A new breed of female athlete has arrived in Squamish.
Locals are used to hearing about the exploits of women tearing up the trails on two wheels, running miles on the soccer field or climbing the granite cliffs, but an emerging group of females has taken over what was once considered the most masculine of sporting areas 鈥� the gym.
They can clang iron with men, last longer on cardio and push their bodies to the max 鈥� all while strutting in high heels.聽
The Sandra Wickham Fall Classic, occurring in New Westminster on Nov. 8, brings together hundreds of toned, tanned and hard bodies competing in bodybuilding, fitness, figure, physique and bikini divisions 鈥� and in 2014 it will have a uniquely 麻豆社国产flavour.
For months, six locals 鈥� Sage Bigler, Amy Christian, Kim Grewal, Britt Jonat, Jessica Lamarche and Angela Rajnforth 鈥� have been lifting, toning, dieting and fine tuning their bodies in advance of the big show. Bigler, Grewal, Lamarche and Rajnforth are all making their bikini competition debut and said a lot of the motivation to participate came from seeing Christian and 麻豆社国产resident Amanda Bazette prepare for past contests.
鈥淚 saw Amy and Amanda in the gym when they were training for a show and I was just so inspired by these girls,鈥� Grewal said. 鈥淎my told me I should do it and I thought maybe in a year or two, but they kept coming up to me and I was already working out so it gave me something to work towards.鈥�
Grewal says it鈥檚 developed into a聽true passion.
鈥淲hen I signed up I thought it was just going to be like a bucket list thing or just something for myself, but it has turned into something I really like and want to keep doing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 may not always be in the shape I鈥檓 in right now and I wanted to see what my full potential was and how I could transform my body.鈥�
For Lamarche, weightlifting was an interest before talk of the Wickham Classic, but the competition has forced her to elevate her training.
鈥淚鈥檝e been lifting weights for about two consecutive years now,鈥� she said, noting that the more intense training for the show began about five months ago. 鈥淲e all came into this solo. Then about four months ago we realized we were all training for the same thing.鈥�
鈥淚 wanted to do this for myself 鈥� I鈥檓 my own competition,鈥� Lamarche said. 鈥淚 love being in the gym and being healthy, it is my passion.聽
鈥淏odybuilding is something that鈥檚 become important in my life, so the competition is really just doing something I enjoy and love.鈥�
Christian and Jonat are the more experienced members of the group, with past shows under their belts. Christian said the group came together and it鈥檚 been a natural fit.
鈥淚 have been training for contests for about a year now and a group of like-minded girls from the gym stuck together,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he team evolved organically from our mutual interest and drive.鈥�
Bigler was a later addition to the group, as she joined the other five 12 weeks out instead of the 16 that is normally recommended.聽
鈥淭hey were always telling me I should do it, but I was hemming and hawing about it and then I finally decided to do it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in weight training and started last year, but I didn鈥檛 really know what I was doing and was educating myself on YouTube. I wasn鈥檛 getting the results I wanted then, so I think this has been a really good education in a way because now I know how to eat properly and how to train.鈥�
And it鈥檚 the eating and training that win or lose competitions at the Wickham Classic. The women鈥檚 routine is challenging 鈥� a different body part is targeted each day with a lot of additional cardio. The diet is specific and offers a lot less selection 鈥� and fat content 鈥� than the extra value meal at McDonalds.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of weighing food,鈥� Bigler said, laughing. 鈥淚鈥檝e been living out of Tupperware 鈥� I haven鈥檛 had food off the plate in鈥� I don鈥檛 know when.鈥�
The meal plans vary slightly for each girl, but typically it鈥檚 about a cup and a half of egg whites, with oatmeal and a banana for breakfast. Every two to three hours it鈥檚 necessary to eat some sort of combination of 130 grams of chicken, turkey or white fish along with vegetables like asparagus, green beans, spinach or broccoli.聽
鈥淏efore workouts a cup of rice is allowed for carbs to burn off, and following the workout, protein shakes are downed. At night, it鈥檚 another shake and combinations of the meat and vegetables.
Grewal said the strict diet can make for some interesting experiences when dining out.
鈥淕oing out and ordering food can be tough,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ome people judge when you ask them for some of the specific things we have to eat. I鈥檝e had some servers say they can鈥檛 measure or that it鈥檚 not part of their serving size. Servers are interested and ask questions sometimes 鈥� I鈥檝e been asked if I鈥檓 a model or anorexic 鈥� you get judged in a way sometimes, but you get used to it.鈥�
The lifting and cardio work for each woman has increased in order to make their muscles more visible and pop for the judges.聽
鈥淩ight now I鈥檓 at 65 minutes of fasted cardio per day,鈥� Lamarche said. 鈥淭hree days of weights on and one off, and training a different body part every day.鈥�
Experienced competitors Jonat and Christian have slightly more specific and detailed workouts.
鈥淢y workout routine is split into body parts so I have a heavy leg, chest/shoulders and back day, then I also have lighter secondary leg, shoulder, arm and back days as well,鈥� Jonat said.
鈥淚 am on a split workout and I train various muscle groups on different days,鈥� explained Christian. 鈥淒ay one is hamstrings and glutes, day two shoulders and abs, day three back and bi, day four quads and glutes and day five is chest and tri.聽
鈥淚 sprinkle some cardio in for good measure, time is dependent on where my body is at. I don鈥檛 really need to lean out much now, so I do about 30 minutes of cardio daily.鈥�
Results can be a huge motivating factor and that鈥檚 the case with this group. Improvements have been noticeable and help make the hard work and tedious diet seem worth it.
鈥淚鈥檝e noticed the most improvement in my mid-section,鈥� Jonat shared. 鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to have visible abs and my mid-section is where I store the most of my body fat so seeing them peek through is a big fitness accomplishment for me.鈥�
鈥淪houlders were my biggest thing,鈥� Grewal said. 鈥淏efore this, I would work hard on my legs and liked doing cardio and abs, but arms weren鈥檛 my focus.聽 I didn鈥檛 realize how much effort it takes to build up your arm muscle. It has been the hardest thing for me but when I walk away from this I鈥檒l be so happy about how much muscle I was able to put on my shoulders.鈥�
Increased strength and energy has also been a nice benefit for the competitors.
鈥淔or me, I鈥檝e noticed a lot of strength gain in my upper body,鈥� Lamarche said. 鈥淚 was never able to do a triceps dip or a pull up before. Now I can do five to 10
of each.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e definitely leaned out substantially and I also have more endurance and more energy 鈥� as long as I get enough sleep,鈥� Bigler said.
Training for a competition like this can be all encompassing and that is one of the true challenges for the girls. Balancing work and social life with the demands of the competition can be taxing.
鈥淪ome days I鈥檒l be battling exhaustion and it鈥檚 not just the diet and training, but the combination of doing a full-time job and maintaining family and friendships on top of the competition,鈥� Bigler said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about balance, you get the hang of it after a while, but its super overwhelming at first. If you have any free time I鈥檝e learned to make chicken or weigh out protein powder or something.鈥�
鈥淔inding a balance between the gym, social life, work, relationships, family and everything else in normal life events can be difficult,鈥� Lamarche said.聽
On top of everything else, in the bikini division you鈥檙e not only judged on your physique, but also your presence on stage. Poses must be completed to show off muscle while wearing high heels.聽
鈥淵ou鈥檙e judged 50 per cent on physique and the other 50 is your presence 鈥� how you walk, hair, make up and how you hit the certain poses,鈥� Grewal said. 鈥淵ou have to be very graceful and smooth in between the poses, but also be somewhat sassy and have a good stage presence.鈥�
Regardless of how they place in the competition, a bond has been formed between these six athletes and a support system has been built. They all admitted that it would have been a lot tougher without each other鈥檚 support.
鈥淚t鈥檚 helped to have the other girls to train with for moral support,鈥� Jonat said. 鈥淭here are some days that you just don鈥檛 feel like going to the gym, so having someone there to motivate and push you when you don鈥檛 feel like pushing yourself is really helpful. To do this competition you have to push yourself hard and that can be emotionally and physically draining, so having someone there to talk to who understands what you鈥檙e going through makes the whole journey a bit easier.鈥�
鈥淚t helps me to have a group of girls who genuinely understand and can relate to me,鈥� Christian said. 鈥淢any friends and family do not understand and can become frustrated with the rigidity of this temporary lifestyle.鈥�
It has been a blessing having the other girls around to train with,鈥� added Lamarche.聽 鈥淧eople always assume that we鈥檙e so competitive and try not to help each other, but it鈥檚 completely opposite. We鈥檙e all so supportive of each other and keep one another grounded and focused. I have gained some great lifetime friends through this competition.鈥�
鈥淲e keep each other sane,鈥� said Grewal. 鈥淥ne day one of us might be having a meltdown and the next someone else might be, it鈥檚 been a great support system and we鈥檝e become kind of like a family.鈥�
When it鈥檚 all done on Saturday, several of the girls are looking forward to eating foods that they鈥檝e not been allowed to even think about.
鈥淚 told my fianc茅 when I come off that stage I need lasagna and a Triple O鈥檚 veggie burger,鈥� Grewal said, laughing.
Christina is looking forward to a big breakfast with no restrictions, while Lamarche is pining for peanut butter
and Nutella.
鈥淚 want a fat slice of vegan choc cake from whole foods or maybe a Zephyr cookie 鈥� definitely something extravagant,鈥� Bigler added.
The girls offered a few words of advice to anyone looking to follow in their footsteps.
鈥淕o for it,鈥� Grewal said. 鈥淭here are some days that are hard, but it鈥檚 worth it. It shows you what you can do with your body and how much strength, determination and will power that you have.鈥�
鈥淵ou need to have a healthy and realistic view of your body beforehand because it is so hard to be judged subjectively,鈥� Christian said. 鈥淧lus your body will never look as toned and tight as it does on contest day. If you are too consumed with always having that body you will be forever unsatisfied. A competition body is not sustainable year round.鈥�
鈥淎s long as you have a passion for bodybuilding 鈥� do it,鈥� Lamarche said. 鈥淭rust me, some days it is not easy, but you must trust the process and not give up. The end result is worth it.鈥�
The 2014 SWFC goes down on Nov. 8 in New Westminster and on that night carbs and sugar will finally make it back onto the dinner and dessert plates of these women鈥� until the next competition.
