TINA DENOFF

In this episode, Celeste talks with Tina Denoff, proving to us
that at any age, at any time, and with any other obligations you
can still prioritize yourself. She is a mother of two and has 3
fur babies as well living in sunny Florida after years of
Michigan winters. Priding herself as a natural athlete this
competitor started her journey in the NPC in 2019 and just went
pro in October 2020 at teen collegiate and masters nationals
winning first in her bikini masters over 50 class and 2nd in
masters over 45 

Celeste starts off the episode by asking Tina if she has a
specific ritual she performs before hitting the stage. Tina
shares the many rituals she has that all play a crucial role in
her daily life and throughout the various stages of her prep.
Celeste mentions the importance of precision with habits and
rituals not just daily but leading up to show day.

Next, Celeste mentions Tina’s commitment to implement the habit
of “rest, reconnect, and listen” and has Tina share how she plans
on prioritizing that goal. Tina discusses the importance the gym
has in her routine and how, although it is a hobby, she is lucky
to be able to compete yet that she must remember the importance
of also setting aside time to be present with her family. Next,
Celeste asks Tina if this is a lifestyle she had always led or
something she came to adopt. 


Moving forward, Tina opens up and shares that finding the gym was
an accident. She talks about her past as a runner and how an ice
skating injury which resulted in ACL surgery ultimately led to
her finding resistance training, as her doctor had recommended
she not return to running.

Tina discusses how she  started researching and changing up
her diet on her own as something to help with inflammation issues
she was experiencing post surgery. Then, somewhat by chance, she
found that combination of her new diet and light resistance
training at home sparked her interest and she found herself
signing up for her first gym membership, and then hiring a
trainer.

She explains the feelings she had while watching her physique
begin to evolve and progress with the more time she spent in the
gym. Tina also shares a time of personal hardship and the
gratitude she felt for the community her gym has blessed her
with.

After seeing how her body was changing, Tina started to be asked
if she was going to compete. Those questions inspired her to
research the sport and from there she contacted her first coach.
Together, they both decided it was time for Tina to start
training for her first competition.

Tina mentions that she “started from zero,” learning the basics
such as “what is a macro?” and how to properly train for a show.
After sharing her beginnings in the sport, Tina dives into the
details of her cringe-worthy story from her experience at North
Americans, her first national show. She mentions how the day was
“off” from the beginning and what unraveled from
there. 

Tina shares not only the mishaps from her admitted lack of
attention to detail in preparation for prejudging but how she
eventually made it to the stage. Tina recounts, from start to
finish, every mishap and mistake that she encountered and
overcame, but also shares the main takeaways of what the
experience as a whole taught her. Among those mistakes included
one of the biggest any competitor could make - missing her class
for finals.

Upon turning to the hotel room with feelings of both disbelief
and disappointment, Tina found herself in a difficult place
mentally, debating whether or not she should continue to pursue
her pro card in Orlando the following month. She felt conflicted,
having prepped for so long and not wanting to continue without
the support from her family.

Celeste asks Tina about her decision to go ahead and compete in
Orlando and what she did to prepare her mindset for this next
challenge after all the difficulties North Americans
presented. 

After sharing her experiences in Orlando, Celeste asks Tina what
she has been focusing on since winning her pro card. Tina shares
how she has approached her improvement season and what she is
planning in terms of her pro debut.

Celeste asks Tina more about why she chooses not to share
progress photos unless she’s in a cutting phase and the strategy
and reasoning behind it. Next, Celeste asks Tina about her
family’s thoughts on competing, and how she told her family and
friends about wanting to embrace this new lifestyle.

From there, Tina talks about the nature of her relationship with
her husband, and how they consciously make time for one another
and prioritize their relationship, despite being quite
opposite.

Tina also discusses the areas of life in which she feels she
lacks balance while in prep and acknowledges that while
bodybuilding is a hobby that she values dearly, she needs to make
the experience both enjoyable for herself and for those around
her.

To conclude the episode, Tina shares her best advice for native
competitors and for the girls on their road to pro and then
shares how listeners can find and connect with her further.

CONNECT WITH TINA:
www.instagram.com/tinadenoff_ifbbpro/

CONNECT WITH CELESTE:
instagram.com/celestial_fit

Time Stamps:
[0:50] Celeste introduces Tina.

[1:30] Tina shares her pre stage ritual.

[5:50] Celeste asks Tina how she practices her commitment to
“rest, reconnect, and listen” and how she prioritizes this goal
daily.

[8:10] Tina shares how she came to adopt this lifestyle.

[11:40] Tina talks about her first experience joining a gym and
hiring a personal trainer.

[14:30] Tina shares how the gym helped her out of a dark time in
her life.

[17:00] Tina shares her experiences of finding her first coach
and training for her first show.

[21:00] Tina shares her cringe-worthy story from North
Americans.

[32:00] Tina talks about how she missed finals at
nationals. 

[37:30] Celeste asks Tina if she was able to talk to the judges
despite missing her class for finals.

[40:30] Tina shares how she felt after processing the emotions of
what happened at the show.

[42:35] Celeste asks if Tina felt like she had lost her chance at
a pro card if her family didn’t support her to continue
competing.

[48:30] Celeste has Tina share where her mindset was at going
into nationals in Orlando.

[53:15] Celeste asks Tina what she’s been focusing on since
earning her pro card.

[56:45] Tina answers why she decided she won’t share progress
photos until she starts her next cut.

[60:15] Celeste asks Tina about her family’s opinion on her
competing.

[62:00] Celeste has Tina open up about the nature of the
relationship she has with her husband.

[65:30] Tina shares in what areas she feels she lacks balance
when in prep.

[69:50] Tina gives her best advice to novice competitors and
girls on their road to pro.

[75:20] Tina tells listeners where they can find and connect with
her on social media