Haley O’Brien is a household pageant name with multiple state and national titles under her belt! She is a competitor that delivers and remains extremely motivated and determined during competition. She captured a USA state title which means she keeps her body in tip top shape and is currently doing extreme prepping for the prestigious title of Miss USA. I was able to get some of her inside tips for preparing for the stage!
MG: What swimsuit prep workout did you use to target your results?
HO: My favorite exercise that I used to slim down and tone up for the swimsuit portion of competition is called “the triathlon.” My mother introduced it to me after she watched a trainer attempt it in the gym.
It’s an hour long cardio exercise set that moves from the treadmill to the elliptical and then to the stair climber. All three cardio “phases” of the triathlon are interval training, meaning you alternate from high intensity to low intensity about every minute. By the end you are just dying!! But if you push through, you feel amazing once its all over. About two months prior to the pageant, I started doing the triathlon 2-4 times a week. I also did a lot of lifting. I did light weight lifting with 25-30 reps at 3 sets each. I alternate arm day and leg day so I can more accurately target muscle groups, and so each portion of my body gets some semblance of a rest day. It is important to understand that you will not get “huge” from lifting! A lot of my closest girlfriends were really nervous about weight training. They were scared they would turn into huge bricks of muscle. Don’t worry! That’s a myth.
Weight training does so much more for your body than cardio. Not only does it increase your metabolism, but you will see results much faster if you put a bigger emphasis on weight training than you do on cardio. It’s not always my favorite part about going to the gym, but it works like magic!
MG: How did you pick out the perfect gown and swimsuit for competition?
HO: For my gown, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Sherri Hill and Henri’s Cloud 9. I was able to fly to Austin, TX and work with Sherri Hill in her studio. She helped me pick out what beading, coloring and style I wanted my dress to be. She sketched out the design and sent it to the creative studio to be made. I still remember receiving the huge box in the mail!! It was my dream evening gown!! Every detail was perfectly matched to fit my style and body shape! I can’t thank Sherri Hill and Henri’s Cloud 9 enough for the experience. They are both miracle workers when it comes to finding your perfect gown! Finding my swimsuit was a lot less structured. I had some idea of what I wanted, but I had yet to see it in an actual store. I was fortunate enough to walk into a swim shop at Mall of America and find the perfect base shape for my swimsuit. I then took the swimsuit to a tailor and had her create off the shoulder straps for a high fashion twist. I had seen the straps featured in a couture runway show and knew I had to have them on my swimsuit!
MG: How long before a pageant do you start your diet and exercise prep?
HO: I began training about six months prior to the state pageant. As the state pageant drew nearer, my workouts became more intense. My eating plan also became more rigid. The important thing about preparing for a pageant is making sure you are living a “healthy lifestyle.” I never like to say that I am dieting. Instead, I am focusing on living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle of eating well and going to the gym on a regular basis.
MG: What is one pageant tip that never fails you?
HO: A lot of young women ask me this after they decide to compete in a pageant for the first time. I will always say the same thing: confidence. It takes a lot of confidence to put yourself out there…to walk on a stage in front of an audience…. to sit in a room with a group of strangers and talk about yourself…. to answer an onstage question with poise.
You have to be extremely confident in who you are and what you love. If you are confident, you won’t worry about any of the fine details. Because you won’t be worried, you can just have an absolute blast at the pageant. The judges know which contestants are having fun and they are drawn to those girls! People are naturally drawn to someone who is always smiling and having fun. Confidence allows you to be that person.
No comments:
Post a Comment