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Published on Thursday, 14 October 2010 15:28
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Written by Leigh Penman
“Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang?”
Remember the glam rock years and Gary Glitter before he got himself in all sorts of trouble? Ah yes those were the days, right? And who would have thought that a part of them would be revisited right up there in the bikini division this weekend in Atlanta.
No, I am not talking about a Glitter Band re-union (sighs of relief all round!) but I am talking about the appearance of a hot glam rocker on stage by the name of Tana Gabrielle.
Yes, Tana used to be the lead singer in a glam rock band prior to her escapades in the land of fitness modeling and bikini competition, but we’ll get to that in a minute, first of all we have to hear about her days as a competitive roller skater!
So Tana, just how did you get involved in that sport and how far did you take it?“My parents had me in the skating rink when I was 5 and thereafter I seemingly lived there as far as I can
remember! We are talking ROLLER skating here. Yes, the long forgotten disco 'quad" fad from the 70's
and 80's. For many it was the Friday night thing to do. For me, my world revolved around after school
lessons and long practices. Most people do not even realize that roller skating even offered competition
on a national level. While it never made it into the Olympics, figure roller skating was where I got my competitive start until I was into my teens. I definitely credit my years in the rink to building my notorious ‘wheels" of steel’!”
Now, as a former music journalist myself I am dying to know about your time in the music
business! Also, I heard that you had a lot of problems with your vocal cords…“Oh yes! My alter ego-- the Glam rocker! Growing up, when I wasn't skating, I was developing my
affection for music and singing. I sang my way through my teen years in beauty pageants and high
school assemblies until one week, right before a huge event in my senior year; I seemingly lost my voice
almost overnight! I thought it was just a bad case of laryngitis and waited for things to clear up. After
3 weeks of almost NO voice, I finally went to a specialist and was told I had vocal polyps. These are
lesions on the vocal cords that are similar to what many singers encounter from over-extending their
voice, called nodules. However, polyps are much larger and potentially dangerous, as they can end up
malignant if not removed. Polyps are NOT caused by vocal abuse. They are pre-cancerous growths that
the body mysteriously decides to produce for reasons that remain unclear. As a non-smoker, I am still at
a loss as to WHY they ended up on my vocal cords. The worst part was that after the first removal, they
continued to grow back every year for the next 4 years. I ended up having 3 total surgeries. The very last
polyp they removed, I was told it was the size of a grape and closing in on my airway! At that point, the
scarring from the surgeries had affected my voice immensely. There was NO more singing and I began
to withdraw socially, as my voice most days was reduced to a whisper. My hopes and dreams as a singer
were dashed and I was very depressed. Amazingly, the polyps never returned after that last surgery but I
was left with a totally new voice from the scarring of my cords-- a voice that wasn't going to end up on
Broadway like I dreamed about any time soon!
“Fast forward a decade and I entered into my stint as the lead vocalist for a rock/pop band called
POPROXX in Charlotte NC. (We have since dismantled and I am now in Orlando) Over the years, my
voice has taken on a raspy ‘edginess’ that I discovered was quite fitting for ROCK music. Since I am not
one to be told that I CAN'T do something, I picked my old dreams of singing out of the trash can and
found my new niche as a rock chick!”
So the next question has to be how did you get involved in fitness modeling, as I believe that came
before actually competing?“Yes, quite a few years before. I got my first ‘connections’ at the 2003 Arnold Expo. I had been a huge
fan of the sport of Figure, reading every fitness magazine and admiring all of my favorite female athletes
and following their success for years. I finally decided it was time for me to get out there and see what I
could do to make a place for myself in the industry so I booked a photo shoot with a local photographer,
created some make-shift comp cards and then drove through a SNOW STORM by myself to attend the
show and network as much as I could. There, I met some key people in the industry who introduced me to
the companies I eventually started doing demo work for, working the booths, etc. and the photographers
who eventually got me published. I feel extremely blessed to have been featured in some of the very
magazines that were the foundation of my inspiration to pursue fitness modeling to begin with. I have
had the honor of two Natural Muscle Magazine covers (one being the current issue out now!--Oct 2010)
A national VPX Clenbutrx Hardcore ad, multiple features in American Curves, Planet Muscle, and
MuscleMag International.”
Was it your success in that area that prompted you to compete?“No, not at all. My motivation to compete is two-fold really. I think many of us come to a certain point in our lives where we really want to see "what we are made of" or challenge ourselves with something new and exciting. For me, life is about an evolution of personal progress and seeing what I am capable of even when fear of the unknown clouds my thoughts. I have always battled a fear of failure and for many years, I let myself be a victim of a self-defeating mentality. So without getting all Dr. Phil on your
audience here, I will just say that my journey to the competitive stage is most definitely a step for me in my personal growth plan. The second part of my decision to compete is really about the career path I am carving out for myself. As a HUGE advocate of holistic living, I try to implement organic, non-toxic lifestyle choices whenever I can. Unfortunately, over the years in my being involved with the "fitness" industry, it became quite apparent to me that some of the usual protocols used by athletes prepping for figure and bodybuilding shows were anything but natural nor healthy. Sorry if this rubs anyone the wrong way, but the obvious abuse of steroids, chemical diuretics, thyroid manipulators, and a plethora of other insane compounds that athletes use to edge out their competition was just a real buzz kill for me.
Of course, I am not insinuating that this is all across the board, nor implying that one needs to use these
things in order to be competitive. However, with the look being rewarded in Figure today on a national
and pro level, I simply decided long ago that my putting myself out there like that with my commitment
to natural health just wasn't worth the effort. So when the NPC added the Bikini category, it REALLY
prompted me to re-examine the idea of competing. I truly feel that this category will be a great fit for me
and I am hoping to use my prep journey and competitive experiences as a platform to build my career as a
holistic lifestyle coach and mentor.”
You have given a lot of credit to MET TRAINING for the development of your physique, can you
tell us a little more about that(and the fact that it seems to have reduced the need for cardio in your preparation?“Ok--now we're talking! MET (Metabolic Enhancement Training) is the new darling in my training
arsenal this year! This style of training involves movements in multiple planes of motion which
adequately tax both the body's musculature and cardiovascular system. The movements are performed in
an interval style format that ultimately improves the energy systems which are responsible for activity.
My routine consists of functional movements and traditional movements, as well as any exercise that
gets the job done in sequences or circuits to stimulate metabolism. It is designed to serve metabolism not
destroy it. Therefore, the training actually enhances your long term health as well, instead of hindering
it. Additionally, I feel the effect from MET training on muscle is much different--very feminine, yet still
very pronounced. This is a perfect choice for achieving a strong, shapely, defined yet feminine physique-
-what I feel a competitive BIKINI body should be all about! As far as cardio-- believe me when I tell
you that when training this way, NONE is needed. I have made consistent changes in the mirror and the
scale every week with 60 minutes a day of MET and absolutely no steady state cardio at all. Believe me
though--these workouts are not only unbelievably effective, they will make you DIG DEEP! I laugh
when I hear people talking about how bikini competitors ‘don't train as hard’ or ‘aren't real athletes’.
While I realize some girls only need a few weeks of clean dieting and their nails done to step on stage
with ‘the look’, I am NOT one of them! I will tell you my prep to tweak my physique to be the tight,
tiny package it is right now was no Tinker bell process! My workouts and diet are JUST as intense, if
not more so than many traditional figure prep plans. The only difference was I nixed the boring, endless
cardio and my metabolism and general health are all the better for it. I actually wrote a 2 page article
on MET Training and the benefits, in particular for bikini training, in the Sept. issue of Natural Muscle
Magazine.”
Given your particular interest in health issues, do you feel that there is actually a ‘healthy’ way to
go about the whole contest preparation experience?“Well, I hesitate to use the term "healthy" when talking about any type of significant calorie and nutrient
restriction. Contest prep is stressful no matter how you go about it. The key is in controlling to what
degree your body perceives the stress. I would say the word "balanced" is more in order here. I am
definitely convinced that there are more efficient ways than the starvation and endless cardio protocols
that are so commonly prescribed. Sure, it may get you there, but your overall long term health may be
severely compromised. We all know the look-- a gaunt face, weathered skin, and dull, lifeless hair. This
is caused primarily by a contest prep that is simply too rapid and damaging to the body's energy system.
This in turn leads to a negative hormonal response, metabolic disorders and adrenal exhaustion that may
take YEARS to repair. The key to a more balanced approach is ultimately listening to your body and
making the proper adjustments based on biofeedback. For this reason, I decided to start my prep far in
advance and at a slower rate in order to be able to truly learn my body's reactions and what type of foods,
rest periods, training volume, etc. is best for me. Allotting more time to get into your desired shape not
only allows you to make small, healthy adjustments along the way, but keeps your stress response low.
This is so much more efficient than the "all out" 2 a day cardio trap that most competitors fall into. I can
promise you that!”
You obviously have a lot of valuable information and insight to share but how do you see your future unfolding within the sport at the end of the day. What are your dreams and goals?“Well, we all know this sport is very subjective and unpredictable. I truly have no idea how I will be
perceived, at least as a bikini competitor. However, I am going into this knowing how hard I worked to
bring my very best to the stage. In 2011, as I gain more competitive experience and pursue my education,
I am hoping to serve as a role model and mentor for other women, whether they are just beginning their
journey into living a healthier lifestyle or seasoned athletes that may be seeking advice on everything
from holistic nutrition to naturopathic endocrinology. I will also continue to connect with other athletes
in the sport that are passionate about achieving an ultimate level of fitness and health...and doing it
naturally!”
And the immediate future?“Right now, I simply plan to compete this weekend in Atlanta with the mindset of "enjoying the process"
as my trainer likes to consistently remind me to do when I am feeling frazzled from the rigors of prep.
Then, my IMMEDIATE future involves giving in to my one major weakness in life-- a batch of Ms.
Fields cookies! I'll be looking for them as SOON as I walk off of the stage!”
Finally, I am sure after reading this a lot of women will want to contact you, so what is the best way
for them to do this? “I am in the process of building my website—www.TanasFitWorld.com right now and can be contacted
there. By the first of the year, I should have plenty of training/nutrition videos and a blog as well! You
can also easily find me on Face book or MySpace.
Thank you for the wonderful interview! I am very honored to be featured on one of my favorite websites
and share my views on some of the topics I am so passionate about!”
