1. Biography
• Name: Ashley Lemmons
• Age: 25
• Height: 5’5’’
• Weight (Contest): 116 lbs.
• Weight (Off-Season): 125 lbs.
• Body Fat: Contest: 8% / Off-season: 12%
• Hometown: Fort Branch, IN
• Gym: Maximum Fitness
• Profession: Personal Trainer
2. What got you started in bodybuilding/fitness?
After looking at just one bad picture of myself after I had gained a little too much weight during college, I decided it was time for a change. I was intimidated of the gym and definitely didn’t want to work out in front of other people. So, I decided to do P90X at home. I stuck with the program, followed the meal plan, and even snuck in some extra cardio and got some real results. I found muscles I didn’t think I had. Once those results appeared in the mirror, I was hooked. I joined a local gym and haven’t looked back.
3. What keeps you motivated to train?
I feel that I can always improve in at least one area of my physique. After every competition, I come home and look at pictures of myself and pick out the areas that I feel I need to work on. I’m my biggest critic. My network of fitness friends and clients also help keep me motivated. I like to watch my clients push themselves in the gym and work so hard to achieve their goals. I also like to keep up with all my friends and what they’re doing, their new goals, etc. If I’m having a sluggish day, I can always count on them to help pull me back up and remind me of why I do what I do.
4. What workout plan has worked best for you?
I use a lot of pyramid sets and drop sets in my training. I train big body parts (i.e. legs, back) by themselves to make sure that I give every angle my full attention. A typical week in the gym for me looks like this:
• Monday: Biceps / Triceps
• Tuesday: Core / Light Chest
• Wednesday: Legs (emphasis on quads)
• Thursday: Shoulders / Abs
• Friday: Hamstrings / Glutes
• Saturday: Back / Abs
• Sunday: Rest
5. What is your philosophy about cardio?
Cardio is essential for me to keep off unwanted weight. Although, I do eat clean 80-90% of the time, I don’t want to carry a lot of extra weight around. I’m not particularly a fan of cardio, so I’ll try to find other ways to incorporate it into my training. I’ve created a boot camp type class; I call “Bootie Camp.” It’s a high intensity bodyweight circuit style workout that hits every body part in some fashion.
6. What is your philosophy about weight training?
I’ve been weight training for three years now, and I can honestly say that I won’t ever stop. Personally, it’s a great stress reliever for me and I love the challenge. I’m encouraging more women to get into the weight room and lift some heavy weights around. Some women are intimidated of the weight room and don’t want to get “bulky.” I’m really trying to turn that around. Your training is up to YOU. Lifting around a few heavy weights every now and then does not equal a large muscular physique. Haven’t you heard? Strong is the new sexy.
7. Do you prefer HIIT or steady state cardio?
Honestly, I do both. I like to throw in a couple sessions of HIIT during the week to keep it interesting. However, there are days when a longer steady jog just fits my mood a little better.
8. What are your top 5 favorite exercises?
• Incline Lateral Shoulder Raises
• Jackknifes
• Clean & Press
• Chair Squats Smith Machine
• Handstand Push-ups
9. What is your philosophy about nutrition?
The key to a great physique is nutrition. You can’t out-train a bad diet. Eating clean is a priority of mine. Overall, clean, whole foods just make you feel better. I always tell anyone who is looking to lose some weight pay close attention to what foods you’re putting into your body. And, almost constantly, I get the same reply, “I don’t want to give up my favorite foods.” My answer is, “You don’t have to!” In my opinion, there is a clean version of almost any “comfort food.” You just have to think outside the box and come up with new and clean ways to still eat your favorite foods. Experiment with new recipes, try new foods, etc. When making the switch to clean foods, think of it as a lifestyle change, NOT as a diet. This way, you’re more likely to stick to it.
10. What nutrition plan has worked best for you?
Carb cycling has worked very well for me. A typical carb cycle would look like this:
• Sunday / Monday / Tuesday- Low Carbs (# of grams = 1/2 of your body weight)
• Wednesday- High Carbs (# of grams= double your body weight)
• Thursday / Friday / Saturday- Moderate Carbs (# of grams= your body weight)
Using this schedule keeps my metabolism high and keeps my body guessing. A moderate carb day would look like this:
• Meal 1- Oatmeal w/ berries, protein shake
• Meal 2 - Ezekiel bread w/ egg whites
• Meal 3 - Chicken breast w/ green peppers, onions and brown rice
• Meal 4 - Rice cakes, protein shake
• Meal 5 - Chicken breast w/ green veggies
• Meal 6 - Protein shake
11. What is your favorite cheat food?
PIZZA (loaded with pepperoni, banana peppers, green peppers, onions, & lots of cheese), a DQ Blizzard (Butterfinger), chips & salsa / queso and chicken wings.
12. What is your favorite health food?
Blueberry cheesecake oatmeal (oats, sugar free/fat free Jello pudding mix- cheesecake flavor, stevia, fresh blueberries), Ezekiel bread, grilled peppers/onions/ zucchini/ squash and Jamie Eason’s cinnamon swirl protein bread.
13. What supplements have given you the greatest gains?
All of my supplements I currently take are by Fahrenheit Nutrition. I take Lean EFX, ZMA’s, L-Carnitine, Multi-vitamins, BCAA’s, and protein powder. My favorite of these are the Lean EFX, especially for pre-contest and ZMA’s for a super fast recovery from tough workouts.
14. What does your pre and post workout nutrition consist of?
I like to train on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Post workout, I’ll take my Fahrenheit protein & BCAA’s & I always have to have my oats. NOTHING better!!
15. Have online resources (social networks) helped you in your training?
I do a lot of research online. Some of my favorite sites include: RXmuscle.com, Siouxcountry.com, T-Nation.com, Bodybuilding.com, and of course MuscleDog.com! These sites are great because you can chat with other people in the industry, share clean recipes; get new insights and training tips, new exercises, and so much more! I’m also an avid reader of Oxygen Magazine. They always have great recipes, motivational information, workouts, etc.
16. Where is the first place you turn to when looking for training / fitness / nutrition advice?
I’ll usually jump online to one of my favorite sites and check out the forums. I’m constantly reading articles online and reading about others’ training, how it’s helped them, etc.
17. Who are your favorite fitness/bodybuilder competitors or role models?
Just to name a few, Jamie Eason, Nicole Wilkins, Erin Stern. All three of these ladies really know how to reach out to others to encourage and inspire. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk with all of them, and they’re all super sweet!
18. What was the biggest mistake you made when you first started training?
A big mistake was listening to too many people. I had lots of people telling me different things. It didn’t really hurt me and/or my physique, but it stressed me out. I wish I would have just listened to one person in the beginning. Now, I do. I only listen to myself and my body. After all, I know my body best.
19. What tips would you give to a beginner?
1. Write down your goals. Decide exactly what it is that you want. Seeing these goals on paper kicks your motivation up a notch.
2. Work hard. Get to the gym, and give each training session 110 %. Visualize your goal during every rep.
3. Be Patient. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not seeing results in just one week. Keep your discipline, determination, and dedication levels high and the results will come. Everyone would love to see results overnight but then, the rewards wouldn’t be as sweet.
Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. You are in control. Do what makes YOU happy, set your goals high and shoot for them with everything you have.
20. What are your future fitness goals?
In the future (like most others), I would like to obtain a Pro-card with the IFBB. With that, I hope to inspire others to challenge themselves and possibly look into the world of competing. I live in the Midwest and the sport is not well known yet, but I hope to change that very soon. Overall, I just hope to spread my knowledge on fitness to others and help them achieve their health and fitness goals.
21. Where can we find you on MuscleDog.com?
My profile is adlemmons….check it out for photos, stats and more!
You can also visit my website www.ashleylemmons.com . There, you’ll find photo galleries, training information, motivational tips, recipes, and follow me in my fitness journey. Be sure to find me on Facebook and LIKE my fan page as well, NPC Figure Competitor Ashley Lemmons.