At TrueCore, our athletes go through an exhausting process before they are signed.  NPC Bikini Competitor Ashley Nicole Routson was no different.  When she joined TEAM TrueCore, we knew we had someone very special.  She is all over social media including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter expressing her thoughts, exercises, humor and so much more.  We decided to give everyone an inside look at who this amazing TrueCore Athlete is by interviewing her.  Enjoy!!    

Tell everyone a little about yourself

My friends and family are my life.  They will tell you I am one of the most honest and loyal people you will ever meet.  At 5 feet 2 inches, I am vertically challenged but fun sized which can be a problem because I love food!!  Since I am a very positive person, when things goes wrong I tend to always look at the positive situation.  This really helps me a lot because I rarely get upset since nothing really gets me mad.  When I watch TV, it is usually for a football game or a movie.  It is known that I am very sarcastic, laugh at my own jokes, and dance at completely random times and places (usually because I have a song stuck in my head).  I have horrible short term memory loss and over use Emoji’s when texting (sometimes even on my social media posts).  I will always correct your spelling or grammar if it is wrong.  When the animal abuse channels come on, I tend to start crying since I am a huge animal lover.  The gym is usually the one place I would always like to be at.  Lastly, my addictions consist of monster energy drinks and quest bars.  

How did you get into bodybuilding/physique/bikini?

I, like most girls now a days, was unhappy with my body and wanted the quick fix.  I tried Farrell’s extreme body shaping and saw some results with that but not quite what I wanted.  It got so bad that at a pretty low point I actually began hating to look at myself in the mirror every day.  The guy I was dating at the time told me to try lifting and helped me find a free weight training program on line.  I did a 12 week program and it changed my life.  I began training at Gold’s Gym and that’s how I found out about competing.  My love for competing was found after two natural figure competitions in 2013.  Since I was not ready for figure, I switched to NPC Bikini in 2014 and found my calling.  

For your first competition, what was it like to place?

It’s a hard feeling to describe.  I was honestly in shock hearing my name.  To know that I even placed, I was humbled after looking at myself compared to the other girls I was competing against.  Naturally I am a pretty competitive person when it comes to just about anything.  When I do something, I give it my all and I expect myself to perform to the best of my ability. On the other hand, I know how hard all of my fellow competitors have worked and it honestly makes me happy to see the other girls place as well. 

What's your favorite body part to work out? 

I would definitely say my Legs.  I seem to be able to push myself harder on a leg day than any other body part and it’s a good feeling for me.

What is a typical workout regimen you follow when you're getting ready for competition?

Typically I am up at 4am to do fasted cardio.  In the evening I will do my weight training.  I lift about 6 days a week and two a days for cardio.  My two a days for cardio are split between a fasted cardio session in the morning and a steady state or HIIT cardio session in the evenings.  My body part focus during preparation for a show will usually be around my glutes.

What is your cardio like? 

In off season, I taper it down the first few weeks after a show and then I will stop cardio all together.  In preparation for a show, it can range anywhere from one 20 minute cardio session a day to two cardio sessions a day depending on where my body fat is.  This last prep I had issues with my legs being too big so I was doing an hour of cardio in the mornings and an hour of cardio in the evenings to help bring them down. 

What supplements do you take?

My staple supplements are a Pre-Workout, Intra-Workout (BCAA), and a Post Workout. I usually take the pre-workout just for motivational purposes, an intra-workout to make sure I am getting my branch chains in for the muscle I am tearing during my lifts and usually a fast digesting whey (usually an Isolate during prep) post workout along with a fast digesting carb to take the most advantage of my workout.  I also will take biotin, a multi-vitamin and fish oil splitting those up throughout the day.

What was it like when you became a TrueCore Sponsored Athlete? 

Not to be too cliché here.. but it was kind of unbelievable.  I have been lifting for years and obviously been around other competitors who have been sponsored or are sponsored.  I know how hard it is to become a sponsored athlete and am unbelievably humbled and grateful that TrueCore gave me the opportunity.  After talking with TrueCore's Executives, they mentioned TrueCore doesn't always go for the number one athletes but instead go for someone who they see has potential. I thought that was a great thing for a company to do because they aren’t like most companies who only look at the people who have already made it.  They look at the people who are putting in the work and trying to make it. 

What can you tell everyone out there who would like to do what you do? 

Be yourself.  Be humble.  Be patient.  Work your butt off.  In this industry, you are judged based off of physical aspects.  You literally stand on stage in next to nothing in front of a judge panel who is comparing your body to someone else’s.  Mentally it’s a hard thing to do for some people.  NEVER, EVER let those critiques get to you.  If you are happy with the way you look, then you keep being yourself.  Don’t change or put yourself down.

Always remember that you are not better than anyone else.  Everyone puts in the work. Make sure to recognize that and support others whether they are beginners or pro’s.

Changing your body takes time.  Most competitors train anywhere from 12-20 weeks (3-5 months) for one show, for one WEEK, to be “stage ready”. Any time you are wanting to make big changes you are going to have to put in the work consistently and be patient with the results.  Too many people want fast results and immediate changes.  When you get discouraged, remember to look back at where you were not too long ago and recognize the changes you have made so far. Those little changes add up over time.

And lastly, WORK for it.  If you want something bad enough you bust your butt to make it happen.

It's no secret you cannot stay still.  Outside of working out, how do you stay busy?

Outside of working out, I actually have other jobs.  I work full time at Wells Fargo as a Research and Remediation Analyst, part time at Dicks Sporting Goods, and part time as a server at 1908 Draught House.  I love being busy, if you can’t tell.  If I have free time and I am not in the gym, because let’s be honest that’s where I would usually prefer to be, I am with friends or family. 

What are your hobbies?

Lifting, reading books, watching football, watching movies, and eating.

Any final thoughts you can share with everyone?

If I have learned anything over the last few years… the most important things I have learned and things I am passionate about:

1)     Always be yourself + Love yourself.

2)     Focus on the positives and not the negatives of things that happen to you in life.  You will never get that day back.

There you have it!  TEAM TrueCore Athlete Ashley Nicole Routson giving us all an inside look at who she is.  We look forward to her growth and are unbelievably proud of what she does every day with TEAM TrueCore.  Let us know your comments!