ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: Ashley Nordman

Wow this one is tough. I’ve had a lot of amazing experiences since I began my fitness journey, but one that truly stands out to me is when I placed first and overall at my figure competition in 2013. I worked so incredibly hard for that competition, and made many sacrifices. I was broke, had recently moved to a new state 1000 miles away from home, worked a very strenuous job, and had very little support. But I pushed myself harder than I ever had and gave it my all, and it paid off because I not only won the competition, but it qualified me for Nationals. I have since competed in 4 National shows and continue to chase my Pro card!

I may sound biased because I work for Cellucor, but I honestly LOVE their products and that is why I began working with them in the first place. I take C4 Ripped for a pre-workout, Super HD and CLK for fat burners, Whey Protein as a post-workout shake, and I use Alpha Aminos for recovery!

I workout 6x a week and focus on lifting heavy. I also do cardio a few times a week. My schedule honestly depends on how busy I am and how I feel, but during prep I have a set schedule that I always stick to. Right now I am a little more flexible since I am not preparing for a competition. My training split is something like this:

Mon – legs

Tues – chest/shoulders

Wed – back

Thurs – arms/shoulders

Fri – legs

Sat – glutes/back

Sun – rest

I currently do cardio about 3x a week and stick with incline walking, the stair stepper, or elliptical!

I eat very clean foods! It is my preference to stick to a “clean” diet. I just feel better and function better when I eat this way. I eat a lot of complex carbs, like sweet potato, oats, rice, etc. and a lot of lean meats such as chicken and cod, and then of course I have vegetables and healthy fats like nuts/nut butters.

It is pretty easy to balance it as long as you are prepared and organized! Just like making time for the gym, you can make time for socializing. And when you have plans, you just have to keep your priorities in mind and be smart! Eat well, bring healthy snacks, get an early workout in before enjoying yourself with friends, just do whatever it takes to stay on track!

I love writing! I am also very passionate about painting/drawing. I love spending time outdoors and four-wheeling or doing yard work! I used to landscape so it’s something I am good at. Traveling is a hobby of mine, and I also love to cook!

My biggest struggle has been not getting caught up in the image attached to the industry. The fitness industry focuses heavily on your physical image, and the pressure to be perfect is very real. There is also a lot of pressure to get surgery, enhancements, and other things of that sort, so it is definitely hard to not get caught up in that.

I guess motivation has always been easy for me because I am naturally a perfectionist. I am always striving for progress, to do more, be better, and reach goals. I set high standards for myself and never stop until I get where I want to be. I grew up with the mentality that quitting is not an option and I stay true to that to this day.

My suggestion is to do as much research as you can about living a healthy lifestyle, understanding that real/long-term results don’t come fast (so you must be patient!!), and to build a strong mentality. If you believe in yourself and NEVER give up, you can and will reach your goals!

I look forward to being able to influence more people and to be able to learn and grow in ways that can help me with my own goals as well as others