From beach bum to bodybuilder

November 5, 6:26 PMSF Fitness ExaminerJim Evans

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BEACH BUM
Courtesy of Chriss Zmijewski

Most people would probably think of getting in shape BEFORE going to Hawaii to spend time on the beach, but for Chrissy Zmijewski, it was the other way around.  Lounging on the beach actually motivated her to get in back in shape and become one of the top natural bodybuilders and figure competitors in the world.   

Explains Chrissy, “My husband and I moved to Hawaii after we got married and decided to live a much less stressful life, which included hanging out on the beach and eating lots of avocados and macadamia nuts.  While everything we ate was fresh and healthy, we ate too much and I quickly went up to 26% bodyfat.  One day I looked in the mirror and saw cellulite on the back of my legs.  I decided I would NEVER look like that again.  After I got done crying, I told my husband that I was training for a competition and would take first place in 4 months, and for the next 4 months, I ate, trained, rested and practiced posing.  Training was my life, and after that four months I got on stage and WON!” 

A long-time resident of Sacramento, California, Chrissy began lifting weights when she was just 14 and has been a personal trainer since 19, but she did not become serious about competing until 2006.  Since then, she has never looked back, winning the 2006 OCB  (http://www.theocbwebsite.com/) Indiana Natural Figure Competition, the 2008 INBF (http://www.inbf.net/) Washington State Natural Figure Competition to earn her WNBF pro figure card, and the 2008 INBF World Bodybuilding Championship to earn her WNBF(http://www.wnbf.net/)  pro bodybuilding card. 

 At  5’9” and 135 pounds, Chrissy has always been athletic, competing in swimming, volleyball, soccer, and track and field while growing up and competing in volleyball while in college.  She earned a Masters Degree in Social Work from Washington University (www.wustl.edu/) in St. Louis and is currently an Exercise Science college instructor at Bryan College (http://www.bryancollege.edu/) where she teaches Personal Training Fundamentals, Sports Psychology, Nutrition, and Performance Enhancement.  She is also an AFAA (http://www.afaa.com/) certified group exercise instructor and Advanced Yoga Instructor through Forrest Yoga (www.forrestyoga.com/) and the Yoga Alliance (www.forrestyoga.com/) and  teaches yoga, boot camp, body sculpting, step aerobics, and cycling.  

Even female athletes are exposed to steroids and other performance enhancing drugs in the quest to win at any cost, but Christy has always competed naturally and has never been tempted to cheat.   “My body is my ‘temple’,” she says.  “I never even eat processed foods, so why would I want to put drugs in my body?  I want to win just as much as anyone else, but I compete to challenge myself AND set an example of a healthy lifestyle for others.  I walk my talk, and for me, drugs are not a part of a healthy lifestyle.  I want my body to be healthy and vibrant for many, many years and so I take care of it, which means a good nutrition, good training and lots of rest.  Plus, it's more exciting to see what the body is naturally capable of doing.”

Preparing for competition is not the difficult challenge for Chrissy that it is for many athletes who take extended training breaks between contests.  “I weight train 4 to 6 days per week depending on what kind of program I'm on.  I do my sprint workout twice per week.  My training doesn't vary much pre and post contest.  I stay fit year round, so I don't ever have to cram in extra training sessions.  I mostly vary my intensity and diet to cut before a show.  Many bodybuilders make the mistake of doing more cardio in an attempt to cut when they know that cardio eats away at lean tissue and can encourage the body to store fat.  That's why my ‘cardio’ sessions are short 20-30 min of high intensity sprinting!!!”

Chrissy’s website (http://www.goddessathlete.com/index.html) offers a wealth of information and services for athletes and non-athletes alike to improve their physical fitness level and quality of life, and a quotes from her website and her blog say a lot about her philosophy of life:  “It troubles me when people are only inspired by others who have lost 100+ pounds or survived a major health situation because it fails to recognize the people who are on a daily basis doing something to improve their lives and it means that very few things will be inspiring to you. Each of us has a gift that we can offer to others.  Some inspire through their triumphs over difficulty, or through their physique or their willingness to help each other.” 

“In order to ACHIEVE anything, you must first BELIEVE that it is possible. Your focus must be on what you WANT and let go of doubts, worries, and struggles. Then, you will be free to ACHIEVE that which you desire. You cannot fail, you can only stop trying. Competing is a way to demonstrate that achieving a goal is a journey that provides an opportunity to grow, learn more, and SHINE!” 

For other profiles on top natural bodybuilding and fitness competitors, refer to the following:

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m9d16-Herculiza-unchained-for-pro-bodybuilding-event

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m9d14-Joisy-Girl-joins-hunt-for-natural-bodybuilding-crown

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m9d3-Tomboy-beats-path-to-figure-title

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m9d3-Jamaican-beauty-vies-for-figure-title

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m9d1-Small-looking-to-make-big-impression-at-bodybuildingfigure-competition

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m8d28-Attorney-reveals-proof-of-fitness

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m8d26-Stayathome-mom-is-top-figure-pro

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m8d24-Guns-Probst-vies-for-figure-title

http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m8d18-From-triplets-to-figure-champion