Christina Adler- A.K.A. Redheadlaw7 Talks to Directlyfitness.com
1. How did you get started with bodybuilding, modeling, and fitness?
After having my second daughter Madeline I came down with a severe case of postpartum psychosis. I was placed on multiple medications and was hospitalized a few times because it got so bad. I ended up drinking heavily as well. I ended extremely overweight and overmedicated. The turning point in my life was when my oldest daughter Ellen went looking for something to make her mommy feel better.
It turns out that the mommy daughter yoga class she suggested saved my life. After I started the yoga, I then signed up for a pilates class on my own. That turned into me attending bodypump classes several days a week and mountain biking almost every day. Eventually I hired a personal trainer and started lifting some real weight. Within a year and a half of training I had begun my career as a figure competitor. I have competed in sixth NPCs and have placed at a national qualifier. I have fallen so in love with the process that I am currently studying for my certification as a personal trainer.
2. What gets you motivated?
I am probably most motivated by all of the people that read my blog www.redheadlaw7.com and who visit me at my bodyspace on www.bodybuilding.com. Just knowing that there are people out there who look to me for diet and nutrition advice or who look at my absolutely horrible before pictures to see that you can come back from such a dark awful place keeps me going.
I don’t want to let these people or my family down. I’ve made my story public even though it’s really embarrassing because if by telling it I can help get one person to recover or to regain their health and happiness it’s so worth it. So I get up every day and keep plugging away because I know there are people suffering out there that may decide to hit the gym instead of popping a pill or taking a drink because they don’t see their situation as hopeless.
3. What is your training philosophy?
I always joke with my trainer that we have to go big or go home! I think that if I’m not setting PRs or trying bigger, better or different routines that I’m going top stop progressing. It’s taken a few years to get some of my bodyparts up to the level I’d like them to be, but I’ve never given up.
I’ve also realized that my favorite saying about life also applies to training, “If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.” So if a diet or workout routine isn’t working don’t just keep doing it. You have to experiment with something else until you find what works for you. If you can’t figure that out by yourself then try to find someone that can help.
Trainers and dietitians are incredible resources and I’ve found that most of them are very willing to share their thoughts and ideas.
4. If you have to pick only 3 exercises, what would they be and why?
I can’t imagine not including squats in the list! It gets the testosterone flowing and hits the largest muscle groups in the body.I’d also include pullups because of how many muscles in the upper body are activated during this exercise. And finally weighted walking lunges because it’s the only exercise that I do where I’m guaranteed to be sore in all the right places afterwards. It’s a great exercise for someone who doesn’t have the time to be doing an hour of leg exercises.
5. What is your philosophy on nutrition?
I think this is the first time in my life where the way I eat is based on so much more than what something tastes like. I really do view it as fuel now and realize that no matter how perfect your workouts are that you will never see progress whether it be cutting or bulking if you don’t have the nutrition down.
With that being said I think that having perfect compliance isn’t necessary and that a bite of this or a sip of that every now and then isn’t going to ruin anything. But if you’re nailing your macros ninety percent of the time you should be seeing results.
6. What’s your diet like?
Well I just finished up competing in four NPCs and the holidays are in full swing so my diet isn’t exactly where it needs to be. Regardless, I never have a meal with anything less than twenty grams of protein and I try to avoid drinking my calories. As far as veggies go, I’ll have either cauliflower or broccolli. I’ll usually have a protein shake after my workouts and I’ve been eating a ton of greek yogurt and cottage cheese.
Since I’m not trying to cut I’ve been throwing in a lot more fruit, granola and flax. Every now and then I’ll have some coconut oil mixed with peanut butter and cocoa. When I get ready to start cutting again towards the end of winter I’ll go back to eating tons of meat, asparagus, rice and avacados.
7. What’s your take on carbohydrates?
I’m a huge proponent of cycling carbs and eating them when your body needs them. When it’s time to bulk I get in carbs for breakfast and before and after workouts. When it’s time to cut, I usually toss them out of my diet on most days and then do refeeds when needed. The leaner I get the more often the refeed.
8. What workout routine has worked best for you?
I can’t say any one routine has worked best for me. I actually use different trainers for different purposes because no two bodies are alike and that includes the same body at two different points in time. What I mean by this is that I’m not going to look like Ava Cowan by performing her routine that she uses now.
Different things work best at different times. I know that I do the most mass building right after a long period of cutting so that’s when I lift the heaviest with the lowest amount of reps. When it gets closer to show time I know that doing bootcamp type workouts or crossfit are the best ways to start to shape the body for figure.
9. You own physical feature you are most proud of?
I think that would have to be my shoulders. I have never had a problem with growing my delts and I think that’s one of those elusive bodyparts for women, the capped shoulder.
10. What supplements do you use if any? If not, why not?
I take fishoil supplements just because the body has to have the Omega 3s. I take ZMA for recuperation and for sleep and I’m a huge caffeine addict. I take some when I get up and before workouts. If the MCTs in coconut oil count as a supplement then I’d include those as well. And of course I sip on BCAAs most of the day.
11. Favorite Bodybuilder, model, and athletes?
I absolutely love Layne Norton. I’ve been lucky enough to chat with him about nutrition and contest prep and even when I wasn’t a client he was so willing to help and was the most honest about what my expectations about training and limitations should be. I’d also have to say IFBB pro Julie Palmer.
We grew up together and were cheerleaders for several years. I go and see her regularly now for posing practice and for peak week help and I’d have to say that her being an absolute fitness rock star hasn’t changed her a bit. She’s an incredibly sweet helpful person.
12. Who inspires you most?
That’s a tough one to answer because there are so many people that do. I guess I’d have to say anybody that hasn’t given up on themselves.
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