Christina Clemons is no stranger to competition. She worked for more than 15 years as an athlete and equestrian, but stepped away from that arena in 2012. Since then, Christina has become passionate about bodybuilding. She’s now a personal trainer at Equinox Fitness and a National Physique Committee (NPC) Bikini competitor. While only recently discovering the power of EBOOST®, Christina now relies on it daily to keep her powering through her long workouts and on stage.
Why do you use EBOOST?
I was initially introduced to EBOOST at Equinox through our juice bar and I learned that in fact, co-founder Josh Taekman was a member of our club.
Not long ago, while doing my morning cardio on the stepmill, Josh hopped on next to me and we began chatting about EBOOST. At the time, POW™ was about to released and Josh asked if I would sample the product and provide feedback. I eagerly agreed after hearing about all of the incredibly differentiators it offered over traditional pre-workouts (all natural, joint support, etc).
It was love at first workout! I have tried every pre-workout on the market and POW is the only one that provided me with “clean” energy. With POW, I felt clear headed, no tingle and no crash!
I have since fallen head-over-heels for SPRUCE™, the all new juicing alternative, that provides three servings of vegetable in EVERY packet! Now my morning routine is not complete without my morning “cup of SPRUCE” on the train ride to the gym.
What’s your workout routine?
Training for NPC bikini competitions means I am always striving to sculpt, mold and present my best physique. Through this process, I have learned that a healthy balance of weight training, cardio and nutrition provide my body with the tools to make changes and perform to the standards I set on a daily basis.
While “in season,” I typically do 30 minutes of HIIT cardio 5-6 days a week and divide my weight training by body parts six days per week. This season, my focus has been on developing my quads, glutes and shoulders therefore I train both 2x per week.
Some of my favorite exercises that target my weaker area are heavy barbell squats, deadlifts and lateral raises. Incorporating as many compound movements as I can into my routine ensures that my body is working to the max, increasing my caloric burn and metabolic capacity!
What’s your typical diet?
Whether “in season” or out, I eat six balanced meals each day, placing focus on my pre and post workout meals. By doing this, my body is not only fueled for my work out but also adequately replenished after, to ensure my muscles have the nutrients they need to heal and grow!
In order to maximize your results and reveal the hard work put in at the gym it is important to maintain a “clean” diet, comprised of whole nutrient dense foods! Some of my favorites are white fish, chicken breast, sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats, nut butter and LOTS of green vegetables!!
Meal prep is KEY to my success, therefore I dedicate two hours on the weekend to cook and portion out all of my proteins and my carbohydrate sources for at least three days. This way the night before, I can simply grab a baggie out of the freezer, dump it into my food containers and be ready for the next day in just ten minutes!
Like they say, “fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” I never leave the house without my 6-pack meal bag with ALL of my meals for the day!
For some, the idea of staying this strict with your diet would make them go crazy but for me, I have seen the results and that is what keeps me focused. However, I would be lying if I didn’t admit to having cravings and indulgences from time to time, (I am human) ;-) As a doughnut and pizza freak, my go-to treat is always a slice of New York pizza and a gourmet doughnut!
Between working at Equinox Fitness, training for her own competitions, and her hobby of baking healthy-protein based treats, Christina is a woman with the positive attitude, a drive to succeed and is never afraid to lift with the boys! We’re proud to have her as an EBOOST Brand Ambassador! Follow Christina on Instagram or friend her on Facebook and cheer her on and be inspired to transform your own body through diet and exercise.
