Interview with Sofia Solheim: Bikini Fitness and Sponsored Athlete

Interview with Sofia Solheim – Bikini Fitness and Sponsored Athlete

We recently sat down with bikini fitness competitor and Women’s Best athlete, Sofia Solheim for an exclusive interview.

Sofia shared with us some practical insights into training for women, how to manage your time, role models and overall life in the health and fitness industry.

Enjoy!

Hi Sofia, thanks for chatting with us today.

To kick things off, with anyone who may not be familiar with you, could you give our readers a brief introduction?

I’m a 24 year old Bikini Fitness and Sponsored Athlete from Norway.

I’ve always had an active lifestyle, and I’ve played different team sports my whole life. I’ve been working out at the gym for 8 – 9 years now, however, I’ve only been really consistent with it in the last two years.

Apart from going to the gym and being active on social media, I have a marketing degree and have a big passion for marketing, so I’m trying to build a career in that field.

Last year, I decided I wanted to compete in bikini fitness.

I was meant to compete in April of this year, however with the outbreak of COVID-19, those plans were quickly cancelled, so now I’m currently bulking before I start my next diet in late September.

I love fitness and the gym so much, and it’s a big part of my life!

How did you get involved with fitness? What was or still is your biggest inspiration today?

Funnily enough, I started going to the gym to impress a guy I liked at the time.

However, I stuck to it because of how good it made me feel.

For me, the gym is somewhere I can escape from the world and do something I’m really good at.

Another thing I love about training is that there are very tangible rewards.

If you put in a lot of effort there will be results, and I find that very motivating!

How did your relationship with Women’s Best happen? Were you always interested in being a sponsored athlete for a well-known health and fitness brand?

Women’s Best contacted me last year and asked if I wanted to work with them, I was so stoked.

I’ve always appreciated what they strive to deliver, so to get the honor to be sponsored by them was, and still is, a big deal!

My three recommended products from them are the following:

Shop Sofia Solheim’s Favourites

Women’s Best Power Leggings

Comfortable, stylish and versatile. The ‘Power Leggings’ have redefined my workouts.

Not only are they flattering on my figure, but they’re made from high-quality materials giving me greater confidence during my training through enhanced flexibility and mobility.

Shop Now

Women’s Best Fit Pro Whey Protein

With a complete amino acid profile, high BCAA content, 24g of protein and low amounts calories per serving, you simply can’t go wrong with this protein powder.

The Salted Toffee Pretzel flavour is a personal favourite of mine.

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Protein Pancakes

Quick and easy to prepare and containing over 30g of protein per serving, these are a real pleasure to eat and comes without the added guilt!

They also have less than 3g of fat and sugar per serving which helps keeps my waistline (and health) in check.

Shop Now

How do you juggle working out and staying in shape with the demands of everyday life?

I normally go to the gym in the morning before work, so I’ll get my workout in early.

This means I’ll have the rest of the day to do whatever I want.

However,

When I’m preparing for a competition, it’s a bit more challenging to juggle normal life and training as it’s a lot stricter and my energy is limited.

Therefore:

I try my best now that I have the energy and time to spend as much time as possible with friends and doing stuff I ‘can’t’ do when preparing for a competition.

I really do believe it’s important to do other things other than just train.

Going to the gym should add value to your life, not consume every minute of your day.

Who do you look up to in the fitness industry and why?

There are a lot of people I look up to in the industry, but a few of my favourites are:

Grace Beverly – the stuff she’s done with all three of her brands are amazing, and she seems like such a great person.

Christian Guzman – everything he’s done so far is amazing, and I can’t wait to see how Alphaland will turn out.

Krissy Cela – her mindset is everything, and what she’s done with Tone and Sculpt is amazing!

Georgia Ladums-Jones – she’s one of the reasons why I wanted to do bikini fitness as I followed her journey through her first prep on her instagram. It was so inspiring to see how she shared both the ups and the downs.

These are only a few of the many people I look up to. But the main reason is their work ethic, values, and what they’ve achieved!

What does your current weekly training schedule look like?

Right now, I’m training 5 days a week with a full body split.

My coach, Jørn Rønåsen, has structured my program so the volume is split over 5 days to ensure I get enough work done on each muscle group.

What are your favourite and least favourite body parts to train and why?

Glutes and shoulders are my favorite because I really like to train them and I really want them to look good.

Least favourite depends on the day, but I’d probably say chest haha!

What does your diet look like? Do you generally include or exclude anything specific?

Right now, I’m eating ‘intuitively’ but I aim to have at least 30 – 40g of protein every hour, and cottage cheese before bed.

When I’m preparing for competition, I follow strict macros but I try to have a lot of fruit, vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats.

I’ve done a few ‘full day of eating’ posts on my instagram, so feel free to check those out.

Are there any supplements you currently take which help you to achieve peak performance in and out of the gym?

I use creatine to enhance my performance in the gym.

Apart from that, I don’t use much supplements now that I’m in my off season.

I use protein powder to reach my daily protein goal, and I also drink coffee with caffeine in it.

What’s the ONE piece of knowledge/skill(s)/insight(s) you’ve learned in the last year that has been a real game-changer in achieving optimal results?

How much you can improve your strength and body composition in just one year if you follow a plan and are strict with yourself!

What advice would you give to our female readers who may have hesitations towards entering into the world of fitness for the first time?

I would consider getting a coach; that way you’re sure you’re doing stuff the correct way, and you’ll get quicker results right off the bat.

Alternatively,

Just do some research into general fitness.

For instance, learning how to lift with correct form is arguably the one key skill that will yield great results and promote overall health and muscle longevity.

The gym might be a bit scary at first, but you’ll slowly get used to it and before you know it, it’ll feel like home.

Finally, what can we expect from Sofia Solheim in the next few years? Are there any long-term goals you’re currently pursuing?

I’m going to compete in bikini fitness in March and April 2021, so that’s my main focus right now.

I’m very excited to see how all my hard work this off season has paid off when I start leaning out!

More about Sofia Solheim

You can learn more about Sofia and follow her bikini fitness journey by checking her out on the below social media accounts:

Instagram

Did you enjoy this interview?

Have you got any questions for Sofia?

Let us know in the comments section below!

Joseph Gregorio

Joseph is the Founder and Editor in Chief of CheckMeowt. When he is not sat at the computer guzzling down the nearest thing with protein in it, he can be found pulling up the world in the gym. Occasionally, he is best described as socially unreliable and easily distracte.