Gina Aliotti

Gina Aliotti is a Monterey, California native but currently resides in San Diego, Ca. Healthy living has been her way of life, as Gina grew up in a very health conscious and active family. Throughout her adolescence, She was involved in softball, field hockey and dance. Once Gina entered her college years, Gina shifted gears and began concentrating on weight training and her love for nutrition. Gina's father (Johnny Aliotti), a previous bodybuilder, introduced her to figure when she was 19. In 2004, she decided to compete, for the first time. After winning the figure teenage division, Gina was hooked. It has been an amazing journey as she climbed to the top of the ranks, turning pro in 2005 and now is one of the top IFBB figure competitors in the world! Gina has evolved within the fitness industry on every level imaginable. Gina has several ventures including a personal training and nutritional consulting business to a high end active wear line, G-Fit Active wear, www.gfitactivewear.com, which she owns with her mother. Gina is also a judge and the woman's chair, for the N.P.C. figure and bikini division in Southern California. Gina is also owner of the newly created M&G Fitness, Inc. which has several ventures in the works, including recipe books, diets and much more. With Gina's experience and B.S. degree in Foods and Nutrition, from San Diego State, she has been able to use her knowledge and expertise to help others. Gina spends a large amount of her time helping clients reach their fitness goals and beyond. Gina's goal is to help motivate and inspire other’s to live a healthy and fit life, through example. To Gina, "Success believing in yourself, finding Balance, and Inspiring Others." Gina lives the lifestyle and sees the importance in teaching people that nutrition and healthy living is a way of life and it is a beautiful thing!

What got you into working out?

What are your favourite exercises? and do you have any special training methods that you use?

How often do you train? & what is your weekly routine?

Do you train any martial arts? if yes, what was your martial arts journey?

Do you all have any special diets?

What is your favourite Healthy Food(s)?

What supplements do you take ? (protein, amino's etc)

What advice would you give our readers on exercising?

Thank you very much for an amazing interview and for taking your time to give our readers something really great to think about, achieve and strive for!!

I have always been active and involved in team sports. I was raised in a very health conscious environment, as my father

was a competitive bodybuilder and my mother owned a health food store. I had always had a love for healthy cooking and learning about nutrition. I went to San Diego State University, graduating with a B.S. in Foods and Nutrition. During college, I didn’t have as much time for team sports so started focusing on my own personal goals with weight training and healthy eating. My father introduced me to figure when I was 19 and we both competed in my first show. After winning my first show, in 2004 and turning Pro at my first National show, I was hooked and the rest is history! From there competed as a professional figure competitor and have been blessed to climb the ranks fast and compete in two of the biggest shows of the year, The Arnold Classic and Olympia, winning the Arnold in 2008 and coming in running up at the Olympia for the past 3 years. I have been truly blessed to have been so successful both on stage and off stage!!

My favourite exercise is straight leg dead lifts and shoulder presses. Targeting perhaps the 2 most areas for a figure competitor, glute-hamstring tie in and delts. Training offers me a challenge to continually strive to change and refine my training and nutritional strategies to allow me to continually improve and grow, mentally and physically. I love the sense of satisfaction and completion you get, at the end of the day, when you know you have given your all!

Training, along with being very physical, is extremely mental, in my opinion, more mental than physical. The mental challenges and obstacles you have to overcome are a constant battle but they only make you stronger. Training has not only allowed me to learn my body and myself but allowed me to find my passion in life, which is helping others do the same! First of all, I have learned to listen to my body, over the years. I use to be very regimented in my ways and approaches, thinking there was only one way to do things. Now, I have learned that change is good and too much regiment is not good for you, both mentally and physically. This prep has been extremely fun because I have listened to my mind and body. If I go into the gym and feel like running a mile or two, I do. If I walk into the gym and it is my usual shoulder day but I feel like training glutes, I’ll train glutes.

I really just have had a lot of fun with my training and cardio activities.

My training stays consistent with 4-5 days a week with light weights, usually circuit type training. During contest season

I do 1-1.5 hours of cardio a day and only about 30-45 minutes of cardio a day, 4-5 days a week, during the off season.

A sample training program includes 4-5 days of weight training with 4-5 days of 30-45 minutes of cardio. I train each body part one time a week except shoulders and glutes/hamstrings, which I train twice. Trying to gain sexy muscle and curves, I suggest training with moderate weight and with a rep range of 12-15, again constantly changing exercises, reps, rest and sets.

A typical workout should be no longer than 50 minutes with about 30-60 seconds rest in between sets.

A typical week may go like this:

MON-SHOULDERS, UPPER CHEST, ABS, CARDIO

TUES-BACK, BI’S, CARDIO

WED-OFF

THURS-LEGS (GLUTES & HAMS), ABS

FRI-SHOULDERS, TRICEPS, CALVES, CARDIO

SAT-HAMSTRINGS, GLUTES, ABS, CARDIO

SUN-OFF, CARDIO ONLY

No, I have never trained any martial arts.

A sample diet for me and an ideal program for gaining lean muscle is something similar to this:

Meal 1: egg whites, oatmeal, almonds

Meal 2: egg whites, oatmeal, small apple (sometimes low fat cottage cheese)

Meal 3: big salad, chicken, yam

Meal 4: protein shake, rice cakes with peanut butter

Meal 5:white fish, brown rice, veggies

Meal 6: chicken breast, big salad and veggies

Meal 7: protein shake or egg whites

This is a pretty typical days diet for me. I eat something similar to this diet with a moderate refuel meal, where I

allow myself to have something fun and creative. I enjoy a refuel meal once a week. I also incorporate some high

and low carbohydrate days to keep my body constantly guessing and in a relatively lean place, year round.

My favorite health foods include oatmeal, natural nut butters, all types of seafood and tons of vegetables! I love to cook

healthy meals and have come up with some really creative recipes, so really I love all my healthy meals. I am so

passionate about my healthy cooking that I have come up with a healthy recipe downloadable e-book, Fit:50’s, 50 Recipes

for Balance Living and am working on other downloadable recipe e-books. Throughout my childhood and life I have always

been passionate about healthy cooking and as I started competing, I tailored all my recipes to go hand in hand with my diet

and fitness goals! It is pretty amazing what delicious, healthy and creative recipes I have come up with!!

I take minimal supplements but my staples are Essential Fatty Acids (Omega 3-6-9’s), whey protein powder, multi vitamins, extra calcium, Brach Chain Amino Acids, on occasion, and glutamine.

I tell anyone who is getting involved in the fitness world to follow their heart and never let go of their dreams. When times get tough, remember that if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. In the long run, the sense of accomplishment you feel when you reach your goals, is worth the sacrifices a hundred times over. Remember the sense of accomplishment and completion you will feel when it is all said and done, is indescribable. I promise you, the feeling is completely indescribable and it is all reeling you will have with your forever. Remember that this fitness lifestyle is a way of life and not just a temporary thing. I suggest you focus on goal setting. So many people have their hearts set on fitness goals but are not realistic or specific with what they are trying to achieve. I use this acronym, S.M.A.R.T. to help people when they are making their goals.

S = Specific– Goals need to be straightforward, definitive and you need to know what you want so you can focus on how we are going to accomplish our goal! Instead of, I want to get in the best shape of my life, be specific and define what that is!

M = Measurable-If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. How do you know if you have accomplished your goal if there is nothing to measure it against? Ex: I want to do 20 minutes of carido 3x/week vs. I want to do more cardio. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the feeling of success and achievement that that keeps you going to achieve your ultimate goal!

A = Attainable-Goals you set which are too far out of your reach you probably won’t commit to doing. Although you may

start with the best of intentions, if it is not attainable, you will not fully commit, complete and accomplish!

R = Realistic–Realistic, in this case, means “do-able” NOT “easy”. Make a plan or a way of getting there which makes

the goal realistic. A goal of never again eating chocolate again may not be realistic for someone who really enjoys a

piece of chocolate here and there. Are you really “never” going to eat chocolate again? NO, so don’t set yourself up

for an unrealistic goal.

T =timely- Set a time frame for the goal: for next week, in three months, etc. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.—

I suggest people set up mini goals so you feel accomplished along the way and therefore motivated to keep moving forward.

Follow these key pointers and You are on your way to success!!

You can accomplish anything you set your heart to and if there is something you want to achieve, as long as you map out your plan of attack, take it in strides, one day at a time, and the right support group, you can accomplish anything…

I have been fortunate to start my own training and nutritional business focusing mostly on my online services and a

very interactive members section of my website, where I offer tons of information for both the competitor and non

competitor. I am very excited about my newly revised members where I offer tons of tips, tools, encouragement,

motivation, and an extremely supportive network of people with similar interests who are searching for information on

how to live this amazing balanced fitness lifestyle! My members section is full of all my delicious healthy recipes, healthy cooking training videos, questions and answer section, a very interactive forum I am very involved in, free Fit:50 downloads, including my recipe book and Fed to Be Wed Diet, discounts on other products and much more! It is a great way to be

involved in a network of health conscious individuals who are eager to learn how to make this a realistic lifestyle!

I have been living this life my whole life it is second nature to me. I am so excited to teach others how to make this a way

of life and a very doable part of living. Not a diet but a way of life!! With my healthy recipes, you will see how your diet does

not have to consist of chicken and broccoli but delicious meals!! I also offer training videos, including my weekly circuit workouts that can be performed in the luxury of your own home, so you don’t even have to go to a gym.

Offer a pro shop selling my Training and Nutritional DVD, motivational calendar (used for any year), autographed motivational photos, a Series of my line of download able e-books called Fit:50, time for a new way of living. Consists of a Fed to Be Wed - wedding diet (6 weeks to get into shape) also can be used for a 6 week program, even if you aren’t preparing for a wedding and also our fit 50 recipe book, full of balanced, healthy recipes!

I also am co owner with my mother of our Active wear clothing line, g-fit activewear. We carry a limited line of activewear that can be worn both inside and outside of the gym!! Not only is it versatile, comfortable, functional but stylish!

I am very excited to help others with their fitness goals. If there is anything I can do or any questions you may have, please feel free to contact me at gina@mandgfitness.com and please check out my website, www.ginaaliotti.net , for more information!

I want to thank all my fans, supporters, manager (FMG Productions, my friends family and my beautiful Fiancé, Michael Silva for all his continuous support!

http://ginaaliotti.net/

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