Alicia McBride Interview

Alicia McBride is just days out of her first ever show. Judging by the pictures, Alicia is going to do amazing. Having always been athletic, the gym and then competing seems to be a natural progression for her. How she finds the time to look so amazing, considering she has a demanding job and is working towards her Bachelor's degree, is incredible. I think if Alicia makes it a habit to keep competing, at a young age, she has plenty of time to fulfill a great deal of potential.


Q: First, Alicia, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this.

Q: Can you start out by telling a little about yourself.
A: I am 23 years old and am originally from Nelson, Wi, it is a very small town in northern Wisconsin located on the Mississippi river. I grew up with both parents, Eugene and Carol Hanson, and four brothers and one sister. I joined the Navy and left home at 18 years old, and served four years as a military police officer. I went to boot camp in Great Lakes, Il, “A” school in San Antonio, TX, then was stationed in Norfolk, VA, and was a prison guard in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I met my husband in the Navy, Greg McBride, and have been married for almost two years. I am currently out of the military and working as a Correctional Officer in a prison, and working on my Bachelors in Criminal Justice from Columbia College.

Q: Before the gym were you an especially athletic person? Play any sports or anything?
A: I have always been athletic, in HS I played some volleyball, basketball, track, and weight lifted with my cousin Jamey. Also continued to run in races after high school, ranging from multiple 5K’s, 10k’s, obstacle runs, few half-marathons, and two full marathons.

Q: What initially led you into the gym?
A: I started lifting in HS with my cousin, and then got more serious about it when I did a tour overseas in the military in Guantanamo.

Q: Was training something you picked up fairly easy? How long before you started to see results?
A: I picked it up fairly easy, when I really got serious about it I started seeing results within a couple weeks.


Q: You recently decided to compete. What led to the decision?
A: I am a goal setter, always looking for a new challenge, people at the gym would come up to me and ask me if I was trying to compete. So then I started to do research on it and decided I would give it a try.

Q: Is competing something your family and friends support?
A: Yes they are all very supportive.

Q: What show do you plan on doing?
A: I am competing in the Fords gym figure competition on April 16th in Madison and the NGA Heart of America Natural Classic on May 7th in Washington, IL.

Q: Any expectations for the first show?
A: Don’t really know what to expect, I think I will do well for my first competition.

Q: As far as body parts, what do you feel is your best one?
A: Lats

Q: Do you have a part you most like to train?
A: Arms and shoulders

Q: What is your normal training routine and diet like and how are you altering it for contest prep?
A: This is my first competition so haven’t done a strict off season diet, but I have always ate pretty clean. This is what I am doing five to 2weeks out: High intensity cardio 45 min per day - every day, and right now I’m circuit training as far as lifting goes four days a week. The diet right now 5 weeks out is; meal 1: 5 Egg whites, 1 yoke, 1 piece Ezekiel bread; meal 2: 4 oz chicken and Ezekiel bread (lift days I’ll do protein shake instead of chicken), meal 3: 4 oz tilapia and broccoli; meal 4: 4 oz chicken or tilapia, and green salad; bedtime-casein protein shake and 6-8 almonds.


Q: When someone sees your physique for the first time, what is the most common reaction? More positive or negative?
A: More positive

Q: When they see it that first time, what is the one question or comment you are most sick of hearing?
A: "Enjoy it now because when you have kids it will all be gone and you’re going to look like me."

Q: What is the biggest misconception about women who train and compete or the one thing you wish people understood?
A: That a female isn’t going to get as huge as a guy just by lifting weights

Q: What is the best and worst part of training for you?
A: Best part is I’m young and metabolism is high so don’t have to do as much cardio as a lot of women have to do before competition. Worst part is the diet, watching my husband cook and eat pizza in front of me.

Q: Do you have any favorite competitors or any you admire?
A: Ava Cowen, and Jamie Easton

Q: Do you have a favorite cheat food?
A: Chipotle’s Burritos

Q: If another woman told you she wanted to start training, what is the one piece of advice you would most want to give her?
A: Get into the habit and stick with it, once you start seeing results you will be hooked and read articles online and get as much information as you can.

Q: Do you think it is becoming more common to see women working in the gym with the weights and not just doing cardio and things?
A: I think so, I think the old mentality was that women shouldn’t have muscle but I think that’s changing.

Q: Outside of training, any other hobbies or activities you enjoy?
A: Reading, camping, traveling, spending time with family, and playing video games with my nerdy husband.

Q: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Alicia McBride.
A: Wake at 8 am and eat breakfast, head to the gym by 8:30 to get my lifting and cardio in, 10:30-drink a protein shake and grab a cup of coffee, 11:00 work on some college homework (online classes), check my email and facebook, 12:00-cook my food that I need for the rest of the day and pack lunch for work, 1:00-start getting ready for work at the prison, 1:30-eat some food, 1:45 out the door for work, work until 10:30 p.m, 11:00- check my email, work on some homework, and prepare breakfast and set out morning workout clothes for next day. 11:30-get ready for bed after drinking a caesin protein shake.

Q: Describe Alicia McBride in five words.
A: Motivated, Aggressive, Competitive, Funny, and Nerdy


Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: I'm a tom boy and before this competition I have never worn makeup, heels, or a bikini.

Q: Besides the first show, any set plans for the near future as far as competing or anything else.?
A: I want to participate in a competition at least once a year.

Q: Alicia, again, I thank you for taking the time to do this. Any last words before you go?
A: I thank my trainer Sandy Wiedmeyer for helping me out with training, posing, and with everything else that goes into preparing for a competition.