It’s Never too Late to be Great

At a Glance: Cindy Lane Ross

Age: 41

Occupation: Owner of Orange Beach Fitness & Cindy Lane Ross Fitness

Current Residence: Orange Beach, AL

Family: Husband. I lost my mother, father, and brother to autoimmune diseases. I have one surviving brother, Chance Lane.

Years Training: 30 years

Height: 5’5”

Weight: Off Season 129, Contest 119

Favorite Fitness Meal: Large bowl of oatmeal with berries.

Favorite Supplements: I absolutely love the benefits of Quadracarn for sustained energy and mood. My body is responding well to the 7-Keto MuscLean & Lean Out stack. I also use the Creatine Select, Glutamine Select, and Density. This stack really helps me to stay lean and hard.

What would you recommend to someone who has never used Beverly supplements before? Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, I’m very selective about what I put in my body because taking the wrong supplements can result in weeks of illness. So, I researched a lot about the benefits and if there were any possible side effects of the Beverly International products. I feel fantastic having now switched all my supplementation over to Beverly International.

Music: I create a playlist on Spotify specific for what I’m training for. I love all music so usually when I’m working out it’s an upbeat variety. Reggae is something that always puts a smile on my face, so I can guarantee Bob Marley hits every one of my playlists.

Most Inspiring Book: Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss and Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.

Hobby or Interests outside bodybuilding: Travel, photography, reading, and spending time with my husband in Orange Beach, AL.

Words to live by: “For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve to conquer.” - Arnold Schwarzenegger

2018... A Year of Self- Discovery

2018 was a year of self-discovery, and I realized I needed more consistency and discipline in my life. I had thrown myself into 80+ hour work weeks running multiple businesses. But in the process I had neglected many personal relationships and unfortunately my own self-care.

My day of awakening came on April 30, 2018, when an old friend was concerned enough to tell me to pull myself together. That’s just the boost I needed to snap out of it and begin challenging myself again.

The next day I began regular workouts again and eating a responsible diet. I started battling back from personal despair as I had years before. What really reignited the fire in me was when my husband Jason (who is a competitive bodybuilder) asked me if I wanted to train legs with him. Up until then I generally skipped weights and opted for cardio. I started working out with Jason and began to love what I saw in the mirror - a shape that I desired but couldn’t achieve with my cardio workouts alone. I began to think that a dream that I had long ago might be achievable – to be a bodybuilder.

In early June, 2018, I read about an OCB Natural Bodybuilding show coming to Gulf Shores, in October. I realized that I hadn’t set personal goals for myself for over 20 years and so I set a huge goal to compete in the bikini division in my first bodybuilding competition.

This was just what I needed to get back on track - I began the process of fulfilling a lifelong dream. I want all women to know you can be fit, strong and healthy at any age and that endurance and strength can even peak later in life. Don’t be afraid to chase your dreams, at any age, it’s never too late.

My Nutrition Advice

The best advice I can give anyone trying to stick to a set diet is that meal prep is essential to your success! Always, always, always, make the time to plan your meals in advance. Set up a time and day to plan your grocery shopping (don’t forget your list) and prepare your meals. I live by my food scale and measuring cups. Invest in some easy to carry containers so you can grab your meals and go. Amazon has pages of sealable containers that meal prep enthusiasts swear by. Be sure to read the reviews first though.

In Closing

I hope to inspire everyone to live to their fullest and happiest potential. I tell people of all ages, —“It’s never too late to be great.” You can rediscover yourself at any time. We all have setbacks in life, but you just have to pick yourself up and start believing that you can begin to live your best life now. Since I learned to control my disease with nutrition, exercise, and proper supplementation, at the age of 41, I have never felt stronger and more alive. Bodybuilding has reshaped my body and improved my quality of life.

I recently met my 16-year-old self again at the age of 40 and even though the journey has had a lot of bumps and bruises, I’m still here, and I’m smiling because I am alive and looking forward to the sunrise of each new day.

Year Round Diet

Meal 1: 150g egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal measured dry, 200g any berries, and 1-piece gluten free bread with low sugar jelly. Immediately after training drink 1 scoop protein in water, 30 min later eat 5 Hershey’s kisses

Meal 2: 3oz cod, Mahi Mahi, orange roughy, or tuna, 3/4 cup rice, 1 cup green vegetables, 1 plain rice cake with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Meal 3: 3oz tuna, large iceberg lettuce salad w/ veggies, (any dressing ok or 2 servings olive or coconut oil), 25 almonds, 2 caramel rice cakes

Meal 4: 2 whole eggs, 100g avocado, 1 cup vegetables (peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc.), 3 rice cakes

Meal 5: 3oz salmon, 150g any potato, 1 cup green vegetables, 1 rice cake with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Supplements:

Glutamine Select & 7-Keto MuscLean during fasted cardio in the morning

Ultra-C, Lean Out, and Quadracarn with breakfast

Lean Out and Density with each meal throughout the day

Creatine Select before my weight training sessions

Contest Season Diet

Meal 1: 2 whole eggs, 75g avocado, 2 plain rice cakes

Meal 2: 4oz salmon, 1 cup vegetables

Meal 3: 2 whole eggs, 100g egg whites, 1 cup vegetables, 15 almonds or any nuts

Meal 4: 200g egg whites, 75g avocado, 1 cup vegetables

Meal 5: 4oz cod or other fish, 1 cup green vegetables

Supplements:

When preparing for a contest I add Muscularity, GH Factor, and Energy Reserve in addition to those outlined in my year round program.

Training

I typically like to do 3 sets (heavy) of each exercise for upper body with a superset of high reps in between. I’m currently working on slimming my legs, so my training consists of higher reps.

I workout with weights six days a week:
Monday: Chest & Calves

Tuesday: Back

Wednesday: Legs (Quads)

Thursday: Arms

Friday: Shoulders

Sunday: Legs (Glutes & Hams)

Here are examples of my Wednesday and Sunday "Leg" workouts.

Wednesday: (Quad Emphasis)Sets Reps
Leg Extension (superset)515
Leg Press520
Lunge (superset)415
Narrow Stance Squats415
Walking Lunge (no superset)410
Sunday: (Glutes & Hamstrings – no supersets)Sets Reps
Walking Lunge530
Jumping Lunge520
Deadlift530
Walking Squat w/band530
Leg Curl520
Jump Squats520

Cardio

I have been known as “cardio queen” because of my love for running. Now after finding bodybuilding, I have learned to love the Stairmaster. Here are my workouts:

Off season:
6 days a week of 25-30 minutes fasted steady state cardio each morning.

Contest time:
40-80 min a day of fasted steady state cardio in the morning and 20 minutes HIIT later in the day.

For steady state cardio, I keep my heart rate in the 125-140 beats per minute range.

On Saturdays, I include ten 30-second sprints. I believe this helps keep my thighs slender.

Posted in 2019 Collection, Fit Figure / Bikini.