Re-Entering the World of Competition for Robert with Trainer Rita Catolino

My before!

So this is it folks! I am taking the plunge and RE-entering the world of competition... it's been quite a few years! I will train, and train hard for a Physique Competition in honour of my late husband, Robert Kennedy.  This new adventure may not seem new at first glance, but this journey will be unlike any other.  I invite you to travel along with me as I navigate the way through the good, the bad and the ugly of contest prep. BUT I won’t be doing it alone; I will have a new wingman at my side.

Meet Rita Catolino, from London, Ontario Canada. Rita not only helps people change their lives on a daily basis through her passion for fitness and proper nutrition, but she also lives and breathes what she preaches.  After struggling with weight issues her whole life Rita finally made the decision to make a change in 2007 after giving birth to her daughter.  For the last 5 years, Rita has been working as a certified trainer at GoodLife, an online coach, a fitness model and is now embarking on this new journey with me.

We are so excited to share our experiences with you and invite you to be a part of this journey that will hopefully inspire, motivate, make you laugh, maybe even cry and hopefully make you choose water over wine and push that much harder at the gym.

Training: Through this first phase of training, Rita has me on a volume training block which will help strengthen ligaments and tendons and keep my heart rate high while working in an anabolic state.  The goal is to keep cardio to a minimum in the first block of training, and build some lean muscle tissue.

Food: After experimenting with my diet, Rita has decided to eliminate most grains for the time being and increase my healthy fat consumption, allowing my energy system and cognitive function to rely on fats as opposed to carbohydrates.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts including: Rita’s show choice for me, training videos, progress pictures, sneak peeks at workouts and food plans, recipes, surprise local gym visits and much, much more.

We promise not to disappoint!

Read more about Rita in her bio:

Photo Credit: Paul Buceta

The first time Rita Catolino modeled for Oxygen, her photo shoot prep time was a little less than ideal. “I was filling in for a last-minute cancellation,” she says. “I had less than 24 hours’ notice, but it was the best experience ever.” She definitely made an impression, seeing as she’s shot with Oxygen a whopping six times this past year alone! Since 2008, this fit mom has kept busy setting up a successful business as a personal trainer, landing numerous modeling gigs, training for Bikini competitions and racking up a number of Bikini titles. But that’s not all. Did you know that she also happens to be gifted in the arts? Fluent in Spanish, Italian, French and English, she also sings and plays the organ, piano and violin. Truly a woman of many talents!

You can also visit her at RitaCatolino.net, on Facebook & on Twitter.