Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Category you compete in: I started competing in 2010 as a cross-over athlete in both Bodybuilding and Figure. I enjoyed both categories for different reasons. I loved Bodybuilding because it allowed me to showcase my muscles and all my hard work. On the other hand, I enjoyed the glamorous aspect of Figure. I am officially switching over to Physique this year, which I believe is the perfect blending of muscle and glamour.
Date of birth: 10/10/1982
Hometown: Western Springs, Illinois
Career: Environmental Specialist
How does your
family respond to your competing? I think my husband enjoys it as much as I do! He is very proud to see his wife on stage. I could not do what I do without him in my corner. He is my “Grill Master”, spotter, manager, personal massage therapist, and my biggest supporter.
I am pretty sure the rest of my family thinks I am at least a little crazy when I carry an “emergency” chicken breast around in my purse or train for hours every day. But they have come to expect this kind of behavior from me and no longer ask questions!
What kind of goals have you set for yourself, short-term and long-term? My short-term goal is to compete for the first time as Physique athlete this fall. For the next 4 months, during my mass-building phase, I get to do what I love most—lift HEAVY! I want to become the strongest I have ever been.
Regarding long-term goals, I am like most other serious NPC athletes—I would love to win a pro-card. But more than that, I want to bring the “best me” to the stage. I learned early on in my life that most things are completely out of my control. But I have found one thing that is entirely up to me--my work ethic. Regardless of how I am judged in a show, or with anything else in life, if I can say with confidence that I gave it all I had, then I have succeeded.
What's currently on your iPod? A little bit of everything--Country, rock, pop, it doesn’t really matter as long as it helps amp my workouts. I am also addicted to indoor coached cycling pod-casts. Since there are no spin classes offered at 5 a.m. when I do my cardio, I have to ride solo. These pod-casts make me feel like I have a bad ass drill sergeant keeping pace. My favorite pod-cast coach yells things like “find that feeling that scares you and ride up into its face!” I love it!
What are your hobbies and interests outside of the bodybuilding world? My husband and I keep it simple. Between work, food prep, and the gym, we have very little downtime. We like to hang out with our bulldogs, watch silly comedies and horror flicks, spend time fixing up our house and having dinner with family and friends.
If I ever I have any “extra” free time to myself (can’t really remember when last this was…) I love to get outdoors. I chose a career in the environmental field because I wanted to work outside and help conserve our natural resources. Living in the Treasure Coast of Florida, we have plenty of beautiful natural resources at our finger tips.
Do you have a favorite exercise? SQUATS! All day long! No other movement can even compare!
Competition history:
2010:
-California All Natural (Overall in Figure and Overall in Bodybuilding)
-San Francisco (NPC)-1st in Bodybuilding, 2nd in Figure
-Sacramento (NPC)-1st in Figure, 2nd in Bodybuilding
2011:
-Contra Coast (NPC)-3rd in Bodybuilding
-USA’s (NPC)
2013:
-Daytona Classic- 2nd in Figure
-All South-Overall in Figure
-Nationals (NPC)
For my national level contests, I competed as a Figure athlete. Both times I received feedback that I was “too big” for Figure. So now it is time to try Physique!
Next competition: Maybe All South…
Favorite Fitness Tip: There is always room for improvement! Never let yourself become complacent with where you are at. Once you stop trying to better yourself, you will start to regress.
Who would you like to thank? I know that my passion for fitness is God-given and I have to thank Him for making me this way. I never had a health conscious role model growing up—it was quite the opposite. I saw the unhealthy habits of my relatives and knew I never wanted to live that way. Let’s just say that I was the only 10 year old girl on the block who asked for a weight bench and dumbbells for Christmas.
I am extremely grateful to my coach, Matt Secrest of Hardcore Muscle Works. I met Matt when we both trained at the Powerhouse gym in Gainesville, Florida. I saw how he transformed his clients in a short time. Though I wanted to compete while I lived in Gainesville, I did not have the financial means to do so. Otherwise I would have started training with Matt then.
After both of us moved away from Gainesville, we crossed paths at Nationals. Although I was extremely happy with my conditioning at that show, I knew I came in way too lean and vascular for Figure. It was a tough road in the weeks following, as my body was going through the dreaded “rebound.” I was very lucky that Matt checked in on me before too much time passed after Nationals. He wrote a nutrition and workout plan to help normalize my body and mind. I felt better within a week of working with Matt. He is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. But even more, he is genuinely concerned with the well being of his clients, both physically and mentally. I am very thankful to have him as my Coach!
Last but certainly not least, I have to thank my husband, Anthony, who encouraged me to start competing again after taking a couple years off. He has been a huge encouragement to me during times when I have doubted myself. I know I am in a good place right now and have all the tools I need to succeed. I am very much looking forward to what lies ahead.
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