Sept. 19, 2012

Jennifer Martinez, better known as Jenn to her softball team mates will be setting up shop in Americus Georgia as she was recently hired on as the assistant Pitching coach for Georgia Southwestern State University. Coaching softball isn’t the only competition Jenn has a passion for…. Jenn recently began bodybuilding. While coaching and training in the gym, Jenn will be continuing her education working on her MBA.

Recently you competed in body building. What motivated you to get involved in this type of competition?

While I was playing softball overseas on my professional Italian team, I was emailing a good friend of mine that was into fitness competitions. Her and I grew up playing softball together and when I saw a photo of her from the show that she was training for at the time, I wanted to look like her! As soon as I came back to the states fromItaly, I was motivated to try and train for my first competition giving myself 14 weeks of preparation.

 
How long did it take you to train? What was your training regimen like?

To train for a fitness competition, I usually give myself about 14 weeks for my body to adjust to the strict diet and workouts. For this year’s preparation, I trained 18 weeks for competition for USA Nationals in South Carolina and then another 5 weeks for my most recent competition, a total of 24 weeks.

My daily regimen changes the closer I get to my show. The last 4 weeks of my training and diet are by far the hardest. I have to cut out my cheat meals, increase my cardio to double days, and drop out more carbs from my diet. I would normally wake up at 4:30 AM every day for cardio and go back to the gym later for lifting and more cardio. That’s not including my 6 meals a day that I have to eat!

Do you see yourself continuing to compete?

I absolutely see myself continuing to compete. I love the contest, preparations and everything that goes along with it. I love helping others in the gym when they have questions about fitness and nutrition. It’s a lifestyle for me now. Eating clean and healthy is something that I will forever continue to do.

How is this competition relate to your experience competing as an Arizona Softball Player?

Bodybuilding is, by far, the most physically and mentally draining sport. With softball, I had other players on my team to encourage and push me when I was feeling my weakest. With bodybuilding, all of the discipline, drive, and motivation to wake up, day in and day out, at 4:30 AM every day came within myself. Much of Coach Candrea’s philosophies about “enjoying the process” I applied to my preparations because its so true!

Thank you Jenn for all your hard work and dedication to Arizona…from the time you were a student athlete and forever on you will always be a wildcat…BEAR DOWN!!!