You Got This: Bikini model reveals the secret behind her shredded physique

A Bondi woman who was once “clueless” in the gym has detailed how she transformed her body after figuring out the mistake holding her back.

Welcome to You Got This, news.com.au’s weekly slice of fitness inspiration featuring tips and advice from real women who’ve experienced it all.

Motivation was never a problem for Roxanne Oldham.

She would train most days, between seven to 10 sessions a week, and would even double up on some days.

But no matter how hard she worked in the gym, Roxy said she wasn’t seeing any results – that was until she fixed a food mistake she had no idea she was making.

“When I started training, there was no education around nutrition, so I just took it upon myself to do what I thought was right,” Ms Oldham told news.com.au.

“I would have lemon and hot water in the morning, or apple cider vinegar because I thought that helped with fat loss and also believed carbs were the enemy.

“I was absolutely clueless.”

The 34-year-old, who moved to Bondi from the UK in 2010, said she began feeling extremely “disappointed” and “unhappy” in herself because she was “training loads” but not getting anywhere.

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Roxanne Oldham, 34, of Bondi, before embarking on her 2015 fitness journey.

The bikini model and fitness coach today. Picture: Milad Khatib/Studio Momento

As well as a lack of understanding about diet, Roxy also loved to party, resulting in her hard work going down the drain.

“I did lose weight but I wouldn’t keep it off for long and waste all the hard work at the weekend,” she said.

“I didn’t mind my body, I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I knew that I could look better and feel better in myself – I just didn’t know how, yet.”

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But that all changed in 2015 when she entered a 30-day challenge at her local gym, Signiature Fitness, and learned about the importance of nutrition.

“I got educated on what calories were, what macros were, the right foods, how to track and how to food prep,” she explained.

The Bondi local also went on to reduce her training to four sessions per week.

“I got educated on a level I had never experienced with any other gym or trainer, or if I did, it didn’t stick,” she said.

“I was held accountable for my progress; we talked about fat loss instead of weight loss and other ways to track progress through photos.”

After hiring a personal trainer and educating herself on nutrition, Roxy went on to become a qualified coach herself and entered her first competition in 2019.

SECRET TO RIPPED RIG

She said it’s important to feed your body enough food to complement your training.

“Your body is like an engine, if you fuel it with the wrong fuel, the car isn’t going last long and it’s going to break down. If you service it and give it the care it deserves, it’s going to run like a race car.”

Ms Oldham said that after tweaking her meals to include more protein, carbs and healthy fats, she soon became stronger and more confident in her body.

The experience sparked the next chapter of her fitness journey – becoming a qualified personal trainer and bikini model.

“I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to compete, and how I really wanted to push my body to my limits,” she explained.

At the end of 2018 she started preparing for her very first competition – I Complete Natural (ICN) – adding the experience taught her discipline.

Roxy trains four to five times a week focusing on weight-based training. Picture: Milad Khatib/Studio Momento

Roxy (left) is now on a mission to help fellow women achieve their fitness goals. Picture: Milad Khatib/Studio Momento

She went on to place second in the fitness and sport category of the 2019 ICN competition – and repeated her success in the same categories the following year.

“I was on a mission and I didn’t stop until I got the vision I had in my head for myself for my body and my mind. I was becoming the person I wanted to be.”

Ms Oldham mainly does weights-based training splitting her sessions between upper and lower body parts and adding 20 minutes of conditioning.

“There are a few things I swear by – invest in the right coaches or gym for you and surround yourself with like-minded, strong women that are going to support you,” she said, adding that “patience is also key”.

“Trust the process – it takes time, as you can see from my experience.”

She said if you are consistent and willing to fail and get back up, you will be surprised with what you can achieve.

“It’s going to be hard, but believe that you are going to do it and really put yourself out of your comfort zone.”

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