Many new moms have tried to shed their postpartum baby weight by sticking to a diet and starting an exercise regimen.
Emily Moyer had already done that – twice – and was looking for something more challenging after having her third child last August. A health scare for her husband, Jeff, pushed Emily to go “way beyond” her comfort zone and enter a bikini bodybuilding competition.
“I like to try to prove a point – I’m a mom, but maybe I kind of over compensated,” Moyer said with a laugh. “After each kid, I’ve gotten in even better shape.”
This winter she started training for the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation competition.
Moyer went on to win not only the novice division, but took top honors in the women’s bikini division. She credits her husband’s support and a consistent training plan with her success, and hopes to enter another competition this fall, with a goal of making it to the international stage later this year.
‘Consistency’
Moyer said consistency was important to her training program, but it was something completely unexpected that was the catalyst for seriously training for the competition. Her husband, Jeff, had been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, underwent surgery and was recovering in the months leading up to the May 2 competition.
“This year was kind of our year where it’s like … anything we’ve been putting off – just do it.”
Emily said Jeff had been supportive of her goal throughout his own ordeal and proudly tells people he’s married to a professional athlete now.
“He was six-week post surgery when we had the competition,” Moyer said. “There were times where I was like, ‘There’s no way.’”
But Moyer credited her training plan with Mike Wendorf from Level Up Fitness as part of her success even though she took time off from training to help her husband after his surgery.
“The biggest piece of advice is consistency,” Moyer said.
Moyer has a degree in health promotions from UW-Platteville and runs a Beachbody online health and wellness business from her home, so she’s familiar with diet and exercise programs.
Moyer spent an hour a day, five days per week training for the competition. From January through April, she did most of her training at home. After Level Up opened in April, Moyer was able to do more of her training sessions at the gym because they offer childcare, she said. The program was primarily weightlifting.
“I hate cardio, so I don’t do much of it,” Moyer said.
The biggest part of her training, however, was diet.
“Diet is always number one in order to change your body composition,” Moyer said.
Keeping a regular healthy diet wasn’t time-consuming, but it did require planning. And for the most part, her family was eating those healthy meals with her.
“Most of the time I wasn’t making separate meals for myself,” Moyer said. “My family eats what I eat.”
Moyer said her diet is strict and focus on eating whole, mostly unprocessed foods.
“I would have a treat here or there,” she said. “It was strict, but it’s all in balance.”
Winning it all
The hard work paid off, however, as Moyer was able to win two divisions and earn a chance to compete as professional bodybuilder this year.
Moyer entered and won two categories – one as a novice and one “open” category for any competitor. Female bodybuilders can try to compete in different divisions of bodybuilding, including bikini body, figure, fit body and bodybuilding.
In the bikini division, judges look for things like muscle symmetry, tone, fitness and balance, as well as beauty components like hair, makeup and nails. The competition was “terrifying” Moyer said, adding that she had never been on stage in her life.
“I rarely wear heels,” she said. “I wanted to go out there and not trip.”
Moyer said she was drawn to the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation competition because it tests participants for unnatural substances, unlike some other competitions. The WNBF bans anabolic steroids, growth hormones, prescription diuretics and amphetamines and other stimulants.
“Being a mom, I thought it was really important that they know that I’m doing something all natural and that it can be done without any additive help from drugs,” she said.
What’s next
Now that she has her pro card, Moyer said she plans to compete this fall in competition in Georgia.
Depending on how that show goes, she could compete in the WNBF world championships slated for Nov. 13-14, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The Moyers have plans to have another child after the competition. But that doesn’t mean Emily is done bodybuilding.
“(We’ll have) one more kid and take a year off,” Moyer said. “It’ll be a sport I can continue doing forever.”
Courtesy of: Connect Stoughton