Corpus Christi, Texas<\/p>\n
Stats:<\/strong> 28 \u2022 125 lb \u2022 5\u20198\u2033<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Counselor and personal trainer<\/p>\n In a sport where\u00a0visuals are everything, you\u2019d assume\u00a0blindness would pose quite a challenge.\u00a0Yet for NPC bikini competitor Brittany\u00a0Culp \u2014 who lost her sight gradually due to\u00a0a hereditary eye condition \u2014 that\u2019s not the\u00a0case. \u201cBeing blind is an inconvenience at\u00a0times, but the biggest obstacle has actually\u00a0been myself,\u201d Culp says. \u201cI\u2019ve struggled with\u00a0depression a majority of my life, and I tend to\u00a0get in my own head. It has taken time to learn\u00a0to see outside myself and find the positive.\u201d<\/p>\n Culp got into bikini\u00a0competition in 2013, and she immediately\u00a0switched from being a cardio queen to a\u00a0strength-training devotee. Her hard work\u00a0has paid off: In 2017, she won her height\u00a0class at the NPC Texas Cup, which qualified\u00a0her for the 2018 NPC Nationals where she\u00a0made third call-out in her class. Her goal\u00a0now is to earn her pro card \u2014 though others\u00a0can\u2019t comprehend her obsession. \u201cI\u2019m a blind\u00a0woman in an industry that focuses on what\u00a0you can see, and though I can\u2019t see how I\u00a0look, I can still feel it,\u201d Culp says.<\/p>\n These days, Culp follows\u00a0a five-day split of legs, back and calves,\u00a0shoulders and abs, arms and calves, and\u00a0glutes and hamstrings. She does cardio three\u00a0to six days per week, depending on where\u00a0she is in her competitive season. \u201cIt\u2019s a mix of\u00a0steady-state fasted cardio or interval cardio\u00a0after lifting,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Lakeland, Florida<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 27 \u2022 140 lb \u2022 5\u20198\u2033<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Online personal trainer<\/p>\n Emily Cramer was in\u00a0dance classes before she turned 3, started\u00a0weightlifting at 19 and did her first bikini\u00a0competition when she was 22, and she can\u00a0instantly point to her fitness inspiration \u2014 her\u00a0mom, Anita Susanne, who was a competitive\u00a0runner and Spin instructor. But in 2018,\u00a0after a three-year battle with melanoma,\u00a0her mom passed away on the morning of\u00a0Cramer\u2019s wedding. \u201cI was crushed,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u201cI struggled to eat, sleep and even complete\u00a0the smallest daily tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n Realizing she needed to\u00a0find her footing again, Cramer made it her\u00a0goal to qualify for the NPC National Bikini\u00a0Championships. \u201cI channeled my grief into\u00a0the one thing I knew would make me feel\u00a0close to my mom \u2014 fitness,\u201d she says. A few\u00a0months later, she was onstage in Miami for the\u00a02018 NPC Nationals, and though she finished\u00a0outside the top 15, she has plans to return and\u00a0win her pro card.<\/p>\n Cramer now works as\u00a0an online personal trainer and hits the gym for\u00a0her own workouts five to six days per week.\u00a0She prioritizes legs and trains them two or\u00a0three times a week, and as a tribute to mom:\u00a0\u201cI also teach Spin classes two to four times a\u00a0week in the evenings to spice things up,\u201d she\u00a0says. And though she eats a mostly clean diet\u00a0year-round, she admits that her favorite cheat\u00a0is Mexican food.<\/p>\n Brooklyn, New York<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 32 \u2022 122 lb \u2022 5\u20197\u2033<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Holistic nutritionist, yoga teacher and fitness model<\/p>\n After years of struggling with\u00a0digestive issues, cystic acne and chronic stress,\u00a0Johanna Sambucini had had enough. \u201cI was\u00a0in my early 20s and didn\u2019t understand what it\u00a0really meant to train or eat healthy,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u00a0wanted to change the way I looked and felt and\u00a0set out to improve my quality of life holistically.\u201d<\/p>\n The former high-school\u00a0cheerleader then developed an unorthodox\u00a0workout plan that she still follows today. \u201cI\u00a0start each day at 6 a.m. with Ashtanga Vinyasa\u00a0yoga, then I strength-train three to four times\u00a0per week,\u201d she says. \u201cAfterward, I either\u00a0take a flexibility and contortion class or do\u00a0handstand training. I also incorporate acrobatic\u00a0conditioning, mobility training and bodyweight\u00a0calisthenics into my week.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2010,\u00a0Sambucini decided to try fitness competition\u00a0and did several shows, winning some and\u00a0losing some. \u201cEven though winning is great,\u00a0it\u2019s more about the journey, the feeling of\u00a0accomplishment and the friends you make\u00a0along the way,\u201d she says. \u201cTo me, that is\u00a0winning.\u201d<\/p>\n Sambucini currently\u00a0works with women to improve their gut health\u00a0and hormonal balance through nutrition. \u201cMy\u00a0mission is to empower women by educating\u00a0them about whole-food nutrition and movement\u00a0using a functional approach,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 29 \u2022 135 lb \u2022 5\u20195\u00bd\u201d<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Licensed practical nurse<\/p>\n Busy careers and long work\u00a0hours have succinctly derailed many a fitness\u00a0ambition, but Kalley Tucker was determined\u00a0to avoid that common pitfall. \u201cMy health and\u00a0wellness are very important to me, and although\u00a0I work 12-hour shifts as a nurse, I\u2019ll hit the gym\u00a0after work \u2014 and before crawling into bed,\u201d\u00a0she says. \u201cPeople make time for what\u2019s really\u00a0important to them \u2014 and I\u2019m no exception.\u201d<\/p>\n But fitness wasn\u2019t always\u00a0a priority for Tucker, who was far from athletic\u00a0growing up. It wasn\u2019t until her early 20s that\u00a0Tucker embraced exercise when a friend who\u00a0owned a personal training business encouraged\u00a0her to compete. \u201cI quickly fell in love with the\u00a0sport of bikini and how empowered it made\u00a0me feel,\u201d she says. Since then, she\u2019s entered\u00a0six competitions, and in 2017, Tucker earned\u00a0pro status in the Natural Physique & Athletics\u00a0Association as an elite pro bikini model.<\/p>\n While she\u2019ll\u00a0occasionally indulge in Asian takeout for a cheat\u00a0meal, Tucker keeps her diet pretty clean year-round.\u00a0She also has a unique breakfast idea:\u00a0eggs in a bag. \u201cIt\u2019s basically a two-egg omelet\u00a0with veggies and ham, which I put, uncooked,\u00a0into a sealable sandwich bag,\u201d she says. \u201cEach\u00a0morning, I boil the bag in water for about 13\u00a0minutes and the eggs slide out easily \u2014 in\u00a0perfect omelet shape!\u201d<\/p>\n Atlanta, Georgia<\/p>\n Stats:<\/strong> 37 \u2022 135 lb \u2022 5\u20197\u00bd\u201d<\/p>\n Gig:<\/strong> Home Depot project planning team<\/p>\n When\u00a0Shondreka Palmer was 12 years old, she was\u00a0hit by a van, which shattered her right leg and\u00a0arm. \u201cI had reconstructive surgery and my\u00a0right leg was casted,\u201d she says. \u201cI was confined\u00a0to a wheelchair for months until I was strong\u00a0enough to stand, then went to crutches for a\u00a0couple of months.\u201d But her work was not over\u00a0yet. Palmer had to literally relearn how to\u00a0walk. \u201cIt took about one and a half years until I\u00a0could walk and run again,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Palmer discovered\u00a0strength training in college, but she then\u00a0received a scary heath diagnosis. \u201cAt a routine\u00a0checkup, they discovered that one of my heart\u00a0valves was leaking,\u201d Palmer says. \u201cThat\u2019s when\u00a0my fitness journey really began.\u201d She created\u00a0a consistent workout regimen, which included\u00a0cardio four to five days per week to ensure\u00a0the blood fl ow to her heart remained strong.\u00a0She also revamped her diet. \u201cI grew up eating\u00a0ramen noodles, fi sh sticks, frozen TV dinners\u00a0and the like,\u201d she says. \u201cSo I taught myself how\u00a0to cook healthy meals.\u201d<\/p>\n These days, Palmer hits the\u00a0gym five to six days a week while managing\u00a0multiple responsibilities. \u201cI\u2019m trying to live\u00a0my best life while being a single parent to my\u00a0son Aiden and working my day job as a fitness\u00a0trainer,\u201d Palmer says. She has also managed to\u00a0fit competing into her life and has done three\u00a0bikini contests to date, finishing top five in each.<\/p>\n Think you have\u00a0what it takes?\u00a0Send your story\u00a0to future of fitness@oxygenmag.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Corpus Christi, Texas Stats: 28 \u2022 125 lb \u2022 5\u20198\u2033 Gig: Counselor and personal trainer Turning a Blind Eye In a sport where\u00a0visuals are everything, you\u2019d assume\u00a0blindness would pose quite a challenge.\u00a0Yet for NPC bikini competitor Brittany\u00a0Culp \u2014 who lost her sight gradually due to\u00a0a hereditary eye condition \u2014 that\u2019s not the\u00a0case. \u201cBeing blind is an inconvenience at\u00a0times, but the biggest obstacle has actually\u00a0been myself,\u201d Culp says. \u201cI\u2019ve struggled with\u00a0depression a majority of my life, and I tend to\u00a0get in my own head. It has taken time to learn\u00a0to see outside myself and find the positive.\u201d Competitive Spirit Culp got […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[114,204,205,206,203,207],"class_list":["post-2462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-womens-health","tag-healthy-living","tag-mind-and-body","tag-motivation","tag-style-and-beauty","tag-womens-fitness-personalities","tag-womens-health","post--single"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2462"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2858,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2462\/revisions\/2858"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Turning a Blind Eye<\/h3>\n
Competitive Spirit<\/h3>\n
Workoutwise<\/h3>\n
Emily Cramer<\/h2>\n
Love, Lost<\/h3>\n
Goal Girl<\/h3>\n
Homage to Mom<\/h3>\n
Johanna Sambucini<\/h2>\n
Fed Up<\/h3>\n
Stranger Things<\/h3>\n
Win Some, Lose Some<\/h3>\n
Nutrition Know-How<\/h3>\n
Kalley Tucker<\/h2>\n
Fitting It In<\/h3>\n
Friendly Advice<\/h3>\n
Bizarre Breakfast<\/h3>\n
Shondreka Palmer<\/h2>\n
Life-Shattering Accident<\/h3>\n
Heartbreaker<\/h3>\n
Juggling Act<\/h3>\n
Calling All\u00a0Fit Women<\/h2>\n