Article in Tulsa Free Press, August, 2005

Competitive Body Building Works for Eva-Marie Gooden

By D. J. Morrow Ingram, Associate Editor

When one first meets Eva-Marie “Mimi” Gooden, you can’t help but notice her professional demeanor, friendly smile and great wit. And, even in business clothes it is obvious that she is physically fit. But first impressions can be deceiving. Gooden isn’t just “fit” – there isn’t an ounce of fat on her, she’s muscular and has an athlete’s grace. She is a competitive bodybuilder.

“I’ve been lifting weights for nearly 20 years and began competing in women’s body building 13 years ago,” she said. “But this year I competed in the ‘figure’ division – it’s a bit more feminine and you don’t have to put on as much size as you do in body building.”

Standing at five foot three and a half, Gooden, 38, today weighs about 127 – about five pounds more than her “competition weight”.  “I got as high as 134 in recent years from too much fast food but I don’t like to be that heavy.”

Gooden said she first got interested in the sport of body building in college when anorexia plummeted her weight to a mere 83 pounds.  “I recovered from that and started reading books and looking for a healthy way to keep my weight down. I began working out in a gym and got hooked on it. Eventually, I was drawn to competing.”

Gooden holds a number of trophies for her winnings in body building and figure competition.  “It’s fun but it’s work,” she says. “Forget the grueling weeks of preparation leading up to the competition. For the judges you have to do a series of quarter turns, stand in a very specific way and be fully flexed while looking relaxed and as though you are enjoying every minute of it.  “And, you are doing this in a crystal and rhinestone encrusted swimsuit standing on four-inch heels.”

Gooden says one can’t compete every weekend like a softball player would. “The demanding training schedule would completely deplete you.”  Her diet while training is extremely simple: broccoli and lean turkey with oatmeal on special occasions.

Her workout while training is exhausting just to hear: twice-a-day workouts with one and one-half hours each of weight lifting and aerobic. For twelve weeks.  “Getting ready to compete becomes a part-time job,” she said.

In the relatively new figure division of body building, competitors are judged on muscle definition, symmetry, size, femininity, hair and makeup. Being tan is very important because well-oiled darker skin helps the muscles look more defined.  “I hired a professional for $75 who painted my tan on my body and came to the competition to do touchups backstage,” she said. “You definitely lose all of your modesty.”

Other expenses include the swimsuits ($400 for two), hair and makeup assistance, high heels and all the expenses of preparation including the gym membership, special food, competition entry fees, personal trainers (Gooden doesn’t have one) and any supplements an athlete may take.

“It takes a lot of work and dedication and sometimes you wonder why you’re doing it,” she says. “But near the end it gets fun when it all comes together, you know your tanned, oiled body looks great and you’re in front of the judges.”

Gooden says that bodybuilders develop their own competition regimen regarding food and liquids. Along with her low carbohydrate diet, she stops drinking water a day and a half ahead of the competition but begins reintroducing carbs the day before.

“You’re trying to strike a balance with your body,” she says. “You want definition but you don’t want your muscles to look flat from depletion. I eat oatmeal and fruit the morning of the show then sweet potatoes that afternoon.  “When you’re under the hot lights and flexing at your maximum you have to have some fuel in your body to maintain.”

Women from all walks of life and professions as well as ages compete as bodybuilders, Gooden says. There are personalities of every kind as well.  The competitions Gooden participates in are governed by the National Physique Committee and include rules on sportsmanship.

“Some people are rude or mean and are simply trying to psyche you out,” she says. “Others, like this woman in this last competition, are terrific. She was competing in the ‘over 35’ division and is a beautiful redhead who is a makeup artist by trade. She brought me false eyelashes and taught me how to put them on for the competition.  “We’ve stayed in touch via email and are now friends.”

Gooden says one edge she has on a lot of her competitors is her husband, John.  “He is so supportive you wouldn’t believe it,” she says. “While I am training he will find the kind of food I need and cook it for me. He comes to the competitions and often winds up helping out in any way that is needed.”

Gooden’s most recent competition was in June so she is now back to only one job–that being a Marketing Communication Specialist for BSW International, Inc., where the University of Tulsa graduate and APR (Accredited Public Relations) professional is responsible for brochures, news releases and basically anything that is written or designed. Her hobbies now include writing and enjoying her four cats.

And she is settled into her “non-competitive” fitness schedule of working out on cardio three to five times a week and on weights three.  “I feel great. I feel healthy. It’s summer and I can wear a bathing suit without any qualms whatsoever. And while not every woman would want to take bodybuilding or weightlifting to the level I have, I encourage all women to give it a try.”