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Published on Thursday, 13 December 2012 22:18
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Written by Ariel Humphrey
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Pushing Her Way To The Top: An Exclusive Interview With IFBB Figure Pro: Heather Dees
Heather Dees is one of the top figure competitors of 2012; placing 4th at the Figure Olympia she continues to rise up the ranks dominating with beauty, confidence and determination. In this interview, Heather talks about the development of her physique, self-confidence, as well as motivating advice for the amateur competitor who aspires that pro status!
Feminity and muscularity:
Do you remember your first experience/memory being introduced to the concept of feminine muscle? Yes, I was looking at a Flex Magazine & Pauline Nordin was the athlete doing a "Girls are back shoot" her lean physique intrigued me! Also Gina Aliotti was inspiring!
Who were your female role models growing up? Growing up I don't really recall having female roll models. The industry hit me at age 23.. I always loved Betty Boop though! My grandma nicknamed me Betty Boop as a child :)
What do you think inspired or encouraged you to pursue a more muscular physique? Looking through fitness magazines I always wondered how women have such awesome abs. Was it genetics or hard training? (Now I know its a combination of both) I tried running and after 5 half marathons I realized that was not the route to achieving a six-pack for me. So I was told by a friend I had a great structure for figure competitions. I asked what it was and decided maybe just training for a comp. I would see those abs I desired. After meeting a very educated trainer "Justin Dees" I was right, I accomplished my goal to see my abs! I won the overall at my 1st show and was hooked!
Were you ever self-conscious of being an in shape/muscular female? I have never been self-conscious about being muscular. However, before competing I was very self-conscious about my soft, somewhat chubby physique. Having a muscular, developed physique has given me more confidence & pride in myself!
What are some challenges, annoyances of being muscular or not "stream-line" hollywood model size/shape?Finding jeans that fit your waist & your legs! But the good news is leggings are popular & comfortable! I have never had the desire to be like the super thin models of Hollywood. To me too thin just looks unhealthy. I would rather be more curvy than too thin!
Do you think people outside of the fitness industry treat you differently? Definitely not! Although some people don't have the desire to get as lean as I do for competitions, I get a lot of respect and compliments for my will power to drive myself to accomplishing such a lean physique. Maybe I have been lucky to not get those negative comments about too much muscle :)
Has there been a point in your career where you were afraid of becoming "too masculine" or having too much muscle in which you changed your workouts to accommodate smaller gains/goals? I love feeling muscular but I did notice that my upper body has the tendency to put on size a lot quicker than my legs (genetics). So I have toned down my upper body workouts and even stopped training biceps and triceps completely for a while to allow my physique to balance out and become more stream-lined. This has been my feed back from judges and professionals in the bodybuilding industry.
You've seen the comments some men leave on picture.jpeg)
s of muscular women… How do you respond to the disapproval? I have seen negative comments but I think without education and understanding of how to achieve such a great physique and how much hard work goes into the process, there will always be haters. If people educated themselves before making inappropriate or disrespectful comments they would understand and compliment such dedication. I also believe instead of getting sucked into the negativity, I choose to ignore it & stay positive. The people who are unhappy with themselves to try and bring others down will only compound their own personal problems
Self Confidence:
Would you consider yourself confident? I definitely consider myself confident, especially on-stage!
At what point did you achieve your confidence? Has it been a process or did it happen over night? Describe how you reached the level of confidence you have now. I believe I started achieving my confidence as soon as I started seeing that with hard work, dedication and will power I could look anyway I wanted. My changes came quick. Within the first 60 days of proper nutrition and weight training guided by Justin Dees, I made extreme changes. I lost body fat and put shape to my legs and for the 1st time as an adult I loved wearing shorts! As I progressed and my physique has developed even more I became more confident, and it just sticks!
What do you think confidence has helped you achieve this far (fitness industry and life in general)? In the industry, if you are not confident with what you present to the judges, they won't look at you! Your confidence and stage presence can make or break you! I believe I have continued to climb the figure ladder as a professional athlete and have become top 4 in the world by showing happiness and confidence on-stage! Outside of the industry confidence has helped me be a better wife, step
-mom, friend and person to all that I meet and associate with.
Confidence inspires people to become their best self! When your confidence waivers, how do you get your mojo back? If my confidence waivers, it's generally because I am not living a healthy lifestyle. When I slack on training and nutrition my physique changes and my confidence level drops. As soon as I start seeing this happen I jump right back on track and restore what was lost! Simple as that!!!
Please describe a time where you were struggling and how you overcame.I believe going from overall winner at my 1st show (NPC Utah Classic) to placing 10th at my 1st national show (2008 NPC Nationals) I lost a lot of confidence. I quickly recovered with encouragement from Justin and the desire to do better! I listened to the judges feedback and just continued to make progress. In just 4 short years I went from 10th at Nationals to 4th on the Olympia stage! That is what confidence can do for anyone with the desire!
Competitions:
When did you first start competing? My very 1st show was the 2008 NPC Utah Classic. It took me 7 months of training with Justin to get the physique I needed to win the overall!
What were the driving reasons to compete? My drive was mostly derived to prove to myself that I could achieve the look I wanted for my body and a lot of other athletes had. If they could do it, so could I!
Have your reasons evolved/changed over time? Yes, my reasons have only changed with competition goals! I still want to keep a healthy physique for overall health and a positive fulfilling life, but my taste of the Olympia stage has given me the desire to one day (very soon) hold that Figure Sandow Trophy!
What was your transition going from amateur to pro status like? Your thoughts, feelings, actions? Advice for amateurs transitioning to pro? I feel I transitioned quickly, even though it felt like a long time at first. The drive has been the same but the journey has been exciting and fun! Every year I see progress from competition to competition. I believe you need to know you can be a pro before you will ever get your pro card! This is where confidence comes in! Always have a revolving goal will help you progress! Be subjective to yourself and take criticism positively and use it for a driving force! Don't give up when you get frustrated, push harder! Easier said than done, but it has been what I have done and has paid off! I couldn't be happier with my progress and accomplishments!
I have to give a shout out to my amazing husband and trainer Justin Dees, I wouldn't be in the industry without him! Shout out to my coach Kim Oddo for all his help, my manager JM Manion at FMG, Species Nutrition for allowing me to represent them as an Elite Athlete & for there fabulous sponsorship and encouragement! Sthenosclothing and Good2Go Bar for there Great products! TMarie Suits for keeping me looking my best and blinged out on stage! And last but not least to all my family, friends and incredible fans for your encouragement, inspiration and support! I love this industry!
In a few years Heather went from aspiring to have ripped abs to IFBB Figure pro! Regardless of the challenges and limitations placed on female athletes, self-confidence, hard work and determination will help you reach all your goals. Train hard, eat balanced healthy meals, and dream BIG.
P.S. Don't forget to chill out every once in a while!!
