Interview With Kristina Angeli

Kristina Angeli From Fitness to Figure and Beyond

Thanks for taking the time to share some insight into your achievements in the world of fitness. To start can you give our readers a brief history of your sporting and fitness history?
I have always been encouraged by my parents to be active. Since I was little I’ve had a passion for performing. I began doing gymnastics as a child and then moved onto dancing and continued that throughout my teen years. I reduced my dance load once I got into my later high school years, but still wanted to remain active. This is when I began weight training in the gym as my main activity to remain fit and healthy.

Who or what inspired you to step onstage in your first competition?
A few years ago I moved to Sydney for a few months and started training at an MMA gym; this is where my serious training really took off. People began to comment on my physique soon after, mentioning I should compete, one even asking if I was planning on competing in a show that was two weeks out! That’s when I began looking into bodybuilding competitions. My first show was the Natural Bodz Asia Pacific International. I had the time of my life, and I guess you could say that show was where the competitive bug bit me!

You had a big year in 2014 capturing a 2nd place in the Asia Pacific Fitness Model Class and then being selected for the 2014 Natural Bodz Team Vegas and taking a 2nd place in the Figure America Category in Vegas. Can you share how you found the experience and how you found the transition from competing in Fitness and then moving into Figure?
The Asia Pacific International show is an experience of a lifetime; it is truly one that is built around the competitors. One of the reasons I chose to compete in that show was that one of the prizes was a trip to Las Vegas to compete. Being a novice competitor I didn’t imagine that I would get selected, but It was a dream of mine. Coming second place in the fitness model class at the Asia Pacific’s blew me away, but to receive the call saying that I had been selected for Vegas was a dream come true! From that moment on I was more determined than ever to give it my all and compete in figure. I knew for figure I needed to be tighter, I already had suitable muscle mass and symmetry but needed to dry out slightly more. Looking back at the photos I now realise my body adapts very well to changes and I didn’t need to push it as hard to get the desired results. But, I was making an international debut so I was going to give it my all! I believe my physique is well suited for figure, as I have quite a bit of muscle on my small frame. However I’m lucky in the sense that I can easily transition from fitness to figure by tweaking my diet and training slightly.

I understand you have a dance background do you feel this has helped with your onstage presentation and to give you that winning edge?
Yes, I was in a dance troupe for 3 years, competing in multiple shows all over Australia, and some of the US. I really enjoy performing so I think the transition into competing in front of an audience in a bodybuilding show was a smooth one. Understanding what looks best in front of an audience is very helpful when you are up on stage.

How did you find the dieting leading into both a Fitness event and then a figure event?
I’m the type of person that loves structure; I thrive when I’m working towards something so I didn’t find dieting too difficult. Of course there are days that are harder than others but I find my body and my mind work better when I am sticking to a plan. My diet for both events were essentially the same, the difference was the amount of cardio I did to cut the last bit of fat in the weeks leading to comp. For figure it definitely was more time consuming, and now I know I am doing it a little differently this time around to make things easier, it’s all a learning experience.

You are currently in training for the 2015 Musclemania Australia in the Bikini Class. How have you evolved your training and diet to accommodate this category?
For sure, I am taking a much more relaxed approach in terms of diet and cardio. I was very weak on legs in Vegas so have been working very hard to try and grow them – glutes and hams
especially. I am taking the diet very easy and have cut cardio way back. Although figure is the division I think is best suited to me, I wanted to give myself a new challenge.

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