Fitting friendship

The busy Morristown mother of four and Stowe High School graduate is at the gym by 6:30 most mornings. She spends up to an hour and a half at Snap Fitness lifting weights and exercising on the cardio machines.

She works out with her friend Tammy Thomas of Eden. They frequently encourage each other to push a little harder, or lift a bit heavier.

Phelps, 39, and Thomas, 42, hope all their training will pay off April 19 when they compete in the National Physique Committee Vermont Championships at South Burlington High School.

Both women will compete in a division of female bodybuilding known as “figure.” It calls for a fit, feminine physique without the striated muscles seen in traditional bodybuilding. Judges look for muscle symmetry and tone, including nicely defined shoulders and quadriceps.

Wearing sequined bikinis, 5-inch plastic heels and spray tans, contestants walk across the stage to the beat of house music while striking classic bodybuilding poses.

Phelps and Thomas will be competing against each other in the master’s class for contestants 35 years old and older. Phelps, a first-time competitor, will also compete in the novice class.

Tough training

Phelps and Thomas squeeze in their weight training while working full time. Phelps and her husband own the Sears Hometown Store in Morristown. Thomas is a car saleswoman at McMahon Chevrolet.

Thomas became interested in bodybuilding in 2011 after watching a friend compete. She entered her first competition in October 2012, placing first. Last fall, she placed fifth at the National Physique Committee Northeast Championships in Boston.

Phelps began weight training in June 2012. Before that, she had taken up running to get back in shape after having her fourth child.

She’s lost nearly 30 pounds, dropped several clothing sizes and changed the way she eats.

“Now, I’m eating to fuel my muscles,” Phelps said.

They began training for the April 19 competition 14 weeks ago, ramping up their daily workouts and fine-tuning their nutrition.

They work out weekly with trainer Jeff Rutledge, who helps them zero in on body parts that might need to be more developed or slimmed down. They also spend time doing cardiovascular exercise such as running to help burn off fat.

They eat six small meals a day, which helps keep their insulin levels stable and their metabolism steady. For the first seven weeks of their training, they consumed plenty of calories from nutrient-dense food to help them maintain their energy while building muscle. Then, about six weeks ago, they started more restrictive diets, eating between 1,400 and 1,600 calories daily, including 180 grams of protein, large amounts of green vegetables, oatmeal and a weekly sweet potato. Additionally, they drink two gallons of water each day.

Phelps and Thomas spend several hours each Sunday making their meals for the week. When they go to work or for a weekend away, they carry coolers filled with pre-packed meals and snacks.

They email weekly photos of themselves to a sports nutritionist in California who tweaks their diets to help get their physiques in top form.

In the days leading up to the contest, they’ll get spray tans along with a glaze to highlight their muscles. Thomas will take an extra step, applying Preparation H to her hips and thighs before wrapping them in saran wrap to help remove excess water weight.

Both women will use a roll-on glue called Bikini Bite before stepping onto the competition stage.

“It basically glues you into your suit so it doesn’t move,” Thomas said.

Setting goals

Phelps hopes that watching her train for the upcoming competition will inspire her daughters to set and work toward goals.

She gets support from her family, including her husband Joe, who works out alongside her most mornings.

“You have to make yourself a priority to have a happy house,” Phelps said.

As a child she watched her best friend compete in beauty pageants and dreamed of entering one someday.

“Now I get to be a beauty girl with muscles,” Phelps said.

For Thomas, the best part about competing is that she is constantly motivated to take her training to the next level.

“It’s about going up there and doing your best,” Thomas said. “It’s about competing against yourself.”

Competing against each other won’t affect their friendship. Both women would like to place among the top five competitors in order to go home with a trophy.

“I hope she does better than I do,” Thomas said of Phelps.

“I feel the same way about her,” Phelps said.