Lori Pyper Interview

In reading about Lori Pyper you will read that this is a woman who has great dedication and determination. A desire to succeed and the determination to make it happen. She won the Masters at her very first show followed by an impressive 33rd at an NPC show. Really good start to a competing career, and she moved on and kept doing great, and I am sure with each show she will do better and better. ere is a chance to meet a very inspiring woman, Lori Pyper


Q: First Lori I want to thank you for taking the time for this.
A: Thank you very much for showing an interest in me.

Q: Can you start out by telling a little about yourself.
A: I am a 37 yr. old wife and mother of 2 boys, 12 & 5! I am from Grand Rapids MI where I work part time as a nutritionist at the gym I work out at, along with doing hair at a salon I have been at for 11 years. I love my job!

Q: Before you the gym were you an especially athletic person?
A: Before the gym I was a runner. I ran to keep in shape and loved the feeling you get when you come back from a long run, a feeling of great accomplishment.

Q: What initially led you into the gym?
A: After my 2nd son was born I continued to enjoy my passion for running, after the cold Michigan weather set in I joined a local gym so I could bring my son along and run on the treadmill! This is where my trainer discovered me and saw my dedication. He would frequently come up to me and ask how my training was going!? I would reply "Great"! after several times of his asking I replied "why do you ask"? He said well I noticed you have a strong back and wondered if you ever considered competing! I replied "compete in what"? The rest is history!

Q: Was training something you picked up fairly easy?
A: Training for me was much different than I anticipated! I always saw myself as a fairly strong person who was in descent shape! As I started working with a trainer who I am still with, I soon realized I was not as strong as I had thought. ( my first day with him I struggled to bench press the bar alone). But as I progressed through my workouts each week I noticed changes in my strength, along with my body leaning out as I learned about the clean eating part of being healthy!

Q: What made you decide to compete for the first time?
A: In Oct of 2008 The trainer I had been working with for only several weeks asked if I would be interested in watching a local NPC show to see what it was all about! Never even seeing something like that before I had no real expectations! After sitting there watching that show I said to myself "I am going to be on stage, I can do that"! The next week when I met with Omar I told him, "I am the type of person who is a all or nothing girl"! So if you will help me get to competition level I will do what ever it takes just lead the way! I dove in 110% and did exactly what he would advise me in! from there on out I said "Almost is not good enough"!

Q: Was competing something your family and friends supported?
A: My husband and kids supported me greatly! Initially the rest of my relatives and friends saw my as a crazy person and would give me grief every time we had to get together and eat! I Now they say that the dedication they see in me is above anything that they can imagine! They only wish they had 1/2 the drive I have!

Q: Was competing what you expected?
A: I went to my first competition not really knowing what to expect. I was in muscle shock initially while in the back room pumping up! As my trainer Omar stayed extremely calm it relaxed me enough to stay confident and remain poised.

Q: Can you share your contest history.
A: I competed in a small local show for my first competition and won the masters class. The following week I took 3rd at a local NPC show and became nationally qualified. later that year of trying the NPC 1 more time & taking 4th I decided to try my talents in the natural sanction. I competed in a OCB pro qualifier in De Kalb Ill. in Nov and took 2nd place. Omar had me take the winter to lean out my legs and build more muscle! In the spring of this year I won the overall in Indianapolis at the OCB circle city championship!

Q: What do you feel is your best body part?
A: My best feature is my back, I really don't have a problem leaning out my upper body and veins are a very normal thing for me. But like a lot of competitors my legs are what I had to work on. Omar has been a great help with his knowledge on weight training and different angles to help me get my legs dialed in!

Q: Do you have a favorite part to train?
A: My favorite body part to train is shoulders. It's the day where I leave the gym saying wow that is an amazing feeling.

Q: What is your normal training routine and diet like and how do you alter it for contest prep?
A: As far a training goes each competition season we have switched up the splits a little bit. Typically I have been lifting 5 days a week with 2 days of just cardio. As I get closer to competing I increase my cardio to 2 a days and lower my carbs as it seems my body is more sensitive to them. right now I am 6 weeks out from my next show and I am at about 1.5% protein to my body weight. with lower carbs and higher fat.

Q: When people see or hear you compete for the first time, whats the most common reaction? More positive or negative?
A: When I tell people I compete they have no Idea what a figure competitor actually does on stage or what type of body we trying to achieve. They have this misconception of women & weight lifting. More often than not I hear people say wow what a lot of dedication that must take. I don't know how you find the time. I am one for saying If you want something bad enough YOU FIND THE TIME!

Q: When they see or hear it that first time, whats the one question or comment you are most sick of hearing?
A: The most common question I have is "do you work out a lot"? I instantly get irritated and want to react in a cocky way but I just smile and say yes, it's what i like to do.

Q: Whats the biggest misconception about women who train and compete or the one thing you wish people understood?
A: When I tell people that I compete they get this woman body builder picture in there head that I am going to get big and bulky! When I say to them I am back in the diet phase for competing they think I eat almost nothing and starve myself. Then when I explain to them how I eat every 3 hours and how much fish, chicken, Tuna, Turkey I eat in a day they are like wow, I would never have time to eat that often. So I just explain to them it is all in your mind. You control your every thought and if you want something bad enough you find the time to cook, eat, train, work, and all the other daily activities it takes to be what you want to be. So I turn there negative thoughts into wow thoughts! I want people to realize how healthy this sport is and how misconceived people have been until they hear me speak on it.

Q: Whats the best and worst part of competing?
A: The best part of competing I always say is the "journey"! It's the whole story that goes on during the phase of your life while competing for that cretin event that brings you to where you are that day. I use a lot of my cardio time for prayer time. Things going on in my life at that time or friends with trying times. I go to prayer in my own world while on my piece of cardio! Usually come to peace, and relief by the time I am done! I The negative things that lead up to competing for me are the moods or attitudes I get in as my carbs become lowered. The week of the show there are lots of little details that you want to fall into place perfectly and I say that because in this sport I feel that we are perfectionist about everything! The stress of extra cardio, posing practice, getting yourself ready nails, hair, and tanning, all lead up to more busyness and less time with the family, along with keeping track of how your body is responding to cretin foods and getting everyone ready for you to be gone for the weekend. As most of my events I travel for! Once I am on the road I like to have that whole day to just focus and meditate on ME! The best part is walking on stage with confidence and showing the judges your hard work! Like "Here I am, This is what I bring to the table"!

Q: Do you have any competitors you admire or are a fan of?
A: My favorite competitor who I admire and follow is Ava Cowan! I feel we have a lot in common! I look up to her and hope to be there with her soon. I know she uses Layne Norton for her coaching so I also follow him and the things he has to say! He is extremely knowledgeable and I love being in the natural body building world!

Q: Do you have a favorite cheat food?
A: My favorite cheat food is of course pizza! But as I get closer to competing I have a favorite place I like to get ribs from. Then I don't feel as guilty, because I try to stay away from all breads.

Q: If another woman told you she wanted to start training what is the one piece of advice you would want to give her?
A: The best piece of advice I can give anyone wanting to get into competing is "think big" But at the end of the day you have to do it for yourself and no one else! Get a good trainer and be on your game! Every one has bad days! Take it and move on. It's how you grow from them to improve who you are as a person to get to where you want to be! Don't forget "pain is weakness leaving the body"!

Q: Do you think it is becoming more common to see women in the gym working as hard as men?
A: For a woman to be in the gym these days and working as hard as a man you can defiantly feel an appreciation for our dedication that we have for what we do. At the end of the day most of us women put in more time at home than most of those men do when they leave the gym.

Q: Outside of training, any other hobbies or activities you enjoy?
A: This is my favorite question because my hobby outside the gym is sand drag racing! It is something that is in my blood! My family has been into racing my whole life. and as a women I can get into it with the best of them. I love loud cars and the faster the better! I defiantly am a women in a mans world. But I still wear dresses and high heals every day to work! But if you need your spark plugs changed I can help you with that too.


Q: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Lori Pyper.
A: A day in the life of Lori Pyper is to get the kids breakfast, go down stairs and start my morning cardio. Pack my lunch, shower, and off to work. After a few hours of doing my job of making people look and feel better with their hair I am off to the gym to work out. 2 hours of lifting and back to the salon for more clients! If I am closer to competing I go back to the gym for additional cardio and then home.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
A: I live in the country! My dad always worked 2 jobs and I see myself much like him.

Q: Describe Lori Pyper in five words.
A: Determined, Passionate, Compassionate, Energetic, Dedicated.

Q: Any set plans as far as competing or anything else?
A: I plan on competing in 7 weeks at the NGA in Detroit, following that pro qualifier I will return to DeKalb Ill. for the OCB where I hope to earn my pro cards at! So I can move on to my next goal, getting sponsored.

Q: Anything you would like to take this time to plug or promote?
A: I would like to thank my trainer "O" and his team Hendy who saw potential in my and sparked a new Lori Pyper to come alive! Along with my family for seeing me through all my workouts.

Q: Are you looking for sponsors? If so what are they getting in Lori Pyper and how can they reach you?
A: I am very interested in a sponsor. With Lori Pyper comes dedication, honesty, willingness, and strong work ethic! I feel I have great communication skills and a fun energetic personality with great character! As a competitor I have the drive to move forward and reach deep to accomplish big things and new goals! pypes@rocketmail.com

Q: Lori, again, thanks for doing this. Any last words before you go?
A: Thank you for taking the time to get to know more about me. Hopefully I can inspire some women out there to reach for there dreams! Thanks for all that you do for the women in our sport. Always remember "If you are going to doubt something doubt your limits"!