SUSAN ARRUDA

Age:
53

City, State/Province:
Toronto, ON

Country:
Canada

Occupation?
Fitness workout creator for SusanArrudaFitness and swim coach/instructor in a school.

Many people struggle with losing weight. Are the challenges as simple as a fitness issue or is it more of an underlying health issue?
I think it’s a bit of both, but I would tilt the scale these days, pardon the pun, the way of underlying health issues, given the environmental challenges in the world and what is in our food these days and the lack of knowledge surrounding that. Unfortunately, the schools are not educating or empowering kids with vital information on health so the onus is on us, especially, as parents.

I work with a lot of kids as a swim instructor and never have I seen so many cases of asthma, food allergies and obesity being on the rise, as I have in the past decade.

I find most of the kids that I interact with are lacking strength; they have no consciousness or awareness of things like bad posture or improper gait. A lot of them are already experiencing back pain from excessive sitting as well as the egregious amount of time spent on screens, like a lot of adults, in fact. Then there are often hours of gaming, leading to tech-neck. But again, a lot of adults are also dealing with similar issues. They may not be playing video games, but their job may have them sitting at computers all day long.

Bridging the gap here between kids and adults, both are experiencing issues as a result of muscle imbalances and tightness and lack of physical activity, for the most part. It seems like regardless of whether I’m talking to kids or adults, there’s an increase in gut health issues, hormonal imbalances and a significant rise in autoimmune disorders.

I now see more women struggle with fitness for reasons that involve a more significant health issue, be it chronic fatigue, an autoimmune condition, thyroid, IBS and gastro issues, hormone disruptions, medications with side effects that can cause weight gain, and aging challenges that arise in midlife that cause stubborn shifts and challenges with sleep, weight loss, etc. However, there are still so many women who jump on and off fitness and struggle with losing weight because they haven’t adopted a healthy lifestyle. It’s a stint, or a short period of training for the summer, or an event, for example. Just remember that “whatever you can’t sustain, you will not maintain.”

When it comes to training, the “all or nothing” mentality can be costly! I used to think in my younger years and before having my 2 children that if I couldn’t do a 1 to 2-hour workout, why bother? Boy, have I ever evolved, thankfully!

You need to train for YOU, first and foremost, otherwise, it will not last.

What would be your top 3 tips you would provide to someone who is struggling to lose weight?
How about a 3+ bonus?

Be consistent (Without consistency, nothing will work/stick) – View it as an important appointment so you don’t ditch it. You likely wouldn’t cancel a doctor’s appointment so view it with the same importance.
Make it doable and realistic for you – If you’re struggling with time to train, begin with a short workout; even a 10 min, the core workout is better than nothing)
Pre-plan your training and follow through – Establish when/time of day and where you will work out, the type of training you’ll be doing and follow through – Don’t let your feelings vote! Strive to move every day, even if you’re taking an off day to recover.
Prioritize resistance training over cardio (Especially in your 40s and up, when the body just naturally begins to lose more muscle due to aging). — Interesting statistic: Many bodily functions start to decline at a rate of 2% per year after the age of 30 but with exercise, this aging process is slowed to a rate of one-half percent per year. (According to a researcher, Dr. Martha Pyron from the American College of Sports Medicine) In other words, a 90-year-old exerciser would have lost only 30% of functional ability versus a whopping 60% if she did not weight train and exercise.

Yes, diet plays a part – eliminate processed foods, drink more water and strive to eat healthy at least 80% of the time. Marco wrote an exceptional book called, “Starving To Be Fat,” detailing how he lost 100 Lbs and kept it off.

If you have 100 tokens in total and you could apply them to the following categories, how many would you apply to each?

Fitness level: 50
Health level: 50

Because each one is an investment and directly affects the other.

Can you tell us about yourself and your fitness journey? And what was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey?
The biggest challenge I faced and I’m still in my journey is pushing too hard and getting injured and then having to deal with setbacks that interfere with the level I want to train at.

Another challenge has been overtraining and not prioritizing recovery time. I have a hard time taking rest days to allow my body the time it needs for optimal recovery which ultimately equals greater progress. I find it’s such a fine line although I’ve gotten better.

Another challenge I’ve battled with is body dysmorphia and never feeling like I look good enough, I’m strong enough, or lean enough. I set a high standard for myself, and there is always more to strive for.

When I discovered bodybuilding in its infancy back in the 80s, I fell in love with the strong lean look and particularly modelled my physique after Gladys Portuguese. The training helped me avert a developing eating disorder by helping me shift my focus off the scale and onto body composition. I want to empower other women to do the same and realize that “lighter is not the same as leaner!”

As far as competing, I did a very amateur show at age 19 and then didn’t hit the stage again until age 35. When I hit the PRO level, I quickly realized that moving ahead to bigger shows would have meant the use of PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) and that was never something on my radar, nor was it ever a temptation for me. I was always resolute in knowing that was something I would never do and considered it a health oxymoron. I trained to be healthy and competed for me, not for any other reason. As for politics, I think every sport has its share.

I did a lot of photoshoots, more so in my competitive years and although everyone surrounding the shoots was extremely supportive and happy with the images, I always instinctively saw the flaws first. In a fitness show back in 2009, I presented what Status lead photographer, David Ford called “a near-perfect physique.” – Thank you, David!

Yet, my manager was told by other photographers that I was too defined and I needed to “fatten up” which made no sense to me at all. To me, that simply felt like another form of compromise that I wanted no part of. I remained passionate about fitness, but not about the industry.

Although I would have loved to make a cover, considering the top shape I was in during my competition years especially, it didn’t happen. It was then I realized that fitness is also a business. As a result, I got out of the competitive arena and back to training for life/me and shortly thereafter, began my journey in shooting video workouts.

You need to train for YOU, first and foremost, otherwise, it will not last.

Can you tell us why did you decide to change yourself?
This is a bit of a tricky question for me. I think I simply wanted to stand out and not look like everyone else, for the most part. That was a personal challenge I set for myself, and each of us should do what is right for us. When I started lifting weights, I did have a goal of changing my shape. I wanted to be lean and sculpted with a small waistline, like Gladys Portuguese. I kept before me the fact that I was chiselling away at changing my physique through the exercises I was doing even though I saw nothing change for quite some time. I envisioned it. I conscientiously worked on getting stronger because I reasoned that to change my body, I needed to first build strength and the results would come as a byproduct.

Your journey has to be about you, your personal goals and standards and no one else

I know, of course, a lot of people have extremely motivating and tremendous transformations. I am inspired by what many of the women in my programs have accomplished with changing their physiques and they often find this more difficult because they’re already in good shape. It’s harder to see progress when you’re already fit and at a certain level of fitness. When you’re starting perhaps from a place of being very overweight, or in a de-conditioned state, the progress is faster, usually tangible within 4-6 weeks of making a radical change.

So, in my case, I did not have a dramatic, “classic” type of transformation, as in dropping an entire person in body weight, but it’s that I stayed in shape and consistent throughout the decades, whether that was through pregnancy, stressful situations such as divorce, depression, bad business decisions, etc. I was generally always within 5 pounds of contest weight.

Does that make me transformation-less? I can tell you this much; staying in top shape is even harder than getting there. It’s mundane, not thrilling, and the everyday grind can become tedious. Any athlete at the top will tell you that as well. An elite gymnast like Simone Biles has to work so hard to even see a centesimal amount of progress, or even a high-level swimmer trying to shave seconds off a 25-yard sprint.

You can’t hit a certain target on the scale and stop. That is like Michael Jordan getting to the NBA and thinking, “I’ve arrived,” I don’t need to practice or keep my game up anymore. There’s no justice in fitness, I often say.

So again, your journey has to be about you, your personal goals and standards and no one else. For me, it’s essentially me against me. Strive to improve upon what you’ve achieved in your fitness and your physique and stay in it.

If you want to lose that 20 Lbs and that is your target, give it all you got and you will achieve tremendous results and benefits from being focused on accomplishing your goals. However, to keep it, you have to make a lifestyle change and stay consistent.

Break your larger goals down into smaller, perhaps monthly goals and reassess your progress regularly.

Share your unique training/coaching methods
I started weight training in my teens as a traditional bodybuilder, utilizing the classic Weider principles. Stunning physiques are built with foundational, tried and true training principles and a lot of patience, time and consistency. When males, in particular, would ask me at the gym, how big do you want to get? My answer was always the same; as big as I can naturally.

After a certain amount of time of doing the same thing over and over again, you need to change things up to keep your body changing and to avoid boredom, which can naturally set in over time. Getting bored can be devastating to your training, unless you pivot, which is exactly what I did.

One of the things, I routinely did and continue to do which flies in the face of some conventional bodybuilding advice is I stretch incessantly between sets. I never did notice a decrease in strength as is often warned, but I did notice greater flexibility and the ability to maintain that well into my 50s. Bodies are not necessarily built for reps, they’re built for function and thrive on movement.

My nonstop training approach in the gym kept me moving consistently throughout my workout which kept my focus high and also helped deter others from talking to me, which worked for me since chatting and socializing during training serves as a major distraction and disruption in flow.

That’s another thing I guess you could say I did differently from the norm; I wouldn’t stand around between sets. If I was resting, it was always active recovery, which for me, meant dynamic and/or static stretching. My training time was hyper-focused when I was at the gym. I very effectively tuned everything out and zeroed in on the training alone. Often during my earlier years of training in my 20s and 30s, I did not realize I had been at it for hours. I was not in there “following a static program,” I was creating my program as I went. I learned to listen to my body and my training was more instinctive than traditionally structured.

I have always paid close attention to what parts of my body needed more attention. There was no phone, no earbuds, and no talking to anybody. I was there to train and nothing else. If a machine was busy, I wouldn’t be standing around waiting or wondering what to do with myself, I just moved on to something else and kept the workout flow going.

Training Plan:
I usually train six days per week. I have invested in a well-stocked home gym. Yes, it makes it more convenient to train, but don’t equate that to being more motivating because that still has to come from the inside. A surprise to many; it’s not like I jump out of bed every morning and can’t wait to train. There are days when I have to work harder to get my head in the game. When you’re in a serious rut, it may be better to get to a gym or take part in a group class to feed off the energy. Seasons, peaks and valleys in training are normal and you have to devise tactics to continue to do what you do and stay in it.

At this stage in my life, I like to get my training in mid-day during my work day. I use a modest fitness space at work with limited equipment and make it work. When the weather is nice, I take to the outdoors and hit the track, the park (so much you can do with a park bench or boulder), the outdoor playground/or training park, if available, etc. I’m still very instinctive when I train. Even though I may feel mega fatigued, I still follow through with my training although I am a lot better about making adjustments.

Again, thanks to investing in my home gym, I can still use some of the more classic gym-type machines, while also using some of my favourite fitness equipment like a foam roller, which I’ve developed an entire program around for body sculpting and fat-burning, Bosu ball, and so on. A pull-up bar is a must!

If you’re asking whether I have a split or not? The answer is yes and no. Back in the day, absolutely! It enables you to devote more time, energy and attention to particular body parts and is crucial for progress when you are very fit and conditioned. I would break down body parts to most effectively challenge and build them up. You can devote more focus and time to a body part when breaking down your training more specifically.

I still do that to some extent, but I now incorporate more total body, upper and lower body workouts. I also have to work around some injuries which have me working on some body parts more than others, as a result. Core training is always a constant, given the fact that all movements originate from the core. It is vital to keep this area strong, both for function and aesthetics.

The bottom line is, when your body is highly conditioned, you need to break down your training into body parts to adequately challenge the muscles to grow and change to their maximum potential.

It’s a constant reevaluation of sorts. If I need to focus on burning some extra fat, for example, I’ll often put HIIT intervals in between sets to get my heart rate elevated and boost my metabolism to prime it for greater fat-burning efficiency, long after my workout is done. I use my trampoline a lot as it allows me to perform ballistic, high-intensity cardio exercises without the heavy impact on my knees and joints.

At this stage of my life, I no longer use heavy loads or max loads; my joints simply don’t like it. I am huge on variety! The same exercise done with different equipment is going to stimulate the muscle in a completely different way. For example, a squat on a Bosu ball is going to recruit a lot more stabilizer muscles and more core by including IRT into the mix. In my online training programs, I purposefully prioritize using home-based, cost-effective equipment to make the workouts more accessible and doable for the average fitness enthusiast who trains at home.

I also incorporate a variety of training principles in my workouts to not only change things up but also to stave off boredom, help avoid plateaus and continue making progress. I frequently reassess my physique for imbalances and tailor my training to address those. I highly prioritize symmetry and muscle balance.

For example, people will train their calves but often neglect their shins. Symmetry not only applies to how you look, but it also applies to strength and the biomechanics and functions of your body as a whole.

One modality of training that is seriously under-utilized and neglected is water training (different than swimming). I’ve taken people into the water to train them and they’ve asked me, “what the heck just happened? That was ultra challenging! I had no idea that was possible!”

The natural resistance and buoyancy of the water are unbeatable as far as it’s dynamic and fluidity in adding resistance challenges as the body moves through different movements while cushioning your joints in high-intensity jumping-type movements. More body control and core recruitment come into play. This is yet another way to stimulate your muscles to resist adaptation and continue making progress. – Check out my Elite Water Training video to apply some challenges and change to your training. Learn more here

I still prioritize abs and core training as I always have since my early years in training. There were times in my early gym-going years when I would focus entire workout sessions on abs and core alone. I naturally incorporate stretching into my training. It’s not something I necessarily view as a separate component to do after a workout. It is a natural flow for me and it has served me well in not only acquiring flexibility but maintaining it.

As far as rep ranges, I incorporate a variety, although I generally like to keep the reps higher when training legs since they are a much larger body part that I also want to keep lean. I’m also quite instinctive when it comes to reps. For example, I’ll be in a workout and maybe I’ve gone through 15 reps of a certain exercise and I feel I can do more. I don’t stop, but instead, I incorporate static holds, isometrics, drop sets, etc… I keep going until I’ve recruited everything I can from the muscles I’m targeting. Take it to the max, so to speak. So, it’s not only about a number, it’s about what my body feels and being in tune with that.

Again, it comes back to being in a different place than when I started and my training was more conventional; there’s a lot more variety now and a lot more non-conventional flows. One of the things I am very blessed to hear often about my programs is comments like, “I’ve never seen this kind of training,” or “these workouts are different and challenging. I’m used to going to the gym and just banging out reps,” “I love the creativity in your workouts, how do you come up with these ideas?!”

Your body is the gym. Wherever I go, whether that’s a park, a set of stairs, maybe there are some bleachers… I see a portable gym that I can use to challenge my physique, not necessarily having to step into a building that has a weight stack all the time.

An example of a non-conventional exercise move that targets the deep core here

Nutritional Plan:
I am primarily plant-based and have never really been a big meat or fish eater. I consider myself a flexitarian. I don’t exclude anything only for the sake of it or because of a stringent diet and I don’t follow diet trends. In light of our environment and the way things are now on the planet, food at the best of times is often questionable.

We have to consider more variables like toxic pesticides, GMOs, and lack of nutrients in the soil, and how this all impacts the nutritional density of the food, as well as our body’s ability to absorb the nutrients from the food we eat. The water and fish supply have been ransacked, microplastics are showing up in the fish. If I have any kind of meat, it’s always, organic and preferably grass-fed, but again, it’s very rare.

I love sprouting, I’ve recently discovered how to do that despite the lack of having a green thumb. Sprouts are nutrient-dense powerhouses that are incredibly high in antioxidants and super low in calories and certain varieties are also extremely high in protein. They truly are superheroes of the nutritional world. Sprouting increases bioavailability by breaking down the phytic acid, the grain’s starchy endosperm, making them easier to digest and increasing mineral and protein digestion.

I make power-packed smoothies as a staple. In these, I would include a lot of what I call super powders such as spirulina, maca, camu camu, ashwagandha, etc. as well as ginger and turmeric root to supercharge the nutritional profile and energy benefits. I also like to add sprouts to my smoothies.

Breakfast might be oatmeal with power additions, scrambled tofu or eggs. Lunch is usually a plant powerhouse of some kind with kale as a base, in some cases, I’ll opt for one of my power smoothies which qualifies as a meal replacement when I know I’ll be tight on time. For example, dinner might be soup, a homemade wrap or pita pizza, or kale or chickpea salad, which are two of my fave types of salads; usually whatever’s around.

I like to snack on my Raw Performance Fuel Bites and I always have some on hand and ready, be it for pre or post-workout, biking excursions, and/or when I feel I need an energy boost or snack, or when I simply don’t have time to sit and eat a meal. I got introduced to raw foods years ago at a raw restaurant and went on a tear-making desert following that and ultimately, created my first ebook after getting so many requests for my recipes. You can learn more about it here

I guess in this regard, I’m also unconventional. I don’t have a rigid meal plan focussed on a certain number of macro ratios or calories. I don’t eliminate entire food groups based on some kind of diet, least of all carbs, which make up the majority of my foods. When I was competing in peak condition, most of my food came from carbohydrates which tend to shock most people.

I want to make a distinction here for any readers who may be just starting on their fitness journey, or perhaps someone more experienced who has hit a plateau. I’ve been at this for 40 years now beginning in my pre-teen years and I trained for hours a day and built metabolic active muscle tissue which increases metabolism and burns more calories at rest. My body used the fuel I fed it to build mass, but that’s based on my training lifestyle, intensity and consistency. I am in full support of anyone who needs more of a structured plan to hit certain nutritional and macro targets if that’s what helps them get to their goal. If you’re in your 30s or 40s and just starting to train more intensely, my approach will probably not work for you.

I skipped the parties, the “girls’ night out,” I never smoked, and I didn’t drink; I’m not saying that to try and impress you, I’m saying that you should keep perspective. If you’re coming off that kind of lifestyle, you’re gonna have to dial it in with some sort of a game plan and probably a good dose of accountability.

Supplement Plan:
I add protein powder and collagen to my smoothies. I routinely take some kind of joint support, omega 3, greens complex, magnesium, and vitamin D3 + K2 in the winter months. I just recently discovered Bioedge’s hydration amino, gut health and immunity aid and am enjoying those products as well. I love the powder format, no fillers or foreign ingredients; just add water and it tastes great!

Do you prefer to take and recommend all-natural (no sugar, no artificial colours/flavours/sweeteners) supplements or supplements with artificial flavours and sweeteners? And Why?
Natural all the way! I go to great lengths when it comes to reading labels to avoid toxic ingredients (usually this goes hand in hand with what you cannot pronounce) and artificial anything! My supplement intake follows suit with what I eat normally, so yes, the cleaner, the better! All natural is extremely important to me. When you spend copious amounts of time training your body, then you need to fuel it with the most natural nutrition and supplements possible for optimal energy and health; that’s my thinking. There’s an important synergistic effect.

Anything you’re putting into your body that is not of the highest grade and cleanest quality is going to potentially compromise, not only your health overall at a macro level but also at a micro level, such as your immune health, gut health and such, in addition to impacting your energy output for training and everyday life.

There was a time in my life when I would go for anything low-calorie, I’m talking about when I was much younger, not realizing that things like aspartame are so bad for you, especially long-term! I’m happy to refer anyone to my choice supplements via email.

Please describe the importance of mental health
Your mind is your foundation, crucial for success, much the same way that your core is the foundation of a strong physique. There is a definite correlation between the mind, body and spirit. If either one of these areas is neglected, your performance suffers and your joy and the whole of your being is impacted.

Despite the discipline it takes to remain consistent in training for over 40 years now, the tougher battle has always been mental. “As a man/woman thinks, so is he/she.” Ultimately, what you believe and say to yourself is far more important than what others say.

Having said that, as I alluded to earlier, my fitness is intimately and inextricably tied to my mental health and well-being. If I’m not training, I am not in a good place mentally and can consequently go down a very negative path. The most effective and natural way to combat depression is hands down, regular physical activity. It should be the first Rx prescribed for depression, before meds.

What separates Status from other fitness magazines?
Just by looking at it, picking it up and holding the magazine in your hands, you feel like you’re holding something of value, a highest-level publication. The pages are thick and glossy, not flimsy and it has an exclusive look and feel to it; it just feels like the ‘status’ any magazine should aspire to.

I like that Status Magazine offers lots of information on training from a variety of experienced columnists. I always enjoy reading about new training methods, techniques and workouts. You can always learn something from what other people are doing.

If you could ask Status Fitness Magazine Editor-in-Chief Rodney Jang any industry question, what would that be?
What do you both like and dislike the most about the fitness industry?

Status Fitness Magazine runs model searches across North America including the largest one at the Arnold Classic for the Status cover. As part of the Status family, you will receive a special participation invite. How excited are you for this opportunity?
Arnold is a legend and a fitness icon and Status Fitness Magazine is iconic! Read that as VERY excited!! It’s an opportunity of a lifetime for anyone in fitness and with bodybuilding roots!

Describe your coaches and the impact they have on you?
I have always trained myself. My fitness love began with a gymnastics introduction at school in 4th grade and then I got hooked on aerobics initially before discovering bodybuilding in my mid-teens. I fell in love with Charlene Prickett of the television-syndicated workout show titled, “It Figures,” as well as Bess Motta of the 20-Minute Workout.

I admired the physique of Gladys Portuguese and aspired to build a body like hers; lean, fit, strong and very feminine.

Years ago, Marco Girgenti trained me at the gym (my then boyfriend, now husband) and it was a catalyst for me developing a more creative, outside the box, training style, as a result. He truly is a creative training genius, among so many other things! He gave me two Bosu balls as a birthday gift when we first got together (such an exciting and memorable gift and the perfect way to a fitness girl’s heart, lol) and it set me on a path of more creative resistance training overall.

Can you share with us your goals for fitness and life?
To look and feel my best, maintain strength, flexibility and a low body fat composition throughout my life and continue to strive personally, as well as inspire other women in the process. It is an honour to motivate, impact and inspire others to look and feel their best through my workouts and programs; to not settle for less than the absolute best versions of themselves that they can be in fitness, health and body. I want to empower women to prioritize resistance training and realize that lighter is not the same as leaner, as well as encourage them not to put themselves last as many women, and moms in particular, do.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
Override your feelings, be persistent and consistent in your training to achieve the best version of you; stay in it to win it for the long haul. Make it a lifestyle because there isn’t really a destination, so to speak, it’s a lifelong journey with highlights, peaks and valleys. Take time to appreciate and enjoy your accomplishments as you’re living them instead of looking back and realizing how impressive it was. As Joyce Meyer has said, “you live your life forwards but you understand it backwards.” I’ve also learned that overtraining is costly. Prioritize your recovery as much as training and learn to listen to your body. Don’t stubbornly push through the wrong kind of pain and learn/know the difference.

Who inspires you? And why?
I became and still am, a huge fan of Charlene Prickett of the television syndicated workout, “It Figures” after I fell in love with physical activity as a result of being introduced to gymnastics in grade 4, or thereabouts. I also got hooked on The 20 Minute Workout and absolutely loved Bess Motta, the front-and-center woman for the TV workout series who later on, appeared in a role in the movie, Terminator. I admired the physique of Gladys Portuguese and aspired to build and sculpt my body like hers – lean, fit, strong and very feminine.

I really like Tony Horton’s style of video workouts; a no-nonsense, get-it-done, results-driven training style, similar to my own.

I love the incredibly inspiring, David Goggins and his mentality and no-excuses way of life! I admire the unbelievable training feats he’s accomplished in the direst of physical challenges and circumstances and the mental fortitude he possesses that is above and beyond the norm! When I’m hurting in the gym or want to quit during a set, I think of him lol. Truly, “you can always do more than you think you can.”

My husband, Marco Girgenti is also a huge role model of perseverance for me. He is an incurable optimist who has overcome so many challenges with a profound fitness story of his own! You never know if he has had a bad day because he is always so positive and stable. He is my biggest encourager and my #1 fan!

What is your number one tip for people on their fitness journey?
In a word, CONSISTENCY, although there are a few tips below:

If you look and feel great for a show, or a few weeks after a transformation program but then lose most of it, in my opinion, the road back to top shape is always harder and not worth falling out of consistency for. It is also not good for your health and mental well-being!

Don’t let your feelings vote. The truth of the matter is, 9 times out of 10, I do not feel like training and it is likely that you won’t either.
Decide and follow through. Don’t take shortcuts/don’t compromise! As I’ve often said, “whatever you can’t sustain, you won’t maintain.” Find your compelling ‘WHY,’ your #1 reason for exercise and keep it before you. This is different for everyone.

What does success look like for you?
Looking your very best – feeling good in your own skin – being energetic and in optimal health – Inspiring others as a result of the way you look, your training/work ethic, your accomplishments and how you live your life. I want to create a legacy of workouts and programs that motivate, impact, and inspire others to reach their fitness goals. I want to stand out with unique traits.

Realize that people will remember how you make them feel, long over what you may teach them. Be fondly remembered and missed wherever you go and in whatever you do. Doing what you love and loving what you do and making a prosperous living. Being an exceptional role model to my children and women around the world.

What is your favourite quote to live by?
I have a few. The first one reinforces why resistance training is so tremendously effective for changing your shape: