Lisa Neil Interview

Q: First Lisa, thanks for taking the time for another interview.
A: Of course!

Q: For those who may not be familiar, can you tell a little about yourself.
A; I am 29 years old. I was born here in New Mexico and currently live in Albuquerque. I am a Crime Scene Investigator and have been with the Albuquerque Police Department for almost 3 years. I started working out in June of 2010 and decided to do my first show 8 months later. My partner, Sarah Barrick, also competes but in Figure. She convinced me to do a show and was excited about getting to be my trainer.

Q: You recently did your first show. What show did you do, and how did you do?
A: I did the NPC Mid-Bodybuilding Championships on August 13th. I placed second in the middle-weight class.

Q: Were you nervous at all before getting on stage?
A: I was just slightly nervous right before I went on stage. Once you're on stage, your mind goes blank! I felt like a robot and did my routine without a hitch.

Q: What was the biggest surprise about the whole competing process?
A: The biggest surprise was how well my body responded to the dieting and training program. I was concerned that certain body parts weren't going to come in in time. Sarah continually said, "Don't worry, they'll come in. Just trust me!" Sure enough, the changes in the last couple weeks were incredible.

Q: Was there a specific bodypart you thought was your strong point?
A: I think my abs and back were my strong point. I had some crazy lines going on in my back that I never knew I had!

Q: Is there anything you feel you need to improve on for the next one?
A: I'm taking some time off now to put on some more size. My quads need to be more shredded for the next show for sure. They didn't come in as much as they needed to but that will come in time.

Q: Did you try and read the judges reactions on stage or just focus on what you are doing?
A: HaHa! I didn't even look at them! I tried to just concentrate on hitting my poses and not screwing it up.

Q: How was the prep for the show?
A: The prep was pretty tough but I didn't deviate from my diet or training. I had a good, set schedule and there was no way I was going to chance it by missing a workout or "straying" from the diet. Sarah and I were prepping at the same time so we kept each other in check.

Q: Was there any part of the prep you maybe want to do different next time?
A: We went to L.A. for Sarah's show. When we were there, we took my son Charlie to Disneyland and did the usual vacation stuff. But prepping while on a sort of vacation was so hard! All I wanted to do was go out to eat! So in turn, I'm thinking trips during prep are a NO NO!

Q: Whats the hardest part of the prep process for you?
A: The hardest part was being hungry all the time. Having hunger pangs while eating is crazy!

Q: Whats the first thing you ate once you got off stage?
A; Oh Man, we drove straight to IHOP. I had a Belgian waffle, eggs, bacon and finished everyone else's food that they didn't eat.

Q: Is competing something you want to do more of?
A: As soon as I gain the size, I'm all for more shows. I really enjoyed doing it.

Q: What advice would you give someone who is contemplating doing their first competition?
A: They should definitely do it, even if it is only once. It's such a good experience but it's definitely not for everyone.

Q: Is Bodybuilding where you plan to stay, or would you consider Figure or physique?
A: For now, I'm going to do bodybuilding but if Physique starts happening in more shows, I definitely wanna do that. I wanna be bigger than the Figure girls and definitely won't wear the heels!


Q: I always ask what the biggest misconception is about competitors. This time I will ask, what is the biggest misconception about you?
A: People are intimidated by me because of the tattoos and being a cop, but I'm really nice!! Once you get to know me, you'll find that I'm really easy going and down to earth.
A lot of people were concerned with my tattoos for the show and how I'll never be a successful competitor with them. Why can't girls be successful with tattoos but guys can? I proved them wrong because they didn't affect me one bit.

Q: Would you want to do more photo shoots?
A: I would! I've only done one photo shoot and it was a blast! I would love to do more.

Q: How important is support from family and friends during the prep process?
A: If I didn't have support from family or friends, I don't think I could've done it. Sarah and I supported each other through the entire process of prepping. I couldn't have done it without her. She's had a ton of experience doing shows so that gave me the upper hand.

Q: Finish this sentence. In five years Lisa Neil will be?
A: A successful competitor:)

Q: In say, twenty years, looking back at this first show, and the whole experience, what will be the thing you remember most?
A: I want to remember the feeling of being on stage for the first time and the positive reaction I got from people.

Q: Anything I missed you want to talk about?
A: I think you covered everything buddy:)

Q: Anything you want to plug or promote?
A: Mike Davies from the fitness factory wrote all of my diets for the show. He is also doing my diets for putting on size. www.fitnessfactoryexpress.com.
You can find Sarah and I on Facebook at CherryBombFitness.

Q: Lisa, again, thanks so much for doing this. Any last words before you go?
A: You're welcome Jason! Can't wait to see you on stage! I'm always looking for advice from other competitors so if anyone has advice, please don't hesitate!