INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH
Kristy Hawkins

Rx: What is your full name?

Rx: Where were you born?

Longview, TX

Rx: How old are you? 23

Rx: Where do you live?

Pasadena, CA

Rx: How did you get started in bodybuilding? Who was the biggest influence on you getting into the sport of bodybuilding?

I used to go to the gym with my mom in the summertime and naturally gravitated towards the weight room while she did aerobics. My whole family did Jazzercise; it was great! When I turned 16 and got an after school job to pay for a gym membership, I started lifting every day. I had always struggled with my weight, and it was so liberating to finally be able to manage it in a healthy way. The owners of my gym, Helen and Robert Irby, taught me the basics of dieting and posing and I entered a competition they were hosting when I was just 17.

Rx: Who is your favorite female and male bodybuilder?
Female: Iris Kyle
Male: Jay Cutler

Rx: How would you best describe yourself to the bodybuilding fans that do not really know you yet?

I like to think I am a very motivated and grounded individual. My determination in bodybuilding carries over into all aspects of my life, especially my education.

Rx: What are you feelings about the current state of affairs in women’s bodybuilding? What would you do to help change those trends? Any solutions?

I really struggled with my decision to compete this year in part because women’s bodybuilding was a dying sport. Some (but nowhere near all) female bodybuilders have been pushing the limits of hardness and muscularity at the expense of their femininity. The sport lost popularity with the mainstream and was pushed aside in favor of fitness and figure. Many of the women found they could make money by catering to a fetish for dominant and/or muscular women. There are plenty of men out there who think muscular women are sexy, and rightly so! However, I do feel this takes some respect away from the sport. There are certain things the promoters and/or media could do to help like giving more exposure to female bodybuilders and portraying them in a positive light and as accomplished athletes. But ultimately, the solution lies with the women themselves who must first have self-respect and always keep everything in perspective.

Rx: What are some of your best lifts?

Incline bench—225lbs

Barbell row—265lbs

Deadlift—315lbs

Squat—335lbs

Dumbell curls—50lbs

Rx: What gym do you train at?

Gold’s Gym in Pasadena, CA

Rx: What nutritional supplements do you take on a regular basis?

I wish I had something original here but really just creatine, glutamine, vitamins, and EFAs. Another competitor at my gym, Roman Esparza, had me try Joint Synergy by MRM and it has completely eliminated any shoulder and elbow discomfort I was having.

Rx: What were some of the contests you have done. Have you won any titles yet?

I competed in several different organizations when I started, but my first NPC show was the:
(1) Michigan Championships in 2002 where I won the lightweight class.

…….since then I’ve done:
(2) Pittsburgh Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure—3 rd lightweight 2002, 1 st middleweight and overall 2003

(3) Ronnie Coleman Classic—1 st middleweight
(4) Lone Star Classic—1 st heavyweight and overall

(5) Jr. Nationals—4 th middleweight

(6) Jr. Nationals—5 th light-heavyweight

Rx: What is the next NPC contest you are competing in?

I’m currently training for the IFBB North Americans on September 4, 2004.

Rx: What is your ultimate goal as a female bodybuilder?

My ultimate goal is to continue improving every year and to keep training for the rest of my life. I would be happy to be top 5 at the national level, even if I never get a pro card.

Rx: Who inspired you to get into bodybuilding?

The only influences I really had when I was getting started were the Irbys as I mentioned earlier. Since then, several people have inspired me to keep going--Kurt from Houston, Andy Snyder, and John Ripa to name a few.

Rx: What kind of a diet do you follow during the off-season? And pre-contest?

I tend to stick to the same no carb diet year-round. This makes it increasingly difficult to get in shape! This year, I will still keep my carbs relatively low to avoid adding too much bodyfat but will take in a few carbs after I train and be sure to get my cheat meals in to stimulate my metabolism. I think it’s important to consume quality calories in the offseason too, so my staple foods are chicken, steak, salmon, eggs, nuts, and whey shakes.

Rx: Do you think that you can successfully compete in the IFBB Pro Women’s Bodybuilding division?

I would be thrilled to stand on a pro stage someday. I can’t say how well I would place, but I still have many years left to improve so you never know.

Rx: Aside from bodybuilding, do you have another job?

I am a graduate student at Caltech pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering. And believe me, it is a full-time job!

Rx: Do you have a website or an email address for people to contact you?

Check out my website www.kristyhawkins.com or email me at kristy_hawkins@hotmail.com

Rx: Would you like to “plug” anything?

I don’t have any products to push, but I just added a members section to my site which will have hundreds of pics from Jr. Nationals and the North Americans taken by Mr. RXMuscle himself. There won’t be anything explicit, but I travel to all the major shows and will have plenty of updates throughout the year. I am also planning to do a video with James Cook from FTVideo later this summer.

Rx: Kristy, I’m going to say a name. Respond with whatever comes to mind:

Rachel McLish? A little before my time, but I know she was among the first to make weightlifting popular and acceptable among women.

Cory Everson? See above

Arnold Schwarzenegger? “Arnold’s got spaghetti arms”….from Pumping Iron to the governor of the great state of California!

Lenda Murray? The all-time greatest female bodybuilder and a wonderful, beautiful, representative of the sport.