A grandmother-of-three has revealed how bodybuilding has given her a new lease of life – as well as a 200lb frame and seventeen inch biceps.
Correctional officer Robin Hillis, 48, from Ontario, Canada, loved sports at school and when she left high school in 1989, she joined a gym to maintain her fitness and soon fell in love with weightlifting.
Before taking up the sport Robin was shy, but bodybuilding gave her a new lease of life and in 1993 and weighing 135lb, she competed in her first bodybuilding competition and placed second.
Robin kept in shape during and after her pregnancies with her daughters, Katey, 23, and Courtney, 21, who, along with Robin’s grandchildren, Abel, 3, Avianna, 2, and Wynter, 1, are her biggest supporters and encourage her to be the best she can be.
She now weighs 200lb at 5ft 9in and sports 17in biceps, trains six days a week when prepping for a show and five days a week in off-season. Robin competes twice a year and says that bodybuilding has taught her self-belief.
Robin Hillis, 48, from Ontario, Canada, has revealed how bodybuilding has given her a new lease of life – as well as a 200lb frame and seventeen inch biceps
Robin kept in shape during and after her pregnancies with her daughters, Katey, 23, and Courtney, 21, who, along with Robin’s grandchildren, pictured, Abel, 3, Avianna, 2, and Wynter, 1, are her biggest supporters and encourage her to be the best she can be
Robin juggled motherhood and bodybuilding around her children as they grew up and they loved to watch her in competitions and cheer her on from the side lines.
The grandmother of three receives largely positive reactions to her impressive physique and she says that having children shouldn’t make it harder to achieve such results.
In 2014, Robin earned her IFBB (International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness) pro card and she now competes in the professional league all over the world.
In 2014, Robin earned her IFBB (International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness) pro card and she now competes in the professional league all over the world
Robin competes twice a year and says that bodybuilding has taught her self-belief
‘I was tall and skinny but very athletic. I was an average student but I grew up playing basketball, volleyball, running track, baseball,’ said Robin.
‘After high school I didn’t want to get out of shape so joined a gym and fell into bodybuilding and was addicted right away.
‘Before this I was quiet, shy and a bit awkward with normal insecurities kids have.
‘Now I love how I look and feel. I am very confident and enjoy life and still love to laugh. I get a mixed variety of reactions but mostly positive. I rarely get negative comments on my social media or in person.
Robin makes time for her children and grandchildren before having her fifth and final meal of the day which is a cup of egg whites, one whole egg, spinach and avocado before spending 20 minutes on the treadmill and going to bed
She now weighs 200lb at 5ft 9in and sports 17in biceps, trains six days a week when prepping for a show and five days a week in off-season
Robin doesn’t count calories but has five meals a day in between her training sessions
Continuing her busy day, she walks her dog, Ping, seen, before having her fourth meal which is five ounces of fish or chicken with cucumbers and rice if she is off season
‘I don’t think it’s harder to achieve these results after having children but it also depends on everyone’s hormonal profile, metabolism and lifestyles.
‘Yes I do hope to be an inspiration to mums and grans and I also hope I inspire younger girls to do what they love and not pay attention to people’s opinions. I hope I inspire everyone to love themselves and do what makes them happy.’
Robin doesn’t count calories but has five meals a day in between her training sessions.
A typical day consists of waking up at 6am and doing high intensity fasted cardio for 20 minutes, followed by her first meal of the day which is a cup of egg whites, two whole eggs and spinach.
The grandmother of three receives largely positive reactions to her impressive physique and she says that having children shouldn’t make it harder to achieve such results (seen with her daughters in 2010)
For cheat meals, Robin loves to indulge in chocolate and sushi, she spoke about how her family has supported her and how she managed motherhood with a strict training schedule
A typical day consists of waking up at 6am and doing high intensity fasted cardio for 20 minutes, followed by her first meal of the day which is a cup of egg whites, two whole eggs and spinach
Her second meal is five ounces of chicken, cucumbers, sugar free ketchup and spices; then Robin goes to the gym, trains, does 12 minutes of steady state cardio, practices posing, sits in the sauna for up to 10 minutes before having her third meal which is five ounces of steak and three ounces of yams.
Continuing her busy day, she walks her dog, Ping, before having her fourth meal which is five ounces of fish or chicken with cucumbers and rice if she is off season.
After this Robin makes time for her children and grandchildren before having her fifth and final meal of the day which is a cup of egg whites, one whole egg, spinach and avocado before spending 20 minutes on the treadmill and going to bed.
For cheat meals, Robin loves to indulge in chocolate and sushi, she spoke about how her family has supported her and how she managed motherhood with a strict training schedule.
Her second meal is five ounces of chicken, cucumbers, sugar free ketchup and spices; then Robin goes to the gym, trains, does 12 minutes of steady state cardio, practices posing, sits in the sauna for up to 10 minutes before having her third meal which is five ounces of steak and three ounces of yams
Before taking up the sport Robin was shy, but bodybuilding gave her a new lease of life and in 1993 (SEEN) and weighing 9st 9lb, she competed in her first bodybuilding competition and placed second.
Robin juggled motherhood and bodybuilding around her children as they grew up and they loved to watch her in competitions and cheer her on from the side lines
Robin says that body building has given her self-belief
‘My girls are on their own now as they are 21 and 23 with their own families. But when they were younger, I would go to the gym when they were in school or bed and prep my meals before they woke up,’ she said.
‘I didn’t want to take any time from them so prioritised and kept a tight schedule that didn’t interfere with our time.
‘When my girls were young, they came to every show with me and would scream ‘mom’. They would help with my hair, come to the gym with me, and encourage me to keep going.
‘I had a rough time building my legs as I am about 5ft 9in so I had to change my mental approach to training them. Meaning I needed to grow some balls and train harder.
‘It has taught me patience as it takes time to achieve your goals, and to be persistent when trying to achieve your goals. Lastly it has taught me to believe in myself.
‘To anyone who wants to give it a go, seek out help, read and educate yourself, and most importantly be consistent.’
Robin works out six days a week on season and five days a week off season
Robin always makes time for her family, here she is pictured with her grandchildren, Abel, Avianna and Wynter
Robin works hard to achieve her impressive results
Pictured: Robin is seen at the gym with a workout pal
