Training and Nutrition

Training and Nutrition

My name is Dawn Fernandez, I was born in Denver, Colorado. My family moved to Arizona in the early 80’s and that’s where I’ve been ever since. I like the desert heat and our diverse landscape. My husband and I met in high school. We have three boys. It was my husband that introduced me to weight lifting and working out. I’d always eaten fairly good and controlled my weight by eating small portions and moderation. The gym gave me a way to sculpt my physique and it was interesting to watch it change.

The desert rat became a desert gym rat! We worked out consistently for about three years. When we bought a business in 2002 it took a lot of our time and energy. I had wanted to start competing in those early years, but family and our business were priority. The year 2004 wasn’t good…we sold our business, I had surgery on my foot and I was in a car accident that took years to recover from. Working out was not on my radar, but I continued to eat moderately and only gained 10 -12 pounds. Finally in December of 2008 all my doctors that were caring for me during my car accident recovery had released me from their care. I was thrilled to be able to get back in the gym for something other than physical therapy!

By now our boys were older and our lives had settled down a bit. One day I got a flyer in the mail that Fitness Universe was going to have a show in Arizona August 2009. I decided after all these years that I was going to enter it and I began training harder. My hard work paid off and I won the classic division! I went on to compete in the NPC circuit as a bikini competitor and did very well. My goal however was to be a figure athlete and competitor.

In November of 2010 I made my debut and won the NPC Western Regional Overall Figure Title. Having competed in both categories, I can honestly say the preparation; training and nutrition plan is different for both. For me though, since my goal was to be a figure competitor, I trained and ate to build muscle and sculpt my physique. My husband grew up around weight training, his dad was a power lifter and his uncle owned a gym and was a bodybuilding competition promoter. My husband taught me old school lifting and weight training using proper form from day one. To this day that is how I train.
For instance leg day (everyone’s favorite, right) I will do three or four sets of squats, leg presses, stiff leg dead lifts, leg extensions, hamstring curls, adductors/abductors and end with standing and seated calf raises. I walk out of there on two noodles! Leg day is the only day I don’t do any cardio. I work out one body part per day and do four to six different exercises making sure I hit each individual muscle in the group of muscles that make up that body part so that my physique develops proportionately. I don’t concentrate on one body part more than another and I train my backside equally as hard as I train my front side.

As for nutrition, I believe it is 75% of any good workout program. I have to feed my body the nutrients and fuel it needs to function on a daily basis, but as an athlete I also have to make sure my body is getting the food it needs to support my workouts and that it has what it needs to contribute to and sustain muscle growth. A typical day for me starts off with four egg whites on one slice of whole grain bread with a piece of fruit (usually 3-4 prunes). I snack later on cubes of chicken breast, green beans and 3-4 whole grain crackers. For lunch I’ll usually have a grilled chicken salad with balsamic vinegar as my dressing (two weeks before a show though I ditch the vinegar). I’ll snack again on cubes of chicken breast, green beans and 3-4 whole grain crackers. For dinner I’ll have a serving of protein (fish, chicken or beef), vegetables and a slice of whole grain bread.

I workout and eat moderately clean all year round, so contest preparation isn’t as drastic. I believe in everything in moderation in life and apply that motto to eating as well. When I'm not preparing for a contest I eat small portions of anything I want including brownies, which are my all time favorite. In fact you can usually find me at a near by bakery after a show ordering a brownie to celebrate! I don’t take a lot of supplements, but I do take a multi vitamin, biotin and E capsules in the morning. At night I take calcium, and glutamine or potassium (only when needed). I also drink a protein shake within 30 minutes of my workout.

I am a professional speaker, workshop facilitator, figure athlete and fitness model. I can be reached at themoderatelifestyle@cox.net.