1. Biography
• Name: Jena Goldberg
• Age: 37
• Height: 5’ 5”
• Weight (Contest): 128 lbs.
• Weight (Off-Season): 135 lbs.
• Body Fat: 16 % during off-season / 14 % at competition (any lower and I’m a skeleton)
• Hometown: Fort Leonard Wood, MO
• Gym: Specker Gym (I work out beside America’s finest, The Marines)
• Profession: Writer, Part Time Personal Trainer and Model
2. What got you started in bodybuilding/fitness?
Let me see. I was always a “chubby” teenager that longed to be the long, lean blonde on the cheerleading team. However, partly because of my terrible genetics and partly because of being born to the best cook in the state of South Carolina; it just wasn’t in my cards. After finishing high school, I started running to try and shed some weight. I even completed a marathon! I would run and run and run some more, but my eating habits were poor and I only managed to stay at 30 percent body fat. I finally joined my first gym when I was 31 years old because my soldier and husband was going to Korea and I was too nervous to run alone while he was away. He bought me a membership as a gift before he took off. Of course, I was completely clueless and intimidated when I went to work out, so I ended up in my same comfort zone; on the treadmill for 50 plus minutes at least 5 times a week.
I remember, however, one day when all of that changed. One of the trainers came up to me and asked why I ran so much and what my goals were. I simply told him to lose weight and to be toned. He offered me three complimentary sessions that day and I trained with him for at least 20 more after that. I loved the other side of the gym that this wonderful trainer introduced me to. The art of strength training did then and still does to this day make me feel empowered. I competed a year after lifting my first dumbbell and placed in the top 5 in my class. I loved it so much that I competed five more times after that, finally placing 2nd in my last show. I know that 1st place is within reaching distance. I don’t plan to stop until I finally conquer it. With that said, I must say that it is an amazing feeling for me to even be that close to a victory when I look at the company beside me on that stage. It’s just an amazing group of women that are in that small 10 percent to ever actually prance across stage in those crystal heels.
3. What keeps you motivated to train?
This is an easy one for me. I’ve been overweight before. It’s a place that I never want to return to. The truth of the matter is that I feel great about myself inside and out because of the new lifestyle that I now have since being introduced to training and healthy eating. Not only do you treat yourself better, but others treat you better and look up to you as well.
4. What workout plan has worked best for you?
I train pretty much like a bodybuilder. I believe it is how we all have to train to tone and strengthen our bodies. If we are flirting with pink dumbbells in our hands, we are doing just that hanging out in the gym looking cute. I’m there strictly for business, so I train just like every other guy that’s trying to pack on some lean muscle.
Monday: Legs (since they are always the hardest)
• Single Leg Hack Squats: 3 sets for 8-12 reps
• Leg Press: 3 sets for 8-12 reps
• Smith Machine Single Leg Lunges: 3 sets for 12 reps
• Single Leg Cable Kickbacks: Just drop the cable attachment to the bottom, attach a cuff attachment to your ankle and kick back each leg individually.
• Deadlifts: 3 sets for 8-12 reps
• Leg Curls: Keeping your hips down so you focus on the hamstrings, I do 3 sets for 8-12 reps.
Tuesday: Shoulders
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press: I always do these with an over thumb grip—3 sets for 8-12 reps.
• Arnold Press: 3 sets for 8-12 reps, Cable Rotators (this usually requires a really light weight): Bring the cable to the bottom and just grab without an attachment by the ball and go across the body, working each shoulder individually—3 sets for 12 reps.
• Side Laterals / Straight and Bent: I do these in a superset so that I can hit both ways—3 sets for 8-12 reps.
• Upright Rows: 3 sets for 8-12 reps
Wednesday: Chest and Triceps
• Flat Bench Dumbbell Press: I do these with an over thumb grip, which hits the chest more if you don’t wrap that thumb around—3 sets for 8-12 reps.
• Incline Bench Press 3 sets 8-12 reps
• Incline Bench Flyes: 3 sets 8-12 reps
• Unassisted Dips: 8-12 reps
• Single Tri Pushdowns: Bring the cable all the way to the top and remove all attachments, grab by the ball on the cable. Starting at 90 degrees, push down alternating on each side—3 sets for 8-12 reps
• French Press: Keep your elbows close and tight and do 3 sets for 12 reps—so many people cheat on these!
Thursday: Back
• Wide Unassisted Pull-ups: Use a thumbs over grip—4 sets for 10 reps.
• Close Hand Pull-ups: 3 sets for 8-10 reps
• Lat Pulldown (wide): 3 sets for 8-12 reps
• Bent Over Barbell Row: 3 sets for 8-12 reps
• Cable Row: 3 sets for 12 reps
Friday: Biceps with some Calves
• Laying flat on the back cable row bench, I do bicep curls—keeping my head down and alternating sides—3 sets for 12 reps.
• Incline Bench Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets for 12 reps
• Parallel Bicep Dumbbell Curls: Standing with palms facing each other, curl towards the back of the ears—3 sets for 12 reps.
• Bent Over Dumbbell Bicep Curls: I bend so that my torso is at a perfect 90 degrees and just let the dumbbells hang. Curl just like you would a standing bicep curl, which hits them at a different angle.
Don’t let me forget about Sundays. I time myself for an hour and usually end up doing about 130-150 pull-ups. I love doing them—just because I can.
5. What is your philosophy about cardio?
Yuck, is my first thought. I’m not really fond of it, but it goes with the territory of doing what we do. If I don’t do it, then I can’t stay as lean as I want to be, so I usually do at least half an hour after lifting every day.
6. What is your philosophy about weight training?
Now this question I can answer. My philosophy is that weight training is absolutely amazing. I like to compare it to an artist with a brush and an empty canvas. He paints a little here, then comes back and paints a little more and he starts to see the picture that he had envisioned in his mind. If he keeps painting, he will have a masterpiece. However, if he puts his brush down and stops for too long he will forget what he wanted it to be and give up. I am the painter—I started my masterpiece a little later than most at the age of 31, but where I get them is that I never put my brush down. I keep returning and in the end, I will have the masterpiece that I am determined to create.
7. Do you prefer HIIT or steady state cardio?
I’m sure there are many great reasons that people (athletes) prefer HIIT cardio, but for me I just stick with the steady state cardio because it works best.
8. What are your top 5 exercises?
• I wish I could say pull-ups all five times but I won’t. Although that is definitely my first choice because it just works so many muscles at one time and just does wonders for your abs as well.
• Second, I would have to say incline biceps curls because they just really hit your biceps at an awesome angle.
• Third and fourth would have to be good old fashioned squats and dead-lifts because no bum can survive without them.
• Finally, fifth on my list would be single-leg smith lunges, amazing what they do for the glutes and hamstrings!
9. What is your philosophy about nutrition?
I believe this is the hardest part of a great plan. If my clients fail on a program that I design for them; it’s usually because they couldn’t get things right in the kitchen. We can’t out-train a bad diet, it is 80 percent of our program and we will not succeed if we are not taking care of business in the kitchen!
10. What nutrition plan has worked best for you?
Most days for me will look something like this:
Meal 1: ½ cup of oatmeal with 4 eggs and only one yolk
Meal 2: Whey protein shake (just because this is my post workout meal)
Meal 3: Either 2 pieces of whole grain bread with about 6 ounces of chicken breast or I’ll have a 4 ounce sweet potato instead of the wheat bread.
Meal 4: Whey protein shake
Meal 5: Some type of lean meat (I try to have fish three times a week) or I’ll have lean chicken or turkey with a cup of spinach and tomatoes and cucumbers with Italian dressing.
* If I’m hungry before bed: I will let myself have another shake so I sleep well.
11. What is your favorite cheat food?
Definitely ice-cream, New York brick oven pizza, yummy buttermilk biscuits with butter and jam (which is always what I have after finishing a show).
12. What is your favorite health food?
Oatmeal is definitely at the top of my list, but I also love sweet potatoes with cinnamon and grilled zucchini.
13. What supplements have given you the best gains?
I would have to say Beverly Nutrition. I use their Ultimate Muscle Protein, Muscle Provider, and Glutamine Select. However; with that said—over the past 3 months, I have tried Jack 3D and I truly believe in this supplement as well.
14. What does your pre and post workout nutrition consist of?
Pre workout: I’ll have a half a cup of oatmeal with 4 eggs, only keeping one yolk (this is two hours before I workout).
Post workout: It’s usually a whey protein shake with strawberries.
15. Which tools have helped you the most with your nutrition and training?
Once again, I have to give credit to the fine team at Beverly Nutrition. I have used their products since I started training six years ago and they have been there to guide me every step of the way. They have even helped me prepare for two shows at no cost to me. Such a fine team!
16. Have online resources, (social networks) helped you in your training?
I would say no. I feel my greatest strength is that I am a personal trainer and have a great understanding of physical fitness and nutrition, so I am able to train myself successfully.
17. Where is the first place turn when looking for training/ fitness/ nutrition advice?
I always go back to the best trainer in the world that took me by the hand and led me to my first dumbbell. He’s an amazing inspiration.
18. What obstacles have you had to overcome (injury, illness, relationships, etc)?
I’ve been fortunate not to have any injuries in my six years of training; I credit that to the fine trainer that taught me all that I know. My obstacles definitely are found in relationships with those that I love most. I feel that if you are not a competitor, it’s hard to have compassion for a person in their final weeks before they walk on stage. It’s a constant struggle and I have to remind myself many times that this is something that I do just for me; and it’s okay if others can’t appreciate it.
19. What was the biggest mistake you made when you first started training?
I would say that my biggest mistake (much like a lot of clients I train) is being impatient. It takes time to build muscle and create the physique that we want and it’s never wise to try and rush the process.
20. What tips would you give a beginner?
I would just say that the sky is the limit. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do the things that you want to do. If you want to compete, do it or it will always be something that you will leave you wondering if you could have.
21. What are your future goals?
I should say to win first place finally—but actually, that’s not it at all. I can only control so much of what seven judges in front of me decide. My true goal is to just introduce as many people as I can to fitness because much like strength training—helping an overweight person become a happier, fitter person is quite empowering in itself.
22. Where can we find you on MuscleDog.com?
Check out my profile, JGirl and add me as a friend. From there, you can see my bio, fitness stats, photos and more!
