Arnold Bound IFBB Pro Andrea Watson Sets Her Sights High

[Musclepapa John]

Arnold Bound IFBB Pro Andrea Watson Sets Her Sights High

By Lisa White
The Arnold Classic is here with much to be prepped and planned for as the competitors are making their way from all over the world to partake in one of the greatest expos held in the sport of bodybuilding. Anyone who is anyone knows this is where the best of the best come to compete and in some cases present themselves for their pro debut such as of IFBB Pro Andrea Watson. In her recent interview on Sports after Dark with radio hosts NPC Competitor's & RxMuscle.com member Allison Moyer and Erin Strickland; Andrea delivers a candid and honest approach to balancing her career, family and competing.

For starters, IFBB Pro Andrea Watson has a perfect record with 4 wins and earned her pro card with that last win. As she explains to Alli and Eryn this journey started due to a nudge by her husband. This little nudge took her to the Panhandle Showdown twice before trying her hand at competing. With these four competitions behind her Andrea has learned a lot about herself and has set high goals when it comes to competition, but in the mean time she will be focused on competiting against an amazing group of competitors at The Arnold.

When asked by Eryn what her training was like for her upcoming debut Andrea admitted she trained with weights in November and took the next eight weeks off of weight training but increased her cardio to three hours a day during this period of time. It has only been in the last two weeks that she has re-introduced weights into her contest prep; mainly focusing on her shoulders and glutes.

As for Andrea's life off stage she is truly low-key and family oriented. She explained to Alli and Eryn that the hardest contest for her was her first due to the pressure she placed on herself and because she felt she was neglecting her family. Besides the feelings of guilt Andrea was faced with an appendectomy just before her first pro debut and found she had a rare form of cancer. The news of having this rare cancer hit Andrea hard and she became very depressed by it. She didn't know if she was going to live or die so she turned to her faith and her unwaivering support group; her family. Although the cancer was caught in good timing it put a new perspective on life. With her parents living right down the road she made a new commitment to see them whenever possible and to balance her time between her husband, parents and competing. Since competing is her hobby and not her career Andrea has decided to prioritize her life in that manner.

Besides making some personal changes Eryn and Alli asked about her joining Team Bombshell, which is directed by IFBB Pro Shannon Dey and her husband Robert Rosetti. Andrea said she attended the Team Bombshell Camp last February and it made a difference in her style of training. She explained she had been training like a bodybuilder and this camp teaches women to train like figure competitors, how to pose properly and about healthy dieting. In this camp the camaraderie is high and the positive energy from the group can really push you through the tough times.
For the moment she is taking The Arnold seriously and hopes to take home a win. When asked by Eryn and Alli what her long term goals happened to be Andrea was honest in saying she wants to win the Arnold and the Olympia but she won't do it anymore if it stops being fun. Although she is in a serious mind frame for the competition she also expressed her lighter side with hopes of a Hardee's sponsorship.

[Musclepapa John]

Gotta Luv her sassy fighting spirit, lol

Walk With Watson – Don’t Hate…Appreciate

Andrea Watson for Hardbody.com

Often times when I am at the gym I overhear people talking negatively about the sport of bodybuilding and figure competing how it is rigged, who should have won what show, who slept with who, and how so and so shoulda, coulda, woulda… Isn’t it funny how people become experts at this sport just because they have trained competitors for a show? They talk about how horrible so and so looked and if you compare their pictures then duda da da…I think to myself…hello people….get a freakin’ life outside the gym and stop talking like you know everything!!!! Well, people probably think that this little gas monster does not have a life because I am in the gym almost three hours a day but that’s besides the point.
This negatively quickly reminds me of what my coach, Shannon Dey, always tells her Bombshell girls. The best advice she ever received was to “Stay out of the doghouse and stay true to yourself.” Meaning, don’t be guilty by association and do not participate in conversations where people are bashing fellow competitors. This makes you look bad, insecure, and like a BIG FAT HATER. If you truly feel that way, keep your mouth shut and your comments to yourself. What good does it do for you to complain about it to others? I have been accused of being stuck up and anti-social because I don’t run with these crowds. So what? I would rather be accused of being that way than of being associated with all that negativity.
People tend to remember negative impressions rather than positive ones. Think about it, when you receive bad customer service you are quick to tell your mother, brother, Bubba, Sissy, Uncle Tom, and Aunt Sue to never to deal with that company because they pissed you off. However, when you receive good customer service you don’t go telling the whole world do you? The same thing applies in this industry. When a competitor is bitchy, stuck-up, and moody at the gym or backstage you will always remember her that way. Or, when you have a conversation with Negative Nancy about how Suzie Q won and her ass was much fatter than yours, how her belly has never seen an ab a day in its life… Guess what? People will remember you as….a BIG FAT HATER!
Be aware of these Negative Nancys and Doubtful Debbies!!! Don’t let yourself turn into one.
Negativity feeds your soul and in turn ruins it. Positivity leads to a healthy and happy soul.

[Musclepapa John]

It is nice to see Andrea sticking in there fighting against the mediocrity and status quo. During her interview on Eryn Strickland & Allison Moyer's show she stated she wanted to win as she didn't know anything, but winning in her few months of competing prior to turning pro and then having those aweful medical setbacks.
It is nice to see her getting down in the trenches of the sport prepping for more shows. It can be a long road in the pros to win big competing coast to coast even internationally for little financial gain or recognition beyond the limits of the tight circle of the fitness industry media. I believe Andrea has the right stuff, but then again I'm bias as my four kids were born in her town of Pensacola and I also luv Filipino people (women mostly, lol), lumpia, pancit, and dinuguan :o)