Future Fitness Champ Savannah Rose Shares Her Secrets

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I had the chance to interview future fitness champ (I’m thinking positively!) Savannah Rose. Savannah went from college party girl to fitness phenom and is looking to complete sometime soon.

That’s a Hard Body!

We all know how difficult it can be to stick to a healthy nutrition plan and exercise regularly. Life gets in the way. Well, it can be really difficult when you’re in college, surrounded by bad food, alcohol and constant parties. But Savannah managed to change her evil ways (She’s not really evil, that’s an AC/DC song reference!).

Q: 1. What inspired or motivated you to go from college party girl to a serious pursuit of fitness the way you have?

To be honest, it came completely out of the blue. I had never been very confident in myself, let alone my appearance (what a silly girl!), but I had never done anything remotely proactive to change that.

One day I woke up after a particularly wild night with some friends and it hit me; I don’t want to feel like this anymore. The pounding headache, and all the other related symptoms, both physical and emotional that accompany that kind of lifestyle… I was over it all!

So I signed up at a local gym, made a trip to the market and became a voracious reader of fitness and nutrition related material. I haven’t looked back since!

Q: 2. Awesome! Those changes are tough enough but in college, surrounded by all that negative temptation, that takes a lot of will power and discipline.

What advice would you give to someone who’s struggling to stay motivated, keep positive and stick to a proper nutrition and exercise program, especially someone who may not have a positive role model around?

After all, most of us are surrounded every day by a lot more negativity than we are positive people. It can be tough to break away from that.

Savannah: I would tell them that they aren’t alone! Everyone, even the top competitors have days (or dare I say, even weeks) where they are just over it. The diet gets mundane and training can feel like a hassle.

It’s important to find something that inspires you, and use it to your advantage!

For me it was pictures of competitors.

When I would feel down on myself or “too tired” to go to the gym, I would look through competition photos and imagine how much it would all be worth it if I could just get to that point.

But again, everyone is different, so find something that inspires YOU and get out there and do it.

Q: 3. One thing I’d like for you to address because I feel it’s a big one with women, is weight training.

Even nowadays, a lot of women shy away from weight training because they don’t want to look like Arnold.

If they train at all, it’s with the tiny pink weights and they never even break a sweat.

You’ve developed a gorgeous, sexy, lean hard body and you couldn’t have done it without weights. What do you say to these women to get them to not just train with weights but train hard and make it an important part of their overall program?

Savannah: I can’t tell you the number of times girls have asked me for advice, and when I recommend weight training, their immediate response is “but I don’t want to get bulky!” (or some other derivative of that).

I usually explain that it is just not physically possible for a woman to bulk up like a man without the help of steroids. On top of that, those women must also maintain a rigorous eating and training regimen for many years!

It is also important for women to realize that weight lifting is what creates the “toned” look they are going for (cardio alone cannot do that!).

On top of that, increases in lean body mass also increase metabolism! I could go on for days about the benefits of weight training, but unfortunately for some, the myths and the false information they have received over the years makes them blind to these facts.

Q: 4. What’s the biggest mistake you made when you started and how did you correct it?

Savannah: The biggest one for me was most certainly over training.

I learned fairly quickly after returning home from school the importance of rest.

I relaxed a little on my lifting and cardio, and discovered that I was actually looking better than I had when I was training really hard at school.

Rest is crucial!

I took more days off from lifting, relaxed my cardio and I definitely have been reaping the benefits ever since!

I have to remind myself sometimes that training is simply the trigger for change, the real transformation occurs when your body is rebuilding itself.

Q: 5. What do you think is the most important thing or skill you’ve learned with regard to health and fitness?

Savannah: It all starts in the mind. The willpower to refrain from eating a doughnut, the mental fortitude it takes to squeeze out that last rep… I am still in the process of learning these things, but it’s all about the journey, not the destination, right?

Q: 6. What are some common pitfalls you feel people can stumble upon and how do you help them avoid these obstacles?

Savannah: One in particular that I’ve found to be pretty common (and I myself have been guilty of on occasion), is getting too extreme too fast and then burning out (Editor’s Note: Read that again! This is WAY too common!).

Don’t get me wrong, it is great to train with intensity and dial in your diet, but just like anything, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing very quickly. It is important to take breaks, rest and allow yourself a little leeway every once in awhile.

Don’t beat yourself up if you slipped a little on your diet, just let it go and start fresh the next meal!

Ladies! Those are the sexy arms weights give you! Savannah is NOT Arnold!

Q: 7. Moving forward and knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently with your own journey, if anything?

Savannah: I could sit here and say I wish I hadn’t eaten that extra tablespoon of peanut butter, or that I should have pushed myself an extra 5 minutes on the treadmill, or gotten in a couple extra reps on that one set… but in the end, looking back with regret only slows me down! I like to focus more on the present and the future.

Q: 8. The most common excuse I hear from people who don’t eat right or train is that they don’t have the time. What advice do you have for people who use ‘lack of time’ as an excuse to eat poorly and avoid exercise?

Savannah: I would think to myself “there is someone out there twice as busy as you, training right now” (I don’t think I would have the guts to say that to their face though!). But it’s the truth!

There is always time to take care of the only body you were given. Whether it be simply choosing healthier snacks (for example, an apple as opposed to a doughnut) or getting up an extra half hour earlier to do some push-ups, yoga, run, anything! There really are no good excuses for treating your body poorly.

Q: 9. What’s a typical day for you when it comes to training and nutrition?

Savannah: As far as nutrition, I like to start my day with eggs, oatmeal and a fibrous veggie like spinach. All of my meals after that consist of some kind of lean protein, usually fish or eggs since I am a pescatarian and do not eat chicken, turkey, or any other kind of meat.

I pair my protein with a fibrous veggie like broccoli, spinach or asparagus. I also consume a healthy fat at the majority of my meals (almond butter being my favorite!).

Eat Your Apples!

Post-workout, I have a protein shake to feed my muscles. Finally, my last meal of the day, and also my favorite, consists of protein powder and almond or peanut butter, which I mix together with a little water and freeze for 15 minutes (sludge, yum!)

As far as training, I try to keep it as fun and interesting as possible. I get bored easily so I rarely do the same thing at each workout.

Here is my typical training split:

Monday: abs, back & shoulders
Tuesday: legs, emphasis quads & calves
Wednesday: abs, arms & chest
Thursday: Rest
Friday: legs, emphasis hamstrings & glutes
Saturday: Cardio & abs
Sunday: Cardio

Q: 10. How are you able to consistently fit it all into your busy schedule?

Savannah: I have to make sacrifices sometimes, but in the end it’s worth it. When I know I will be working late or have a particularly tiring day, I will wake up extra early to get my workout in.

If friends invite me out, sometimes I have to say no. But in the end, I know I will look back and be proud I did when I see the results I worked so hard for.

Q: 11. What are your future plans?

Savannah: I want to compete! I’m not sure if it is for me, but I’ll never know until I try, so that is in the cards currently. I’m also trying my hand at a little fitness modeling here and there, which I really enjoy!

I’m very much looking forward to seeing the changes and improvements I can make to my body. I want to constantly push myself to improve.