Amy Fadhli part 1

Ready to have an inside glance at this fitness champions world, we all gathered in the heart of one of Vancouver's newest clubs, "The Pantheon Athletic Club," owned by Kosta Kromidas.


"For those of you who don't know me..." was how this most interesting hour with Amy began. How someone could not know who Amy Fadhli is was beyond me. "I'm the 1996 Fitness America Champion. I've competed in two bodybuilding shows before embarking on my fitness career. For those of you who think I don't know about women's bodybuilding, I know a lot about it," She was quick to inform us. "The reason I moved into fitness from bodybuilding was because I didn't want to resort to taking medications to enhance my physique." Amy easily listed off her other reasons for making the ever popular move to fitness: "much more attainable, more mainstream, you can make money at it, a lot more endorsements."


So she finally opened the stage with "Anything you guys want to ask me. I hate talking about myself. But if you ask me the question, I'll talk about myself." She was very sweet.


Q: What do you eat for your off-season diet?


A: For the off season I cook really clean, but when I go out I'll eat what I want. I'll just kick up my cardio.


My motto has always been, "You eat for nutrition, you don't eat for taste." If you're really serious about your physique, and you're giving your body what it needs, it won't be craving too many of those bad foods.


Q: Where do you see yourself in five or ten years from now?


A: I can see myself five to ten years from now raising a family and living outside of LA. I'm ready to be with someone now. If you had asked me this question two years ago, I would have said, "Oh on the big screen, in television, in feature films." But after living in LA for about four years, I've really gotten an inside look at what the business is really about. And I was raised with certain morals, and I admire those woman that do all that crazy stuff to get those roles, and it's fine for them, but I couldn't resort to that. What you hear about the casting couch is true.


Q: What is your pre-contest diet like?


A: First thing in the morning I'll have six egg whites and one yolk, with some vegetables thrown in, plus a bowl of cream of wheat or oatmeal. Three hours later I'll have a protein and carb shake like Met RX or Myoplex. Three hours after that I'll have one or two chicken breasts, one and a half cups of cooked rice, and a small salad. Three hours later I'll have another shake. Then in another three hours I'll have some lean red meat with fibrous carbs like asparagus or broccoli.


If I was up for another three hours I'd have another protein. So sometimes I'd have six or seven meals a day depending on how early I got up.


(Amy made it clear that she would not only eat every three hours, but that her last two meals wouldn't contain any starchy carbs.)


Q: How far in advance do you start your diet?


A: First time ever I started 16 weeks out, and I found that was way too soon. Then I went to 12 weeks. Now I've found that 10 weeks is perfect for me. At 12 weeks I'd start to get emaciated and I'd have to start eating again, like normal food. So for your first time if you haven't competed, a good period of time would be 12 weeks.


I've never gone by the scale. I've never gone by bodyfat testing. I went by how I looked in the mirror and how I felt.


Q: How far in advance did you have your routine ready for your show?


A: I'm not a dancer. I'm not a gymnast. For my first show I had my routine down for about six weeks. The best thing is to know your routine and be practicing it a few times a week. At least - sounds crazy - but at least four or five months before your show. You want to be comfortable with it so you don't even have to think. You just hear your music and it flows.


Q: You mentioned on your website that doing catalog shoots can be "no brainers." What do you do that you enjoy and also find a challenge?


A: I did a charity event where myself and four other fitness competitors did a relay race. We went to Palm Beach and competed against the Atlantic City lifeguards to raise money for Ocean Quest, which is an ocean preservation society. We did ocean kayaking, jet ski racing and tug-of-war. It really tests your athletic abilities. That to me is challenging because it's for a good cause, it's not for money, and you're competing against your peers. And acting is challenging. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. Fitness is a breeze compared to being on camera and being a completely different character.


Q: What shows have you been on?


A: In television I've been on The Young and the Restless, Texas Rangers with Chuck Norris. A lot of infomercials. I have a couple of national commercials like Tostitos. I did an independent film last fall, which was screened at the Canwest Festival last month.


Q: Are you going to continue?


A: Ya, I'm definitely going to continue. Right now I just auditioned for a show called "Go TV," where you travel around the world and interview people who are the best at different extreme sports. And I just received an email that I was chosen to be one of the two hosts. Ya, it's pretty cool. It'll be fun.


Q: What do you prefer, film or television?


A: I would prefer to do television because every week you're getting a pay cheque.


Q: How do you find it back stage with all the girls?


A: (Displaying a huge grin, Amy answers.) Good question. Generally it's really cool. You make a lot of friends, but once you get to a certain level people try to play head games with you. The year that Madonna Grimes won and I placed second, I knew I was in the best shape of my life. One of the other competitors, who I think maybe she placed in the top ten, said to me back stage, "Oh, it looks like you're holding a little bit of water." It just kind of freaked me out! My coach always told me, "Get away from negative energy." So I picked up my make-up bag, my gear, and I moved to a totally different locker room. I just got away from that girl. (Amy laughed and everyone laughed along with her.)


You're so self conscious about how you look. Arnold would eat pizza in front of the other competitors to psyche them out. He knew it would play head games, and if you're the least bit intimidated, you're not going to shine on stage. It's all about how you present yourself. Confidence. Sell it.


Q: (I was a little apprehensive about asking Amy the next question and she thought she knew what I was about to say. She didn't seem to mind so...) Would you consider doing Playboy?


A: I did! (Laughter filled the room.) I thought it was the one about the implants. Ya I did. It was August of 96 I think. They did an issue from a select group of girls that were chosen for a flatbook, "Playboy Hardbodies." I didn't do it for a little bit money. I mean they have a lot of money, and they offered the girls only $500.00. I just kept bargaining with them. They pay the playmates $15,000.00! I have a lot to lose. Needless to say, only two of us got it.


Q: Does it bother you when they publish fitness models and other models who have never worked out?


A: In the same thing? No, because I know that the fitness and bodybuilding industry appreciate us much more. People who train have the best bodies in the world. There's no denying that. When you see an artist's transition of the perfect physique, you're not going to see a playboy girl drawn. You're going to see Boris Vallejo...and deltoids and glutes. I audition with models that are really skinny, or playmates, or actresses and they are like, "Tell me what you do. Can you help me? I want you to train me." That right there is motivation for me to keep doing it. It's a compliment to have them compliment you. It's easy to please the guys. Just show them some skin and they're happy. (The room fills with laughter again.) But to have a woman approach you. I'm sure you guys have that. It makes you feel so good. It's the best feeling in the world.

End of part one.

The world. And Amy has certainly experienced it! Believe me, this is not all of what Amy has to tell! Find out what this fitness diva has to say to the question she was anticipating me asking. Come dive with us into the steps you need to take to be noticed by the magazines. That's right. Amy did it, and she's telling how you could be next! All this and much, much more for you, here inside my next entry of my diary!

(Note: Special thanks to the Pantheon Athletic Club for allowing Fawnia to talk with Amy Fadhli for this interview. Visit the club on the second floor at 865 Hornby St, (corner of Smithe and Hornby). Phone 604-738-1208.)


Fans of Amy Fadhli can visit her site at Amy Fadhli Official Website.