Up Close With Fitness Celeb, Lori Harder

As part of a new series, I will be featuring a variety of Fitness Celebrities who are transforming the fitness industry with their talent, beauty, and amazing skills, to inspire those of you thinking about competing or making a change in your lifestyle.

This week I am featuring Fitness America Competitor and Oxygen Model, Lori Harder. Lori Harder is a natural on stage and is sure to be one of the favorites going into next week’s Fitness America Pageant.  See how this 28 year old balances her busy schedule and is helping motivate and train others wanting to make a break into the world of fitness.

Name: Lori Harder

Age: 28

Claim to Fame: Consistently placing in the top five at every Fitness America Pageant I have entered in the past three years. Also recently being featured in several Oxygen spreads.

Hometown: Marquette, Mi
How did you get involved in the fitness industry? I remember watching Fitness America Pageants on TV and saying I was going to do it one day. Years later after going about it the wrong way, I came accross a camp put on by Cathy Savage covering all things competing. I hopped on plane to go see her and never looked back. My world was changed!

Occupation: Personal Trainer and Fitness Model

On your time….How do you balance your time between family, work, and your fitness career? I have to stay organized and schedule time blocks for work, grocery shopping, meal planning, working out and making sure to mark down times or days just for my loved ones. In this career there is ALWAYS something to do. You need to make certain things a priority and just learn to turn it off during your down time or you will go crazy! I have learned that skipping one thing on my list can throw my whole week off.

In your fridge? I try to switch it up but you can be sure I will always have Grilled Chicken, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Grapefruit, Sweet Potatos, Eggs, Greek Yogurt, Bluberries, Oatmeal, a laundry list of spices and Parmesan for when I need some cheese in my life. I like variety and cooking so this list could go on for a while!
What keeps you motivated? Knowing what is on the other side of a fit lifestyle. I come from a very inactive, heavy background and I remeber the feeling of being unhealthy, depressed, unhappy and wanting to blame everyone else for it but myself. It really spilled into every avenue of my life. I will never go back to that. I just want all people to know the power of food, activity and positive thinking.

What is your proudest moment? Each goal I have reached has been important to me. I used to never finish things I started, but now I know I am the only person who has control over my happiness and what I get out of life. Every time I compete I am so happy that I got up there and did my best to do better than the last time. I also am so proud and grateful for the opportunity to be featured in Oxygen magazine since it has been my source of inspiration for so many years.
Is there anything left that you still want to accomplish in the fitness industry? Yes, it is never ending. I want to compete in Fitness next year (not just Figure and Bikini). This is scary for me to even say out loud since I haven’t the first clue about it besides the fact that I love to watch it. I am doing yoga 2-3 times per week to try and prep for it. Also, I would of course love to keep on Fitness modeling, since it is by far some of the most fun I have ever had!
What advice would you offer to someone looking to compete? Never quit. The only difference between you and the person doing what you want is that they never stopped trying after each failure. You learn nothing from the wins, but you learn everything from the failures.

Anything else that you have in the works, (magazines, books, sites, appearances, etc.) or anything else that you would like to share about yourself. I just got back from shooting at Oxygen Magazine again!  I will also be competing at this years Fitness America Pageant in Vegas. I am so excited because I have been coaching six girls thru Cathy Savage Fitness that are new to the FAP stage! I can’t wait to see them up there. I also just launched my website recently for training and fitness modeling. www.LoriharderFitness.com. I hope to stay busy in the industry and keep helping people reach their fitness goals.

Be sure to check out Lori Harder on stage this weekend at the upcoming Fitness America Pageant in Las Vegas.  For more information about the show, check out Fitness America.com

Amber Stone’s Body of Stone Fitness

For anyone living in and around the Tri-County area, there is a new fitness center located in London, KY that you must check-out! Body of Stone Fitness, owned and operated by Amber Stone is the only place in town you can find a fully certified staff of personal trainers with all the required education and experience.

 
Body of Stone Fitness facility is the only facility in town with instructors certified by the International Youth Conditioning Association.
Amber and her team of trainers offer a wide variety of group exercise classes, personal training, bootcamps, as well as many other additional services. Their mission is to inspire people to make positive changes, thereby realizing their optimal potential.

 

Amber is living this mission as she recently competed in the Bikini Universe Competition in Miami Beach, Florida and has her sights set on competing in the Fitness America Pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada in November.  Amber is the proud mother of two children and resides in London, KY with her husband, Chris Stone.

If you are interested in learning more about Body of Stone Fitness you can contact Amber.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about competing in fitness contact Brooke today.

Brooke Griffin Wins Fitness Universe

On June 19, 2009, Brooke Johnson Griffin was crowned the new Fitness Universe Champion. The competition was immense as the top five finalists included past Fitness America and Fitness Universe winners Sherri Vucick and Else Lautala along with fitness veterans Annette Perry and Andi Martin. The routines performed at the Friday night show demonstrated a mix of strength, flexibility, gymnastics, and dance and were some of the most entertaining routines ever seen on a fitness stage. Brooke wowed the judges with her new “Braveheart” themed routine choreographed by the renowned Cathy Savage. During the swimsuit round, Brooke displayed a lean but feminine look in the physique round and captivated the audience with a beautiful custom suit designed by Amy Ardizonne. Brooke is sponsored by Cathy Savage Fitness and Suits by Amy.

 

To see a video of the winning routine check out Brooke Johnson Griffin on Youtube here:

The Fitness Universe Pageant was held in Miami Beach, Florida and was host to over 250 contestants from several different countries. Contestants vied for the titles of Fitness Universe, Bikini Universe, Model Universe, and Musclemania Champion. The show was hosted by the amazing Lindsay Messina and will be televised on ESPN International.

Brooke also competed in the Bikini Universe Competition and took third place in her class. To see a video of Brooke Johnson Griffin in the Bikini Universe Competition click here:

To learn more about how you can get involved in fitness or to learn more about competing in an upcoming show please contact Brooke or visit Cathy Savage Fitness.

How To Compete in Fitness and Why You Should

Whether it is training for a fitness, figure, or bikini show or working towards finishing a marathon, triathlon, or 5K. Set a goal today and you will be more likely to reach it in the future. Studies have shown that if you set realistic and attainable goals and write them down, you will be more likely to achieve these goals. Here are a few tips to getting started:

1. Start by selecting what type of competition that you are interested in and find a date and location that is close to where you live.
2. Give yourself enough prep time for training for the competition and hire a coach or seek the advice of a professional in the event that you wish to compete in.
3. It is also a good idea to watch an event in person or at least see the actual event that you wish to compete in on DVD, Webcast, or Youtube.

Don’t be discouraged if you have never competed before or you feel you don’t have the necessary skills that some of the professionals have on stage. There is a reason they are professionals as they have been competing for years but remember they too had to start somewhere and were once beginners just like you. Here are a few reasons why you should start competing today:

1. The unbelievable, proud, and exciting feeling that you get while you are on stage, crossing the finish line, or performing your fitness routine……
2. Gives you a goal to work towards making it easier for you to stick to your fitness and nutrition goals
3. Meet amazing new people and make lifelong friends
4. Travel to new locations
5. Media Exposure at various shows and competitions
6. For the challenge of trying something new and maybe out of your comfort zone
7. Be a role model for your children, family and friends
8. The chance to perform on stage in front of people
9. The opportunity to be competitive in a sport or event that you enjoy
10. For the fun of it!