Wendy Reeser-Moore Interview

Wendy Reeser-Moore recently did her first show, competing and doing well in both open and Masters. She is currently deciding which show to do next. You can tell reading this interview she has become enthralled with the fitness industry and wants to make a mark. She has the right attitude to do just that.





Q: First, Wendy, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this.
A: Thank you for asking me. I'm very excited to be able to share my first
experience with you since I just completed my first figure show on May 7th
in Richmond Virginia.

Q: Can you start out by telling a little about yourself.
A: Sure. My name is Wendy Reeser-Moore. I am 40 years old and from Wernersville PA. I work out at Colonial Hills Fitness Center in Sinking Spring PA. I've been married for a little over 10 years. For the past 5 years, I've been managing the recruitment function for a local telecommunications company.

Q: Before the gym were you an especially athletic person? Play any sports
or anything?
A: Its funny you ask. Not really, other than playing field
hockey in high school I was not into the sports scene. About 2yrs ago, I
became very passionate about running and really fell in love with the
sport. I completed 2 half marathons along with a few 5 and 10K's.

Q: What initially led you into the gym?
A: The overall concern for my own health and well being.. I weighed 136 lbs on my petite 5 ft1 frame. Knowing that obesity runs on both sides of my family, I needed to focus and get into a healthier lifestyle. I came across Tosca Reno's Clean Eating
books and have not turned back since. I have been a loyal subscriber to
both M&F Hers, Oxygen and got some really great training ideas. I focused
on getting into the gym and eating a much cleaner diet.

Q: Was training something you picked up fairly easy? How long before you
started to see results?
A: Yes, once I set my mind to something, there was no
turning back. I saw immediate and amazing results. The training in
combination with clean eating really helped me fine tune my body.

Q: What made you decide to compete for the first time?
A: As I mentioned previously, I am an avid runner and ran a few half marathons last fall. I became injured the latter part of 2010 with 2 stress fractures. This really
messed with my psyche since I am one to work off of goals. One of the
trainers at the gym approached me after the New Year and thought I should
try a figure competition. Not having any knowledge of the sport other than
attending one of her figure shows, I waited a few weeks to make a decision.
With my husbands support and the fact that I love a good challenge, I
decided to give it a shot. My training began in February in preparation for
a May 7th show.


Q: Is competing something your family and friends supported?
A: My husband is my #1 one supporter. My family is not too familiar with the sport of
competing. Their immediate thoughts took them to bodybuilding. They have a
better understanding now and fully support my goals.

Q: Was competing what you expected or did anything surprise you about it?
A: It really was. I loved my training program and watching my body transform
through the process. I am very competitive by nature. This experience
exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed the suit fittings, the heels, and
getting all "glammed" up with hair,makeup and the tan. The ladies I met
behind stage were very nice, which surprised me since you hear about the
occasional "cattiness" that can occur. I'm very anxious to do another show
soon.

Q: Can you share your contest history?
A: Sure. I just competed in my very first figure novice competition this past May 7th the OCB Atlantic Supershow in Richmond Virginia. I entered into both the Figure Novice and Masters 35+ Divisions. I placed 5th in the Figure Novice Short class and
6th in the Masters 35+. I'm researching what show I would like to compete
in next since the competitor in me has already raised the bar and wants to
place in the top 3.

Q: As far as body parts, what do you feel is your best one?
A: I feel that my back is one of my best body parts. I'm working now to revise my workouts so I can add some size for upcoming contests.

Q: Do you have a part you most like to train?
A: I love to train legs but honestly I enjoy every aspect of training. Its hard for
me to nail down just one area that I enjoy most. I look forward to my daily workouts regardless of what body part I am to work on.

Q: What is your normal training routine and diet like and how do you alter
it for contest prep?
A: My current training consists of legs and calves twice
per week. On other days, I work back and biceps, chest and triceps and
shoulders and abs. I do a maximum of 3-4 days of cardio for no more than 30
minute sessions. I try to mix it up between some spinning, incline hill
walking and occasional running. If I do more cardio than that I lean out
too quickly. I'm a clean eater year round. I eat quite a bit of fish
(tilapia, cod, salmon and ahi tuna), chicken, venison and turkey. I'm not a
big fan of meat but will occasionally have some bison. Vegetables are a
daily staple for me. I could not live without my spaghetti squash,
broccoli, cauliflower, you name it. I am a huge Greek Yogurt fan too! For
contest prep, my diet was a bit of a challenge. Since I was going into
contest preparation already very lean, we needed to build more muscle onto
my frame. My trainer had to make a few revisions to my diet along the way,
adding more calories at times since I am a hard gainer. The challenge was
getting the scale to go up – meaning muscle gains. My diet did not change
a whole lot since I was already eating very clean.

Q: When someone sees your physique or hears you compete for the first
time, what is the most common reaction? More positive or negative?
A: For the most part, pretty positive. Most people are very interested in hearing more about the sport and what it takes to compete. They want to know what the
diet and workouts are like. What most people do not realize is the amount
of discipline and the hours of prep work that go into eating this way.


Q: When they see it that first time, what is the one question or comment
you are most sick of hearing?
A: "Do you eat, you are very thin?" When I tell people what my caloric intake is they are typically floored. You have to grow those muscles!

Q: What is the biggest misconception about women who train and compete or
the one thing you wish people understood?
A: That you will get big and bulky lifting weights. So many women just focus on cardio and not enough time in the weight room.

Q: What is the best and worst part of training for you?
A: The best part is the training. I look forward to my early morning workouts and the challenge of my workouts. The contest dieting was a little rough especially closer to the show date. I really learned a lot about my body and how often I
needed to eat and what worked and did not work for me. Sometimes there is
not enough time in the day to complete the food prep , house work plus
work a full time job. Thankfully I'm very good at multi-tasking!

Q: Do you have any favorite competitors or any you admire?
A: One of my first fitness icons was Monica Brant. There are so many. A few that come
to mind are Nicole Wilkinson, Ava Cowan, and Jamie Eason. All are wonderful role models for the industry.

Q: Do you have a favorite cheat food?
A: Well, I really do not cheat to be honest. I eat so clean year round and have come up with so many great recipes, I do not feel the need to alter my diet. After my Figure Comp, I did splurge with some coconut risotto- so I guess that counts!

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: Do not be intimidated by the "iron". Most women think they need to do hours of cardio to lose weight. It is the exact opposite- weights are the way to keep the
metabolism stoked. Also, I would encourage them to work with a trainer
until they are comfortable venturing out on their own in the gym. Also,
transformations do not occur overnight. It takes lots of dedication and
time to see results.

Q: Do you think its becoming more common for women to use the weights as
opposed to just doing cardio and things?
A: Yes, but I still see women at my gym either sticking with cardio or the Cybex machines as opposed to picking up actual weights or doing something free form. On any given day, the weight room is usually dominated by more men than women. I hope to see that change!

Q: Outside of training, any other hobbies or activities you enjoy?
A: I love to cook and share my knowledge of clean eating with my friends and family.
I collect healthy cookbooks. I get most of my recipe inspiration from the
Clean Eating cookbooks and a page on Face book called "Recipes for Gals in
Figure and Bodybuilding". My husband and I travel quite often to the
Finger Lakes area in NY and also have done some wine touring in the Oregon
area. We began collecting wine a few years ago and it became quite a hobby
for us. I know your thinking how does this fit into a clean eating plan!
Everything in moderation!

Q: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Wendy Reeser-Moore.
A: I am an earlier riser and wake up around 3:45 during the weekdays and usually 6
on weekends. I start my day at the gym working out anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2
hours. I enjoy a healthy breakfast when I return home and then head into
the office for my job. When I get home in the evening, it usually consists
of making dinner and prepping my lunch and snacks for work the next day.

Q: Describe Wendy Reeser-Moore in five words.
A: Disciplined, Dedicated, Hardworking, Caring and Outgoing.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: I'm very interested in starting my own business in some aspect of the fitness
industry later this year or early next year. I just have to find the right
niche and opportunity.

Q: Any set plans for the near future as far as competing or anything else?
A: I plan to do another show in the next few months. I also have the Philly
ING Rock n Roll half marathon in September that I will be running.

Q: Anything you want to take this opportunity to plug or promote?
A: I would like to thank my trainer Bren Norris O'Neill. She was a wonderful coach
and mentor to me through this whole process!


Q: Are you looking for sponsors? If so how can they reach you and what are
they getting in Wendy Reeser-Moore the athlete and competitor?
A: Absolutely! I'm looking to slowly venture into the fitness industry. I love helping people make meal plans , tweaking and revising recipes to make them
cleaner. I would love to work for one of the nutrition companies to help
promote their products and inspire others to reach their fitness goals. I
am a huge fan of Muscle Gauge Nutrition, Isolyze and Isopure Natures Best.
I can best be reached through Face Book- just friend me! As far as what
they are getting as a competitor and athlete, someone who will give 110%
and is focused, dedicated and has a true passion for the industry.
Honestly, I need help breaking into this industry since I have always been
in more of traditional 9-5 management position throughout my career. I'm
very hungry to learn more.

Q: Wendy, again, I thank you for taking the time to do this. Any last
words before you go?
A: Don't take a backseat to your own life- get out there and live your dreams!