DDT: Could you give us a little background info on who Ashley Hoffmann is?
Ashley: I am a Midwest country girl that found her passion in fitness. I am a Pro WBFF competitor, Online Lifestyle & Competition Coach, and Personal Trainer at TopLine Gym in Wisconsin. I have struggled with misguided directions from past coaching and my main goal is to guide others to a healthy lifestyle and proper coaching to avoid the struggles I have endured throughout my journey.
DDT: What got you inspired and into the fitness-health industry?
Ashley: I was always involved in sports growing up but once I got into college, I didn’t have something to occupy my time sports wise. So I started going to the gym but only running about 5 miles on the treadmill and doing abs every day. I never picked up a weight until I actually started dating someone that was a personal trainer and he introduced me to lifting. I started seeing results fast and it was fascinating to me. I then was pushed towards the thought of competing and since I am competitive, I figured why not give it a try and became addicted.
DDT: Can you tell us about your experience with your WBFF competitions and any tips for a first time competitor?
Ashley: I actually started competing in the NPC and won two overall titles, did a few National level shows and placing top ten before I switched to the WBFF. I had made the switch because I was a bit too muscular for bikini but still too small for figure and WBFF fitness division was more fitting towards my physique at the time. The first time I competed in the WBFF was the most amazing experience I’ve had on stage. The athletes back stage were all extremely welcoming, friendly, and helpful. This is something I did not experience in my prior shows. My mindset was very different as well. I wanted to have fun instead of being worried about my placing. And that’s exactly what I did. I had a blast on stage and it showed. I think that was a big determining factor for winning my pro card. My stage presence was perfect because I actually had fun!
DDT: You hold multiple magazine covers as a model, can you tell us more about these accomplishments?
Ashley: I never thought I would hold multiple magazine covers or would have shot for Bodybuilding.com Bodies of Work. It’s still an overwhelming feeling to this day because I never would have expected it to take me that far. I am beyond grateful for those opportunities and proud of those accomplishments.
DDT: As a coach, what separates you from all the others out there?
Ashley: I didn’t start coaching right away. I held off 4 years before actually taking clients because I wanted to feel comfortable with the amount of knowledge I had before having someone’s health in my hands. Competing is a short-term goal and a lot of coaches see it as that way. They get their athletes ready for the stage, as fast as they can, to reach that goal. What they forget is the long-term goal, and that’s their health. I had many struggles throughout my journey and it forced me to learn the right way to get ready for the stage and prep athletes. Everything is custom to them and their goals. I don’t take a lot of clients either because it’s not about the money to me, it’s about giving my athletes 100% and making sure that I help them accomplish their short-term goals, while keeping their long-term health still #1.
DDT: Can you tell us what your daily rituals and habits look like?
Ashley: Obviously the first thing on my list in the morning is to have coffee. I still do cardio in the morning, not every day, but just to keep my cardiovascular endurance up. From then on, I am usually working on my computer, updating plans, answering emails. I also personal train as well, so spend a lot of time in the gym. But thankfully, amazing friends surround me that I call family and truly enjoy training people one-on-one. I train in the late afternoon, before the gym rush typically. Also, that gives me time to train clients in the evening and work on client plans/emails. I also make time to hang out with friends and family a lot more now because in the past, I would shelter myself because I thought that was the best way to stay focused for my shows and prep. But now I have learned that the relationships I hold with family and friends and building memories with them, are much too important to avoid. So enjoying time with them is something I made more of a habit weekly.
DDT: At times life throws challenges at you to test your mental toughness and heart as a person. What has been your biggest challenge in life and how did you overcome it?
Ashley: Wow, well to be honest I have had a really rough past and I have faced a lot of unknown challenges. But I think that the biggest challenge was the fact of becoming sick health wise and having my physique slip away from me and having no control over what was happening. I learned a lot about health, different diseases, hormones, thyroid function, etc. It all helped me gain more knowledge for a coaching standpoint as well as leaning more about my own health. Seeing my body change daily was very hard for me. It felt like all my accomplishments were stripped away from me before my eyes, all my hard work was taken from me and I was very afraid of what people would think of me. I had to really focus on building my mental strength up and realize that my happiness shouldn’t be depicted off my image. It should be determined by who I am on the inside and if people only see me for what I offer on the outside, then I removed them from my life. To this day, I still struggle with things but it’s something that I work on daily to strengthen. I think competing does morph the way you view yourself and a lot of times, people get caught up in that. It’s a hard cycle to break but I have come so far from what I was in the past.
DDT: What are your future plans with competing and other areas of interest?
Ashley: Right now I don’t have plans of competing. I honestly couldn’t if I wanted to. My main focus is getting my health back to 100% and living a healthy lifestyle mentally and physically. This gives me the time to focus on my clients online and in person as well. I really strive in helping people become more mentally strong while becoming physically strong.
DDT: What is your definition of SUCCESS?
Ashley: Success is different in everyone’s eyes. We tend to judge success based off the clothes people wear, the kind of car they drive, the house they live in, education, social following, the image seen in the mirror, social status and constantly comparing what we have to others. Our goals are different, therefore, our views on success will be different as well.
Fun Time!
DDT: What is your favorite lift and why?
Ashley: I’d have to say deadlifts for sure. Just because I have always had freaky strength in them and I enjoy just ripping 300+lbs off the ground and slamming it back on the ground. I mean, what’s not to love about that?!
DDT: Where is your one travel destination that you would want to go to?
Ashley: I can’t pick just one! I want to be able to travel all over the world before I die. I would rather have a smaller house, less expensive materialistic objects and dedicate more money to traveling the world. There’s so much beauty out there and I want to see and experience it!
DDT: Your favorite book?
Ashley: To be honest, I don’t have an absolute favorite. I have a favorite area of interest to read about. I love reading about psychology, about the human mind and how people think as well as things like the laws of attraction, love languages, and of course health & fitness books to advance my knowledge.
DDT: What does Ashley like to do for fun? Please don’t hold back on us 😉
Ashley: I’m an adrenaline junky, adventurous, outdoorsy person. I absolutely love doing things outside and being outside in general. I love observing the beauty of nature and things that most people are too busy to notice and enjoy. If I’m not doing something outside, I love riding dirt bikes, quads, motorcycles and driving around in my car. I got my motorcycle license when I was 17, so I’ve been riding ever since. I love cars and bikes and that’s where a lot of my money would go besides competing expenses. I also love music, so going to concerts is something I have been doing since I was in high school and obsessively have been to over 150+ concerts (some repeat artists). A few other things I like doing would be snowboarding and wakeboarding! Definitely not a girly girl when it comes to the things I like to do for fun 🙂
DDT: We wanted to take a moment and acknowledge you for all the awesome work you do in this industry and you are a true inspiration. Where can our readers and supporters follow you and your work?
Ashley: Thank you so much!!! I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all the support and encouragement that I receive on a daily basis and throughout my career! My social media handles are @missashleysarina on Instagram, @ashleysarina on Twitter, @ashsarina on Snapchat, and Ashley Sarina Hoffmann on Facebook. My website is ashfitness.com and anyone can contact me via email at [email protected]
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