New York Pro - Five Questions with Karen Mullarkey

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Hardbodies News 29 August, 2008 07:52:00

Karen Mullarkey-Barringer

Bodybuilding Weekly caught up with Arizona IFBB Figure Pro Karen Mullarkey, who will next compete at the New York Pro Figure Championships in New York on September 5th and 6th.

August 29, 2008

Special for Bodybuilding Weekly

Karen's Bodybuilding Weekly Profile

New York Pro Figure Main Coverage Page

BW: Hi Karen! You looked beautiful at the Europa, congratulations. What physique areas have you been focused on between the KentuckyMuscle in November and the Texas shows this summer?

KM: I realized after the Kentucky Muscle show last November that I needed a break from dieting hard and I needed to focus on adding more muscle to my physique. I always look to improve all areas, but my main focus was on getting my back wider and my quads fuller. I am pleased with the results, but there is always room for improvement! I tried coming in a bit fuller in Houston and then realized that is not the look I wanted. I tightened up at the Europa show and should come in looking my best in New York. It has been trial and error attempting to get the look they want for the new criteria and the competition at the pro level is amazing. It is truly a whole new level and it has been a wonderful learning experience.

What are your goals for New York, and for the rest of the competition year? Will you be back in your home state to compete in November?

I am planning on looking my best in New York by bringing myself in tighter and harder, yet still feminine. My goal this season has been to improve after each show and I would love to place in the top 12 before it is over. I earned my pro card last year at the New York show, so I feel very comfortable competing there. I am also looking forward to cheering on five friends that train with Ernie who are trying to earn their pro cards. Go Ernie's Elite Team!

I would love to compete in the Olympia and that will continue to be my motivation to train hard this off season so I can make the necessary improvements. I would like to compete in Sacramento and again in my home town of Louisville this November, but I will have to decide that after the New York show. If my placing isn't where I want it to be than I am going to enjoy a long off season and work on my weaknesses (I know my husband will be happy ). It will also give me time to build my business and to hopefully, get involved in the fitness modeling industry!

We understand that you made a career change earlier this year. What prompted the change, and are you working jointly with Ernie?

I did make a career change back in April of this year. I had been working for the City of Tempe and also trying to get hired on one of the local fire departments as a fire fighter. I had been testing for 4 years and finally made it through the whole testing process with one of the local departments but I was ranked #12 and they hired only 10. I was pretty frustrated after going through all of that testing and fire academy training, so I began to switch my focus on earning my pro card. I guess everything happens for a reason because the next year I earned my pro card. That was when I decided to take a chance and to start "No Mullarkey" Personal Training.

I am still working on getting everything set up for my business and I wanted to put all of my energy towards competing this season. I plan to start taking on clients after my season is over, which could be as early as next month. I have already begun posing classes for local women getting ready for figure shows and it has been keeping me very busy.

My trainer, Ernie Villegas, and I are working under our own separate personal training businesses. We are helping each other out and he is giving me plenty of good advice to get going. All of our clients will go to the same boot camp on the weekends and we will cover each others clients when one of us needs some time off. I hope to open my own personal training studio when I get enough business and Ernie plans to train out of there when that happens.

As a personal trainer, what would you say are your specialties and how should potential clients contact you?

One of my specialties is getting women ready to compete. I have learned so much over the past four years from my own experience and I feel that I am very knowledgeable when it comes to the proper training, nutrition, and stage presence. I also played Division One field hockey in college so I will also specialize in training individuals for other sports as well. Lastly, I have been training a couple of friends over the Internet that live back in Louisville who just want to lose some weight and tone up. So far they have been on track and it is such a great feeling to get an call from a good friend telling me that she has lost 23 pounds. You Go Kentucky Women!!!!!

The name of my business is "No Mullarkey" Personal Training and I can be contacted at karen@karenmullarkey.com. I am currently working on my website and the address is http://www.karenmullarkey.com/, which I hope to have up and running soon. I currently train out of Maximum Fitness in Scottsdale, Arizona. Please feel free to contact me for one on one, group, or on-line personal training!!!!!!!!

Your friend Lynn Widdowson has been nowhere to be found in the pro ranks. Is she preparing for a pro debut, or can you give us a little bit of info on what she is up to?

Lynn has been dealing with a recurring back problem, but is back in the gym. She is planning to make her pro debut at the Sacramento Pro this November. It will be nice competing with her again because we did our very first regional show together 4 years ago and ironically we both earned our pro cards last July.

Thanks so much Karen, and good luck in New York!!

Interview conducted by Rada for Bodybuilding Weekly and FigureRX Magazine. All photos provided by Karen and credited to Juan Carlos Lopez.

Karen Mullarkey NY Pro