Francesca Hartman

Written by Robyn Balliet

I came across the beautiful rising star and top NPC bikini competitor, Francesca Hartman and her amazing female physique transformation about 6 months ago and was just blown away! As inspired as I was reading her story and knowing that she did it as a drug-free athlete I felt she would be the perfect fit for my very first interview for the newsletter. I am excited to share her story with all of you and I hope she inspires you as much as she has inspired me!

R: Please give us a brief introduction on yourself - including background; occupation; where you are from; organization you compete in; age, that you became a bikini competitor; relationship status; and your height and weight…if you don’t mind.

F: Hi! My name is Francesca Hartman and I am a US Drill Sergeant. I have been in the military for ten years and a Drill Sergeant for 5 of them. I am from Southern California but now reside in Scottsdale, AZ, and love the heat! I compete in the IFBB/NPC organization but have been enjoying the positive feedback from the WBFF as well as the professionalism of the judges and the organization as a whole. So, I have some decisions to make about my future competitions. I started competing at age twenty six, which was about 16 months ago. I am married to a hot stud named Jason, who has supported me through everything. Oh yeah…and I am 5’2 ½, around 110lbs.

R: Congrats on all of your success and amazing achievements! Can you tell the readers what your weight was when at the highest? How much you have lost and how long did it take for you to achieve it? What caused you to gain all the weight in the first place and then suddenly shift your thought process toward incorporating a fitness lifestyle?

F: When I first decided to lose the weight it was a slow process. I began at around 180lbs, probably more, and wore a size 18 jean pants. That’s a lot of weight on a tiny frame! When I first met my husband I had lost nearly fifteen lbs, weighing in at 163lbs upon my arrival at Drill Sergeant School in January 2007. Because of my job, and great looking husband, I was determined to set a new standard for myself and lose all the extra flab! From the beginning of 2007 until around March, 2010 I focused on shedding weight and re-sculpting my body while dealing with the aftermath of obesity. At my first NPC competition in San Diego I place 1st for Bikini B, which solidified me as a true bikini competitor.

R: Would you say food is an addiction for you? If so, how do you keep yourself on track and from falling into your old habits? What inspires you to keep moving forward? If you do ever slip up, what do you do to regain your focus and get back on track?

F: Food is definitely addiction for me. I must think about it 50-75 times a day…literally. It’s a constant battle and to say I don’t occasionally cave in would be lying. However, seeing how dedicated my husband is to fitness I feel like I owe it to him, as well as the all the people I have inspired, to get myself back on track. The truth is food addiction is as much of a struggle as smoking, alcohol and drugs can be.

R: What kind of training and diet regime do you now follow? Do you allow yourself cheats on the off season and/or during your prep? How often?

F: My training is different depending on the time of year and what I need to improve on. During the winter I usually pack on my “bear outfit,” and by January, after enjoying Christmas, I start my in-season prep. At this time I will up my cardio and step back from heavy lifting. During my off season I do allow myself to cheat, but always keep it in the back of my mind just how tough it will be to get rid of the weight while prepping for a show. So, I’m very still careful about my overall diet. But I would say on average I might cheat 2-3 times per week during the off season, and maybe once per week while in contest prep…if I am on track.

R: As a rising star in the NPC and fitness industry what are your goals for the future…both competitive and otherwise? What do you hope to ultimately achieve through your dedication to health and fitness?

F: As far as me competing goes, it’s been a long road. I think my strengths lie in training others. Realistically I don’t see a huge future in this sport – just the personal reward of achieving my goals. Wherever the judges decide to place me is fine. At the end of the day I know chances are that I probably have struggled and put in ten times the amount of work as the females who placed ahead of me. Thus I always am happy with my accomplishments, regardless of whether I am first or last. My ultimate goal is to help raise the awareness of the obesity problem in this nation and how we can beat it! In addition I want to continue to promote and train other vegetarian, drug free athletes in this industry.

R: If you could tell the readers something to help inspire them, speaking from the familiarity and internal struggles of your own transformation, what would it be?

F: I used to go into Walmart and pass by fitness magazines, see the girls on the covers, and think to myself “Man I wish I could look like that…but I’m just too big boned.” However, this was usually while I held a liter of soda in one hand and a bag of chips in the other! My advice is to stop just “wishing,” and instead to realize this is your one and only life. If you want to look like the girls in the magazines it is possible! But understand that education on health and nutrition is necessary to get started, so stop putting it off! Do this and I am sure that, just like me, you will realize how much better it feels to be fit than it does to keep making excuses while eating yet another bag of chips! And who knows, maybe one day you too can be in a fitness magazine. I actually had one of my own photos appear on a full page in Planet Muscle this year on my birthday! I still can’t believe it!

R: Which All American EFX Supplements have you tried? Which ones are your favorite and why?

F: My husband and I are both vegetarians and live a lifestyle known as “straightedge” drug free. Obtaining muscle is so much more difficult than the average weightlifter and bodybuilder, but we still achieve it! We consume an average of over 400 grams of protein a day between the two of us, with shakes making up the majority of our meals. We recently tried All American EFX’s NF-Pro protein powder and loved it! My favorite flavor is chocolate Fusion, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you really should!