Spotlight On NPC Women's Physique Competitor: Donna McGinn
Category you compe
te in: Women’s Physique
Date of birth: Nov, 1963
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA. Currant: Baltimore,MD
Career: Licensed Massage Therapist
Competition history:
2013 NPC Baltimore Gladiator Championships
Women’s Physique Division, class B, 2nd place
2013 NPC Max Muscle Classic
Women’s Physique Division, 5th place
2013 NPC Teen, Coligate and Master's Nationals
Women’s Physique Division, 45+ class B, 3rd place
2013 IFBB North American Championships
Women’s Physique Division, 45+ class C, 3rd place
Next competition:
2014 NPC Teen, Coligate and Master's Nationals
Women’s Physique Division
How has your life changed since you adopted this lifestyle and started competing?
Lots! I’m always on the go. Usually to and from the gym and between jobs. I was also starting up my massage business at the same time so when I finally got home it wasn’t for very long. (I was working for 3 different employers for a while and had my own clients too.)
The way I ate was changed. Never ate so much in my life and so much protein. But it’s all so lean that the fat just melted off of me and the muscle kept building. Plus I now carry all my meals and water with me for the day so I’m never caught off guard like I had been a few times in the beginning. When that happens you tend to grab something that’s way off your diet and I always regret it later.
Lifting was more intense under my trainer and I was able to lift heavier then I had ever dreamed I’d be able to. It’s scary at first but when it’s accomplished you feel so proud and can’t wait to break that next record against yourself.
I made a lot of new friends that also believe in working out and taking care of their bodies, though not all compete. It doesn’t matter to me. I admire them for what they have accomplished.
Since I’m pretty busy I don’t get to be with my teenagers as much as I used to, so I try to spend quality time with them when I do have the time. I’m lucky they are older and can take care of themselves. I can’t imagine doing this with very young children. I am also grateful that I do get along with my ex and he is there for them when I can’t be. Balancing family, a new business and getting ready for competition is very challenging physically, but even more so mentally. You’re always worried you’re not doi
ng enough in one department or another. Thankfully it’s off season for a while and I can chill out and regroup. I have more time to do things with the people I love and still kill it at the gym. I just don’t have those long hours on the stepmill anymore and dropped a few employers so I can focus more on the other things.
Oh, and one fun thing. People stop me almost every time I go out and ask me about body building and how to train this or that. They want to poke my muscles all the time too. What’s up with that? lol! Last time I went to the supermarket I actually put on a big jacket to cover up my body to see if I could get in and out of there a little faster. (It was pretty hot outside too) It worked! Lol!
What have you found to be the best way to balance family, friends, career, this lifestyle, etc…
I don’t know if there is a best way. I’m just trying to do the best I can. Since training and competing take a lot of effort and determination to do well, I make sure I treat that like a job. I keep my appointments with my trainer and posing clinics, I never miss a one. I make sure I get my cardio done right after my workouts so I don’t have it hanging over my head the rest of the day. Get it done.
Since my job is fairly flexible I work around my training. I’ve been lucky that way.
I’m also lucky that my children are older and are pretty self-sufficient. Though I try to spend quality time with them when I’m not at the gym or working. I always invite them to join me at the gym. Sometimes they go, but most of the time they decline. Lol! My youngest is the one that actually has fun trying out the equipment so I show her how to use them the right way. Any time I have left over I try to see my friends. It’s been very hard and a few have disappeared but I try. What can I say? We have very different lives now. I will always try to be there for them when they need me.
If you could change places with one competitor for the day who would it be and why?
I don’t really want to change places with anyone, but if I have to choose, it might be…
IFFB PRO - Mamdouh "Big Ramy" Elssbiay! I want to see what it feels like to have shoulders that huge! Bet he gets the weirdest stares when he goes to the store. I’m guessing people would be too scared to poke his muscles too. Lol!
Name two of the most inspirational people in your life and tell why they inspire you.
Only 2? Ok, my trainer, David Johnston. He is one hard working man. Extremely smart, very opinionated and stubborn, but very fair, honest to a fault and walks the walk…not just talks about it. He is a competitor as well. He is very good with words and can inspire anyone. He can also tear you down just as easily. He has a great eye for competing and can see what you need to improve, for where you want to go, with just a glance and how to go about doing it. Someone should make a movie about him. He is quite the character.
The second person is Nikki Johnston, his wife,…for putting up with him. Lol! She’s a saint!
Seriously, they are good people that go above and beyond to help people that want to compete. They do it all for you. Kind of like one stop shopping. Training, nutrition, posing, picking out a suit, tanning…, they are there at every competition cheering you on. I don’t know if I could have found that anywhere else.
Tell one recipe or supplement you can’t live without.
My protein powder. Isopure. My diet is pretty basic, chicken and rice, so this is the only supplement I take on a daily basis.
Tell about a typical training day for you. What exercises, how many sets/reps…etc…
I train with David 3 times a week (Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday). Monday, Wednesday and Saturday I workout by myself and I usually take Friday off because I work one job in the morning and one in the evening.
Sundays I train chest and arms. Tuesday I work delts and back. Thursday is leg day. Monday and Wednesday I usually devote to abs, and sometimes I’ll hit another body part if I have the time and energy. I do cardio every day except Friday (unless it’s close to a competition, in which case I do cardio 7 days a week).
I prefer to do my cardio after I lift to ensure that I have plenty of energy for the heavy weight training. Cardio is usually done on either the step mill or the treadmill, utilizing a mixture of steady state and sometimes HIIT, depending on how the weight is dropping before a competition. I used to despise the stepmill, but now I use it all the time. I figure it gives me that added workout on my lower body.
We do a lot of Pyramid training. For those that don’t fully understand, like I didn’t at first, Pyramid training is a method of strength training in which you start with a lighter weight for a higher number of repetitions. For each set you increase the weight and decrease the repetitions. It can also be done in reverse order.
When starting light you give your muscles and joints a chance to warm up, getting your body ready for heavier weights. By increasing the weight, you can effectively overload the muscles.
This is my usual Sunday:
Posing clinic at 7:30 am-9am. Training with David 9am. Cardio right after.
Chest and arms:
Incline bench press on smith machine- 5 sets. Pyriamid up in weight-10, 10, 10, 6-8, 15.
Flat bench flys- 3 x 15,12,10 slight increase in weight.
Machine chest press - - 5 sets. Pyriamid up in weight 10, 10, 10, 6-8, 15.
Triceps: Super set with biceps: Super setting can be done with either antagonist muscles or the same muscle group. We use both. Here we use the antagonist muscles. Training both one after another so there is no drop in strength.
Triceps:
Body weight dip
s- 3 sets to failure.
Skull crushers- 3x 15,10,10.
Triceps push down-3x20
Biceps:
Alternating Dumbbell Curls-3x20
Machine preacher curls-3x15
Standing barbell curl-3x 12,10,8.
Cardio- non competition days, 30 min HIIT or steady state.
In closing, Who would you like to give a shout out to?
My family for putting up with listening to me talk about body building all the time, David Johnston, my trainer and his wife, Nikki, The Colosseum Gym in Columbia, MD. And all my peeps in there working out along with me.
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