Arnold Classic Bikini champion Lauralie Chapados sits down with Mike O’Hearn and Mona Muresan to discuss her 2023 Olympia tactics
In a recent episode of Generation Iron’s The Mike O’Hearn Show, hosts Mike O’Hearn and Mona Muresan welcomed a special guest, Lauralie Chapados, a renowned Pro bikini competitor and Arnold Classic champion. As she gears up for the Mr. Olympia 2023 competition, Lauralie shared insights into her competition history, training tactics, and her commitment to maintaining her health throughout her journey.
Lauralie Chapados has a very impressive competitive history – and stands out as one of the top contenders for this year’s Olympia competition. In 2021, she claimed 2nd place at the Olympia. In 2022, she triumphed in the Pittsburgh Pro and New York Pro competitions.
Lauralie’s winning streak took an unexpected dip at the end of 2022, where she dropped down to 5th place at the Olympia competition. But this didn’t discourage her. Instead, she learned lessons from the stumble and came out into 2023 swinging. Lauralie’s most recent highlight was winning the 2023 Arnold Classic.
Now with the 2023 Olympia only weeks away, Mike O’Hearn brought on his partner Mona Muresan to interview Lauralie Chapados about her impressive journey – and how she plans to take the top spot at the Olympia in November. Let’s dive in.
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Adapting for Success
Mike O’Hearn asked Lauralie about the changes she’s making in 2023 to improve her Olympia placement after landing 5th in 2022. Lauralie sees 2022 as a valuable lesson. She realized she came in too lean and overly muscular. While muscle is important in any bodybuilding division – Bikini has a focus on a softer look to separate itself from the more muscular female divisions. To rectify this, Lauralie aims to appear fuller and embrace a softer look that aligns better with the bikini division.
To achieve this, she increased her weight by eight pounds for the Arnold Classic 2023 and emerged victorious, reinforcing her belief that this is the right direction. Instead of competing in the Pittsburgh Pro or New York Pro this year, she prioritized the Olympia. Her focus post-Arnold Classic was entirely on the upcoming competition.
Prioritizing Health
Lauralie emphasizes the importance of maintaining her health during competition prep. She wants to leave competitive bodybuilding as healthy as when she began, not compromising her hormones, hair, or overall well-being. Regular blood tests are key not only for her health but to better understanding her body and how to adapt her training because of it.
Lauralie explains that she always gets a blood test done 2-3 weeks after a competition and another during mid-prep. This allows her to know how her body is functioning after pushing hard through a big competition – and also adapt midway through as she ramps up contest prep for her next big show.
“You don’t want to be fighting yourself,” Lauralie Chapados explains in regards to bodybuilding contest prep. It’s hard enough to sculpt the perfect physique, if you are also fighting inadequacies you don’t even know you have – then it becomes even harder.
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Efficient Training Method
Lauralie doesn’t have a secret workout tip or plan that she can “reveal” for success. she pretty much sticks to the core basics for building muscle. But if there is one thing she’s learned over the years, it’s how to craft a training routine that maximizes efficiency. She limits her workouts to 45 minutes or up to an hour.
While she does do warm ups, she doesn’t wast time amping up from a warmup session. When well-fueled, she jumps right into her working sets, prioritizing intensity. However, she is cautious about maintaining the feminine soft look that the Bikini division demands.
For example, Lauralie is aware that she builds size much faster on her lower body. So she adjusts her training routine to favor upper body in order to avoid ruining the desired proportions needed to succeed in Bikini.
Evolving Bikini Look
Like most divisions, Bikini is much more muscular today than it was 10 years ago. The show’s hosts discuss how the bikini look has evolved over the years, with today’s competitors appearing more muscular. Does Lauralie find it less appealing or perhaps more challenging compared to the desired look when she started?
Lauralie clarifies that, while the division has evolved over the years, the women are really not that much more muscular. Instead, there is a more focused understanding of the kinds of proportions needed to win a Bikini competition. The broad shoulders, thin waist, and wider buttocks of a bikini physique creates the illusion that these women are far more muscular than they really are.
In fact, she believes that new Bikini pros often are tricked by this illusion themselves – and often com into their first few shows far too muscular – costing them points and dropping their placings.
Diet and Nutrition
Lauralie reveals her diet, featuring low carbs, chicken, eggs, and vegetables. She humorously calls it her “meathead meal plan.” Rather than focusing on cutting calories to stay lean, she focuses on providing enough calories to fuel her workouts and then using that extra fuel to train hard and cut down her weight through physical activity.
Lauralie Chapados’ typical diet plan includes:
- First meal – Oatmeal and egg whites
- Second meal – Sweet potatoes and chicken
- Third meal – chicken and avacado
- Fourth meal – chicken with brown rice
- Fifth meal – egg whites with avacado
Lauralie typically makes sure to eat 4 ounces of chicken and 40 ounces of brown rice when measuring her meals out.
Advice for Aspiring Bikini Competitors
Lauralie offers valuable advice to women considering the world of bikini competition. She underscores the importance of knowing oneself and entering the sport for the love of the process, not with the expectation of deserving a win. Just because you trained hard doesn’t mean you deserve anything. The judges only see you on the stage that day – not the journey that got you there.
Lauralie also explains another reason why it is important to know yourself and also understand your body. Whens he won 2nd place at the Olympia, she was suddenly the center of attention. Coaches, other athletes, and other “experts” all offered unsolicited advice on “what she needs to do” in order to bump up and win first place.
While some of this advice is certainly coming from a good place – it’s important to know that you can’t blindly follow what others tell you to do. It all becomes white noise and can cause an athlete to collapse chasing different expert tactics. But if you know yourself and your body – you’ll be able to cut through the white noise and determine what advice is best for you.
Wrap Up
Lauralie Chapados’ journey is a testament to the dedication and hard work required in the competitive world of bodybuilding. Her commitment to health, adaptability, and maintaining a sense of self in the face of increasing attention provides a valuable perspective for both aspiring competitors and fans of the sport. As she approaches the Olympia 2023, the bodybuilding community eagerly anticipates her performance and the changes she has made to secure a place on the podium.
You can watch the full episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show above. Don’t forget to check back every Friday for new episodes only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network or wherever podcasts are downloaded.
