Earlier this month we posted a quick note on Facebook about two of our staff members, Chelsey and Vanessa after they competed in local fitness competitions. We are so proud of them and we wanted to know more. Here’s three questions for the competitors.
How would you describe the training?
Chelsey: I typically train 5–6 days a week for 1.5–2 hours per session. Most days include some form of squats, pulls from the floor, technique work for snatch or clean and jerk, and other accessory strength work. I lift with a team and work one-on-one with a coach!
Vanessa: My training involved split body training that put me in the gym 5–6 days a week; three of those days were 2-a-day workouts (cardio on my lunch break). My diet was based off of macros and certain percentages of carbs, protein and fats I had to meet everyday which required me to weigh and measure the majority of my foods for about 4 months.
H
ow would you describe the competition?
Chelsey: The competitions are a blast! They are organized by weight class and gender. All lifters get 3 attempts to record, first, their best snatch, and then 3 attempts to find their best clean and jerk. Each session usually takes about 2–3 hours.
Vanessa: Body building competitions are broken down into 4 divisions that consist of Bikini, Figure, Fit Body, Physique and Bodybuilding. You enter the division where you think your body type fits in the best. I competed in the Figure and Fit Body Divisions. Figure Judges are looking for symmetry, tone and stage presence. Suits are embellished with rhinestones and high heels are required! The judges look for balance and proportion and well has good muscle tone and leanness. Fit Body competitors usually have look for a “hard” athletic physique, especially in the shoulders and arms. They’re usually a little more lean and have more striation in their muscles. I did this category just for fun because I love the poses.
Is there another competition in your future and what might that look like?
Chelsey: I will be competing in another competition either this summer or fall with the end goal to qualify for the American Open in Orlando in December!
Vanessa: This is my third show since October and it’s time for a break! I definitely plan to keep up with my lifting but probably won’t step n stage until next Spring. This summer I plan to enjoying a lot of biking and camping!