IFBB Figure Pro, Gina Aliotti

Its not everyday little old Go Figure in New Zealand gets emails from IFBB Professional athletes. So when IFBB Pro Gina Aliotti emailed and told us about her New Nutrition and Training DVD she's launching, we said sure we'd love to help promote it for her.  But there's a catch!  she's going to have to let me pick her brains and answer all those questions us kiwi girls have always wanted to ask a real live Professional Figure athlete.  I've been known to ask alot of questions! So we just want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Gina for perservering with my questions and giving us a detailed look into your fitness and contest regime.  We know you'll help motivate and inspire the kiwi figure girls to try and look just as great as you.

Gina Aliotti 1st Arnold Classic 08

Admittedly we didn't know much about Gina. But on much research and extensive googling we have gathered that she is quite the rising figure star.  She's already reached one of her ambitions of competing and winning at the Arnold Classic which she won in 08. At only 24 years (turns 25 in July), Gina has already been a professional figure athlete for 3 years, first gaining her Pro card at 21.  Much of that awesome muscularity probably comes from her father who's also a bodybuilder, who started Gina doing morning weight training circuits everyday during her high school years.  Gina could also thank her mother for bringing her up in a healthy environment, you see Gina's Mum owned (and probably still does) a health food and supplement shop so Gina grew up eating all the healthy diet foods.

 

These days Gina is living the fitness lifestyle and quite the Wonder Woman. Coupled with being a full time Figure professional, Gina's also a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer at World Gym San Diego. She's also launching her own sportswear line and a DVD, which we mentioned earlier, so that others can learn from her experience. You can check out snippets of the New Nutrition and Training DVD at Gina's site: www.ginaaliotti.net

So there you go, Gina in brief.  Now here's the results of my brain picking and delving into Gina's life as a figure athlete.

Lisa, Go Figure
19 Feb 09

Gina's Contest Achievements 2008 2nd IFBB Olympia 2008 1st IFBB Tournament of Champions Pro Figure 2008 1st  IFBB Arnold Classic 2007 1st IFBB Palm Beach Pro/Am 2007 2nd IFBB Olmpia 2007 1st IFBB Tournament of Champions Pro Figure 2007 6th IFBB Arnold Classic 2006 6th IFBB Olympia 2006 4th IFBB California Pro Figure 2006 7th IFBB Shawn Ray Colorado Pro 2005 1st NPC USA Bodybuilding and Figure 2005 1st NPC USA Bodybuilding and Figure

Gina, 1st Arnold Classic 08

 

What is it like to be a Pro Figure competitor, to train and work in the sport you love? I feel so fortunate to be able to compete as a professional and work in an health and fitness environment. It is not everyday that people are able to find what they love and make a living at it. I have truly followed my passion and been able to develop my business surrounding my true passion! right: Gina at Olympia 07

Is there a downside to being a Pro? Ie having to keep to certain weight and look good all the time. Of course, you feel as if you have to maintain a certain "look" on and off season, to represent your professionalism, but as long as you maintain a healthy off season look, that is what it is about. Since my lifestyle is eating healthy and training year round, my physique may get softer but it never stays too far off from my competition weight. It is important to be able to shift from a harder/leaner look to a softer and curvier look. The goal is making this a lifestyle and not just a temporary thing. It is not normal nor does the body want to walk around under 9% body fat year round. I think it is important, as a professional, to show others that it is still sexy to not be ripped and hard all the time. The goal is to balance the competitive and non competitive "looks" and be okay with both. This is a lifestyle we follow year round but of course you have to be able to enjoy the joys of life so it is just about finding that happy medium! What competitions have you got planned for this year? This year I will be competing in the Arnold Classic, March 6th and the Figure Olympia in September! I am not sure if I will do another show around the time of the Olympia or not. That is still to be determined!

Do you feel the pressure of competing (and hopefully winning) the Arnold again this year? What improvements on your figure do you think is better than last year? Both physically and mentally, this prep has been a very smooth and a low stress process. I have such an optimistic and great feeling, as I enter to regain my title. I had a great off-season, which has allowed my body and mind to rest and recuperate. I prepared myself well to enter into my contest preparation with nothing less than 110% focus and attention to protecting my title as Ms. International. left: Gina, 2nd at Olympia 08

I have received many messages of support and inspiration from fans and fellow competitors, during the past few months. My friends, family and support team are very encouraging and for that I am thankful. Having so many positive people pushing me to be my best, allows me to strive for nothing less than excellence. I am excited and anxious to get back on the Arnold stage and I look forward to seeing everyone there. I started my prep 11 weeks out and I feel that I am right on target to peak for Arnold weekend. My plan is to bring a physique similar to last years Arnold. I will present a physique that is tighter than the Olympia but even more refined than last years Arnold. For the Olympia, I came in slightly more mainstreamed and not as hard. I plan to bring a package that is closer to my look at last years Arnold but still a bit streamlined. I have brought my delts up from the Olympia so they will be in more comparison with the fuller and rounder look I had last year. I won the Arnold with a certain look and I am not straying too far from that look.

How old were you when you got your pro card (was it around 20?). Is that quite young to be a Pro? How did you manage competing with more seasoned girls on the circuit at the time. I turned Pro at the 2005 USA's. I had just turned 21. I believe I was the youngest girl to turn pro in Figure. I never felt at a disadvantage because of my age but rather used my age to work for me. I knew that my body was only going to get better and better with time and experience so I truly never saw my age as anything less than an advantage! left: Gina, 1st Palm Beach Pro 07

You have risen through the Pro ranks quite quickly in the last 3 years, going from 6th place at Colorado pro in 06 to winning the Arnold in 08. What have you learned about your training and nutrition now you wished you knew when you first started in the NPC comps? I have learned so much over the past few years. My training and nutrition has changes with every show and off season. I have learned what works best for my body, both nutritionally and with my training. I have tweaked my physique to fit many different criteria's and found the one that works best for me. My training use to be more focused on gaining size in certain areas where as now I am in maintenance mode and just continuing to fine tune my physique. When I first started competing, my legs over powered my upper body so I had to work hard to bring down my legs and bring up my upper body. With heavy training on my upper body and little to no training on my lower half, I was able to accomplish this. Now my training is very different and I focus more on plyos and circuit training. I train more like an athlete and less like a bodybuilder. As far as nutrition goes, I have kept things pretty similar but have learned my body utilizes fats better than carbohydrates. I use to follow a higher carbohydrate and lower fat program and now focus more on fats and proteins and less on carbohydrates. It is really fun and exciting to continue to learn your body and be able to adjust your training and nutrition based on your goals. Do you set yourself a weight limit you won't go above in the off season? How do you maintain that weight. What is your contest weight? My contest weight is around 130 lbs (58kg). In the off season I usually am around 135 (61kg). That is where my body likes to be. I maintain this comfortable off season weight by sticking to healthy foods with a moderate cheat here and there. I also continue training on a regular basis with my cardio around 4-5 times a week. I follow a great balanced off season where I still stay on a program but allow myself to have fun and enjoy life. I have always eaten clean and worked out so it is not hard for me to shift from contest prep to a clean and healthy off season. I love my healthy foods!!

 
Olympia 08

How long is your pre contest phase? I usually to do a typical 12 week prep but I have also done a 14-16 week prep. This time around I started 11 weeks out. I have learned my body and know that I tend to come in sooner than later so the 10-12 week out diet seems to be what works best for me!

How do you know your pre-contest preparation is going to plan? By bodyfat or how you look? I go strictly off of how I look and feel. I know my body so well now that I can tell my looking in the mirror if I am on track or not. I typically compete around 5 ½% body fat but never get it checked on a regular basis. I know now how much water I carry from all my veggies I eat so I know the number on the scale is not accurate! If I went by the scale, I would go crazy. I have learned that staying off the scale and going by how I look and feel works best for me.

What is a typical day in your pre-contest training programme?
My off season program consists of 5 training days. I train each body part one time a week except shoulders and hamstrings twice. I train with moderate weight and a rep range from 12-20. I like to vary my workouts so some days I may train for reps and other days for weight. I keep my workouts to about 50 minutes, at the most, and go from exercise to exercise with very little rest. My workouts now are more circuit training than focused lifting.

My shoulder and hamstring workouts tend to stay on the heavier side and with more rest, since I have to work to maintain their size. I do cardio 4-5 times a week of 30-45 minutes.

A typical week may go like this: Mon: Shoulders, Upper chest, abs, cardio Tues: Back, Biceps, cardio Wed: off Thurs: Legs (glutes and hams), abs Fri: Shoulders, Tris, calves, cardio Sat: Hamstrings, glutes, abs, cardio Sun: Off. Cardio only left: Gina at Olympia 08

What is your typical pre contest diet? As far as my diet goes, I follow a strict off season diet consisting of 6-7 meals a day. When I get ready for a show, I am eating 7 meals a day so in the off season 6-7 is my goal. I eat 1-2 cheat meals a week. My cheat meals usually consist of sushi, red wine and a frozen yogurt. A typical day in my off season is something like this: Meal 1: egg whites, oatmeal, almonds Meal 2: egg whites, oatmeal, small apple (sometimes low fat cottage cheese) Meal 3: big salad, chicken, yam Meal 4: protein shake, rice cakes with peanut butter Meal 5:white fish, brown rice, veggies Meal 6: chicken breast, big salad and veggies Meal 7: protein shake or egg whites Supplements you live by during pre contest? I use all Biotest supplements and love them! I am a firm believer in BCAA's, Glutamine, EFAA's, ZMA, Carbolin 19, Metabolic Drive Lo Carb Protein Powder, and Carbolin 19. As I get closer to showtime, I use Hot Rox Extremem and an occasional Spike for extra energy. I also take a multi vitamin and extra Calcium, everyday!

How important is presentation in figure comps in the U.S.A? In NZ girls put effort into it but it seems the U.S girls are full on glammed up and blinged up. Just out of curiosity how much would you spend on competing at one show. Yes, there is no doubt this sport is not cheap! I ball park figure of what it costs per show would be around $3500 not including nutritionist, food, travel etc.... It all adds up, no doubt about that!
Have you seen pics of figure comps in NZ? We do compulsory poses like the physique women but you don't do these in figure. Instead you just do quarter turns and relaxed poses. Do you wish you could do poses too? No, I am happy we don't do poses. This distinguishes us from the female bodybuilders. We are figure competitors and not bodybuilders. We are there to show off our symmetry, lines, grace, elegance and poise and shouldn't need to pose to do so.
But is there an art to doing your quarter turns to present your best? Any tips for stage presence and being confident? Presentation takes practice, that is for sure!! I would recommend you seek advice and or one on one assistance to nail the foundation of quarter turns and then once you understand how to make your transitions, the rest is practice, practice and practice. The more stage time you have, the better you will be. The confidence and aurora begins in the mind so you can have your quarter turns down pat but if you are not confident in the body you are presenting, the confidence will not be there. I believe that the competition is over 75% how you present yourself on stage! People think quarter turns are easy but believe it or not they are harder than they look. Start working on your presentation several weeks out and throughout your prep! My Nutrition and Training DVD offers advice on posing and presentation for those seeking extra help.

	What's the biggest mistake athletes do in preparation for a comp do you think? Whether it be diet or training. I believe the biggest mistake athletes make is worrying about others while they are trying to prepare themselves. We should all be focused on ourselves and bringing our best package, rather than worried or focused on who is going to bring what to the stage. I really believe that we are in competition for our selves and against ourselves. The more we focus on others the less we put into ourselves. Preparation is as much mental as it is physical so you can't forget to mentally prepare yourself in order to be your ultimate best. Another piece of advice is to compete for you and no one else!!
What advice would you give to kiwi girls who would love to turn Pro? Stick with it and be patient! Girls are so determined to turn Pro NOW when the reality is that it is so competitive and there are so many girls that it is tough and may take time. You need to do your best, put yourself on stage as much as possible and let what happens happen. Whether you turn Pro or not, enjoy it and don't let earning a pro card determine your success! I want to thank my friends, family, & fans for their continued love and support!

Gina says Thank you to: SPONSOR-BIOTEST FITNESS MANAGER- J.M. MANION NUTRITIONIST- KIM ODDO SUIT DESIGNER- BRYON DAVID DESIGNS LOVING BOYFRIEND- MICHAEL SILVA THANK YOU!! GINA ALIOTTI WWW.GINAALIOTTI.COM WWW.GFITSPORTSWEAR.COM

Check out Gina's New Training and Nutrition Video preview @ www.ginaaliotti.net