“If people are doubting how far you’ll go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.”
Emily Weiss is a court reporter in regular life and NPC Bikini Competitor in her fitness life. She is sponsored by Elite1FitGear, OhYeah! Nutrition, and KH Custom Suits. Emily has an awesome physique and is one of the most humble people I’ve ever met, and has an inspiring before/after story that many people connect with. She always gets great remarks on her legs and Emily took the time to share the secret to her perfectly tanned and toned legs, along with diet and motivational tips in this interview with FitnessRXwomen.
FitRX: Hi Emily! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview. I have been following you for quite some time and notice that you have a great instagram following! What is the message you try to share and promote that your followers connect to?
Emily: I wish to inspire men and women around the world, including younger athletes, to not only pursue a healthier lifestyle but also that they can find a balance in competing, going to school, having a family, and having a career. I also want to be a positive role model to younger athletes that wish to enter the fitness model or competitor world. As a younger athlete, it is tough not to fall into the “college/20s party-er” stereotype. I want to be a role model to the younger generation that “not everyone is doing it” and that it’s okay to have bigger dreams than getting wasted every Friday night. I will not stop until I become an IFBB pro and one day win the Bikini Olympia. I know in my heart that is the avenue I need to take in order to reach as many men and women as possible to inspire them to become healthy and that it is possible to have the life you’ve always dreamed of.
FitRX: Having dreams is so important – what a great message! How long have you been competing in the NPC? How did you get into competing?
Emily: I have been competing since 2011. I was trainer at a gym in my community and worked out 5 days a week, took spin classes, and ate semi-clean. I was always looking for another challenge, and I noticed one of my coworkers was competing in a show. I went to a show in my community called Battle on the River and was hooked! I wanted to be those glamorous girls. This was such a great opportunity to put a goal to all my workouts.
FitRX: Awesome! What is your current goal in fitness competitions? When is your next show?
Emily: My current competition goal is become and IFBB pro and become Ms. Bikini Olympia one day. Watch out Ms. Ashley (jk). My next competition is August 20 at Ropman Elite’s USA Coastals.
FitRX: What does your training currently look like as you are pursuing your goals?
Emily: I currently lift 5 days a week with 30 minutes of HIIT cardio after each workout. I have two rest days where I focus on prepping my meals, and spending time with family and friends. My training split currently looks like: Monday, legs; Tuesday, shoulders; Wednesday, plyos; Thursday, arms and back; and Friday is bootyyyy.
FitRX: Sounds pretty straightforward and a good mix of workouts! I’ve noticed that you have great legs, and seem to have that perfect mix of tightness and tone, but not overly muscular. Is there a specific workout that you do to attain this?
Emily: My little secret is to perform 15 minutes of walking lunges on the treadmill on incline with no stops after leg/butt/plyos workouts. Afterward, my legs and booty feel so pumped and tight, and I leave feeling so accomplished.
FitRX: It definitely pays off! I’m sure your diet also plays a major part in your bikini body. What does your typical diet look like?
Emily: My current diet includes six meals a day. I eat mostly lean meats, egg whites, and complex carbs, such as oatmeal and sweet potatoes. I work in a courthouse where food is not allowed, so I put all my meals in plastic bags and eat them in the bathroom. Gross, I know, but no excuses for this girl!
FitRX: The Ziplock Life! I’m familiar – food is fuel, not always pretty! Do you have a favorite recipe you make when you have a craving for sweets?
Emily: Yes! I like to make Oh Yeah! Chocolate Peanut-Butter cups.
Oh Yeah! Chocolate Peanut-Butter cups
Ingredients
• 1 scoop Oh Yeah! Chocolate protein powder
• ¼ package sugar free fat free chocolate pudding mix
• 1 TBSP unsweetened almond milk
• 2 TBSP PB
Directions
• Distribute PB evenly into the bottom of 2 muffin tins. (you may want to melt this slightly)
• Freeze 15minutes
• Mix together protein powder, pudding mix, and milk. Add in extra water or milk if needed until mixture is a pudding consistency.
• Distribute into the 2 muffin tins.
• Freeze 30-45 minutes
• Enjoy!
Nutrition for entire dessert: 350kcal, 18g fat, 32g protein, 15g carb
FitRX: Sounds yummy!! As a competitor, I know that the show tan is one of the more expensive things on show day. I also understand that you tan people and tan yourself for shows! How do you do that?
Emily: At one of my first shows my husband and I thought we would save money, and he could just paint me with the tanning solution the night before the show. BIG MISTAKE. I don’t think we’ve ever fought that much. One side of my body would look great. I would turn, and the tanning solution would be streaked on the other side. I vowed from that day on to always get my tan sprayed by a professional. Two years later, I was competing in back to back shows every two weeks and the cost was adding up. Being my thrifty self, I decided to find a way to minimize show cost. If I’m competing in 4 shows back to back, that’s over $400 I would be spending just on getting my tan done not to mention entry fees, plane fare, hotel rooms, etc. So I did some research online and realized, I could do this myself. I bought an airbrush tanning machine and a course on how to properly spray tan. Since then I tan myself and others at every show I compete in. When I’m not competing, I also tan competitors with a company called 3D Competition Tan at all the Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky shows.
FitRX: That’s such a great way to save money! Thanks for sharing. What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Emily: The best advice I’ve been given is if people are doubting how far you’ll go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore. When I first started this journey, I had a lot of people doubting me, commenting that I didn’t have what it took. They claimed I was too small, my abs weren’t developed enough, I wasn’t pretty enough, etc. There was actually a post on Facebook after one of my competitions that said, I was a stupid little girl to think I could ever compete at that level. This person had taken a picture of a pro bikini competitor and myself – a fairly new competitior – and put them side by side to compare. I was devastated, but my coach, Asia Mendoza, was not going to let me hear it. She said, if we’re going to doubt anything in our journey together, we are going to doubt your limits. She believed in my potential and knew I could do this if I put 100% of myself in it. Sure enough, she was right. Several years later, I have competed at several NPC national shows, placing in the top 5 at one.
FitRX: LOVE that! What great advice! Do you have a quote or motto that you live by?
Emily: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
FitRX: Great quote. Thanks so much for sharing your training, tanning, and diet tips with us! Is there any other words of wisdom you would like to share?
Emily: During one of my first show preps in 2012, I was feeling sorry for myself. I was tired and sore and did not want to do my cardio. In my head, I was thinking of all the reasons I could get myself out of it. I opened up a FitnessRx magazine that contained an article by IFBB Figure Pro Ava Cowan. She was discussing the good and bad of her Olympia prep. She mentioned there were some days where she couldn’t wait to jump out of bed and get on her fasted cardio, but there were also days, she was just not feeling it. She wanted to skip it and sleep a little longer. But she didn’t. She remembered her goals every time she felt unmotivated. That article struck a cord with me. Ava Cowan ALSO has to convince herself to do her cardio. I couldn’t believe it. Here I was a brand new competitor thinking I was the only one that didn’t want to do my cardio or eat plain chicken or workout at midnight because my day was too busy to get it in sooner. I thought, gosh, I bet the pros always have some much motivation day in and day out. Nope. We all have those off days. It’s totally normal. But it’s how you choose to handle those days that will determine your success.
FitRX: Very true! Thanks so much for sharing that, and best of luck to you in pursuing your IFBB pro card!
For more on Emily:
Instagram: @emilybweiss
Facebook: Emily Braker Weiss
Competitor Photos: Muscular Development
