Andrea Shaw is best known in the sport of bodybuilding as the reigning Olympic woman. Shaw became the champion upon the return of legendary competition at the 2020 Olympics in Orlando, Florida. Her physique is considered the standard in the Women's Bodybuilding Division and she plans to maintain that position in the future.
Shaw shared a career retrospective with bodybuilding legend Dennis James as the main guest on this week's episode of The Menace Podcast. She told James that her competitive career actually began in the puppet department after learning how to exercise from her mother. She took third place on her first and second shows. She then decided to take a break because she had seen something during the competition.
“I was the bloody mass monster on stage with these figure girls. My legs, that was obvious when looking at the photos. I was definitely hungry. I did cardio twice a day, worked out once a day so I worked out three times a day and I was still on stage at 140 (pounds) and these girls are like 120, you know, 110.
After her long absence from the stage, the Women's Physique department was born. Andrea Shaw would turn pro after six amateur shows. It wasn't long, however, before she found out that it wasn't the department for her either. The size of her quads was the next decision for her.
“I said, 'I won't fight with my body anymore'. So I said to Lenda (Murray), 'Yeah, I've come this way before. So what do you think, what do you have in mind? "And she said, 'You know, the next show, female bodybuilding, just jump in."
Under the guidance of Murray and Alina Popa, Andrea Shaw made the switch and the rest is history. It won the 2020 Rising Phoenix World Championship and followed ten days later with the historic victory of Ms. Olympia. w she takes on the role of ambassador for her department and wants to follow in the footsteps of Murray, whom she called her "inspiration".
“It was a source for us when we needed it, and I hope so for more young women or women who want to ask questions. So I tell them, “Do you have any questions? Write to me and I'll answer you. You may not like some of the answers, but that's okay. Sometimes you have to grow. "
Shaw and James talk about their childhood, the bodybuilding business, their love for apple pie, and more. Watch the entire episode on the Muscle & Fitness YouTube channel.
0:57 - gymnastics and cheerleading
2:45 Learned to exercise from her mother
3:55 - Thoughts on competition and college
8:11 - break from the competition
11:38 - The physique of women
13:41 - gymnastics professional
4:35 PM - Decision to move to women's bodybuilding
18:00 - Strategy for 2020
18:50 - Win the rising phoenix / work with your coach
21:17 - mentors
23:46 - Iris Kyle and the Olympia
28:33 - 2021 Rising Phoenix / Ambassador of Sport
30:38 - inspiration
32:15 - Life as a bodybuilder
36:30 - clothing selection / interaction with people
39:00 - What does she have to do to repeat?
40:45 - Greatest competition and camaraderie
43:00 - apple pie
44:52 - Other hobbies
