Page 44 - Demo

44 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || NOVEMBER 2ND EDITION 2015 There was a figure competitor training in my gym named Katr%u00edn Eva, and I knew she was working out with Bikini fitness competitors. After about 3 months I talked to her about doing a show, and she offered to train me for a show in couple of months. Since then I haven%u2018t stopped! She was my coach for some time, but before the IFBB World Championships I started working with Johann Nordfjord who is my current coach. MFM: You been practicing martial arts for a decade. What impact has Taekwondo had in your life?MG: I could write so much about what impact Taekwondo had on my life. Taekwondo is a huge part of my life, and I practice Taekwondo every single day. Taekwondo saved me as a teenager! I was bullied a lot in school, and my self-esteem was in pieces. I remember going to my first Taekwondo training, and I felt so much respect from everybody in the class. The Dojang was my safe place, and I tried to be there as much as I could when I was a teenager. I don%u2018t know where I would be today if I didn%u2018t have Taekwondo in my life. MFM: Why Taekwondo and not, other forms of martial art?MG: I just fell in love with the sport after my first training. I also love the Olympics%u2019 Taekwondo style. I had tried other forms of martial arts like Karate, Aikido, Kung-Fu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but there was something about Taekwondo that captured my attention. MFM: You are a member of the Icelandic National team in Olympic Taekwondo sparring. Any plans for the Brazil Olympics?MG: I%u2018m not a member this year, but I was a member in 2013. No, I don%u2018t plan on trying out for the Olympics. That%u2019s too much for me as I recently turned IFBB Bikini Pro, and I am now focused on competing with the IFBB.MFM: Did you ever think about opening your own school?MG: Yes I have thought about it! Maybe I will open my own school in couple of years. MFM: What is your favorite part about what you do?MG: I do so much, and I can%u2019t pick one thing that I love the most. I love to sing; I love Taekwondo; I love the IFBB; I love my family and friends, and I love being a personal trainer!MFM: What makes competing in the IFBB so special for you?MG: Competing with the IFBB is an amazing experience each time. The IFBB is like a big family, and I have been able to meet so many great people. MFM: What are some of the biggest fitness mistakes beginners can make?MG: Putting too much pressure on themselves! Just enjoy the journey, do your best, and hope for the best. Everything else like placing well at shows is a bonus. Be your own winner each time you compete. MFM: Quick advice on how to improve a workout?MG: Change things up. Try adding super-sets and tri-sets to your workout. Try focusing on other types of goals. MFM: You are a personal trainer and posing coach in Iceland, can people find you in other parts of the world to train with you?MG: Yes! I am a world-wide online personal trainer. You can find information about my online training on my website www.margretgnarr.com .