With a whopping 16 gold medals and four world champion titles, Mount Maunganui local Maria Evans makes waves in natural bodybuilding.
YOU’RE ONE FIERCE COMPETITOR. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU WERE LEAVING CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH ARMS FULL OF TROPHIES.
Haha, thanks! I’ll never forget my first competition. It was in Australia in 2017. I didn’t tell anyone I was doing that, except for my then boyfriend (now husband) Tim Evans. Imagine our shock when I ended up with four first places! Later the same year I also gained my biggest title – Ms Pro Bikini World Champion in Bali.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR YOU UPGRADED DIVISIONS, WHICH REQUIRED MORE MUSCLE TONE. WHY THE SWITCH?
It was a natural progression for me. Once I gained my Pro World title, I could either keep going for the same title year after year or set myself a new challenge. After talking to my husband and my coach, we agreed on upgrading a division. It allowed me to still look feminine but also become even stronger.
I BET THE STEREOTYPES ABOUT FEMALE BODYBUILDERS LOOKING LIKE MEN IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO FACE QUITE OFTEN.
Stereotypes are definitely there. I don’t take it personally as everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It even took my parents a while to understand what I was doing, it was so unconventional to them.
Understanding the difference between a bikini female bodybuilder and a figure female bodybuilder with a significantly higher muscle mass and different posing routine is the next level of awareness.
Media doesn’t help with that either. For them, it’s either you’re built like Arnold Schwarzenegger or you’re not a bodybuilder at all. And you can only imagine what a female version of him would look like!
NOT A FAN OF SCHWARZENEGGER’S PHYSIQUE? BUT ON A SERIOUS NOTE, IS BEING ABLE TO STILL LOOK FEMININE THE REASON YOU PREFER NATURAL BODYBUILDING?
In my case, it’s more about my own strict policy of never using any enhancers. Ever since I first attended the fitness show in Perth as a backstage helper for one of my girlfriends and fell in love with this world, I knew I would never take any drugs or steroids. I’ve never done it in my life and wasn’t planning to start. For me, it was always about working out, a balanced diet and strong focus on a final goal.
WHAT ABOUT PROTEIN POWDER, SUPPLEMENTS?
Protein powder helps with recovery and maintaining muscles. I do take some while preparing for a show but stop around three weeks from competition day. Any form of steroid – in tablets, gels or injections – is a line I’ll never cross. I genuinely never had an interest in it even though I have been around people who were doing it. I accept that there are many safe steroids out there for both men and women now, but the cleaner my diet is and the more I rely on wholefoods to improve my physique the safer it is for my own health.
WHAT DOES YOUR DIET LOOK LIKE?
I have two of them: competition diet and off-season diet. The first one is very clean and is programmed by my coach.
I work my way around my main macros: protein, carbs and fat. I also use the app MyFitnessPal so I know the macro content of all my foods.
At first, I didn’t like my food so bland and the fact I couldn’t have an ice cream on weekends. But once I followed
my coach’s programme to a tee and sacrificed flavour for fuel, I understood what foods give me better functionality, clarity and endurance. Eventually, I got used to the basic flavours of meat, vegetables, occasional peanut butter and stevia, and mentally switched my ‘craving for taste’ into a ‘craving for aesthetic results’.
Rice cakes are life now! My go-to is peanut butter on rice cakes. At the bodybuilding shows it’s hilarious how almost every competitor in their skimpy bikini and dark tans would be standing backstage, snacking on peanut butter and rice cakes.
Maria’s off season diet:
Meal 1 / pre-training
5am: Oats with stevia and cinnamon
Meal 2 / post-training
8am: 3 egg whites, half an avocado, two slices of gluten-free bread and an X50 Whey Protein shake
Meal 3 / morning snack
10:30am: Fruit with plain yoghurt or a milkshake, or a home-made oat date slice
Meal 4 / lunch
1pm: 130g chicken or 100g beef, handful of vegetables, 100g rice or sweet potato
Meal 5 / afternoon snack
3pm: 1 fruit or handful nuts
Meal 6 / dinner
6pm: 130g salmon or white fish with huge bowl of salad or veggies
BODYBUILDING WITHOUT STEROIDS IS NOT SOMETHING A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT. DO YOU THINK WE NEED MORE AWARENESS?
At the moment, there is definitely not enough information. Not all bodybuilding federations do drug testing at events. So, you never know who you are up against – a natural bodybuilder who only relied on chicken, broccoli, oats and protein shakes and trained six days a week for a year, or someone who only went to the gym twice a week for the last two months, eats McDonalds and pizzas for dinner and has been injecting enhancers to get stage ready. Luckily, ICN New Zealand is planning to change this and I’m excited about what they can bring for future drug-free competitions.
DESPITE THE INSANE WORKOUT SCHEDULE, YOU DON’T DO IT FULL TIME. WHO ARE YOU OUTSIDE THE COMPETITIONS?
Since we moved back to The Mount after living in Australia for a while, I’ve been working at a real estate agency. I’ve also studied psychology at the University of Otago and am currently working on creating online courses about mental fitness and motivation, starting with the How To’s of competing in natural bodybuilding. The psychology of mental fitness and motivation is something I’m passionate about and I aim to share this with those who are interested in taking their physique and mindset to the next level.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR FREE TIME?
Oh, I’m a total bookworm! I read 1-2 books per month, currently mostly about pregnancy and babies, as we’re expecting our first child. I also always listen to Tony Robbins’ podcast for a couple of hours in the morning.
You can often spot me on The Mount base track or having a cosy breakfast at Ours Café. Most of the time though, you would see me at Mount Flex Fitness Gym as a sponsored athlete/Ambassador. I even occasionally hold psychology workshops there. Once I’ve settled with the baby I will be back at Flex gym in full swing so definitely pop by to say hello!
DO YOU THINK YOU’LL GO BACK TO COMPETING AFTER GIVING BIRTH OR WILL YOU SWITCH ENTIRELY TO THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THIS SPORT?
I plan on doing both. I aim to have an online course up and running by August 2021. After I’ve ticked that off, I’ll start preparing for the 2022 competitions, aiming for the Worlds.
I do have a lot of work to do, considering the postpartum weight gain and lifestyle change, but once again, it’s a challenge I’m keen to take on. Having my husband and my little boy alongside me on stage when I’ll be holding another gold trophy is worth it!
I’m used to this lifestyle and I enjoy it. It keeps me on my toes. For now and in the next 6-9 months, the journey
of becoming a brand new mum is something I really look forward to, as it’s a new and unique experience.