Sports and fitness have always been a large part of my life. When I was child I was involved in soccer, gymnastics, skiing, swimming, and figure skating. When I went to university I represented my school in two varsity sports, figure skating and cheerleading, allowing me to become a national and international level athlete. After I graduated, I turned professional, touring the world with Holiday On Ice as a professional figure skater.
Now as an adult, sports and fitness still plays an important role in my life. When I decided to stop skating professionally, I found myself looking for a new goal, a fresh challenge. I found the sport of body building. The swimsuits and costumes are glamorous, the work is hard, the dedication is all or none, and an opportunity to become a professional athlete in a second sport is extremely motivating … sounds like a perfect fit for me.
You all might be wondering, why in the world would any female want to be involved in body building? The fantastic and wonderful world of body building is just that, you are building and shaping your body for a specific look. It’s kind of like body by design. Each division is different in what they are looking for in the size and shape of the muscles, so there really is something to fit almost everyone’s tastes. Your next question is probably going to be won’t you get big and bulky? The answer is no, you have to work extremely hard for many years to put on enough muscle to be considered big and bulky. I’ve been training consistently for four years now as a fitness athlete and I am still a small person. To give you some perspective, I am 5’2” (158 cm), when I was in university I weighed between 108lbs (49kg) and 115lbs (52.3kg) with somewhere between 20-24 percent body fat. The first time I stepped on stage, I weighted the same 108lbs (49kg) but with 11 percent body fat. I was the same weight but much smaller, leaner, stronger, and physically fit than I had ever been in my athletic career previously.
I am finishing up my off season and will be preparing for what I hope will be the most successful season to date ending with me earning my pro card and attaining the title of IFBB Fitness Pro. This blog is an opportunity for me to share my own fitness journey as well as help to inform you about some of the misconceptions regarding dieting and working out. On September 22, I will make my international fitness debut in Seoul, South Korea officially starting off the 2018 season. That’s eighteen weeks from now, which may seem like a long time, but there’s a lot of work to be done between now and then.
Here’s a little insight into what a training week looks like for me so you can see where I started and my progress along the way to get to a super fit physique that’s ready to step on stage. Currently, I train (lift weights) five days per week, four days a week I have HITT cardio that’s 20 minutes per session, three days per week I work on my fitness skills, and one day a week I spend an hour or so working on tumbling skills. That’s a lot of work already!! On top of this, I am dieting, but have taken a flexible approach in the off-season so I can enjoy some of the foods that I will not be able to eat during show prep. The last bit of information to help you understand a little better how body composition can change, my starting body stats are 124lbs (56kg) and 21 percent body fat.
I am super excited to get this season started and to have the opportunity to share my fitness journey with you along the way. If you have questions or want to know more information about any of the topics in my blog, please feel free to comment!
Training Schedule
| Sunday | Legs – Quad Focus | 20 min HITT | Skills Practice |
| Monday | Shoulders | 20 min HITT | Skills Practice |
| Tuesday | Back | 20 min HITT | |
| Wednesday | Legs – Glute Focus | ||
| Thursday | Back and Shoulders | 20 min HITT | Skills Practice |
| Friday | Off | ||
| Saturday | Off | Tumbling |
Fitness competitor rules:
There are two rounds – 1) two-piece suit with mandatory poses of quarter turns 2) routine round – maximum of 2 minutes
Women’s Fitness mandatory movements for routine:
- Push up of any kind
- High kicks
- Straddle hold
- Side split
Scoring:
- Strength – amount and types of strength moves, degree of difficulty of the moves, ease and correctness of the moves
- Flexibility – number and types of flexibility moves, degree of difficulty of these moves, ease and correctness of the moves
- Cardiovascular – temp of the routine
- Overall package – general assessment including but not limited to creativity, stage presence, outfits, hair and make-up.
Here are some of the foods I am currently eating:
Oatmeal
Eggs and egg whites
Chicken
Tuna
White Fish
Lots of vegetables
Peanut butter
Rice cakes
Spinach
Avocado
Rice
Below are some pictures from my last competition, as well as some videos of my tumbling and
skills practice.
Erin Egelhoff
