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Bikinis After Babies is the one and only podcast where real moms talk about their bodybuilding contest experiences. We are sharing the inside scoop, the nitty-gritty, the hardships and the victories as we navigate the rigors of competition prep while juggling family and careers. We’ll be joined by IFBB bikini pros who share their incredible stories of managing many responsibilities as athletes while defying stereotypes as women who compete in bikinis after babies!
Whether you’re a new mom thinking about stepping on stage for the first time, or a mom looking for inspo and insight on how to manage contest prep as a busy mom, this podcast offers helpful tips and inspiring stories for moms with big goals!!
Make sure to rate, subscribe, and leave us reviews on how much this podcast has helped you!
About Momshell Method Fitness:
Ready to embark on your fitness journey? We would love to help you reach any fitness goal from losing the baby weight to crushing your competition goals!
Follow this link to schedule a discovery call with one of our team members and learn how Momshell Method Fitness can provide you with the tools you need to be successful with customized nutrition and training plans for busy moms → http://bit.ly/loseweightgetsexy
Contact your hosts:
Mandy Rochon
Facebook: Mandy Rochon
Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
Facebook: Gillian Hughes
Mandy’s Posing Sessions
1:1 In Person (KC Posing Studio) → https://bit.ly/inpersonposingwithmandy
1:1 Virtual Posing → https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithmandy
Posing with Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
1:1 In Person (St Louis Posing Studio) → https://bit.ly/stlposingwithgillianifbbpro
1:1 Virtual Posing → https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithgillianifbbpro
Nuethyx Formulations Supplements →
(Use code “Momshell” to save 10% off your order)
Toxic Angelz Bikinis → https://toxicangelzbikinis.com
(Use code “GILLIAN” or code “MANDY” to save 15% off your order)
MISAJO Sports —> https://shopsiham.com/collections/workout
(Use code “GILLIAN10” to save 10% off your order)
Squeeze Me Skinny Waist Trainers → https://www.squeezmeskinny.com
(Use code “MOMSHELL” to save 10% off your order)
The Shoe Fairy competition heels → https://www.shoefairyofficial.com
(Use code “momshell” to save 15% off your order)
Labwork and Personalized Recommendations: Practitioner Depot: https://bit.ly/practitionerdepotxmomshell (Use code “momshell” to save 5% off your order)
Our Amazon storefront- fitness outfits, more supplements, beauty items and competition needs → https://amzn.to/46GL1nd
Creators and Guests
Host
What is Bikinis After Babies?
Bikinis After Babies is the one and only podcast where real moms talk about their bodybuilding contest experiences. We are sharing the inside scoop, the nitty-gritty, the hardships and the victories as we navigate the rigors of competition prep while juggling family and careers. We’ll be joined by IFBB bikini pros who share their incredible stories of managing many responsibilities as athletes while defying stereotypes as women who compete in bikinis after babies!
Whether you’re a new mom thinking about stepping on stage for the first time, or a mom looking for inspo and insight on how to manage contest prep as a busy mom, this podcast offers helpful tips and inspiring stories for moms with big goals!! Make sure to rate, subscribe, and leave us a review to let us know how much this podcast has helped you 💕
About Momshell Method Fitness:
Ready to embark on your fitness journey? We would love to help you reach any fitness goal from losing the baby weight to crushing your competition goals!
Follow this link to schedule a discovery call with one of our team members and learn how Momshell Method Fitness can provide you with the tools you need to be successful with customized nutrition and training plans for busy moms → http://bit.ly/loseweightgetsexy
Mandys Posing Sessions
1:1 In Person (KC Posing Studio) → https://bit.ly/inpersonposingwithmandy
1:1 Virtual Posing → https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithmandy
Posing with Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
1:1 In Person (St Louis Posing Studio) → https://bit.ly/stlposingwithgillianifbbpro
1:1 Virtual Posing → https://bit.ly/virtualposingwithgillianifbbpro
Contact your hosts:
Mandy Rochon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandyrochonfitness/
Facebook: Mandy Rochon
Gillian Hughes, IFBB Bikini Pro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gillianhughes_momshell/
Facebook: Gillian Hughes
Momshell Method Fitness Supplements → https://www.momshell-method-fitness.myshopify.com
(Use code “BAB” to save 15% off your order)
Toxic Angelz Bikinis → https://toxicangelzbikinis.com
(Use code “GILLIAN” or code “MANDY” to save 15% off your order)
Squeeze Me Skinny Waist Trainers → https://www.squeezmeskinny.com
(Use code “MOMSHELL” to save 10% off your order)
The Shoe Fairy competition heels → https://www.shoefairyofficial.com
(Use code “momshell” to save 15% off your order)
Labwork and Personalized Recommendations: Practitioner Depot: https://bit.ly/practitionerdepotxmomshell (Use code “momshell” to save 5% off your order)
Our Amazon storefront- fitness outfits, more supplements, beauty items and competition needs → https://amzn.to/3zySJ4C
Mandy Rochon (00:00.918)
Hey everyone and welcome to our podcast, Bikinis After Babies. This is our very first episode and we are so excited to be able to bring this to you today. This has been in the making now for a little over a month and I will be one of your hosts, Mandy or Rochon here with the other fabulous host.
Gillian (00:19.649)
Hello everyone, my name is Gillian Hughes and Mandy and I are very excited to bring this unique podcast to you. We work together at Momshell Method Fitness and we work with busy moms all across the country helping them with their fitness goals. We also have a competition prep team with our company and we help women compete and prep them, pose them, get them looking their best for stage.
have this content and information to help inspire not only competitors but also the population of ladies that just want to reach their physical best and learn from top elite athletes in our sport.
Mandy Rochon (01:08.138)
Yeah, kind of like Gillian said, you know, we coach many different types of women, women that are, you know, prepping, getting ready to step on stage, you know, lifestyle clients who really just looking to lose that 20, 30 pounds of stubborn weight, you know, they can't get gone. But that is, you know, something that we do. And we love doing that. You know, Gillian and I both being competitors ourselves, we've both been in the bodybuilding industry now for a long time. And you know,
We've watched women, you know, climb to the tops, you know, grace the Olympia stage. We, you know, Gillian and I both, we love listening to interviews and other podcasts and, you know, how do they do it? And just all sorts of different things. And something that we both kind of realized is nobody's diving really deep into how moms are doing it. You know, young, old, new season veterans, like how are moms that are raising kids and going to sporting events, gymnastic meets, dance meets.
you know, all the things that entail having kids, daycare, school, school events, and they're doing all these things and they're getting ready to step on stage. You know, rather they're stepping on stage next week and 18 weeks, you know, they're prepping their food, they're doing all these things while they're taking care of their family, you know, and they're married or divorced or a single mom and you just don't know how they're doing it. And we kind of saw this, you know, great time to be able to ask these women, how are they doing it?
Like how are they doing it? How are we doing it? And sharing, you know, knowledge and how Gillian and I both have done it and being able to interview women who have been on Olympia stage or turned pro while they've taken care of a family. And that's really what this podcast is about. And it makes us so excited to be able to help other women and show you guys that you're not alone in this journey. We have done it, other women have done it, and we really wanna share with you, you know, the ways they have done it.
Gillian (02:58.065)
Yeah, definitely. I talk to women all the time that are new to, they've kind of stumbled across an image of a beautiful woman that they maybe went to high school with or college with, and they know she has a family, and they see that she's competing. And they're like, how is this possible? I didn't realize that this was an option for somebody maybe after 40 or after having kids or I've had a C-section. I don't know if I can ever get in that kind of shape again. And I think it's so inspiring to hear the stories of competitors that have reached the pinnacle of our sport
won titles and gone to Olympias and done these amazing things, despite having more that they're juggling than perhaps somebody who's brand new and they don't have kids. And that's how I started in the sport. I was single, a nurse, only had to worry about me. I didn't even have any animals. And it was challenging then. And I went through all sorts of life changes. I'm still doing it now. But certainly it's much easier for me to relate to another mom.
who's facing the same challenges and obstacles that I am versus somebody who just doesn't have the same schedule. And it's like, you're always busy, doesn't really matter. I remember being so busy before kids and I don't know what I filled my time with, but I was. I just, I felt overwhelmed then and now I have five kids, I'm overwhelmed now. And I think that we're definitely not trying to downplay the athletes in the sport that don't have a family to.
juggle, you know, that they have their own challenges and things that they face. But we just definitely wanted to bring something to those women that do face those challenges for just greater inspiration and just like some tips too. I'm always picking up little tips and tricks from other busy moms, like, you know, how to tackle, you know, not even just, you know, food stuff, training stuff, but navigating raising children while you're doing this sport. And it's very demanding. So yeah, I'm excited to just share.
all this knowledge and bring on some really great guests. I'm really excited. We have a good lineup. It's gonna be really awesome. I'm like selfishly excited just to like learn from these people, but also to be able to share it with our listeners as well. So thanks for listening, first of all, really.
Mandy Rochon (05:04.35)
Right? Yes. Thank you guys. Thank you guys for listening. And also don't forget to subscribe, like and comment below so that way we know exactly what you think and leave us some ideas on what you would like to hear too as well. We would love to get some feedback. So Jillian, I actually, I have followed you for a long time, even before we started working together. And I don't think I ever, I'm like trying to think, I don't think I ever, right? I don't think I ever knew that
Gillian (05:08.158)
Yeah.
Gillian (05:18.814)
Yeah.
Gillian (05:24.601)
Oh, thanks.
Mandy Rochon (05:32.11)
I think I always thought that you like prep, like I've known you for like a while now. And I think I've always thought you like had a kid or two, like had your kids while you done it. I didn't know that you did like, you did bodybuilding before kids and then now you have, you know, your whole family. So let's talk about your origin story and how you've started in the sport and you know, continued in the sport and love to hear like how you did it.
Gillian (05:57.313)
Okay, cool. Well, I was a cheerleader in high school and in college. I lived in Canada. And I remember being on a road trip for a competition and coming across a fitness magazine in the gas station and taking it back to the bus with all the other cheerleaders and like, oh my gosh, guys, look at this girl's abs. They had show photos from a fitness competition. This was like 2000, no, this would have been 1999, high school.
Mandy Rochon (06:23.99)
This was the year you had to get magazines. Ha ha ha.
Gillian (06:26.609)
Yes, pre social media, everything might even been like even 1998 because I'm 43 now and we're filming this episode in 2023.
Mandy Rochon (06:32.846)
Crazy.
Mandy Rochon (06:36.235)
Yes.
Gillian (06:37.33)
So that was kind of when I first learned about competing. And it was just like anybody, like I share that excitement with new clients when they're just like, oh my God, look at this. And it's like the first time they've ever seen a competitor and they're just like, oh, fascinating. That's exactly how I felt. I was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. I wanna do this. So it took a minute for me to really get the courage to compete in my first competition. And I was living in Florida. I had left Canada, moved to Florida. I was working as a nurse and the...
Um, like Plaza, where my gym was, was a bikini competition store and they had like all these suits and I remember just like kind of driving by, I mean, like, what's that? And like seeing these beautiful photos in the window. Um, and so I noticed that there was a competition coming up. I went in and I was free and I bought a suit and I was going to do a show in eight weeks. And, um, so, you know, you don't know what you don't know. Like.
Mandy Rochon (07:24.598)
So fast. Yeah.
Gillian (07:26.245)
I didn't know people coached for this stuff. I didn't know there was competition tanning companies. I didn't know anything. Well, and there was no resources. You just had magazines. That was it. And so I think some trainer from the gym, some fat old guy showed me how to pose, which now I think was super creepy, but I didn't really know. And so I did that. It was 2005, I think. So that was almost 20 years ago. It was my first competition. So no children at the time. I was 25 years old. It was fitness. We had some costumes. I was a little...
Mandy Rochon (07:48.802)
That's crazy.
Gillian (07:54.753)
a sexy basketball player in one of my outfits. And then I had my bikini that I bought at the competition store. It's called Suits You Bikini. They literally still exist actually. But that was when they had just only the store and you didn't sell suits on the internet. So that was a fun experience. I ended up placing second, which was wild to me. I had never done this before. But I think just my, it was exciting, but I didn't know, like I wasn't dark enough and I didn't really even know how to do my makeup or anything like that.
Mandy Rochon (08:16.654)
to be so exciting though.
Gillian (08:25.165)
So, you know, I started to do a little more research because I had some success and I was like, what, like, you know, people say that all the time, like, I want to see if I like it before I, you know, talk about doing more. But I was hooked. I loved it. Loved how my body looked. Super proud. I'd never been in that kind of shape before. So the next year did another one. It was a little bit bigger. They had like sort of like almost like a world championships for that federation. So went to that place like sixth or seventh place. And what was the world, I guess? I mean, there wasn't like that many people there, but I was like, oh, wow, this is great.
Mandy Rochon (08:35.341)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian (08:54.069)
And then I kind of started to learn about the NPC and you know, there wasn't a bikini division at the time There was figure and I knew I was pretty small I had been training for about five years at that time But like, you know, the focus back then was very much like lean and you know, bro diet and not so much. Yeah Yeah, and so, you know, I tried the figure division and I did I didn't do terrible But I definitely didn't have the muscle for it. So it was a little bit discouraging. Like what do I do? Do I go back to like the fitness competitions?
Mandy Rochon (09:10.364)
Mm-hmm. Skinny.
Gillian (09:23.209)
You know, there was always a huge risk for injury and just like it wasn't, um, I don't know. I just felt like I didn't fit in any of the categories. And so, um, I had my, uh, my first child and started to get back in a shape. And then they announced that there was going to be a bikini category for the NPC. So this would have been like 2009. And um, I remember at the time people hated it. They hated the idea. All you had back then was, um, like forums, like chat rooms kind of, and there was like several different ones.
Mandy Rochon (09:51.15)
Oh. Kind of like Reddit is now.
Gillian (09:52.009)
like bodybuilding.com. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And on people like, oh, I can't believe they're gonna have a bimbo competition, like really hating on it. And I remember deciding to do it, like, are people gonna throw eggs at me? Like, you know, I don't know what to expect. And I was really scared. Like, I'm like, everybody's gonna get up and walk out when bikini comes on. And I think the first one that I did, there was like two competitors. So I was first. First is first, right? But that qualified me for nationals, which I'm like,
Mandy Rochon (10:05.558)
Like you were scared.
Mandy Rochon (10:18.836)
versus first.
Gillian (10:21.629)
Okay, what's that? Like, what's that gonna mean, right? So I went to nationals that year and nearly got my pro card. This is like North Americans 2009. And thankfully, you know, that isn't what happened because if it had ended there, you know, I probably still wouldn't be competing. I always think about that. So anyways, but had some success and really loved it. And then of course the Bikini Division has grown so much. And so then I had another child, my daughter Brooklyn. She's now like 12.
Mandy Rochon (10:28.516)
Oh wow!
Mandy Rochon (10:45.343)
Mm-hmm.
Mandy Rochon (10:51.435)
Yeah.
Gillian (10:51.525)
So then went on to do more shows after that and, you know, stuck with bikini as bikini grew. And, you know, as my life has taken different turns and, you know, losing a parent and going through a divorce, it's always been there for me. And it's been something that I really thrive in the structure. And now my oldest is 15 and he's got a passion for bodybuilding as well. He's seen me through so many preps and been to so many shows and, you know, been right there, you know.
every step of the way and thinks it's pretty cool that his mom does it. He's even done a little, they had a little competition at our gym and so he's competed already too. He's only 15. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So like he, of course, would love to do like a real show, but he's too young. So once he's 18, they had, for a while there, they were, the teen division started at 16, but then they changed it. So he'll have to wait, but he had a chance to put the tan on and compete. He did great, little bodybuilding routine. He did so awesome. So proud of him.
Mandy Rochon (11:30.642)
Yeah, I think I saw pictures of that. Yeah, he's
Gillian (11:50.569)
Yeah, it's become like something that the family really supports. I now have three step children as well. And the girls just think this is really neat that I do this. And I bring home trophies. And they're always excited to see the suits and everything. So all in all, I think I've done 21 shows. And yeah, going into like my 19th year, I mean, I don't know how many thousands of dollars I've spent. But this is truly it's.
Mandy Rochon (11:51.202)
That's so cool.
Mandy Rochon (12:07.63)
Oh my gosh, that's so fun though.
Gillian (12:16.669)
my passion and my hobby. And there's been times in my life where I've thought, I don't know. Like I had a showing that I wasn't that excited about. I came home, I was like, oh gosh, like I didn't do my best. And I, at the time, felt I'd given everything that I could. And looking back, there are a lot of things I could have done differently. But you just have to take the wins and the losses. And you always win if you just continue to grow and take the feedback. And it's just, it's done a lot for my life. And I love helping other people.
Gillian (12:45.313)
discover the sport and find a love for it like I have. So, I mean, I don't plan on stopping. So I'll just keep going until, until I don't know.
Mandy Rochon (12:53.954)
See, that's just incredible though. Cause you have, so you have two of your own kids who've watched you grow the entire time. That's all they've known like is being with you during your journey. And they like witness the dedication and your hard work. And so that has to like be so amazing, like so inspiring to them. And now you have your three, right? It's three kiddos, step kids. And it's now they get to watch and they're like, that probably I'm assuming probably when they first met you they're like, what is this? It's like
Gillian (12:59.121)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian (13:13.831)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Gillian (13:22.189)
Yeah, they did not know. Like they're like, you're so strong. And I'm like, oh, you know, you don't feel that strong when you're that close to a show. It's like, I look pretty good, but I do not feel strong. But even just like the language around it all too, I think that's really important. I'm sure we'll do a whole episode on that, but you know, it's very important for them to see what I do and how I feed my body, like as an athlete and not like, oh, this is about a diet and this is about weight loss. And we're careful about the language in the house and how we talk about it. Like, you know.
Mandy Rochon (13:23.194)
What is this world? Yeah.
Mandy Rochon (13:31.883)
Right.
Mandy Rochon (13:45.835)
Yeah.
Gillian (13:51.077)
And I've talked to my clients about this as well too. Like it's always important to be positive, but don't say the word fat and stuff like that. And even though I'm in my building season right now and I have these moments where I'm just like very uncomfortable, that's all part of it. I just share with them, this is something I'm doing or even just, oh, can you have this? They have a cupcake or something. I'm like, yeah, I mean, I can have anything. I'm just gonna, this is what I'm choosing right now, like my chicken and my rice or whatever. And
Mandy Rochon (13:58.21)
Yeah.
Gillian (14:18.613)
You know, they definitely love to eat the food that I'm eating, which is cool. You know, they see me eating all my veggies and whatever it is, and they have an interest in it. So I think it's all positive. I think that, you know, anywhere in any sport, there's always going to be that dark side where people share their unpleasant experiences. You know, and if I've had those, I've grown from them. And overall, it's been just an extremely positive thing for me. And, you know, I've had great guidance. I've had great mentors.
and have great support. So I think that's huge too, having a good family support. But yeah, it's been a long journey. I mean, literally, the figure division back in 2005, we had a one piece suit as one of the rounds that we were judged in. Yeah, and so I remember thinking, gosh, if I stay in the sport, those suits were just as expensive then. And I'm like, gosh, this is going to be so expensive. But I just didn't have the shape for figure.
Mandy Rochon (15:02.934)
death. Oh.
Gillian (15:18.089)
So of course, when bikini came around, that was really nice. And it's probably what kept me in it too, because I don't know that I would have ever been able to build that physique that, especially now looking at the way figure has evolved. I think it's fascinating, but so much of that is structure and genetics and I just, you know, I'm petite in structure.
Mandy Rochon (15:34.142)
Yeah, I feel like the NPC has done a really good job with like creating the individual class like divisions to be able to like, it kind of fits just whatever your genetic makeup is even for men, like, whatever genetic makeup you have, just it's, I mean, it comes down to hard work, dieting, weightlifting, but like, you can fit in, you know, are you bikini? Are you wellness? Are you figure, fitness, physique, bodybuilding, you know, they've done a really good job of creating all the divisions I find, I think.
Gillian (15:45.703)
Yeah.
Gillian (16:01.585)
Yeah, it's been really great. The year that bikini came out, men's physique came out, which was wonderful. And of course, they got a lot of slack in the beginning as well for not focusing so much on quad size and all of that. And people definitely knocking the division. But what we've seen is that men's physique and women's bikini are two of the biggest categories. Because it is, I'm cautious when I say this, but it is more of a mainstream look. Of course, we know there's nothing mainstream about.
Gillian (16:31.369)
that physique, you know, certainly can look that way when you look at photos. But I mean, it is, you know, definitely there's a lot of preparation and training that goes into looking that way. Um, but certainly the, you know, that does fit more people's body type. Um, and so it's interesting. I do have people that are like, well, I want to get started competing. And I guess like bikinis the easiest. I'm always like, ah, no, but you know, I guess maybe it looks that way, but I think it's just more of a, for a lot of
Mandy Rochon (16:32.863)
Mm-hmm
Gillian (16:59.869)
a lot of people that is just going to lean their joints, they're gonna kind of lean more that way than other categories. But then it's nice that we do have the wellness division, women's physique figure, just for those different body types. So it's a great time. And then all the age categories too. I saw that they had a master's pro 60 recently, and I'm like, that's amazing. I know.
Mandy Rochon (17:14.451)
Yeah.
Mandy Rochon (17:20.95)
I love that they're doing that now. Yeah, like they have Masters Olympia back now. So it's just, it's so cool. Like you have, you know, you spend so much time like being in your 30s and 40s and 50s and loving competing, like you love it, but you do reach a, I wanna say like a threshold where you're like, I can't compete with a 22 year old. Like you just can't. And you know, you lose your like love for the sport because you're like stuck.
you know, and now they're coming out world they've had 3540, you know, and now but yes, they have 60s and 70. And, you know, I have a friend who just got her women's bodybuilding pro card this year and she's 72. And she didn't start lifting till she was in her 60s. And she got her pro card at 72. And it's and she's just the most delightful dainty. She is a nurse practitioner.
Gillian (17:54.613)
Well, yeah.
Gillian (18:08.117)
That's so cool.
Mandy Rochon (18:15.798)
woman and she's so happy and positive and fun. And it's like, there's just, there's no age restriction to this sport. It's so amazing. Like you can start this whenever and you can be successful whenever it, at the end of the day, it's about your dedication, your discipline, your, you know, love for the sport, your passion, your, you know, grit, and just sticking with it. And you can do it whenever for however long. And that's what's so amazing about it.
Gillian (18:42.801)
Yeah, definitely. I think it's just the challenges that we face as moms. Just with scheduling, that is the biggest thing is, how am I going to fit my competitions into the cheer schedule, the soccer schedule, the wrestling schedule, travel, and being creative with my time so that it doesn't eat into family time? And that's something I think you and I both do a good job of, of we make sure that we're not.
Gillian (19:09.757)
you know, absent from family gatherings and absent when our children and our families need us. If anything, it just really eats into our personal time, but that doesn't feel like a sacrifice to me if it's my personal time. I have no problem going to the gym first thing in the morning to make sure that I get it done. It doesn't bother me to not have, you know, pizza or whatever everyone's eating. It doesn't bother them for me to eat the way that I do. It's a mindset. And I think that was probably the first, most hardest part of it all was,
Mandy Rochon (19:29.635)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian (19:39.201)
having a baby and just feeling like I had to choose of like, how do I enjoy social gatherings? And I had to sort of just like remove the food part of it and just kind of take the meaning out of all of that and just really focus on the experience, the people, the, just the quality time and less about the food. And I think that's as a society, that's something everybody could really work on is.
Gillian (20:05.885)
spending less time focusing on what they can't have and how important food is as a part of a celebration and just a mindset shift if you want to be successful in the sport, that's just something that everybody has to work through. And if you can't make that shift, then it might not be something that you really wanna do and that's okay, right? This isn't for everybody, but it isn't hard when it's something that you really want. Cause I'll get that question, I'm sure you have too, or people are like, you're so dedicated, how do you do this? How do you say no? It's like, well, it doesn't feel like it's.
Mandy Rochon (20:22.667)
Yeah.
Gillian (20:34.593)
compromise because it's truly something that I want to do. And we take breaks so that it doesn't feel like we're constantly in a state of, you know, prep and having to say no to those things. But it's truly a mindset. That is the biggest muscle that you'll build on this journey is your mind.
Mandy Rochon (20:37.25)
Yeah.
Mandy Rochon (20:50.47)
Yeah, I definitely I think the most common one I get is don't you miss is the don't you miss pizza? Don't you miss but no, like it never resonates that way. But because you're spot on like it. It's something I love. It's a passion of mine. And I never think about it because I'm not I'm not missing anything like there's nothing that I'm truly missing.
Gillian (20:54.61)
Yeah.
Gillian (20:58.497)
It's not going anywhere.
Mandy Rochon (21:12.91)
And I've gotten to the point where I know if like there's something I'm craving, like an itch I want to scratch, like, oh, if I'm craving, you know, like salty savory thing, like I can season my food to taste certain ways to where like, okay, well, that really scratched, you know, that craving I may have. But overall, it I never feel like I'm missing out. I never feel like I'm missing anything. I always feel satisfied. I always, you know, I feel like I'm making the best decision for myself and like the boundaries that I set myself. And
Gillian (21:22.011)
Mm-hmm
Mandy Rochon (21:41.394)
You know, I will say I'm very blessed to be surrounded with a really good support system. I've, you know, I've been doing this. What? Oh my goodness. Since 2014? Yeah, 14. I had to think for a second. 2014. And I was very communicable with my family. Like, hey, you know, I'm going to try this competition. I'm going to do this. I knew people that had competed before. So I'm like, I know I can't.
I know I can't eat these things. I knew the gist of it. And so I kind of was like, I want to try this. This is what I'm going to do. And I promised myself, my biggest promise was, I'm not going to take away from my kid. I love cooking for him. I love being present. I love being there for all of his stuff. And I never want to miss anything. And I will never let anything come between that. So I want to do this and that at the same time. And so even to this day, my son's 14 years old.
is always on the go with club soccer or high school soccer. He's a freshman this year and never, I will always make his breakfast. I will make dinner. I will make, you know, to go lunches, pack our food. And it's, you know, it's like you said, it's just what you do and it makes you so happy and it makes your family happy because you're happy. And so it's like, you know, it comes full circle. Like tonight actually is.
Perfect example, we have a soccer game at 5.30. It's gonna last till 6.30, it's 40 minutes away. I'm gonna have to bring my food, but the boys will eat at Quick Trip probably if they don't make it home. But they know I will have my food and it's just the normal thing to do. And it's just, that's how you do it.
Gillian (23:08.543)
Mm-hmm.
Gillian (23:15.233)
Right. Yeah. Well, since you're going to be celebrating your 10 years of competing in 2024, why don't you share your origin story, Mandy, and how you got started.
Mandy Rochon (23:24.203)
I'm ready.
Mandy Rochon (23:28.722)
Yeah, so I got started. I'll start from the very beginning when I didn't even know the gym. So I had my son when I was 20 years old. When I got pregnant, I was over 200 pounds. When I gave birth, I kept on about like 40 ish pounds extra weight. And I didn't know anything about health and fitness. This is nothing that's in my family. So I kept that on. And it wasn't until a few years later, I started dating a guy who was a personal trainer at our local gym.
And just so we could like hang out with each other, he got me a job at the gym daycare. Well, shortly after we broke up and he quit there and I didn't. So I had free access to the gym and I had made friends at this point. So I'm like, okay, well, I'll walk on the treadmill. I'll do this stuff. And I watched the weight floor and I was like, oh, okay, like this is how you do this. This is how you do that. And I'm like, I'll wander on the weight floor. I had a few rules. I was gonna drink a gallon of water.
I was going to eat rotisserie chicken. It was just the easiest thing to grab. And I was going to have broccoli like with my meals. And those were my like three rules I had. And I was going to learn how to like wander around the weight floor. And the weight just fell off me. It just, I dropped inches. It, my knees stopped hurting. My lower back stopped hurting. I just, I felt so powerful.
You know, and I'm a young single mom and to have to realize that like we have this much power over how we feel and how we look was so motivating. This was just so something I had never experienced. I don't even know this was like a thing you could feel. So fast forward to you know, I met my husband, we got married in 2016. And after that, it was kind of like, okay, we lost the weight. Like, what do you what do you want to do with this, you know, fitness stuff?
And I was like, well, I want to learn about nutrition. So I got my certification in nutrition and I want to, you know, try a show. So I dedicated 24 weeks to a show and I'm like, if I love it, great. If I don't, I tried. Right. So I just fell in love with the whole process of prep, the dedication, the learning, how to set boundaries, learning how who's like your support system. Who's really there to support your journey. And then who's really not, you know, who.
Mandy Rochon (25:52.418)
all the people that are there for you, how your body transforms, having abs for the first time in my life. I didn't even know that was again possible. You go through these preps and these journeys and you've learned so much about yourself and you just discover how strong you are as an individual and how much power you can have over how you feel, how you look, how you hold yourself. And then of course the show, the glamour.
Mandy Rochon (26:17.686)
The glamour is so much fun. You are a bodybuilding princess for a day. Sparkly bikini, jewelry, makeup, hair, and it's just so much fun. I stepped off stage and I knew I loved it. So, what?
Gillian (26:28.645)
Yeah, you were hooked. You were hooked.
Mandy Rochon (26:33.914)
I was so hooked. I did a show a few months after that and I did okay. It was kind of like you said, like I didn't come in my best or anything like that. I didn't know how to reverse diet or how to do shows that close together, which we'll do a whole podcast on, you know, post show blues and reverse dieting. But so after that, I took about a year off, you know, just did a few things. I went back to the stage in 2018.
Mandy Rochon (27:02.73)
I was out in Las Vegas, had a great time. After that, again, I was just, you know, I was hooked on the sport of bodybuilding. I was hooked on fitness and I was so happy, but I just, I held reservations. I just wasn't sure, like, you know, nobody around me was doing this. And I didn't have friends that were doing this. I had friends support me, but nobody that I was close with. And I was like, this is so still foreign to me. Like I can work as an individual, but everything's still very like alone. So.
It took some time, you know, my husband and I bought a house. We moved, got settled. And then it really was 2021. I just, I had still followed bodybuilding. I had still weight lifted. I still cared about my nutrition, other people's nutrition. And it just was like, you know, this is where you're the happiest. You are the happiest when you're prepping, when you're grinding, when you're around other people, rather their bodybuilders, rather they're people that want to better themselves. Just people that care about being better.
people. And I just was like, this is this is my industry. This is my passion. This is my love. And I stepped back on stage in 2022 twice great shows. That one show I was second in my class, the next show I won my class. And then ever since then, I've just been lifting weights and, you know, trying to grow more muscle, of course. And I'm so excited to step back on stage in March of
Gillian (28:27.645)
Yay!
Mandy Rochon (28:31.042)
my birthday because I will be 35. I will officially be a masters. I know I'm like excited. Yeah, I'm very excited.
Gillian (28:35.177)
Yay. That's a game changer once you're a masters, you know. Well, and it's not to say that like you can't get in the same kind of shape after 35. It's just different. You know, you've had babies, your hips are going to be a little bit wider. You're just going to have more curves. There's just going to be just differences in your physique. And then also like you do get where women have been doing this a long time and they're going to have more muscle, which...
Mandy Rochon (28:41.707)
I just...
Gillian (29:02.845)
might not be the same look in the open category. So it's just nice to have that even playing field of women that have similar physiques. So I'm excited for you.
Mandy Rochon (29:11.966)
Yeah. And like you said before, like a lot of women want to like, there's so many common questions out there. And one of the biggest ones I always hear is like, can you compete with stretch marks? And I'm like, my stomach, my stomach is like clod. And I like, I love my stretch marks. Like they're just the part of who I am. And they're a part of my body. And like, that does not stop me from wearing a bikini and walking on stage and doing photo shoots. And you know, I don't even, I don't even think about it till somebody asks me anymore. And then I'm like, you know, be
Be proud, like you gave birth or had a C-section or, you know, just all these things, your body's good or weight loss transformation. It's like, as a part of you and the judges are judging your stretch marks. They will not judge your stretch marks. They don't. That's just a part of your body. Yeah, when you're on stage. Yeah, when you're on stage, sometimes with your posing, you don't know you say that. I know when I like do check ins and stuff like you see them, of course, but like with the tan and everything and all the sparkles, you really don't even notice.
Gillian (29:54.901)
They hardly even see them. I don't even notice tattoos sometimes.
Gillian (30:11.573)
Yeah, the details are important in like the overall look, but when you put the whole look together, I mean, I've seen people conceal all kinds of stuff because they were creative with their posing, it was the way they carried themselves, the tan, the way their suit was. There was a girl who had a massive scar on her abdomen from having had a colostomy bag and it had healed and she had her colon reattached and such, but.
Gillian (30:40.353)
there was a huge scar, you never saw it. She was the open overall winner. And I remember seeing her backstage afterwards, I'm like, how did you hide that massive scar, but just like the way she posed and everything. And there is actually like a bodybuilder, I'm gonna misquote, it might be Frank Zane, I can't remember who it is, but he competed with a torn bicep at the Olympia and was able to pose around it and so.
Mandy Rochon (30:45.276)
Wow.
Gillian (31:04.425)
What I love about bodybuilding is like so many people say, well, I don't have this. Well, I don't have this. Well, let's work with what you've got and maximize your strengths. And there's so many creative ways to pose and all sorts of things. But for one small detail like stretch marks, it's, I mean, you don't notice them. And everybody has them seriously. Like I think Janet Laig who has been Miss Olympia, there was a photo of her with, and she has some on her glutes, like in her hips from having a child. And she was...
Mandy Rochon (31:30.893)
Yeah.
Gillian (31:34.317)
the top of our sport, Miss Olympia, and you never noticed. So there is never like any like eliminating factor to competing. And you know, I do get the question a lot about like, can you compete with loose skin? And people do. A lot of times you're able to build enough muscle to fill that out. And they do have even transformation categories for women who have had just a wonderful journey and have
you know, lost quite a bit of weight and they can compete with other women that have, you know, gone through similar journeys and, you know, that's a really nice thing about our sport. There's so many different categories.
Mandy Rochon (32:11.734)
There is and it really is an art form because I hear that a lot. Like if you like if you're worried about your glute size or I'll have women worry about implants, you know, and it's you don't have to have implants. And just because somebody next to you or somebody on Instagram has better glutes than you do, that doesn't mean they're gonna win that at all. Like you could have someone have like the best glutes backstage, and they step on stage and they pose wrong and their glutes are gone. It's it's so it's such an art form.
You want to be balanced. You want to have good symmetry and you want to be able to show that off because you can have all of that. And then you pose the wrong way and you see none of it or you see disproportion and you are, you know, you don't get scored as well and you get, you aren't going to win. So it's really, that's, that's amazing thing about the sport is
you know, the practice of everything and the art form of all of it. Just because you're missing something doesn't mean you won't succeed. It doesn't mean you won't grow to the elite level. It just means that you have to practice different things to like hide those and show like the things that you have. So, but yeah, it, you know, raising, like I just have the one kid, Carson, you know, again, he's 14 and he's always on the go, but even like
like you brought up earlier, the scheduling, you know, you look at like trying to schedule your when are good shows for you that fit your time, your prep, your everything you're doing. And when is it going to work for your family? That's always like the biggest thing for me. Like I like I've already looked at like the entire year of 2024. Like, okay, when is my kid's spring break? When is the most times he were traveling for soccer tournaments? When? You know, when are when's it going to be his tryouts? Try out like time? Because
That's nuts. And when can I like, when's the best time for me to peak? When's the best time for me to like lean out and being able to like juggle all of that and like plan for all of that. It's just, I'd love to hear about how other women do it. You know, it's just so inspiring.
Gillian (34:15.485)
Yeah, I know. It is, I think, you know, it inspires even girls that don't have families because they will go, well, gosh, like, look at this girl who's struggling X, Y, and Z. And, you know, here I am struggling to fit in my posing. And what's my excuse, right? So I think it is really inspiring for everyone. And I certainly listen to stories of pros and, you know, look at what they're doing and, you know, wonder how they fit it all in. And it helps me as well. But I think, if anything, like,
Gillian (34:45.309)
one big thing I realized, this was like 22 when I was getting ready for Universe. And I had to travel to New York. I stayed in a hotel. I had to go on a plane. It was an expensive competition. I spent a lot of money on that trip. Didn't get my pro card. I missed it by two spots. And I had another opportunity to go for it a couple of weeks later at Masters Nationals in Pittsburgh. And a national show, that investment is $2,000 to $3,000 all in.
And I thought, you know, do I want to spend this money? Like, is this something that I should do? You know, and my husband said, you're so close, you have to go for it. But it made me really appreciate the whole process and not sabotage or cut corners because I realized this was, you know, a significant investment. It was time away from my family. I was going to have to travel. And I think it pushed me to work even harder because I knew that was time and money that...
could have gone to other things. And so I don't take it for granted. I make sure that I work really hard. When I was younger, that wasn't the case. I would be like, oh, I'm perfect for this show. I'm like, oh, I'm not ready. I'll do another one. Oh, I'm not ready. I'll push it out and do this one. When you're scheduling so tightly with all the other sports and activities and your family and budgeting, it's like, you're never ready. You know? So I think it just adds another layer, but.
Mandy Rochon (36:02.143)
Right?
Gillian (36:06.037)
But it can be done. I don't think that there's any reason why it can't be done. But I also think you have to realize if you have too much on your plate and it's too hard to juggle, then just wait it out. Wait a couple of years, wait till the dust settles, keep training, don't lose sight of the dream, don't put the goal on the back burner. Just need to put it on the shelf for a little while so you can straighten some things out. And certainly there was phases where the kids needed me more. Like going through my divorce was not gonna be a good time for me to focus so much on myself.
when I needed to make sure that they were settling into a new routine and, you know, just a whole new way of, of our lives for, you know, just for a period of time there. Um, and so I just waited. I'm like, there's always going to be shows, you know, the sports not going anywhere and yeah, we'll always be there. So I think you have to have that awareness, um, and knowing when it's just time to take a break and, um, you know, when it's, when it's a good time and when it's not. So yeah.
Mandy Rochon (36:48.263)
The stage will always be there.
Mandy Rochon (36:59.958)
Yeah, that's so true. Cause like I haven't gone through a divorce, but like when there's moments in my life where I'm like, there's just so many other things going on. Like I can still weight train. I can still pay attention to my nutrition. I can still, you know, I can still work towards the goal, but just have to wait for the stage. Just because the stage may be a year away, two years away, that doesn't mean, oh, well, I don't have to weight lift for a month or two or three. You know, I don't.
that's, you know, if that is your goal and that's your dream and that's your passion and you, you want to succeed and you want to grow in the sport, then you can plan for that time off just like you can plan for the time on to. Sometimes you get to a point where you never feel ready. And that's why it's nice to have a coach. Like I, I will always be a big advocate for a coach. You know, our coaching team is fantastic. You know, you have coaches out there that are fantastic, but you know,
when you're getting ready for a show or you want to do a show, like that is your vision. The best thing you can do is, you know, take the time, do your research, you know, there's lots of research out there. NPCnewsonline.com has countless resources, but also reach out to coaches, reach out to us, reach out to, you know, people that you can trust and say, you know, I want to compete, like this is my physique, what do you think? And, you know, get a game plan together and make it be a realistic game plan that can fit into your life.
And then from there, just know the process. Listen, listen to your coach, be mindful, you know, always, always follow your gut instinct. You know, especially starting with a new coach, ask a lot of questions, you know, get a lot of feedback, but sometimes you will never, you just won't feel ready. Like you'll be scared, especially if it's your first time, you know, you're sticking to your diet, you're taking care of your kids, you're working, you know.
your stay at home mom, all these things, it's nerve wracking. It can be scary and you can feel like I'm not ready. I'm not ready. You get the sparkly bikini, you're scared of the sparkly bikini and you're just not right. It, I was scared of it. First time I got my sparkly bikini, I immediately messaged my coach in 2016. I said, no, this is too small. She's like, no, it's not. I'm like, yes, it is. She's like, no, it's not. And it wasn't. It's like, she's like, no, it's not. And of course I got it like eight or nine weeks prior.
Gillian (39:00.555)
Yeah.
Gillian (39:10.881)
This is the wrong one. They gave me the wrong suit. I know.
Mandy Rochon (39:18.934)
put, you know, before stage. So, and you know, there's a lot that goes on, you know, leading up to that show. And so, but everybody does it and you have your people there that can be like, no, you're good. Take it day by day, take it step by step. And then when you're on stage, the experience that you get, the lessons you learn, you learn the backstage, you learn the tanning, you learn the timing.
Gillian (39:20.736)
Yeah.
Mandy Rochon (39:42.49)
You learn what works for you. You learn what it feels like to be on stage. And I will always tell people, I'll always tell clients, I'll tell athletes, if this is your first show, do every category you can afford. It's always gonna be an expense. Do true novice, do novice, do open, do masters, do all of it because you will never get that experience from being on stage except being on stage. Like nothing will, those lights, the judges. So do as much as you can, get the experience and be like, okay.
Gillian (40:04.736)
Yeah.
Mandy Rochon (40:11.894)
That's what it's like, that's what it is, this is what I need to do. And every time you step on stage, you will learn something new right as you walk off. And it's the greatest experience, it's the best experience, you can take time off, it will be there, you can take, you can haul ass and do show, because you have a great physique and have fun with it. I've met lots of girls that have done shows back to back to back to back and just killed it, had a blast with it. Or there's girls that take time off. You...
You can do both and it will always be there. Young, old, kids, no kids, blended family, divorce, everything, sickness, bodybuilding is for everybody and it's absolutely amazing. It really, really is.
Gillian (40:56.069)
Yeah, awesome. Well, I think we're at about 40 minutes now. We could sit and talk about this all day. And when you first asked me to do this podcast, I was like, what are we gonna talk about? But you and I can have meetings and we just chat and chat and chat. I'm like, oh my gosh, it's been an hour and a half, Mandy. We gotta go. So I knew we'd have a lot to talk about. I know, no, so.
Mandy Rochon (40:58.102)
So, yeah.
Mandy Rochon (41:11.882)
I know, we do that every time. And it will have a meeting and be like, oh, it's time to, we need to talk about this. And then an hour plus goes by, it's like, oh, wait, we still gotta talk about that. But yeah, I like, I'm thrilled to bring this podcast. I'm glad we worked on this together. I'm so excited to, you know, do this, you know, every week and be able to bring topics to all these people and great hosts. You know, again, guys, this is our very first episode and we're.
Gillian (41:18.874)
Yeah.
Gillian (41:22.31)
Yeah.
Gillian (41:26.313)
Me too.
Mandy Rochon (41:38.55)
just so excited to be here. We really wanna know in your comments section how you think about this podcast and let us know like, you know, what are some things that you find that you're struggling with or some obstacles that you have and that maybe that we can help, you know, answer for you or give you our feedback or input or maybe have our guests come on who's again, a pro or an Olympian and have their feedback, you know, and also of course, don't forget to like and share. This will be on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and we will have this video on YouTube as well.
Gillian (42:09.193)
Yeah, thanks guys. We appreciate any feedback that helps us to grow the channel and bring the content that you're looking for. We have some really exciting guests coming up and I'm really excited to hear their stories. And then Mandy and I are both competing next year and we're gonna be hitting the national stage. So really excited to share our journey as well for anyone who's interested in following along. You know, it's just nice to kind of see people go through the process if it's something that you've ever thought about.
Mandy Rochon (42:10.516)
Yeah, so.
Gillian (42:39.193)
And certainly we're always here to answer your questions. If you want to know more about getting in shape or possibly competing, you can message either of us. It's all linked in the show notes below. And you know, we just want to help as many women as possible and overall just remind everybody not to give up.
Mandy Rochon (42:57.574)
Yeah. All right, guys. Well, until next time, we'll talk to you soon.
Gillian (43:02.645)
Thanks for listening and watching. Bye everyone.
Mandy Rochon (43:04.344)
Bye.