A few days ago, I had the privilege of interviewing pro bodybuilder, April Anderson. I learned that she is extremely driven and has a laser focus when it comes to goals that she wants to achieve. She holds a psychology degree from Spelman College, has an extensive fitness background, and currently works in finance. April has competed in 6 shows and has placed in 5 of them. She received her pro card in her latest show. One of the most interesting things that I found out about April, is that she battles with Multiple Sclerosis. I will give you a little more insight to this later on in the interview.
T: Have you always been into fitness?A: Yes, pretty much all of my life. I danced for a great number of years, ran track, and played basketball. My father even had me out on the golf course at a very early age.T: How long have you been competing in bodybuilding? How did you get started?A: I did my first show in 2008. I was a personal trainer at the time, and I decided to compete to motivate my clients. I only prepped for 8 weeks and ended up winning 3rd place at the show.T: How many days a week do you train, and what does your current workout split like?A: I am in the gym just about 7 days a week. I train a different muscle group each day. Right now I am currently focusing on my shoulders, so I train them about 3 times a week.T: What is your favorite body part to train?A: It varies from time to time. Right now I would say that legs are my favorite.T: What is your favorite cheat meal?A: I love carbs! I am not really into sweets, you can have the cake, give me bread or pancakes! I also love sushi, so lately when I am searching for a cheat meal, it’s sushi.T: What is your normal diet like?A: It consists of high protein, and fats with low carbs.T: What is your favorite form of cardio?A: I guess, I am one of those weird people that enjoys cardio.T: Yes, that is weird. lolA: My favorite form of cardio is running. I love the way that it makes me feel.T: Do you have a go-to supplement? If so, what is it?A: I prefer to get my nutrients from food, but I do like Alpha Lipoic Acid. It helps the body metabolize carbohydrates.T: Who are some people that you follow, who inspire you?A: I follow Candace Lewis and Erin Stern. They have amazing physiques, plus I admire their training styles and passion for the sport. They’ve had successful fitness careers on and off the stage.T: What or who do you listen to while you are working out?A: I listen to a lot of rap music. I am a huge hip hop fan. I’m not really into a lot of this new school stuff though. I listen to Jezzy, old Jadakiss, and old Jay-Z. I also like the Roots given that I am from Philly. I really like songs I can beast out to.T: Where can we find you on social media?A: You can find me on Facebook as April Anderson and on Instagram @adadatfit.T: What has helped you become so successful, and what tip would you have for someone looking into getting in bodybuilding?A: The thing that has helped me become successful is that I realize that I am the only person that can hold me back from what I would like to accomplish. For anyone looking to get into bodybuilding, I would suggest that you seek out successful people who are where you would like to be and learn from them.
I appreciate the willingness of April to not only share what it is like to live and train as a pro bodybuilder but also to live and train as a pro bodybuilder with Multiple Sclerosis. In addition to a rigorous training regiment, she also has bouts with numbness, tingling, aches, and loss of feeling in her extremities. There are times when she works out on a stair climber but can’t even feel her feet. There are other times when she has to figure out a way to strap weights to her hands when she didn’t have full use of her hands. She pushes herself to go workout at the gym when she barely feels like getting out of bed. To say that April is determined or focused is an understatement. She is definitely one of the most goal oriented and driven people that I have ever met in my life. I am sure that she will be a household name in the very near future…
Interview with a Bodybuilder: April Anderson
