Welcome NPC Figure Competitor Samantha Bowman to this week’s Competitor Spotlight!
Where do you train? Gold’s in Lorton / at home
Weight On Season: 135
Weight Off Season: 145
Division(s) You Compete In: Figure
What got you started in health & fitness?
I’d always tried to be fit, but without the right information. I finally in 2014 had a coworker get me started training with weights, following a plan, and eating with a plan to support those efforts. I lost from a size 12 to a size 4 while lifting weights and shaping my figure.
What prompted you to want to step on stage?
I was super motivated by seeing the figure competitors online and in fitness magazines after my transformation. That look appealed to me and I thought, “I can get there from here.” After 8 months of consistently losing weight, dieting, and lifting weights, I sought out a prep coach to find out if I was crazy in thinking that a competitive figure was in my reach. I wanted the look and the experience of training to be my best!
Which show was your first show? How many times have you competed since then? Where?
My my first show was MaxMuscle in November of 2014. As of this writing, my most recent show was also the MaxMuscle NPC contest in Woodbridge VA in November of 2016 just after turning 50 years old. I have done a total of 7 including 3 NPC MaxMuscle shows, Two shows in Baltimore, one in Greensboro, NC, and Masters Nationals in Pittsburgh, PA.
Are you going to compete again? If so, which shows are you targeting?
I currently have three shows planned for the 2017 season. I am working toward going back to Masters Nationals in Pittsburgh this July. I have planned two shows in advance of that Pittsburgh show. NPC Baltimore East Coast Classic, June 24, 2017 and the Lenda Murray, July 8, 2017.
What’s your favorite body part to train? What exercises?
I love my shoulders. Great shoulders look good and go well with the Figure physique. My favorite exercise is seated overhead press at the smith machine.
What’s your LEAST favorite body part to train? What exercises?
Oh wow. that’s easy. Abs. I hate training abs. Elusive visibility muscles that respond to high volume more so than heavy weights (so they say.) I get bored doing abs, and never feel I am doing enough.
Do you have a consistent playlist for when you’re working out? Any favorites to get you motivated?
I do have a fairly consistent playlist. It is a primarily hiphop, house music, from the ’90’s early 2000’s. It’s music I love to dance to. I have some newer stuff and some 80’s pop, even “new” country. My favorites to get me motivated are Booty shaking themed songs. 🙂 “Shake That.” “All about that Bass.” “Country Girl Shake it for Me.” “Anaconda.”
Favorite cheat meal? Go to food?
Pizza. Number one cheat meal.
Peanut Butter. (Nuts and More specifically)
Favorite clean eating meal? Recipe?
Grilled Turkey cutlets with Italian blend seasoning, steamed broccoli, and roasted Sweet potato!
Do you have a strong support network in place?
I have a husband who is supportive, but I think he thinks I’m crazy. He and my long time friends are still there for me. I do have friends now in the fitness community who are like minded.
What do you do for a living? How does your training and nutrition work around that?
For my first year after my first competition I continued to work in a commercial architecture office. The pay was great, and I had been with the company for 10 years. I just could not sit there for 8 hours everyday and pretend to be who I used to be and not talk to other women in my age group about protein and weights. Sharing the gym life with others is my passion. I work at max muscle stores part time, I train other women part time, I am a Sports Nutrition Demo rep, and a trainer for CASS fitness.
How can people connect with you?
Samantha’s Facebook fitness motivation page: Fit at Fifty Samantha.
https://www.facebook.com/fitatfiftysamantha/
Contact info on website: www.fitatfiftysamantha.com
Any addition information you’d like to share?
I would not have believed you if you had told me before experiencing it, that I could not only “lose weight.” But control it. Chose how I want to look and the size I want to be. When dieting or calorie counting before, I was missing a lot of information that I found in the fitness lifestyle. My advice: Get out of the weightloss industry and try the philosophy of fitness.