Super competitive, confident, disciplined, loving life and gorgeous!
Christine Ray knows a thing or two about muscle sculpting and how hard you have to work to achieve a place on the world stage.
Competitive Fitness Modelling is certainly not a sport for everyone, but they are athletes in their own right representing an industry that is experiencing massive growth year on year.
So to solve the mystery Christine about her diet, training, motivation and what it takes to be successful in this industry.
Background
As a girl Christine danced, did gymnastics and pretty much entered every sport she could, only to get into weight training when she left school. Always knowing that health and fitness would be not only her passion but also profession, she became a qualified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She now runs a successful business Redline Fitness incorporating personal training, comp prep coaching and boot camps.
On competing
Christine wanted a challenge, so set out with a personal goal to see where she could take her body sculpting and how lean she could get her body.
Her strict dieting and training regime saw her place 1st in the IFFB Nationals 2013 and then invited to represent Australia at the Arnolds in Ohio this year. Placing 6th in the world for Ms Fitness she says her secret to success was ‘consistency’ and stepping on stage knowing she had given 100% to her eating, training and gymnastics.
The preparation is quite unlike something you have seen unless you are an athlete.
Training is 6 to 10 training sessions per week that start’s with heavy lifting for size, to bodybuilding and focusing on one muscle group at a time, to H.I.T.T (High Intensity Interval Training) in the final stages of prep.
Nutrition starts strict with higher calories and as body fat decreases the calories reduce and becomes more restrictive. Calories start as high as 2200 and reduce to 1200-1500 calories by the end.
On Training
Christine, when not comp prepping, likes to mix it up with cross training and H.I.I.T with both weights and cardio. She enjoys metabolic training, including anything that involves explosive moves and power, always covering the major muscle groups. Some of her favourite exercises are: Push press, burpee chin-ups, push jerk, Olympic lifting, snatches
Box jumps and sprinting.
When asked Cardio or weights? She has her days but much prefers more functional, dynamic and compound moves that combine both, for example a barbell burpee press. She gets bored just focusing on hypertrophy or just running.
Recovery after a tough session: her supplementation is important (glutamine, magnesium and BCAAs) as well as a good stretch, sleep and massage.
Diet
My Muscle Chef sponsors Christine and provides her with the basic meals always covering all food groups. She eats 6 – 7 meals per day, which consist of 4-5 main meals with lean meats, complex carbs, good fats, veggies and 1 – 2 Optimum Nutrition Protein Shakes. 90% of the time she eats well and will add a couple of cheat meals. She has always eaten healthy foods but on the weekends will relax and go out for a nice meal without being pedantic. Her typical food for the day:
Brekkie: Rice puffs with strawberries and yoghurt + a Green Tea x 50
Snacks in between meal 1 and 3: Optimum Nutrition Shake + Coffee
Lunch: 100g of lean protein (chicken/fish/red meat), 1 cup of rice, greens + a Green Tea x50
Dinner: 100g of lean protein, 100g of sweet potato and veggies
Christine would not consider herself a ‘dieter’ although she is strict during comp prep. She has tried all the popular high carb, carb cycling, macro diet, 1200 calories, 2000 calories, high fat and so on, but is a true believer that everyone is individual and responds differently to foods.
Her philosophy that she passes on to her clients is simple – calories in vs. calories out, based on a balanced diet that includes all food groups. You should not eliminate any foods – unless there is a tolerance of course.
Cheat meal: Ice cream
Motivation
Her motivation comes from within – the desire to keep moving forward and to continue to improve her physique and fitness. On top of all this her fans and clients continually motivate her to push the limits! The kind messages and thoughts that people share about Christine are a constant reminder to keep living a fit and healthy lifestyle and to keep empowering others.
How does she deal with
The Hours: Running her business and staying shape means that she has to at times pull back on her business. Not ideal but her clients respect that she has committed to a goal and support her through the journey.
Dealing with the negative publicity of the sport: Christine would agree that stage weight is not healthy for women (around 10%), however she does it as safely as possible by ensuring there are no food groups eliminated. Right up until her competitions she is eating fruit, yoghurt and carbs. She believes more education and support is needed within the industry and is exactly what she aims to do with the girls she coaches.
Ongoing pressures: Christine is an ambassador for Optimum Nutrition and there are expectations that you look lean when representing the brand whilst under contract. While not always at comp weight she lives and breathes a healthy lifestyle so it’s not such an issue for her.
Missing out on celebrations: Just discipline? For Christine yes and no. Never a big drinker or partier she accepts that she chose do this and can’t blame anyone for ‘missing out’. At the end of 16 weeks your friends and the parties will still be there.
Advice for those wanting to compete?
- Do your research and get a good coach, – ensure they have competed previously and know their philosophies on diet and training;
- It’s a selfish sport, so ensure your family know what to expect;
- You choose to do this so think long and hard about the commitment.
Long term plans
- As an athlete to represent Australia at the 2015 Arnolds and earn her ‘pro card’;
- Continue coaching men and women for competition;
- To continue growing her business, awareness and respect within the industry;
- Become a Strength and Conditioning coach.
Christine’s Achievements
2014
– 6th Ms Fitness IFBB Arnolds Amateur
– 1st Ms Fitness IFBB FITX Melbourne
2013
– 1st Ms Fitness IFBB Australasians
2012
– 6th Ms Fitness 2012 ANB Oxygen Fitness Model Comp
– 2nd Ms Fitness NSW IFBB Australian State Titles
– 2nd Ms Fitness Australia 2012 IFBB Australian National Titles
2011
– 3rd Short Figure and South Cost Titles
Sponsors:
- Green Tea x50
- LIFT Watches
- Optimum Nutrition (Sponsored Athlete)
- My Muscle Chef
- CORE150
- Grippedfitness
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