Lisa Aranda

by Gene X Hwang

December 2004 - On April 11th, 2004 Lisa Aranda turned 40 and while that number often is a worrisome milestone, Aranda is proof that aging gracefully is not only possible, but that being 40-something can be quite deceptivly attractive, especially as a physique athlete.

Having trained for bodybuilding and competed in the past, it's hard to believe that Aranda isn't preparing for a show, as she maintains incredible conditioning along with her awesome muscularity, muscle maturity and thickness, which makes it easy to mistake her for a 30-year-old.

Aranda is a mother of three, with her oldest being 13. Her children include one boy and two girls, the youngest being nine. As a role model, Aranda has inspired her kids, and as she puts it, "they are very conscious of how good a body I have and constantly say they
want to have muscles like me some day!"

And with her genetics, the three have a great base to start with.

The other half of the genetics would come from her husband Jim who got her into lifting and is her training partner. They've also done shows together, and it's the overall feeling of mind and body that really motivates Aranda to keep training.

"I just love being in the gym, interacting with others, talking about training and nutrition. For me it is a very positive experience.

"I love my leg workouts, especially seeing the reactions of all the guys in the gym when I
start loading up the leg press machine with multiple plates! They pick their jaws up off the floor - what a pump - awesome workout," she adds emphatically and with a big smile to boot.

That kind of intense training is how she's gotten the full muscle bellies and muscular maturity that's evident even at first glance fully clothed. When she was first scene at the Arnold Classic Expo, the years of hard training were easily evident and that's how judges have seen her as well.

"I totally swept everything in two shows, and lost by one point in two other shows, both times to the same woman," Aranda says about her competitive experience so far. Doing so well, she has decided to compete again as well.

"I will do two to three more shows this year," she says.

"I like the whole experience of training, and Iknow my husband likes the bodybuilder look, so that provides some motivation to stay fit and muscular."

Her husband isn't the only one of course. Like many muscular women, Aranda does draw attention, and luckily most of it is positive.

"Alot of people want me to flex for them and some want to touch me. About 99% of the time the reaction is good; some people are rude and stare at me, like I am some kind of alien or something, and I don't like that," but luckily that hasn't slowed her down.

"I would encourage the prospective bodybuilder to commit to doing just one show so they can discover if they like the experience. If they don't, fine; if they do, then they are off and running."

With her training for her shows now under way, you can bet that Aranda will make some waves at the National level, and in her 40's is a testament to the bodybuilding lifestyle.

"It's never too late to start, and it is very important to a woman's total health," she says.

"And they must do weight training, not just cardio! I see women doing too much cardio all the time. They need to not be intimidated by weights, start slow, get some advice and work with it. They will be glad they did."

Lisa knows that well as she competed in the Ohio State Championship in Columbus in September of 2004 and will be at the Arnold Expo in March 2005. She'll be competing in the Northern Kentucky Bodybuilding Championship in March 2005 (sponsored by Roger Riedinger of Beverly International) and stays very busy managing three children (ages 14, 12 and 10) and one husband, working outside the home, developing her website, and training - a full plate.

She does it all with a smile, "I am going to modify my training program slightly as I begin to prepare for my next show, and I plan to come in very lean and very hard," she says.

If anyone could lead by example it's Aranda who proves that weight lifting (and heavy ones at that) can create a physique that's not only pleasing to the eye, but that helps keep one looking youthful and strong for years.

For more information, contact Lisa via email.

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