- Catherine Tyler competed in a bodybuilding competition last October
- It was just five months after she gave birth to her first child
- Ms Tyler did weight training until she was eight and a half months pregnant
- The first-time mum, 31, was also doing cardio until she gave birth
- She said her program and fitness is achievable for any mum
- Ms Tyler is proud of her body and appearance despite criticism
Just five months after giving birth to her first child, a girl named Mary-Jane, Catherine Tyler stepped onto the stage at one of Australia’s biggest bodybuilding competitions.
With washboard abs and a muscular physique that turned heads there were no signs that the 31-year-old had only ten weeks to prepare for the event many others spent the year training for.
‘It was so rewarding and so empowering that I was in control of my body and control of my appearance,’ Ms Tyler told Daily Mail Australia.
Sydney mum Catherine Tyler (pictured left a few days before giving birth) competed in a bodybuilding competition just five months after the arrival of her first child (she is pictured right four weeks after birth)
Ms Tyler trained with weights until she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant and did cardio until the day before she gave birth
The 31-year-old was trained by her partner Kevin (centre), a bodybuilder and personal trainer, and the pair originally met on a blind date at the gym
An avid lover of all things health and fitness, the 31-year-old from Sydney trained with weights until she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, and was doing cardio up until the day before she gave birth.
Also during her pregnancy, which left her with severe morning sickness, Ms Tyler made the decision that once she gave birth she would be ‘back better than ever’.
‘I’ve always had an interest in health and fitness but once I became pregnant I had this crazy idea that I could bounce back and I could come back better than ever,’ she said.
With her partner Kevin as her trainer, Ms Tyler got moving from the moment she gave birth – walking up to 5 kilometres most days while pushing her baby in the pram.
‘Because I had kept training through the pregnancy my body just pinged back,’ she revealed.
The 31-year-old (second from right) said she’s always had an interest in health and fitness
During her pregnancy she made the decision she would be ‘back and better than ever’ after giving birth
Ms Tyler said because she trained throughout her pregnancy, her body simply ‘pinged’ back into shape
In just ten weeks the first-time mum was at her fittest ever and competition ready, competing in the IFBB NSW and National championships in the novice bikini division.
TOP TIPS FOR MUMS WHO WANT TO STAY IN SHAPE
- ‘Be sensible with your eating’:Catherine Tyler said she didn’t ‘eat for two’ until later in her pregnancy and kept a close eye on her nutrition throughout
- ‘Keep active’: The 31-year-old said she kept moving right up until her due date which helped her get back in shape postpartum
- ‘Prioritise your time’: Ms Tyler said the key is to get the most out of your time and include the kids in your training if you can e.g. take the baby in a walk in the pram
But her transformation didn’t come without a barrage of criticism.
‘Its been horrible,’ Ms Tyler revealed.
‘A lot of women are very defensive or negative and they often imply that I leave my baby to spend all my time in the gym, when I actually do a lot of my exercise with my baby.
‘Or that Im self-obsessed. I think a lot of women take it as a personal attack on them.
‘Its a bit hurtful but mothering is so competitive and theres often a lot of conflict with other women over what you should feed your baby and things like that,’ she continued.
‘Im just so proud of what I’ve achieved.’
Ms Tyler also revealed she didn’t want to take any shortcuts when she decided to enter a competition, and insists the program she followed and continues to live by is totally achievable for anyone.
Sheinsists the program she followed and continues to live by is totally achievable for anyone
She only visits the gym a few times a week and incorporates cardio into her week
Ms Tyler credits her strict diet for most of her success
‘I competed in an open division in bikini novice; I didn’t want to do one of those bikini mother competitions,’ she said.
CATHERINE TYLER’S MEAL PLAN
Breakfast: Water and 1 scoop of low carb protein shake with 3 weetabix
Post training: Protein shake or 1 serve of Gentec Cassein custard (perfect for sweet cravings). 270 calories
4 meals a day consisting of:50g protein which was either lean cuts of lamb, chicken or steak.
100g carbohydrates (dropping to 80g for the 2 remaining weeks before the comp) with can be a choice of sweet potato, brown rice or quinoa.
120g raw veggies (increasing to 150g for the 2 weeks prior to competing) consisting of finely chopped broccoli, red and white cabbage, baby spinach, celery and carrot.
‘It was important to me that I didn’t get any special consideration because I had just given birth.’
‘I was just so proud and to be able to take part and to be competitive against other girls who had been training for a year, really I only had ten weeks to get ready,’ she added.
Another reason she was so insistent on keeping incredibly fit and healthy both during and after her pregnancy was because she’s ‘seen the toll pregnancy has taken on other women’s bodies.’
As a cosmetic nurse she has treated ‘stretch marks and sagging skin’ on many women whose bodies were irreversibly changed by child birth.
‘Stretch marks are caused by rapid weight gain, some people are just more predisposed to it,’ Ms Tyler said.
‘But certainly for me it was just a matter of prioritising my time.
She insists that the results she achieved under the guidance of partner Kevin – who has been a bodybuilder for 20 years and a personal trainer for 15 – are achievable for anyone.
The 31-year-old (second from left) achieved the results under her partner Kevin, a person trainer
‘It was 90 per cent diet, people eat so much processed food its so detrimental to your health,’ Ms Tyler said
‘I wasn’t in the gym for like 20 hours a week… Two or three hours a week was all I spent in the gym,’ she revealed.
‘It was 90 per cent diet, people eat so much processed food its so detrimental to your health,’ Ms Tyler added.
WHAT A WEEK OF EXERCISE LOOKS LIKE FOR THE FIT MUM
Cardio: Walking five kilometres with the pram each day. And additional three cardio sessions are done at the gym each week.
Weights: Four times a week at the gym alternating between a session of legs and glutes, and arms and back
Her top tips for mums who want to keep in shape both during and after pregnancy is not to eat for two the entire way through.
‘The main thing is to be sensible with your eating during pregnancy,’ Ms Tyler advised.
‘Once youve caused the damage you cant fix it and a lot of women go crazy with food.
‘I mean I had some terrible cravings but really you just need to eat sensibly,’ she added.
Speaking to people who criticise her thinking she has a strict routine and neglects her child for exercise, Ms Tyler said she simply knows how to manage her time better.
She juggled a masters degree with work and placement at a hospital two hours from her house while she was pregnant.
Speaking to people who criticise her thinking she has a strict routine and neglects her child for exercise, Ms Tyler said she simply knows how to manage her time
She juggled a masters degree with work and placement at a hospital two hours from her house while she was pregnant
‘For me it was just a matter of prioritising my time,’ Ms Tyler said.
‘We dont watch TV in our house, we do have one but it rarely gets used.’
The fit mum has now set her sights on more competitions, and hopes that other mums can take what she’s learned and incorporate it into their own lives.
‘I generally manage three visits a week to the gym for cardio last thing at night when Kevin comes home from work,’ she said.
‘I alternate my training sessions between legs and glutes one session then arms and back.
‘During the day I will normally walk for at least an hour a day with the pram.
‘The key to my training is to focus on what you can do rather than compare yourself to others. My diet, whilst strict is very easy to follow and affordable,’ Ms Tyler said.
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References
- ^ Freya Noble for Daily Mail Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
Resources:
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