Andrea Boudreaux is used to the stares. Boudreaux’s rippling muscles on her 5-foot, 2-inch frame can draw looks of amazement. Other stare with disapproval.
But when onlookers find out Boudreaux is a 52-year-old mother with two adult children, they usually gain a new appreciation of her hard work.
“I don’t keep my age a secret, but I don’t broadcast it either,” said Boudreaux, known to friends as “Angie.” “I find sometimes people will put you in a category when they find out your age. I’m just not there.
“A lot of women would possibly not want to be this leaned out with muscles. But when I’m not getting ready to go on stage, a lot of women approach me and (say) they would like to have my muscle tone. I’m hoping to promote the sport and we can get more women involved.”
Boudreaux reached a new level of involvement in fitness competitions on Aug. 16. As the oldest competitor, she captured first-place awards in the women’s physique open, novice and over 35 divisions at the NPC Cajun Showdown at the Hilton Lafayette.
Boudreaux advances to her first national competition, the 2014 IFBB North American Championships, scheduled for Saturday in Pittsburgh.
“I’m proud of myself,” said Boudreaux. “I accomplished my goal of getting on stage and actually winning first place. That was good.
“I still recognize my flaws because I waited to train for that show six weeks ago. I always work out and I always eat healthy.”
Healthy eating and daily training, sometimes as early as 3 a.m., are routine for Boudreaux, who’s had a passion for fitness since the age of 21. She still finds time to work as a certified personal trainer at Sure Fit in Breaux Bridge and La. Family Fitness Center in Opelousas.
Despite her lean, ripped physique, Boudreaux doesn’t technically compete as a bodybuilder. Women in the world of fitness contests can fall into a variety of categories, such as bikini, which is similar to modeling, and figure, which emphasizes lean muscles and feminine curves.
Boudreaux competes in the physique category.
“Our muscle development is somewhat more pronounced (than figure),” said Boudreaux. “But we’re not taking any additives or steroids, like people might see with women bodybuilders. We lift weights, show our muscles and we’re proud of our muscles.
“We’re a step down from bodybuilders. We want to be muscular, ripped and have nice figures and look feminine. I don’t have to have massive size. I just have to have healthy, good muscles, for my size.
“None of us have taken any kind of enhancement drugs that would make us bulk up to have muscles as a man would have.”
Boudreaux’s credits her recent success to Seth Goss, her diet coach, Vanessa Naesheim, who helps her with posing, and training coach Ricardo Campbell. Campbell said Boudreaux’s work ethic made her easy to train.
“She’s going to give it her all and she knows what to do,” said Campbell. “I’m here to help. I look at where she’s at and what we need to work out. I look at weak areas and try to enhance them.
“She worries about slacking. But she gives it 110 percent on her own.”
A mother of two college students, Boudreaux has had no time for slacking in the past 20 years. Boudreaux weighed close to 200 pounds when her second child was born.
But she jumped back into a life of exercise, becoming physically active with her kids and even winning a state championship in Taekwondo. Knee surgery came in later years, but failed to stop her physical activity.
As a busy personal trainer, Boudreaux sometimes has trouble finding time for her own workouts. But she hopes to inspire others to be fit in their 50s and beyond.
“I feel like I’ve found my calling with personal training. I like helping people and seeing them make lifestyle changes.
“They might not want to get into competition the way I’m doing. It’s for them to get healthier, live longer, be there for their kids or whatever personal goal they have. It makes me feel so good when someone comes to me and they have changed their lives.
“They don’t find it to be so horrific and horrible. It’s something they can do forever. They stay healthy. Their cholesterol goes down. Their blood pressure goes down. Their weight drops and they’re enjoying workouts. That’s the most gratifying thing to me.”
Courtesy of: Daily World
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