20 Questions with Cover Model Eva Martin

1) Please introduce yourself? What makes you special? Who is Eva Martin?
I am 34, married to an amazing man and living in Augusta Ga. I am a physical therapist who believes in education and has worked hard to obtain my PhD in physical therapy. I enjoy the challenge of working with patients who have dysfunction of their musculoskeletal system and being able to help restore function and improving quality of life.

2) Please tell us a bit about your family, friends and surroundings?
I am married to the most amazing man and we love our cat Samson. I Consider myself extremely lucky and blessed to have the family that I have. I am one of four children and the second oldest.  I’ve always been encouraged to be in athletic activities all my life. My father was a family primary care physician who traveled the world on various missionary trips. His adventurous and spirited lifestyle has carried over into my passion for fitness.

3) How did you start competing in bikini?
I have always enjoyed working out doing cardio and lifting. My younger brother was a personal trainer who I would lift with and then a few years ago I  met my husband at the gym. While dating we met a competitor in the gym who told me I should consider competing. I was drawn to the little I knew about it,  and I became interested and he guided me into my first show. 

4) What is your personal policy (not what the judges want) about conditioning and muscularity when coming into a show? Soft or hard?
I am drawn to the athletic look and lean toward a hard and well conditioned physic. 

5)  What is your idea of what judges want in a Bikini competitor? Do you think judges are clear enough with competitors about how they want you on stage? It seems in Europe they are very clear unlike in the USA and now in Canada things are confusing.
 I have learned not to be so influenced by what I think the judges are looking for but to bring my best self and a conditioning I am proud of to the stage.. As a bikini competitor emphasis is placed on shoulders, glutes and a small waist.

6) For the next shows what do you think you need to work on physique-wise/conditioning-wise? If anything!
To have the allusion of a small waist I need to widen my lat’s, continue with waist training and come in with fuller rounder glutes.

7) What is your typical training routine in the gym (per day, include sets and reps!) How much cardio do you do before a show?
Typical training routine is cardio 5 days a week and working out 6 days a week. I have different muscle groups I focus on on different days. Lifting for 1 to 1.5 hours doing about 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps per exercise. I do fasting cardio from 30 mins initially and increasing to 45 mins.

8) What is your pre-contest diet? (per day, 1 week before the show)
My diet doesn’t change drastically the week before the show. Carbs go down some but adjustments are made week to week depending how I look in my check in pics. 

9) How do you go about dropping your water before the day of the show? How much water do you drink the day of the show. Please be specific.
I drink a gallon a day throughout prep and then only cut my water the night before the show. I'll have a small coffee in the morning and take small sips as needed before stage time. 

10) What motivates you to train/diet and compete? Are there any competitors you looked up to?
This is one of the more challenging aspects for me. I am Mexican and I LOVE cheese steak burritos. I also have a terrible sweet tooth (oreo cookies). So getting into the competition mindset of what it takes to be a champion requires discipline and self sacrifice that I have to truly be ready to commit to. I’ve tried macro dieting but do best on a meal plan with rules lol. Getting into fantastic shape and the rush of show day motivates me to compete. It also did a lot for me emotionally and with my self confidence. I have many competitors I look up to but to name a few it would be: Francesca Lauren, Ashley Kaltwasser and Angelica Teixeira. 

11) Please tell us an interesting experience you had at a show recently, be it a fun thing or something rather not so fun?
At Miami Nationals I had two incredible opportunities to do a photo shoot with Dan Ray and Hard fitness magazine. The experience with these two photographers is something I will always cherish. I did some athletic shots in handstands, splits and then some sexy poses and It’s crazy when you look at the photos afterwards and can’t even believe that that person is you! 

12) What is your personal opinion about the figure, fitness, bodybuilding industry we are in? Anything you would like to see changed? 
I think there is alot of subjectivity in the judging and wish there was a more objective criteria. 

13) What has been your hardest challenge to overcome either in your personal life or competing career?
My father’s unexpected passing definitely sent me down a very dark path for some time. Realizing the power in being angry to avoid sadness became a coping mechanism that proved to be extremely helpful but in the long run hurtful. I was very close to my dad. He was that father everyone wished they had. We shared a passion for bicycle riding and had many adventures including doing a 1,200 mile bicycle tour in Alaska in 6 days. Just within the year of 2020 have I finally started to ride my bike again. My dad passed in 2011 while I was away in graduate school for physical therapy. I almost dropped out of school b/c of the grief and how difficult it was to be away from family. My entire world was shaken. Felt like trying to recover after a Tsunami had destroyed everything that was normal and what you knew. I could write a book about how I changed as a person, the struggles and finally reaching a stable healthy normal. 

14) Did you make any changes to your contest prep for your last show? Water intake, carbing up, etc…
I made more changes in my training than my diet. What was changed was more targeted specific exercises to shape my glute’s, hamstrings and shoulders. I previously lifted very heavy taking pride in my strength like deadlifting 225# for 5 reps, bench pressing 145#’s for 3 reps. My coach guided me to more bikini style training to target what some call the “upper shelf” / gluteus medius. Focused abduction kicks, positional kicks with JUST 2.5 lbs which I couldn't believe how hard it was, and band work for example which I previously did not do much of previously.

15) What do you think of bikini division?
I think the bikini division has changed probably more than some of the other divisions as far as what is expected in a winning physic. There tends to be increasing emphasis on a super tiny waist, less visible defined muscle with the expectation to the glutes and shoulders. 

16) What are your favorite foods to eat right after you compete on a Saturday night?
Oh almost anything off my diet excites me. Fried chicken, pizza, or a hamburger are probably my immediate go to’s!

17) Please tell us about how you were raised and did you have any interesting experiences while growing up?
I was raised in a Christian home with two very loving and giving parents. We went to church religiously. One of my favorite memories is when I went with my dad on a medical mission trip to China when I was 16. I learned a little bit of Mandarin in order to pass out meds, we went to orphanages and taught them the value in brushing their teeth, providing them with supplies and knowledge. While there my dad and I  walked on the Great Wall of China and people there thought my dad and I were movie stars and asked us to take pictures with them. Being 16 it was very memorable. 

18) Do you have an athletic background? Gymnastics, soccer, volleyball or what?
I have an athletic background as a gymnast. I did gymnastics and soccer growing up. My dad was my soccer coach for many years, then I was on a travel soccer team. Eventually I only had time to travel with one team and choose to continue with gymnastics. This was my life for several years. Practices were 4 hours a day 5 days a week and traveled for competitions. I did this all through high school up until my senior year. My senior year was the first time I had time to do other sports and I did: track, volleyball and swim team. Then in college I was on the dance team. 

19) What is a typical day in the life of Eva Martin? From waking up to until going to bed?
When in prep my day begins between 5 and 5:30 am. I either do my fasting cardio in my garage on my bike or head to the gym to do the stair climber. I then go to work finishing up work around 5 pm, come home and on my fourth meal of the day. I eat and then head to the gym to lift with my coach. I then come home and have my two last meals, preparing to repeat this cycle for the next day. 

20) What is your current occupation? Please tell us more about it, what do you specifically do in your job?
I have my doctorate in physical therapy. I have worked in several different settings to include: Outpatient, short term rehab, SNIF, aquatic therapy, acute care and burns. My job is to evaluate, assess a patient's abilities and inabilities, and come up with a treatment plan to reach goals to improve their current level of function. From addressing musculoskeletal dysfunction of acute or chronic conditions, post surgical rehab and treating individuals with neurological disorders. I love what I do, I find great satisfaction in helping to improve a patient's quality of life. I also enjoy the challenge of working in various settings which keeps me committed to being a lifetime student and always learning. 

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