Armanda Amaro (left) and Kate Shull have both been busy training to compete in the Kelowna Classic this Saturday, May 5. Shull and her husband Matt own Advanced Fitness Club, which is sponsoring the two to represent Osoyoos in the body building at fitness competition. (Richard McGuire photo)
Two Osoyoos women have been working out and controlling what they eat for months as they get in shape to compete in a bodybuilding competition this Saturday in Kelowna.
Kate Shull and Armanda Amaro are competing in the Kelowna Classic at the Kelowna Community Theatre on May 5.
Both women are mothers of three, but Shull’s children range in age from one to nine, while Amaro’s are adults.
Shull and her husband Matt are owners of Advanced Fitness Club, which is sponsoring the two women to represent Osoyoos.
The two women spend a number of hours each day on their training.
“It’s my life,” said Amaro. “That’s all I’ve been doing. I train three hours a night doing this competition … It’s a lot of dedication.”
Initially, after Amaro decided to set this goal, she would train two hours in the morning and two more hours in the evening. Exercise included a mix of cardio and weight training.
“I was in good shape, but I had a lot of muscle toning to do,” said Amaro. “Then I went on a very clean eating diet that Kate and Matt promoted at the gym. It does work.”
Amaro, who owns Heaven on Earth Total Body Care and Wellness on Main Street, said she’s entering in three different categories – bikini, figure and physique.
Shull will be competing in bikini fitness.
“This is a natural bodybuilding competition, so there’s absolutely no drugs to be used,” said Amaro, adding that winners must undergo a drug test.
“I’m at the point in my life where this is the healthiest I’ve ever felt,” she said. “I want to continue on. My goal is to go to nationals. From there, the world is my playground.”
It’s the first competition for both women.
Amaro said she’s always been into fitness, and this has been a goal of hers for many years. No longer busy with parenting, she realized there was nothing stopping her.
“I thought why not take it to the next level and show not only myself, but others that anything is possible at any age,” said Amaro, now 51.
Shull, who is a gymnast, said she’s been doing physical training for many years.
She does resistance training to develop muscles and get definition in the veins. She also does cardio and heavy weight training, focusing on one muscle group a day.
“Every day is a different muscle group, so Monday is bicep, tricep, Tuesday would be legs, alternating upper and lower body,” Shull said. “What you always want to do is give a rest to your lower and give a rest to your upper, so you alternate.”
Shull also swears by the “clean” diet, which is based on protein, vegetables and complex carbs, but eliminates sugar. Complex carbs, she said, include yams, quinoa and brown rice, but she avoids such foods as pasta, bread or potatoes – any white carbohydrates.
Both women eat lots of protein – eggs, steak, chicken, fish and lots of protein powder.
“It’s nine meals a day that we have to consume,” said Shull. “Every two hours you have to feed your body. Every two hours I’m eating or drinking protein.”
Amaro said her food consumption is similar.
“Usually my first meal is at 7 a.m.,” she said. “I have an oatmeal. Two hours later, I’m eating protein, eggs with spinach. All of a sudden at lunch I’m having more protein and then I’m having one and a half chicken breasts, and yams. You eat a lot of food. There is no starvation.”
She said she eats about 3,000 calories a day with no fast food and no processed food – only fresh or frozen. She eats between six and nine meals a day.
Amaro said she expects to compete against nearly 100 others in Kelowna.
“I’m in it to win,” she said. “In my heart, I’m already a winner for doing it.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
Armanda Amaro (left) and Kate Shull have both been busy training to compete in the Kelowna Classic this Saturday, May 5. Shull and her husband Matt own Advanced Fitness Club, which is sponsoring the two to represent Osoyoos in the body building at fitness competition. (Richard McGuire photo)
