I have a shoot coming up then my first 4 meals I have carbs, protein and fats and meals 5-7 just protein and double my fats and vegetables.
Here would be a sample day for me:
- Meal 1 – 6 egg whites omelet with 1 yolk cooked with cooking spray and fresh veggies, ½ cup old fashioned oats, 1 grapefruit, coffee or green tea
- Meal 2 – Apple cinnamon portable pancake- made with 6 eggwhites, ½ of a gala apple, ½ cup oats, cooked with 1 tsp of coconut oil
- Meal 3 – 1 cup cooked brown rice or Quinoa, BBQ chicken, green salad (homemade olive oil/balsamic vinaigrette)
- Meal 4 – Homemade Turkey Meatball, Spinach salad (homemade salad dressing) and 1 oz almonds
- Meal 5 – 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple, protein shake, and 1 tsp peanut butter
- Meal 6 – Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup, grilled vegetables
- Meal 7- Chocolate peanut butter protein shake (made with hot water so its more like a hot coco) 1 tbsp peanut butter
I know it looks like a lot of food! ? But the more you eat the higher your metabolism gets trust me!!
They say that the pre and post workout meals are the most vital meals for the day, what does yours consist of?
I try to have protein, carbs and fats in most of my meals as mentioned above. I will have a pre workout meal consisting of a slow digesting carbohydrate like oatmeal or quinoa or rice along with protein such as egg whites, chicken or fish and some kind of vegetable with 1 tsp or healthy fat. After my workouts I have fruit as my carbohydrate as well as a post workout shake. Fats slow down your digestion so I tend to avoid fats right after a workout as I want the protein and carbohydrate to quickly absorb allowing my muscles to grow.
What is your supplementation like?
I use the following supplements:
- Multivitamins
- Calcium/Magnesium
- Amino Acids
- Protein Powders
- Creatine
- Greens powder
- Omega 3/6/9 oil
- Udos oil
- Flax oil
- Coconut oil
Favorite Bodybuilders?
Arnold Schwarzenegger of course! I also really love Bikini Model Marisa Miller.
Favorite Quote?
If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
