Fit Employee Spotlight - Heather Rininger!

Name: Heather Rininger Email: heather.rininger@bodybuilding.com Age: 23 Height: 5'8" Weight: 145 lbs (Contest: 135) BodySpace: HackSquat Heather

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your position at BB.com? How long have you worked here?

I was hired in July of 2010 as a customer service representative here at Bodybuilding.com. I loved it!

I've now moved on to the Digital Publishing team and am currently working as the Competition Content Coordinator, which is absolutely awesome. I love being part of the content team!

What was your workout/fitness/nutrition level before working at BB.com?

I've always been really active and into sports, as well as interested in bodybuilding. I played volleyball, basketball, and ran track in high school. Now I play city league volleyball, basketball, soccer, and softball (softball is definitely not my strong point though), snowboard, wake surf, and run a 72 mile relay (6 teammates) in the most beautiful part of Idaho, the Sawtooth mountains, each year.

I worked at Gold's Gym for five years before working here, so I knew that this was the industry I wanted to be involved in. I got my NASM personal trainer certification at the beginning of the year, and started lifting heavily about 2 ½ years ago (see before and after back picture, 2008 and 2010!).

I actually started working here right after I began dieting for my first figure show. Going through that has definitely broadened my knowledge base, and I love sharing what I've learned!

What does your workout routine consist of now?

Cardio:

• Offseason: 20 min 2-3 days a week (usually just basketball games, etc)
• Competition: 6-7 days a week Alternating 30-45 min moderate intensity with 20-30 min HIIT (Love the stairstepper, and upright bike)

What does your diet consist of now?

When I'm not dieting for a show I include more variety, like cottage cheese and a banana in my oatmeal, banana with Greek yogurt (whey protein stirred in), sugar free pudding with frozen lite cool whip, protein bars, turkey bacon, etc.

What supplements have helped you reach your goals?

What is it like working at Bodybuilding.com? Does it create a helpful fitness environment?

It's pretty much BOMB.com to work here. My favorite part out of all of the awesomeness is hearing success stories from our customers, or getting updates about progress.

We don't just sell supplements here; we also provide valuable information that can in fact change peoples' lives! The aim is health and fitness, and that is what is promoted and encouraged throughout the entire company.

How does the Bodybuilding.com environment influence your health, fitness and appearance goals?

We all live the Bodybuilding.com lifestyle and encourage each other to reach our fitness goals. It makes it a lot easier to be dieting or training hard when you have co-workers beside you that understand the importance of your goals and offer encouragement.

What are your co-workers like?

So much fun! The atmosphere and culture of our company is what really makes working here so enjoyable.

Did someone from Bodybuilding.com inspire you to reach your goals?

Absolutely! I work with a lot of fitness minded people who have inspired me. There have also been a lot of the athletes featured on bodybuilding.com that have inspired me as well.

Having my fitness inspirations as my wallpaper also helps keep the desire high to go to the gym and not reach for that cookie...I have found that you HAVE to be intrinsically motivated, though, in order to reach your goals.

Have you inspired others with your new look and attitude?

I had a coworker a while ago tell me that her goal for the transformation challenge was to look like me when she was done! Granted she was referring to how I looked when I was on stage (which I myself can't even believe that was me sometimes), but I was really flattered!

I like to prove that anyone can get where they want to be with effort and time. Being fit in itself is not a competition; it's about improving your quality of life. So if I can help someone in any way, I absolutely will!

What is your favorite feature on the Bodybuilding.com website?

Definitely the Supersite! There is sooo much awesome information on there. I absolutely love the 'Fitness Amateur of the Week' section. I read through almost every single one of those when I was putting together my very first competition diet and training program.

I also love the competitor profiles and pictures under Contests (to see what the pro's look like), the great articles, the amazing workout videos and articles (check out the Fitness 360's!)...I could go on forever!

Bodyspace is also amazing in order to gain support from fellow fitness peeps, and to record and track your progress.

How does Bodybuilding.com help to motivate/support you?

Everyone here is so encouraging! The awesome articles and video content that consistently come out keep my motivation very high as well. I also love the gym reimbursement and the fitness rewards program, as well as the book reading program.

They all help me become a better employee, fitness competitor, and person. You really can't beat working here!

Does practicing the bodybuilding lifestyle improve the productivity of Bodybuilding.com? If so, how?

Absolutely! A workday is much better when you've gotten sleep, worked out, and eaten well. There are also a lot of employees that can offer training and nutritional advice that comes from experience, not just a training manual.

What are your future goals? Do you think working for Bodybuilding.com will help you reach them?

Working at Bodybuilding.com definitely helps me reach my goals with their endless support! My next major one is to get my NGA pro card. I am looking at taking some time to improve my strength and symmetry, though.

And maybe my softball game.. but I'm not banking on that one.

Heather's Competition Stats:

2010 NGA Idaho State Bodybuilding, 2nd place in Open Tall Figure
2011 ABFF/NGA 6th Annual Golds Gym Classic, 4th Open Tall Figure
2011 NGA Grand Teton Championships, 2nd place in Open Tall Figure
2011 NGA Pro/Am Northwest Natural, 1st place in Open Tall Figure

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