Fitness model says secret to sculpted figure is weights
Several years ago, Siobhan Ward, from Melbourne, was like many other women her age.
While she was relatively active, fit and looked good in clothes, she said that out of them was a different story and she struggled to have self control around sugary snacks like ice cream and chocolate.
Fast forward a few years and Ms Ward, 27, has recently competed in her first fitness and bikini modelling competition.
Having embraced weight lifting and competed in the WBFF competition in Australia, she told FEMAIL she has never felt better about herself.
Beginning: Siobhan Ward (pictured left) had always been active and relatively fit and healthy, but she had a weakness for sugary treats such as chocolate and ice cream
Change: The 27-year-old from Melbourne spoke about how she changed her body (pictured), competed in a competition and developed a sense of inner confidence
Change: 'The biggest thing I've learned is that it's okay to think I'm beautiful. It's not about thinking you're better than people, it's just about liking yourself,' she said
'The biggest thing I've learned is that it's okay to think I'm beautiful. It's not about thinking you're better than people, it's just about liking yourself,' she said.
'You're allowed to be funny or intelligent, but as soon as you say you think you're pretty, people think you're up yourself.'
Ms Ward came to her current impressively toned body quite by chance.
After putting on weight in university thanks to a lack of structure, she said she 'ballooned a bit up to about 80 kilos'.
'Even though I worked out, I was eating terribly - so much sugary stuff,' she said.
It wasn't until she got a job and hired a personal trainer that she realised the importance of weight lifting for toning up.
'It was an incredible feeling to feel strong,' she said of those first moments when she learned to squat and deadlift.
Mindset: Ms Ward put on weight in university and ended up at 80 kilos; before she decided to hire a personal trainer (pictured) and started weight lifting
Muscle defintion: 'It was an incredible feeling to feel strong,' she said of those first moments when she learned to squat and deadlift
Competitive: Before she knew it, Ms Ward had signed up for her first bikini and fitness competition - she started working out six times a week and predominantly eating wholefoods
Before she knew it, Ms Ward found herself browsing Instagram looking at various strength coaches and thinking about a challenge:
'I'm very competitive,' she said. 'It felt natural to decide to compete in a bikini and fitness competition.'
And so, the 27-year-old started prepping - working out consistently, and eating healthy foods.
'It was hard, I'm not going to say otherwise,' she said.
'But it was also brilliant. I got so much support from my training team The Sports Model Project, and for the first time in my life - having gone to an all girls school where it was often judgmental - I was around positive, encouraging women.'
During the 14 weeks when she prepped for the WBFF competition on the Gold Coast last October, Ms Ward dropped about seven kilos:
'I ate 80 per cent wholefoods and trained six times a week, but I also had crumpets every day for breakfast as I think it's important to have something you look forward to.'
Balance: 'I ate 80 per cent wholefoods, but I also had crumpets every day for breakfast as I think it's important to have something you look forward to,' she said
Tone: According to Ms Ward, for those looking to get the muscle-defined physique, it's all about weights - 'it's so heartbreaking seeing girls do hours on the treadmill,' she said
According to Ms Ward, for those looking to get the muscle-defined physique, it's all about weights:
It's so heartbreaking seeing girls do hours on the treadmill in the gym
'I introduced cardio in the last week of prepping for the competition, but otherwise it was all about deadlifts and squatting,' she said.
'Cardio is great for heart health, but honestly it's so heartbreaking seeing girls do hours on the treadmill in the gym.
'If I'm doing cardio, I'll do 15-20 second HIIT bursts, and then recover.'
Demons: Since competing on the Gold Coast last October, Ms Ward has not only found an inner confidence. She has also quit comparing herself to women on social media
Independent: 'The biggest challenge is mindset, so I rationed my time on Instagram to around 30 minutes a day and used the rest of the time to focus on my journey' (pictured before)
Today: 'I look forward to going to the gym every day. It's nice to have something just to yourself outside of work,' she said - confessing she has finally learned to love herself
Since competing on the Gold Coast last October, Ms Ward has not only found inner confidence. She has also quit comparing herself to women on social media.
'As soon as you start doing anything like this, it's easy to go on Instagram and compare yourself to everyone,' she said.
'The biggest challenge is mindset, so I rationed my time on Instagram to around 30 minutes a day and used the rest of the time to focus on my personal journey.'
And with one competition already under her belt, the 27-year-old is already preparing for another one in a couple of months time:
'I look forward to going to the gym every day. It's nice to have something just to yourself outside of work.
'I'd never seen my abs before the competition, but these days they "pop" out a bit and I'm so much more confident as a whole.
'You shouldn't go into preparing for a competition thinking you want to fix yourself. Learn to love yourself before and you'll get the best results.'
To follow Siobhan Catherine Ward on Instagram, click here. She was shot by Toby Harrison and Dallas Olsen.