Connect with us!
Building Yourself
Laney Leonetti, a bikini competitor from Florida, is worried about being judged as she starts her first year of nursing school. Laney declined the on-campus meal program and won’t drink at the rush week festivities. Why would a woman, who is not overweight, train for hours in the gym by lifting weights and overhaul her diet? This is a common question as there is a lot of confusion about what the heck women’s bodybuilding is, and why women would do this sport. The sport of bodybuilding, especially for women, is in its infancy much like “jogging” was in the 70s. Just a few decades ago neighbours would think you were weird if you laced up your runners and headed out for a jog. Now with the benefits of cardio vascular exercise being widely known, nearly 20 million women now head out for a jog each year (1).
"Food is not the enemy. You gotta eat clean, and include protein, complex carbs & healthy fats in your diet"
Learning about Healthy Eating
Laney trained for her first bodybuilding competition last year on a mission to learn how to eat healthy and change food from being the enemy to the fuel for her body and life. She researched for hours, online and in print, learning about the health benefits of eating clean and including proteins, complex carbs and healthy fats in your diet. She’s committed to this nutrition as a lifestyle change making this her new “normal”. Laney now shares what she’s learned on nutrition and exercise on YouTube to help others get started in this sport (my favourite is her demonstration of a glute kickback on smith machine) http://www.youtube.com/LaneyLeonetti93
Learning about Mental & Physical Strength
Laney learned this sport will also push the edge of both your physical and mental strength. Working as a certified nursing assistant, regular shift work challenged her commitment to her goals. In particular, three straight night shifts were the biggest challenge, but by being well prepared with her healthy food and hitting up the gym before her shift proved to Laney that, other than God, she was the maker of her own destiny.
NSGA. National Sporting Goods Association. (1) = NSGA Sports Participation in 2011, Series I, II, State-by-State. To obtain information on any of the NSGA products and services, email: info@nsga.org, phone (847) 296-6742 or go to www.nsga.org.
Laney Shows Us How It's Done: Glute Kickback on Smith Machine