Jamie Moore Interview

Q: First, Jamie, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this.
A; You’re welcome, Jason. I want to thank you for asking me to complete this interview. It is flattering to know that you are allowing me to share my experiences and goals with you and the readers. I absolutely love giving out fitness advice to people. I want others to feel the satisfaction I get from working out and working hard at it!

Q: Can you start out by telling a little about yourself.
A; I am 22 years old and from Long Island, NY. I live with my parents right now and I also have an older brother. He was always my idol growing up; I believe his success and talents in and outside of school inspired me to always strive for obtaining my goals. I just graduated from Villanova University, which is located in Philadelphia. I majored in nursing and received my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. I am in the process of studying for my licensure exam and I hope I will find a RN job soon! I worked as a Nursing Assistant for the past year and gained a good amount of hospital experience. With the combination of fitness and nursing practice, I can definitely say that I have a passion for health and wellness. Not only do I want to improve my own health, but I want to use my career to help others as well. I also would love to become a personal trainer one day, as well as help promote a big-time supplement company!


Q: Before the gym were you an especially athletic person? Play any sports or anything?
A: Yes, I was always very athletic. I was a competitive gymnast since I was 6 years old. I went to Gold Medal Gymnastics Center in Greenlawn, NY. I competed in competitions throughout Long Island and New York and also traveled to meets in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Florida. My life was basically dedicated to the sport of gymnastics; I was at the gym for three to four hours a day and in the summer I was there for most of the day. Gymnastics really gave me the mind-set to give everything 150% in order to get the best results. It made me become fit, dedicated and team-oriented. Without it I probably would not be where I am today.
The schedule I had as a gymnast involved waking up, going to school, going to the gym, going home to eat and study, and then I did it all over again the next day. I did not really have time for friends, relaxation, and other things a “regular” kid did. I am not saying I did not like the schedule of a gymnast; I actually loved it because I loved the sport. But I knew it was my time to expand my horizons when I entered high school and to start focusing on other things, like my education, school sports, a job, and hanging out with friends. Therefore, when I was 14 I retired from gymnastics and became a cheerleader and a track and field runner.
My high school cheerleading team was a nationally competitive team. We went to the National High School Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida my sophomore and junior of high school. We also placed in competitions held throughout Long Island which were against other varsity high school teams. I was a NCA and UCA all-star and won a scholarship and various awards for my participation in the sport. I was a flyer and tumbler for my team, as well as the captain my senior year. In track and field I was also a captain and did the 400 meter hurdles, 4x100 relay team, and the long jump.

Q: What initially led you into the gym?
A: Once I finished gymnastics, doing cheerleading and track did not measure up to the amount of exercising and training I was doing as a gymnast. I did not want to waste away all that I had gained growing up and I wanted to keep my gymnastics figure as much as I could. So, I went from gym to gym until I found Infinity Fitness in Farmingdale, NY which is where I still reside today. I have been working out there for about three years.

Q: Was training something you picked up fairly easy? How long before you started to see results?
A: Yes, I did pick up training very easily. I was molded as a gymnast to be extremely athletic, regimented, motivated, and disciplined. I went to the gym consistently, but it was difficult to keep the same results I had as a gymnast no matter how hard or how long I worked out. I knew I needed to learn more about the gym, its machines, and various exercises in order to get the most out of my workouts. So, I got a personal trainer when I came to Infinity Fitness. I work with Paul Quinones and I do not think I would want to work with anyone else! Working with him has definitely placed fitness training into a new light for me. He began helping me about three years ago and that is when I started to see positive results. He is not only my fitness trainer, but a life coach as well. He really aided in perfectly placing competitive training into my lifestyle.

Q: What made you decide to compete for the first time?
A: Paul definitely persuaded me to compete for the first time. He saw my work ethic and envisioned me on stage. I also thought that because I do work really hard in the gym and I am disciplined when it comes to preparing meals I might as well try to compete and win! I also wanted to get into fitness modeling so I felt training would help me get that modeling physique and give me some exposure.

Q: Is competing something your family and friends supported?
A: Yes, without a doubt my family and friends support me competing 100%. They are all used to supporting me at my gymnastics competitions for years, so dragging them to day-long bodybuilding competitions was not so difficult of a task. My family never ceases to motivate me because they know I love sports and to compete and I put a huge amount of time into training.

Q: Was competing what you expected or did anything surprise you about it?
A: I tried my hardest to go into my first competition with absolutely no expectations. I needed to be the least stressed as possible, to not worry about winning or losing, and to go in there being proud of myself for just getting to the point of competing. The pre-contest preparation is an accomplishment within itself and I cannot believe I actually did it!
I think I was mostly surprised and stunned about the environment back stage. I remember taking a minute away from thinking about my own look and posing to just observe where I was and who surrounded me. It was interesting and funny to see almost 100 extremely tanned bodybuilders, male and female, packed in one small room posing in mirrors, putting on makeup and bikini bite, talking about what their first meals will be after they are done tonight, and lifting free weights to get tight and pumped right before going on stage. The experience was so different than a gymnastics competition and after that assessment of my situation I knew I would be competing again. The realization that the amount of people involved in the sport of bodybuilding is increasing and many have the same goals as me made me want to work even harder. I knew I could not run away from this adrenaline rush and I needed to make myself stand out amongst the crowd. So, here I am trying to make that happen!

Q: Can you share your contest history.
A: I would love to! So far I have done only three INBF competitions. I participated in the Long Island Experience on Sept. 11th, 2010. I crossed over in the Bikini and Figure divisions. I placed 4th in Bikini and 8th in Figure. After that competition I liked the Bikini division more, so I decided to just stick with that for my upcoming competitions. I then did the INBF Naturalmania a week later and placed 8th in my bikini division. In November 2010, I did the Muscletech INBF World Championships and placed 7th in my division. I did not get trophies every time, but I was very proud of myself for how hard I worked and progress I made physically.
I have not participated in any other competitions because I needed to focus on finishing up with nursing school. Now, I graduated and I am currently training for the NPC Eastern USA Bikini which is November 12th. I am so excited to get up on stage again!!

Q: As far as body parts, what do you feel is your best one?
A; I feel that my best body part is my glutes. I had a pretty strong butt from tumbling my whole life, but doing many repetitions of squats and Romanian deadlifts definitely brought it to a whole new level. Bodybuilding has shaped and lifted it to the perfect point needed for the bikini division. I do not want to sound conceded at all, but I am in love and proud of the progress I made in my glutes. It is my favorite body part to work in the gym and I also enjoy using it to break it down in the club to house music!

Q: Do you have a part you most like to train or favorite exercise?
A: My favorite part I like to train is my glutes. I seriously love any exercise targeting that muscle area. Both straight leg and bent leg deadlifts are two of my favorite exercises for the glutes.

Q: What is your normal training routine and diet like and how do you alter it for contest prep?
A: My normal training routine is as follows:
Mon: Legs (Quads), Calves, Abs, Cardio
Tues: Biceps, Shoulders, Abs, Cardio
Wed: OFF
Thurs: Legs (Hamstrings), Back, Calves, Abs, Cardio
Fri: Chest, Triceps, Abs, Cardio
Sat: Glutes, Abs, Cardio
Sun: OFF
For contest prep I do not alter my routine that much. Some differences include a longer duration of cardio each day and doing more supersets in order to get the blood to muscles to get fuller and more definition.
My normal diet and contest prep diet is similar as well. I eat the same types of foods, but during off season I am more lenient on myself. I do not watch my portions as intensely and I will let myself have cheat meals more than once a week. My contest prep diet is clean and lean with high protein, low-sugar complex carbohydrates, low sodium foods, and includes A LOT of veggies. For proteins I eat plain chicken, egg whites, almonds, and occasionally cottage cheese, and of course I drink whey protein. Low-sugar complex carbohydrates include plain oatmeal and sweet potatoes. As for the veggies I tend to stick with any dark green vegetable, such as asparagus, spinach, and string beans. I make sure to drink more than a gallon of water each and every day.

Q: When someone sees your physique or hears you compete for the first time, what is the most common reaction? More positive or more negative?
A: I definitely get a more positive reaction from people when they see my physique or hear that I compete. It is nice to hear people complimenting and understanding that I work extremely hard for it doing more than just go to the gym most days of the week. Not only the compliments feel satisfying, but when people inquire about workout advice as well.

Q: When they see it that first time, what is the one question or comment you are most sick of hearing?
A: I am never sick of hearing people ask about fitness tips and advice. I wish that was my day job! In addition, I am not going to avoid this topic because I am sure my fellow female bikini models can relate. I am sick of the “men” out there who do not understand how hard we work to look the way we do and to accomplish our goals. I will say this for me and all of the women bodybuilders out there that we are more than a hot body! We are strong minded women and people should not underestimate our abilities!

Q: What is the biggest misconception about women who train and compete or the one thing you wish people understood?
A: I wish people understand the sacrifice bodybuilders take to get to where they want to be. I do not really think a few words can really describe the true and sole reason for how we think and what we do. When I go out to dinner with people and order plain chicken and a salad people think oh okay you are a healthy person. But it is beyond just being healthy. It is the idea of living my life on my terms, doing what I want to do, reaching my goals. It is the sacrifice that makes me feel so alive. The thought that if I follow this regime and sacrifice the food people usually take for granted I will feel so much more accomplished and even more driven. I know that when I step off stage I will savor ever bite of my cheat meal and with every bite I will feel that I actually accomplished goals and lived a dream I had. Each bite makes me feel all the more satisfied that I am doing something unique and testing my strength to the next level. I cannot help but include a link of a part of Kai Greene’s Treadmill Confessions video that inspires me and probably most bodybuilders can relate to. Each word he says is what I wish people understood.

Q: What is the best and worst part of training for you?
A: The positives of training are that it not only puts me in great shape and makes me healthier physically and mentally, but it is an escape for me. The gym is my sanctuary. It makes me forget about the stresses I have from school and work, and it gets me focused on solely focus on my training goals. Every time I finish a work out I get a high from knowing that being in the fitness industry is what I am meant to do and I am actually doing it. The worst parts of training are things that I still love about it! The expenses involved in getting on stage may be a downside, such as the membership and competitions fees, hair, makeup, jewelry, tanning, shoes, suits, and everything else. Another thing is pushing through those last reps even though that muscle burn is unbearable and you’re so tired from eating chicken and asparagus all day. That burn lets me know I am doing a freaking good job though!

Q: Do you have any favorite competitors or any you admire?
A: My favorite competitor is Ava Cowan. I admire her extreme dedication and strive and her abdominals are out of this world! I definitely want to be as successful as her on and off the stage and I would hope one day I can be a team member of Gaspari Nutrition! I also admire IFBB Pro Ariel Khadr. She is young, talented, in incredible shape, already beat some records, and is a successful competitive gymnast. She is definitely one to look out for in the future!

Q: Do you have a favorite cheat food?
A: Yes! I have many! Dark chocolate, Pop Tarts, and sweet potato fries are up there on my list of cheat foods.

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: If a woman told me she wanted to start training I would tell her to always BELIEVE in herself. Underestimating herself or thinking negatively will prevent her from obtaining maximum results. I tell myself that I am training for ME only and no one else. There is no one I need to impress. I would tell her that there is no dream too big.

Q: Do you think it’s becoming more common for women to use the weights as opposed to just doing cardio and things?
A: Yes, I definitely think more women are beginning to do more than just cardio. Being that more women are involved in the sport of bodybuilding and are becoming more successful in the sport, other women see there is more to do than just cardio. In general I believe women are influenced by the increased amount of female fitness role models, such as Ava Cowan and Jamie Eason. I think it is important for personal trainers and competitors in the gym to help guide and educate others on the myriad of things a gym has to offer for someone. On the other hand and to think on the bright side, if there are women just doing cardio, I’d like to think they are at least doing something rather than being lazy!

Q: Outside of training, any other hobbies or activities you enjoy?
A: Outside of training, another thing I love and live to do is to go to electronic music festivals, such as Electric Zoo and Ultra Music Festivals. It is similar to the gym for me in that it is an escape. I could not ask for more when going there with my best friends, listening to my favorite house DJs, dancing my life away all day for a few days, and getting a cardio workout in. The high energy at the festivals is indescribable and I would suggest anyone who loves electro to go! I also like to go to the Jersey Shore to party and any beach to get incredibly tan.

Q: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Jamie Moore.
A: Considering I just graduated from nursing school my typical day has definitely changed. But currently my typical day involves waking up, preparing my meals, going to the library to study for my nursing boards, going to the gym, and then either studying more or going out with some friends.

Q: Describe Jamie Moore in five words.
A: DEDICATED, SMART, FUN, FRIENDLY, FIERCE

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: There is nothing someone would be surprised to know about me because I basically throw everything out on the table to others. But I guess the most random thing is that I am striving to somehow get on TV and be famous! I have always wanted to be famous since I was little. I have tried out for Jersey Shore and Real World and Sweet Home Alabama. Nothing has been successful just yet, but good things come to those who wait, right! I will not resist from sharing with you my audition tape for Jersey Shore, hehe!

Q: Any set plans for the near future as far as competing or anything else?
A: My set plans for the future include obtaining a Registered Nurse job and participating in the NPC Eastern USA Bikini competition.

Q: Anything you want to take this opportunity to plug or promote?
A: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for allowing me to do this interview to share information about myself and my fitness life and goals. I also want to thank the readers of this interview, and my trainer Paul Quinones and my family and friends for guiding, mentoring, and helping me accomplish my goals. I would also like to thank Infinity Fitness!


Q: Are you looking for sponsors? If so how can they reach you and what are they getting in Jamie Moore the athlete and competitor?
A: I am definitely looking for sponsors! I would love to help out others while they are helping me out to become a successful competitor! They can reach me via email: Jamie.moore@villanova.edu. From Jamie Moore, a sponsor would get someone hard working, dedicated, and passionate. I would thoroughly enjoy representing a company within the fitness industry because I live for fitness. Like I said previously, I give everything 150%!

Q: Jamie, again, I thank you for taking the time to do this. Any last words before you go?
A; My pleasure, Jason! I would like to include links to websites, where people can get to know more about me, contact me for modeling shoots, and to ask me fitness questions!!!
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/jamierachel/
http://www.modelmayhem.com/1939919