Candice Carter

Fitness Model, Figure Competitor, Coach

Candice Carter is an American fitness model and one of the greatest figure competitors in history. Under her long list of achievements, Candice boasts over 12 Pro victories and is the 4-time Arnold Classic champion.

Her journey into fitness all started at the age of 11. It was around this point Candice first joined a gym and, unknowingly, set out on her journey to greatness.

Her passion for weightlifting was soon ignited, leading her to jump right into the competitive circuit – where she ultimately won her Pro status in 2011. Ever since then, Candice hasn’t looked back. She’s gone on to inspire an army of people with her long list of achievements.

This is her story:

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“Weightlifting has changed from being a hobby that happens to help me look good in a bikini to being my passion and the reason I love to inspire others. All from a platform I truly believe in.”

Athlete Statistics

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Accomplishments

Candice’s Track Record

2018 Olympia Figure	2nd place
2018 Arnold Classic Australia Figure	1st place
2018 Figure International	1st place
2017 Olympia Figure	3rd place
2017 Arnold Classic Australia Figure	1st place
2017 Arnold Classic Figure	1st place
2016 Olympia Figure	2nd place
2016 Arnold Classic Australia Figure	2nd place
2016 Phil Heath Pro Figure	1st place
2016 Arnold Classic Figure	4th place
2015 Olympia Figure	3rd place
2015 Arnold Classic Australia Figure	3rd place
2015 Arnold Classic Figure	2nd place
2014 Olympia Figure	3rd place
2014 St. Louis Pro Figure	1st place
2014 Arnold Classic Figure	5th place
2013 Olympia Figure	9th place
2013 Omaha Pro Figure	1st place
2013 Australia Pro Grand Prix Figure	3rd place
2013 Arnold Classic Figure	4th place
2012 Olympia Masters & Pro World Figure	1st place
2012 Fort Lauderdale Cup Figure	1st place
2012 Houston Pro Figure	1st place
2012 Olympia Figure	7th place
2012 Chicago Pro Figure	1st place
2012 Omaha Pro Figure	1st place
2012 Pittsburgh Pro Figure	7th place
2011 Kentucky Muscle Pro Figure	6th place
2011 Border States Pro Figure	6th place
2011 Fort Lauderdale Cup Figure	7th place
2011 NPC Junior Nationals Figure	1st place

 

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Biography

Early Athletic Pursuits

Candice Carter began her athletic pursuits from an early age. By the time she was 11, Candice was visiting the gym on a weekly basis. Her dedication, passion, and work ethic inspired her younger siblings to follow in her footsteps.

A Leap Into Bodybuilding World

Alongside weightlifting, Candice also took part in cheerleading and cross country during high school.

Her goals became bigger at this point, so she decided to jump into the competitive circuit as a bodybuilder. It was a fast transition and a big new challenge, but one that Candice quickly took into her stride.

Competing as a figure athlete, Candice has found her calling and is now an athlete through and through. She boasts over 12 victories as a Pro and silver medal at the 2018 Ms. Figure Olympia. She also won the Arnold Sports Festival Figure International the same year, beating Cydney Gillon in the process.

However, Candice is keen to point out that despite all of her success, she goes through hardships just like everyone else;

“Just know that I am human, and I have challenges and obstacles that I have to overcome on a daily basis – just like you. The key is to find out what works and utilize that to better yourself so that you can live a long and prosperous life.”

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Training

In some online videos, Candice can be seen training with various exercises. These include everything from tire box jumps and battle ropes, to sled push and barbell exercises.

Keeping her workouts varied is what allows Candice to work on every aspect of her health and performance – including mobility, conditioning, and physique development.

Candice’s Rules For a Great Workout

Candice’s belief is that weightlifting isn’t just for athletes. It’s for anyone who wants to improve their bone density, reduce body fat, and boost muscle growth. By training regularly, one would be surprised by how much they can improve their body composition, according to Candice.

However, Candice doesn’t advise others to jump straight into training if they’re new to it. Doing exercises the wrong way – especially if they’re hard and heavy – would only cause more harm than good. For this reason, she follows a few key rules to ensure a safe and effective workout;

1. Don’t lift too heavy, focus on your form instead
2. Use a full range of motion in exercises
3. Breathe properly; don’t hold your breath when doing an exercise
4. Make sure to get enough rest for the body to recover

Cycling Cardio

Over the years, Candice has tried a number of cardio variations; her favorite one is spinning.

Also called indoor cycling, spinning is a low-intensity workout that strengthens Candice’s heart while helping her lose fat. The stationary bike is ideal for her because it doesn’t put any pressure on her joints.

As Candice says; “As an athlete, having knee problems from time to time was the main reason I started spinning, so it’s been the perfect alternate form of cardio for me.”

Despite being easy on her joints, indoor cycling is far from a light exercise. In fact, she says that people should adjust their pace in this workout because it can be as intense as a weightlifting session when done properly.

Here’s how it looks for her;

Spinning Workout

• Exercise: 30 Burpees
• Exercise: 30 Jump Squats

• Exercise: 30 Push-ups
• Exercise: Mountain Climbers, 1 minute

• Exercise: Bicycle Crunch, 30 seconds
• Exercise: Plank on BOSU ball, 1 minute

• Exercise: Skaters, 30 seconds
• Exercise: Wall Sit, 1 minute

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Nutrition

Candice Carter likes to include a variety of foods in her diet for optimal health. These include:

• Beans and legumes for fiber and digestion
• Lean meats such as poultry for protein
• Fish at least 2-3 times per week for omega-3 fatty acids and lean proteins
• Avocados and olive oil as a source of good fats
• Eggs
• Complex carbs for energy
• Fruits and vegetables for micronutrients

When her competition phase sets in, Candice’s choice of foods becomes stricter. But no matter where she’s at, she’ll always ensure to get her essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and healthy fatty acids. This helps her body to keep up with the demands of her intense show preparations.

Additionally, Candice likes to keep her protein intake high during contest prep. The reason for this is that it protects her muscle mass from catabolizing itself due to the lack of calories. Instead, her body turns to fat as its fuel source.

Cheat Meals – Yes or No?

For Candice, it’s a “yes”. Cheat meals help to replenish her body with plenty of calories, especially after she’s spent months dieting down for a show. Although, when she’s in the midst of her contest preparations, her diet allows no room for slip-ups.

Supplements

While Candice puts a big emphasis on her diet, there’s also time and place for supplements in her regimen. Specifically, she likes to add them in when she’s training for the contest.

This ‘competition phase’ is often very hard on the body, and quickly depletes nutrients, partly due to lack of calories but also due to her intense training sessions. Which is why Candice likes to fuel her body with a high-quality protein, a multivitamin, and some other optional workout supplements to support her body’s increased demands.

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What we can learn from Candice Carter

If there’s a lesson to be learned from Candice, it’s that your dreams are just that – dreams, without action. In order for them to become a reality, you should put in the dedication, sacrifice, and hard work every day. It may not be easy, but as we’ve seen with Candice Carter, the results of your efforts will be worth it – whether that’s in fitness or anything else in life.