Any athlete that can carry the title “IFBB Pro,” should be proud of that accomplishment. The men and women that have graced pro stages have worked hard and made great sacrifices so they can have the most admired physiques in the world.
Ashley Garcia is an IFBB Figure Pro. So, she knows all too well how that feels, but her road to becoming a pro was even more difficult than many others. She was a guest on Femme Flex Friday, and she told co-hosts Whitney Jones and Alina Popa that even though she was an American citizen, her journey began in Mexico.
“It didn’t occur to me that there were challenges living in another country and what that entailed,” said Garcia. “Since I didn’t know what I was doing, I thought all these challenges in front of me were normal.”
Even though she was living in Mexico, her coach was in Canada. So, they corresponded by email. Then, there was the food. One example she shared was sweet potatoes, which aren’t common in that part of the world.
“That switch of a carb in prep can make a big difference,” she disclosed. “That just wasn’t available to me at that time.”
Garcia was also limited on protein sources. The majority of her diet would be seafood based, with occasional cuts of sirloin added in. Then there was training. Garcia described herself as “athletic,” but she had no experience with weight training. So, she needed to build the muscle in order to stand onstage. However, that didn’t deter her, either.
“My mentality was just ‘show,’” she explained. “My show may have been six months out, but I was training and following the plan.
The mom of three would eventually turn pro at the 2017 NPC Nationals in the Figure division. She hasn’t made it to the Olympia stage yet, but now that she is back in the United States, she hopes to compete again soon. Garcia shared a lot more about the hurdles she dealt with regarding training, finding supplements, and more. Go to www.wingsofstrength.net to catch this and all episode of FFF every week. You can also follow @femmeflexfriday on Instagram.
