Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Joe Anne Cowin claimed overall third in the Natural Caribbean Grand Prix Bodybuilding and Figure Championships




FIGURE competitor Joe Anne Cowin claimed overall third in the Natural Caribbean Grand Prix Bodybuilding and Figure Championships recently, which was this year held in the Cayman Islands.

The The Isle of Man competitor, who has lived in Cayman for the past nine years, exceeded all expectations by recording a top-three result in her very first contest, beating a host of recognized names within the sport in the process.

In front of a packed crowd at the Lion's Centre for the annual WNBF Mr and Ms Universe event, Joe Anne entered the stage with the other contestants parading the Manx flag as one of more than 40 nations represented in the event.

>> Read a report from the event at www.caymennetnews.com

As the final placings in the amateur figure category were called out one by one, the Manx woman was in with a great chance of taking the overall title.

However, a somewhat controversial decision by the judges placed Joe Anne third in what was still a fantastic achievement by the former Nautilus Gym instructor.

Although she has been training for 16 years, the build-up to the show required months of intense workouts and a disciplined diet.

In order to fit in her training around her hectic day as a hairdresser her day begins at 5am with an hour of cardio followed by abs conditioning before beginning work at 8am.

Joe Anne's diet consists of six small meals a day which she has to fit in around her busy schedule, usually in between clients. All of her meals consist of a mix of protein and carbohydrates such as chicken, fish, sweet potatoes, brown rice and green vegetables.

Prior to the Miss Universe show the Manx woman completely eliminated sugar and sodium from her diet in a bid to fine-tune her physique, which means having to cut all fruit from the menu and drinking only distilled sodium-free water.

After work at 5pm it's back to the gym for weight training five times a week, with specific focus on one muscle group each day for maximum results.

Joe Anne generally trains for five consecutive days followed by two days of rest where she admits she allows her usually rigorous diet to stray occasionally!

With a third place finish in Ms Universe now under her belt, the former Ballakermeen High School student can now set her sights on a possible victory at her next show in New York this November and put the Isle of Man to the fore of the fitness scene once again.

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