Female Bodybuilding Interview of the Month
Female Bodybuilding Interview of the Month
April 2009
FBBFan.com Q&A interview with NPC Figure Competitor Tiffany Forni.
Editor's Note:
Special thanks to Tiffany for taking the time to speak with FBBFan.com. All photos courtesy of Tiffany Forni.
FBBFan.com: Hello Tiffany, Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to share a bit about yourself with FBBFan.com members and readers!
Tiffany: Any Time! I love you guys!
FBBFan.com: Would you please tell us a little bit about yourself?How old are you? Where are you from? Current Residence? Relationship Status? Family Life?
Tiffany: I'm 24 years old, from Milwaukie, Oregon (eh, it's about 10 minutes south of Portland). I currently reside in a house with two roomates. Zack AKA "That One Guy" and Marvelous Margie (My hair and makeup artist). At the moment I don't have a boyfriend. I hardly have time for myself these days. As for family, my mom and dad live a couple houses away and my sister is my next door neighbor. Apparently I'm the "grim reaper of pets" so I don't keep any critters at my house. I'm never home enough to take care of them and when you have the attention span of a ferrit on mountain dew... things get forgotten.
FBBFan.com: What do you currently do for a living?
Tiffany: I work in the hospitality industry. I work for my parents in our hotel development and management company. I inspect hotels and also work the front desk at one of our downtown properties. On occasion the managers at the hotel like to torture me by making me bake cookies for our guests... mm hmm.. yep.. it sucks.. but the smell, yeah, it makes that torture worthwhile. Ok the cookies may or may not be covered in drool when I'm done with them, but whatever, they're cookies. My advice to you: IF you can eat them, ENJOY THEM and have a bite for me.
FBBFan.com: How did you get involved in the sport of Women’s Bodybuilding/Fitness/Figure?
Tiffany: Well, long story short I was fat. One day I was killing time at a mall waiting for something to happen. I went into a muscle store and asked the guy behind the counter if there was any new and exciting wonder pill that could make me not be fat anymore. He took the time to remind me what really works. Proper diet and working out. He put me on a diet, I lost about thirty pounds in my first month of training like a bodybuilder and the manager at that store suggested I compete in figure. So I found my coach Sean Calder (www.SeanCalder.net) through bodybuilding.com's bodyspace. Through him I met up with a good posing coach Bam Bam (Andre Scott), he got me on an incredibly strict diet, and took me through a few grueling workouts while teaching me as much as he could. I placed well at my first two shows and have been hooked ever since!
FBBFan.com: How does your friends, family and the general public react to your physique?
Tiffany: Well, they were all very proud of me when they saw me lose all the weight. When it got closer to the competition and they saw me getting really lean they started to worry. After many hours of explaining to them that I wasn't going to be like that all year round they started to relax and now support me in all of my shows. As for strangers, I get nothing but positive responses!! Some guys think I'm a little too "thick" for their taste, but the majority like the way I am. So, I'm happy. :)
FBBFan.com: What do you enjoy about being a Figure Competitor?
Tiffany: It gives me a goal. Knowing that I have to get on stage with other women who I know are dieting and training just as hard as I am gives me a challenge. I'm pretty competitive and with that in mind it helps me stay focused on my diet and training. If I didn't have to diet for a show I would probably be chunkey again.
FBBFan.com: What is your long-term goal in the sport of bodybuilding?
Tiffany: Turn Pro. Well, that wasn't my original intention. At first I wanted to do one show and call it good, but then after my first two competitions I realized that I may have found the sport for me. Now I want to continue bettering myself until I can reach the top. Although turning pro would be nice, what is more important to me is to continue to inspire and motivate people to change their lives through changing their bodies. I feel like the same person, but with a whole new set of tools in life now that I am healthier and in better shape. I want other people to be able to feel the same way I do.
FBBFan.com: When are you planning to compete next?
Tiffany: I'm going to do the NPC Oregon State in July and then the Team Universe in New York in September.
FBBFan.com: What’s your favorite thing and/or routine you enjoy when training for a competition?
Tiffany: Tanning. It's a great excuse to sit around and do nothing while listening to your ipod and not having to answer a phone. I love it. I don't tan until I'm getting close to showtime or a photoshoot.
FBBFan.com: Would you please share your competition history with us?
Tiffany:
- 2008: NPC Seven Feathers: 3rd Place Figure Tall.
- 2008: NPC Northwest Bodybuilding and Figure Championships: 1st Place Figure Tall.
FBBFan.com: What are your hobbies and interests outside of the bodybuilding world?
Tiffany: I like to write. I have way too much fun working on my books, blogs, and writing emails to people. I also love to travel. I'll use just about any excuse to get out of town and visit some place new. One of my new favorite things to do is play Rock Band. I play the drums... EXPERT BABY YEAH!
FBBFan.com: What is a day-in-the-life of Tiffany Forni like?
Tiffany: A day in the life of me can vary dramatically, but in general I TRY to make it like this:
Wake Up, Eat, Cardio, Eat, Lift, Eat, Work, Eat, Work More, Eat, Answer Emails, Eat, Work More, Eat, Sleep.
OR...
Wake up around Noon Thirty, Eat, Gym, Eat, Grocery Shop, Eat, Cook, Cardio, Eat, Rockband, Eat, Cardio, Eat, Sleep.
Wake Up, Eat, Cardio, Eat, Lift, Eat, Work, Eat, Work More, Eat, Answer Emails, Eat, Work More, Eat, Sleep.
OR...
Wake up around Noon Thirty, Eat, Gym, Eat, Grocery Shop, Eat, Cook, Cardio, Eat, Rockband, Eat, Cardio, Eat, Sleep.
FBBFan.com: Would you please tell us a little about your workout schedule? Contest and during the Off-Season?
Tiffany: My workouts don't change much. I do cardio every day, no more than an hour at a time. Twice a day when it's closer to competition time. I usually split up my days like this: Leg day, back and biceps, shoulders and triceps, chest, then I take two days off and repeat. (I know it's six days.. I don't go by days of the week because my work and travel schedule is all shades of crazy).
FBBFan.com: What is your current height, weight during off-season and contest?
Tiffany: Well, this is my first "off-season"... I was weighing 142 at Seven Feathers.. at the moment I'm around 165. Contribute the extra poundage to some muscle gain and some new boobs, that and apparently I refused to eat anything but mac n' cheese and jello during my recovery from the new additions. I'll have a better idea of what my on and off season weights and measurements will be after this next set of shows.
FBBFan.com: What do you consider your best feature?
Tiffany: My legs. You either love them or you hate them. ... Thanks DAD..
FBBFan.com: Do you have a favorite lift or exercise?
Tiffany: I like to lift food to my face... er.. I hate cardio with a passion.. um... ok really.. No.. I don't have a favorite. But if I had to pick a favorite form of cardio it would be ice skating. (No figure skate toe-pick for me.. ice hockey skates) As for lifting, perhaps a leg press. For that I NEEED to have an iPod handy. I can't get in a good set without something loud enough to make me deaf.
FBBFan.com: What’s currently on your iPod?
Tiffany: Everything from In-Flight Sweedish to Dolly Parton. Some of my favorite songs are Get Low and You Make Me Feel Like Dancin' and anything by Prodigy.
FBBFan.com: What are your “Top 5” favorite movies? Favorite actor and/or actress?
Tiffany: In no particular order: BORAT (ok that really is number 1), 300, Gladiator, Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Scent of A Woman. As for actors and actresses: Actor- Marty Fadness. Actress- Kimberly Ballantyne
FBBFan.com: Who are your role models? And/or who do you look up to in your life?
Tiffany: This is a tough one. I can't say any one person.. but there are things about many people that I admire. The list would be too long to put here, but I can take something positive from just about anyone I meet.
FBBFan.com: What advice do you have for women who would like to get involved in the sport of bodybuilding/Fitness/Figure?
Tiffany: One of the first things I tell people is get yourself a coach. When I made the decision to compete I didn't know anything about the bodybuilding / Fitness / Figure world. Having an experienced coach teach me what I needed to know and make sure that the diet I was on was the right one for my body made a world of difference.
FBBFan.com: Who are your favorite bodybuilders?
Tiffany: As for bodybuilders, I have met many of the Pro's recently, so it's hard to say who my favorites are. I love Branch Warren, he's a beefey dude, Victor Martinez is handsome, Kai Green has the most entertaining posing routines, I could go on and on. As for female bodybuilders, I really haven't met too many of them. Marika Johansson is awesome, She's a sweetheart with an amazing body and she's a tough cookie too! I also like Kira Neuman. For figure I have always thought Gina Aliotti has had an amazing physique and a new friend, Christine Lanois is stunning.
FBBFan.com: How can people contact you? Do you have a website?
Tiffany: My website is: www.TiffanyForni.com. I’m also on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and BodySpace!
I can't guarantee I'll get back to you super-fast, but I'll do my best! Don't be surprised if my responses are short and sent from my Blackberry. I like to answer emails while I'm doing cardio.
I can't guarantee I'll get back to you super-fast, but I'll do my best! Don't be surprised if my responses are short and sent from my Blackberry. I like to answer emails while I'm doing cardio.
FBBFan.com: Thank you Tiffany, for taking the time to speak with us and share a little bit about yourself with FBBFan.com members and readers, is there anything else that you would like FBBFan.com readers to know?
Tiffany: Thank you so much! I'm happy to be a member of FBBFan.com. I've got a few books in the works right now so check my site www.TiffanyForni.com or the other ways to get to me for updates on book releases, travel schedule, and upcoming contests. Best of luck to all of you competitors out there! :)
-Tiff
-Tiff
