Featured Body Transformation
Cathleen Kronemer



BASIC STATS

Name: Cathleen Kronemer
Age: 47
Location: St. Louis, MO
Height: 5’ 4”
Weight Before/After: 96lbs. Before / 108lbs. After
Years Involved In Fitness: 20+
Favorite Bodyparts: Back and triceps
Favorite Exercises: Weighted dips, low cable crossovers, decline tricep extensions
Favorite Supplements: Isopure whey protein isolate, Apex Anabolic Amino XTreme, BCAA’s


INTERVIEW

1) Can you tell The M.F.I.C members a little bit about yourself?

For years I struggled with anorexia. When I was 38, I spent a month living in a residential treatment center for eating disorders, with a nasogastric feeding tube.


2) What were your initial motivations for transforming your body?

I wanted to find a healthy outlet for my need to control my body, and bodybuilding forced me to focus on consuming sufficient calories, not only to survive, but to develop lean muscle mass.


3) How long have you been on your program for and what kind of success have you experienced so far?

I started training seriously in late 2001/early 2002, and began competing in 2005.  As for success, I have been blessed with 15 trophies, including several First Place wins and an Overall win, as well as “Best Poser”.


4) How has this success changed your day-to-day life for the better?

The real success is that I now eat for results in the gym, whereas previously I avoided food in an effort to control my life.  I am healthier than I have ever been; and even though I am still obsessive about many things, I feel I have turned my obsession into a more positive direction. I actually eat 6-7 times a day now!


5) Did you experience any setbacks along the way? If so, what were they and how did you get past them?

There are always setbacks on any long-term journey of growth. There were times when my trainer didn’t feel my nutrition had been sufficient for the week, and the result was that he wouldn’t take me to the next level on certain exercises as promised. I once had to wait two full weeks before getting to try weighted dips using his weight belt! But it was for the best; and the trust I have developed with him continues to allow me to move forward.

Always my setbacks have been the result of insufficient nutrition, which I guess is always going to be my sticking point. I get past them by constantly reminding myself to strive for excellence, not perfection.


6) What type of training plan has worked best for you?

I cycle my training, so I never give my body an opportunity to plateau. I’ll go for 4-6 weeks doing heavy weights / low reps. Then I’ll go for moderate weights and an 8-10 rep range for a few weeks. But when I finish with 4-5 weeks of light weights / high reps, I always find that I’ve made growth gains.


7) What type of nutrition plan has worked best for you?

I follow a pretty tight regimen, one that requires me to wake up at around 5:00 each morning just so I can get that first meal in by 5:30! I somewhat cycle my carbs to correspond with the type of training for that day. Generally my macronutrient percentages are around 40% carbs and protein, 20% fats most days. But on heavy lifting days, it turns out to be closer to 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fats. Closer to competition, it all changes again. One key aspect is the timing of meals. Certain foods have to be eaten at certain times to maximize results. Sometimes I feel that this would all be so much harder if I wasn’t a scientist!


8) What muscle building and/or fat loss supplements have you used? Which ones worked for you and which ones didn’t?

I use whey protein powder post-workout, casein protein powder later in the day, branched-chain amino acids, and biotin. Closer to competition, I also take additional amino acid supplements: Acetyl-L-carnitine, chromium picolinate, and sometimes HMB. I have tried dessicated liver tablets, but didn’t find them to be terribly effective. In general, a sound nutrition plan will give your body most of what it needs. Surprisingly, I found that consuming sufficient fluids has helped me tremendously!


9) What are your future fitness goals?

I hope to continue on my path of training hard and competing once or twice each year. It would be fun to do some fitness modeling, too. I currently teach aerobics and am a personal trainer, and I hope to be engaging in both of those endeavors for many more years to come! I am a contributing writer for American Fitness magazine, and would love to be writing for other publications as well.


10) What are the top 3 tips you would give to others who are interested in beginning a muscle building and/or fat burning program?

Tip #1: Understand that you will get out of this only what you put into it. Be realistic about your goals. Dedication is hard work, but it is also rewarding.

Tip #2: Do your research. Find someone whom you trust and with whom you can be comfortable working. To a large extent, bodybuilding is a solo sport; but you do need someone to guide you and who can be totally honest with you (about your abilities, your progress, your look). We often are unable to accurately judge ourselves. Plus, success is so much more meaningful when you can share the joy of it!

Tip #3: Be patient. This is perhaps the most difficult one. Bodybuilding takes time, a lot of time. If you can find a way to celebrate each small milestone, then you’ll have fun on your journey! It really is all about the path and not the destination.