From the moment Narelle Tobin saw results in her body after taking on the goal of becoming a natural bodybuilder, she was determined to push herself to the limit.
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Recently gaining professional status after success at a range of events throughout Australia and overseas in the Philippines, Tobin now wants to see what she’s truly capable of.
“The training is the easiest part of it all. The diet requires more mental strength than the physical side of things,” Tobin said.
“This was something I wasn’t prepared for during my first season, but I have learnt to manage it over time.”
Tobin first started bodybuilding around two years ago, and her journey to professional status has not come without its challenges.
“Just being able to push through when you’re not motivated and sticking to a diet when there are so many people around you eating sweets,” she laughed.
“But once you get into a rhythm and you start seeing results, it becomes a lot easier.”
Tobin works with a coach twice per week, who manages her training routine and oversees her diet, which makes her progression easier.
Once she’s up on stage, she described the feeling as “amazing”
“The first three competitions I was in, I was really nervous and had no idea what I was doing,” Tobin laughed.
“But the more I do, the more I’ve learned to enjoy my time up on the stage.
“It’s a chance to show all the hardwork that I’ve put in and to get up there and not enjoy what I’ve worked so hard to achieve would be a real shame.”
The elevation to professional status has come as a shock to Tobin. However, she is more than eager to continue down the path to competing in more international events.
“I really wasn’t expecting the professional status, now I will work with my coach to figure out where we will go from here,” Tobin said.
She will continue her training and compete at professional level events associated with the Australian Natural Bodybuilding Association.
“Above what I have already achieved, I’m looking at going on some more world stages,” she said.
Alongside bodybuilding, Tobin juggles a busy life operating her own business, PhysiPole Studios in Carlton, and lecturing part-time in removable prosthodontics at Latrobe University Bendigo.
Another of her priorities is to show other people that you can succeed without being sucked into the darker side of the industry.
“It’s an image based industry, but I think there are ways that you can still promote yourself without being fake and not being true to yourself,” Tobin said.
“If I’m able to inspire other people along the way, that would be a bonus.”
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