20 Questions with Cover Model Caitlin Wheeler
1) Please introduce yourself? What makes you special? Who is Caitlin Wheeler?
Hello my name is Caitlin Wheeler and I am a born and breed Aussie (Australian) and I have been living in the states for almost 3yrs now. But I do still have my Australian accent :)
2) Please tell us a bit about your family, friends and surroundings?
My family and friends are the utmost of importance to me and I wouldn’t be where I am today with out them and their support. I am lucky enough to have amazing friends both here in the states and back ‘home’ in Melbourne, Australia. My friends and family are extremely supportive of my dance and fitness career and are my biggest fans! My mum is my rock and best friend but I am also a daddy’s girl!
3) How did you start competing in bikini?
I entered my 1st bikini competition in October 2012 after continually working out in the gym and not really getting the results I wanted. I walked into my local GNC and the girl working there suggested I should compete I have the physique for it. I googled some trainers in my area and came across Michele D’Angona of Team SASS and fell in love with her and competed in my first comp 5 weeks later and placed 3rd!
4) What is your personal policy (not what the judges want) about conditioning and muscularity when coming into a show? Soft or hard?
My personal preference is seeing a girl on stage who is fit, healthy and has nice muscle tone. Not to say coming in “soft” doesn’t have all of these results but muscle tone to me shows hard work, dedication and a commitment to your body and health that goes behind the norm.
5) What is your idea of what judges want in a bikini competitor? Do you think judges are clear enough with competitors about how they want you on stage? It seems in Europe they are very clear unlike in the USA and now in Canada things are confusing.
I know they have a general idea and outline but this changes every single competition and of course everyone’s personal opinion is different. You may have a show where the judges love you and the next show even if you feel like you look your best you may not place, based on different judges and opinions. My comp coach Michele D’Angona told me “you have to be happy with your body every day, and be happy with it on and off the stage, regardless of whether you come home with a trophy or not” and this is very true!!
6) For the next shows what do you think you need to work on physique-wise/conditioning-wise? If anything!
Well I am transitioning from Bikini to Figure as I have to much muscle tone for bikini, so I definitely need to build my lats, so I have a nice ‘V’ taper at the back with a small waist, and my legs and glutes need more size. Definitely my glutes (but that may be a biased opinion from me because I love glutes lol)
7) What is your typical training routine in the gym (per day, include sets and reps!) How much cardio do you do before a show?
Wow this is too hard to write down my entire training routine as I am always changing it up slightly so that I keep my body guessing and I don’t get bored. But I will always do 5-6days of weight training. Right now as I am trying to build size I do lower reps heavier weight. I train each body part separately on separate days. I don’t do too much cardio! I stay lean by keeping a clean diet. I will do cardio 2-3 times a week to stay really lean, and if I am prepping for a show or photo shoot I will do cardio 3-4 times a week about 2 weeks before the show or shoot. Maybe add in some fasted cardio.
8) What is your pre-contest diet? (per day, 1 week before the show)
1 week out really depends on how lean I am... I would play a lot with my diet and add in carbs to keep me looking fuller and not so lean. Still high in protein and some good fats and then some high carb days and then lower days. But I was eating carbs right up until the night before my show! Sweet Potato’s were my best friend :)
9) How do you go about dropping your water before the day of the show? How much water do you drink the day of the show. Please be specific.
Again this has been different every show I have done or photoshoot. I am lucky and don’t have to deplete my water too much as I am already lean and show ready a few days before the show. Instead of a gallon of water a day I will cut it down to about 3 litres 2 days before a show and about 1l the day before. I will sip on water throughout the day of competition and are sure to hydrate with a lot of water the minute judging is done!
10) What motivates you to train/diet and compete? Are there any competitors you looked up to?
Being a better version of myself everyday motivates me and pushes me. I am also looking in the mirror and taking pics of my body not just for instagram J lol but this is the real way I gauge progress and change in my body. I barely every weigh myself as numbers don’t matter to me. If what I see in the mirror every day makes me happy then that is my satisfaction. I love competing as I love being on stage due to my dance background. Now I love staying in shape and knowing that it inspires people to work on their own fitness goals. Being a walking role model is very rewarding & pushes me to always stay in shape & on my game... I love the physiques of Bella Falconi, Amanda Latona, Marissa Rivero, Yarishna Ayala, & my comp coach Michele D’Angona is very inspiring & is a great mentor to women.
11) Please tell us an interesting experience you had at a show recently, be it a fun thing or something rather not so fun?
This is a tough one there is always so many fun/funny experiences at shows..My first competition I was talking to a few girls backstage about prep and telling them how my prep was only 5 weeks & this was my 1st show..That didn’t go down to well with the girl I was talking to as this was her 5th show and she had been prepping for 14 weeks... I then thought it was a bad thing to discuss your prep/progress with competitors. Until my 2nd comp and I met some amazing women & realized that everyone has their own process and for me I am naturally built and quite muscular so I have the opposite trouble to most girls prepping they are trying to lose weight and put on muscle I am trying to not gain muscle or shred up too much. So each show you always learn something about the industry and you respect everyone’s different processes! Because every”body” is different!
12) What is your personal opinion about the figure, fitness, bodybuilding industry we are in? Anything you would like to see changed?
I think it is very similar to the dance industry..It is very body conscious and competitive. That is both a good thing and can be a negative thing... I would love to see it not so based on “who you know” or “who you are connected with” & it purely being based on your body, physique and professionalism. But that is the name of the beast in this industry and like any job or industry I still believe hard work pays off in the end, & your talents will be rewarded..It is just sometimes a harder longer path. But in saying all of that the fitness industry is my love and passion and there are amazing talented people in it, that play huge roles in changing society and promoting health & fitness! & that is a fantastic thing!
13) What has been your hardest challenge to overcome either in your personal life or competing career?
Moving here from Australia and going through a divorce all within the first year of moving here was the most life changing experience I have had. It played a big part in who I am today and as tough and challenging as it was I wouldn’t change it. Starting again from nothing made me really appreciate why I am here, and gave me an inner fight for what I really want in life and to not ever let anyone take that away from you..
14) Did you make any changes to your contest prep for your last show? Water intake, carbing up, etc...
I carbed up a lot before my last show as I was very lean when I began prep as I like to stay lean all year round. So I only prepped for 4.5 weeks and was on high carb days and high fat cycles. I actually had a burger 2 days before my show (bun and all :) ) and didn’t cut my water until the day before. But again this was to come in a little softer and not so cut. This is not a normal procedure for most people prepping.
15) What do you think of bikini division?
I like the bikini division. I think it is the most popular to the average male :) I think it is great that it encourages in shape, toned women to showcase their bodies and all of their hard work in a feminine way. I love the glitz and glamour to it all!!
16) What are your favorite foods to eat right after you compete on a Saturday night?
Everything! Lol It changes every comp. My first 2 competitions it was routine a Canadian or Australian way of eating French fries with gravy and melted cheese on top... Basically french fries and ice cream are my weakness. My last competition I had a burrito and went to a dessert place and ate the most amazing lemon meringue ice cream and cheesecake! I do now try not to over indulge as that is easy to do after a competition where you go on binges for days straight trying to eat all of your favorite foods. I make sure I pick no more than 3 & that’s it... I do love a good Quest Nutrition bar straight after I come off stage too!
17) Please tell us about how you were raised and did you have any interesting experiences while growing up?
Firstly I was born with dislocated hips. Which meant I spent the first 3 months of my life in a brace and was told as I was older that I wouldn’t dance professionally as it would be too much strain on my hips! (I sure proved that wrong)..I was raised in Australia until I moved to LA 3years ago. My parents got divorced when I was 5yrs old so I lived with my mum and younger brother but my dad was & is a huge part of my life. I am very close to all of my family on both my mum and dads side. My dad was a jockey and works with race horses and also trains greyhounds so I grew up around horses and greyhounds. My mum is a primary school teacher! I grew up in a small town where my mum still lives in the same house today and there were only 4 students that graduated high school then college and still pursued that career pathway and I am one of them.
18) Do you have an athletic background? Gymnastics, soccer, volleyball or what?
I have always been athletic. I started dancing when I was 5 years old and have danced every since. I was also a competitive runner in school and state champion sprinter. I also rode horses and was around horses a lot growing up. So yes I have always loved sports and being active.
19) What is a typical day in the life of Caitlin Wheeler? From waking up to until going to bed?
The first thing I do when I wake up is think about food..Lol…Then I check my phone and go through emails and texts and facebook and instagram and all of the social media. I will then get up and eat. Whilst I am letting my food digest I will do some work on my computer and then generally get ready and go to the gym. I get in my workout for the day come home and eat again (I eat 6-8 times a day) Then my day can vary between running errands, auditions, sending emails/work, choreography for upcoming jobs etc. I will often spend a part of my day cooking and meal prepping. I teach a fitness class called “Pop Physique” that is based in LA so I am busy teaching that during the week as well. My days are somehow always full and busy!! But I like it that way :)
20) What is your current occupation? Please tell us more about it, what do you specifically do in your job?
I am a professional dancer – Contemporary/Hip hop/Jazz/Lyrical and Jazz funk. I work commercially in LA as a Dancer. I also choreograph nationally for dance competition schools and companies. I am a fitness instructor and dance teacher, teaching for a national convention called Dance Rogue which travels nationally. I also work with people doing customized online Nutrition and Work Out plans. Lastly I work in fitness, working closely with my sponsor Hardfitness promoting his brand at Fitness shows and Expos, & I also do fitness modeling. :)
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