Sarah Farr
Competitor of the Month - February 2011
World Physique Sponsored Athlete - April 2011
Interviewed by: Tammy Renee'
When I was first introduced to Sarah Farr, she applied for our Ms. World Physique contest. Although she only got as far as applying before I, personally, read her application and nominated her for “Competitor of the Month”. Once I read her history in figure competitions and saw her pictures, I was extremely impressed by her “way above average” physique and I felt she deserved this title. I knew nothing about Sarah’s background except what was in her bio submitted; which was mostly about her figure competition history. Later, after she accepted my nomination, did I find out why her physique was “way above average”; it’s because her personal trainer and friend is the one-and-only Monica Brant. Need I say more?
Sarah has been competing in figure competitions since October of 2009. She has been awarded with three first placed finishes in the four figure competitions she has competed in; one of which was in the Europa show. She is now beginning prep for the Arnold’s coming in March, 2011! So, I am very pleased to bring to you Mrs. Sarah Farr.
"...The most important thing I've learned from competitions is that it's all someone's opinion. My responsibility is to myself. I train hard and eat well and take my best to every show. I am polite and friendly and have respect for the other competitors. What the judges think is what they think. I can't change that. I just have to be happy that I have tried hard and been true to myself. Monica told me to always be humble. This is the best advice I have been given so far."
WP: Hey Sarah! Let’s begin with you telling our viewers a little about yourself.
Sure! I am a registered nurse and I work in surgery. I currently have two jobs, one at a big hospital in downtown Austin and another at a smaller hospital a little closer to home. I am a native of Austin, Texas and absolutely love it here. When I’m not working I can usually be found in the gym. It’s pretty much my home away from home. I am a huge animal lover. I currently share my space with a Chihuahua “Lola”, a Pitbull “Diesel”, a cat “Cheech”, and two hairless rats “Rat Flesh” and “Raisin”.
WP: What has been your stepping stone to get where you are today?
It’s really hard to pinpoint just one stepping stone that has lead me to where I am today. There have been so many things! One Saturday morning a few years ago, a total stranger approached me in the gym and told me I had the perfect physique to do a figure competition. This is what got the ball rolling.
I knew a friend of a friend that competed. I went and watched her at a local show and then signed up with a trainer. I got a meal plan, four workouts, and picked a date for my first show. I had no idea what to expect. I was doing a little research on the internet one night and came across Monica Brant’s website. I ordered a t-shirt and a few days later got an email from her saying that she was my neighbor. This was right before the Olympia in 2009. She invited me to come watch her pose and pick up my shirt. I could not believe what had just fallen in my lap! It was like the stars lined up and God was giving me everything I needed to move forward. Mo and I have become really good friends and have trained together since that day.
When I look back on it all and realize that as I sit here typing out this interview I have a “chicken or chocolate” t-shirt to thank for it all! Amazing!
WP: That was fate! What has it been like to maintain your great physique?
I have been blessed to be naturally thin with curves in the right places, but I still have to workout frequently to keep my physique stage ready. I enjoy track workouts and the stepmill for cardio and I rotate between shoulders, legs, and back days when I’m lifting weights.
Right now I’m training to compete at The Arnold in March, so I’ve really kicked my workouts up a bunch. I’m focusing on lifting really heavy to try to put on more muscle. Again, I’m naturally thinner so I have to work pretty hard to bulk up. I’m focusing on keeping my workouts dirty and my eating clean!
WP: So, you have competed before? Can you tell me more about it?
I have been competing since my first show in October of 2009 at the Texas State championships in Stafford, Texas. This was a “practice” show for me to play with the tan and get the jitters out, so we decided it would be good to start out in bikini. It was about four weeks before my figure show so we didn’t think I’d be quite lean enough. It turned out that my metabolism was better than we thought! I looked really good but didn’t quite have the right look for bikini. I placed last! I wanted to quit, but I had a great support system that convinced me to keep pushing forward and give it one more shot.
My next show was the Lackland Classic in San Antonio, Texas. I placed first in the figure B class! I was very excited and didn’t want to end the season here. For anyone out there that has ever won a show before, you know what I mean. I felt like I’d worked so hard for so long and I wanted to get just one more show in before the end of the season.
That show was the Excalibur in Los Angeles, California. We took all of our rent and bill money and bought tickets and a hotel room and an extra few weeks of training. I had never been to LA before and was super excited…until I got to the show and realized how skinny I had been getting! After a sixth place finish, I jumped in a cab and went to In and Out burger for a double meat double cheese burger, fries, and a large milkshake! Oooohhhh! It was really good, but that wasn’t such a good idea! It was a long flight home the next morning!
This season I started off with the Capitol of Texas Roundup, a show right here in my hometown. This was the very show I watched my friend compete in at the beginning of my figure adventures. I was very pleased to come home with a first place again.
Six days later we jumped in the car and drove to the Europa Supershow in Dallas where I also placed first in my class. To this day, this is my biggest achievement and a moment I’ll never forget.
WP: What an amazing history! What other sports or activities do you enjoy?
I have been so busy with working and training that I don’t really have time for anything else. I can say that riding horses is something that I used to enjoy a lot. I have a horse that lives on my mother’s ranch a few hours from here, so I don’t get to see her very much.
I live really close to Lake Travis so that’s one place I can be found on the weekends during the summer. Relaxing in the sun (covered in sunscreen of course!) is always a relaxing treat for me, too.
WP: Tell me about your family. In addition, are you married, single, or dating?
I have been married to my husband, Ken, for eight years. We don’t have any children. It’s not something we have plans for anytime soon. I have two sisters; one has twins and the other has triplets! So, there’s not really a huge amount of pressure from my family to add to that! My husband’s family is a different story. It’s not something we have eliminated, but it’s not something we are thinking about right now. The pets are quite enough!
WP: What have competitions taught you thus far?
The most important thing I’ve learned from competitions is that it’s all someone’s opinion. My responsibility is to myself. I train hard and eat well and take my best to every show. I am polite and friendly and have respect for the other competitors. What the judges think is what they think. I can’t change that. I just have to be happy that I have tried hard and been true to myself. Monica told me to always be humble. This is the best advice I have been given so far.
WP: What was the hardest thing for you to overcome when you first started?
The hardest thing for me to overcome when I first started was not dumping all my stress on my husband. It’s no fun to work 40-60 hours a week, do cardio in the morning, weights at night, food prep on the weekends, all while being tired and hungry most of the time. I had to understand that this was MY CHOICE! I get up everyday and do this because I want to, because I like the way I look and feel at the end. It’s not his fault and he doesn’t want to hear about how much I want some gummy bears and a Dr Pepper. This is when you call your girlfriends, sisters, trainers, anyone! It’s hard to balance life and figure competitions but it seems like with every show it gets better. This has to be a lifestyle choice. It has to be the way you live everyday. Only then does it become routine and not so stressful for me and my family.
WP: What was the hardest thing you had to deal with when it came to your diet?
The hardest thing for me to deal with when it comes to my diet has been eating fish everyday! I hate it unless it’s covered in tartar sauce or butter! But, I know I need it. It’s good for me and its part of my meal plan so I just eat it. The best I’ve found so far is orange roughy with Mrs. Dash Southwest chipotle seasoning on it. I bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Eating when you’re in contest prep isn’t about taste or entertainment. It’s about feeding the machine to enhance performance. You put the best fuel in and it’ll help everything work better!
WP: What are the key factors that dictate the way you train today?
I rely heavily on my trainer, Monica Brant. Every week she measures my body fat and adjusts my workouts and diet according to the way I look and feel. I also have to adjust my training according to my work schedule. I work 5 days a week for 12 or 10 hours each day. I have to map out a plan and stick to it. I generally do my cardio in the morning and my weight training after work. This is what is easiest for me to get it all in and still get the sleep I need.
WP: How has your training changed over the years?
I put on more and more muscle every year. It’s a slow process for me, but it’s rewarding. I am always trying to keep my workouts changing so my muscles and my mind don’t get bored. I have been working on building more dense muscle fibers through track workouts. These include a mile warm up, various sprints, and lots of jumping, squatting, crawling, and other wonderfully terrible exercises! I have to admit that when I’m getting ready to go to the track I’m dreading it, but when I get there and start moving around it feels great. Afterwards, I can ride the post workout high for longer after a track workout than anything I can do in the gym.
WP: Are you doing any modeling? If so, please tell me about it.
I am not doing any modeling right now, but I have always wanted to. I have done several photo shoots since I started competing and would love to do more. I have always dreamed of being in a fitness magazine and love taking pictures that show a fit and sexy physique.
WP: Well, you going to model for World Physique and you’re set up with a photographer because we should be seeing you in the next issue! Yay! I am excited! Can you tell me any photographers you’ve worked with, or someone you’d like to work with?
Yay! I am so honored! The photographers I have worked with are: Dan Ray, Beaux Jackson of Ion Image Studio, and LaRae Russell of LaRae Russell Photography. They have all been very different shoots and each brought their own unique style.
I would love to work with Wendi Satio, Sarah Lyons of Picture Groove, Chris Zimmerman (who I have a shoot booked with at the Arnold!) and Terry Goodlad, just to name a few!
WP: What supplements do you currently take?
I take a lot of supplements. I always take multi vitamins, glutamine, vitamin D, calcium D Gluconate, lots of vitamin C, fish oil, digestive enzymes, zinc, Flex (Glucosamine), and i26 Hyperimune Egg. I also use BNRG’s ProtoWhey for my protein.
WP: What are your pet peeves?
One of my biggest pet peeves is cheating on a diet! I get a lot of pressure from people to “just take one bite!” I can’t take just one bite! I have to eat the whole thing. Once that little tiny door of cheating is opened you might a well just bulldoze down the whole wall! I’ll eat everything. Knowing this, I don’t cheat. I never have. It’s irritating to me when people try to make me eat things I don’t want to. I am very dedicated to my diet and training and stick to it 100%.
I also can’t stand it when people interrupt me during my workouts and talk for a long time. I’m ok with a quick, “Hello, how are you?”, but I come to the gym to train and I don’t have a lot of time.
WP: What do you consider to be important in life, and why?
I think family and support systems are very important in life. They are there for you when you’re on top and at rock bottom. They are there to support you, and lift you up, and wipe the tears from your cheeks. It’s so important to have these supporting figures in my life. I also like to be that person too. I believe that you get back what you give out. The world is cyclical and we all have a part to play. In life we all need one another and that same person I help may help me someday. It feels good to give and get back!
WP: Any shout outs?
I’d love to give a shout out to my husband Ken for his love and support and for putting up with me through really thick and really thin (LITERALLY!) Without your support I never could have made it this far!
I’d also like to thank Monica Brant for all her friendship and trust. Even with a crazy busy schedule she always has time for the little guys! She inspires me everyday! And for all you figure and bikini girls, if you’re looking for the best trainer in the business you need to contact her by going to her website at monicabrant.com. She will change the way you look at competing and take the torture out of it!
WP: Give me an example of your workout.
Every morning I start my day with 30-45 minutes of cardio with a 5 pound weight vest on. I have an elliptical at home so that’s what I use if its dark outside or I’m cramped for time. If I’m at the gym I’ll use the Stepmill, Cybex, or a treadmill. The best cardio I do is on the track. I try to do this at 2-3 times a week.
After work, I rotate through shoulder, back, and leg workouts. Sometimes I will do a full body workout with plyometrics and kettlebells. I am just learning how to use these and really love them!
WP: Give me an example of your diet. What do you normally eat each day?
My diet consists of lean proteins like egg whites, chicken, shrimp, and fish like orange roughy. I also use a hydrolyzed whey protein called Proto Whey. My carbs are oatmeal, quinoa, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and grapefruit. For veggies I fill up on orange, yellow, and red bell peppers, asparagus, mixed greens, and broccoli. I limit my fats to just avocados and almonds.
I try to eat every two to three hours while I'm awake and never leave home without a cooler full of my pre-cooked meals and some water.
WP: Could you tell me about your future projects?
My goal is to compete at the Arnold and then a national level show after that. I still want to get my pro card and take it to the next level. I would also like to start doing fitness modeling.
WP: I have no doubt you will get your pro card! No doubt at all. It has been a pleasure interviewing you! I wish you all the best of luck!
Thank you for allowing me to ramble on about myself! It has been an honor to be asked and to be able to share my experiences with you and your readers!
