PRINCESS of the MONTH DECEMBER 2010 | This month is dedicated to my beautiful, very special and wonderful Wife, LINDA BILLINGS-VOGEL, NPC National Level Bodybuilder! (all pictures are used by Linda's personal permission) Some Info about LINDA: Where and when were you born? I was born in Brookings, South Dakota, May 2, 1958 What is your profession? Software Quality Assurance Were you involved in sports or fitness prior to bodybuilding and how did you get started with weight training? I was involved in basketball, track and long distance running in high school and ran on my own while in college. I was on the “Ole’s Girls” drill (dance) team and was a wrestling cheerleader for a year at Augustana College in the early 1980’s. During that time period, while attending college, I worked part time at a health club and saw a woman training with weights on a consistent basis. She completely changed her body and that is what inspired my interest in weight training to supplement my running. Was it a goal for you to compete in bodybuilding competitions right from the beginning or was it something that grew in your mind as time went on and you saw the progress in your body? I started weight training at the time Rachel McLish was competing. I thought she was beautiful and wanted to perhaps compete someday. Can you give me your competition history? 1990 Missouri State BB Championships: Overall Winner 1991 NPC Nationals: 11th place Lightweight 1992 Heart of the Midwest: 3rd Place Lightweight, 1st Place Mixed Pairs with Dr. Tim Young 2002 Missouri State BB Championships: Overall Winner 2004 Lone Star Classic: Overall Winner 2004 NPC Master’s Nationals: 2nd Place Middleweight 2005 NPC Team Universe: 2nd Place Middleweight 2006 NPC Team Univers: 2nd Place Middleweight 2008 NPC Team Universe: 5th Place Middleweight Which contest has been your biggest success; which has had the most meaning to you? I would say that the 2004 Lone Star Classic was my biggest success. I came back from a ruptured Achilles tendon for that show. The contest that had the most meaning to me was the 1990 Missouri State Bodybuilding Championships. I had just moved to Missouri, bodybuilding was big here in the 90’s and we had a lot of competitors at that show. The training and memories I have of that time period and friends at the gym are memories I will not forget. I still go back on occasion to the KC Royals/Chiefs stadium where I did my cardio training just to walk around and remember that summer. Please tell me something about your training routine (ie: how many days per week / training split /cardio, etc.) I train 6-7 days per week, one body part per day with the option of working weaker areas a couple days a week on a second workout and definitely during contest training. When I am preparing for a contest, I add cardio once a day, working up from several times a week to almost daily and increase the amount of time spent on cardio as I come closer to the contest date. I prefer my own version of long distant lunges (something I came up with to do outdoors when I had Achilles problems) and running outdoors when I have no injuries. I do no cardio indoors. What is your favourite exercise in the gym and which one you don’t like so much? I love training shoulders. I do not particularly enjoy training abs. Which body part is your best in your opinion? My front quadriceps If you don’t mind would you give me some stats (best lifts and some body measurements)? I do not lift heavily anymore due to past injuries (as well as lifts declining naturally as the years go by), so I really have nothing impressive to share about my lifts other than I do a LOT of volume and spend a lot of time per body part to compensate. Chest: 36 Waist: 24 Hips: 34 Thighs: 21 Calves: 14 Biceps: 14 What do you enjoy about training for competition....what do you enjoy about the 'off season'? I love the challenge of preparing for a show and getting in shape. I enjoy the off season because I can do fun things and relax a bit. I don’t “have” to go to the gym a second time to train something or out to the track to do my cardio. I can have some chocolate chip cookies or chocolate cake! Please describe a typical day in the life of Linda Billings-Vogel. I get up very early in the morning and am at work by 6:00 a.m. We have a gym at work, so I am able to train at lunch. After work I often will train a second body part that I want to do specialty work on. When I get home I relax with Andy. Often times we go out to eat, go to the mall or take a walk together and go “toadstool hunting”. We love going to the petting zoo and playing with the goats! On the weekends I am involved in church and a rest home ministry where I sing and teach Bible studies to the residents. Please tell me about what you do when you don’t work out (hobbies, what do you do to relax?, etc.) I love Princess (ie. fashion) magazines. I enjoy just laying on the bed with the latest edition of “In Style”, “Allure” or “Vogue”. I love watching Disney “Princess” movies with Andy! What do you enjoy most about the bodybuilding/fitness lifestyle? Being healthy and feeling alive. Tell me something interesting about yourself, something people may be surprised to hear. I am a homebody, very conservative and love quiet surroundings. What are your competition goals or personal future goals? I want to continue to train and stay in shape. I compete because I enjoy doing so and not for any other reason. I base my competition plans on my personal schedule and what I predict I have going on in my life for any particular time period. | LINDA's Photo Gallery: © Photos are courtesy of Paul B. Goode Video clips: © Video clips made by Andy Vogel | If you want to send some comments or if you are a Female Bodybuilder who would like to be featured on this page you are welcome. Just send me an e-mail. This page is especially made to increase attention to the great sport of Women's Bodybuilding and to give the athletes a place to present themselves to the world. You are visitor © 2006-2010 Linda Billings-Vogel
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