Andrea Shaw’s Road to the 2024 Olympia

Will Andrea Shaw clinch a fifth Ms. Olympia title at the 2024 Olympia? 

Andrea Shaw, a four-time Ms. Olympia and reigning champion, shares her inspiring journey in this MUTANT series “Road to Glory” episode as she preps for the 2024 Olympia. She discusses how she overcame adversity to become a leading figure in bodybuilding. Despite facing initial resistance from her mother, Shaw persisted and transformed into the remarkable woman she is today, ultimately making her mother immensely proud.

Interestingly, her gym trainer mother inspired Shaw to enter the bodybuilding world. At just 12 years old, while accompanying her mother to the gym, Shaw stumbled upon a picture of Lenda Murray, igniting her passion for the sport and beginning her incredible journey.

On September 9, 2024, MUTANT TV shared a video on their YouTube channel featuring Andrea Shaw. In this interview, she reflects on her journey and the efforts that propelled her to the peak of her career. Additionally, Andrea discusses her preparations for the 2024 Olympia, where she aims to defend her title and secure her fifth consecutive win.

How Did Andrea Shaw Get Started In Bodybuilding?

 

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Andrea Shaw barely had her parents in her life as a child. Her father was sick, and her mother worked two jobs, leaving her in primary care with her grandfather. Later, as her grandpa got older, she had to follow her mom, a nurse by day and a gym trainer at night.

“I would go to the gym. The Gym was the babysitter.”

Young Andrea Shaw spent time at the gym exploring, talking to adults, playing with equipment, and entertaining herself. She considered the gym her second home. Andrea Shaw stated that this gym was the Power House gym in Center Line, Michigan. Lenda Murray inspired her during her bodybuilding journey, and she started modeling.

Andrea Shaw’s Modeling Career

When Andrea Shaw started her modeling career, cardio was her go-to exercise. She also went to modeling school. Modeling school was relaxed and fun for her, but she knew she didn’t have a good shot at being a high-fashion model.

“I’m not tall enough. I’m not skinny enough. I’ve never been a smaller frame type of gal.”

She tried modeling and realized cheerleading and gymnastics were over for her because of burnout. Andrea Shaw thought about fitness modeling and founded Oxygen Magazine, where Bob Kennedy played a significant role in her decision to get into fitness modeling.

Andrea Shaw had challenges as a young teenager trying to figure out life and juggling between being a young teen and bodybuilding. She had difficulties with her trainer at that period, who had already concluded and told her mother that she couldn’t make it in bodybuilding. Andrea Shaw decided there, and her response to her trainer was, “I’m going to show you exactly what kind of heart I have.”

Andrea Shaw’s Appearance

The four-time Ms. Olympia says she wasn’t happy with her appearance. She stated she was overweight and realized that the only person who could make a change was herself. Andrea Shaw saw a picture on the wall of Lenda Murray and said, “I at least owe it to myself to see what I could look like if I absolutely got into the best shape of my life.”

Andrea Shaw’s Road to First Prep

She realized she‌ had to do a show and started preparing for a show date and sticking to her diet. She made this decision at the age of 23 and did her first show at the age of 25. Before this, she had to reach out to friends who helped her to her first show. She got a workout partner who introduced her to John Simmons, her training coach.

Andrea Shaw got a job as a trainer in a facility and used that opportunity for her workouts, which helped her a long way to her first show. “Working out became a part of my work. So, I was teaching classes and training clients consistently. So it became very easy to really stay on track with a prep and give the extra that I knew I could give to a prep with that type of job in play. So yeah, that became like where I think the pieces started to come together.”

The defending Ms. Olympia champ did her first and second show in 2008 and placed 3rd and 4th, respectively. However, she states she was a Figure athlete, which she should never have been. 

“My quads are way too big, but I didn’t know. I just wanted to do a show and basically prove that I could do it and get in shape.”

Andrea Shaw realized she was too big for Figure and tried cardio and dieting to lose weight and muscle. She realized she couldn’t because of genetics and took a break for eight years until Women’s Physique came along. “Big dense muscle, and I knew I couldn’t diet it down or starve it down. These are just my genetics. I can’t fight that, so we take a pause for eight years,” Shaw expressed.

Winning First Pro Card, Women’s Physique & Women’s Bodybuilding

Andrea Shaw entered her first Women’s Physique show in 2016 and placed 4th, a feat she achieved with no coach. This encouraged her to get serious and get a coach. She then attended Ohio Natural in March 2018 and came in second. 

Shaw did a couple of shows from there and went to North America, where she placed 3rd and missed her pro card by one place. Down in Miami, she went for Nationals and came in second, giving her the right to her first pro card.

In 2019, Andrea Shaw made her first pro debut in Toronto and placed 11th. However, attending that show was defining because she realized that the Women’s Bodybuilding division is where she belongs. “I knew backstage because I was definitely the biggest girl backstage when it came to the Women’s Physique lineup. So I mean, even 11th place was a gift,” Shaw said. 

She moved from Women’s Physique to Women’s Bodybuilding, making her debut in Chicago Pro, where she came in second. However, when Andrea Shaw competed in Rising Phoenix later that year, she placed 7th. She says personal losses she didn’t take time to deal with contributed to her fatigue. However, Shaw also used it as a springboard to win her first Ms. Olympia title in 2020. 

Andrea Shaw’s 2024 Olympia Back Workout 

After her interview, Andrea Shaw goes straight to upper body training for Ms. Olympia. Below are her back exercises:

• Cable Lat Pulldown
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
• Seated Reverse Fly Machine
• Seated Cable Low-Row
• Stiff Arm Pulldown

Wrapping Up

Andrea Shaw has come a long way from that 12-year-old girl trying to find herself at the pinnacle of her career. She isn’t resting on her oars; she’s looking for ways to keep developing her game and becoming a better version of herself. Leading up to the 2024 Olympia, she has spent extra time training and working on her poses.

“I want to make sure I’m doing everything I possibly can that way when I step on stage, it’s evident that I’ve put in the work.”

Generation Iron will continue spotlighting a different MUTANT athlete each week as they prepare for the 2024 Olympia competition. Stay tuned! 

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