My Journey From First Time Competitor to OCB Bikini Pro
NAME, AGE & HOMETOWN
Hi! I am Adrienne Schroll. I’m 36 and from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
TELL US MORE ABOUT YOU
I was born and raised in Wisconsin. I left my home state to attended college at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology.
In 2019, I graduated from Temple University – School of Pharmacy, with a Master of Science degree in Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance with a focus on Drug Development. I currently work as the Director of Quality for a medical device startup designing an implantable neuromodulation device used to treat chronic migraines.
I love my job and I look forward to getting the product to market where it can be used to help those patients suffering from the incapacitation neurological disease.
HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY FROM FIRST TIME COMPETITOR TO OCB BIKINI PRO BEGIN?
In the Fall, I finished my third marathon and completed graduate school. The excitement I thought I had for the relaxing life I was going to have without the stress of work, school, and marathon training was short-lived. I needed something to challenge me and give me purpose. I had a great job that was challenging me, but I knew there had to be more.
I had always wanted to compete in a bikini competition, but it was always just something I pushed aside as I didn’t know where to start. But as I started verbalizing it to those that knew me, I kept getting positive reinforcement to pursue it. I was at a birthday party in January of that year and told a friend I was going to start training. I didn’t have a plan, nor did I have a coach, but I found myself committing to making this dream, a reality. As I verbalized it, I felt like that was my first step and my second step was finding a coach.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT JULIE LOHRE’S ONLINE CONTEST PREP TRAINING PROGRAM?
I found a link through a google search as I was looking for a trainer with experience in women’s body building competitions. I read through everyone of her Success Stories and really like the vibe I got from her. It seemed she legitimately cared about her clients and both their competitive success and their overall health and well being. I love that she is a natural athlete and that she does not tolerate any type of unhealthy practices or substances with the women she works with.
WHAT WERE YOUR ORIGINAL CONCERNS AS YOU STARTED WORKING WITH JULIE?
I wanted it to feel as though there was a person invested in helping me and not a robot behind the screen. I also wanted someone that was going to hold me accountable and push me to meet my goals. Another concern was evaluating progress. I didn’t fully understand how someone would be able to do that remotely but Julie’s system of 2-week check ins which includes photos and measurements seemed to work reliably. In addition, the FITBODY Fitness Test was an excellent indicator of progress.
I found Julie Lohre after failed attempts at finding a reliable trainer, locally. I had identified Julie earlier in the process as someone I was interested in learning more about and decided to pursue that direction after our initial phone call. I appreciated the fact she had an application process and was not just going to take my money and work with me without knowing whether we could meet my goals together. I felt as if she was putting in the time to understand how and if she could truly help me in pursuing my goals. At no point did I feel like she was going to tell me what I wanted to hear and that was what I was looking for.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ON YOUR OCB BIKINI PRO JOURNEY?
If you ask my friends and family their response would be, I’ve finally learned how to cook chicken without burning it or starting it on fire 🙂
But really, this process has taught me soooo much! I have learned what works for MY body. I always assumed the way to change your body was through “diet and exercise” or create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. Both concepts are true, but this process took my level of understanding my own body to a much deeper level. I was able to understand how my body responds to different ways of eating and at different macronutrient levels. I learned that I could eat a balanced diet without starving myself and still get into bikini competition shape. Overall, I have changed how I look at food. I understand the macros and how my choices impact my energy and appearance which allows me to make healthier choices that impact my long-term goals. Even when I am ready to stop competing. I will be able to continue living this healthy lifestyle because Julie has helped me prep in a way that supports my metabolism!
WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF THIS JOURNEY?
I went through a very tough breakup about 2 months prior to my competition. I felt like my world had been flipped upside down in the blink of an eye. Not only were we in the middle of a pandemic which made it hard to spend time with family and friends, but the little things that gave me comfort and stability were gone and I had to establish a new normal. This included moving to a new city and living alone.
I felt physically and emotionally drained and the thought of competing felt so far out of reach. I couldn’t eat and sleep seemed so far out of reach that I was struggling to complete my workouts each day. But as time passed, I slowly found a new routine and my drive to compete intensified as I was able to regain focus. It didn’t happen overnight, and I still struggled some days to not feel sad and defeated but I knew if I completed my workout(s) it would numb the pain for a while. It was little things like that which drove me to regain focus. Each week would feel a little better than the last.
One of the hardest moments was the week before the competition. I was full of emotions and felt angry and sad about doing it alone. Maybe it was all a blessing in disguise as what happened after the competition changed me for the better. After placing first and winning my pro card, I had a rush of emotions.
I have never felt so confident and secure with myself, including my body. I feel like I accomplished something I never thought was possible and I did it at a point in my life where I had felt like things were at their worst. The best feeling of all was realizing I did this on my own and to this day I still feel capable of doing so much more. This competition changed me, and that day was one of the best days of my life.
HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW AS AN OCB BIKINI PRO?
I feel happy. Happy and confident. That might sound simple and boring but for me it felt so far out of reach that I worried I was never going to find it again. The day of my competition was life changing. I have a strong desire to continue to compete and see how far I can go in this sport as I know the first competition I was not at the top of my game. I’ve also learned that I crave the discipline this sport requires as it creates stability in my life.
WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DID YOU USE ON YOUR PATH TO BECOMING AN OCB BIKINI PRO?
While supplements are not a magic bullet, once your training and nutrition are in good places, the right supplements can make a huge difference. I used Beverly International Supplements through FITBODY.com and that really helped! I went through several phases in my training with Julie, but she had me follow two different paths with supplements depending on what we needed to do at that time in my OCB Bikini Pro journey.
Muscle Build Bikini Competition Supplements:
UMP Protein Powder – 2 scoop shake each day
Fit Tabs – 2 in the am
Density – 2 with 3 meals per day
Ultra 40 – 2 with 3 meals per day
Muscle Synergy – 1 scoop before training
Fat Loss Bikini Competition Supplements:
UMP Protein Powder – 2 scoop shake each day
Fit Tabs – 2 in the am
Lean Out – 2 before 3 meals per day
7 Keto Musclean – 2 in the am and 2 with lunch
Glutamine Select – 1 scoop before training
The supplements that seemed to have noticeable impact was the Muscle Synergy and Glutamine Select. The daily UMP Protein Powder was also essential in meeting my daily protein intake. It also ended up being the one thing I looked forward to during contest prep. I would mix UMP vanilla with cinnamon, water and ice in a blender and it was almost like ice cream. Julie has a ton Protein Powder recipes that were pretty much amazing throughout my bikini pro prep.
WHAT IS THE BEST AND WORST PART ABOUT WORKING WITH JULIE LOHRE IN YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOME AN OCB PRO?
The best part about working with Julie has been her sincerity. I hesitated to do online training as I thought it would only be as effective as my drive to meet my goals, but Julie held me accountable, every two weeks, requiring updated photos and measurements. I truly felt she was giving honest feedback. Had she given me feedback she thought I wanted to hear; I would have never pushed myself enough to meet my goals.
It’s hard to think there is a “worst” but if I look at it from what was the hardest part about it, it would be having to take photos. It is not something I thoroughly enjoyed whether it was putting on a bathing suit in the middle of winter or having to look at photos of myself prior to being at a place I felt proud of. I dreaded it at first, but it has now become just another part of my Wednesday workouts and a chance for me to reflect on the progress I am making.
“I feel amazing. I have continued eating the way I did when I first started training.
I’m now lifting heavier weights than I ever have and cannot believe how much stronger I am.
I’m honestly in the best shape of my life.“
Favorite Motivational Quote?
“Where there is no struggle there is no strength.”
Ready to get started toward your transformation?
