Vitals
Height: 5’3″
Weight: 118 lbs.
Age: 34 years old
Background / Bio
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. I attended Omaha Burke High School and got my bachelors degree from The University of Nebraska at Omaha. I am NASM CPT certified and am a WBFF Fitness Model PRO.
What inspired you to get into bodybuilding?
Fitness has always been a way of life for me since a young age. I started dance at the age of 4 years old and started competitive dance at the age of 9. I guess you could say I have had a competitive side from a young age J I was also a cheerleader in high school and continued this throughout college.
Once done with cheer leading, I really had no direction in what I was going to do next, so I joined the local 24 Hour gym and hired a personal trainer. And this is where I fell in love with fitness, but I needed more. That competitive fire was still there and had to be unleashed.
I talked with some of the management at the gym about sponsorships, competitions, etc and it was decided. I would do a show!
I signed up for my first show in 2007, but didn’t end up going through with it. The drive and dedication it takes to do a show just wasn’t where it needed to be just yet. But come 4 years later in 2011, I competed in my first WBFF show and it was AMAZING!
How did you do in your first show?
I competed in my first WBFF show in 2011 where I ended up placing 2nd. And let me tell you, this was great in my eyes for my first show, but I was far from done…I would not stop until I was the best!
What gets you going? More importantly, what’s keeps you motivated to keep going?
Hmmm…what gets me going? Well, I would have to say it depends on what my goal is. For the past 6 years it has either been prepping for a show, getting back to my pre-baby body, or a photo shoot.
But with no show in sight as of now, and a photo shoot in the books just a few months ago, I would have to say what keeps me motivated at the moment is feeling good and happy with the way my body looks.
I know that if I am not happy with the way I feel and look, it’s on me.
I CAN control this.
It’s my body, so I need to do what needs to be done to be happy.
What is your personal fitness routine in an average week?
Since having kids, it depends from week to week, but on a good week I train 5 days.
Mondays: Shoulders & Legs
Tuesdays: Back & Chest
Wednesday: Shoulders & Hamstrings & glutes
Thursday: Quads & Tricep/Bicep
Friday: Total Body focusing on shoulders
What do you think about popular fitness trends like Crossfit and Orange Theory?
So I have tried Orange Theory once and it was great, but I am not a fan of cardio so it was not something I was going to be signing up for J I believe if your nutrition is on point, which I like to think mine is most of the time, there is really no need for much cardio. My body responds very well to weight training alone, so cardio is rarely on my radar.
Now Crossfit on the other hand, I like to dabble in every now and then. My husband is a crossfit regional athlete and competes in local competitions, so it has a little place in my heart.
I would like to get more involved in it, but as I said previously, cardio is ok in small bouts, but not something I am looking to do day in and day out.
If you had a weak body part how would you bring it back up?
I feel I do have a weak body part, that being my shoulders. I train and train them, but it takes a lot to get them to grow. I typically would train them 1-2 times a week, but as of lately have been focusing on 3 days a week in hopes to have them match my lower half.
What does a typical day of meals look like for you?
So a typical day consists of 6 meals. I have tried jumping on the macro bandwagon and only really counting macros instead of thinking there has to be a certain amount of meals, but my brain has been wired this way for so long.
Breakfast: Usually Kashi Go Lean Cereal with coconut milk & Protein shake
Snack: Egg Muffins & Banana
Lunch: Brown or White Rice & Ground Beef
Snack: I have been addicted to Compete Cookies lately, so either those or a Quest Bar
Dinner: Broccoli & Cauliflower riced up with some lean meat
Snack: Dessert! And when I say this, I do mean any kind. I like to think I am pretty good at portion control so I keep it small, but it seriously could be anything from ice cream to a brownie or cake. Tonight I think I will have 2 salted caramel cookies.
All about moderation right?!
Which is more important, diet or exercise?
I am going to have to go with Nutrition. Exercise is a huge component, but like I said previously, if you nutrition is on point, the rest should fall in place.
What advice do you give to people trying to break into the Fitness Industry / Competition?
My advice is to dig deep and find out WHY you are looking to do a show or break into the Fitness Industry. Are you wanting to make it your career or are you doing it for recreation? And then you need to look at what organization best fits your personality and lifestyle.
They are all so different.
Stay true to yourself and never give up.
If this is your goal and dream, then I say go for it! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!
What do you think is the most overrated exercise in the gym? Most underrated?
Most overrated exercise in the gym would be the abduction/adduction machine. Those are trouble areas for people, so they automatically think working those specific areas are going to spot reduce, which you absolutely cannot.
First off, a movement everyone should be doing is the squat clean thruster.
This by far is the most underrated exercise. It hits every single muscle in your body from head to toe in one single movement. You can do it in a variety of ways from using one single dumbbell or kettle bell, to using a med ball, dumbbells, barbell, or even a sand bag.
And if that’s not an option, you can always settle for burpees.
When cutting, down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?
HIIT all the way! When its time to lean down for a show or shoot, I like to hit my old stomping grounds and take full advantage of the stadium stairs and football field. Sprints & stairs are my go to.
What is your diet like?
I would say my diet is pretty clean. I do like to splurge on the weekends and eat out with the family, but during the week I try to stay on track.
What is your supplementation like? Any particular favorites?
As far as supplements go, I take very few. I take creatine, SciVation Xtend for my BCAA, and NutraSea for my fish oil.
If you were starting over right now, what would you do differently?
Honestly If I were starting over right now, I wouldn’t change a thing. My goal when starting out in the fitness industry was to place 1st and get my PRO card, compete at the World’s level with all the PRO’s and be a published fitness model, work at some of the fitness expos, and plain and simple, get my name out there.
I am happy to say I can check all of these things off my list, plus I had 2 beautiful kids during this whole crazy process.
I wouldn’t change a thing for the world.
What’s the best training advice you’ve ever received?
My best advice would be to stay true to yourself and don’t lose YOU and become someone you are not. There are so many people out there who lack the confidence they once had because of this industry and how fake it can be through photoshop, the use of different angles and lighting, all to achieve “that perfect look” that they feel the world wants to see, but truly that is not them.
I set out every day to be the best version of me, not something that I am not.
Favorite cheat meal?
Favorite cheat meal would be anything Mexican. I love tacos and nachos!!!
What has been your biggest accomplishment in the fitness field?
My biggest accomplishment would be winning my PRO card and competing at Worlds with other fitness PROs from around the world. Also getting published was pretty cool too J
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