In the Rx Rising Muscle 
series we will take a more global look at what’s going on in the fitness and bodybuilding world. We will present the hard and dedicated athletes that are on the rise to greater success.
Our next athlete is from Hungary and she’s a Women’s Physique competitor. She is also very dedicated to the fitness lifestyle and is working hard to earn her IFBB Pro card.
Let’s welcome Susanna Tirpak to Rx Rising Muscle!
Age: 29
Country: Hungary
City: Budapest
Occupation: Personal trainer
Height: 5’3
Division: Women’s physique
RX: Susanna would you like to tell us about why you chose to start lifting weights?
ST: Well, it all started a long time ago. I used to have an eating disorder in my teenage years. My brother who was already lifting weights at this time had all these bodybuilding and fitness magazines and I couldn’t help it – had to check them out! I loved all those beautiful women with their rock hard bodies and wanted to be just like them.
I lived in NYC at this time and was doing normal commercial modeling so my skinny figure was just fine for that – but at this point I started to consider competing one day and gaining some muscle. I knew I had to do something differently. But it was very hard since I was so afraid of eating in general. (I was starving myself back then and doing loads of cardio every day.)
So when I started lifting with my brother, he had to “fight” with me to make me drink a glass of fat free milk after a workout. But, oh well, every change is hard. Thanks to my wonderful brother and his knowledge (and patience) I was able to fight anorexia and began to eat like an athlete: chicken, rice, vegetables, etc. I was very motivated because I wanted to become a fitness athlete… and wanted it badly. My body reacted very fast to weight training and this kept me moving forward. Loved every single moment of working out and enjoyed all the compliments I got!
RX: With the knowledge you have today, would you do something differently if you had that information when you started to train?
ST: I don’t think that I would do anything differently in my workouts. It’s such a long process and it IS supposed to be this way – there are no shortcuts! It takes a lot of time to create a well developed muscular physique. But this time is so valuable! I think that all the little steps we take are very important. How else would we get to know our body?
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When it comes to my diet… well, I am still learning. I still make mistakes, but I try to learn from them! And I think that there’s always a different or a better way. I’m never completely satisfied with my physique so I am always open to new training methods and diet tips.
RX: During your years of training, do you have any funny stories or incidents that happened which you want to share with us?
ST: Well, I can’t remember any funny stories that happened during my weight training, but there was a funny incident at one of my acrobatic trainings. (I used to compete in fitness division where we had a fitness routine – and I had to take gymnastics to manage the routine round.)
I was practicing the back flip and forgot to take a sports bra with me. So I had to wear a normal, padded bra. As I jumped up in the air for the back flip one of the pads somehow fell out from under my top and ended up on the floor! Needless to say how all the handsome gymnasts practicing around me were laughing at me. All I could say was oops and was blushing and blushing. But in the end, all these gymnastics workouts were worth the effort. I won the fitness world championship a couple of years later in 2010! :-)
RX: What does your training schedule look like each week?
ST:
Monday: legs
Tuesday: shoulders (#1)
Wednesday: back
Thursday: arms
Friday: chest/abs/glutes
Saturday: shoulders (#2)
Sunday: cardio
I also do 30-40 minutes cardio every day.
RX: What are your plans for this summer?
ST: Wooohoo! What else? Enjoying the summer! We’re planning to go on vacation with my boyfriend to the sea. But seriously, my plans are to stay in relatively good shape for the summer (to look pretty in my bikini!) and train VERY hard for my next competition.
I guess I can serve with a more interesting answer if you ask me about my long-term goals. I want to get a pro card and compete with the best of the best! It’s my dream. I get up each and every morning with the thought of my dream. And I work very hard every single day to get closer to this dream.
RX: Susanna, from your opinion what makes a great Women’s Physique competitor?
ST: I know that some people.jpg)
wouldn’t necessarily agree with me, but THE MOST IMPORTANT feature of a Women’s Physique athlete is femininity! A physique girl should be feminine. This category was created for women who want to do the same poses as female bodybuilders do (well, almost the same poses) but with smaller muscle size and with more feminine looks.
I am not saying that a female bodybuilder cannot be beautiful, but let’s admit, most girls could not manage to stay both feminine and big at the same time. If Physique would go towards size in the future, I would probably change division!
And the other things that make a Physique athlete great in my opinion are symmetry and overall looks.
RX: What are your favorite things to do besides training?
ST: I love to travel. I love to see different parts of the world, different cultures and countries. I was born in Hungary, but grew up in Czech Republic and New York, so I had to assimilate to many different cultures. Loved every single moment of it! New York is like a melting pot. I love that city so much!
And maybe it sounds weird, but I also love eating! :D This makes each and every contest prep a torture, but at least I am even more proud of myself when I get into shape! ;)
My other hobby is to read novels… only in English! That’s because I don’t want to read translated versions of these novels. I want to read the original text as it was created!
RX: what advice would you give to people who want to train but are stuck in the couch mode?
ST: Get up and do it! No one is going to do it for you. You can keep on living in that sofa mode, but it will get you farther and farther from your dream body. There are absolutely no secret methods or secret pills that will get you in shape. You gotta work hard. No, VERY HARD!
RX: When and where will we see you competing again?
ST: Not sure yet. All I know is that I will compete in Physique division. I think I need to explain this. I wasn’t sure I was good enough for Physique. I was thinking of switching category and going to Figure.
Even though I won the first ever Arnold Classic Europe Physique division, many people were “attacking me” instead of congratulating me by saying that I am way too glamour model-looking, too small and not hard enough for Physique.
These people almost made me belie.jpg)
ve that I’m not good enough. But thank God I spoke to a couple of people from the business and they convinced me that I should stay in Physique.
It is true, my Physique has to be harder next time I compete – because Physique girls are getting leaner and leaner – but I think that my muscle size is good enough already. Or at least I hope that Physique division will not require massive muscles!
RX: In the wrap up is there anything you would like to add or someone you would like to thank, please feel free to do so.
I would like to thank my boyfriend, Alex for his patience during my contest preps. I tend to be very stressful about getting into shape and at these times I can be hard to live with! :-)
Many thanks to my clothing sponsor, Legal Power ( http://www.legalpower.de ).
And I can’t thank enough to my fans! They are the best fans I could wish for. They don’t even know how much they motivate me. I want to be better and better and make them all proud!
Thank you for the interview Susanna. All of us from the Rx Muscle Crew wish you all the best in the future in your career. Additionally, have a great summer and good luck at your next competition and that you will earn your IFBB Pro card in Women’s Physique.
To contact Susanna:
Facebook: Susanna Tirpak IFBB athlete
Instagram: susanna_tirpak
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