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Published on Sunday, 11 November 2012 20:15
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Written by Anna Starodubtseva
Spotlight On NPC Bikini Competitor: Anna Starodubtseva
Category you com
pete in: Bikini division
Date of birth: 01/28/1985
Hometown: Krasnodar (Russia)
Career: hospitality industry
What is your favorite contest prep recipe? Ever since I started competing I have learned a lot about healthy cooking, discovered so many products that I have not heard about before. I realized that you don’t have to sacrifice your physique to enjoy food. I don’t have a coach or nutritionist, not part of any team, so I’m doing all the contest preparation on my own, that’s why in the beginning it was very hard for me to figure out my diet and training routine. Over time I have learned a lot and came up with some delicious healthy recipes, such as arugula-chicken-green beans salad – great taste, great nutrition value and very filling.
Arugula
Steamed Green beans
Chicken breast (broiled)
Non fat feta cheese
Grape tomatoes
2 egg whites (broiled)
Balsamic vinegar
Just mix all ingredients together in a bowl, sprinkle some feta cheese on top and some balsamic vinegar, and enjoy your salad
If you want to add some carbs to that, my choice would be golden quinoa cakes:
½ cup quinoa
¼ cup quinoa oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
10 ounces baby spinach
1 cup non fat milk
1 egg
3 egg whites
Cook quinoa for about 15 min, until all water is absorbed, while cooking shallots and spinach together in a separate pan for about 10 min, until softened.
Then mix together quinoa, cooked spinach, milk, egg white,s add some spices ( my favorite is garlic and herb seasoning blend by Mrs. Dash, it has no sodium and you can use it with almost every dish).
Make little cakes and roast them in EVOO over moderate heat for about 15 min, until they get a nice golden color. You can serve it warm or cold temperature.
Last but not least, I have to mention my favorite protein shake recipe; it’s packed with fiber, vitamins and so delicious
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I like Myofus
ion by Gaspari Nutrition)
2 ounces baby spinach
3-4 mint leaves
1 tablespoon minced ginger (helps ease soreness after a workout )
¾ cut almond milk
1 scoop Ultra Fiber DX
Mix all ingredients in a blender with 5-7 ice cubes, blend for about 1-2 min. Enjoy delicious chocolate flavor while getting all the nutrients and vitamins.
What part of your physique are you currently working on? At this time I am in the middle of my contest season, so I do a lot of cardio. I like to mix my workouts with crossfit, so you still involve cardiovascular activity into your workouts while incorporating strength-training. I work out my glutes 2-3 times a week, I believe it’s the most important part of a woman’s body, especially for bikini competitors.
Name one piece of nutrition/fitness advice that has stuck with you. I think the most important thing is consistency; you have to follow a specific routine every day that works for you and stick with it. I have the same breakfast every day (which is oatmeal, 2 egg whites and ½ grapefruit) and I time my meals (every 3-4 hours).
As for a workout routine, I change it every 1 – 1.5 months so my body doesn’t get used to it.
If you could compete in one other event (FBB, physique, figure, fitness, bikini) which would it be and why? I feel like I am very comfortable in the bikini division, I give a lot of credit to those girls, but I don’t see myself crossing over into figure or fitness anytime soon. With that said, I am at the very beginning of my journey, you never really know what can happen over time, my results may convince me to think otherwise. A year ago I couldn’t imagine myself competing in the bikini division and now it’s a part of my lifestyle - rather than just a hobby. I’ll just have to wait and see where my decisions and progress takes me.
Why NPC? NPC is considered the largest and most respectable amateur athlete organization around. I figured if I want to be the best I have to compete against the best. Being with the NPC led me to discover great athletes with the same goals and ambitions, it led me to discover things about my body with each competition preparation and allowed me to grow better as a result. I’m very happy to be part of it.
What do you like best about competing? It might sound crazy, but I like the preparation part a lot. I like to research new workout routines and put it together myself. I like to update my nutrition plan and look for new healthy recipes. I love to workout; this is probably my favorite part. And when you see the results it makes you work even harder, it’s like an addiction and competitions are a way to present your hard work and results, network with the people with the same interests and share your experience.
What are your goals for the future? My main goal for the future is to grow with the sport, and learn as much as I can while bettering myself. I have several shows planned for next year where I hope to take my progress a step further. My biggest goal for the next year is the Arnold Classic in March 2013. I am really excited to compete there; it’s going to be a huge show with amateur athletes from all over the world showcasing their physiques. I’m very excited to be bringing an improved package for that show and I believe my results will speak for themselves.
Competition history:
New Jersey State Championships- 1st and overall
Brooklyn Grand Prix- 1st place 
NYC Grand Prix- 4th place
NPC New England Championships 5th place
Next competition: NPC Eastern Show, November 2012
Hobbies:
I love traveling; it’s probably my biggest passion. I like to visit new places, meet new people, and explore different cultures. I love cooking a lot, sometimes I just cook to relax. I like any kind of sport activities - hiking, tennis, surfing, swimming, ice skating, depending on the season of the year.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned over the years when it comes to competing? The biggest and the most difficult lesson for me was to learn how to lose. You can’t place first every time you compete. But the most important is not to get discouraged by that and move on and keep working and keep improving yourself, because you don’t compete against other people, you compete against yourself, it’s all about self-improvement.
What is your favorite contest prep supplement?
CLA Tonalin is my favorite one. It’s a dietary supplement that aims to increase the user's lean muscle mass, while reducing unwanted body fat. This diet product comes from sunflower oil and is claimed to hinder "lipoprotein lipase," which is an enzyme that's commonly known for breaking down fat cells in food. This process is supposed to result in less fat being absorbed into the body, hence assisting with weight loss and remaining thinner. I think it works great with other supplements and well balanced diet.
The brand I like is MET-RX CLA Myoleptin 1500. I’m very happy with this product.
Favorite Quote:
"To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act."
