Name: Lanah Evers
Birth date: 28 November 1983
City: Rotterdam
Nationality: Dutch
Marital status/children: single
Job: student of Econometrics and operations research, Erasmus University of Rotterdam and part-time mathematics teacher
Years of training: I’ve been training with weights from the age of 14, with the purpose to enhance my strength in order to become a better judo competitor. I’ve been training specifically with the purpose of competing at fitness competitions only since the beginning of 2005.
Federation: IFBB
Gym where you train: Healthclub Hoogvliet
Contest history/prize list:
- Dutch Championships of the YBF, 30 Oct 2005: 1st place superbody class + overall title
- Wabba Championships Brussel, 12 Nov 2005: 4th place figure class
- Open C Grand-Prix Gorinchem, 13 Nov 2005: 2th place figure class
- Hercules Cup Middelburg, 01 April 2007: 3rd place bodyfitness
- Dutch National Championships IFBB Schiedam, 29 April 2007: 1st place body-fitness + selected for European Championships
- Grand-Prix Body Zoi Frameries (Belgium), 12 May 2007: 2nd place bodyfitness
- European Championships IFBB Cacak (Servia), 25 May 2007: no place in final
Hobbies: fitness, running
Could you describe in detail your workout at the moment for your best body part or the muscle you could improve the most?
My strongest body part is my chest. I try to switch training methods regularly. This is an example of how I sometimes train my chest: I start with two warming up sets of bench press with an empty bar. After that I do three supersets of bench press, combined with flies. Doing this, I usually build up the weight and build down the number of repetitions as I go to the next set. When I feel fit I can do 6 to 8 reps of bench press with 20 kg on both sides (that’s a total of 60 kg, because the weight of the bar is 20 kg as well.) After that I continue training my chest by doing incline dumble press. The heaviest weight I sometimes use to do 6 or 8 reps, are dumbels of 28 kg.
1) Please tell me a little bit about your background: age, athletic background, childhood, career, etc. Anything you might feel is pertinent to where you are now in terms of fitness and competition.
I started doing judo at the age of 7. I competed at national and international tournaments for a long time. At the age of 18 I switched to an other sport: boxing. In the year 2004 I won the Dutch championships of boxing. Since the age of 14 I trained with weights to gain strength, both to enhance my judo en boxing performance. At the beginning of 2005 I switched sport again: I started to train specifically with for competing at fitness competitions.
2) What prompted you to start lifting weights?
I had been present at several bodybuilding and fitness competitions when I was a teenager. That was because my father was asked to be a member of the jury at these kind of events. Seeing the girls on stage made me wonder if I would also be able the get in that kind of shape.
1) Please tell me about your training routine (ie: how many days per week / training split /cardio, etc.)
I train each muscle group once a week. I train two muscle groups at a time. For each muscle group I do 3 to 4 different exercises. I sometimes include an extra, more general training to train my whole upper body. I then train each muscle group only doing 1 or 2 basic exercises. I try to change the kind of exercises I do regularly. Each exercise consists of 3 to 4 sets. I also like to switch training methods regularly. This means for example that I sometimes do mostly dropsets for a while or mostly supersets or I change the way I build up (or build down) the weight etc. Switching training routines is effective, because you don’t give your body a chance to “get used” to one certain style. When you would always train in the same way, your muscles “know” what’s coming. But when you surprise them once in a while they will be more stimulated to grow.
During my off season I only sometimes do cardio, but preparing for a competition I do two hours of cardio a day: one hour in the morning and one hour before I go to bed.
2) Do you train with anyone or by yourself?
I sometimes train together with a training partner, but I also train alone a lot.
3) What is the most impressive thing you do in the gym?
Bench press and leg press, because of the heavy weight I can lift at these exercises. (See part one.)
4) Do you have any favourite exercise?
Bench press
5) What are your best body parts?
When I’m in shape for a competition I consider my back and my abs as my best body parts.
6) How are you perceived in the gym/public? Do guys/girls freak out when they see a good looking woman who lifts weights and has abs?
I am rather strong, even compared to most boys at the gym. Boys, as well girl sometimes stare at me and my boyfriend, because we train really hard, with quite heavy weights. When I’m in shape for a competition people start to stare even more. There is quite a difference in the way my body looks off season and in the period when I get in shape for a competition. I loose about 10 kg of body fat in 16 weeks time, getting in shape for a competition and that doesn’t get unnoticed! The reactions I get are mostly positive. But of course there are also some people (mostly girls) who don’t like the sight of a masculine girl.
1) How do you eat to stay in shape?
Of season, as well as getting ready for a competition, I eat 6 to 7 meals a day. I try to balance the amount of protein and carbohydrates I eat. I also try not to eat too much fat and sugar.
2) What is the typical diet for you like pre-contest and how far out do you start?
I start 14 to 16 weeks in advance. My diet to get ready for a competition consists of a lot of protein (beef, chicken, tuna fish, and white fish (like Dutch: kabbeljauw) and protein shakes) and relatively few carbohydrates (oat meal, rice).
3) When you are enjoying yourself during the off season, what junk foods do you indulge in?
Chocolate and ice cream!!!
1) I saw you on stage recently. Though some girls are shy and seem paralyzed, you seem to feel really at ease in front of an audience. Could you tell me more about this?
I try to look confident on stage. When you look confident, you’ll get noticed earlier by the members of the jury and the spectators. When I know I look good and when I know I’ve got a chance at the title, it’s easy to feel confident. At that time I’m just enjoying myself on stage, because I feel good and because the crowd gives a positive response to me.
2) What made you turn towards competitions?
See answer 2, part 1.
3) What is the most challenging thing about competing?
Trying to get your body in better shape, week by week. Seeing the progression in the mirror motivates you to go on.
4) In relation to the routine, do you feel the routines are scored more on crowd response rather than the required elements of the routines?
I think that crowd response has an influence on the jury indeed, but not too much.
5) What have you learned about competing and staying focused when outside things influence your training?
It’s sometimes hard to stay focused, but you have to keep in mind the gaol you are trying to reach. I know that one is capable to reach a lot, but you really have to set your mind to it. Trying to stay focused all the time requires great discipline. I respect everyone who has had the courage to get on stage, because I know how hard it is the stay focused for all those weeks.
1) With the lack of money in the sport for women today, is competition more of a hobby for you, with the prospect of using your celebrity to make money other ways in the sport? How do you view this and what would you do to bring more money to the sport?
It’s definitely a hobby for me. There are really only a few people in the world who can actually make a living out of bodybuilding or fitness. I think this sport needs better promotion. When you talk of bodybuilding, people often associate this sport with steroids. This image unfortunatally also reflects on fitness competitors.
2) What is your opinion on where women's fitness is headed for the future?
Lately this sport has gotten more popular among women all over the world. I think this tendency will go on for a while.
3) How would you like to see fitness evolve? And, if you could make any improvements, what would they be?
I’m pleased with the way everything is arranged at this time. The sport itself could use a bit more attention by the media, so that the sport could get more appreciated by the public.
1) How would you describe yourself inside and outside the gym?
I’m a tough girl, who tries to train to the max all the time.
2) Outside of fitness, what types of hobbies are you involved in - or how do you spend any free time?
Besides my school, sport and work there isn’t much free time left. The little time I have left, I usually like to spend on the couch, watching television.
3) What do you enjoy most about the bodybuilding/fitness lifestyle?
Felling fit, healthy and strong all the time and having regularity in your life.
1) Did you see yourself where you are now 10 years ago and what do you think you'll be doing 10 years from now?
Ten years ago I didn’t see myself where I am today. I guess at that time a would have thought that I would be a great judo competitor at this time. I want to reach as much as possible internationally. I think I can come a long way in a period of ten years from now, because I just started and I’m not planning to quit this sport any time soon!
2) If you were to train a woman starting out for the first time, what would your approach be?
First try to get acquainted with the basic exercises for each muscle group. First you really need to focus on trying to master a good technique, before you try to reach for the heavy weights.
3) What do you have to say to the women out there who say they can't compete or even train for that matter, because they are too busy?
A workout doesn’t need as much time as most people think. An effective workout only needs to take about 45 minutes. So take your sporting bag along to work, make sure you’ve eaten enough at the end of the day, and go to the gym straight away from work. When you would go home first, it’s much more difficult to get of of the couch and head for the gym.
4) What are you plans for the rest of 2006 and onwards?
This year I won’t do any competitions, because I am training to get a better overall physique for the next year. My goal for 2007 is to become the Dutch figure champion of the IFBB. After that, it would be great if I would do well at the European Championships of the IFBB.
5) Do you want to tell anything to your fans?
Discipline is the key to improvement!