Julia Palmer interview

[RobMash]

Julie Palmer sat out the 2011 season after giving birth to her first child. She’s back on stage at the Fitness International for the ninth time. The Ohio momma is back and ready to take the stage with a renewed and refreshed physique. I caught up with Julie on the eve of her return.     Q: Congratulations on the new addition. How’s the baby doing? A: Thank you. Jaxson is great. He just turned 13 months old. He is a great baby. He loves music and dancing. He is looking forward to his 2nd Arnold weekend. Q: How many time have you competed at the Arnold? A: This is Arnold number 9. Q: Was it tough sitting out last year and not competing in the Arnold or a welcomed break? A: It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be until the last week or so. I was a bit distracted in a good way with both the baby and planning my wedding for the following month. It was nice to be able to come to the show and watch from the other side though. Q: You were considering a comeback but held off. Are you glad you’re returning at this stage? A: Yes, I was going to return in the fall of last year but I decided I wanted to nurse for a full year. I was also recovering from an injury and I wanted to make sure I was 100% before I stepped back onto the stage. Q: What’s the toughest part of prepping for a show withe a young’n at home? A: The toughest part has been time. I have 2 older stepsons who are 16 and 12 and are able to come and go and do some things on their own and they are in school when I am training but with Jaxson he controls the schedule a little bit more. It has been a challenge at times but it has worked. Luckily he is a great baby and goes everywhere with me. He goes to the gym, the gymnastics center and even posing practice at times. There are nights I get to bed later than I would want because I don’t have time during the day to get the things done that need to be done. Q: What’s been the biggest change in your life since becoming a mom? A: My biggest change is that my number one priority is my little guy. Everyone told me my world would change and that you never know a love till you have a child of your own and they are right. Q: What advice do you have for other mom’s out there who are struggling to stay fit? A: My advice would be don’t forget to take time for yourself and remember your goals. If you are not happy then your child and your family will not be happy. You can always go outside and walk or run with a jogging stroller or join a gym that has child care so that while you are working out your child is having fun playing. Q: The last time I saw you, you looked the healthiest I have ever seen you. Do you think the time away from the stage has helped give your body a rest? A: Thank you, I appreciate hearing that. I do think the time away has helped me. I competed non-stop prior to getting pregnant and trained non stop for the next show. I would argue with Mike about taking time off. When I got pregnant, I didn’t stop training, I just had to back off the intensity. I had to eat some different foods. I never realized just how beat up I was until I had the time off and I realized how different my body felt. Q: Did your nutrition change while you were pregnant? If so what changed? A: My nutrition changed more so by incorporating more fruits and more calcium into my diet. I still ate every 2-3hours. I also had to back down the amount of fish that I ate weekly. Q: Now that you’re back in competition mode – what’s your goal for this weekend? A: My goal is to have fun and enjoy the moment. I had a baby a year ago and I am back up on stage. I want other moms to realize that if you stay healthy and fit during your pregnancy you can back to your pre-pregnancy body within months, not years like you hear from so many moms. I had a different mind set going into the show and it was more about me overcoming my own personal struggles between over-training and being injured. I am very happy that my physique is back and my routine is a lot of fun. I hope that I am still able to be a top 3 competitor 2 years later. Q: Any supplements you’d recommend for moms? A: I would recommend a very good multivitamin and mineral as well as fish oil and vitamin E. That is all I took. I came off thermogenics for the first time in 14 years the day I found out I was pregnant and have not been back on them yet. Q: Where can people find more info on you and stay updated with what you and the Fitness Factory are up to? A: You can find us on our new updated site at www.mikedaviesfitness.com as well as MikeDaviesFitness on twit*** and facebook. Good luck this weekend Julie and welcome back! The IFBB Fitness prejudging will take place at noon on Friday, March 2, 2012 followed by the finals later that evening. Check out competition photos and Julie’s contest history.