Inteview with IFPA Natural Bodybuilder Christy Resendes
By Eddie Cervantes, Muscle-4Life-Nutrition.com
CEO - Muscle 4 Life Nutrition LLC
Specialist In Performance Nutrition
I finally caught up with natural bodybuilding competitor Christy Resendes to find out what it takes to be a top notch athlete and how she built her buff and beautiful Physique.
EC: Hello Christy, tell us a little about yourself and what brought you to the world of bodybuilding?
Christy: I was introduced to weight lifting and bodybuilding at the age of 14 when I watched my mother compete in her first bodybuilding show. I was really inspired by her hard work and dedication. So much so, that the following year I joined a gym. Three months after joining and dieting, I competed in my first bodybuilding show.
It was the same show my mother had competed in the year prior. It was great. I placed first, won overall and best poser just as she had done. It was such an amazing experience that I was hooked after that!
EC: Now you sound like a natural to me. Where do you reside and train at?
Christy: I currently reside in Fairhaven, MA. and train at Champion’s Fitness Center in New Bedford
EC: Have you ever had a trainer or have you always done it on your own?
Christy: I never really had a trainer. My mother and some of her friends helped me get started. I later went to college for physical education and majored in exercise science. However, I would not say that I train alone. My current training partner of three years happens to be my oldest daughter. She is 13 years old and plans to compete next year.
EC: That is really cool, your daughter is following in her mother's and grandmother's foot steps. What is your training philosophy?
Christy: Persistence + Consistency = Desired Affect
EC: "Desired Affect" I like that. What does your current training workout look like?
Christy:
I have a periodization program, which is a detailed training program for the year. It has three different mesocycle cycles within it: off-season (strength & power training), pre-contest (leaning phase), and strongwoman training (strength & endurance training).
Each mesocycle varies in duration from 3 to 4 months and within each mesocycle it’s broken down further into specific objectives for 1-3 weeks of time duration. I am currently in the strength & endurance cycle and I weight train 4 times per week and cardio 4 times per week.
I will be in this cycle of strength & power training until January. It includes for the most part Olympic lifts, power lifts and compound exercises. It’s a low volume and heavy weight training cycle and has longer periods of rest in between sets than the other cycles. The main objective for me in this period is to increase muscle strength, explosiveness (reaction of fast twitch muscle fibers) and endurance.
EC: Is this training routine something that our readers can use to build muscle and lose body fat or is this something that is more suited for an advanced athlete?
Christy: My training program is designed specifically for me and may not have the same affects for other individuals as it does for me. It is geared toward someone who has been training for awhile.
EC: Can you give us a run down of the competitions you have competed in?
Christy:
CONTEST HISTORY
10/16/93 - ANBC Whaling City Bodybuilding Championships
Age: 15
Weight: 120
Placing: Women 1st Place Overall
Best Poser
10/30/04 - ANBC-New England Natural Bodybuilding & Figure
Championships
Age: 26
Weight: 142
Placing: Novice-Women Best Poser
Novice-Women Overall Champion
Open-Women Division Overall Champion
11/04/04 - ANBC-U.S. ANBC Naturals Bodybuilding, Figure & fitness Championships
Age: 26
Weight: 140
Placing: Open Women Tall 1st place - Earned Pro Status
04/23/05 - Muscle Mania Atlantic
Age: 27
Weight: 138
Placing: Open Women 1st place
05/08/05 - NPC-2005 New England Bodybuilding & Fitness
Championships
Age: 27
Weight: 134
Placing: Heavy Weight 2nd place
08/20/2005 - NAS-2005 Hudson River Strongman
Age: 27
Weight: 163
Placing: 1st place - Qualified for Nationals
09/24/2005 - NPC-Northeastern Tournament of Champions
Bodybuilding, Fitness, & Figure Championships In conjunction
with Massachusetts State Bodybuilding Championships
Age: 27
Weight: 143
Placing: 2nd in both shows
Qualified for Nationals & Team Universe
10/08/2005-IFPA InShape Online.com Pro Classic
Age: 27
Weight: 142
Placing: 2nd
11/05/2005- INBF Monster Mash
Age: 27
Weight: 140
Placing: 4th
11/19&20/2005 –MuscleMania World
Age: 28
Weight: 140
Placing: 3rd
4/1/2006 –NAS- Stronger Than All 2
Age: 28
Weight: 170
Placing: 5th in the women’s heavy weight
2006 NGA Pro Universe - 6th Place
2006 NGA Granite State Open* - Overall Bodybuilding Champion &
1st Place in Heavyweight *Awarded NGA Pro card
2006 IFPA US Capital Pro Classic - 5th Place
07/13 & 14/2007 Team Universe Bodybuilding & Fitness
Championships National level Competition - 3rd Women’s Heavyweight
03/5 & 7/2008 Arnold Amateur IFBB International Bodybuilding,
Fitness, and Figure Championships - 5th Women's Middleweight
07/25/2009 NPC USA Bodybuilding, Fitness and Bikini
Championships – 9th Woman’s Light Heavyweight
EC: That is an impressive record. What was the hardest thing you had to deal with when it came to your diet?
Christy: I think that the last week prior to competing is the hardest. In that last week I have to carb deplete, sodium deplete, then dehydrate and carb load. It makes me feel very weak and exhausted during this time.
EC: Give me an example of your diet. What do you normally eat each day?
Christy: Meal 1: 6 Egg Whites
1 Slice Ezkiel Bread,
½ TBS Peanut Butter
Pre Workout: 1-2 Scoops VasoCharge
During Training: 2-3 Scoops Xtend
Meal 2: 6 Egg Whites
½ TBS Peanut Butter
1 Slice Ezkiel Bread
Meal 3: 5 Ounces Chicken Breast
1 Cup Broccoli
Meal 4: 1 Scoop Whey Protein
1 TBS Peanut Butter
Meal 5: 5 Ounces 90% Lean
Ground Beef
1 Cup Broccoli
2 Slices Ezkiel Bread
Meal 6: 1 Scoop Whey Protein
1 TBS Peanut Butter
EC: If you could thank one person for helping you reach your professional and fitness goals, who would it be?
Christy: After doing my first competition in 1993, I stopped competing. I continued to weight lift consistently throughout the years, but was a bit intimidated to compete again. My fear was that I wouldn’t be good enough or big enough because I am a natural athlete.
In 2004, while attending Bridgewater State College, my professor Dr. Ellen Robinson a former bodybuilder herself gave me the push I needed. She is an amazing person/ teacher always inspiring her students and she really motivated me. Without her belief in me and that push to get me going, I don’t think I would have competed again. I am eternally grateful to her for everything.
EC: How important are supplements in your fitness program and which supplements do you use year round?
Christy: Supplements are a key factor when it comes to show time, I usually take a natural diuretic, potassium supplement, and whey protein during this time. I regularly take a multi vitamin, Xtend, VasoCharge and whey protein and occasionally a red line energy drink.
EC: What advice would you give to someone who has tried a number of weight loss programs with no success?
Christy: If you have fully committed to a healthy diet and exercise program, where you train at least 3 days per week, and haven’t seen any results; my option would be to seek the advice of a physician. My Aunt had a thyroid problem and this affected her ability to lose weight. Everyone is different and unique.
Which means that our bodies are also unique, the way my body responds to diet and training will differ greatly to someone who has never done either dieting or training before. Therefore, if what your doing doesn’t work for you, you may want to seek the advice of a nutritionist and/or personal trainer. Don’t give up!!! You just haven’t found what works best for you yet.
EC: What has been your stepping stone to get where you are today?
Christy: My three fabulous children are what fuels my passion.
Well let me tell you how it started…
It started as a dream to be known as the best natural bodybuilder and earn the title of Ms. Olympia. But I didn’t think this was very feasible goal since it’s not a natural bodybuilding competition.
I have never and will never use steroids or diuretics, which is what I thought I would have to do to obtain that title. I would often dream about how cool it would be to model and be in magazines. Then someone told me “So then do it!!” My initial thought was that I shouldn’t even waist my time, it’s not going to happen.
Then after thinking about how fast life goes by and what I want my children to learn from me, I came to a conclusion. I want them to be whatever it is that they want to be. I don’t ever want them to feel that any thing is impossible or unattainable.
I want them to know that it might not be easy and they may fall, but its okay. They might even fail and that’s okay too! So long as they tried. Which brings me to conclude that saying this to my children, when I didn’t believe in myself, would not help re-confirm what I would like them to learn. I have to show them through my efforts, hard work, and my down falls. And now I’m not dreaming any more. I’m working on achieving my goals.
EC: Where and when is your next competition?
Christy: My next competition will be NPC Team Universe 2010 held in New York in September. My goal for this competition is to obtain my professional status.
EC: Christy I have all the confidence you be achieving the professional status you are after. Tell me about your family?
Christy: I have three beautiful children, two girls ages 9 and 13 and a son who is 5. I love them with all my heart and soul.
EC: What has bodybuilding taught you thus far?
Christy: It has taught me a great deal about life and how to apply that same desire and dedication into other facets of life and become just as successful.
EC: What is your favorite muscle you enjoy workout and why?
Christy: The exercises that I enjoy the most would be dead lifts and squats. I like legs and back the most because those are my strongest body parts. My least favorite exercises are anything to do with traps and forearms, because they are such a small muscle group.
The body part that I like the most would be my biceps because of their split peak. My least favorite would be my waist, because I have a wide waist line.
Bi: 14in
Chest: 42in
Waist: 31in
Hips: 38in
Thigh: 23in
Calves: 15.5in
Bench: 205lbs x 1 rep
Parallel Squat: 405lbs x 5 reps
18in Axel Dead Lift: 405lbs x 2 reps
(no wraps)
EC: Christy, you have an awesome physique and your biceps are outstanding! "Welcome to the gun show" Who has been the most memorable person you have enjoyed working with?
Christy: My best friend (more like a sister) Angie has been by far the most memorable and always a pleasure and an honor to have her by my side.
EC: Would you like to give a shout out to anyone?
Christy: OH YEAH, I would like to give a shout out to all supporters of female bodybuilding. Of course I would also extend my gratitude to my family and friends, my nutritionist Dave Lyford, and my clothing sponsor’s Rosalinda’s Fashion.
EC: What are your big plans for the future?
Christy: To be the best I can be as a natural athlete and to inspire more athletes to do the same. To become Ms. Olympia is my ultimate goal.
EC: Anything else you would like to add?
Christy: I would like to thank Muscle-4Life-Nutrition.com for this opportunity and for putting their customers first. I wish you only the best!!
EC: Your welcome Christy and thank you for allowing our readers a look into the life of a champion. Let us know when you receive your professional status. God Bless!
Click Here For More Featured Athlete Interview's