Andrea Trent

by Gene X Hwang - June 2003

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Women's bodybuilding has always been a fringe sport, with the aesthetic for most being too "extreme" and both women and men in the general public not approving of the look. However, as it is with many sports, there are those who can change the perception of the sport, and draw in more fans and bring the sport more mainstream appeal. One such athlete is Andrea Trent, who's combination of beauty, physique, and personality are an almost irresistable trifecta.

The Northern Illinois University student is one of a hopefully growing breed of female bodybuilders who are striving to push the feminine ideal. With American attitudes towards health and fitness growing, it is only natural for the more muscular and toned look to be coming of age, but for Trent, that's not enough. Like many ahead of her, she also sees the muscular female form as the new ideal. One look at her, and it's enough to make a believer out of most anyone.

The first thing you may notice when you see her are either her piercing blue eyes or her thickly muscled physique, filled out very nicely with muscular curves from her legs through her torso, upper body, and of course her striking arms. In spending a 24-hour period in her presence, her effect was unmistakable and positive, with many admiring glances, and even several people who couldn't help but come up and offer their appreciation and praise.

Of course it hasn't always been like that. As a child, Trent was very overweightbut to fight that, she would go work out instead of sulking and doing nothing. That kind of determination would drive her and still does to this day.

While visiting, Trent had been training seven days a week for the past six weeks, and as part of that had even been doing 2.5 hours of cardio a day - not something for the weak minded. The same determination is also how Andrea responds when people may disparage or challenge her in public.

"I work hard for what I have and I have put a lot of time and effort into it," she says, of her physique. Where a typical woman might not be questioned at all for baring her midriff, arms, and legs, Trent does so as well but sometimes gets flack for it. But her response is calm and straightforward. That's probably due in part from being teased and learning how to deal with that when she was younger.

Background

Growing up in Moline, IL, Trent was raised in a typically midwestern fashion and those traits shine through still. One might think someone as strikingly beautiful as she is might be a bit bitchy or arrogant, but the truth is quite the opposite. In the gym, Trent is friendly to whomever may come up to ask her questions about training, and equally as accomodating to those who might comment or ask her questions outside of the gym.

Of course becoming a bodybuilder isn't quite a midwestern ideal.

"I do it because it's different from what everyone else does," she explains, "and it's what most people don't have the discipline to do." True words for sure, and looking at what she has already achieved, it's no surprise that she has many more goals to attain.

"As a child, between the ages of eight and 15, I grew up being tormented because I was an overweight child. All my peers and even family members made fun of me and always let me know that becasue of my weight I would not be accepted.

"It wasn't until eighth grade that I started doing something about my weight after I couldn't take the ridiculing anymore. I didn't go about in the healthiest of ways. I would only eat one meal a day and then at night I would lock myself in the basement for hours and exercise. I would do anything that I thought felt like working out like jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, etc. I became very obsessed with food and working out. I lost quite a bit of weight and then I felt confident enough to get a membership at the local YMCA. I would spend all day there doing cardio and lifting weights or at least what I though was lifting weights. I also joined an A.S.A softball team which started five years of year round softball."

It wasn't until her freshman year in high school though that Trent really learned how to lift. That was when she learned about what exercises to do for which muscle groups.

"I would get up early in the morning before school and go lift with the football team. One of the football coaches, Kevin Gorgal, is somewaht responsible for educating me on lifting weights," she says.

"All throughout high school I was kind of a loner. When everyone else was out at house parties, drinking and doing whatever, I was in the gym or rollerblading along the Mississippi River. I did do my share of partying just not to the extent that everone else did. All the guys in school were constantly wanting to arm wrestle me or touch my arms. My nickname throughout High School was Mandrea....cute huh?! I hated it but it stuck."

"I always had bigger arms and guys would ask me to arm wrestle, and I'd be like, 'Are you sure you can take being beaten by a girl?'" she says with a smile of satisfaction. Her arms now measure 15.5 inches and there are probably not a lot of guys who could beat her now.

"When I left for college (Western Illinois Universtiy) and I could no longer play softball to the extent that I wanted, I knew that I needed to find something to help occupy my time so that I could keep my weight under control," she says.

"I met girl at Western named Susan Grimm. We instantly became friends and lifting partners and would kick each others ass every day. In the middle of my freshman year I met Jim Swanson who was a competitive bodybuilder and we started dating and have been together ever since. He taught me about the importance of nutrition and furthered my knowledge on correct lifting techniques. From that point on I just started to grow like a weed. I went from a solid/fat 138 lbs. to a much more shapley and muscular 165 lbs. in just a year and I also learned what supplements were. I watched Jim compete several times and always thought that competing was something I would like to do but I could never get the courage to step on stage until recently," Trent adds.

"After several trips to the Arnold classic and seeing some of the most beautiful people in the world I realized that I wanted to take things in this industry a bit further - I just didn't know where to start. Now that I have competed and did pretty well, I can't wait to get on stage and compete again!"

Having placed second in the Heavyweights at the Illinois Championships earlier in 2003, Trent is debating whether or not to compete in 2003 or focus on refining her physique and her weak areas, which she states are her calves. At 5'6" she weighs in around 168 lbs. in the offseason and gets on stage at 140-150 lbs.

Bodybuilding

Being a college student presents it's own suite of challenges, and bodybuilding too presents yet another, so to be able to be successful at both takes determination and focus. While many students can't think much beyond their next exam, Trent has her sights set on short and long term goals.

In the short term she wants to get more into the competitive scene and get more into the modeling aspect of things with regards to her bodybuilding career, while with her personal life, she wants to focus on graduating from Northern Illinois University with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and eventually become a registered dietician.

For now though, she's content to live the bodybuilding lifestyle and go to school.

"What I like most about the bodybuilding lifestyle is that it is different from the norm. I've never been one to really follow the crowds. It's really nice to have learned how to manipulate your body through nutrition and lifting weights. Most people don't have the dedication, discipline, or will that bodybuilders have.

"What I like the least is that when you are in class or at work or with friends who don't understand the lifestyle and don't understand that when its time to eat...ITS TIME TO EAT!" she declares emphatically. It's surely a point that anyone else living the lifestyle can attest to.

"Bodybuilding can also be a very time consuming because you have to prepare most of if not all of your food and also the countless hours spent at the gym each week. Lastly, living in the midwest you don't see as many female bodybuilders as you do on the East and West coast so sometimes I feel like a circus side show when I am in public and at times I get a lot of negative feedback from people who can't accept that this is the lifestyle I have chosen."

That is reflective of the stature that bodybuilding holds for most of the general public, and is especially elevated when it comes to female bodybuilders.

"Bodybuilding as a sport doesn't get the respect that I think it should. You spend just as much time if not more time perfecting your package just as professional baseball, basketball, and football players do. There are a lot of misconceptions about the sport especially with topics like anabolics and drugs." Unfortunately for most, when they see a bodybuilder they immediately think steroids. And in a more conservative part of the country, those perceptions are magnified. Luckily those are just the tough parts of being involved in a niche sport.

"What I like most about the sport is that it is not a common sport like basketball, volleyball, etc. Not everyone has the gentics to be a bodybuilder. It is a sport where you are constantly learning about the human body and the developmental potential it has," Trent adds. With her genetics and dedication though, Trent should be able to stand above the crowd, and who knows, perhaps she'll be one of the athletes that can gain bodybuilding more than just cult status. Of course that would be a tall order, and Trent is smart enough to know that first she has to focus more her own physique's shortcomings.

Because of injuries (stress fractures), her legs have been coming along slower, but her modesty shows when pressed on her weak points.

"I think everything needs work becasue if I am satisfied with any one part of my body that gives me an excuse to not train it as hard or just to be plain lazy."

It may be hard to believe that she can be lazy though after watching her work in the gym and her concentration during her posing.

"My favorite body parts to train would be my shoulders and back because I have always been naturally strong there. I also like to train hamstrings because I love the soreness afterwards. My least favorite bodyparts to train are quads because it just takes so much out of you."

"I am not interested that much in strength because I don't want to risk any injuries. I have seen too many people injure themselves trying to max out or try and prove how strong they are. I am more into lifting for shape and I know that with time the strength will come but it is not someting that I try and focus on."

The Future

While Andrea focuses on building up her physique and finishing up college, she also has her sights set down the line but within reason and is not putting undue pressure on herself or trying to live up to unrealistic expectations.

"I definitely am not going to put any expectations on myself. I just want to take everything day by day and hope for the best. I will take everything as far as I can and hopefully make a name for myself," she adds.

In the long term she will continue to improve her physique and enjoy the process at the same time. Trent also wants to learn as much as she can about her body and take everything as far as she can in the industry safely.

As far as her personal goals, Trent says that she wants to "open my own gym or series of gyms with Jim and (her friend) Chris. I also want to do nutrition consulting out of the facility and have a family and a life that does not have too many restictions and allows me to do the things I enjoy doing."

Well grounded thoughts from a sensible and devoted bodybuilder. Hopefully things will work out, and Trent may be the leader in a whole new revolution promoting the bodybuilding lifestyle and bringing in more young women into the new body ideal.

To contact Andrea you can email her at: GymGirlDre@yahoo.com

Andrea Trent's Contest History
2003 Northern Illinois University Greek Physique Women's Heavyweight and Overall Champion
2003 Illinois State Women's Heavyweight Novice Class and Overall Champion
2003 Illinois State Women's Open Heavyweight - 2nd place

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