INTERVIEW: Wendy Randall

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. As you can see there are previous interviews we like to include pictures of the athlete and video if possible, if you could either link us to some images and/or videos you want us to use or provide them yourself that would be great. Thanks you again for your time.

01           Can you introduce yourself to our readers? (Name, Age etc.)

My name is Wendy Randall. I am 16 years old, born in May 1997.

02           Have you always been a fitness fanatic or was there something that made a change?

In all honesty, it’s been a rocky road. As a child I was morbidly obese. My highest weight was 175lbs with my body fat at 30.4% when I was just 11 years old. I hated sport and exercise but I loved food. I have more recently found out that my doctor told my mother that I would be dead before the age of 45 if I continued the way I was. But with many thanks to my family and a personal trainer (who is actually now a close family friend), I was able to transform my life.

It was spring 2009 when I met this personal trainer. I began training in the comfort of my own home three to four times per week with her. She helped me with my diet, taught me how to control calories and make healthier choices.

Within 18 months I went from an adult size 18 weighing 175lbs, to a normal size 12, weighing in at 136lbs. I was finally the same size as my friends and school and I wasn’t being bullied anymore. But then things took a turn for the worst just 6 months later. I was faced with some real struggles and being just 13 I couldn’t cope. I suffered with mild depression and I turned to food as a comfort. Over the space of about 12 months I gained back nearly 2 stone, now weighing 162lbs. By the time October (2011) came, I realised how much weight I had gained. My mum was getting the personal trainer back for herself but this was a negative trigger for me to diet.

My innocent diet to lose that two stone I had regained turned into something quite aggressive and in November 2012 I was officially diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. I would take excessive amounts of laxatives and diet pills desperate to lose weight, even though I was only weighing in at about 8 stone. I would consume on average 250 calories (on a good day); I’d also exercise excessively to burn off anything I ate, plus more.

In June 2013 everything changed for me. I discovered bodybuilding. I received proper help off of a pro female bodybuilder; she set me up with a diet and a training plan for me to follow. She phoned me regularly and I saw her every week. Before I knew it I was in love with the sport. I was enjoying food again and was beginning to recover and fight back the anorexia. 

03           When did you start working out?

As a bodybuilder, I officially started in June 2013. As my recovery progressed, so did my training. By August I was much more into it and I was eating sufficient calories and my training had advanced considerably. 

04           Please tell us about your regular workout routine.

It does vary but typically I will do 45 to 60 minutes of cardio in the morning before breakfast. Being a full time student, I then attend college, usually finishing between 4 and 6pm. After this I will go back to the gym and complete my lifting routine. However, if I do not do my cardio in the morning I will do it in the evening after I weight train.

I split my days into specific muscle groups. For example: back/chest/arms/shoulders and traps/quads/hamstrings, gluteus and claves (abs and oblique’s everyday). This is what I do six days a week. Sunday is my regular rest day.

05           Who do you take inspiration from? Can you name 3 female celebrities whose physiques you respect?

I can’t say I look up to any celebrities for inspiration as they all seem to be promoting fad diets and mostly, unhealthy body types to young girls. My real inspirations are women like Dana Linn Bailey.

06           Do you do any sports? Could you tell us a little about that?

Most wouldn’t consider it a sport but it is, I am a bodybuilder training to enter women’s physique in the coming years. I hope to enter my first competition later this year in juniors.

07           What are your favourite TV shows?

I don’t particularly watch television, when I do it’s usually the news.

08           Do you feel that there is beginning to be a change in the media’s image of the female body and is that change for the better?

I have seen more recent changes in attitude. “strong is the new skinny” is a phrase i often see now but I can’t say I think the media is changing, this isn’t something magazines promote. They seem to only post bad photos of celebrities making negative comments on their size and other aspects of their appearance.

09           Do you have a special message for your new fans on the blog?

                All I can say is if there is something you love and enjoy then do it. Ignore what anyone else says about it, follow your dreams and you will succeed. Give everything you do 100%. I often get told I can’t be a bodybuilder and not take steroids, yet I’m doing it. People will always try to put you down but you are in charge of your own happiness.

10           Have you got any favourite bands and if so who are they?

I personally love Eminem. His music is what I listen to when I train.

               

11           Does your training regime leave you enough time for leisure such as non-athletic hobbies, going out etc? If so what else do you like to do?

My training does take up a lot of time, along with the preparation i have to do such as preparing my meals, planning my training etc. But saying that I do get free time, I just choose to use this time for relaxing or doing my own personal research into bodybuilding. In addition to this, I am a fulltime college student who also works so I do keep busy, not often going out but if the opportunity comes up, I do have time and am able to enjoy leisurely activities.

12           Tell us about your online presence.

I have a page on twitter which was previously for me to cope with recovery. I now use this page to promote health, bodybuilding, recovery, positivity, good attitude and healthy eating.

I have a page on instagram where I do the same.

I also have an email which is open for people to contact me if they are in need of help or advice in anything from training to ED recovery.

I am looking to make a facebook page in future if there is enough interest.

Twitter: @Pinkhulkk
Instagram: @Pinkkhulkk
Email: pinkhulkk@hotmail.co.uk

INTERVIEW: Dancer Polina Lopsky

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview.

01 Can you introduce yourself to our readers? (Name, Age etc.)

I'm Polina Lopsky, 16 years old. I live in Russia in a city called Ekaterinburg, its huge.

02 Have you always been a fitness fanatic or was there something that made a change in your life?

I was doing sports for as long as I can remember, at the age of 4 my mom signed me yp to gymnastics and to ballet dancing, I've quit gymnastics at the age of 10, but I always loved dancing. I always switched the dance lessons, so I was dancing ballet, tango, hip hop and modern jazz. I liked hip hop and modern jazz the most so I sticked with it. This summer I'm supposed to finish dancing school and get a diploma.

03 When did you start working out?

Well as a dancer I have to be in shape and eat helthy. I started taking my fitness seriously when I was about 11 years old, when I noticed that all the girls in my class are like sticks and I'm a little chubby.

04 Please tell us about your regular workout routine.

Every morning, right as I wake up I stretch my whole body, even my fingers haha. Then I do some push ups, squats, sit ups and lift little wights. I give extra attention to my back when I stretch it because a few months ago I fell off the stage and I had an injury. At the end of my morning workout I get in a lotus poaition and just relax. Without the morning workout my day feels empty and sad... at the evening I do some more stretches, right before I get into bed, and that's it. I've been tought to do so by my grandfather, he's 70 and is healthy as a teen, so I hope I'll be like him thanks to this routine ;) I have to mention that I never have been at the gym.

05 Who do you take inspiration from? Can you name 3 female celebrities whose physiques you respect

Cara Delevigne, she's amazing in all possible ways, she inspire me and I want to be like her when I grow up. The second celeb is Mila Kunis, I mean, how can you NOT love her? Shes over 30 and she looks like a 17 year old girl, plus she's Ukrainian so she's close to me ;) haha. The third one is the one and only Christina Aguilera. She is absolutely gorgeous, and she can lose 30 pounds in like a week, maybe it's because of all the money she has, but you have to say that it's impressive how fast she can gain and lose weight.

06 Do you do any sports? Could you tell us a little about that?

Yes I do, as I said earlier, I dance and do gymnastics for fun at home, so nobody can see me haha

07 What are your favourite TV shows?

Nikita, a show about a super spy asian chick which is absolutely amazing, starring Maggie Q (another really fit female). Another show I LOVE is the walking dead, how can you not love it? Haha

08 Do you feel that there is beginning to be a change in the media's image of the female body and is that change for the better?

In Russia people don't talk enough about fitness, so you can imagine that female body is not even a topic here, ever..

09 Do you have a special message for your new fans on the blog

Not really.. But I love them :P haha

10 Have you got any favourite bands and if so who are they?

I like "the pretty reckless" alot, they're so good! And I like another band that I like but it's a Russian band called "nrrvi" (nerves), they have songs that say how stupid girls are and stuff, I don't know why but I find these songs really good lol

11 Does your training regime leave you enough time for leisure such as non-athletic hobbies, going out etc? If so what else do you like to do?

I have TONS of free time, I like to talk with my friends all day long so my schedule looks kinda like this: wake up, stretch and workout, brush teeth wash face etc, eat, get dressed, put on makeup, fix my hair, go to school, get back, eat, do homework while talking with friends, talk with friends, talk with friends, eat, shower, stretch and workout, get in bed and talk to friends until 3 am. I have dance only 4 times a week, for 3 hours at the evening.

12 Tell us about your online presence.

Russians don't usually use FaceBook, ee use VK, but I use it only for my closest friends... so you can follow me on Instagram and talk to me on kik :)

Instagram: _pollop_ Kik: pol_lop

Caity Lotz Is A Superhero

Even if she only plays a de-powered one on TV. Things went on an interesting trip when it came to the introduction of Black Canary on the CW show Arrow. So far I like the way things have happened even though Black Canary is usually a meta-human, perhaps the Flash TV show will fill my meta-human void. Enough though with my TV reviewing skills let us move to the gorgeous Caity Lotz.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is what I would like to see a lot more of on TV a very positive body image. The fact that you are here reading this means there is a decent chance you agree with me we can only go on hoping that the media will move away from skinny = sexy.