Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Spotlight On NPC Womens Physique Competitor: Stephanie Hannon
Category you compete in: Women’s Physique
Date of birth: July 26
Hometown: Plymouth Meeting, Pa. It’s a small little town right outside the City of Philadelphia.
Career: For the past 14 years, I’ve been a sp
ecial education teacher for primarily middle school students with academic and emotional/behavioral needs both in Philly and some of the suburban districts. I absolutely love working with these kids. At times, there are extreme challenges, yet the rewards are tremendous! I can honestly say that no one day is ever the same. Lol…..never a dull moment, EVER!!!
Competition history: The first show of my career was held on June 2, 2012 – Bev Francis Atlantic States at the Tribeca Theater in Manhattan, NY, where I placed 3rd and qualified for national level competition. I started my diet and training the second week of January and, I must admit, I was a bit disappointed with my placing at first, especially after I asked one of the judges where I could have improved in my performance and his response was simply, “I thought your physique looked great, but your posing was a bit off.” Aaaarrrggghhh, the one area of my training that I can honestly say I had trouble fitting into my crazy, single-mom schedule. I had no one at home or my gym that could be my “second set of eyes.” But this time around will be a whole different story. I’ve already taken the bull by the horns and created a very demanding but flexible training schedule that will allow my two daily training sessions, professional academic responsibilities, the kids school & football schedule, and Sunday routine & posing practice with my good friend Stacy Simons. (She’s incredible!!!)
Next competition: Currently, I am prepping for Nationals that will be held this November 9-10 in Atlanta, Georgia. Initially, I was planning to only compete in the Eastern USA's as a “warm-up” on November 3rd at the Tribeca Theater in Manhattan, NY; however, my coach and friend, Fakhri Mubarak (The best in the business people!! The man is freakin’ AWESOME!!!) has decided that we should also do the East Coast on October 27 in Paterson, NJ. So needless to say, with the start up of a new school year, family obligations, and yet another football season (both of my boys play 65 lbs.), to say that this fall will be busy is nothing short of an understatement!!!!!
What do you feel is the WORST part of contest prep?
Contest prep can be daunting and is physically draining to say the least, especially when you work full-time and take care of family, but the worst part of prep for me is maintaining a consistent meal/supplement and training schedule. My school schedule and personal responsibilities change daily which make it very difficult to eat my meals, take my supp’s, and train at the same times each day throughout the work week. Being consistent in the gym and in the kitchen is imperative if you want to reach your goals.
Would you please tell us a little about your workout schedule?
Generally, my training schedule consists of five days on and two days off of heavy weight training (4 sets of 10-12 reps or failure), one body part per day, immediately followed by 45 minutes of various types of cardio. No cardio on leg day, though, Woot-woot!!! This schedule allows the flexibility I need to fit training into my chaotic, fun filled day!
During contest prep however, my workout schedule becomes much more rigid. I no longer have a day off from cardio and Sunday is the only day where I don’t touch a weight. I begin my day with a 5 a.m. cardio session on the stepmill for 45-50 minutes, practice posing and my routine for about 15-20 minutes, and go about my day as I normally would followed by heavy weight training sessions and an additional 45-50 minutes of cardio split between the stepmill and the treadmill on an incline. Monday is designated for glute isolation exercises, chest on Tuesday, arms on Wednesday, shoulders on Thursday, back on Friday and legs and food 
prep on Saturday. I try to travel to New York once a month to see Fakhri Mubarak, my coach, so he can note my progress, critique my poses, and make any necessary changes to my diet. Sunday I travel to New Jersey to work with Stacy Simons for additional mandatory posing practice and to fine tune my routine.
If you had to lose one of your 5 senses, which one would you prefer to lose and why?
Wow, not sure about which sense I’d give up! I really wouldn’t want to lose any of them but if I had to choose I think it would be my sense of smell because there are some extremely unpleasant odors out there that I know I wouldn’t miss smelling.
If you could change one thing about this sport what would it be?
That men and women were treated and paid equally for their hard work, persistence, determination, and dedication to the sport. I understand that people pay to see the “freak show” but come on…..women work just as hard as the men do and receive far less recognition and earnings.
If you had a time capsule what would you put inside it and why? If it were possible, I would bottle happiness, laughter and love. The world needs not to forget these precious things.
What is your favorite vacation spot? Anywhere there are lush greens, sand, sun, and fun! I’m not picky!
What advice do you have for women who would like to get involved in and compete in the sport of bodybuilding?
If you are interested in the sport make sure to go to some regional and national shows to see what division you would most like to compete in and to see who your competition may be. Also, make sure to find a coach who has an excellent reputation and the expertise to help you attain your goals. You need to be patient, dedicated, consistent, and willing to make sacrifices. Be prepared for A LOT of hard work!!!
What is a day-in-the-life of Stephanie Hannon like?
Wow, ready?!?! The alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. I rise before the sun and begin the day with my Vitastack and water (sometimes a coffee with sugar free vanilla coffee syrup and Nustevia) mix my BCAA’s with Crystal Light for my “during workout” drink and off to the gym for 45-50 minutes of cardio on the stepmill and to practice my routine for 15-20 minutes. I race home to prep meal #1 and pack meals for the remainder of the day, including post workout shake & gallon of water, pack my sons lunches, wake them and feed them before all three of us head off to our respective schools. I teach throughout the day and squeeze in my meals every three hours, give or take a few minutes depending on the happenings the day brings, and off to the gym for a much needed weight training session. Depending on the day, I can follow my weight training with my second session of cardio, but if my boys have football practice that day, I prep a pre-workout meal for the them, check homework, and I do my cardio on a treadmill at home after the boys have been fed (again!!!), showered and put to bed. So needless to say, my days are long and anxiety filled but well worth the effort!
Favorite Motivational Quote:
"If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place." -Nora Roberts
In closing, Who would you like to give a shout out t
o?
First and fore most, I’d like to give a huge shout out to my coach and friend, Fakhri Mubarak. Without his knowledge, expertise, and encouragement, I would not have been able to reach my goals and accomplish what I have in such a short period of time. Thank you for keeping it “real”, Fak.
A huge “Thank You” to Stacy Simons, my posing coach, for helping me with my mandatories, putting together such an awesome routine, and hooking me up with her DJ! There is NO WAY I’d be able to choreograph a routine as the one you created for me! Love ya, girlfriend!!
To my parents and friends, thank you for your support, patience and tolerance. I am thankful to have you all in my life.
Finally, a special shout out to my sons, Danny and Tommy, you boys ROCK!!!!! Thank you for believing in me and helping mommy stay focused when life got crazy at home. I love you so very much!!!
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