Courtney Prather Fitness 360: Court's In Session

Courtney Prather manages to hold court over her hotel team and the bikini field. Discover the motivation driving this rising fitness star to the next level!

Name: Courtney Marie Prather
Age: 25
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 115 lbs
From: Southern California
Education: B.A. in Business, Hotel Management, NASM Certified
Personal Trainer
Occupation: Director Of Rooms - Hotel Maya, Long Beach Calif., Bikini
Model/Competitor
Super Powers: Independence, ambition, competitive drive
Magazine Features: Muscle and Fitness Hers, Flex, Iron Man, Muscle and Performance

Bikini competitors, as beautiful as they are, are not delicate flowers. They're strong, resilient, and devoted.

Courtney Prather is cut from the toughest cloth on earth. Her schedule challenges could torment her, but she is so organized she can balance a full-time job for Hilton Hotels in Long Beach and a rising fitness/modeling/speaking career. She excels at both and earns what she owns.

"I was always athletic," Prather said. "I played soccer. I ran in high school. I liked being outdoors. But, I didn't realize what it really took to get the physique I'd seen in the magazines, and I wanted to look like that. I wanted to have that fit body."

Courtney Prather's Fitness Program

Watch The Video - 9:00



In transition between athlete and bikini competitor, Courtney went from 24 percent body fat to 12 without losing a pound. She slashed what little fat she had and compounded her transformation with skeletal muscle. Once she got on stage, the accolades flowed like honey on a hot day.

"After my first show, I realized how much I loved the competition aspect of it," Prather said. "When I heard about the Bodybuilding.com Fit Model Search, that was a big deal to me; I had been on the website and had a BodySpace (that's where I got a lot of my training routines from). So, I took the chance and sent in my photo."

That photo earned Courtney a spot in the Finals at the Boise Fit Expo last summer. When she came to the City of Trees, her shape was impeccable. She won our contest and hasn't fallen back by even a single step.

"Getting to compete in Boise, in the finals, was one of the highlights of my year," Prather said. "Winning that show has really been a blessing. A lot of good things have come from it. I'm excited to see where this goes!"

Courtney's Fitness 360 unveils her training secrets and nutritional dedication. Check out her full program and see if you have what it takes to juggle two careers with elegance and strength.

Courtney Prather

Courtney Prather's Supplementation

Courtney's supplement list is short compared to some other divisions in the sport. Bikini competitors are looking for a different body type.
Courtney Prather

Courtney Prather's Nutrition Program

Courtney Prather won't fall for fancy marketing gimmicks and sideshow advertising. Her diet is clean as fresh-fallen snow. Of course, there is room for deviation in every diet.
Courtney Prather

Courtney Prather's Training Program

Courtney is in the gym 5 days per week. She does cardio daily, except for her fifth training day, a joy-filled romp into the realm of HIIT.


3 Big Questions!

Q
You have experienced a whirlwind of fitness exposure in the past year. Has it changed the way you look at your future?

It hasn't changed the way I look at my future, it completely changed my future! It's amazing how a chain of independently insignificant events can completely change the course of your life.

This time last year, I was a college grad working as a hotel manager thinking that I found my career path. Sure, I am good at what I do, but it doesn't inspire me.

Entering a bikini competition led to a new hobby which led to fitness modeling which led to discovering a passion. I am still a full-time hotel manager, but I spend every free second learning more about the fitness industry and developing a new skill set.

Learning by doing was a good start, but I wanted to learn the science behind it to become an expert one day. I am now a certified personal trainer, and studying to become a certified nutritionist as well. My passion is not just fitness or modeling, it's that I have a chance to inspire others and change lives.

When people tell me they followed my journey and are inspired, it is the most rewarding thing possible. In the near future I am launching a site that I hope will take my passion for helping others to a new level, you can sign up at: www.courtneypratherfitness.com to find out more!

When you step outside your comfort zone, amazing things happen. If you work hard enough, you really can accomplish anything you want.

Do you ever get to take a break? If so, what do you do for fun?

I have to admit I don't get a lot of 'breaks' right now, but I am OK with that. The most successful people I know are obsessed with what they do, and they're obsessed because they are passionate about it.

It doesn't really feel like work if you are really passionate about what you do and truly enjoy it. But it's important to have enough of a balance that you get your work done, your workout in, have some 'me time' and make time for friends and loved ones.

I value my free time when I do get it and only spend it doing things that make me say "HELL YES," or I don't think it is worth doing. Surfing, traveling, hiking and quality time with friends definitely make that list.

You are strong and independent… How much of that comes from the relationship with your mother?

I owe a lot of who I am today to the woman who raised me. As a kid, it's hard to understand, but looking back I recognize that even some of the toughest moments played a part in making me the person I am today.

My mom had to be the caretaker and the breadwinner, and as a single mom for my whole life, she showed me what sacrifice and hard work looked like.

It wasn't always easy, but I wouldn't change a thing about my past. I remember having to walk the two miles home from school with a backpack and two instruments (yes, I was in band), because my mom was working, and would complain every day because all my friends had rides.

When I saved up enough money from my first job to buy a car, I appreciated it that much more and felt so proud having earned it myself. I always had what I needed, and I worked for what I wanted.

Through life you will have parents, coaches, teachers, and bosses, but the most important person to be accountable to at the end of the day is yourself.

For more Courtney, visit one of her social networking pages on BodySpace! Or Facebook! Or Twitter! These are not just static pages. She will help if you ask, so don't be shy, but please, be polite!