Davis makes mark in figures
Date: 06-03-2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamUnited States |
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Fourth-grade teacher continues to increase stature in variation of bodybuilding
It was just a few years ago that Charmaine Davis went to Body Visions Fitness Centre in Bear with the goal of working out a bit and staying in shape.
The former basketball player and track athlete at William Penn High couldn't have known at the time to what extent she would end up taking physical fitness.
It was there that Davis met Jennifer Emig, a competitor in figures, a variation of bodybuilding. Davis started asking around about it, and decided to give it a shot.
In 2005, she started entering competitions. Last year, the lifelong New Castle resident won the Delaware state championship in her division. A little less than two years later, Davis has her eye on becoming a professional figures competitor.
"I knew figures was what I wanted to do," said Davis, a 26-year-old fourth-grade teacher at Olive B. Loss Elementary School. "In bodybuilding, basically they're looking for really muscular women. In fitness, they're looking for lean women but you also have to do gymnastics and dance, and put together a 90-second routine. But in figure, you're looking for an athletic look. They want you lean like a fitness competitor, but you're just posing, not doing gymnastics and dance."
Last Friday, Davis finished third in the 5-foot-4 and under division in the Amateur Arnold Classic at Columbus, Ohio, one of the biggest amateur competitions in the country. It is open only to competitors who have placed nationally, which Davis did when she won the state title.
That initial trip to the gym now has Davis completely immersed in the competitive figures lifestyle, which involves much more than lifting weights. She gets up at 5 a.m. on weekdays for her cardio workout, then hits the gym for weight work after the school day is over. On weekends, she scales back to just one workout.
Then, there's her diet, which is an extremely high-maintenance affair. Davis eats seven meals a day, all completely scripted and carefully measured.
"You have your fish, egg whites, green vegetables like asparagus, string beans and broccoli, and carbs like sweet potatoes and oatmeal," Davis said. "I have a scale that I use to weigh all my food."
Davis eats two of those meals between the 5 a.m. wakeup and the start of the school day around 8:30 a.m. She has two more during the school day and the rest of her menu in the afternoon and evening. Her students have taken notice that their teacher doesn't look like the typical fourth-grade teacher, and are supportive of her endeavors.
"A lot of them are excited for me," Davis said. "When I did it my first year, a lot of my kids were shocked. But I teach a boot camp [fitness] class at school as part of our talent development program, so they knew I had an athletic background. They're surprised, because I guess you don't think of teachers as working out and being fit. But at our school, a lot of us are athletic."
Davis has quite a few trainers who help her with everything from weight training to sculpting her diet. Perhaps her most well-known instructor is Tracey Greenwood, a Claymont resident who has competed professionally on the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness circuit the past six years.
"I decided since I wanted to compete nationally, it would be more beneficial if I went to someone who was more in the industry and knew everything about what I wanted to do," Davis said. "So, I went to Tracey to learn how to pose."
Greenwood works with several women who are new to the sport, and covers the full range of elements that go into competitive bodybuilding and figures.
"I teach them all how to present themselves on stage and how to show off their physique the best," Greenwood said. "I tell them what kind of suits are best for their physiques and what colors are best, and help with accessories, hair, makeup, diet and the workout.
"I do everything for my girls. I know a lot of people in the industry and I introduce them to a lot of people, tell them which shows to do and which not to do, and how to get exposure."
Exposure is the next step for Davis. She is aspiring to reach the same level in figures that Greenwood has reached in fitness, but still has some work to do.
"The competitions I'm doing this year will help met get there, but it'll take a couple years," Davis said. "There's still some things I need to work on in order to do that. I'm going to give myself about three or four years to try and get my pro card and become a professional figure competitor."
Greenwood believes Davis has what it takes to get there.
"She's genetically gifted for the sport," Greenwood said. "She has a lot of self-discipline, and I think she's pretty highly motivated. And she listens very well to me. She does everything I tell her, and that's the whole key.
"It can get really frustrating. You're tired, you're hungry, and you don't have a lot of energy. I'm constantly helping motivate her, and it's good to have someone there for you."
