FLEX Magazine (April 2010) - Lisa Cross Female Body Builder and

FLEX FEATURE
AN
ARRESTING
BY JOHN PLUMMER
PHOTOS KIRSTIN PRISK
www.kirstinprisk.co.uk
DEVELOPMENT
She was once a police officer but now
LISA CROSS is an arresting new sight
on the UK physique scene. Could she be
Britain’s next big female bodybuilder?
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Britain doesn’t produce many world-class female
bodybuilders but what it lacks in quantity it makes
up for in quality. In the first decade of the century the nation produced three IFBB female
pro show winners: Andrulla Blanchette, most notably, won the Ms. Olympia lightweight title; Truro’s Joanna
Thomas finished first at the Jan Tana Classic on her pro debut, and last year Barnsley’s Kizzy Vaines won the
fitness class at the Fort Lauderdale pro show. In comparison, only one British man – James ‘Flex’ Lewis in
the 202 pound class at the 2008 Europa Pro – has won a pro show since Dorian Yates retired in 1997 even
though far more British men than women have competed with the IFBB.
So who will be the next female to pick up the baton carried by the likes of Carolyn Cheshire, KimberleyAnne Jones, Paula Bircumshaw, Joanne Lee and Andrulla Blanchette to become the next British inter­
national physique star? In 2006 Michelle Jones broke Joanna Thomas’s record to become the youngestever national champion but she announced her retirement in 2008. Two-time British lightweight champion
Venetia Gloux undoubtedly has the genetics but she did not compete in 2009 when Xyleese Burford took
the overall UK title.
Xyleese will certainly be one to watch in the years ahead but another name to look out for is Lisa Cross.
“Lisa who?” you may ask. She may only have competed three times but she has already shown enough to
suggest she has what it takes. Last year she finished second in the physique category at the Ms. Universe
in only her second contest, then a week later she made a successful transition to the UKBFF, winning the
physique class at the Hercules contest to qualify for this year’s UK Championships in October, where she
will start as one of the favourites.
At 70 kg she packs enough size to mix it with the big girls and, equally importantly, she is well balanced with
a nice shape and pleasing symmetry. Although she is relatively inexperienced on stage she knows what the
sport is all about, having travelled extensively in America to watch top pro and amateur contests and shoot
with some of the sport’s leading photographers. Now she aims to prove she belongs with the elite. “My
ambition is to win my pro card and to compete on the Olympia stage and at the Arnold Classic,” she says.
Lisa, 31, began training seriously four years ago. “I have always been athletic,” she says. “But I didn’t really
get into bodybuilding until 2006. I was living in Japan teaching English and my boyfriend at the time was a
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NAME: Lisa Cross
DATE OF BIRTH: 4th April, 1978
PLACE OF BIRTH: Rochdale
LIVES: Plymouth
HEIGHT: 5' 6"
WEIGHT: 70 kg contest;
80 kg offseason
COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS:
2nd in 2009 Ms. Universe; 1st in 2009
Hercules physique class
AMBITION:
To become an IFBB pro and compete
at the Olympia
TRAINING ADVICE:
You need to have a passion for it and
dedication then back it up with
knowledge
TO CONTACT: crossl@hotmail.co.uk
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lisa’s
OFFSEASON
TRAINING PROGRAMME
MONDAY AM
MONDAY PM
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY AM
THURSDAY PM
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY AM
SUNDAY PM
CHEST
Pec deck:
Bench press:
Dumbbell flye:
BACK
Lat pulldown:
Deadlift:
Seated cable row:
One-arm dumbbell row:
HAMSTRINGS
Lying leg curl:
Standing leg curl:
SHOULDERS
Dumbbell shoulder press:
Side lateral raise:
Rear lateral raise:
LEGS
Leg extension:
Squat:
Leg press:
Lying leg curl:
ARMS
Barbell curl:
Preacher curl:
Concentration curl:
Triceps pushdown:
Skull crusher:
Dip machine:
Abs and calves
Chest
Back and hamstrings
Rest
Abs and calves
Shoulders
Legs
Rest
Abs and calves
Arms
3 sets x 20 reps
5 pyramid sets
3 sets x 10 to 12 reps
4 sets x 10 to 12 reps
4 sets culminating in a 1-rep max
4 sets x 12 to 15 reps (the last set is a drop set)
3 sets x 8 to 10 reps
3 sets x 20 reps
3 sets x 20 reps
4 sets x 12 to 4 reps
3 sets of walk through drop sets
3 sets of walk through drop sets
3 sets x 20 reps
5 pyramid sets
4 sets x 12 to 6 reps
3 sets of 20 reps
4 sets x 12 to 8 reps (first set is a warm-up)
3 sets x 12 to 8 reps (last set is a drop set)
3 sets x 12 to 15 reps
4 sets x 12 to 8 reps (first set is a warm-up)
3 sets x 12 to 8 reps (last set is a drop set)
3 sets x 12 to 15 reps
Japanese bodybuilding champion. I read up everything I could about it
and overtrained big time. I didn’t know anybody out there and could not
understand the TV so the gym became a substitute for my social life.”
Her body responded well and soon other gym users began commenting
on her potential. “People suggested competing but I never felt I was
ready,” she says. Her attitude changed in 2007 when she got married and
for her honeymoon flew to Las Vegas to watch the Olympia weekend.
“Until then I had only seen female bodybuilders in magazines like FLEX,”
she says. “When I saw them in the flesh I realised that size-wise I wasn’t
that much different from the other women. I knew I wasn’t at that standard
yet but I realised the look was attainable.”
Since then bodybuilding has become her passion, hobby and profession.
She used to work as a police officer but now has her own risqué bodybuilding
website and lives the lifestyle, travelling the world and training full time. She
spends a lot of time in the United States, where she would ultimately like to
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I like my legs. They are
certainly my strongest
bodypart. I can
lift crazy amounts
with them – I’ve
squatted 200 kg,
for example
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compete, but her main home is in Plymouth where former UK junior
champion Lewis Breed oversees her training and precontest
preparation. “Lewis has been absolutely awesome, I can’t believe
he is so young,” says Lisa.
The fruits of her hard work were displayed on stage for the first
time late last year when she won her debut show to qualify for the
Universe and after taking the runner-up spot at that event she
decided to commit herself to the UKBFF, which is the UK arm of the
IFBB and the only route for an IFBB pro card. She made a strong
impression on her debut at the Hercules show when she beat a
tough class, which included the likes of Tracey-Ann King, who
placed third in the heavyweights at the 2009 finals. Now Lisa, who
is sponsored by sports nutrition company CNP Professional, has
her sights set firmly on the UK finals at Nottingham in October and
attending more major muscle events in the United States and
Europe. “I am planning to attend the FIBO expo in Germany and the
Bodypower event in Birmingham before I start a 16-week competition diet for the UKBFF UK finals,” she says.
“At the moment I am in my first offseason and am aiming to put some size on and work on lagging areas.”
Lisa reckons her 15-inch biceps could do with more peak and her calves could be a bit bigger. Overall though
she already has plenty of size and doesn’t want to go mad by sprouting overblown muscles at the cost of her
symmetry. One area that doesn’t require any ‘bringing up’ is her leg development. Lisa’s 27-inch quads are
probably her best bodypart. “Different people see different strengths in me,” she says. “I like my legs. They are
certainly my strongest bodypart. I can lift crazy amounts with them – I’ve squatted 200 kg, for example. For
me, legs tend to set physiques apart.”
So how does she train? “Hard and heavy, with the emphasis being on high intensity,” she says. “In order to
shock the body though, I will sometimes train with lighter weights and higher reps and with less rest. I have
come to find that when planning my training routine for the day I always have to focus on the intensity so that
the muscle is fatigued and to maintain good form when performing exercises.
“As I am trying to put size on I never train more than two days together but during the offseason I will train
hamstrings twice a week, on legs and back days, and three times a week I will do double split sessions so
that in the morning I will train abs and calves.”
Lisa’s coach, Lewis is constantly hammering home the importance of nutrition. “In the offseason the
emphasis is on keeping the calories high and clean and ensuring that I take in sufficient amounts of
protein,” she says. “My coach is always reviewing my offseason diet but at present I aim to take in
1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight and eat eight meals a day. I also augment my diet with
a range of supplements from CNP. Making sure I get in sufficient nutrition on a daily basis is a
full-time job in itself!”
When FLEX first caught up with Lisa last year she had just won the Hercules. By then she had
already been to America three times in 2009 and shot with a bunch of well-known photographers. After finishing her competitive season she crossed the Atlantic again, this time to
Miami and New York. “Whilst in Miami I went to watch the NPC Nationals and had a great
time,” she says. “I shot with quite a few photographers, such as Chris Zimmerman, Rick
Dobbins and T’challa Hawk in some beautiful locations. Whilst in New York I shot with
Brian Moss at his studio, which was a great experience and ate every day at Victor
Martinez’ restaurant Muscle Grill.”
What was it like meeting the top American female bodybuilders? “It was lovely to
meet people who do it,” she says. “The older ones are full of advice and are very
encouraging. Now I have started competing over here hopefully I will get to meet
some British competitors. America is much more professional but we have a heck
of a lot of talent over here.” And how does she reckon British bodybuilding compares with America? “We’ve got a more hardcore philosophy,” says Lisa. “They
seem to have it a bit more easy over there. They have amazing gyms but I don’t see
many people training properly in them. I train at a council-run gym and Core Fitness.
It shows you don’t need all these fancy machines!”
It’s possible Lisa could be lining up against some of her new found friends on the US pro
scene in the years ahead. But first of all she has to beat the best of British and her quest to do that will unfold
at Nottingham in October. “I am at the very beginning of my career and have a long way to go and I find that
very exciting,” she says. Exciting for her, scary for her rivals but thrilling for the fans. Stay tuned… FLEX
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