Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Spotlight On IFBB Womens Physique Pro: Trish Wood
Category you compete in: IFBB Womens Physique
Date of birth: 9/28/76
Hometown: Roseville, CA
Career: Business Owner (Iron Addiction)/ Personal Trainer
Competition history:
March 2009: 1st place - Class A, Figure GNC Max Muscle Naturals , Culver City, CA
May 2009: 5th place - Class A, Figure Contra Costa Bodybuilding, Figure, Fitness and Bikini Championships Hayward, CA
July 2009: didn't place top 15 here- USA Bodybuilding, Figure, & Bikini Championships, Las Vegas, NV
May 2010: 2nd Place Figure Class A, Contra Costa Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships, Hayward, CA
June 2010: 2nd Place Figure Class A, West Coast Classic Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships , El Monte, CA
June 2010: 4th Place Figure Class A, Nevada State Bodybuilding
May 7, 2011: 1st Place Figure class A, Contra Costa Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships, Hayward, CA
May 28, 2011: 1st Place Figure Class A, California State Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships, Culver City, CA
July 9, 2011: 1st Place Figure Class A, San Jose Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships, San Jose, CA
July 9, 2011: 1st Place Lightweight Bodybuilding, San Jose Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships ,San Jose, CA (I knew I was switching to physique at this time so did both figure & bb in the same show)
July 29-30,2011: 1st Place Physique Class A NPC USA Bodybuilding, Figure, Fitness and Bikini Championships, Las Vegas, NV
March 24, 2012: 8th place Pro women’s physique, Governor’s Cup, Sacramento, CA
Next competition: IFBB Pro Grand Prix Los Angeles 4/14/12, Culver City, CA
In your opinion, how important is motivation and confidence when aiming to accomplish a goal?
I think that you need to be self-motivated when you have certain goals- like competing, but it’s also necessary to have a great support system in place. Bodybuilding is an individual sport, but you need a team to reach that stage. Because I’m the type of person that needs to be challenged, I set goals for myself as a means of motivation. I actually began competing so I would stay motivated to work out & eat clean consistently. There are times that I doubt myself but it’s in those times when I turn to my support system: my husband/trainer, my family, and my friends. They remind me of how far I’ve come in this sport and encourage me to keep going. So while confidence and motivation are really important to achieve goals, I think having a support system makes all the difference when you need that extra push.
In your eyes, what combination of hard work and natural ability is needed to reach the top?
I believe that in order to reach the top of any sport you’ve got to be willing to give 100% all the time. I think that hard work is probably 80% of the package while natural ability is only about 20%. Even if you have some great bodybuilding genetics you’ll never succeed if you don’t work hard in the gym and push yourself to the max every day. As a young adult I was very heavy. I never thought I had the ability to change my body so drastically and definitely didn’t think I could ever compete. But, with hard work and perseverance I was able to become a professional physique competitor! Knowing that I put on weight (fat) easily, I constantly have to work against my genetics to stay lean. If I didn’t exercise and diet as hard as I do, I would still be that overweight person I used to be.
What are some motivational strategies that have or currently work for you?
I take lots of progress photos and check my body fat regularly. This gives me a visual of my progression because seeing my body in the mirror every day just isn’t enough. I’m the type of person that needs to see changes and photos are the best progress reports. Another strategy I use is constantly changing my routines. Whether it’s switching up my body part workouts, changing the time or place I do my cardio, or simply switching the music in my iPod, I need changes like these to keep me from getting bored. Also, my husband makes posters of my favorite physique competitors and hangs them up where I can see them daily. He’ll put sayings on there like “you are a champion!” or “Come beat me!” I find that looking at those girls every day fuels my competitive spirit!
Give me some examples from your life where confidence has helped you to achieve?
Having confidence in myself helped me to lose 40lbs and change my lifestyle completely. I knew that if I just kept pushing a little harder each day, that I could get the weight off for good. I found that setting short term goals makes working towards that ultimate goal less intimidating. During my weight loss journey, I found that as I accomplished short term goals I became more confident and starting wondering what else can I do? Now eight years later, I’ve become a personal trainer, opened up a training studio with my husband, and earned my pro card in the IFBB! If I didn’t have confidence and didn’t truly believe that I could succeed, I’d probably still be overweight and working in a career I didn’t enjoy.
What do you find the most challenging about competing?
The most challenging part of competing has to be the diet. Because of my genetics, I only allow myself to gain 5-7 lbs off-season. With the exception of having one “free” day a week in my off-season, eating clean had to become a lifestyle change for me. During competition season, the only real change I make in my diet is taking out that “free” day. It took me a while to not feel weird taking my own food into restaurants and over to friends’ houses for parties, but now I do it without thinking twice. The most challenging days are the ones where I’m really craving a big greasy hamburger and fries and I have to watch my husband and step-kids devour them instead. That’s when I remind myself that competing is a choice and that my abs will thank me while on stage!
What are your top 5 key strategies for success?
1. Get a support system in place to help you stay motivated and hold you accountable. Not reaching a goal feels terrible but letting other people down feels even worse.
2. Success will come from doing the things that you are passionate about and truly want for yourself. So make sure that you are the one who wants you to succeed.
3. Stay focused and do things that will help you achieve your desired end result. Going to an all-you-can-eat buffet is not the best choice when trying to lose weight!
4. Plan out your days to stay on track. Straying from your diet for even one meal during contest prep can really throw you off course emotionally and physically so avoid it by having all meals prepped and ready to go ahead of time.
5. Set short term goals that will lead you to your ultimate goal. Having those small successes weekly or monthly will keep you on course towards the long-term goal.
What is your favorite protein powder? Why do you like it?
My favorite protein powder is Biochem Sports BioPure Whey Protein Isolate. I have a problem digesting gluten and lactose so this is easy on my stomach, tastes good, and is reasonably priced.
Favorite Inspirational Quote:
We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment."
~ Jim Rohn
In closing, Who would you like to give a shout 
out to?
I’d like to give a shout out to my husband, Mike Wood. He’s my trainer and partner in everything I strive to do in life. I love that he can “tell it like it is” while still encouraging me in a positive way.
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