Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonya Andrea.
Tonya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After having my last child in January of 2012 (in which I have three, including a set of twins!) I decided to stop being “skinny fat” which is a fancy term for essentially eating whatever, whenever but having a naturally high metabolism, so my bad eating was not as apparent externally as much as it was internally.
I started taking and teaching barre and pilates classes that year which I LOVED and ENJOYED for almost five years of my life, and still do! However, my goals in terms of fitness changed just slightly in 2014 when I was introduced to heavy lifting and the sport of bodybuilding. In which fortunately, the sport fell in my lap and I haven’t looked back since!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The journey to becoming a professional bodybuilder has definitely not been an easy one. When I first decided to train and compete in 2014, I thought man! This is going to be a CAKE WALK because I love lifting and spend a lot of my time in the gym anyway, so piece of cake NO problem! Um, WRONG! Lifting weights, to me, was the least challenging part of the bodybuilding process because I enjoy it. However, the diet on the other hand, is a completely different story. When I started training, I had never really been on completely restricted or regimented diet of any kind, so to go from essentially eating kind of whatever, whenever to giving up most of my favorite foods, was pretty brutal. Keeping in mind that I also have three smaller children so snacks and sweets are not ever completely eliminated from my home. It’s an ongoing struggle that I have, but I can say that being in a competition prep really holds me accountable for laying off of the sweets. For those just starting in the industry, I would just say please, please be realistic in your goals and practice the art of patience. Everything comes with persistence and time, and very few things happen overnight.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
By trade, I’m a marketing manager who is passionate about a few things, with the main thing being health and wellness and helping others to understand the importance of living a lifestyle inclusive of daily exercise and healthy eating habits. This passion also includes personal training and guiding and coaching individuals through their preparation for a bodybuilding competition. What I believe sets me apart is my compassion and understanding for those who not only are considering bodybuilding, but also those individuals who just want to make a lifestyle change and make fitness a part of their everyday life. It is my goal to encourage and help create manageable and realistic objectives for people at any phase of their life at any age!
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
Yes, of course! I grew up as a dancer and running track and field. (What a combination huh?!) That said, I was raised in a world where I was exposed to a competitive lifestyle since I was born. So I was no stranger to hard work and have always possessed a mindset of a competitor.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Tonya_andrea_ifbbpro
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyaandreawheatfall
Image Credit:
James Allen Photography, Richard Martinez Photography, Audra Oden Photography, 24 Hour Fitness
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