Lola Montez prefers training in garage gyms over commercial facilities.
Lola Montez is an accomplished five-time Figure Olympian and five-time pro show winner. She’s also a former Arnold Classic UK champion, which she clinched in 2022. In this episode of “Road to Glory,” Montez shares her inspiring journey and reveals how she ascended to the top tiers of the sport.
Unlike many others, the five-time Olympian didn’t start her journey in a commercial gym. Instead, she began training in her modest garage, equipped with just a few weights she collected from pawn shops and garage sales. Her remarkable progress speaks to her dedication and hard work; she now competes in elite bodybuilding competitions.
| Full Name: Lola Montez (Women’s Figure Competitor) | ||
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Fitness Model, Women’s Figure | 2010/2020 | Canadian |
On September 11, 2024, Lola Montez shared her inspiring journey in a video released by MUTANT TV. The video highlights how she has maintained her relevance in her career. The post also showcases her back exercises as she trains for the upcoming 2024 Olympia. Discover these insights and more below.
How Did Lola Montez Get Started In Bodybuilding?
Growing up, Montez classifies herself as a nerd and loner. If you had asked her ten years ago if she was going to consider female bodybuilding and competing at top levels, she would have said, “I would have probably laughed and ran awkwardly away.”
“I didn’t start in a commercial gym; I started at home,” says Lola Montez. She thinks some people feel she’s crazy for doing that, but Lola Montez says she finds it very therapeutic. Montez is confident working with her gym space because it’s where she qualified for the Olympia. Although she is a fan of commercial gyms, when she wants to reconnect, her garage space is what does it for her.
“You don’t need all the fancy schmancy [equipment]. This is no shade on commercial gyms.”
When she started competitive bodybuilding in 2018, she considered herself a wildcard. She drove to Ohio, embarked on an eight-week prep, and signed up for the Arnolds Amateur in the Figure division. Although she had no experience in competitive bodybuilding, she was on stage with national-level competitors.
She competed in her first pro show and won, making her an IFBB Pro in her first-ever show. That is how she gained the nickname ” The One Show Pro.” Since then, she has won five pro shows, including the Boston Pro and Toronto Pro. She also won the 2022 Arnold Classic UK, the last Arnolds for the Figure division.
Lola Montez on the 2024 Olympia
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One thing Lola Montez states she had a challenge within 2023 Olympia was remembering the moments. “I don’t remember much about the presence, the stage, or anything positive about that weekend,” she expressed.
However, for the 2024 Olympia, she has a different mindset. After choosing to take the year off, take things slow, and take each moment as it happens, she has seen growth, especially with her posing. She is more poised, muscle-defined, and present, which she constantly emphasizes. Lola Montez also talks about the role of recovery leading to the 2024 Olympia and attributes her better mindset to emphasizing recovery.
Lola Montez’ 2024 Olympia Back Workout
After Lola Montez rounds up her interview, she takes her pre-workout shake, wears her weightlifting belt and wrist straps, and flexes her muscles in preparation for training. Studies show that pre-workouts just before exercise can delay fatigue and improve exercise performance (1).
Below is a list of her back day exercises.
- Cable Lat Pulldown
- T-Bar Row
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
Cable Lat Pulldown
Lola Montez starts her back exercises in her garage, performing the cable lat pulldown. She uses a neutral wide grip and does several sets using progressive loading. When performing her lat pulldowns, she does three seconds of eccentrics and controls the movement quite well. Studies show that two to four seconds of eccentric duration is effective for muscle hypertrophy and strength during exercises (2).
The cable lat pulldown is an accessory exercise that works your lats, shoulders, biceps, forearms, and core muscles. Working these muscles can improve your back strength, posture, and grip strength.
T-Bar Row
For her next back exercise, she wraps her wrist straps on the T-Bar and uses an underhand grip to perform a few rows. She does a couple of sets with the correct form, hitting her back muscles. She takes a break to show off her back.
“This is kind of where I always feel the most at home. I feel the most locked in. I feel the most grounded. I feel the most in the zone.”
The T-bar row targets the back muscles, including the lats, rhomboids, and traps, as well as the biceps, forearms, and core.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
To round out her back exercises, Lola Montez loads and grabs a dumbbell to do single-arm dumbbell rows. Instead of placing her supporting arm on a bench, she stretches it and places it on a pole, working on each side of her body. She keeps her back straight and core tight and unilaterally works each side of her body.
Single-arm dumbbell rows allow you to train each side of your body equally, addressing muscle and strength imbalances. They’re an excellent way to build a better mind-muscle connection and focus on target muscles, which is good for muscle growth. This exercise targets the rhomboids, lats, traps, biceps, rear deltoids, and core muscles, which include the abs and obliques.
Wrapping Up
Rising from humble beginnings, Lola Montez dedicates herself to improvement as she gears up for the 2024 Olympia. Over the past year, she has experienced significant growth by making strategic adjustments, including refining her posing, enhancing muscle definition, and emphasizing rest and recovery. With an improved mindset as she approaches the Olympia season, she eagerly anticipates stepping onto the stage.
Generation Iron features a different MUTANT athlete each week as they prepare for the 2024 Olympia competition. Stay tuned to witness their performances at this prestigious event!
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References
- Kaczka, P., Batra, A., Kubicka, K., Maciejczyk, M., Rzeszutko-Bełzowska, A., Pezdan-Śliż, I., Michałowska-Sawczyn, M., Przydział, M., Płonka, A., Cięszczyk, P., Humińska-Lisowska, K., & Zając, T. (2020). Effects of Pre-Workout Multi-Ingredient Supplement on Anaerobic Performance: Randomized Double-Blind Crossover Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(21), 8262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218262
- Azevedo, P. H. S. M., Oliveira, M. G. D., & Schoenfeld, B. J. (2022). Effect of different eccentric tempos on hypertrophy and strength of the lower limbs. Biology of sport, 39(2), 443–449. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2022.105335
