Issue #37

Contents

Editorial
by Juan Carlos Lopez

20 Questions with Cover Model and NPC Figure Michele Levesque

Video Interview with Cover Model and NPC Figure Michele Levesque

Jenny Lynn's 12 Week Challenge
by Jenny Lynn

Pictorials
Michele Levesque, Elena Seiple, Sandi Stuart, Kirsten Haratyk and Traci Redding

Sleep Yourself Slim
by Jean Jitomir

Video Interview with NPC Bodybuilder Kirsten Haratyk

Positives and Negatives in the World of Competition
by Danijela Crevar

Video Interview with NPC Bodybuilder Claire O'Connell

Christa Cuts: The Banging Body Beneath
by Jean Jitomir

Video Interview with NPC Figure Tatum Kaiser

Ask Misty
by Misty Green

 

20 Questions with Cover Model and NPC Figure Michele Levesque

Michele Levesque

1) Please introduce yourself? What makes you special? Who is Michele Levesque?

Michele is a sweet , funny, loving canadian french girl!! My french accent is what makes me special!!
I am a very simple girl. I like to laugh, and make fun of myself. I am total lunatic,a total myspace addict, a total passionate about fitness and this is why I am doing what I am doing today. I love to entertained, love being on stage. this is the reason why I wake up at 4 am every single morning! and I not even grumpy! haha

2) Please tell us a bit about your family, friends and surroundings?

I have an extremely supportive family. they been encouraging me since the very beginning of my fitness career. they see what I go through with the hard workouts, dieting, emotional breakdowns. I have not been out with my friends since a long time! I was kind of force to change my group of friends, have more friends that was involved in to fitness because I am always at the gym or talking about fitness.Its hard for the social life. You diet , you cant go out or in restaurants with your regular friends..... but it is a choice of life I have decided to make and I happy to live the way I live...

3) How did you start competing in figure?

It was a dream! since I was young. I was always obsessed by my body. I trained so much and so hard all my life in different sports, so it was a rewarding for me to enter a figure competition. a rewarding of all theses years of hard work. I won the overall at my first competition and that is why I decided to pursue my dream!

4) What is your personal policy (not what the judges want) about conditioning and muscularity when coming into a show? Soft or hard?

A mix of both. For me figure is all about having an athletic body and still be very feminine. Of course I don't want that soft bikini girl look. and I don't want either that bodybuilding type of body. I am very petite, so a lot of muscles doesn't look good on me! I think the best physique that a figure girl can have is a mix of both. keep her femininity, keep her curves , yet have a muscular , well defined body.

Michele Levesque

5) What is your idea of what judges want in a Figure 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.

It always depends on the competitions you attend. I think they always go for the overall look. Beautiful face, beautiful smile, stage presence. But they are not clear enough on the look they what in a competition

6) For the next shows what do you think you need to work on physique-wise/conditioning-wise? If anything!

I lost a bit of muscle mass. so I need to catch up on this! I have pretty much obtain what I wanted on my body. I balanced my upper body and lower body pretty much. so just need to stick to that and try to get closer and closer to perfection!

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?

I do about 45 min of cardio every day before a show. Has long has my training routine, I do drop sets before a show and interval training to boost my metabolism and burn maximum fat.

8) What is your pre-contest diet? (per day, 1 week before the show)

Deplete, deplete , deplete a week of 2 before a show. I also do a sodium load, drink tons of water. then do a fat load, sugar load.

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 stop my water 2 days before a show. day one I drop to 8 liters to 1 liters a day. and the next day I try not to drink at all.

Michele Levesque

10) What motivates you to train/diet and compete? Are there any competitors you look up to?

I have won almost all of my competitions. I compete mostly in Musclemania, Fame.... this year I am going for NPC, IFBB. that what motivate me to keep going on, focus, go through another though diet. I am very driving, motivated, believe in my goals am my self. I am becoming a fitness icon, I have fans everywhere! it helps me want to continue to compete because I love what I do !

11) Please tell us an interesting experience you had at a show recently, be it a fun thing or something rather not so fun?

The last show I did.... the overall was chosen by the public. it was on TV and people could actually vote for the best. like a reality show. and the girl had a HUGE audience. I had nobody! since I come from Canada, was competing in Miami. so the girl the overall. and when u look at the epics, hummmmm I should have won the overall!! and it was the weirdest judging I have seen

12) What is your personal opinion about the figure, fitness, bodybuilding industry we are in? Anything you would like to see changed?

Well, sometimes we see girls in fitness compete in figure and girls in bodybuilding becoming figure girls and vice versa I just think that you should stick to your category. I mean that is why judges are so confused some times. Sometimes a majority of athletes can be all bodybuilders on a figure line up. SO the judges go for the majority. SO we cant judge properly and have a real opinion on what is Figure.

13) How did your modeling skills evolve thru the years, for example are you more comfortable with smaller bikinis now than back then? Do you move better now, know your angles? etc...

OMG YES! I know much better to position my body , I know in which angle I look best, the look the smile...everything! But for that you need to practice!!!

14) You are one of the best models I have ever worked with, what are some tips you could give upcoming female models regarding how to handle photoshoots (be on time, make up, work ethic, understanding the project) in general how to be professional?

Well always know what to expect from a shoot. what u will have to be wearing so u have no surprises. there is not always makeup artist on set so be ready to do your own makeup and hair .Of course, being late on a shoot should never happen!!! Be professional. Be honest. if you don't feel comfortable doing something well don't do it. Communicate.

Michele Levesque

15) Coming from French Canada what are some things you grew up with that most western Canadians did not? Anything that translates to photoshoot style, competitions or training?

No not really. every photographers has there own way of doing things. even if its from Canada or US , they all have there own style. I just go with the flow...

16) If you would write a book of any subject what would you write about it? Please give us some examples of what a few chapters would be about?

Before I started competing. I had a really low self esteem about my self. I had zero confidence about me. COmpeting and be on stage help me boost my confidence! its funny because people calls me the queen of the stage! that`s were I belong!! I am proud of the woman I have become through this and I feel good inside and out about my body. SO I would write something about loving your body inside and out. You can have a perfect body but u cant reach perfection if you don't feel good inside. You have to learn to love your body even with his imperfections. That is what I learned to do and I want to share that with others.

17) You travel a lot during the year, on one of your last trips did you learn something new or special?

I have been traveling a lot! and another big year is coming for me!! I always learn something new to every shoot I do. Everything I so similar and so different at the same time! lol Every photographer has there own way of doing things and I happy to learn something new out if it each time.

18) Do you have an athletic background? Gymnastics, soccer, volleyball or what?

I have been a track and field runner for 12 years! compete at the national level. wanted to go to the Olympics. but a knee injury stopped me from running again... I did do all kind of sports when I was a kid, skiing, figure skating, mountain biking, snowboarding, I love every sport!

Michele Levesque

19) What is a typical day in the life of Michele Levesque? From waking up to until going to bed?

I wake up at 4 am. eat, prepare my lunch for the day. Leave to the gym. train from 6 to 730. after I go to work. until 3 pm. I go back to the gym, to meet my trainer, do cardio, take body fat, posing ... get back home at around 5 pm. get on the internet! respond to email, fans; make phone calls.... my evening is only for my fitness career. listened to music, never watch TV! go to bed at around 9pm.

20) What is your current occupation? Please tell us more about it, what do specifically do in your job?

I am a sport therapist and a manager. I treat people who had injuries. and I manage the spa were I work.

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