Jamie Collins
IFBB BIKINI PRO
Posted: 7/28/15
After watching one show, Jamie Collins knew that she wanted to be the one walking away the Overall Winner in Bikini. Well.. that is what she did! After getting through her first show, she set her sights on standing in the Winner's Circle with her arm raised. She will tell you, it was not easy and she knew it was gonna take serious work and persistence. Now, Jamie is a threat at the National level making the top 5 at a very tough and competitive NPC USA Championship show in Las Vegas! Be sure to follow her via social media and her journey to earning an IFBB Pro Card!
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1. When and why did you decide to start competing?
When I first started I was very tiny and honestly just wanted to put on some size and that was it. It wasn’t until after two years of lifting weights that I went to my first body building show just for fun and saw the bikini division which changed my life forever. I told myself at that moment that I would train harder than I ever had before and next year I would compete at that show and take home overall in the bikini division. A year later in 2012 I took home the overall bikini title and the rest is history.
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2. What makes you want to go farther in the sport?
The love and support from everyone is what keeps me going in this sport and to continuously improve upon myself. I also love this sport because the majority of the outcome of your placing really depends on the work you did years, months and days prior to ever stepping up on the stage. I love the challenge of this sport as well and knowing with each show that you can take something away from it and be able to come back better than the last time. At this moment in time I’m hunting down that elusive IFBB Pro card and will continue to give it all I got until I succeed in becoming an IFBB PRO.
3. What type of training do you implement during contest prep and the in the off-season?
My off season consists a lot of heavy lifting with the majority of the focus on my lower half and trying to build more muscle mass/size. I don’t lift as heavy for upper body, but focus on maintaining a toned look for my upper body. I also don’t do any cardio in my off season, but I do implement cardio during show prep to bring in a tight physique. My contest prep is fairly close to my off season training however I don’t lift as heavy, but focus more on trying to maintain as much size as possibly while dieting. The main difference is the intensity and the frequency between workouts.
4. What is your favorite type of dieting meals and what is your favorite type of cheat meal?
As far as diet foods I eat pretty clean year round with the occasional cheat meal here and there. For my body type I do implement more beef and mass gainer protein shakes in my off season as it’s difficult for me to put on and keep size. As for cheat meals and food I crave my favorites would have to be pizza and ice cream
5. Who are some of the people that have helped you along the way to get where you are now in life or in the sport?
First and foremost I owe a huge thank you to my old trainer and prep coach Travis Young IFBB Pro. He was there from the beginning and taught me how to properly lift weights, how to train and eat for my body type, as well as how to do a show prep. He gave me a great foundation to build upon and I will forever be grateful for that. Secondly my posing coach Andre “Bam Bam” Scott, he has been my posing coach since day one and he has his work cut out as this is one of my weak points. I look forward to many more posing sessions with him to continue to work on my stage presence and posing. I also need to thank my suit sponsor Bikini Bella who is owned by Marina Clancy and Francesca Lauren IFBB Pro. I’m incredibly honored to represent such a great brand who have given me so much more than a one of a kind suit, but who have also become a second family to me. I would also like to thank War Hammer clothing, they’re not just a great clothing brand but exceptional individuals who I feel very lucky to have come to know. Lastly my family and friends who I owe a tremendous thank you to. Many of you have been there since day one when I decided to pick up my first dumbbell and haven’t stopped cheering my on since then.
6. Who or what inspires you to strive for more in the sport?
For me it would be a combination of my competitive side never wanting to give less than 100% of myself and the other side of being better than the person in the mirror who long ago would have never dared or dreamed of stepping out of my comfort zone. It’s also very humbling when people come up to me and tell me that I inspired them or they look up to me. I feel like I have been in the sport for such a very short time and to be able to help other competitors or to inspire people to do something that I too once I thought I could never do is truly the best compliment I could ever receive.
7. What is next for you as a competitor?
My next show won’t be until next year as I have a few areas that I would like to improve upon before competing again. More than likely my next show will be spring/summer time so keep an eye out for me
8. What is your favorite memory good or bad while prepping or competing?
I would have to say my first show was good and bad for so many reasons. I almost fell down at my first show when I slipped on some glaze that was on the stage floor, but thankfully I was able to recover. It was also my first show prep diet which I thought I was starving the whole time and it felt like an eternity until I could eat “normal” again. I also placed 3rd at my first show and at that moment I was doubting why I had ever decided to compete. Looking back now I appreciate all the trials I went through as I had finished my first show and I realized I was mentally stronger than what I thought I was and if I could do it once I could do it again. Also by placing 3rd it lit a fire under me to always come to each show looking better than I had at the prior show. As for almost falling down on that stage I learned that we all make mistakes in life, but it’s how we recover and continue on is what defines us as long as we don’t give up
9. Any website you would like to plug, Facebook, Twitter, personal site, etc...
You can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
10. Anything you would like to say to all the visitors to NPC Oregon?
Whether you deciding to compete for the first time or to just get in better shape do it. I think Will Smith said it best “Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. You got a dream, you got to protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they are going to tell you that you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.” I never thought 6 years ago when I first walked into a gym I would be where I am right now, I’m thankful for the amazing friends who I have made and the incredible memories I will always cherish. Also thank you to the promoters who put on amazing shows who make it possible for us to get up on stage and for the fans who come to the shows to support everyone. Without you guys there would be no bodybuilding shows and I as well as every other bodybuilder out there would not be where we are today.