On-The-Grind Athlete
Casey Weiter

What made you want to compete for the first time?

As I began to fall in love with weight lifting in college I began looking into ways to challenge myself in the gym on a competitive level. I followed a few girls on social media who competed in body building shows and the more I looked into it the more it interested me. I liked how it was all encompassing of nutrition, weight training, presentation and mental toughness. 

What was your greatest challenge?

I think my greatest challenge -- or the challenge I least expected -- was how mental all of it was. If my mind was right my body always followed but as soon as I began to slip mentally I really could have a bad few days until I got my mind back to a good place. I was constantly playing mind games to keep myself from feeling overwhelmed by the whole process. For me, it really was something I had to take a day at a time and had to TRUST the process. 

What did you wish that you knew before you had started this journey?

I wish I knew how expensive it would have been! Besides that I wish I had known in the beginning, especially in my "off season" when I bulked up a bit, that I could relax and trust my coach. I was like most girls and scared to intentionally put on weight but when it came down to the wire the last few weeks before my show I was glad I had a little more muscle that I would have had if I hadn't bulked. 
 

What did you learn from your experience?

Self love, self love, self love! I can't even express how much happier I am with my body even though I'm not at my stage weight anymore. I had cellulite on show day just like I did when I was in off season and I think that helped me to realize there is no perfect body. I will probably always have cellulite if I still have it when I'm as lean as I was on show day, but I didn't care because I knew how much work it was for me to get to that point and the overwhelming pride I had in myself and my body for working to that point has taught me to love myself regardless if I have a few dimples in my thighs, as long as I'm HEALTHY I am happy! Everything else is cosmetic. 

Tell about your support system!

I have been weight training for over half a decade so I have been blessed enough to be surrounded by friends and family who either train like I do in the gym or they know how important it is to me and support my love for it. I know some girls grow distant from their friend group while prepping for shows especially when they're new into the world of bodybuilding. Yes, I wasn't able to go out with my friends like I used to but instead of having get togethers with pizza with them, we had fasted cardio get togethers, and lifting sessions. My boyfriend was a huge support when it came to the mental part of prep that I spoke on earlier. He was great for helping me stay in a good spot mentally and when he ordered pizza or ate poorly he would leave the house so it wouldn't tempt me. Lastly, having all my immediate family and close friends drive 2 hours and pay $45 a piece just to watch me compete was better than any trophy I could have won on stage. It meant the world to me to hear them cheering as I went through the poses on stage 

What is your next goal?

My next goal isn't a bodybuilding one. I do like to challenge myself physically however I am a person who is happiest when I have balance in my life. Towards the end of the prep for my show I didn't feel balanced at all and missed out on a lot of social events with friends and family. Although i was worth it at the time I don't think it's something I want to continue to pursue. I do still like to constantly challenge myself in the gym though and am currently working on building my strength back up and would like to try out powerlifting in the fall.

Continue to follow Casey’s fitness journey on Instagram @casey_weiter!