Deni Kirkova recently won best 'Beach Body' at the 2016 Miss Galaxy Universe Competition- and she owes a lot of it to a vegan diet. We caught up with her to talk about her new title and what her journey entailed to get there.
Deni Kirkova by Lowell Mason- Galaxy Universe Organisation
How did it feel to win best 'Beach body' in the Miss Galaxy Universe Competition? Did you expect to win?
It felt... shocking! Bikini competitions were never my personal passion, although I always found them fascinating. It was Vicky's dream to compete so I did it with her, and then I ended up winning this title which I didn't expect at all. Feels amazing though and I'll try some more. I'm very proud of myself and Vicky who placed fifth in Beach Body.
Please tell us what you ate on a typical day while preparing for the competition.
It was more a macro target that I had to hit - so a specific amount of fat, protein and carbohydrates. This would involve porridge oats, vegan protein powder, berries, flax oil, apples, corn cakes, peanut butter, tofu, quinoa, broccoli, avocado, kidney beans, lentils, sweet potato and spinach.
What exercise did you have to undertake to get your body in shape?
The exercise plan devised for myself and Vicky Hadley, my best friend who also competed and placed, was broken down into four days of weight training along with three low intensity steady state (LISS) cardio and high intensity interval training (HIIT).
This was tweaked as we went on but overall the resistance training was broken down into one upper 'pull' day (back and biceps), one upper 'push' day (chest and triceps) and two lower body and leg days.
Why do some people think that being vegan makes you weaker at the gym?
I guess it's because when you go vegan you wipe out a bunch of complete protein sources and protein is essential for muscle repair and growth post-workout. There are plenty of widely-available vegan protein sources.
How did your vegan diet help you to win?
It's more that it didn't hold me back. I'm not going to sit here and say vegans can bodybuild better than meat eaters because I don't know that for sure. What I do know is what I have achieved - losing 20lbs in 20 weeks, as well as 10% body fat, gaining strength and bouncing off the walls with energy... that's all been possible and easy as a vegan. You join the dots together. My coach Lee thought he had a steep task ahead because of my 'limited' diet. But by the end of it he said it must be the plant-based diet that has helped my transformation and energy levels.
You trained for this with your friend- so how did you support each other and do you think it benefitted you to do it together?
Doing anything with someone is easier than doing it on your own, I think. You help each other focus on your goal and your vision. You help motivate each other in the gym. Vicky and I are each other's biggest cheerleader so were amazing for encouraging self-belief and confidence in each other to pull through, from the beginning to the stage, and afterwards too.
Which athletes have been your greatest influence since you entered the competition?
Tim Shieff, Torre Washington, Stephanie Rowden and Yolanda Presswood inspire me.
What changes have you noticed most in your body since completing the challenge?
That I can see definition in muscles all over my body, my face is slimmer, I'm more vascular. I pull off a hell of a lot more outfits, I constantly want to wear a bikini, I have almost totally lost my boobs though, my bottom is smoother, rounder, perter, and way higher up. I have more calisthenic power and can lift my own body weight easier. It's all been positive apart from losing my boobs, although I think I'd notice some more downsides if my body fat drops much more below 14% where it is now.
How were you judged on the day and how did you prepare for the other factors involved?
We were judged first and foremost on our figures, natural beauty and skin tone, as well as our stage presence, our body conditioning and overall package and presentation.
During peak week I reduced carbs to strip the muscles of glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrates) while continuing to train. Then in the last two days I ate double normal carb intake (carb-loaded) to 'refill muscles' and literally pump them up. On the night before comp I drank one large glass of white wine as it helps dehydrate the body and create a more vascular look.
What is next for you?
www.bikinigirlsdiary.com - my new business with my best friend Vicky Hadley, as well as running vegan fitness retreats all over the world and writing a book. Oh, and more bikini comps!
Which vegan products were your favourite?
In terms of food- I love making tofu baked in tamari, ginger, chilli and garlic, with sweet potato, broccoli and avocado. That's a very macro-friendly, flavourful and aromatic dish. I also love good old protein oats - say 30g jumbo rolled oats and 30g chocolate protein powder. You can add in some berries and peanut butter too.
When we're talking about supplements- I love Sunwarrior's chocolate flavour protein powder made with pea and hemp (the amino acids from pea and hemp together make a complete protein - bit of science for you there). Reflex Nutrition's vegan protein powders have next to no carbs so are another go-to if I've overdone it on the carbohydrates. I get both from Bodybuilding.com.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/deni_k
Insta: www.instagram.com/deniveganfitness
Snapchat: denikirkova
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