Als ich Sara Solomon entdeckte hatte ich kurz die Assoziation von Wonderwoman in der Fitnessvariante: Immer in Shape, immer perfekt geschminkt und ein Outfit, was zum Rest passt. Kurzum, sie sieht so aus, wie ich nie bei sportlichen Aktivitäten aussehen werde. Aber deswegen ist sie auch Fitness Model, Personal Trainer und Zahnärztin und ich nicht. Wie gut, so kann ich weiterhin mit ausgeleierten Jogginghosen, verwaschenen T – Shirts und ungeschminkt zum Sport traben und mir Frauen wie sie bewundernd aus der Ferne anschauen bzw ein Interview mit ihnen führen. Geschehen ist alles leider aus der Ferne, aber eines Tages werde ich mich mal heimlich an den Bühnenrand einer WBBFF Veranstaltung (World Body Building and Fitness Federation ) schleichen und sie fragen, ob ich mal die Muckis fühlen darf. Geantwortet hat sie natürlich auf Englisch, so dass wir uns jetzt alle daran erfreuen können auf unserer Zweitsprache in die Materie eintauchen zu dürfen – Enjoy!

Please introduce yourself. Who are you and what are you are you doing?
My name is Dr. Sara Solomon and I live in Toronto Canada. I completed my undergraduate training at McGill University in Montreal, Canada where I received my Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2001. During my physiotherapy training, I became captivated by fitness, and earned my personal training certification in 1999. My desire to interlace science and artistry resulted in my pursuit of dentistry. After obtaining my dental degree (DMD) from McGill University in 2005, I moved to Toronto, Ontario, where I currently practices dentistry.

How did you get a personal trainer / fitness model?
After 8 years of university, I had gained weight. I longed for a toned athletic look, but despite regular exercising, was unable to achieve any visible results. I decided to join a gym where I met holistic nutritionist, personal trainer and WBFF PRO fitness model, Lyzabeth Lopez. Lyzabeth taught me the principles of clean eating, and within a few months, my body completely transformed. I became so enamored with fitness, I enrolled in gymnastics and dance, and became a certified spinning instructor. Shortly thereafter, I decided to pursue jump rope, and became a jump rope specialist with the Jump Rope Institute under the tutelage of Olympian, Buddy Lee.
Lyzabeth encouraged me to enter a fitness competition, and in 2009, I entered and won my first fitness competition at 31 years of age. I have been actively competing with the World Body Building and Fitness Federation since 2010. In the fall of 2010, I welcomed 2x WBFF PRO Figure World Champion, Emily Stirling, to my training team. Under the guidance of both Emily and Lyzabeth, I was awarded my PRO Status at the Alberta WBFF Championships on July 2, 2011. I will be making my PRO debut at the WBFF World Championships on August 27th in Toronto, Canada. I have recently taken up photography as a hobby. I take photos of myself, as well as other athletes, which can be seen on my website. I live by the motto, “Do it Now!” and take pride in being an WBFF PRO athlete, a dentist, an educator and a role model. My goal is to motivate others to become healthier, happier and more productive through the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. To learn more about me, fitness, health, dentistry, physiotherapy, jump rope, healthy recipes, competing and much more, visit my website.

What is your daily routine?
My daily regime consists of cardiovascular training, strength training, practicing dentistry, running errands, developing and promoting my brand, meal preparation and spending time interacting with my family and friends.

How often do you train your body and what does it look like?
I perform cardiovascular and strength training 6 days a week. The 7th day (my rest day) usually consists of light cardio, such as a brisk walk outside. I change my routine every week in order to keep my body guessing. I train my legs and shoulders twice a week, and my biceps, triceps, back and chest once a week. My cardiovascular regime consists of variety: Jump rope, stairmill, incline treadmill, rowing machine, spinning and swimming. I engage in both steady state and high intensity interval training.

How does your nutrition look like before a competition and regularly?
My successful body transformation is mostly a result of proper nutrition. For years I thought I was eating “healthy”, and it eluded me why I never achieved any results despite religious exercising. My areas of expertise include dentistry, medicine, physiotherapy and fitness, but I am the first to admit that having no educational background in nutrition was hindering my ability to achieve my “dream body” and succeed as a fitness model. Not only did I start researching the topic, but I also hired a nutritionist who was able to devise a personalized nutrition plan for me. This was money well spent. I consume complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats every 2-3 hours for a total of six smaller meals a day. This ensures my metabolism burns steadily throughout the day. I minimize carbohydrate consumption after lunch, and finish all my meals at least 3 hours before bedtime. I prevent myself from deviating from my nutrition plan by preparing 5 days worth of meals in advance and carrying them in a cooler to work (with an ice-pack). I always carry a water bottle with me, and never wait until I am thirsty to drink. This is an example of my typical regular menu:

Meal 1: ½ cup oats soaked with water & whey protein, cinnamon & flaxseed, as well as a small apple
Meal 2: 2 plain rice cakes with peanut butter
Meal 3: 3oz of sweet potatoes, broccoli, 4-5oz extra lean ground chicken or turkey
Meal 4: whey protein shake, handful of cashews
Meal 5: asparagus, zucchini, and/or mushrooms, 4-5 oz Tilapia
Meal 6: Protein shake

Before a competition, I remove sources of sugars, including apples. I also cut down my carbohydrate consumption.

How important is the belief in yourself for you and how important is it in your job?
The first step before anyone else in the world believes it .. is YOU have to believe it! Believing in myself was the first step to motivate me to achieve my dreams of becoming both a dentist and a PRO fitness model. Without a solid belief in my own potential and abilities, I would have been doomed to failure and mediocrity. My patients and my fitness fans would have no faith in me if they sensed I did not have faith in myself. Every human is born with unlimited potential. Most people, however, tap very little of their potential, leaving many strengths under-developed and many opportunities unrealized. I don’t believe for a second that I am naturally talented or gifted. My successes are a result of a desire to excel, obsessive focus, tenacity and a “work first, play later” policy. I have developed many skills by spending years honing each craft. Nobody is great without practice, experience and hard work. It is inevitable that failure will be encountered along the way. But as Sir Winston Churchill once said, “success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”.

What do you do to relax?
I swim 3-5 times a week for 45 minutes, which relaxes me. I let my mind wander as I focus on the rhythm of my stroke. This form of meditation leaves me feeling refreshed and ready to go with the rest of my day.

What are your health tips for us?
Throw away all unhealthy food in your fridge, pantry and cupboards and replace them with clean-eating alternatives. If your pantry is filled with cookies, candy and salty snacks, then you will eventually eat it during a moment of weakness. Out of sight, out of mind! Make effective use of your time. Don’t waste time. In the time it would have taken for you to complain about how busy you are, you could have already burned 150 calories jumping rope in your living room. As soon as I wake up, I engage in cardiovascular training before work and strength training in the evening after work. Plan your training schedule in advance. If you know exactly what you are training, you will be more likely to follow through. Fill your water bottles and get your workout gear ready the night before so you won’t waste time in the morning. Another strategy I implement is driving straight from work to the gym, bypassing home. But I don’t always feel like going to the gym. To rectify that problem, I bought a few dumbbells and an elliptical (on sale for $199!). My favorite piece of home cardio equipment is my jump rope. A jump rope is an inexpensive and portable calorie-blaster. I prepare all of my weekly meals on Mondays and Thursdays. Being prepared prevents any mishaps with my clean eating regime. I carry all my pre-planned meals to work in a cooler with an ice pack. To prevent cheating, I pack an extra snack (such as an apple or salt-free cashews) to minimize consumption of something unhealthy. 3 quick motivational tricks:

1. Train with a friend who has similar goals. If you don’t show up, then you will have to deal with the wrath of your friend!
2. update your ipod with new music on a regular basis so you won’t get bored during your cardio sessions
3. Track your progress with photos and videos. Post them on your facebook page to motivate your friends. You will be surprised how much more you will achieve with your friends cheering you on.
To have success, it’s critical to surround yourself with people who build you up. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. If people can’t do something themselves, then they’ll tell you that you can’t do it. If you want to do something, then go get it. Period!

Do you have a mantra?
To succeed, you simply have to FOLLOW THROUGH. Don’t plan the plan if you cannot follow through.