Amanda Karpeshov
Competition Class Bikini, Typically tallest class – D or E.
Where do you train? Gold’s Gym Fairfax
Weight On Season: 120
Weight Off Season: This is my first year competing, but I would like to stay within 5-10 pounds of my on season weight. It is obviously very important to gain weight to maintain and gain muscle in the off season, but I would also like to maintain a level of leanness and not gain a surplus of fat that would make prepping for next year very difficult. I also do not think high weight fluctuations are particularly healthy for our bodies in terms of hormones and metabolic health. I am trying to do everything gradually and not shock my system with weight gain and loss.
What got you started in health and fitness?
After I had my son I was about 50 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight and needed a way to get back into shape! I had trouble loosing weight simply going to the gym to get on the elliptical and eating “low-fat” foods. I signed up for a weekly appointment with a personal trainer and began working out consistently five days a week and eliminated processed foods from my diet. Through eating 100% clean with one cheat meal a week and weight training 5 days a week, I lost 55 pounds in six months and was in even better shape than I was before I had my son!
What prompted you to want to step on stage?
After my weight loss journey, I hit a plateau through training by myself and eating clean and natural foods. I wanted to reach the next level of fitness! Everyone told me that my body would never be the same after having a child and I wanted to prove everyone wrong. I wanted it to be better! I knew of a few fitness competitors and that was my ultimate goal – to attain the fit physique of the women who competed. I never wanted to compete, but I began a diet and training regimen of someone who does. As I watched my body transform, my confidence grew and I kept wanting to push myself to be better and better. My competitive nature kicked into high gear and I found myself online browsing competition bikinis and clear heels! This ultimately led me to joining a competition team and taking my first step on the stage.
Have you competed before the recent MM NPC VA Classic? If so, where and when?
The MM NPC VA Classic was my second show. Prior, I competed in the NPC Battle on the Beach in Daytona Beach Florida three weeks prior. It was an amazing first experience because it was an all women’s event so all the attention was on us ladies! I placed 5th in my Class in Bikini Open and got my feet wet on the competition stage. I was so nervous I even forgot to smile!
Are you going to compete again? Have you already decided on a show or shows?
I just competed this past weekend at the Jay Cutler Classic in Boston. It was amazing to be around so many influential figures in the fitness industry. Looking down at judges you’ve seen all over social media and magazines can be nerve racking but it definitely made me bring my A-game presentation-wise. I placed 2nd in Bikini Novice and 2nd in Bikini Open Class D.
The Jay Cutler was my third show in a row, all a few weeks a part so I am going to take a short break to recover and recharge. I would like to put on a little more muscle before hitting the national stage so I am going to take a short improvement season before coming back in and prepping for another show. I was thinking about doing Atlantic States in New York City, but may take a little more time. In terms of the rest of the season, I am planning on doing Team Universe and a few other national shows before the year’s end.
What’s your favorite body part to train? Least favorite?
Delts! Shoulders are my favorite body part and I love to train delts to failure. I would do it every day if I could. I love lateral raises, Arnold press, and rear delt raises. Typically I train them one day a week, with a light shoulder day later in the week. My least favorite part to train is calves. I feel as though my calves are definitely a week point on my physique so I am always working on them. They are the only part of my body that I hate feeling discomfort in while lifting, which is why they are probably my weak point.
Do you have a consistent playlist for when you’re working out?
I love Pandora because I never know what’s going to come on next. The best feeling is being in the middle of a set and the songs changes to something that amps you up and gives you the extra energy to bang out the rest of your set! I like high energy stations – anything dubstep or electronic.
Favorite cheat meal?
My favorite cheat meal is a trip to whole foods! I love to get lunch or dinner at the hot bar buffet and then get a gluten free baked treat! Ok, maybe I sneak a little scoop of their mac n cheese in there too. I also love their baked goods like a muffin, cookie, or brownie! If I go to an actual restaurant with friends or family I make sure I bring my peanut butter or almond butter with me to put on my food – Justin’s Almond Butter, the Peanut Butter Co, Nutzzo, I could go on and on. Talk about getting some weird looks! I cook and bake a lot of food for my son and family as well, so sometimes I save that for a treat. My latest saved concoctions that I saved for after my show include homemade apricot, almond, and walnut larabars, peanut butter-banana-flax-oat whey protein bars, and blueberry scones. This is a hard sport for a foodie!
Do you have a strong support network for your training and nutrition planning?
Most of the people in my life do not understand this industry or have any knowledge of fitness and bodybuilding. My husband is my greatest supporter and has to go through just about as much as I do! He helps me meal prep, listens to me obsess over my progress, spends countless hours helping me pose and get everything in order for shows, sits through my dieting crankiness, is my progress photo photographer, takes care of our son nights where I didn’t have time to get in my weights or cardio and have to go spend the better half of my evening in the gym, the list goes on an on and I could never thank him enough. There is no way I would be able to compete in this sport without him. He even holds me accountable on my diet by not keeping bad food in the house even for himself, and every time I think about cheating on my diet he will literally smack food out of my hand and tell me to eat a piece of chicken!
I am also on Team Bombshell and have an amazing group of women to turn to with questions and support. It’s kind of nice that my friends and family don’t know too much about the industry because it really forces me to separate my fitness and my personal life and find balance between the two. I tend to get fitness obsessed but when my friends and family want to talk about anything but fitness it reminds me that there is more to life than competing and that I need to nurture my other interests and skills as well.
What do you do for a living? How does your training and nutrition work around that?
I am an IT contractor for the government. I own a small business contracting services such as software development and project management to agencies such as Department of Energy. My training and nutrition only work around that because of time management. I have learned the hard way that if my meals are not prepped FULLY on the weekend for my entire week, then my nutrition will go down the drain very quickly. In addition to that, I work around my work schedule to get my training done. Sometimes that means getting up at 4:30 am to get my workout done before work, trying to fit in my weights and cardio in two hours that the daycare allows me to have my son there, or even doing late night cardio at 10 or 11 while my son and husband are sleeping just go get it in. I’m a big believer in the saying: “If you want something bad enough you will find a way, if not you will find an excuse.”
How can people find you?
I am on Instagram under @ohhzion. My email address is Amanda.karpeshov@gmail.com. I am also on Facebook under: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.paige.50?ref=tn_tnmn