Valerie Garcia presents beauty & muscle wrapped into one.
In this edition of FigureBikini.com, I ask some of the top figure and bikini competitors (and future competitors) which protein powder they prefer, including their favorite flavor and how they like to prepare their shakes. Below you'll see some of the most beautiful women to ever grace the stage!
VPX SRO in vanilla, I blend it with ice, water, 1 tbsp natural peanut butter, and a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
Valerie Garcia
My favorite protein powder right now is MRM Natural Whey in Chocolate. Since I'm dieting right now I prepare mine with just water and ice, but if I'm not I love making a Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake by adding 1 TBSP natural peanut butter, 1/3 banana, and 1 cup unsweetened SoDelicious Coconut Milk!
Allison Moyer
Gaspari Nutrition's Chocolate Peanut Butter, without a doubt. I like to make mine with almond milk and sometimes add a little ice. During off season, I like to use the vanilla and add in 1 heaping spoonful of pumpkin, a dash of pumpkin pie spice, stevia, ice, and blend.
Ashley Lemmons
I use Dymatize Elite XT chocolate. I blend with 1/2c frozen blueberries, 1/2c frozen chopped spinach, a couple pieces of ice, 1 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk, and enough water to make it liquid enough.
Amber Shepard Hayes
I love a casein protein shake at night right before bed. My favorite flavor is chocolate peanut butter by Optimum Nutrition. I scoop it into a bowl, add one scoop of glutamine, and add just enough water to make it like a pudding dessert!
Carolina Granados
I love Champion Nutrition's Chocolate PB Whey! I mix one scoop with oats post workout...Mixes easily in a shaker with water and tastes amazing! Sometimes, when I'm feeling creative...I'll mix half a scoop of CN Chocolate PB with a half scoop of CN Cookies and Cream..absolutely DELICIOUS!
Nicole Gray
I LOVE Optimum Nutrition's HydroWhey Supercharged Strawberry! I blend it with just water and ice post-workout to really help with muscle recovery and growth!
Miriam Looney
I would say hands down the best protein powder is Whey protein from Optimum Nutrition. I love Caramel Toffee fudge! I takes care of my chocolate craving! It is best prepared with a little water, ice, cinnamon, and I throw in some yams and blend it all together for a great tasting, fast and easy post-workout meal. The yams make it a little creamy and it's almost like a milkshake!
"I eat a About 5 Raw Almonds and 2 Dried Mango Slrips as Soon as Waking Then Have My Green Tea With Lemon Juice and Cayenne Mix. About 30 min Later 3 Egg Whites, and a Cup of Instant Porridge. 2hrs Later a Repeat of the Breakfast. Before Hitting GymSupplements... Low Carb Protein Shke, Straight After Each Training Session, Amino's, Glutamin, BCAA's, Omega 3 6 and 9, Multi Vit, Vit C, and Calcium."
Tracey Gottschalk-Pike
Figure Champion
South Africa
Athlete Update: I've been asked to Guest Pose at Province and SA' Champs this year, before Hitting the World Championships on October 30th. It's been so hectic with around 4 to 5 Hrs of Gym Time 6 Days a Week.
"I keep the bulk of my carbs around my workout, which is always in the morning. Generally a whole egg, and 1/4-1/2 c whites and 1/2 c oatmeal on the side. Usually wait 30 minutes before I leave for the gym and start getting prepared. I've been using VPX Anarchy as my pre-workout. Gives me a GREAT boost of energy. I am also a big supporter of amino acids. I use a few different products including Xtend-watermelon flavor and 2 BCAA capsules before and after my workout."
Sundae Marshall
NPC Bikini Competitor
"My first meal of the day always includes carbohydrates. Depending on what stage I am in is the time within after waking up that I consume the meal. If I am off season I highly believe no more than 30 minutes should pass after waking up that you consume that first meal. If in season a lot of the time when taking a fat burner I like to wait 30 min then eat, so the meal is still consumed within those 30 min. The only exception to this "rule" is when doing pre-breakfast cardio, which I do on most days of the week. In which ase I wake up and go straight to my nearest gym, do 30 to 45 minutes of cardio and rush back for breakfast.
Meal 1 is always between 1/3 and 1/2 a cup of all natural oats, with cinnamon and 12 almonds mixed in. Then I will have 5 egg whites and about a cup full of asparagus. 8 to 16 oz of water.
With Meal 1 I like to take a Multivitamin, CLA, Omega 3's & 6's, and an Antioxidant. When not taking these in a concentrated form I take the Diet Accelerator by Top Secret Nutrition that has them all in there greatly portioned to a daily requirement and also has metabolic enhacer, diet accelerator, and a mood enhacer ;). I also religiously consume glutamine 10 g with meal 1."
Erika Otero
NPC Figure Competitor
"When I wake up (usually around 5:30) I take a lipo 6 black. About 30 minutes later I eat breakfast. On a regular day I eat 3-4 egg whites and 1 whole egg cooked in coconut oil. I throw in whatever veggies we have left over from the night before with a little squirt of canola mayo on top. On carb days I have 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/2c oats, 1/4c blueberries- mix it all together and cook one giant pancake- with either coconut oil, kerrygold butter, or almond butter on top. Mmmm Mmm good!."
Amber Shephard Hayes
NPC Bikini Competitor
"My first meal of the day consists of 5oz of Mahi Mahi, a piece of cinnamon ezekiel bread and a 1/2 of grapefruit. I love this meal, it gets me going!! I do not take any suppliments in the morning right now other than dandelion root and uva ursi. I get what I need from my meal.I wake up at about 7-7:30 and eat at 8:15. I get up, I go to the bathroom, I drink 8oz of water, I go down and make my coffee and by that time I'm ready to eat my meal. It's like clockwork."
Danae Zaitz
NPC Figure Competitor
"My first meal of the day is a protein shake. I usually drink it about an hour after I wake up. My favorite protein is vanilla flavor by optimum nutrition, and I add liquid vitamin, flax oil, glutamine, and L-carnitine to it. I order all of my supplements from http://www.powermaxxnutrition.com ."
Carolina Granados
NPC Figure Competitor
"I start my day with Protein Pancakes. I make them with liquid egg whites, oats, stevia, cinnamon and crushed pecans..topped with sugar free maple syrup. I always have my first meal within 30-45min of waking up..Always starving first thing in the morning. My supplements are pretty basic..just a multi and some vit. c with breakfast."
Nicole Gray
IFPA Figure Pro
From Christian Duque:
Thank you to all the ladies of Figure & Bikini, which took the time to participate in our poll question. These women are doing such a great job pushing themselves in-and-outside of the gym. They are proving to be far more than just athletes -- they are great role models for countless young women, and they are helping fuel physique sports throughout the world.
I'd also like to let everyone know that I did a write up for NPC Bodybuilder Kate Cooper. She's been vying for an IFBB Pro Card since 2001, but in the last month, Kate has done major damage at the NPC Masters Nationals and the NPC USA Championships. I hope the judges see all the hard work this athlete has put into her training and contest prep (for more, go to PhysiqueCentral.
Moreover, I'd like to announce an upcoming Q&A with IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Judy Gaillard for the StrengthAddicts and PhysiqueCentral websites. While this page focuses on Figure and Bikini, the Women need to strive for unity in all five divisions -- ignorant hate comments made against one division, should be taken as if addressed to all the Women. The Women Bikini stars need to recognize that the Women bodybuilders are every bit as feminine -- BUT -- the Women Bodybuilders should also reecognize that the ladies of Figure, Fitness, and Bikni -- also train in the gym an eat clean.
I know it's easy to preach, but regardless of what the talking heads may say -- physique sports are in demand, and the men do not subsidize the women. In fact, thanks to Bikini, hundreds of competitors are now paying Contest Fees and feeding the industry. Prize money for Bikini -- the largest class (at the Pro level) seems just as disproportionate to revenues, as the prize money given to Women Bodybuilders -- women in the most popular division and the most scapegoated (by chauvenists) are making about the same amount of money -- or LESS!
The Women need a strong unified front, with strong representation at the NPC and IFBB levels. Furthermore... MEN AREN'T JUDGED BY WOMEN, so in a perfect world -- ALL WOMEN JUDGING PANELS will judge the Women. This isn't just a blog with a bunch of pictures of great champions with insightful info on training! Take a moment to think about what an important role you can play on the sport -- whether as a competitor or as a fan.
Thanks again to all the ladies who contributed on this post and throughout the site. FigureBikini.com will continue to grow, and we hope you keep coming back!
Ok... whether you want to call it your ham/glute tie-in, your glutes, or simply your butt, you had better have this asset in picture-perfect form if you plan on being successful in bodybuilding, fitness, figure, or bikni. The writing is on the wall! The mainstream public looks for arms and chest in with The Men, it looks for a nice little waist, nice lines, and a great butt with The Women. If you choose to have implants and/or walk around with breasts bigger than Goodyear blimps -- that's fine. I'm sure you'll get leniency from a few judges, but these appendages have little to nothing to do with training and/or creating an aesthetic, championship physique.
Women can totally build a great butt from scratch. The key is proper diet and cardio for abs and legs. Cardio must be done everyday. Try doing Hill runs, pile squats, using the thigh abductor machines at your gym.
Also, most girls think that squats are not for them; I do them twice a week because they work!! Dead lifts are also essential for building a nice tight backside. Stairmill IS the key for glute ham tie in. And finally, walking briskly on a high incline treadmill is great too, but not more than twice a week.
Danae Zaitz
NPC Figure Competitor
2011 NPC Team Universe, Class C (Bikini) Sundae Marshall (13th)
Ok, this is a joke right? I don't know who Sundae Marshall is (yet), but I'd like to send her a shoutout from my little blog here in Lansing, MI. The last job I'd ever want is to be a Bikini judge because I'm seeing more and more women take less than stellar placings while their physiques are A+, their hair and makeup is A+, their tan is A+. Maybe there's a huge factor at play for not being at the shows in real-time, maybe the photos aren't enough of a litmus test?
I don't want to say Sundae could have won her class, but she certainly should have been in the Top 3, the fact she was placed outside the Top 10 is borderline ridiculous -- RIDICULOUS.
Great look Sundae -- great name too! Keep competing... at some point the judges will appreciate your excellent figure and your seemingly excellent presenation. If this is something you enjoy doing (as opposed to having to do it - like work), by all means keep competing. Don't change a thing about your body. You have excellent muscle developement, tight midsection, a BEAUTIFUL smile, and a confidence that's almost undeniable (even from just looking at you in a photograph). Awesome work by RxMuscle.com (as always -- the #1 Source ANYWHERE for contest coverage!
"My win at the West Coast Classics, wow how to describe it, amazing, incredible, all my hard work paid off!! It was wonderful to step back on stage this year & win my class. It’s the beginning of my new journey, nothing can stop me now.
I prepared for the show for about 3 months with my amazing coach Kim Oddo. I don’t know what I would have done with out him by my side. My next goal is to win my Pro Card, and honestly it’s right around the corner, I am in prep for the USA's which is in less then 4 weeks away, held in Las Vegas. I am eager to see all my beautiful competition this year, we all deserve to be on that stage! I can’t wait to rock that stage in a couple of weeks. All this is a blessing to me, and a dream come true!!"
Narmin Assria
NPC Bikini Champion
A Placing is just that
This blog celebrates Figure & Bikini athletes that display impressive physiques, achieved through serious training, sensible eating, and logical supplementation. The women portrayed on this site, are deemed by its webmaster, to be at such an advanced physique-level, that they are above reproach for something as trivial as less than stellar placing - or even a bad year. Judges' scorecards are often influenced by factors outside the ladies' control, and whether or not you want to admit that physique competitions are political or not -- is entirely up to you.
Sometimes, with visting the sites and looking over hundreds of photos (taken by several different photographers, manipulating different effects from lighting to resolution), I'll see a competitor that probably got a bum deal from the judges, who I think could have potentially won her class -- or at least taken runner-up. Physique sports are subjectively based. And whereas the judges' will is evniced by who wins the shows, bloggers and sitemasters' will is carried out by whom they choose to feature. Just because you "won" a show on the scorecards, does not necessarily mean you'll be covered and promoted to that extent on the sites and magazines.
Amber Shepard Hayes has everything in her arsenal to be a great Bikini champion at the NPC level. And let me qualify that last statement with a strong admonition -- "FOR NOW."
Here is an athlete that defies many of stereotypes floating around about bikini. She does train - and she trains hard. She's done strength competitions, yet has a body as soft and toned as the runway models you see on drink ads (which never drink!). Amber competed in the 2011 NPC Charlotte Cup - she didn't the win the show, nor did she win her class.
What irks me the most about Bikini & Figure, albeit to a lesser extent, is that the Women at local shows are usually competing at the behest of close friends and sometimes even family. A poor placing to a new contestant could mean anything from passion to defeat. Some people just don't want to undergo the eight to twelve weeks of prep, the tanning, the traveling, time off from, etc, just to show up take a bad placing.
I look forward to promoting this wonderful athlete and I hope we continue to see her on the Bikini stage. She has a bright future -- but she needs to keep knocking on the door. She has good muscle, nice legs legs, excellent presentation, and if the photos speak true -- she stands confidently and happily under the stage lights. FigureBikini.com is proud to present this wonderful rising star to our always-growing audience!
BIKINI ON FILM!
This is a brand new channel, so get over to it and Subscribe + Add "TheFitSolution" as a friend on Youtube. I can't stress how important this type of medium is. Sure, this is a great way to get publicity for your business, personal training endeavors, and/or just to network with other athletes and potential sponsors. All of the benefits listed are big reasons why you, as a Figure or Bikini competitor, should be on youtube (at least on some level); however, there's an even bigger reason.
After all the training, all the boring meals, all the tanning, all the travel, all the stress on romantic, family, and social relationships that comes from this lifetsyle you've chosen, THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. You are a role model -- and if you choose to be a good role model, one of the greatest contributions you can make, is to offer a hand to all the women coming up after you.
Talk to you friends, significant other, coach, and/or anyone you trust in your camp, about setting up a channel and making vlogs. Don't just make videos doing bicep curls or the sexy type video showing off your nice legs or your pretty face. You are more than a nice body and a pretty face. You are more than a nice body and a pretty face. That wasn't a type-o. If some men think of you as nothing but a sex object, don't let whatever the fuck is wrong with them, keep you from becoming a superstar. It's ok to look like a woman, just because you don't have 19" arms doesn't mean you to don't bust your ass training hard in the gym and eating the same boring food bodybuilders have to east six times a day. You are a legitimate athlete in a legitimate sport - SO SPEAK UP, BE HEARD!
Get a $15 webcam at Walmart, think about a topic, write down some notes, and get started. Your channel, like your website, facebook, and twitter, will further market you, but it will also help many women looking to follow in your footsteps -- AND it will increase your fanbase!
Young girls, teenage girls, young adult females -- they need strong, healthy women to look up to. Women need to know that building muscle and eating clean, isn't reserved for meathead guys. They need to know they can take care of their bodies and live better, happier lives, with TONS of ambition and self-confidence in all things that they do.
