Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Spotlight On: Summer Taylor
Category you compete in: NPC National Level Bikini Division
Date of birth: November 17th
Hometown: South Bend, IN
Career: High School Anatomy, Physiology and Biology Teacher
What is your favorite contest prep recipe?
Oatmeal Muffins
6 cups of old fashioned oats
Approximately 4 cups of water (water to desired consistency)
½ cup granulated Splenda
2 Tablespoons baking powder
Cinnamon to taste
Stir and let stand for about 5-10 minutes. Then add:
4 egg whites
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
Mix thoroughly. Place 1/3 to ½ cup into a muffin/cupcake pan sprayed lightly with Pam. Sprinkle top of muffins with Splenda and cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Makes about 18 muffins.
What part of your physique are you currently working on?
I am working on my glutes and my arms. My arms are crazy-long, condor arms and thus, no matter how much muscle I have, I always want more.
My glutes have come a long way, but they're still not where I want them. I am a Bombshell and I need to have the Bombshell booty and right now it's a bum under construction. LOL!
Name one piece of nutrition/fitness advice that has stuck with you.
"I'd rather have a good diet day than a good day in the gym." I think we all get into this industry because we love to lift. Rarely does anyone start lifting because they love to eat clean, yet eating clean is often more crucial to success than the training. If you don't eat to fuel your body, you're wasting your efforts in the gym.
If you could compete in one other event (FBB, physique, figure, fitness, bikini) which would it be and why?
That's an easy question, I'd do Figure in a heartbeat. I think Figure physiques are sexy. I love the V-taper of a Figure competitor's lats., their round shoulders, and ripped six-pack abs. I think Figure physiques are so admirable and I'd love to have their tight sexy curves.
Why NPC:
If you want to be the best, you compete against the best, right? I think the NPC has the most excellent athletes, judges, and promoters in the industry. I am proud to be an NPC athlete.
What do you like best about competing?
There are actually two things that I really love about competing. I love the connections I have made in this industry. The people who either compete or simply have a role in the bodybuilding industry are some of the most remarkable people I have ever met. I have had some of the best experiences of my life working with photographers, my Bombshell trainers and teammates, and fitness-friends I have made along the way. My fitness-friends are some of the most genuine, passionate, personable people I have encountered in my life.
The other reason that I love competing is that the goal to be the best "me" on stage transcends to other areas of life. The fire that is alive within me while striving for a goal sets about a chain reaction and everything else in life comes together in an almost magical way. Whatever we think, we become and when I think I'm developing the best "me" for stage, I am actually growing and improving as a person in all facets of my life.
What are your goals for the future?
As Timbuk3 sings, "The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!" I am living life to the fullest and "loving every minute of it" (apparently I am also singing 80's rock songs in my head). I am teaching a discipline I love with teenagers who keep me young at heart and continually remind me to not take life too seriously. I am making some life-long friendships and connections within the bodybuilding industry. I am also writing in numerous formats about this industry that I love. Thus, my goals for the future are to appreciate every moment and continue to strive to be my best in any avenue of life I choose to walk down.
Competition history:
2010 IFBB North American Championships
Fitness & Bikini: D - Bikini (2nd)
Fitness & Bikini: D - 35+ Bikini (2nd)
2010 Masters National Championships
Bikini: 35+ D (2nd)
2010 Team Universe
Fitness & Bikini: Bikini F (6th)
2010 Jr National Championships
Fitness & Bikini: Class F (2nd)
2010 NPC Pittsburgh Championships
Bikini and Fitness: Bikini C (2nd)
Next competition:
My next competition will be Jr Nationals in Chicago June 17-18, 2011.
Hobbies:
The first home that my husband and I lived in when we got married had a teeny, tiny pond in the yard. However, you would've thought it was a big, beautiful lake, the way that we spent time around that pond. We bought 10-cent goldfish at the local pet store and spent hours hanging out by the pond, listening to music and watching the fish grow. The memories that we created around that first pond turned into a true love of water gardens. We now have a fabulous Koi pond in which we both spend time nurturing and watching our original 10-cent goldfish, which have grown into enormous golden beauties.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned over the years when it comes to competing?
The biggest lesson I have learned in regards to competing is-don't allow yourself to be defined by how you look! If your appearance is the only thing that defines you, competing just might be an emotional rollercoaster ride. Standing up in front of judges, fellow competitors, and audience members in a tiny bikini and asking to be critiqued takes courage and if you are solely defined by that, you might be devastated by the outcome. I'll never forget seeking feedback after a show from a judge, whom I knew really liked me and he said, "Your hair's flat. Your suit bottom looked like a diaper. And what is wrong with your butt?" LOL! I am not kidding! That is exactly what I heard and I know this judge likes me. If I was exclusively defined by my appearance, I think I would've been mortified. Instead, I thanked him for the honesty and walked away knowing that I was not less of a person because my hair was flat and something was wrong with my bum! I love competing and I love sculpting my physique, but it does not define me.
What is your favorite contest prep supplement?
Water! I know that's probably not the answer you were looking for, but the truth is water is so crucial to normal body functions that it is by far the most important ingredient when NPC athletes are pushing their bodies beyond any normal level of functioning.
Favorite Quote:
I have two Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes that resonate with me right now:
"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that"
"Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it."
I consider the first quote while working with my students. People often ask me, "Teenagers?? Really? How do you handle it?" I always tell them that I treat my students like they have already become the adult I believe they will be. It is human nature to try to be the person we think someone believes we already are. It's very powerful.
The second quote reminds me that I'm in charge of my life. If there is an aspect of it that I am not happy with, I know that's up to me to take action.
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