Welcome to the Fitness Gurls Team Stephanie! Please tell us where you’re originally from, what you do and where you do it from!
I am a small town girl originally from Grants Pass, Oregon and currently reside in Costa Mesa, Ca. I am mainly a Trainer & currently train clients in a private studio in the Orange County area. I also offer online training! I love working one on one with clients to help them reach their goals!
WATCH: Stephanie Marie | GYM MOTIVATION
Let’s rewind and go back to when it all began. What made you get into the fitness industry? Was there a pivotal point where you decided or have you always had a thing for it?
I kind of always had a thing for it growing up. I played soccer, ran track & surfed. I love being active. But it wasn’t until I moved to California at 18 when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Understanding what Crohn’s does to the body, I had a decision to let the disease take control or I take control of it. Eating right, working out & maintaining a healthy lifestyle are huge factors to keeping me in remission. Through my struggle, I have found my strength & I love teaching people how to find their strength through healthy living. That’s why I love being a trainer, helping to show my clients there’s so much more to living healthy than just the benefits of looking better.
We can tell you definitely practice what you preach. You seem to stay incredibly lean consistently. How do you maintain that? Do you do cardio everyday?
Thank you! Although I do love to stay lean year round. I maintain it through a healthy diet & 45 min of steady cardio 5-6 days a week. With Crohn’s, if I stray from healthy eating I am at risk of a flare-up which lands me in the hospital. The more damage I cause in my digestive tract, the more complications I’ll have. I stay consistent with my diet and exercise which keeps me feeling great. I do make slower muscle gains, but it definitely helps keep my Crohn’s symptoms at bay. It’s been a learning process!
Do you take fat burners? What supplements do you swear by?
I have used fat burners before, but my experience with them is a hit or miss. I’ve learned personally I have to stay away from them, as it affects my stomach & Crohn’s symptoms. I do take L Carnitine and I love this supplement! It helps transfer fat to energy so, it’s like a non-stimulant fat burner!
What is your training routine like? Do you go by splits or do you do full body workouts daily?
I do focus on split routines so I can focus on individual muscle growth. I have always had a strong upper body and weaker legs. I’ve had to work extremely hard for my legs. I have 2-3 leg days a week which I lift heavy to ensure growth while focusing on the quads and calves one day, and hamstrings and glutes the other. I split my upper body routine to back & triceps, then I lift shoulders, then chest and biceps. I always switch it up though! When I lift upper body, I do plyometrics and resistance band works on my booty & legs.
Your lower body is pretty developed and we all know full legs pair well with a round booty. What exercises can you share with our female audience for a booty like yours?
Haha, thank you! Like I mentioned above, I’ve had to work extremely hard for my booty and legs. It’s crazy to hear compliments on my legs knowing how small I used to be before! I used to be 90lbs! Putting on size is my main goal: barbell deadlifts, squats & walking lunges have helped me achieve that. All kinds of kickbacks from cable kickbacks, dumbbell, ankle weight, resistance bands…I get creative! Cable pull throughs, barbell hip thrusters, & the outer thigh machine or weighted movements like that are definitely a few staples in my routine!
Having said that, do you have a favorite and least favorite body part to train?
Not at all! I love to train everything! I do have goals though, so I prioritize my lifts which kinda makes me have a favorite because I’m hungry for progress and seeing change is exciting! I’m still trying to put the size in in my legs and shoulders, so I always love lifting those muscle groups. I am pretty happy with my chest and back, so I focus on maintaining & defining.
What is your diet like? Some people seem to get away with eating not so clean. Are you one of those lucky people?
My diet is hard. Unfortunately, I am definitely not one of those lucky people. I have a really hard time eating, or at least wanting to eat. Having Crohn’s disease, my stomach is in pain 80% of the day and the worst times are usually after I eat during digestion. So it’s a turn off for me before I even get the food in my mouth knowing it might cause stomach pain. The leaner & cleaner I eat, the easier it is on my stomach so I usually stay consistent with a lean meal plan consisting of lots of lean protein sources like egg whites, white fish, shrimp. I’ve had a hard time lately with meats like chicken and steak. I usually have about 5-6 small meals a day consisting of lean protein, green veggies and morning meals include a carb source like oats, red potato or sprouted grains & lots of fruit.
Staying in top physical shape is time consuming given the time to train and food prep. What do you like to do to relax and have fun?
Growing up in Oregon, I love the outdoors! For fun, I love going to the beach to relax or for surfing and hiking to watch the sunset or sunrise of the amazing view. I’m secretly creative and have a love for painting and crocheting. I could put my headphones on and get lost in my art for hours or end up crocheting something cool like a beanie or scarf. I am a simple girl.
What is the most challenging thing about being a fitness model?
I always feel like I have to be on point. With Crohn’s disease, I have my good months, bad months, weeks where I’m fine then all the sudden I have a flare, Completely unexpected. It throws me for a loop & holds me back. When my Crohn’s is flared it’s really hard to eat because I have a lot of stomach pain. I lose my appetite & then I have no energy to lift. It’s hard to feel like I stay on point or progress when I’m fluctuating an unsteady meal plan & gym regimen at times. I just do the best I can when struggling with Crohn’s & when I have my good days, boy do I make sure to make up for the bad.
Have you ever competed or do you ever plan to compete?
I competed John Lindsay’s Muscle Contest in Figure, in 2015. I, to my surprise, placed 2nd. I was incredibly nervous and felt like a vibrator on stage I was shaking so bad! I look back now and laugh! I wouldn’t compete again in Figure, but I have thought about Bikini. I love the idea of competing to give yourself something to push for, but I’m not a competitive person when it comes to the body. Body is art. It’s a possibility, but no set plans currently.
Aside from seeing more of you on Fitness Gurls, what do we have to look forward to with Stephanie Marie the rest 2017?
2017 has already has been an amazing year. I am so excited & blessed to be working with Fitness Gurls. It’s something I’ve been working toward for a long time. I’m so honored to be apart of the team. I’m newly working with Steve Wong and Paul with BlueLineEffex they are an amazing team who work with many athletic pros. We have had a lot of things coming this year and can’t wait to share them with you guys. Stay tuned as we conquer 2017!
For More about Stephanie Marie:
IG: @stephaniefitmarie
Photography by LHGFX
IG: @lee_lhgfx
