Nihat Strider / Contributing Writer
A few months ago, Stephanie Almeida approached me to be her personal trainer as she signed up for the Miss FIU 2016 pageant. This was something new for me, to fitness train someone for a pageant but I accepted the challenge.
Almeida possesses two major strengths, promising potential and dedicated determination. When these two are combined, it is possible to achieve any goal. The pageant has a lifestyle and fitness portion and our goal was to get the highest score there.
While we were set on astounding the judges with our lifestyle and fitness presentation, we had a bigger goal–taking the crown.
With responsibilities such as school, work, and other commitments Almeida and I still made it a priority to meet and train on regular basis. The lifestyle and fitness portion requires contestants to wear a swimsuit and judges base their score on the contestants’ aesthetic appearances of their body. Therefore, it was essential for us to target every muscle of the body in our regular workouts.
We dedicated each day of the week to a different set of muscles, alternating for a more lively routine. Building muscle was key to getting Almeida looking and feeling her best, for this we focused on high weights, as opposed to low weights, which require more cardio and will burn fat. High weights build muscle mass.
Once we worked out the logistics we got started the basics. The first few weeks the focus was on pull ups, push ups, sit ups and squats–all using her own body weight. Once her muscles were trained in the basics we began weight lifting for bodybuilding.
Building pageant-ready abs was also a priority of ours. I have three rules for chiseled abs: eat clean, sweat it out and show them off. Almeida is also an FIU Golden Dazzler, so through her dance experience she already had a good base to work on.
Reaching a fitness goal is not a nine-to-five job, it takes a lifestyle change. There were days we could not meet for our routines, these days Almeida performed her exercises on her own.
Along with a fitness routine, we also came up with a meal plan for Almeida. Good nutrition is the base that a successful fitness lifestyle stands upon. To make this base as strong as it could be our meal plan had to strategic, providing Almeida with the necessary nutrients to build muscle and have the energy to reach her goal.
In health and fitness we always concentrate on the physical attribute; however, our mental health should not be taken for granted. Along with physical and nutritional training, Almeida practiced regular mediation. This practice has been proven to lower stress levels and clear the mind–key elements for her goal of taking the Miss FIU crown.
The day of the Miss FIU Scholarship Pageant had arrived, all of our hard work will add up to this moment. Our fitness and lifestyle training went beyond that portion of the pageant, our training was showcased in how Almeida carried herself throughout the pageant. She was physically and mentally prepared for all aspects of the pageant–the evening gown, talent portion and so on.
The moment we all had been waiting for arrived, the crowning of the next Miss Florida International University. There was an air of anticipation in the room and finally it was announced, “Stephanie Almeida¨.We had reached our goal. All it took was discipline, determination and meditation.
Our Journey, however, did not end there. Almeida continues her fitness training to maintain her wellbeing and inspire FIU students to do the same–set a goal and reach it.
Motivation Monday is a weekly column covering fitness and health. Nihat is a certified personal trainer, for comments or questions email life@fiusm.com
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