First off, huge congratulations on winning Fitness Gurls’ Physique of the Year Contest! How did you hear about our contest and what steps did you take to get all those votes?
I heard about fitness gurls just from being on Instagram and always looking at their page. It’s funny because I actually tried to connect with Fitness Gurls when I first started my fitness career and really wanted to become an official fitness Gurls athlete. It just goes to show what can happen if you put your mind to something! To get votes while competing for the physique of the year title I was promoting daily to not just my social media followers but to all of my family and friends. I was literally Snapchatting all day and messaging everyone I knew pretty much. I have never been one to enter into contests but I really wanted this and was so honored and excited to have won. I feel very blessed to have so many people supporting and cheering me on.
Download the New Issue: Janna Breslin Cover – Travel Issue 2017
We all know you can’t achieve the perfect physique in a short amount of time. How long have you been training and did you get started because of competing?
I have been involved in fitness my whole life starting with competitive horseback riding, to sports as well as martial arts. But when it comes to actual bodybuilding and training a certain way to build my physique I would say a year and a half now. I have not actually competed yet but my goal is to step on stage and compete in the bikini division this summer!
Were you a tomboy growing up or were you the cheerleader type?
I would call myself a girly tomboy! Haha.. Growing up I was doing both cheerleading and playing sports like basketball, soccer as well as martial arts. I have always been told that the way I look doesn’t fit my personality because I look and dress really girly but really enjoy playing sports, and definitely not afraid to get my hands dirty. I have always been the girl that can definitely hang with the guys!
You currently work as a trainer. What is one of your advice that you find hardest to keep?
I am a full-time personal trainer, and one of the hardest advice I give that is hard for me to follow would be and consistency with my training. I feel a lot of people think it should be easy for me to be consistent and focus on my own body as a trainer but when you are training quite a few people a day and so focused on helping them reach their goals it’s easy to run out of fuel for myself. There are days I’m just so tired I really don’t want to train but I always some How to find a way to make it to the gym. There have been times I’m there at 12 am, but any workout will always be better than no workout! I find the only way to keep myself on track is to always be setting certain goals and of course setting up shoots constantly, which really helps me to stay disciplined.
What kind of training do you do? Please tell us your splits if you adhere to that method.
The type of training I do is a combination of weight training and circuit training. I do a lot of weightlifting but I superset it with an actual circuit. My circuits almost always include an ab workout as well. It is all about keeping that heart rate up throughout the entire workout. I love this type of training because it allows you to build muscle and lean out at the same time. If you can consistently train like this it cuts down the amount of cardio time you have to do which I believe everyone can appreciate it!
For women, having a nice plump booty is like a guy having full pecs. What are your favorite exercises to make the booty grow?
I get asked all the time what is the most effective way to train glutes. Ladies, I don’t know how many times I can say it but it’s crucial you must eat for the booty gains. You can train your glutes all day long but if you aren’t feeding it correctly it’s not going to grow. I have many exercises I love to train glutes but my top picks would have to be lunges, bridges, and squats. And by squats, I don’t just mean normal squats but there are different techniques I use to really develop rounder glutes. It is extremely important to eat properly before and after the workout. I am on a low carb diet but on leg/glute day especially I will eat sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. This helps fuel my workouts so I can go heavier with the weights. I never really had a butt growing up and now it’s one of the most asked about body parts I have. If I could train mine to grow into what I currently have to trust me anyone can!
What do you normally eat every day?
My diet does stay pretty consistent for the most part. Every morning I have egg whites, turkey bacon, avocado, and cashews. This allows me to feel pretty full and gives me a ton of energy to kickstart my day. The rest of my day consists of chicken, salmon, veggies, and spinach. I eat five times a day and drink about a gallon of water as well.
What is one healthy food item that you can eat for a week straight and not get sick of it?
7. A healthy food item I could eat every day and not get sick of is definitely cashews and egg whites! Haha I know it may sound weird but I love both and literally eat cashews all day. They help me stay full and make it much easier for me to not eat a lot of carbs.
What is your favorite cheat food? Do you drink?
My favorite cheat meal would have to be a good old Cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. Mmm, I am obsessed with both. Once in a while, I will eat this on leg day to reward myself! As for alcohol, I’m not a big drinker. I don’t really enjoy alcohol and never really have. Once in a while, I will have a glass of white wine if I’m out with friends but I could easily not drink for months at a time.
What do you like to do when you’re not working, working out or anything work related?
When I’m not working out or training clients I really enjoy quite a time actually. My week is very hectic and noisy so I love hanging at home, going to movies and just spending time with my loved ones. But don’t get me wrong I also love going on adventures too, so hiking, rock climbing beach days are always something I’m up for! I prefer to get up early on the weekends so I can have a whole day for myself and do everything I can’t during the week. I’m that girl that will say yes to a million things at once when it’s probably not humanly possible… but then again I always think I’m invincible.
What can we expect more of from you in 2017?
For 2017 I really hope to make some huge accomplishments with my career. For starters, I would love to finally step on stage and compete at some larger fitness shows. I am also currently starting to work on my clothing line which is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl. I will be making a ton more fitness videos and getting a lot of content for my followers to hopefully help them grow and reach their own fitness goals. Finding a way to really reach millions of people around the world and help them find happiness and self-love through fitness and being able to accomplish things they never thought they could always be on the top of my to-do list. This is why I love social media.. if I can make someone laugh, or help them gain the confidence I feel I have fulfilled my purpose. This exactly why I am a trainer and why I love what I do so much.
I am still so excited and feel blessed to start off the year with the title of Physique of the Year! I can’t wait to shoot and work on different projects with Fitness Gurls so everyone stay tuned, 2017 is going to be amazing!
For More about Haley Kate:
IG: @thehaleykate
Photography by LHGFX
IG: @lee_lhgfx
