Angie Serandos – Transformation & NPC Figure Competition
On May 8th, 2020, #NHQtown Ambassador, Angie Serandos, competed in her first NPC Figure Competition. Angie is easily one of the most dedicated and passionate people that we know, and her commitment to training for her first show was absolutely outstanding. While prepping for her show, Angie completely transformed her physique. However, Angie’s transformation began long before the competition prep. Angie made the commitment to live a healthier lifestyle, and from that commitment, amazing opportunities blossomed.
Learn more about Angie’s journey here —
Q: When did you begin your fitness/health journey? What pushed you to start?
A: I have worked out since high school with some step classes and kickboxing classes with my mom at the Quincy YMCA. Then, we had a membership to the QU fitness center after it opened since my mom was a teacher at St. Francis. Through college, I worked out off and on, but it wasn’t a big priority for me with working and going to school full time. Once I graduated from college and started working at Blessing, I started working out on my own at the hospital’s gym and even took some classes. At some point, I started back at the Quincy YMCA taking a class that made me really enjoy weight lifting but really only in a class setting. When my favorite instructor left the YMCA, I switched to Nufit and had some amazing instructors there. The winter-spring of 2017 is when I decided to start lifting heavy. I was ready for a change and my body needed a push after having 2 kids. I had just started at Quincy University for my MBA, had an upcoming beach vacation and needed an outlet for my daily stress. It was time to reinvest in myself as a woman and mom, and I haven’t looked back. After 4 years of hard work, I’m now 6 weeks out from my first NPC figure competition and can’t be more excited for what the future holds.
Q: How do you stay motivated?
A: Honestly, working out is my self-care. Hitting the gym can be the best therapy for me after a rough day. It’s the only time I have to truly focus on myself for a few hours and block out the other things going on. My husband and I typically work out and meal prep together, so having that support system in a partner is so important for me because there are some days you just don’t want to work out or meal prep. We are there to push each other to continue to stay active and maintain our healthy lifestyle. Plus, we have 4 children at home, so I want to show by example our healthy habits and lifestyle. I want to be able to carry them to bed while they are still smaller than me and chase them at the park.
Q: What are your holy grail products that helped you along the way?
A: I am a big advocate of macro counting and have been doing that for several years now. I worked with a trainer in 2018-2019 that really taught me a lot about macro counting and then transitioned to Shelby Kammerer in May 2020 for macro/nutritional guidance. Having a coach that knows how to adjust your macros to reach your goals is a game changer. She also showed me that you have to eat to fuel your body and once we started doing that, I really saw my body transform more than ever. Some of my go to NHQ products are Rule1 protein and collagen in my morning coffee. Barebell Protein Bars from NHQ are my absolute go-to right now with zero sugar and 20g protein…yes, please! I love the SuperHuman greens from Alpha Lion. I take a non-stim pre-workout right now Hydraulic by Axe and Sledge with a serving of creatine while I’m in prep. The Axe and Sledge BCAAs are delicious…the new ICEE flavors…you have to try those! I love the Smart Sweets Chews for intra workout for a boost of energy, followed by Axe and Sledge Farm Fed protein and a half scoop of Karbolyn for recovery. I haven’t been sore much since starting on Karbolyn post workout. I really enjoy the Eat Me Guilt Free brownies and Fit Butters because I have a major sweet tooth and these are low sugar, low carb and curbs my cravings. I like to eat the Clean Eatz meals on the weekends because it switches up the monotony of my weekly meal prepped dinners but keeps me on track for the week.
Q: What are some of your favorite workouts to do?
A: Dana Lynn Bailey is my inspiration. The first time I saw her on Instagram, I thought to myself…I am going to get arms like that. My husband gifted me a subscription to her DLB program for Christmas in 2019 and there I found a love for high volume training which really started to transform things for me. I am a big fan of shoulder/delt workouts. I see the biggest pump on those days and it’s typically a really fun workout for me. I definitely prefer lifting over HIIT or any cardio, but during prep, I am doing more cardio like the stair climber and incline treadmill. I do really enjoy taking walks outside, whether it’s early summer mornings, park days with the kids, or even walking to the gym.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who is wanting to start or further their fitness/health journey?
A: A few pieces of advice are to eat to fuel the body…don’t be afraid of food. A lot of people under eat, especially not hitting their recommended protein. Drink your water…I drink a gallon a day. Also, please remember that transformation takes time, trial and error, and hard work. My transformation seen here is over 4 years, trying different things, different trainers, and different lifting programs. It’s about finding what you enjoy doing, what works for your body and then hardwiring that into your daily routine to make it a lifestyle change. Be kind to yourself and know that not every day will be easy…sometimes you will have to force yourself to go to the gym or make healthy eating choices, but once you start seeing the results, you won’t want to go back.
Angie’s dedication and passion is certainly inspiring. When she sets her mind to something, she goes to great lengths to crush her goals. Angie trained long and hard for her first NPC Figure Competition, and all of her incredible self discipline really paid off.
Angie Placed:
2nd – Novice Masters 35+
2nd – True Novice A
3rd – Novice
4th – Open Masters 35+
Congratulations, Angie! We are so proud of you and your hard work. We are honored to have you as a part of our #NHQtown FitFam!
