A Yorkton bodybuilder has hit the national stage. Denise Kominetsky competed in Halifax in the figures competition, in doing so she has achieved her main goal of getting on the national stage.
鈥淪ince I started doing this in 2011, my goal was to get on the national stage. Last year, I won my Figure Tall category, so that granted me my ticket to nationals. For me, you鈥檙e competing with the best in Canada, so it is kind of surreal but kind of amazing to go on that stage. Even just getting on the national stage, I didn鈥檛 care if I got dead last... I got to nationals, that was my goal, it was amazing.鈥�
Kominetsky did not get dead last, placing eighth in a crowd of 17. She says for her first national competition, she set a goal of being in the top ten, swomething she admits was an ambitious goal for a tough crowd of women, so she鈥檚 proud to achieve it.
She says that she began bodybuilding for health reasons. Kominetsky has crohns/colitis, and says in 2011 she was at a low point health-wise, but was inspired by people who she knew who were competing, and she was inspired to try it for herself. Her first competition she placed third, and says that hooked her in for good.
鈥淚 started from a little skeleton, because I was skin and bones from being sick... It takes a lot of time from start to finish. Some people think you can train for 20 weeks and be nationally ready, and maybe some people can, not me, it took a few years, and I need yet more years to get where I need to be.鈥�
This is a change for Kominetsky, who admits a love of working out was a relatively new development, but something that she has found empowering and rewarding.
鈥淚 was never a sporty person in school, I was always the artsy, crafty choir person. I tried sports but the basketball kept getting away from me... But after 2011, I just love the gym. I love coming in and lifting and being able to look at the guy next to me and go 鈥業 can do that.鈥欌��
Kominetsky competes in the Figure category, which is the middle category, between bikini and physique. She says competition day starts early, as they get ready. She says that they鈥檙e very lean at that point, and many of them start eating lots of snacks on the day.
鈥淵ou are eating all this junk food but you鈥檙e eating so healthy leading up. But the idea is that your muscle bellies need all that filling up with quick acting stuff.鈥�
Kominetsky trains all year long for the event, with the build up to competition seeing her lift weights five days a week and doing cardio every day. During the off season she tapers off. She says it鈥檚 an intense training schedule, she trains all year but it gets more intense when in preparation for a competition, and says that it鈥檚 about building to a peak.
鈥淵ou basically prep for 16 to 20 weeks for one day... Even the professionals who it鈥檚 their job will not look like they do on stage all the time. You can鈥檛, you just can鈥檛.鈥�
If people want to start building, Kominetsky says that research is key, both because the training is difficult and intense, and because you need to do it properly in order to get results. She says that it鈥檚 more than just coming to the gym, but it鈥檚 a commitment that requires a lot of work and sacrifice.
鈥淵our social life is basically non-existent if you鈥檙e serious about your prep, because you can鈥檛 drink alcohol, and you can鈥檛 stay out all night because you need your sleep, and sleep is a big thing. If you don鈥檛 get your seven to nine hours a night your body revolts against you.鈥�
Part of the reason she does it is because she can see the results of her hard work, and so can people around her. She has been told she鈥檚 an inspiration to others, and says it鈥檚 a proud moment to know she鈥檚 influencing someone to improve their life.
鈥淭o be told you鈥檙e an inspiration, that鈥檚 more rewarding than getting a first place trophy to be honest with you.鈥�
But while she knows that what she鈥檚 doing isn鈥檛 for everyone, she says that going to the gym and exercising, or making adjustments in the kitchen to improve your diet is for everyone, and she says if people work out in a way that makes sense for them they鈥檒l improve their lives.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so beneficial for your mental health, physical health, anything... I encourage everyone just to get more active. You don鈥檛 need to be a competitor, that鈥檚 from 0-60 if you鈥檝e never done anything, but just get up and move around... Everything in moderation, it鈥檚 just about healthy life choices.鈥�
Her next goal is to get an overall figure win for a permanent national bid, and she says that it鈥檚 actually rare for someone in the tall category to get an overall figure win. She says she doesn鈥檛 know exactly why that is, but she wants to win the category and says she鈥檚 going to keep going until she gets it.
