This post hits close to home. Ashley is one of the most motivational and inspiring women who I follow and met through Instagram. Who would have thought that social media would have such a big impact on my life! Ashley’s daily posts are one of the most influential things that pushed me to dig deeper into fitness and really find my passion. After a few emails back and forth, starting with questions I had for her about Cellucor (she is an affiliate), then leading to her giving me a complete meal plan, I could not be more grateful to know her. Not only beautiful on the outside, Ashley is so passionate about what she does and truly finds motivation in helping others with their goals. With that said, I had to get her on the blog for an interview, hoping she can have as much of an impact on you as she has me. So here she is: Fit Gal Ashley Nordman.
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your fitness lifestyle.
My name is Ashley Nordman and I am a 21 year old women’s figure competitor. I was born and raised in a small town in Illinois, where I grew up in the country. I was constantly outside playing games, rollerblading, riding bikes, and playing sports. When I reached high school, I fell in love with running. I was the caption of our Cross Country team, and I always played an important role on the Track team as well. When college came around, I was burned out from 4 years of running, and I was also extremely lean. I was uncomfortable with my tiny physique, so I started researching some new types of exercise. I looked on Bodybuilding.com, fell in love with Jamie Eason’s body, and told myself that I was going to do whatever it took to look like her! I started weightlifting and focusing more on my nutrition, and I quickly fell in love. The weights were a new challenge for me, and they helped me put on some much-needed muscle! Throughout college, I grew even more passionate about this new lifestyle, and I was a huge advocate for healthy living. I joined a private gym during the summer of my Sophomore year of college, and this is where I fell into the sport of bodybuilding. I met a personal trainer who was a professional bodybuilder, and he recommended that I pursue it. I loved the idea of a new challenge, so I started working with him right away. In just 12 weeks, I prepped for my first competition, the OCB Midwest States in November of 2012, where I won 1st place and Overall in Women’s Figure Novice! From then on, I knew that bodybuilding was my new sport. Since then, I have competed just one more time, in the NPC USA Coastal in August of 2013, where I prepped by myself and won 1st place and Overall in Women’s Figure Open, which qualified me for Nationals! This year, I plan to compete in Nationals, as well as two other competitions, and I also plan to do my own prep. Along this journey, where my lifestyle involves eating healthy, weight training, and finding inner happiness, I am focusing on being as selfless as possible and to help others reach their health and wellness goals!
2. What are your goals and how are you working towards them?
My current goals are to compete in Nationals this year with the best physique I’ve ever had, to inspire others to work towards their own fitness goals, and to become an IFBB Pro. Each and every day I work towards these goals by being disciplined, putting others before myself, having patience, working as hard as I can, and staying positive!
3. What is your biggest accomplishment so far?
My biggest accomplishment is that I have been able to inspire women to change their lives for the better, and all through social media! I mainly use Instagram and I absolutely love each and every one of my followers!
4. What do your eating habits consist of? Walk us through your average day.
I eat ALL the time! I eat every three hours, and I eat 99% whole foods! Typically, I wake up, eat some egg whites and cream of wheat with a little fruit, and drink a small cup of coffee. A few hours later, I will have egg whites or a protein shake with a serving of almonds and vegetables. For lunch, I typically eat 4 oz grilled chicken with spinach and vegetables, and I also have a sweet potato with cinnamon on top! My afternoon snack is always a Cellucor protein shake (protein, ice, almond milk, and a banana!), and my dinner is usually 4oz ground turkey with oats or brown rice, and more vegetables! Before bed, I often have plain greek yogurt with almond butter.
5. What’s your favorite form of exercise?
My favorite form of exercise is weightlifting! I LOVE lifting heavy weights and really pushing myself out of my comfort zone!
6. What motivates you?
My Instagram followers motivate me, my next competition motivates me, and my friends and family motivate me as well.
7. What piece of advice can you give others who are looking to get fit?
I have two important pieces of advice. The first is to learn and research as much as you can when it comes to healthy eating, working out, and the lifestyle changes that are involved. Read blogs, see what fitness icons do to reach their goals, read forums on Bodybuilding.com, or even ask a friend or personal trainer in the area. Secondly, be patient and persistent! NEVER give up on your goals, and realize that the changes you want are going to take some time. We live in a society where we want things to happen now! But with fitness, that’s not the way it works. We must work for what we want, and we must be patient and let our body slowly get into the shape we want. 🙂
Ashley, thank you so much for all your help and constant support! I seriously can’t thank you enough.
You can find Ashley on Instagram: Passion2befit
