Brandy Segura is a doctor, fitness competitor, fitness model, personal trainer, sponsored athlete and fitness writer takes us to amazing journey of transformation of her life. She is in conversation with 
Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You at the age of 14 was diagnosed with a heart murmur and symptomatic PVCs that often affected you during physical activity. This experience, along with the diagnosis of cancer in a family member initiated your interest in pursuing medicine as a career. You earned BS in Neuroscience and Medical Degree. You changed your career to being a Fitness competitor and stood second in NPC competition on October 13, 2012. Tell us about your journey at becoming a professional Fitness/ Bikini competitor and what factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Ms. Brandy Segura: I never would have imagined that my career would take such a turn and that I’d now be fitness competitor, fitness model, personal trainer, sponsored athlete, fitness writer and all of the other amazing opportunities that have come into my life. My journey started with the simple desire to lose weight, to be comfortable in my own skin, to gain my self-confidence back, and to find an outlet for my energy. However, once I got started in fitness, I became enthralled with all aspects of it, including the goal to
compete.
After the first time I stepped on stage, I was hooked and my natural drive for success and ability to achieve any goal I set within my sights took over. My background as a physician and experience with science and research definitely gave me an edge in obtaining some know-how in terms of nutrition and training, the confidence to trust what data revealed, and eventually, the sought-after skills as a writer. None of this would have been possible if it weren’t for my underlying ability to motivate myself and to seek out success.
It is those inherent talents that are most responsible for all of my achievements in life.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You gained weight post pregnancy, after the birth of your second child in 2009. You weighed 170+ pounds but there you transformed into a Fitness Model and a Bikini competitor and you were later awarded “2013 Female Transformation of the Year”. Tell us about your post pregnancy fitness regime and how this miraculous transformation took place?
Ms. Brandy Segura: Like most people who start out wanting to lose weight and to eat healthier, I had many misconceptions about what that truly entailed and the most effective methods. I started my regime with basically running, running, running! When the results stalled, I turned to the Internet and scoured information about fitness and training. That’s when I found Bodybuilding.com and Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Trainer. It was so easy to simply follow the training and diet and to not have to either come up with my own on my limited experience or to have to second guess whether the plan would work or not. I saw results and followed it, it was a no-brainer and that’s what gave me the confidence to keep going. As I followed that plan, I continued to teach myself by reading everything I could because I knew that I also needed to be self-sufficient.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Share your exercise routine that you do to maintain such a bikini perfect physique?
Ms. Brandy Segura: My routine changes throughout the year based on what point I am in the competition season. Right now, I’m off-season and am trying to put on more muscle and minimize re-gaining fat. At this point, I perform cardio 5 days a week utilizing fasted high intensity interval training (HIIT) and steady state cardio. For HIIT, I prefer incline sprints on a treadmill while my steady state cardio consists of treadmill running or a Cybex Arc Trainer. The main reason I choose these is because of the convenience of doing them in my home before my kids get up for school.
For weight training, I also train 5 days a week with a split body program. My glutes are one muscle I am targeting to grow so I train them four times a week using a mixture of heavy weights, light weights, and band work. Two of these days, I also train legs. My deltoids and abdominal muscles are also weak points and I train them two and three times a week, respectively. Chest, back, and arms I only train once a week. My routine changes frequently as I incorporate a mixture of exercises and techniques to keep the muscle activated so that it doesn’t acclimate to the exercise or the weight that I’m using.
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
