Musée Magazine Issue No. 19 - Power | Page 28

They’re eating a lot of protein - ten chicken breasts a day, lots of fish, protein shakes, etc. So in the be- ginning they’re just trying to bulk up, gain as much as they can, so they get a little chubby at times, big without much definition. When it comes closer to the competition they cut out all the carbs, keeping up the same workout routine, so their bodies are forced to burn fat for energy, which is the hardest part, because then they begin feeling weak because they don’t have the carbohydrates to sustain the energy. Then at the very end when they’re down to 2-3% body fat, and I believe a woman is supposed to have 8% to be healthy, then they stop drinking so all the liquids from their body leaves their system and they become completely dehydrated, and that’s what makes the muscles pop out even more. ANDREA: Do you have any anecdotes from shooting this series? MARTIN: I invited some of the women to a show I had in Los Angeles, at Ace Gallery off of Rodeo Drive. The mayor was there because it was a joint show with a Latin American artist, and the mayor came to show support . And at some point the lights go down and the music goes up and I had con- structed this mini stage in the gallery, and we put on a female bodybuilder show. And everyone at the gallery was like, WHAT? They were amazed. ANDREA: Outside of bodybuilding, do these women maintain fairly regular lives? MARTIN: Yeah, a lot of these women are married and have children. I think two of them are doctors a