My training schedule changes throughout the year, depending on whether I’m preparing for an upcoming competition or not. My weekly off-season workout schedule is usually five days a week with a mix of cardio and weights. During contest preparation, I train five days a week with weights, but I do cardio six days a week.

As a professional competitor, you become your own biggest critic, but that also helps you pick apart your physique to make it easier to focus on certain areas that need more work. My main focus this off-season is on my back and hamstrings, as I feel those are the areas I need to develop more in order to do well. I have a couple of favorite back exercises, including seated rows and bent-over rows, so I tend to favor those exercises. Below is a breakdown of my weekly off-season workout schedule:

Monday: Biceps & triceps

Tuesday: Shoulders & calves

Wednesday: Hamstrings

Thursday: Off

Friday: Butt (glutes) and quad toning – not trying to gain muscle in these areas

Saturday: Full back day

Sunday: Off

My weekly cardio training routine is fairly consistent in the off-season. I normally do 30-35 minutes five days a week along with the weight routine listed above. When it’s time to prepare for a contest, however, the amount of cardio work I do depends on how lean I’m getting. During that time, I use my conditioning to determine how much cardio I need to do, but it’s often up to six days a week.

Stay healthy,

Tina Nguyen