CANDICE HENRICKS

In this episode, we’re introduced to Candice Henricks, a new IFBB
pro who works as a registered respiratory therapist who is
inspired to support others in sharing experiences and showing
love to all with her faith in Christianity and the belief she
holds that we are all in this together and no one is alone. She
dives into her journey, the power of faith, her career,
vulnerable stories and struggles of her life, and caffeine
abuse. 

Candice reflects on 2020 as a year of internal growth. It’s not
the year you get what you want, but a year you must make the most
of. During her prep to her pro card, she was in quite a bad
place, mentally. She could no longer find joy in the
process.  She was struggling with her diet, after a 28-week
prep. 

All in all, she could not even really enjoy the pro card. But
moving to Texas changed the game. Thanks to her  new coach,
she was introduced to a more flexible diet style. Her
relationship with food changed. She was able to reflect on what
she really enjoys. She feels much healthier. 

This prep was also super different regarding the training. Weight
lifting sessions were more intense than ever. However, cardio was
kept reasonable.  This was a brand new approach. This made
her feel empowered and made her fall in love with the process
again. 
This prep started as a challenge. Her friend Gina Scafoglio,
who’s also an IFBB pro, told Candice she should try and compete
with her. Challenge accepted! Candice was on fire, loved
everything, and was thriving. 

Candice used to compare her life to IG influencers’ lives. Before
moving to Texas, she was in a bad place, financially.  She
had just graduated but couldn’t find a job. It was a hard time.
And it was also very hard not to compare herself to others who
« made it ». The solution was simple : temporarily
deleting social medias ! And taking time to reflect on
herself. 

During this waiting period, Candice took time to reflect on her
purpose, and accepting the path she was on. She was able to find
balance with food, and put herself in the right mental state for
work. She could also focus on her faith. 

When Candice was 17, her mom died of a cancer. This lead Candice
to her first journey into faith, leaving her with
questions : « why ? », « who’s
God ? ». Since then, she’s been building her
faith. 


This also made her realize she wanted to help people, she wants
to be that person who shows you you can overcome darkness. This
is how she choose her career path.  She knew she wanted to
help and tried to work as a nurse. However, bathing/ cleaning
people, … that was not meant for her. 

Then she turned to respiratory therapy. She graduated in a year.
This path helped her to switch her mindset from « I
can’t » to « I can ». It’s not easy to come from
unemployment to 12-hour shifts though.  But with
organization and routine, Candice made the
transition. 
Another point to take into consideration was the fact that we’re
in a pandemic. Working in a hospital these times can be really
nerve wrecking. But with her fresh mindset, Candice reminds
herself that people are the priority, not bodybuilding, which is
a « hobby ». It is important to find a routine that
works for you, to stay grounded. 

She used to abuse caffeine. She didn’t realize it, but was pretty
agitated, leading to relationships issues. After 1 week limiting
her intake, she felt a complete change and felt much more
calm. 
Regarding artificial sweeteners, she doesn’t want to go cold
turkey, but she focuses on living a healthy lifestyle and wants
to fuel her body with nourishing foods. Candice loves the pro
milieu. She competed at the Battle of Texas, sharing the stage
with Olympians. She loved that experience. Compared to amateur
level, there is much more positivity. It feels like a community,
girls are rooting for each other. This is an inspiring
experience. 

Now Candice is in a better mindset and she’s able to truly enjoy
the pro status. She puts less pressure on body building and no
longer « has to » do things. She switched from not
being in the moment to living a healthy and happy
lifestyle.  Her best advice for a first timer would be to
ask themself lf if this is really their passion, if they want to
live this lifestyle. Having a great support system helps a lot.
It’s important to take things day by day, have a
plan. 

For competitors on their way to the pro status, it’s crucial to
have a vision on where you want to be. This is you versus you.
Whenever you improve, you’re on the right track. Get a great
support system and do things day by day. 

CONNECT WITH
CANDICE: https://www.instagram.com/can_dice_ifbbpro/

CONNECT WITH
CELESTE: https://www.instagram.com/celestial_fit/


EPISODE TIME STAMPS
00 :50 : Presentation of Candice
1 :46 : Candice talks about her « ritual »
before getting on stage. She always remembers every tough moment
she went through and reminds herself that every struggle pays
off. 
Her vision of 2020 is summarized by : growth
3 :30 : Celeste also shares her vision of 2020. It all
comes down to growth and making the best of
hardships. 
4 :30 : Candice share her post pro card
experience. 
She had been dieting for 28 weeks, which was quite a mental game.
Her mindset regarding dieting was not ok. 
5 :39 : Candice explains how moving to Houston, Texas
helped her in her journey. 
It also changed her approach to dieting. 
8 :44 : Candice talks about how she dealt with
transition from « bro diet » to flexible diet and how
this switch can make dieting much easier. 
You can get the best of both worlds. 
11 :48 : Candice explains her approach regarding her
current training, and how it was during the prep. This new way of
doing things sparked something and made her love that process
again. 
15 :39 : Loving the process again made Candice thrive.
She made new connections in this new environment. 
She shares how connections, interactions, can be uplifting and
can surround you with good vibes.
17 :50 : Candice explains how she deals with people’s
curiosity, questions, in the gym.
20 :40 : Candice underlines the importance of showing
up, every single day. 
21 :22 : Candice talks about the comparison game, about
financial issues and the waiting season, waiting impatiently for
things to get better. 
24 :31 : Candice shares how she got past this tough
period. 
24 :52 : Candice talks about her faith and how this
helped her a lot. 
27 :48 : Candice tells about her first journey into
faith. 
30 :44 : Candice explains how your faith can help you
but also other people, indirectly.  
32 :47 : Candice shares her action plan, for tough
times. 
36 :35 : Candice talks about her choice of carreer
path. 
42 :17 : Candice gives her « tips » to
transition form an unemployed life to working for 12-hour
shifts. 
45 :11 : Working during a pandemic can be nerve
wrecking. Candice shares her experience. 
46 :52 : Candice talks about her previous caffeine
« addiction » and how minimizing her intake helped
her. 
She also shares her standpoint regarding sweeteners and overall
dietary approach. 
53 :11 : Candice explains about her peak week.
56 :05 : Candice gives her insight about the pro
milieu
1 :00 :57 : Candice experienced a mindset shift
regarding her IFBB Pro Status. She develops about
that. 
1 :03 :45 : Candice shares her advices for first
time competitors and for competitors on the journey to the Pro
Card.