Will well-developed buttocks help one win a bikini beauty contest?
Since the bikini competition category was established at the Olympia eight years ago, Ashley Kaltwasser has stood at the top spot three times (from 2013 to 2015) becoming the first rookie to take the title in 2013. And she’s aiming to be back on the podium this September.
“My goal is to take home the title of Ms. Bikini Olympia for the fourth time so I’ll need to come in with my best appearance yet,” she says.
Kaltwasser has placed first in 15 IFBB Pro League events from the time she first joined in 2011. But after winning in 2015, she decided to take a much-deserved break from competition. Note though that this doesn’t mean she abandoned the gym.
“Taking a break from competitions allowed me to focus on lifting heavy and not having to constantly prep,” she says.
Kaltwasser trains six days a week, including five days of strength and three days of cardio. Like everyone else, she has good days and bad, but she uses the down days as motivation to keep her going.
“There will always be times when you don’t feel like hitting the gym — but those are the days you make the most improvements,” she notes. “Attitude is a powerful thing, and it’s important to learn how to build up your mind as well as your body.”
Kaltwasser’s competitive streak dates back to her youth. Growing up in Akron, Ohio, she started competing in gymnastics at age four. She switched to running in high school where she broke seven records for track and set a record in cross-country. Kaltwasser began training in 2011 and found that she was instantly drawn to the world of competitive fitness.
She emphasizes that a competitor’s diet doesn’t have to be miserable.
“I believe in eating tasty foods during prep,” she says. “If you don’t like a certain food in your diet, then just make a substitution.” During prep she’ll typically remove additives like almond milk, coffee creamer, and other condiments and cut down on any extra food nibbling, while making an effort to increase her water consumption to at least 1½ gallons a day.
One of Kaltwasser’s best asset is her well-developed buttocks. In her website, she laments on how majority of women she sees working out in gyms commit mistakes in glute training. The most common mistake is making squats and deadlifts one’s primary glutes exercise.
“I did an interesting survey once and found that 60 percent of the people had squats and deadlifts in their top glutes exercises. Now, do squats and deadlifts work the gluteal muscles? They can. Those exercises pretty much work a wide group of muscles. That’s why they’re called multi-joint exercises. Some girls will even swear that their glutes burn after these exercises. I have to admit that I can sometimes feel a great buttock burn when I do my deadlifts,” she says.
“But, they aren’t the primary glute exercises. Research over the last few years are showing that there are specific strengthening exercises that you should be focusing on if you’re goal is to target the glutes. Are you incorporating exercises like these (Hip Thrust, Quadruped Exercises, Bridging, Back extensions and Single leg hip thrusts) into your glutes training programs?” she asks.
Kaltwasser hopes her hard work and dedication will pay off in Las Vegas this September but acknowledges she’s had to adapt to the sport as it continues to grow. “The sport of bikini is always changing. If you take a look back at the first few years, it looks nothing like what’s being rewarded today,” she says. “The bikini styles, posing and body types have definitely advanced. I have to improve each and every year to keep up. But I love it!”
Women who are interested to be bikini professional athletes need not go abroad to obtain an International Federation of Bodybuilding (IFBB) Pro Card. This Sept. 8, the first Musclecontest Philippines will be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center.
Athlete registration and weigh-in start on Sept. 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Activity Center of Harbor Point in Subic. This will be followed by a posing and bodybuilding workshop from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. A welcome reception will follow from 6 to 8 p.m. At 10 a.m. the following day until 3 p.m., preliminary judging will be done to select the finalists for six categories. At 5 p.m., the final judging will commence. At 7 p.m., the newly awarded bikini pro will compete with visiting bikini pros from around the world for an IFBB Bikini Pro title.
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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.
