A Life Changing Accident Blessing!
No Nonsense Magazine Vol 23, #3
By: Jennifer Cook
At a Glance: Jennifer Cook
Age: 42
Occupation: Sr Account Sales Manager at Wise Snacks
Family: Married almost 2 years and 2 children
Current Residence: Massapequa Park, NY
Training (total): Joined my first Gold’s Gym at 20 years old, first Women’s body building show in 2001 at 24 years old as a middle weight
Height: 5'4"
Weight: Off-Season 145-165lb, Contest 137lb
Favorite Bodybuilding or Fitness Meal: Steamed chicken and white rice
Favorite Supplements: UMP Angel Food Cake is my absolute favorite. UMP is so versatile and has so many flavor options. When I am not in prep, one of my favorites is rainbow sprinkles in my angel food cake shake.
What would you recommend to someone who has never used Beverly supplements before? UMP for sure!!!
Music: 90’s rap
Most Inspiring Book: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
Hobby or Interests outside bodybuilding: Doing anything with my family. We love to travel when we can. We love Lake George, NY- we were married there in 2017.
Words to live by: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.”
I never would have thought that being hit by a car at 20 years old would be a blessing in my life. It was a sunny January afternoon in 1997 when I was crossing the street from my office to the post office as I did most days, but this day was different. A car ran a stop sign and hit me head on in the crosswalk. The car stayed at the scene thankfully and called 911. At the hospital, I found out that I would need reconstructive surgery for my knee. I had to go into physical therapy for almost 4 months to build enough muscle to even have the surgery. The doctors told me after the surgery I would have tremendous atrophy in my leg and needed to build it up as much as possible before the surgery. They were right. I looked like a peg-legged pirate after surgery with one leg down to the bone and the other with normal muscle tone.
Something changed forever in my life during the 6 months I spent in post- surgery physical therapy. You see as a child I was tormented for my weight all through school, especially in junior high. I didn’t know how to eat healthy or exercise so I just stopped eating. I was so embarrassed and ashamed of the way I looked.
When I started to lift weights for physical therapy, I started to see my body change. I felt healthier and stronger. After being someone who battled weight gain my whole life while using unsafe methods to lose weight including anorexia and bulimia, I finally saw things differently. I decided to join a gym after I completed my therapy. I started to read Muscle & Fitness and Oxygen to learn new exercises and nutritional plans. I was teaching myself how to be healthy.
Four years later I was on stage at the 2001 NPC NY Metropolitans in NYC as a middle weight bodybuilder. I went from a girl who was ashamed to wear a dress to a woman who was proud of her physique and not ashamed to be in front of a theater full of people. That was it. I was hooked on the lifestyle. I continued to train but did not compete again for many years. I took time away from the gym and had 2 beautiful kids Justin (2007) and Madison (2009).
In 2013, I was finally able to join a gym again. Two years later an amazing thing happened as I was prepping for my first NPC Figure show. A few weeks into my prep I met a guy on the bicep curl machine and we started chatting about competing and training. About 4 months later I was onstage at the NPC Metropolitans and that guy who I was chatting with became my fiancé. He proposed to me the night before the show. The next day I placed top 5. It was truly an amazing 24 hours.
In closing, I look forward to many more years of training and living a healthy lifestyle, and hopefully one day maybe getting to share the stage with not only my husband, but also with my kids.
Pre-Contest Meal Plan
Meal 1: UMP protein shake made with 8oz no sugar added almond milk and ice; 1 cup black coffee
Meal 2: 4oz chicken breast*, 1/2 cup white rice
Meal 3: 4oz chicken breast
Meal 4: 4oz grilled chicken, 1 cup greens of my choice, healthy fats dressing
Meal 5: UMP protein shake made with water and 1 tbsp peanut butter or 1/4 cup cashews
*I mix up my proteins - chicken, eggs, and lean beef twice a week
Supplement Schedule
7-Keto MuscLean upon arising and at noon (really helps me get going)
Super Pak with meal 1 (When I started using the Super Pak, I stopped getting sick. This is especially important when your immune system is stressed during contest prep. Winters in NY are tough and the gyms are filled with germs. Super Pak gives me all the immune defense I need.
Advanced Antioxidant with meal 3
EFA Gold with meals 3 and 4
Glutamine Select during and after my workout
My 5-Day Workout Plan
Day 1: Legs | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
Squat | 4 | 15 |
Leg Press | 4 | 15 |
Leg Curl | 4 | 15 |
Lunge | 4 | 15-20 |
Leg Extension | 4 | 15-20 |
Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
Day 2: Chest & Abs | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
Bench Press | 4 | 15 |
Incline DB Press | 4 | 15 |
Pec Dec Flyes | 4 | 15 |
Lying Leg Raise | 3 | 25 |
Cable Crunch | 3 | 20 |
Incline Sit-ups | 3 | 20 |
Day 3: Back & Abs | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
Assisted Pull-up | 4 | Failure |
1-Arm Row | 4 | 15 |
Reverse Grip PD | 4 | 15 |
Hyperextension | 4 | 15-20 |
Abs | Same as Day 2 | Same as Day 2 |
Day 4: Shoulders & Abs | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
DB Press | 4 | 15 |
Lateral Raise | 4 | 15 |
Upright Row | 4 | 15 |
Bent Laterals | 4 | 12 |
Abs | Same as Day 2 | Same as Day 2 |
Day 5: Arms | Sets | Reps |
---|---|---|
1-Arm Extension | 4 | 15 |
BB Curl | 4 | 15 |
Assisted Dips | 4 | 15 |
Incline DB Curl | 4 | 15 |
Triceps Pressdown | 4 | 15 |
Machine Curl | 4 | 15 |