Carla Hampshire - IDFA Pro
Bodybuilder of the Month - April 2011
Interviewed by: Mike Hall
Nominated by: Chad Shaw
50 Year old Carla Hampshire, mother of 6 and also a grandmother, is originally from Rome, Italy. She is an IDFA All-Natural Pro whom is currently competing to become a WNBF Pro. Carla’s story in this industry happened quite by accident.
Carla had never been inside a gym, but here she was, trying to purchase a gym membership for her husband as a Christmas surprise. This was December of 1997. What she was about to experience would change her life.
As the fitness consultant pushed open the double doors to take her for a tour of the gym, she entered a new world; a world she later dubbed “Endorphin City”. Her excitement grew. She asked many questions, but mostly she stared in amazement at everything around her. Something took hold of her that day. She was completely mesmerized. “I had to be part of this. I wasn’t quite sure what “this” was yet, but the iron called to me”, states Carla. Needless to say, that after Christmas, she also joined the gym. The love affair with the iron began. She had found her new passion; from ballet to bodybuilding; quite the leap!
She was assigned to “Trainer Mike” who showed her the ropes. He could see the fire in her eyes and he fanned the flames. He gave her the best advice; to read everything the library had to offer on nutrition and bodybuilding. And this she did, taking home armfuls of books and magazines! She was so eager to learn this new language called, “Bodybuilding”: sets/reps, concentric/eccentric...She was hungry!
The more she learned, the stronger she became. Carla soon realized that competing as a bodybuilder was something she wanted to do. It would be another nine years before she would have the courage to compete. First, she had to make sure this was the right thing to do, not only for herself, but she was concerned about the impact her decision would have on the family. She took her question to the Lord in prayer; and the answer humbled her greatly. There would be more to this bodybuilding journey than just competing. This would be a way for her to reach out to others, as well. She enlisted her husband's support and within 12 weeks, she was standing on a bodybuilding stage competing for the very first time, realizing a dream! This was June of 2007. The story continues...
"...Always surround yourself with positive people; people who have similar goals and aspirations. Find the people that know more than you do and be humble enough to seek their help."
WP: Tell me a story of how you got where you are today.
I was born in 1961 as Carla Ciavardini and lived in Rome, Italy until 1964 when we immigrated to Montreal, Canada. My love for languages began at an early age. We spoke Italian at home; dad was very strict about this, and English and French at school. I excelled in school, winning prizes for being first in the class, as well as, being advanced to a higher grade in math. Along with languages, another passion of mine was ballet. My mother signed me up for my first class when I was six. I loved the grace and strength of classical ballet, as well as, the discipline of it all. I lived and breathed ballet and enjoyed my lessons for many years.
I was a very shy little girl and was never picked for any team sports, but in Junior High, I discovered that I could run like the wind. What followed were three years on the cross country running team. I had a unique way of training. I would leave late for school every day and force myself to run the whole way. This, I did, until I was told that if I was late one more time...Ha-ha! This just made me run even faster. Then in my final year of high school, I joined the very first cheerleading squad our school would have. Around this same time, I had a very unique experience. A lady, who had been trained at a very prestigious arts school, took me under her wing and taught me opera. It’s not every day that you meet a teenager who can sing opera! I sang in choirs and did some solos, as well. There’s nothing like hitting that high note.
High school was over; now came decision time. What course of study would I follow in college? Many thanks to Mom for pointing out that I was talented in languages and why not look into that stream? I opened the course catalogue and there it was; Spanish and German. Ah, the light bulb moment! And, so, I added these two more languages to my list.
When college was over, my mother suggested I move out west. This would later prove to be the best decision of my life. Calgary was having a big oil and gas boom in the early 80’s. At the age of nineteen, after having lived a very sheltered existence, I took a plane across Canada and began my new life. I found an apartment and my first job. I worked for a finance company. I had to shed my shy ways in a hurry as I had to talk with clients all day.
Now, we come to the good part. After having spent Christmas completely alone, life was about to change. The day after Christmas, there was a big sporting event organized for the young adults of the church. There was a dance at the end of the day, where a young man asked me to dance. One month later, we were engaged. We will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary this summer!
We began our life together as university students. Those were financially challenging times. That situation would continue for many years. In my first year of university, I was expecting our first child. We had our first and only daughter that summer. The following year, we took turns going to university. I picked courses that were offered in the evening and, so, we both managed another year and yes, another baby; a boy this time, the first of five sons. After this, going back to school was no longer an option; another son arrived. Though I continued to take courses out of interest, I would not resume university until much later. There were many life experiences to be had first!
In 1987, with three children in tow and one on the way, we sold everything and moved across the world to the tiny island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific. Three more sons would be born to us here in the jungles of Vanuatu. We took posts as teachers at a boarding school, where I had the pleasure of teaching French to grades 7 through 10. I also started a running club, which produced the only female team to run the round island relay that year.
I would later have the opportunity of teaching English and French to the higher grades in another high school, as well as, spending a year teaching at the University of the South Pacific on a different island. I loved these dear children; they were like my own. I am still in contact with some of my former students and I am very proud of what they have become. In Vanuatu, I learned my sixth language; Bislama, the official language of the country. We are still very much a part of Vanuatu, as my husband is involved in creating sustainable development projects in some of the more remote villages of this developing nation. villagesfirst.com.
Eight years later, we returned to Canada. Once again, we were at the bottom beginning anew. Times were tough, financially, and it was hard getting used to the cold after having lived in the South Pacific all those years. But, what I found most difficult was adapting to the rapid pace of life.
I knew that teaching was not something that I wanted to do in Canada. Nothing would ever compare to my experience in the islands. I gravitated towards health care and studied massage therapy. I have spent the past nine years working in a Chiropractor’s clinic. I love what I do. I find it very rewarding to help patients regain their health and strength. I also returned to my formal university education and completed my final year, finally graduating in June of 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences with honors; one of my proudest moments.
Our children are now aged 27, 26, 24, 23, 20 and 17. I am also the proud grandmother to my married daughter’s three little ones; a five year old little lady and boy/girl twins aged two.
WP: Beautiful story. What competitions have you appeared in and what place did you win?
- June 09, 2007 ABBA: 6th in Masters
- June 14, 2008 ABBA: 8th in Masters / 6th in Lightweight
- Oct 18, 2008 FAME: 2nd in Masters (amateur) 2nd in Open (amateur) 1st in Advanced
- Oct 25, 2008 IDFA: 1st in Masters / 1st in Open, PRO CARD!
- Nov 1, 2008 ABBA: 5th in Masters / 6th in Lightweight
- Oct 3, 2009 INBF: 2nd in Masters / 1st in Lightweight
- Nov 7, 2009 IDFA Pro Show: 3rd place at my first pro show
- April 17, 2010 INBF: 2nd in Masters / 4th in Lightweight
- Oct 16, 2010: 2nd in Masters / 2nd in Lightweight
I am very grateful to have had the experience of earning a Pro Card. I’ll remember that night forever. It was so surreal! I received my trophy and a big framed Pro card. But, it wasn’t until I was safely backstage again that the full impact hit me. I HAD JUST TURNED PRO! The men’s pro card winner was backstage, as well. We embraced each other and were both so overwhelmed with emotion.
A year later, I had the wonderful opportunity of flying across Canada to attend my first Pro show. I am back competing in the amateur ranks as the IDFA is no longer offering women’s bodybuilding. I will be competing at the INBF Canada Alberta cup on Oct 29, 2011. My goal is to earn a WNBF Pro Card.
WP: What do you eat in a normal day?
This is my macronutrient breakdown:
Five day baseline food intake: 135/125/35 (protein/carbohydrates/fat)
One day mid-week: 135/150/35 (protein/carbohydrates/fat)
One day on the weekend: 135/200/35 (protein/carbohydrates/fat)
Breakfast: 4 egg whites and 1 whole egg, 50 grams of oats, ½ a banana and 2 fish oil capsules. * I usually train after this meal.
Post workout meal: 20 grams of whey protein and a banana or other fruit. *These are the two meals that rarely change.
The remaining 4 meals: They consist of the following foods that I carefully measure to fit into the breakdown for the day, allowing for the greater portion of the carbs to be consumed in the first 3 meals of the day:
- Protein: Chicken, eggs, extra lean beef, and fish.
- Carbohydrates: Yams, brown rice, quinoa, whole grain bread, and a variety of vegetables.
- Fat: Fish oils, coconut oil, olive oil, flax seed oil and other fats that occur naturally in the food that I eat.
Here is a recipe idea that combines all of my breakfast ingredients. It’s a meal that I look forward to every morning; feels like a cheat meal!
Breakfast Pancakes
- Half banana (50 grams) mashed.
- Add half cup oats (50 grams) and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; soften this with 1/4 cup of warm water.
- Mix in 4 egg whites and 1 whole egg.
This makes two 8 inch pancakes. You can top this with zero calorie pancake syrup by Walden Farms. Note: If you are on a carb restricted diet, I have successfully made this without the half banana and less oats.
Macronutrient breakdown: 27/47/8 (P/C/F)
Calories: 371
WP: Great recipe. I will try that myself. Do you allow yourself a cheat day?
I used to, but that did not always bring about a desirable outcome. Once I opened that door, it was very hard to close it again. Now I have a moderate higher carb day mid-week and a higher carb day on the weekend, which allows for a conservative cheat meal; this is what suits me best.
WP: What supplements do you take?
I prefer to get most of what I need from real food. Since I do not take stimulants for religious reasons, it’s hard to find products I can use. For years, Whey Protein and vitamins were my only supplements, but I am currently trying the following products:
Modern BCAA’S (USP Labs): I put 2 scoops of these branched chain amino acids in a big bottle of water and I sip some pre and post workout, but I consume most of this during my workout.
Super Cissus RX (USP Labs) for joint support.
HMB (Optimum Nutrition) for greater muscle gains and enhanced strength and endurance.
ZMA (Optimum Nutrition) for greater recovery through improved sleep.
WP: What is your work-out regimen?
Monday: Legs
Tuesday: 30 minutes of steady state cardio
Wednesday: Pushing (chest/shoulders/ triceps)
Thursday: 30 minutes of steady state cardio
Friday: Pulling (back/biceps)
Saturday: Core and 20 minutes of high intensity cardio
Sunday: Rest
On weight training days, I’m in the gym for no longer than 60 minutes; this includes warm-up and stretching. The exercises vary to keep my body from adapting.
Years ago, I used to spend more than 2 hours a day in the gym. This was not a productive approach for me.
WP: You look great! What is the key factor for you when it comes to keeping your physique at tip-top level?
Thank you! Over the years, I have learned what works best for my body. Nutrition is a key factor. I remain precise with my nutrition year round and consistency in the gym goes hand-in-hand with this. When I stay disciplined in both these areas, I experience success.
The hardest thing is breaking the mindset that as soon as competition is over you can eat whatever you like. I’ve been there and it’s heartbreaking to see your stage-worthy physique disappear within hours of stepping off stage. Because I now keep the diet under control year round and don’t deprive myself or indulge to the extreme, it makes it easier for me to step back into a normal diet immediately after competition and maintain a leaner physique in the off-season.
WP: What is your greatest achievement in bodybuilding?
The following experience has had a most profound effect on my life. This is a very emotional story for me to tell.
I was surprised to receive an e-mail message one day from a Sergeant stationed in Iraq. He had found a picture of me on the internet, a picture of me leg pressing 1000 pounds. He was using this picture as motivation for his troops to stay in shape while they were deployed. I cannot adequately express how much this meant to me; that I could motivate a group of American soldiers in Iraq was incomprehensible to me. There was more to come.
A few days later, he posted a picture of his troops in their workout gear. They were holding up a giant cardboard sign that read, “Carla’s A Beast!” In my home hangs an enlarged version of this precious photo signed by all these valiant men. On the back is a special message… “Thank you for your support and the motivation that you bring with it. Best of luck and wishes in all you do.”Along with the photo, Sergeant sent two patches he had been wearing on his uniform since arriving in Iraq.
Through this humbling experience I gained immeasurable motivation, and made a very dear and lifelong friend in Sergeant Steve L.
WP: What a touching story. Who had the most impact on you growing up?
Without hesitation, I will have to say my mother. She is a woman of great faith and has a kind and loving heart. She exemplifies goodness in all she does. She was there at pivotal points in my life to help me make the decisions that ultimately led to where I am today. Mom, thank you for being proud of me and for being such a righteous example.
WP: Do you have a favorite bodybuilder?
Although I admire the pioneers and legends of bodybuilding, my greatest respect goes to all the natural athletes. I have had the pleasure of interacting with some of the best. I would like to mention Chad Shaw, Joshua Ledbetter and Michael Lindberg. These gentlemen exemplify dedication and their work ethic gets results. They are good friends and a constant source of inspiration to me.
WP: Tell me about your future projects. Have any in sight?
I just turned 50 in March and there are many things that I want to accomplish this year. I most definitely wish to earn my WNBF Pro Card, and I’m hard at work towards this goal. I am also very excited to be working towards earning my Personal Training Specialist certification. I believe that continuing education is important and I want to keep being a positive role model for my children in this regard.
I have always enjoyed creative writing and I’m looking into publishing a collection of my poems by the end of the year.
I would also like to use my passion for writing to create an inspirational column for a physique magazine to encourage and motivate its readers.
WP: Sounds like you will be staying busy. Any shout outs?
Most definitely! I am grateful to have such amazing friends and supporters worldwide. Their encouragement means a great deal to me. A special thank you to the people who are instrumental in keeping my body in one piece:
Dino Gradilone my long-time massage therapist and friend,
Dr. Peter Jepp my Chiropractor, whose jokes ‘crack’ me up,
Lois Garton, my physio/acupuncturist who seems to enjoy turning me into a pin cushion.
I would also like to say a big thank you to Mathew Park, President of INBF Canada and WNBF Pro. matparkmuscle.com Mat is an outstanding athlete and a great person; I truly value his opinion. He encouraged me to contact Dr. Joe Klemczewski for all my nutrition needs. perfectpeaking.com/.
Thanks to the kind sponsorship of Dr. Eve Chen from Symon’s Valley Dental, I was able to contact Joe and start my journey with him on November 29th, 2010, a few short weeks after my last competition. Joe set me up with a nutrition program that was different from anything I had previously done. I was excited by this new, healthier approach to the off-season.
After a few days though, I felt like something was missing. At this point I decided to invest in Dr. Joe’s training program as well; enter Sean McCauley, Joe’s right hand man.
Sean continues to set up very challenging workout programs for me. The training regimen is quite different from what I had previously been doing. He really listens to my feedback and makes changes to suit my needs, as does Joe. I report my food intake and workouts to them on a weekly basis and send progress pictures. They are both very positive people and their encouragement gives me confidence. I feel really fortunate to be part of Team Klemczewski. They are amazing people to work with.
Always surround yourself with positive people; people who have similar goals and aspirations. Find the people that know more than you do and be humble enough to seek their help.
WP: Do you have anyone special you would like to thank?
My husband, Dale, has been a tremendous support throughout my bodybuilding career. I wouldn’t be doing this without his love and encouragement. When I announced that I wished to compete as a bodybuilder he said, “Ok, what do you need from me?” I told him I needed his support and that’s exactly what I get each and every day. I am also grateful to my six children for being proud of Mom. Ha-ha! They have been known to brag to their friends about their Mom being a bodybuilder. I have been blessed with a great family and I am deeply grateful to my Heavenly Father for this and for all my life experiences.
WP: It’s time to close the interview now. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I applaud World Physique for doing such an amazing job in bringing great information to its subscribers and in featuring natural athletes. It has been such a privilege to share my life, my accomplishments and my goals with you. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I would like to share the following poem with you:
DREAM
Written by Carla Hampshire January 1, 2011
Deep in your soul, there is a Dream;
Hold it dear; in high esteem.
Some will say, "It is impossible!";
You must believe; create the possible.
When your heart beats, with strong desire;
You travel far, but never tire.
The road seems arduous, but you will see;
The Dream unfolds; you were born to be.
There will be challenges that you must face;
With every mile of this uphill race.
May you be blessed with courage strong;
And faith to last the journey long.
Keep filling your life with rich experiences and dare to dream BIG!
WP: Great and inspiring poem. Thank you for sharing that with us. You have been a pleasure to interview! Thank you for your time and good luck in your future bodybuilding endeavors!
