Sharing a TenSpot with...Mishon Shore

Mishon Shore is a NPC bikini competitor who just competed last year. A beautiful woman from the inside and out, Mishon took the time out of her busy schedule to conduct and interview with us. 

Photo provided by Mishon herself

FitGems Nation: Let’s kick this off by telling us a bit about yourself.
Mishon Shore: Let me first say thank you for this interview! My name is Mishon Shore. I’m a 25 year old NPC national level bikini competitor. I’m also a bartender and hairdresser! I bar manage my boyfriends night club also. So needless to say I stay pretty busy! I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family, great friends, and a supportive boyfriend who all stand behind me with my competing.

FitGems: When did you first start competing?
Mishon: I started competing in October 2010. I’ve always been interested in competitions but never really knew how to get into them. I started training and started a diet and competed in my first show in Charlotte NC in October. I placed first in my class and won the overall! From that moment on I was hooked!

FitGems: What is your strategy when you head to the gym? Is it mostly weight-training, mostly cardio, a balanced mixture of the two, or something else?
Mishon: I have a set plan for every day. I have a certain schedule mapped out for each gym session. I do weight-training and cardio every day. It’s a good mixture of both. I absolutely love going to the gym and training. I feel like I’m one step closer to my goals with each rep and set.


FitGems: Due to your muscularity, has anyone mistaken you for being in something OTHER than physique competitions (MMA fighter, boxer, pro wrestler, track and field runner, etc?)
Mishon: HAHA, funny you should ask. I always get asked what I do when I’m bartending at the club I manage. I actually received a 100 tip to have a flex off with a smaller guy. I thought it was hilarious! Its fun to have fun with what you do, and definitely get acknowledged that your in great shape. Most people just think I’m a gymnast or something along those lines.

FitGems: With women’s physique and bikini now part of the NPC and IFBB, do you feel that there’s now a division for every female who wants to compete?
Mishon: Absolutely. I love that they’ve added women’s physique to the mix. I feel that it gives every female a place that they feel they fit in and also a physique class that’s attainable for them.

FitGems: For those that don’t see bikini as a real division in the NPC and IFBB, what would you say to them to try and change their mind?
Mishon: Bikini is a tough class. Its very competitive. There are so many things that go along with this class. I think its rather hard to find a nice balance between being fit and tight and not overly conditioned. There’s a fine line between bikini and figure in some competitors. You have to really find out what’s best for you in training and dieting. I’m lucky and tend to be very lean naturally so my diet is a lot more relaxed. I train every day just like any other class would. So I hope that someone that didn’t think bikini was a real division could somewhat understand that it definitely isn’t as easy as one would think.

FitGems: If you weren’t a part of the female physique world, what would you be doing right now as your profession?
Mishon: I’m a full-time hairdresser. So I imagine I would be focusing on opening my own salon. I’d love to even get my personal training certificate and fit that in somewhere. It’s just so hard for me to even begin to imagine not being in this industry. It’s such a way of life for me now!

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about any of the IFBB female divisions?
Mishon: I always thought there should be a class between figure and womens bodybuilding, but after they added the new physique class I honestly can’t think of anything I’d change.

FitGems: Which competitor (past or present) you look up to the most for your inspiration?
Mishon: I absolutely love Nicole Nagrani and Amanda Latona. I always look to see how there physique looks because I think they set a great standard for the bikini division.

FitGems: What are your future plans heading into 2011 and beyond, and where do you see your career after you’re done competing?
Mishon: I’m heading into my first competition of 2011 with the best feeling. I’m 10 days away from our NC state show and I’m feeling like a million bucks! I would love to attain my pro card this year and that’s definitely at the top of the list of goals for 2011. Plan is NC states, JR USA, then every national show till I win!