Diane Rudholm Interview

Why am I a big fan of Diane Rudholm? She is an advanced version of me. Struggled with low self esteem and weight issues, and finally trained her butt off to look as incredible as she does. Diane is what I am hoping to be, and if I do half as good as her, I will be satisfied. Diane is proof that the uninformed thought that some have, that Bikini competitors don't train, and train hard, is incorrect. She does train hard, and the results are obvious just by looking at her. Diane is inspiring and motivating, and trust me, you are going to see more and more of her in this industry. Diane is destined to become a big big name in the fitness industry, and I can not wait to see it happen. So here is my interview with Diane, one of I am very proud of, and one of my favorites.



Q: First, Diane, thanks so much for taking the time to do this.
A: Of course! I appreciate you taking the time to interview me! I think that what you are doing here is so inspiring and helpful to so many people out there!

Q: Can you start out by telling a little about yourself. Family, where you are from things like that.
A: I have lived in Washington my whole life and love it! The constant rain can be annoying at times, but for some reason I still love it here! I'm the oldest of 3 children and love my family dearly! We are all very close and I'm so thankful for them! I'm also a student at the University of Washington and will be graduating in June with my Bachelors in Business Administration!

Q: Before the gym were you always an athletic person? play any sports?
A: I've never been that athletic. I actually consider myself somewhat uncoordinated and clumsy! I played volleyball my first couple years in high school, but nothing competitive. In addition, I gained almost 45lbs after graduating high school, so it took awhile for me to discover my athletic side and live a healthy life!

Q: What made you decide to start working out?
A: When I reached my heaviest weight, my doctor told me I should probably start getting healthy and lose the weight I had gained. So I took his advice and joined Snap Fitness and started working out here and there. I also began to clean up my diet and was happy with the results that I saw. Overall, I was not happy with myself and decided that I needed to make a change. I committed myself to changing my lifestyle and I'm so thankful that I made that change. I can honestly say that it was the best decision I ever made and it turned my life around.

Q: Did you pick it up fairly easy? How long before you saw results?
A: It took me awhile! I definitely had the determination to learn how to lift weights and eat right, but I needed the time to really soak it all up. Let's just say I was VERY uncoordinated when I started and I'm thankful that my trainers had so much patience with me!

Q: What made you decide to go ahead and compete?
A: One day I was working out at my gym, Snap Fitness, and the Fitness Director, Peter De La Rosa, came up to me and asked if I ever thought about competing. I knew nothing about competing, but decided to go for it. I figured I had nothing to lose and I was thankful that Peter and another trainer were willing to put in the time and effort to help me succeed. So I spent four months training hard with Peter and Brent Hruska. It was such a blessing to have them devote so much time to helping me compete because I most likely would have never competed without their assistance.

Q: Was competing something your family and friends supported at the time, and how about now?
A: At the time is was so new that most people around me simply did not understand it. No one in my family really works out and my fiance didn't know much about competing at the time either. While they didn't fully understand what I might be getting myself into, they definitely supported me. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing family and fiance that support me through all that I do. Although I do have to admit that I did lose touch with several friends once I began to fully focus on health and training. Considering the fact that I was 20 years old when I started the competition journey, some people just didn't understand the fact that I didn't want to party or stay out late with them anymore and this caused me to lose touch with some of my friends.

Q: Was the first competition what you expected or did anything surprise you?
A: My first show was the 2008 Washington Ironman. I went into the show expecting nothing. I mean NOTHING! I honestly had never even seen a show and I basically just threw myself in there. Even though I didn't place, it was an amazing experience and since then I've been hooked! The competitors and promoters were all so kind and helpful and this is what surprised me the most. All the girls were so helpful and supportive backstage and I'm so thankful to be part of such an amazing group of competitors in the Northwest.

Q: Can you share your contest history.
A: As stated above, I competed in Figure at the 2008 WA Ironman and did not place well at all. Then when the new Bikini Division was introduced, Tanji Johnson recommended that I try it out and I'm so thankful that I followed her advice! I went on to compete at the 2009 Vancouver Classic where I placed 3rd. Then I competed at the 2009 WA Emerald Cup and placed 6th. After the Emerald Cup, I took a break to put on muscle and really make the improvements that I needed to make. I worked my butt off to make much needed improvements for the 2009 WA Ironman! All the hard work paid off and I won 1st place in the Bikini Tall Class! So overall, I have four shows under my belt and I'm ready to get back on stage this coming Spring!

Q: Do you have a favorite body part to train or favorite exercise?
A: I love/hate to train legs! It is always a gratifying workout and always very challenging! As tough as it can be, I love it! I love the challenge and I love being able to go to bed knowing I have given 100% to improve the appearance and strength of my legs!

Q: What is your normal training routine and diet like,and how do you alter it for contest prep?
A: I currently work with an amazing trainer and a great nutritionist as well! My trainer is always mixing my workouts up, which is amazing because it keeps my body guessing. We stick to pretty heavy lifting through-out the year, but also add in higher reps as I get closer to a show to help lean out. I currently lift weights Monday-Friday and take the weekend off. I also do cardio 5-6 days a week in addition to my weights. My cardio is definitely always changing through-out the year. I incorporate HIIT and steady-state cardio and always use a variety of cardio equipment. In addition, my nutritionists, John and Roxana Kreklo, have been great with my diet! They keep it very reasonable and I find that I stay lean, build muscle without having to starve or eat boring foods. I eat a variety of foods including ground turkey breast, chicken breast, salads, basmati rice, grapefruits, grits, lots of greens and Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey protein shakes!

Q: When someone sees or hears you compete for the first time, what is the most common reaction?
A: I get a variety of reactions! Some people think it is great that I'm so focused on staying healthy and fit and then others completely misunderstand the sport. Some believe that I starve myself to stay in shape, so they think that I'm doing something horrible to my body! If only they really understood how much food I really eat!

Q: For people who may not know, can you explain the difference between bikini and figure?
A: Since the Bikini Division is so new to the NPC it is still difficult to understand EXACTLY what the judges are looking for, but I personally consider Bikini to be a perfect fit for women who are slightly muscular, toned and have an overall attractive bikini bod. When looking at a Bikini Competitor, I think it is important to see muscle definition...I don't think we should be aiming for the skinny runway model look. Bikini competitors should have strong and healthy bodies and you should be able to see that they worked hard to achieve their great shape! I personally do not have the muscle to do well in Figure right now, so I've chosen Bikini and it seems to be a great fit! But don't get me wrong, I still train like a Figure competitor! I lift heavy, I squat and I bench press!

Q: Do you think Bikini competitors are taken serious yet amongst other competitors?
A: I do not think that Bikini competitors are being taken serious yet! While I think that they are being taken more serious than they were when the division was first introduced a year ago, there is still a lot of progress to make and a lot of respect to be earned. When most people hear "Bikini Competition", they think of a sexy competition with a bunch of skinny women with large breasts! Many don't understand the hard work that goes into training for a NPC bikini competition. I train just as hard as all the Figure gals that I know and it can be disappointing to have people consider bikini unfitting for the bodybuilding scene. I think that as long as the judges keep giving wins to athletic and muscular girls, we'll continue to attract bikini competitors who train hard and care about the weight-lifting component of competing.

Q: What is the biggest misconception about women who train and compete?
A: I think that many people assume that women competitors are self-absorbed and only focused on their physical appearance and this is definitely a misconception! Many of the women I know, including myself, train hard and compete for a deeper reason than to just look good! I train to build inner strength. I train to honor the Lord who has blessed me with the opportunity to build and strong and healthy body! I train to inspire other women to do the same! There's so much more to competing than people think. In other words, there's so much more to it than just building physical strength. It's about the inner strength and the ability for women to push past barriers and become stronger than they ever imagined.

Q: Do you have any favorite competitors or any you admire?
A: Yes! Tanji Johnson is my inspiration! She has been my posing coach for the last year and she is really such an amazing person! She truly SHINES as soon as you meet her! I really admire her decision to stay true to herself and to her faith in the Lord. Plus she looks amazing and has a perfect balance of femininity and strength :)

Q: What is the best and worst part of competing?
A: The best aspect of competing would be the journey itself and all the amazing people I've met. It is so great to work hard each and every day and continue to see progress. It's about pushing yourself past what you thought were limits and discovering your true potential. Each day I learn something new and it has been an amazing experience. Plus I have met so many inspiring people in the industry and I am so thankful to be part of such a great group of competitors. I would say that the worst part of competing would be how darn expensive it can get! As a college student, it's tough for me to afford everything when it comes to competition expenses. So I have definitely learned to budget and do the best I can with the resources that I have.

Q: Do you have a favorite cheat food?
A: Oh gosh. I would say probably pizza or a burger! I always crave the Whiskey River BBQ Burger from Red Robin when I'm prepping for a show! Although I have to admit that when I finally eat one after a show, it makes me feel sick and reminds me how toxic all that junk food can really be!

Q: If another woman told you she wanted to start training, what is the one piece of advice you would most want to give her?
A: Be patient and enjoy the journey!! If you put in the time and effort, you WILL reach your goal! I think many people get too caught up in seeing results RIGHT NOW and they fail to recognize the gratifying aspects of the journey to optimal health and strength. Enjoy every single rep and every single set because with each day of training, you are one day closer to your goal and one training session stronger. Be thankful for the opportunity to train and get healthy!

Q: Outside of training, any other hobbies or activities you enjoy?
A: Well, I'm a full time student and I also work full time, so my schedule gets a little crazy and leaves little time for extra hobbies!! I love to spend my free time hanging out with my family, my fiance and my dogs! In the summer I also enjoy hiking! Washington is a beautiful state for hiking, so I love to get out of the gym when it's not raining!

Q: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Diane Rudholm.
A: During the week, my alarm goes off at 3:45am. I get ready and head to the gym. From 4:30 - 5:30am I do my morning cardio and then head to work. Depending on the day of the week, I either work a long day at work or I work a short day and then head to school. After spending 10+ hours a day at work and/or school, I head to the gym to lift in the evening. Then I head home and prep my food for the next day! Once my food is prepped, off to bed I go! So nothing too exciting, but I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to train, work and go to school! It has definitely taught me to manage my time well!

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: I used to be overweight and I had self-esteem issues. I reached a point in my life where I did not feel confident in my own body and my emotional eating made it worse. Although it was tough, I'm thankful that I experienced this because it taught me how to make goals for myself and work to turn my life around! I thank the Lord for the opportunity to learn from that experience and also share what I have learned with other women to inspire them to do the same!

Q: Favorite actor, movie, TV show, and musician?
A: I'm a huge fan of CSI! I watch it almost every single night before I go to bed! I don't know why I love it so much, but I do! Plus I love Christian music, so I'm a huge fan of Third Day, Casting Crowns and other Christian music artists!

Q: Describe Diane Rudholm in five words.
A: Caring, Positive, Focused, Ambitious, and a Follower of God!

Q: Any set plans for 2010 as far as competing or anything else?
A: I'm currently training for Tanji Johnson's Vancouver Classic on March 27th. Then I'll compete at the Washington Emerald Cup in April....Then off to the USAs in July! I'm excited to get 2010 going. I have big plans and big goals and I'm excited to accomplish them this year!

Q: Anything you want to take this opportunity to plug or promote?
A: I'm actually working on a big project right now to get an organization up and running. I'm in the midst of putting together the website and putting together a team of girls to represent SAVING STRENGTH. Weight training has been such an inspiration for me as I overcame self-esteem issues, so it is my vision to create an organization promote weight lifting and that also provides a positive outlet for women to build both physical and inner strength. My vision is that women will no longer develop eating disorders, develop self-esteem issues or deal with obesity due to society's unhealthy standards. Women should be strong, confident and determined to follow their dreams. Through "SAVING STRENGTH", I hope to help women 'save' strength in our society! So keep an eye out for SAVING STRENGTH as it becomes established in the Northwest and also within the bodybuilding and fitness industry.

Q: Are you looking for sponsors?
A: I'm currently sponsored by Optimum Nutrition and American Bodybuilding and I feel so blessed to represent such an amazing company! I have been a huge fan of their products for the last several years, so I'm extremely excited to represent them this coming year! I'm definitely loyal to my sponsorship with them and plan on representing them for as long as the opportunity is there!

Q: Diane, again, I thank you for taking the time to do this any last words before you go?
A: Thank you so much for this opportunity and I'm excited to keep other with other women within the industry through this blog!