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Success Secrets of Women's Tri-Fitness World Champion,
Julie Caruso
interview by Tony & Molli Rathstone
Gold medal for 1st place – grace & physique – 40s
Silver medal – 11th overall (150 participants) grace & physique
Tell everyone how old you are because they are not going to believe it?
I am 40 years and 11 months : ) I didn't have the stereotypical dread associated with turning 40. Now that I am 3 weeks away from turning 41, I can't believe the number! I feel better now than I did in my 30's!
Have you always looked like you do right now?
HECK NO! I think I am a typical girl. I went through my freshman 15 lb. weight gain at 19 years old. I had a daily battle with the scale through my 20's, starving my body of nutrition, feeding it a snickers bar and diet coke in a day, and that was IT. Yes, I was thin, but VERY unhealthy. In my late 20's and my mid 30's I had my two sons. I don't have to tell you what THAT does to your body. After the birth of my second son in 1991 I could not drop the weight! I tried all the diets on the market; I tried the Atkins Diet, Weight Watchers, all with some results, but never permanent. When I came to Molli & Tony in 2006, I was 20 lbs. heavier than I am today!
Why did you choose to participate in the WTF?
 One of the best things about being a member of Molli & Tony's Bootcamp is the motivational e-mails we all get. I remember reading them thinking "Me - run a marathon - ha, ha, ha, HECK no!" Every month I came back to boot camp stronger than the month before. In 2007, Molli sent out one of her famous e-mails talking about the Women's Tri-Fitness Challenge in Las Vegas and encouraged us to do it. She told me that with conditioning, I would have no problem with the skills! WOW! I can honestly say I would NEVER have gotten involved with the WTF had Molli not only told us about it, but encouraged me do it!
What is Women's Tri-Fitness?
The sport of Fitness is still in its infancy stages with the Women’s Tri-Fitness being both the youngest and toughest of the fitness competitions out there! It is basically where Barbie is fused together with GI Jane! It takes place over 2 days and consists of 3 separate fitness events along with one pageant-like presentation:
Grace & Physique Round: a pageant-like presentation of the athlete’s physique in a two piece swim suit where she must present grace, poise & feminine athleticism.
Fitness Skills: 3 separate skills that test the athlete’s speed, agility, speed, coordination, focus and endurance. They consist of a football style Shuttle Run for best time, 50 Box Jumps for best time, and Bench Press 60% of the athlete’s weight for up to 50 reps.
Fitness Routine: a 2 minute choreographed routine which includes gymnastics, dance and displays of strength, flexibility and endurance set to music.
Obstacle Course: a military style obstacle course race consisting of 10 elements that the athlete must execute in the shortest amount of time. It spans the length of a football field and back.
When did you start training seriously for the recent competition?
Well, I have to admit, I was in denial that I was going to do this event again. At the end of last years competition I think I uttered the words "NEVER AGAIN!" as I threw back a beer by the pool with a mountain of Nachos next to me. When Molli started rallying the troops and recruiting for the 2008 event, I reluctantly attended the meetings. I still thought, no way. But after I attended those meetings and felt the enthusiasm of the girls and felt my muscles responding to the bench press and box jump practices, I fell into the trance and agreed to do it! I started "Seriously" training for the skills in February and decided to do the Grace and Physique challenge in March. I've since discovered in talking to other competitors that they start training around 7 or 8 months before the event! It is unbelievable how hard I had to work in those 5 months to reshape my body and build my strength.
What did a typical week of training look like?
OMG! Looking back I think I was absolutely insane! I have a full-time job that is mentally taxing and I'm the Mother of two sons, ages 13 and 7, who are both involved heavy duty in sports. Let me tell you, juggling my professional life, personal life and athletic life was a challenge. Working out became a part-time job. I worked out an average of 15 hours a week. I scheduled it into my agenda. On the mornings we didn't have boot camp, I would get up at 4:00 a.m. to go to the gym so I can get one hour of cardio and light weights in before work, then I'd be back at the gym again at 6:30 p.m. for another 1-1/2. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I had bootcamp in the morning. Every day was scheduled. Training, eating, skills practices, running, walking for grace & physique, and obstacle course training. As the event got closer, my eating became more strict and my work outs became more intense, including heavier weights and higher levels of cardio.
What was the hardest thing you had to do?
 Adjusting my mindset. Having a goal and maintaining the mindset to stay on course with my diet, nutrition and exercise. I did not realize how important it was to have a physical goal and to go through the motions to achieve it until I undertook this adventure. My best advice is to envision what you want to look like - find a picture of what you want to look like and tape it up on your computer at work, on your refrigerator at home or on your mirror in the bathroom; wherever you are going to see it every day. Work out, eat and live your life to attain the physical results that you are seeking.
How important is nutrition in achieving the results you have?
Nutrition is EVERYTHING. You can work out 3 hours a day, but if you finish it off with a bowl of ice cream before bed time or 3 glasses of  wine with dinner, you are never going to achieve the results you are looking for. Tony and Molli put me on the Zig-Zag, high, low diet. I stuck to it. I trusted them when they said if I eat "Y" my result with be "Z". And guess what - it worked. What I ate determined my overall energy level when it came down to my performance during training. Food is fuel. Your body will respond when you feed it what it needs. The excess fat will melt away with proper nutrition and exercise. My muscle tone started to pop out when I stopped feeding my body unnecessary sugar, bad carbs and the excess food that I wasn't going to burn in my next workout. Once you see the results of good nutrition, you look differently at that cookie in the pantry.
What was your nutrition protocol during your training? Give us a sample day
I followed the diet that Molli and Tony gave me designed for the results I wanted to achieve. For the most part I was having a serving of protein, complex carbohydrate and fruit/vegetables every 3 to 3-1/2 hours. That usually consisted of breakfast egg whites, either scrambled or made into an omelet with tomatoes and mushrooms for breakfast. My snack was a rice cake with almond butter spread thinly over top. Lunch and dinner was either a grilled chicken breast or grilled fish, 1 cup of brown rice or a yam and either broccoli or asparagus. I would usually exclude the brown rice or yam at dinner. I had no need for carbs in the evening. As the competition got closer, I removed fruit and dairy completely - no condiments and low sodium. I had to finish off a minimum of a 3L bottle of water every single day. You MUST drink your water. I was also taking several supplements. I took two Creatine tablets before my work outs (boot camp or gym) and drank 6 oz. of Fruit Punch flavored Amino Acids. The Creatine and amino acids helped support muscle strength, volume and endurance. After my morning workouts I would make a Whey protein shake and put a scoop of Glucosamine in it to help with muscle recovery. As much as I worked out, I rarely got sore. It is essential that my body had every nutrient available to repair and rebuild my muscles after the grueling workouts.
Now that it’s over do you believe it or do you have to look at the trophy to believe it?
I still can't believe the results I achieved. I look at the pictures and remember how I felt on that day -  confident and self-assured. I did not want to walk on that stage and feel like a cabbage patch doll in a sea of Barbie’s. I was determined to walk on that stage with no regrets - I was NOT going to say "gee, I should have worked out harder or been more strict with my diet." I walked out knowing this was the best I was going to achieve. The fact that those 10 judges saw the results that I worked so hard to accomplish fills me with joy. Every single girl who competed in this competition worked hard. I feel fortunate, lucky and grateful that I presented what they were looking for. And the best part of it was I received an education in nutrition and exercise that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I plan on keeping a toned body for as long as possible!
What advice do you have for the normal everyday camper/woman that is looking to change her body and her mind set?
You may read my experience and think there is no way you could do that! Truth is, everyone can achieve a better level of physical fitness and better nutrition without the goal of putting on a posing suit and standing up on stage. Maybe your goal is to fit into a new pair of jeans this fall or your looking forward to a school reunion or maybe you just want to feel better or not be embarrassed to go to the doctor and step on their scale! Follow the diet - get rid of the excess sugar. You don't need a whole dessert after appetizers, drinks AND a dinner. Remember, eat what you need for fuel. Talk to Molli and Tony. They will guide you through the diet and follow-up. You can still enjoy your favorite cheat food on your high day. Finally, set a goal. Share your goal with friends, co-workers and fellow boot campers. They are your support. Ask them for help. When you are weak, look for that special friend to vent to who will talk you off the ledge. I cannot tell you the joy you will feel inside when you look in the mirror and see the results. You CAN achieve your ideal physical and nutritional goals.
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