Aviano reservist earns 'ultrabody' distinction

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Lindsey Maurice
  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  To have the "ultra body" is something many people wish for, but for one Aviano spouse and Air Force Reservist, this wish has become a reality.

Tech. Sgt. Jonelle Baglia, wife of Tech. Sgt. Zack Baglia, 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron, took home first place honors in the Ultrabodies X bodybuilding competition "Women's Figure Division" and "Best Abs (Women's Category)" on June 20 at RAF Mildenhall, England.

The competition, sponsored and judged by the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation, was open to U.S. Air Forces in Europe members and included a men's bodybuilding division with heavy, middle and light weight classes, a women's bodybuilding division and a women's figure division.

"I'm glad I entered the competition," said Baglia. "I wanted to see how far I could push myself and see what shape I could get my body in. My physical state was already good, but I always need something to work toward. I also wanted to prove that having children doesn't mean the end of physical fitness."

Baglia, who has been fit most of her life, said she first considered competing professionally about three years ago.

"I was working out in the gym when some guy came up to me and asked if I was training for a competition," she said. "I told him no, but asked him what type of competition he was talking about. I had never heard about figure competitions before.

"He told me I should compete, and since then it's always been in the back of my mind, but too many things kept getting in my way - two pregnancies, school, work, etc. Last year, I began prepping for the Ultrabodies 2008 competition, but I had to have surgery last summer, so once again, it was put off. Finally, I promised myself that this year will be the year that I turn 30 and I will not put it off. Regardless of what happens, I will compete."

With Baglia's husband deployed, she made the trip to England with her niece and friends.

"Having them there to support me, meant so much," she said. "Not only did they help me prepare and stay on track, but they made the whole experience more enjoyable."

The annual competition began with a prejudging portion early in the day, when all the figure competitors had to go on stage together and perform a series of poses.

"I was so nervous," said Baglia. "I was a little unsure of my stage presence and I thought people could tell I was nervous, but I kept a big smile on my face and acted as if I'd been doing this for years and it worked. I got through it and the night show was much more relaxing."

For the Women's Figure Division portion, in which Baglia competed, physiques were scored on feminine symmetry, toned muscularity and relative leanness, according to the BNBF Web site.

During the first part of the night show, each contestant had to perform a solo "T walk" in front of the judges in which they demonstrated poses which best displayed their physiques.

"To my own surprise, I was able to enjoy being on stage," said Baglia. "I felt confident and received excellent feedback from the judges."

The second portion of the night show was a comparison round where all figure competitors went on stage together and were compared to one another.

"I felt a little more nervous during this part because you don't know exactly what each judge is looking for and all the competitors had great attributes," she said.

The last portion of the competition was the awards presentation, where all the competitors were brought back on stage and the winners were announced.

"I was still pretty nervous at that point," Baglia said. "I never felt that I 'had it in the bag,' but when the second and third place winners were announced, I knew I had taken first. The feeling was kind of surreal. The first thought that went through my mind was that 'I can't wait to tell Zack.'"

"The only thing that would have made this whole experience better would have been to have my husband and children there to cheer me on," she said. "Without Zack's support and encouragement, I would have never been able to do this. They are the reason I was up on stage."

Baglia said she first began seriously training for the competition about four months prior.

"I tried to do between four to six days of cardio a week, 20-60 minutes in length, varying the routine each month," she said. "I also did weight training four to six days a week involving a split routine, meaning only working certain muscle groups on a given day."

Baglia said her weight training sessions were constantly different as she changed the number of sets, repetitions, and weight each time.

"Some days I would lift extremely heavy only and perform 45 reps," she said. "Other days I would be lifting somewhat lighter performing 10 sets consisting of 10 reps and many days it would fall somewhere in between the two extremes."

Baglia, who also works part time at the Dragon Fitness Center as a personal trainer, said her diet was also crucial to her training.

"The diet was the hardest for me," she said. "That was the true test of my dedication. It was a high protein, low fat, moderate carbohydrate diet."

The mother of two girls, ages 3 and 2 years old, said that while she has always been in pretty good shape, it is something she has to work at.

"I make exercise a priority no matter what's going on," she said. "I do cardio and weight training five days a week and follow it up with a clean diet. A healthy diet is crucial. I cannot stress that to people enough. No matter how hard a person works out in the gym, if it's not backed by a proper diet, optimal health results will not be reached."

Baglia will now compete in her second competition, the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Bodybuilding and Figure Competition in Stuttgart, Germany, in August, at which she will be representing Aviano AB; followed by the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation's Championship in Scotland in October.