Quick Stats:
Age: 27
Height: 5’7"
Weight: 135 lbs (offseason) 125 lbs (stage)
Social Media:
How did you get started?
This crazy journey began for me when I hired a trainer to help me lose the extra weight I gained in pharmacy school! He was a bodybuilder and had some clients competing in a local show. He invited me to check it out.. I saw the girls in the sparkly bikinis.. and I hit the stage for the first time 7 weeks later! I earned a provincial qualification, and what began as a one-time bucket list item snowballed into 10 shows over 4 years.
What motivates you to keep going and push harder?
I always want to come in better than my last show! Who wants to stay the same?! I could float through 16 weeks of contest prep and end up with the exact same physique as my last show… or I could put everything I’ve got into it for those same 16 weeks and obliterate my previous package. Any given stage package is the sum of your daily actions- every day, meal, workout, and cardio session counts. You’ve gotta push each one as hard as you possibly can that day.
What is your current training philosophy?
Frequency is king. I hit delts and glutes at least twice a week because I think they’re the most important parts of a bikini physique. Abs and calves every second day- they’re obviously the finishing touches regardless of category.
How often do you change your training? (Full Routine)
I change my training every 4 weeks or so. Any longer than that and I get bored!What is your approach to nutrition?
Protein is roughly 1g/lb/day, and stays around there all year. Over the years I’ve learned that I tolerate fats fairly well, so with the exception of the final 8 weeks of prep, they’re up around 60-80g daily. I’m very carb-sensitive so that’s usually the macro that gets tweaked the most during prep- it all just depends on how my body’s responding during any given prep.
How many calories do you consume in a day?
Anywhere from 2200 to 1300 during prep. Calories stay as high as possible for as long as possible while still getting leaner. My coach likes to keep me as full as possible- he’d sooner increase my cardio than decrease my food. Me and my teammates jokingly refer to ourselves as “Team Eats-A-Lot”.
Do you bulk and cut or stay lean year round?
I stay within 10 lbs of stage weight year round. I used to do the post-show rebound routine, and balloon up 20 lbs. It was becoming harder and harder to recover metabolically from that; each subsequent prep, it got harder to lean out. Over the last year I’ve really tightened up my act. Opportunities for photoshoots come out of nowhere sometimes, and I hate showing up to expos in the offseason and not looking the part. As a bikini competitor with a fair foundation of muscle already, I don’t think bulking is a sound strategy for me- especially because my weak point on stage has always been my conditioning. I’m strategic about allowing my metabolism to catch back up after a show- I limit carbs for the first month or so and I keep doing cardio almost every day (although sessions are much shorter) and I always have a week’s worth of prepped meals ready in my freezer- because nobody wants to spend yet another day in the kitchen prepping meals the day after their show, and that’s an easy way to end up at KFC for lunch on Monday. What does your supplementation look like?
I don’t use a ton of workout supplements- maybe some pre-workout (I have a rotation so that I don’t get tolerant to them as easily), and Magnum Heat Accelerated is a fat burner I’ve been using for years. I’m actually huge on nootropics, and anything that supports adrenal function. I use medical grade omega 3, Apex Adaptocrine or Himalaya StressCare (for adrenal support), very high dose of vitamin D (not many people know this but it’s a precursor for sex hormones), vitamin C, L-tyrosine (for thyroid and dopamine production), L-carnitine (for fat burning properties) and a probiotic (you wouldn’t believe how intertwined gut health and mental performance are!).
What has been your biggest accomplishment in the fitness field?
Last year I was chosen from a pool of over 200 applicants for a sponsorship with The Suit Lady (www.suitlady.ca). I’ve been a loyal customer for years, and there were so many girls who yield better stage results, or have more of a social media following, than me, so for Colleen & Tracy to pick me from such a competitive applicant pool was an incredible compliment and accomplishment.I’ve also been published in Canada’s two biggest fitness magazines this year: I was #7 in the Inside Fitness Hot & Fit 100, and my second place win at the Vancouver Pro Show model search landed me a 2-page spread in Muscle Insider.
Favourite Quote:
“What you GET by achieving your goals is not as important as WHO YOU BECOME on your way there."
