Melissa Cunningham
Melissa Cunningham is a loving wife, exceptional mother, and a gifted athlete. Melissa holds a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science, she's a certified Personal Trainer, and up until last year worked as an Exercise Physiologist. She recently chose to put aside full time work to stay at home and enjoy everyday life with her 2 children, Bailey and Alexandria. She believes that her greatest motivation towards all her goals are her two beautiful children, and the ongoing support of her husband (and competitive power lifter), Terry. She loves sports that range from gymnastics to softball and from cheerleading to swimming. But, her true passion started at running. She still enjoys being involved with and helping others train for running road races, 5K's, half marathons and full marathons.
Once she got into the weight room and started training hard in college, she found a new passion. The weight room became her new addiction. Even though it took 5 years to gain the courage to compete, the time and commitment put fourth has shown that hard work and dedication can pay off. After competing for a couple years and placing pretty well in multiple shows, Melissa took a year off.
Melissa came back to compete in 2008 with her best physique ever. With the belief that the weight room and running is her outlet from everyday stresses and life....she is quoted as saying..."When I am working out, I am not a mom, I am not a wife, I am simply me, and a better stronger me because of it!" She also believes that training for figure competition is an amazing adventure and it has helped her fill the void of no longer being a competitive college athlete. She loves to set challenges for herself. She strives on taking her motivation towards achieving and exceeding her own expectations. With that in mind, she placed a couple 1st place spots in September of 2008. Then, she broke away from the competition in November of 2008, by earning her 1st Pro Card at the OCB Midwest States event in Dekalb, Illinois. She is now the new up and coming IFPA Figure Pro Competitor. Rank: IFPA Figure Pro Competitor
Age: 28 years old
Height: 5' 2"
Weight: 98-100 lbs. (competition)
Weekly Workout Routine:
Chest/Bi's/ABs
Back/Triceps
Legs/Shoulders/ABs
Rest Day
Start over from top
Cardio: 5-7 days a week
Cardio workout includes: Running, Running while pushing both kids in a stroller, Elliptical, Treadmill, Gym Bikes, and Melissa loves to incorporate family and fitness which includes fun time playground workouts!
Nutrition: Melissa prefers to keep it simple with healthy eating habits. She stays with smaller well balanced meals of lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. She eats every 3 hours to maintain her energy and metabolism. As long as moderation is kept in sight, Melissa believes in an occasional "cheat" meal. Her favorite "cheat" foods are Chocolate, Mac & Cheese, and any type of Pasta. She loves to cook with her children and is always trying to find new, creative and healthy meals for her family. She believes good nutrition is good for the body, plus it helps her maintain her energy for those days of being a Super-Mom!
From Melissa to all: "I hope to serve as inspiration to women and others who find it hard to balance family, work, and a healthy lifestyle. Remember to keep it fun, keep it consistent, and make it a habit. It can be done"!
