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Centerville native has 'Flex' appealDate: 17.06.2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info Team United States
Looks can be deceiving. Case in point: the June cover of Flex magazine, which features 24-year-old Centerville native Jessica Paxson-Putnam.
In the cover photo, Putnam strikes a contrast to the herculean poses of her fitness-and-figure competitions, with her muscles coiled and her skin a fluorescent bronze.
But beneath the veneer of self-tanner and superhuman strength is plenty of sex appeal.
Putnam was a cheerleader at Centerville High School — she's a 2001 graduate. She also competed in gymnastics and with a dance company throughout childhood.
The 5-foot-4 125-pounder began competing in fitness-and-figure competitions in 2002 as a sophomore at the University of Tennessee. F&F is a class of physique events for women that places less emphasis on muscle size and more on aerobic fitness.
Last year, she won the New York Pro competition and qualified for the world's most prestigious professional figure contest — Figure Olympia — in which she placed 11th out of 20. She's among the faster-rising athletes in the sport.
A psychology major who pursues her competition and modeling career full time, Putnam is married to amateur bodybuilder Peter Putnam, who will be on July's cover of Flex.
In her words
'Flex' cover girl: "I was one of eight fitness figure professionals that Flex featured. So I had a one-out-of-eight chance to be on the cover. (My husband) Peter saw the picture first. It had been leaked onto the Internet. So he put his hands over my eyes and surprised me. I started crying. It's such a blessing."
In-season: "Before competitions, I eat six to eight small meals a day. I try to eat a protein, a carb, a green vegetable. I eat things like grilled chicken, tuna, egg whites, spinach, broccoli, asparagus. I do two-a-day, 30-minute cardio sessions. And in between, I (muscle) train one body part a day."
The hard body: "It's not an attractive look. We dehydrate our bodies so we can look very muscular when we get on stage. People see those competition photos, and they think I look like that all the time — with my muscles bulging and with all the (self-tanner). But I don't look like that all the time. When I model, they want me to still be muscular but look more appealing to a wider audience. You dehydrate your body so you can look very muscular for competitions. But we never overdo it to the point that it becomes dangerous to our health."
The competition: "It's not like bodybuilding. It's more feminine. There's more of a pageantry aspect."
What is more lucrative? "You can win money placing in the top three to five in shows, but in the end the modeling can be more lucrative because it can bring about more opportunities, also. I booked an infomercial (for Bioforce)."
Double 'Flex' covers: "This is such a huge thrill for us. This is the first time ever that a married couple has been featured on the magazine's cover in back-to-back months."
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