Interview with Tiffany Morgan

Tiffany Morgan, aka the Figuretron, is currently getting ready to compete in the Team Universe later on this summer. Tiffany talks to us about her background, whether she prefers weight training or cardio, and what fitness events she would like to see broadcast on TV. 

All photos came from Tiffany herself and belong to their respective companies.

FitGems Nation: First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Tiffany Morgan: My name is Tiffany Morgan my nickname in the league is Figuretron.

FitGems: How did you get involved in the fitness industry in the first place?
Tiffany: I started training to better my health and I had a friend that use to compete back in 2010 so i contacted her trainer  Reese Brown and he helped me prepare for the 2010 Southern Isles Competition in Savannah. I've been hooked ever since.

FitGems: What do you enjoy most about competing?
Tiffany: I love a challenge and competing definitely challenges me to improve and transform my physique. I'm a performer and love being on stage and I love being an athlete so competing as a figure athlete gives me the bet of both worlds.

FitGems: Which do you feel is your greatest strength when training: cardio or weight-training?
Tiffany: I HATE cardio Lol the less i have to do the better!I adore weight training I never get tired of it. I'd rather be at a weight bench than on a treadmill. I'm 12 weeks out from team Universe and thanks to my trainer Noel Fuller, I haven't done any cardio since September.

FitGems: What division do you compete in and what’s the best thing about competing in that division?
Tiffany: I'm a Figure competitor. My favorite part is flexing in six inch heels :)

(Editor's Note: Wait...what?! I thought flexing in a figure competition wasn't allowed. Am I thinking too much into it. Uhh..yeah, moving on. Sorry!)

FitGems: If it was up to you, what would be one thing you would want to add or take away from your division?
Tiffany: I wouldn't change a thing.If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

FitGems: With the rise of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc,), how important do you feel it is for competitors to participate in it?
Tiffany: It's vital as a public figure. Everything is viral and social media driven and it's the fastest way to communicate with fans and followers.

FitGems: Who (living or dead) do you look up to for inspiration, whether they are part of the fitness industry or not?
Tiffany: My dad because he continues to push and inspire me everyday. He was a basketball coach and served in the US Army for 20 years and he knows what it takes to be a true champion.

FitGems: If you were not competing or part of the fitness industry, what would you be doing now?
Tiffany: I cross train as a pole dancer and I would probably compete  there if i wasn't a figure competitor. It's harder than it looks and great for your upper body and core strength! Or I'd be a stand up comedian, I love making people laugh until they cry.

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about the fitness industry?
Tiffany: I wish bodybuilding was televised on ESPN. The Olympia or the Arnold Classic would be awesome to watch on tv.

(Editor's Note: Not a lie was told.)

FitGems: After competition, what do you plan to do to give back to the industry?
Tiffany: I hope to become a promoter in the future. I want to give competitors the opportunity to showcase themselves onstage for years to come.

FitGems: Any closing words for your fans and supporters?
Tiffany: Thank you for constantly encouraging me and laughing at my corny jokes and posts!

FitGems: Again, thank you so much for doing this interview with us! For those that want to keep up on your future competitions and other plans, how can fans contact you? (Facebook fan page, Twitter, email, website, blog, other social media outlet, etc.) Also, if there's anything you want to plug in, you are more than welcome to do so.
Tiffany: I'm competing this year at the 2013 NPC team Universe Championship. I'm on Facebook as Tiffany Nicole www.facebook.com/figuretron.

Interview with Amy Savinon

Amy Savinon is a fitness competitor who has a history in gymnastics and is a graphics designer, and even own her own company. Amy talks to us about her background, her plans, and why being natural to her is more important than having an "ideal" look, whether it wins her a competition or not. 

All photos were provided by Amy herself and belong to the respective companies.

FitGems Nation: First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Amy Savinon: My name is Amy, I’m 28 currently residing in Gilbert, Arizona working as a full time Graphic Designer as well as owning my own Custom Design Invitations Company, PaperTales Custom.

FitGems: How did you get involved in the fitness industry in the first place?
Amy: It wasn’t until recently that I became involved in the competition aspect of fitness. My boyfriend was about to get deployed to Afghanistan (Marines) and wanted something to keep me busy while he was gone. Little did I know that trying to “keep busy” is an understatement when training for a fitness competition.

FitGems: What do you enjoy most about competing?
Amy: I’ve always been able to express myself through competition. I had a wonderful 11 year gymnastics career, reaching level 10 and competing at a National Level I was eager to find something to feed my love for competition.

FitGems: Which do you feel is your greatest strength when training: cardio or weight-training?
Amy: In this industry you absolutely need a combination of weight training, cardio and a good diet plan. I would say by far my strength is in my weight training. For my size I think people are surprised sometimes at what I’m able to push or lift. I like the look on people’s faces when I can just hop up on a bar and do a set of pull-ups with no help!

FitGems: What division do you compete in and what’s the best thing about competing in that division?
Amy: I compete in the Fitness division and the best thing about being able to compete in Fitness is surprising myself of what skills my body can still do even after gymnastics.

FitGems: If it was up to you, what would be one thing you would want to add or take away from your division?
Amy: The one thing I would want to add to my division is the mandatory moves. I’ve heard mixed reviews from different shows about not requiring any mandatory moves. Even though dedication is needed for each division, requiring the competitors to showcase skills in their routine is what separates fitness from the other divisions.

FitGems: With the rise of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc,), how important do you feel it is for competitors to participate in it?
Amy: I am personally heavily involved in social media, for my own personal use as well as on a fitness level. Social media has played a big role on how people interact with each other. The fitness community is huge in every aspect of social media, and when starting out as a competitor you’re essentially branding yourself as a business. Community strength is a very powerful branding source.

FitGems: Who (living or dead) do you look up to for inspiration, whether they are part of the fitness industry or not?
Amy: I’ve looked up to Oksana Grishina for all my fitness inspiration. She is extremely dedicated to her goals and always strives to be better than the next. She comes from a military and gymnastics as well, which is showcased throughout her routine. I hope that I can project the same beauty, grace and strength on stage as she shows in each and every one of her fitness routines.

FitGems: If you were not competing or part of the fitness industry, what would you be doing now?
Amy: If I was not competing or part of the fitness industry in any way, I would have to fulfill my hunger for competition in some other format. I absolutely loved coaching, so I would want to go back to being a gymnastics coach. The life long lessons such as self-confidence, coordination, hard work ethic, flexibility and discipline are all qualities you learn as a competitive gymnast and I would love to help more little girls achieve that same determination as I have.

FitGems: What (if anything) would you change about the fitness industry?
Amy: The one thing I would want to change about the fitness industry is the amount of pressure a competitor has to strive for “perfection.” I love the idea of living a healthy lifestyle year round, not only looking “ideal” for a few weeks at a time.
I pride myself on being an all natural, yet still being able to win an NPC show. I don’t take diuretics before a show or any kind of crazy fat burners or do any of the “quick tricks” to get rid of water weight and fat that isn’t natural.
No matter how great of shape I may be in at any given time, I'm proud to say that is all natural. I may not be as cut up as some of my competitors, and I'm ok with that. If I lose I lose, if I win I win.

(Editor's Note: A trophy can only take you so far, so props to Amy for these words.)

FitGems: After competition, what do you plan to do to give back to the industry?
Amy: With my petite frame I hope to prove that muscle and fitness is an inspiration for many women trying to transform their bodies. My passion is to help others achieve balance through living a fit and healthy lifestyle while embracing every part of their life. Perusing a career as spokeswomen and columnist in the fitness industry, the best is yet to come.

FitGems: Any closing words for your fans and supporters?
Amy: 2012 has proved to be a very busy and successful year for me, and has made some huge stepping stones in my career. I traveled to Pittsburgh to compete in the the IFBB North American Championships in 2012 as well as landing endorsement deals from several industry related programs such as G-Loves and FireDaughter Clothing. I hope to continue the path to success throughout the years to come.

FitGems: Again, thank you so much for doing this interview with us! For those that want to keep up on your future competitions and other plans, how can fans contact you? (Facebook fan page, Twitter, email, website, blog, other social media outlet, etc.) Also, if there's anything you want to plug in, you are more than welcome to do so.
Amy: I track my fitness goals and motivation on Twitter! https://twitter.com/BendyMaghee.

Thank You for Five Years of FitGems!!!

Five years ago today....FitGems was nothing but a blog. I used this blog to share my thoughts about the fitness industry for anyone that would listen. It caught on a bit with other fans and people began to see that I was for real. The fact that anyone would take their time to read my material made me feel good inside.

Now five year, 600,000 blog views, many interviews, a main website, a Facebook fan page of over 2,000 fans, a Twitter site of over 4,000 followers, and an online store later, FitGems has gone beyond even my expectations as a big name in female muscle support/recognition. We're not the biggest nor the best, but we've stayed loyal to all of you from the start back in 2008, and we don't plan to stop now. We will continue to grow, evolve, and improve and learn to better support you all, onstage and off, and also when the competition is over and/or when you want to being that quest. I do this for YOU, the competitors. Without you, FitGems would be nothing, and that's the truth.

Again, I can't thank you all enough for your support and hope you continue to support FitGems for as long as we are here. And if you allow us and if it's in our God's will...we aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Thank you, God bless you, I love and respect you all. :)

C-Ray
Founder of FitGems Nation
Five Years...and Still Shining!