Ashley Kaltwasser is a legend in our industry. She is arguably the greatest Bikini competitor of all time thanks to her three Bikini Olympia titles and two Bikini International wins. Her 41 pro wins is the most of any competitor male or female in IFBB Pro League history. She’s not slowing down anytime soon, either. Over a decade after starting her pro career, she’s considered a top contender for the 2023 Bikini Olympia contest in Orlando, FL on Nov. 2-5. You can watch her in action by purchasing the 2023 Olympia Productions pay-per-view over at olympiaproductions.com.
Even though she’s in prep for the Olympia, she still sat down with us for a few minutes to take part in our “10 Questions” profile, and we spoke about everything from traveling to being comfortable on camera and everything in between.
A lot of fans like your training content. What is your favorite bodypart to train?
I love training shoulders, and that has been my lagging bodypart. So, I’ve really been working to bring that up. The go-to exercise for that part is the cable lateral raise because I feel a good connection with it.
If you weren’t a Bikini competitor, what division would you compete in?
It would definitely be Fitness because I come from a gymnastics background. I can still do flips and handstands. A lot of people ask why I don’t do it now, but I’m too small for it. I’m just big enough to be in Bikini. Fitness would be a fantasy for me, but it’s not realistic.
You’ve won 41 shows and competed in many more than that. What is the go-to meal after a contest is over?
I get asked this a lot, and believe it or not, I don’t even think about food. I want to take a shower and get that tan off me so I can put my hair up and my glasses on. Other than that, I’m real simple. I’m good with a protein bar and diet root beer. I don’t have any of the crazy cravings. So, that works in my favor.
If there was a private jet ready to take you anywhere in the world that you’ve never been, where would you go and why?
I would love to go to the Caribbean. I’ve been to so many places around the world but have never made it there. It’s on my bucket list already.
What are your hobbies outside of bodybuilding?
I love going grocery shopping and watching documentaries on Netflix. I’m also big into bargain hunting, which goes well with the grocery shopping. I like the thrill of finding a really good deal. My hobbies may seem mundane and boring, but the way I look at it is that my life is usually exciting and full of adrenaline. On my days off, I want the complete opposite. I also like spa days and getting massages.
You mentioned the documentaries. What are your favorites?
I actually have no favorites or specific category. I just find one that piques my interest and go for it. I also watch them on YouTube. I don’t get to watch much TV, but when I do I want it to be something real. I’m not that much into fiction stuff.
When you do social media posts or YouTube videos, you always look comfortable on camera and appear to really be enjoying yourself. So many people wish that for themselves. Got any tips that may help them?
That’s a great question. I think a lot of people just overthink it. It should be way more relaxing than a competition should ever be. At the end of the day, you pick the photos that you want. So, you and the photographer or videographer have control over the way you look. At the end of the day, it really shouldn’t be that serious.
What do you feel is your greatest strength?
I feel that I’m very resilient. No one can take that away from me. I will keep getting up and moving forward.
The 2023 Olympia will be the ten-year anniversary of you winning your first in 2013. Did you ever imagine that you would still be competing a decade later?
Abolsutely not. This journey has exceeded all my expectations. So, this is all icing on the cake now. Back when I was an amateur, my goal was to turn pro. After that, I just wanted to qualify for the Olympia. So, when I won that first one, no one expected me to win, and I didn’t even expect to win. To win it three times is incredible. Even placing third last year blew my mind.
Any idea how much longer you’re going to go?
At this point, I’m just going with the flow. When you look at Bikini, the physiques are always evolving. It blows my mind that I’ve been able to keep up with the times.
