Client Spotlight: Gabrielle Leah Wright
A lot of people talk about wanting to compete in a bikini, figure, or bodybuilding contest.
But there are very few who actually commit to the process.
After all, it’s freaking hard.
It takes a special breed to WANT to put yourself through what it takes to get contest-ready. It’s all glitz and glam on stage, but not many understand the amount of discipline and sacrifice that goes on for months prior to get to that moment the public gets to see.
I remember when I competed and thinking that being able to put a dash of sodium-free ketchup on select days was just the greatest thing ever.
Yeah…it’s a sad existence…but one that ends with mad greatness.
That’s why I want to shine the light today on Gabrielle Leah Wright, who is preparing to dominate the Southern Indiana Muscle competition (bikini division).
Gabrielle is an online client that works with Tilita and I (mainly Tilita) online, which is even more impressive, as she doesn’t have a coach there in –person telling her exactly what to do.
I want her to give you a sense of her contest prep and what life as a bikini competitor is really like, as she is currently making some really great progress. This will be Gabrielle’s first contest, but I suspect she will be hooked after this first one!
I’ll let her take it from here…
What inspired you to make the decision to compete?
I started working in a gym when I was 15 years old, and I quickly fell in love with everything fitness-related.
I saw a couple of women from my gym at the time train for a bikini competition and I remember thinking,
“I want that to be me someday.”
Several years later during my junior year of college, I attended the Southern Indiana Muscle competition and when I saw the girls competing in the bikini division, I thought,
“That WILL be me someday.”
I made it my goal to compete at some point in my life, but I kept pushing it off thinking that I would wait until I was out of school and had more time.
A few months later, Kasey posted something on Facebook asking if there were any women interested in competing. Little did I know that by “liking” his post, I would immediately be contacted by him to begin the journey of training for my first bikini competition.
(Note from Kasey: Muahahahahaha)
Having someone so excited and confident that I could achieve this goal of mine was just the push and motivation I needed. If it wasn’t for Kasey, I probably never would have fulfilled my dream!
What was your training like before you started training online?
During my high school years, I was very fit and I trained anywhere from 6-7 days per week. However, after starting my freshman year of college and attempting to juggle a full-time job and 21-credit hour semesters, my training quickly got pushed to the side and I packed on a whopping 36 pounds!
I always thought that I never had enough time, but that was no excuse! I am currently in my last semester and I’m still taking 21-credit hours, working a full-time internship, and training for this competition.
If there is anything I have learned from this, it’s that it’s not about having time, it’s about making time!
What does your contest-prep training currently look like?
I’m currently lifting 6 days a week. 2 of those days focus on legs and glutes, 3 of those days focus on various upper-body parts and abs, and one of those days is a total-body workout.
I am also doing cardio 5 days a week, which consists of approximately 21-45 minutes of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) on the Stairmaster, spin bike, or treadmill.
What has been the biggest challenge for you so far?
Eating healthy has by far been the biggest struggle. I LOVE food, but only the grease-filled, artery-clogging kind. Changing from a diet of mostly fast and processed foods to a diet of mostly tuna and egg whites was definitely a shock for my body!
During the first week and a half of my diet, I remember feeling really weak and tired all the time, but my body adjusted and now I am feeling better than ever!
I do still daydream about pizza and Oreo Cheesecake Blizzards, though…
What are you most excited about with regard to competing?
I’m so excited to see how my body can transform in these last 6 weeks of competition prep. After just 3 weeks of my diet and training plan I have seen some MAJOR changes in my body. I’m already down 17 pounds!
I can’t even imagine how I will look and feel on competition day.
What are you most afraid of with regard to competing?
Knowing that I’m going to be up on stage wearing nothing but an itsy-bitsy bikini in front of tons of people is absolutely terrifying to me!
Now that I think about it, I don’t believe I got in a bikini in front of people even once last summer, so this is totally out of my comfort zone. I’m hoping that come competition day I will be so ridiculously happy with the transformation of my body that I’ll rock that bikini with confidence!
Numerically, where are you at as far as bodyweight and overall measurements?
Height: 5-6”
Weight: Just 3 weeks into my contest prep, I went from weighing 149 to 132 pounds
Bodyfat Percentage: 24% 3 weeks ago, now at 18%
Measurements (over last 3 weeks):
Upper Arms: 11.75” to 11.25”
Chest: 34.5” to 31”
Waist: 34.5” to 30.5”
Hips: 40.0” to 36.5”
Abdomen: 29” to 26”
Thighs: 25.5” to 22.5”
How are you feeling about where you are right now, physique-wise?
I am so much happier with my body right now than I was 3 weeks ago. I can’t believe how much more confident and happy I feel now! I am definitely not stage-ready yet, but I am confident that in these next 7 weeks that Kasey and Tilita will provide me with the best training and nutrition plan to get me there.
Wrap-Up
I’m so pumped for Gabrielle to compete. I will actually be at a wedding in Ohio the weekend of her competition, but I will be there in spirit…maybe within the tanning oil.
I will probably put up another post as the contest gets closer detailing where she is at with her progress! Right now, we are dialing in her posing routine, so I will make sure to put up a full video of the routine from the contest when it is all said and done.
But the moral of Gabrielle’s story is this;
If there is something scary you want to do, DO IT NOW!
Don’t put it off, because it just won’t happen. The fear will not magically go away when the conditions seem to set up better.
Keep killing it Gabrielle! I hate to sound cliché, but you have already won (tear).
Dominate All Life,
Kasey, CSCS
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