May 11, 2020
In this episode host Celeste Rains-Turk sits down with Chantel
Hall, a mother of a five-year-old and a three-year-old who has been
competing since 2012 and went pro at USAs in 2019. She is an online
coach for lifestyle and competition clients and she recently
relocated to Arizona during her prep for USA’s.
Since her competition debut in 2012, Chantel discusses coaching
herself for several years until she decided to bring on a coach
after she earned second place and was disappointed. With her
coach’s guidance, Chantel shares how she learned to properly peak,
ate a lot more and was pushed to lift more and more weight. She
quickly learned that succeeding as a bikini competitor wasn’t just
about being lean, it was about having the muscle to show when she
leaned out.
As the episode progresses, Chantel opens up about the importance of
refeeds for both herself and her competitors. She explains how, in
her experience, she finds refeeds tend to be “more crucial the
leaner you get,” and goes even further to explain when she chooses
to utilize refeeds with her own clients based on their hunger
levels as well as biological and mental cues.
Chantel then talks about the importance of eating intuitively. She
shares how her diet of primarily whole foods has benefited her
during her season and how it continues to benefit her in her
offseason when she lets go of the macros and feeds her body what it
needs. Chantel explains how she chooses food based upon not only
her love for the food but because of what the food does for her in
terms of the taste and health benefits.
Being a mother, Chantel shares how she talks with her children
about the food they eat. Although her children are young, she
explains food choices in ways they can understand such as eating
protein to make them strong. She feels strongly that if you want to
manage work, children, being a wife and her own needs, a mother
will learn how to prioritize her time to make everything fit, even
if it includes bringing her children to the gym daycare.
After pregnancy, Chantel talks about the changes she experienced in
her physique, including ab separation and an umbilical hernia. She
stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle which
includes lifting weights during pregnancy and how she believes it
caused her to “snap back” quicker from her pregnancy. She shares
how she didn’t experience stretch marks in her pregnancies and
attests this to continuing to exercise, eating whole foods and
keeping her protein levels up.
As the episode draws to a close, Chantel shares her best pieces of
advice, with a spin on the usual questions. First, she shares
advice to future moms who are currently competing but want to start
a family of their own and then she talks towards the new moms who
want to compete or get back to competing. In this insightful momma
episode, Chantel shares the importance of routine, structure and
building muscle all while holding the best job in the world: being
a mom.
CONNECT WITH CHANTEL: https://www.instagram.com/chantelhall_ifbbpro/
CHANTEL
LINKS: https://linktr.ee/hushfitness
CONNECT WITH CELESTE:https://www.instagram.com/celestial_fit/
EPISODE
TIME STAMPS
[2:39] Pre Stage Rituals
[5:45] Journey to USA’s
[9:55] Chantel’s first show after hiring a coach
[11:03] Chantel’s first national show, leading to thoughts of
turning pro
[13:25] Utilizing Refeeds
[20:54] Applying her knowledge as a coach to improve her own
physique
[21:04] Practice Peak Weeks
[23:02] Reversing into her pro card
[26:20] Staying Consistent on Prep
[28:42] Intuitive Eating after a Show
[34:19] Talking to Kids about nutrition
[36:18] How her kids perceive competing
[38:55] Structuring family meals around prep
[41:27] Facing children’s complaints on their mom’s competitive
career
[42:50] Prioritizing different areas of your life
[45:15] Managing work while being a mom
[49:58] Taking a break from competing to have children
[54:04] Changes to her physique after competing
[57:24] Chocolate microwave cake
[1:02:26] Coming back to competing after pregnancy
[1:07:30] What sets a pro apart from an amateur
[1:12:47] The importance of an off season
[1:15:25] Personal Goals
[1:19:13] Maintaing structure during the COVID-19 outbreak
[1:22:14] Best Advice to Future Moms/Current Moms
[1:25:45] Connect with Chantel