I have been active all my life. Starting at a young age I participated in sports such as dancing, horse riding, swimming and a little athletics. I joined the gym at around 18 years old, fell in love with weight training and haven't looked back since.
I stay motivated simply because I enjoy what I do. I think if you're really passionate about something you just do it without thinking. I love the challenge and pushing myself further than I thought I ever could. I love watching my body change knowing that it's from the choices I myself make daily. Keeping my body fit and healthy is a priority to me because I believe it's the only thing in this world we ever truly own, so why wouldn't I do my best to take care of it?
I find cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach works best for me. Plus it leaves me feeling energised for the rest of my day.
I like to keep my diet pretty basic.. Simply because I'm not the most creative person in the kitchen haha. But I'd have to say nothing beats protein pancakes! They're quick and easy which I like. I make mine using oats, egg whites, cinnamon, a scoop of whey protein and half a banana.
I don't like to call it a diet, more just eating according to my goals. My meals consist of plenty of lean protein, green vegetables/salad, good fats and complex carbs around my training times. I eat 6 meals a day, every 2-3 hours.
When I'm not preparing for a competition I'll allow myself one cheat meal a week. I like to think of it as a reward for a hard week of training, plus it helps if I have a social event on where I can be more relaxed with my diet for the night and not feel guilty about it. I've also found that after eating wholesome unprocessed foods for quite some time my body doesn't crave junk, it has all it needs.
I usually just listen to whatever music is on at the gym, but if I do listen to my Ipod I enjoy training to anything from Eminem to trance music or simply anything with inspirational lyrics really.
My training is constantly changing whether it be different exercises or just different rep ranges. I like to mix it up and keep my body guessing. I currently train legs twice a week focusing of Glute/Hammys because I am quite quad dominant. I also genetically don't have big abs and find it difficult to make the pop so I'm currently training them 3 times a week.
Here is a simple breakdown of my typical routine:
Yes absolutely. I think it's important to have goals set for all aspects of your life. Having shorts term goals, even if they are as simple as hitting a new PB, can keep you motivated and heading in the right direction when it comes to your long term goals/dreams. At the moment I'm focusing on improving my physique to bring a better package to the stage when I compete next. I hope to one day be a positive role model in the fitness industry.
I'm most proud of my positive outlook on life and the way I have and continue to shape my physique with the choices I make daily.
Yes of course. Whether it be physically or mentally, I believe everyone at some point will face obstacles when on their journey to achieving their goal physique. It's called LIFE and we can't always be in control of what happens in it. All you can do is surround yourself with positive people that support your goals and focus on what you can control.
I mainly measure my progress by the mirror and how my clothes are fitting. Though leading up to a comp I will weigh myself to assure I'm on the right track. Besides how I look, I always take into consideration how I FEEL because I believe that is just as important.
Larissa Reis, Nathalia Melo and Ashley Kaltwasser.
Pre workout:
L-carnitine + Thermogentic fatburner
During training:
BCCAS
Post workout:
Good quality protein powder + Glutamine
Nina Anderson
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