2008 NPC Ironman Figure Championship
Spotlight Athlete - ANA TIGRE

FigureRX Online Magazine
Volume 3

At last year’s NPC Junior National Figure Championships in Chicago, a beautiful brunette named Ana Tigre competed in her first national level show. She placed 10th in Figure Class C while clearly exhibiting the qualities of a future champion, so when we saw her on the competitor list for the 2008 Ironman we jumped at the chance to learn more about her. Ana is our first FigureRX spotlight competitor of 2008, in the only major show that occurs prior to the Arnold Sports Weekend.

In addition to having an incredible physique including great shoulders and standout hamstrings, Ana carries herself extremely well on stage with a graceful, regal presence that probably has a lot to do with her 16 years as an equestrian. The only thing that kept her from the National competition scene prior to 2007 was her citizenship status, and after being sworn in as a United States citizen last year we think she is destined to have a great year. Not only will this fashion designer be launching her clothing line called Fizeek Brazil, but she will be competing at the 2008 Junior USA’s, Junior Nationals and USA Championships (at a minimum).

Please tell us a little bit about your background, such as when you moved from Brazil, your athletic background, when you began weight training, and how you became interested in competing in figure.

I moved to San Diego from Brazil in 1995. I moved to the U.S. to go to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) where I graduated with a degree in fashion design in 1997. From the time I was four years old until I moved to the U.S. I competed as an equestrian (almost 16 years). I competed as an equestrian all over Brazil and South America. I won many regional and national titles. I also attended tennis classes, ballet classes, and swimming classes.

After I moved to San Diego my equestrian career ended because I was a broke college student. I had to find a new outlet for my focus and my love for training. Plus, the American diet started taking its toll on my naturally slim body. I joined a gym and found out about weight training. I was hooked. Unfortunately, I did not know much about the right ways to train. After graduating from FIDM and getting a job designing clothes in San Diego, I started studying to become a certified personal trainer and ended up working at a gym. A year later, I left my job designing clothes to manage that gym and train clients full time. I learned how training could change my body, but I missed the competitive aspect of sports. Then, one morning at the gym, I met Jon Lindsay (California NPC promoter) and he told me about figure competitions. I knew it was something that I wanted to try.

What is your academic and professional background? What is your current occupation and how long have you been doing it?

I have a degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. I managed a gym in San Diego for several years where I also was a personal trainer. I am currently working as a clothing designer for my company, Fizeek Brazil. We are designing and manufacturing workout clothes.
Can you tell us a little bit about Fizeek Brazil, the launch, and if we will be able to see samples of the clothing line soon?

What is your involvement with the project?

Fizeek Brazil is my baby. It is my dreams come true. It is the fusion of my love for fitness and fashion. We will be launching our website sometime in the next few weeks. You can preview samples at the Arnold Sports Weekend’s fashion show (put on by Jen Hendershott), which will be held at the Expo on Sunday. Also, Monica Brant was recently on the cover of Austin Fit Magazine wearing Fizeek Brazil workout clothes. I am so excited to launch the site and show people my project that has been in the making for the last year.

Briefly, what improvements do you believe you have made since competing last year?

Well, my trainer and I decided that I needed more muscle pretty much everywhere. I am bringing a tighter physique with more rounded shoulders, a more detailed back and hamstrings, and tighter glutes. I feel good about the progress that I’ve made since Jr. Nationals last year. Hopefully, my gains will be noticeable and rewarded this year.

When do you usually train and how often during the week? Where do you work out and who do you work out with?

I do my cardio first thing in the morning for 60 minutes, 6 times a week, until I am 4 weeks from competition. Then, I add a 7th day of morning cardio and I add 30 minutes of post workout cardio. I lift weights 6 days a week in the afternoon. I train at 24 Hour Fitness in Austin. Usually, I work out with my husband or my sister. They do not compete, but they both live a very healthy, active lifestyle. My trainer is Jeremy Minihan. He is based in Oklahoma City and I travel to Oklahoma to train with him once a month.

Ana competing at 2007 NPC Central Classic in Tulsa

What is your training philosophy (heavy or light, cardio, lifting)? What’s your opinion on how figure athletes train, relative to bodybuilders?

My training philosophy is heavy lifting with moderate repetitions. That has worked best for me. I do cardio first thing in the morning year round because it keeps me in shape for photo shoots. In the off season, I only do 45 minutes of cardio 5 times a week. I believe figure competitors will always train a bit differently from bodybuilders. I think figure competitors do not have to have as much muscle mass and that changes the type of training we have to do. I use a lot of plyometric exercises during my cardio sessions in order to deepen my lines without creating bulk.

Where do you find the best training and diet advice? Is there anyone in particular who you would like to thank, such as a sponsor, significant other, etc?

I get my training and diet advice from my trainer, Jeremy Minihan. I try not to get my head filled with too much information about diet and training because there is so much out there it is confusing. I would love to thank my number one fan, sponsor, supporter, my husband, Eric Churilla.

You have competed for over five years, primarily at the state level, and you are still very young. What made you decide to compete at Junior Nationals last year, and was the experience what you expected?

When I started competing I could not compete at the National level because I was not a U.S. citizen (I became a citizen in 2007). Until I became a citizen, I competed to stay in shape and for my love of training. When I got my notice that I was finally going to be sworn in as a U.S. citizen in 2007, I decided that it was time to step up my game and test the waters at the National level. I was ecstatic with a 10th place showing in my first National competition. The experience was amazing and I was awed by the gorgeous ladies with their superb bodies. It made me want to work ten times harder to come back better in 2008.

We noticed that you were a moderator at Danitza’s pro board, and now you have your own. Can you tell us a little about the forums and what people might expect if they join?

Danitza and I have been friends for a long time. We did a show together in 2003. After I moved to Texas in 2004, I was a little lost trying to find a fitness community in Austin. She told me about her board and I was in heaven. I found a fitness community on her board where I have made so many true friendships. I will be forever grateful to her. About 6 months ago, Danitza told me that she could not keep the board anymore. She has a little girl and she went back to school. She didn’t have the time to take care of the board. She offered to transfer the board to me (you can say I inherited it from her). I could not let the board go. I loved all of my fitness friends too much. When you join, you can expect to meet lots of new people (ok, mostly ladies) with a love for fitness and the sport of figure/fitness. We don’t claim to have the best board or the biggest board, but we have a tight community and we welcome everyone. We have members that are just starting to exercise and we have several IFBB pro competitors. A lot of our members (competitors in fitness and figure) are starting families, so we have an entire section dedicated to pregnancy, fitness, and motherhood. In general, there is not a lot of information out there for the pregnant athlete who is definitely not in the same category as the regular pregnant woman. We try to provide as much information as we can on this subject. We also have a post-contest blues section - a part of competing that we do not hear about much. All of our members give and receive as much support as they wish. It is not a forum for bashing or fighting. It is a forum for providing support, receiving support, sharing knowledge, and sharing experiences.

That's great, at FigureRX we are all about keeping it positive and supporting female athletes whenever we can and it's good to hear that there are other great forums out there doing the same. We also love to support female-and athlete-owned businesses and ventures so best of luck with the clothing launch. Thanks Ana!!

Photographer credits: Roland Balik, Gerry Hanan, Jon Howard, Dan Ray

We welcome any comments that you may have about this article at FigureRX@verizon.net.