“ Just knowing I started truly bodybuilding in 2013 , not knowing a single thing , to be a pro now is still crazy to me .”
Photo by SEAN NELSON sean-nelson . com
Ortega said she plans to take 2022 off from competing to focus on preparing for the higher level of competition she will be facing at the pro level , and plans to make her professional debut in 2023 .
“ At the pro level , everyone looks good , so you ’ ve got to really be on top of your game ,” she said .
Ortega said competing as a bodybuilder is a huge commitment for anyone wanting to do so , as the preparation takes a lot more than just a regular gym routine .
Each competition takes several months of preparation before the actual day of the event , and that preparation includes a change in diet and cardio exercise to prepare for the stage , Ortega said .
“ It ’ s not just going to the gym and doing your workout . It ’ s preparing your meals , measuring every single thing out , doing your cardio as soon as you wake up , going to train later that day and then doing more cardio ,” she said . “ It ’ s an all-day thing , every single day , for weeks .”
That routine starts out hard and only gets harder as it gets closer to the day of the contest , Ortega said .
“ It gets tougher the closer you get because you have to be so lean when you ’ re on the stage , so that last couple of weeks get really , really tough ,” she said .
While the going gets tougher and tougher as the competition approaches , competitors still have to walk out on stage and put on a happy face , Ortega said .
Once the day of the contest arrives , they are similar to beauty pageants , as they both require plenty of preparation for her hair , makeup , outfit and routine — with the addition of a few coats of spray tan for the bodybuilders to really make their muscles stand out , she said .
Ortega said it still feels surreal when thinking about where she started .
“ Just knowing I started truly bodybuilding in 2013 , not knowing a single thing , to be a pro now is still crazy to me ,” she said . C
Cullman magazine | SPRING 2022
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