Muscle Talk

One-on-One with IFBB Pro Ryall Graber-Vasani

“I’m living the dream, and if you’re passionate about something, you gotta go for it.”

I could start this article with statistics, and go on and on about the fact that in 2013 alone, Ryall won the IFBB Toronto Pro Supershow and the IFBB Arnold Classic Brazil, placed 2nd at the IFBB FIBO Power Germany, and 6th at the IFBB Arnold Classic. Or I could talk about the fact that she won her Pro card the first year she competed, and hasn’t placed out of the top 10 in her last 12 appearances on stage. But instead, I’d like to start with the fact that for the first 11 minutes and 40 seconds of our interview, SHE was actually interviewing ME. She told me she’d seen my engagement pictures online and asked how it felt to be getting married, then asked what my competitive plans were, and what I worked towards improving in my off-season.

This is the kind of individual Ryall is. Very rarely do I get to interview such a humble, modest, successful, personable, talented and famous athlete, who also just happens to be a kick-ass human being.  I’m glad I got that honor. Read on, to find out just how inspiring she is as an athlete and as a person.

Give us a background on yourself and how you got in the industry.

Long story short, I was always an athlete as a child, in various different sports. In 2007, I decided that I was going to compete in my first fitness competition. I was living in Bermuda at the time, and I totally embraced all aspects of doing this (competing). When I do something, I do it to 200%. So it was cool because I had just moved out there, and I didn’t know a ton of people. It was a great time in my life to compete; I was 27, so no partying, and just embraced the lifestyle. I turned pro the same year I did my first competition. I always knew it was something I wanted to do, just not at the time. The move to Bermuda and my age were just perfect opportunities for me to do it.

You now live in Barbados. What’s the competitive climate like there? What is it like living/training/dieting there compared to the US or Canada?

I’m much farther from the mainland now that I live in Barbados than I was when I lived in Bermuda, so I used to have better access to the US. But being all the way out here, I’ve taken a lot of things in to my own hands. It’s the same anywhere - You can dial in on Skype, and be in touch that way. The biggest thing out here is being self-motivated, because I don’t have a lot of support that’s here, but it’s a cool place to train. It’s hot every day of the year; you feel good every day because the sun is shining, and it’s definitely an asset to my training, rather than a negative. The facilities are limited, but you just get in and get it done. You get creative; modify everything. It’s taken time for me to meet people who are supportive, but the locals here have been so supportive of what I’m doing. As far as food goes, I struggled with that the first year or so. You can get fish anywhere, but I have to import my beef from a hotel company that brings in foods for hotels, and getting asparagus is tough. It’s seasonal and it’s all imported. I think my asparagus cost $110 for only 2 weeks of my prep last year. So it gets kind of crazy in that way, but you just make it work.

What to you was the most significant moment in your career?

Winning the Arnold Brazil totally stands out. I will never forget it, and I was kind of numb when it happened. Emotionally, I was just blown away with that whole experience. I was going through a really tough time in my life in that moment, and it was totally just unbelievable that it completely happened. I was totally humbled by meeting Arnold, and being present – Just having that experience was amazing.

What was is like winning the Arnold Classic Brazil and the Toronto Pro back to back?

I still cannot believe it has happened. I’m blown away with everything. I’m so humbled by all of it, because I just feel like being able to step on an IFBB Pro stage is incredible in and of itself. So to actually win a pro show is bigger than my wildest dreams come true. I’m really keen on setting realistic goals. I push myself with my goals, but I always make sure they’re totally attainable. And for Germany, Brazil and Toronto, my goal was to place in the Top 3. So to win was mind-blowing, and to win in Canada really meant a lot to me. It was really special. I still feel so completely humbled by what has happened to me in the last 2 months. It’s really cool when you put so much into what you do every day. I don’t necessarily work hard for the win, but I work to improve myself, and make myself better than I was the day before. But when you get the win, and you experience what that feels like, that’s magic. When that comes together, I don’t have words to explain how it feels. I never dreamt that would be possible. I would’ve been tickled with the 3rd place finish, but then you get the win, and it’s just the coolest thing.

You did 4 shows in 2011, 2012, and 2013 – that’s a lot of peaking. How did you manage that, and what was it like physically and psychologically?

It was really tough. But I just stayed so focused. I think the key was diet – Keeping diet really tight. I outsourced my diet to Tad the diet coach so that I didn’t have to take that on myself. I’ve been working with him for a year now, and that’s helped me tremendously because I just don’t even think about that aspect. I put all my trust into him. We just kept improving from one show to the next. And my training helped me stay in shape, so it was literally just diet tweaks, and every show I just kept coming in better. So I think the hardest part was mentally staying in the game because my body was there, and it kept responding really well to what I was doing. When you compete, you have that post-show comedown, where all that adrenaline is gone, and you feel like chilling out for a few days, and coming off your diet. Just relaxing. I didn’t have the opportunity to do that (chilling), so that part of it that I’d always had before, I didn’t have. So that aspect was a challenge, because physically and mentally I didn’t have that break. But in the same sense, ironically, after having a 4 week break after Toronto, and jumping into my diet for the Olympia, I found it’s much easier just to stay on your diet.

Did you take an off-season this year?

I took a month of active recovery. I guess I didn’t have much time to make improvements, but I was definitely focused on where I need to make improvements in my physique, and working on that while I can still have calories in there.

How long does your pre-contest diet usually last?

I haven’t really been off of it! It’s just been perpetual. But I feel better that way anyway. Even if I’m not 12 weeks out, I’m always packing food. I live this lifestyle 100% anyway. I’m not as tight as I could be with everything I’m doing, but it’s just become totally a way of living.

How lean should a fitness competitor be in the off-season and why?

I let myself relax and go up about 5-7lbs, but that can go away within 3-4 days. Running my routine, if I have 10 extra pounds on my body, my knees, my wrists, and everything just hurts. I’m at higher risk of injury. So I keep pretty tight offseason.

Do you allow yourself a cheat meal pre-contest?

I take out cheat meal 3- 4 weeks out, and prior to that, I have 1 per week, usually. 

If you have a coach, how much faith do you put in him, versus listening to your own body?

It’s been hard for me to let the reigns go and put my trust in someone else, but he’s been an asset to my recent success for sure. I’ll be using him indefinitely for now. I just signed on with him for another year. He’s positive, like me, and he’s going to always help me see the positive in the negative. I’m pretty type-A, and I tend to overanalyze my diet and my physique, and he just gives me the break where I can just go to a competition and snap my photos, and it destresses me so I can focus on having fun. I’ve had the most fun in my career because of him. I don’t have to worry or think; I’ve invested in a good coach. It’s allowed me to enjoy competing in different countries

Are you a good dieter? Do you need any tips/tricks to help you stay in the game?

No, once the switch goes on, I’m good to go. I’m good. When I’m on, I’m on.

How much (and what type) of cardio do you do in the offseason, or do you even do cardio in the offseason?
When do you do your cardio?
How does your cardio change pre-contest?

Offseason or “improvement season”, I would be doing quite a bit of cardio. Fasted cardio in the morning, and post-workout cardio; I mix it up between high intensity interval training for my routine to help me with my endurance, and steady state cardio just for post-workout fat burning. Then, as I get closer to competition, a lot of times I even take that cardio out depending on where I’m at, and just use my routine as my cardio. I run pretty intense routine training sessions, and I run it in intervals. I can rip 500 calories in an intense routine session.

Do you practice routines all year round?

I practice my routine year round. I’d take it from hardwood, running it intensely pre contest, to more gymnastics/skill-training in my offseason so that I’m able to put new tricks into my routine.

Do you change your routine for every show you do? Is this something the judges look for from one show to the next?

I think it’s super important every year to bring a new routine to the stage, so that I look improved, and it’s not just the same skills all jumbled up in a new routine. I always want to be adding something new.  I change my routine every year. That’s what I have been doing.

Do you have a choreographer, or do you do it yourself?

I have a choreographer, who’s in Florida, and I bring him out, or I go to him. And there’s tons of work put into the choreography, the outfits and the routines, and just getting comfortable performing a new routine, so I want to use that for the whole season, basically.

What do you think some of the biggest mistakes of your career were? What would you have done different looking back?

I think probably overtraining and over dieting, but it was a learning experience. I totally don’t look at it as a mistake; it needed to happen for me to get where I’m at right now. When I just started out competing was when I was most guilty. I would be lifting 5 days a week, cardioing 6 days a week, routine training 6 days a week, and felt like I never had any balance. I thought that’s what I needed to do to get it done and by the time I got to a competition, I wouldn’t have slept for 3 days, my body was exhausted. It wasn’t responding because I was so tired, and I’d be holding water. It was totally a learning curve for me. And getting to competitions and talking to girls like me, asking them how THEY were balancing it all, and just learning as I go. So that’s been interesting too, because it wasn’t until the last year that I got a handle on all that - It has just taken time.

Fitness has been criticized as being on a steady decline in popularity. As an ambassador of the sport, what would you do to increase the popularity of this class? What would you do to get more women to compete?

I’m always just trying to lead by example. Just this summer, after I competed in Toronto, I did a series of workshops around western Canada, and just meeting other competitors, you can see a lot of people have had really negative experiences with dieting, and then they try to do a fitness routine on top of that. So they tend to go more towards figure. I just tend to lead by example, and say “Ya it’s not easy, but it can be done, and you can have fun with it.” It doesn’t have to be a horrible, hard, unbalanced diet where you feel like garbage. You can feel good. I think fitness it tough because to step on stage for fitness, you have to bring a routine, and it’s twice the work. We’re not getting support from the promoters because there’s no interest on the NPC level from competitors, so we are at a bit of a crossroads. But as far as what we can do, and what I am doing, it’s just continually trying to lead by example that I’m having the time of my life, and I’m living the dream, and if you’re passionate about something, you gotta go for it. I’m just hoping to always inspire people who want to compete, to do it.

If you were advising contest promoters on how to improve the entertainment value of their shows, what would you recommend? Give us an athlete’s perspective.

I enjoy the fact that there are two rounds of scoring now. There is more emphasis on the routine round, which IS more important because we are competing in fitness, so we should be rewarded for our routines. There was talk of taking the physique round completely out so that it’s more doable for other people, and that may help from an interest standpoint. I personally like both rounds. When I first got into it, it was 4 rounds: 2 routines, a one piece, and a two-piece. That was crazy. I felt like I was in a pageant. I did like the 2 routines, I thought that was really cool, but it was tough with the 2 physique rounds.

Is there anything you would like to change about fitness as a class?

I like it as it is. If the physique round was to go, and we were to bring back the 45-second round, I would be OK with that too. That may bring more people to the sport that have the routine background, but are not so physique-focused, perhaps.

What makes you stand out, in terms of physique and routine, from other Canadian Pros like Myriam Capes and Jodi Boam (for example)?

It’s amazing; everyone that shows up brings their A-Game, and it’s such a complete honor to be competing against these top fitness pros in the world. Every time I go to a show, I still can’t believe I’m actually doing this. Everybody brings their best.  We’re all unique, we all bring unique skills. I truly feel like I’m living my dream! I love what I’m doing, and I feel completely excited about every day I have to be doing this. I know I’m not going to be doing this forever, so I feel people on the circuit can feel that energy from me as well. I’m totally stoked to be there, and it shows. I’m happy to be out and meeting people, and taking advantage of every opportunity I can get every time I’m at a show.

What is the average span of a competitive career in fitness? Are you concerned about what the future holds for your ability, as you get older?

Well Adela Garcia is totally leading the pack, and I believe she’s going to be 42 this year. She was my initial inspiration, and still totally inspires me. When I need hard motivation, I pull up Adela’s photos and I say, “Let’s go!” She’s shown that age is just a number. She gets better every year, and I think that’s what addicting about the sport. As we get older, as women, that typically doesn’t happen. What sport can you do that you’re feeling better with age? So I think really, I don’t know how many years I have left. She’s going so strong, and is at the top of her game, and is 5-7 years older than I am. That is so inspiring.

What’s next for you in terms of a 1, 3 or 5-year plan?

I would love to be in the top 6 of the Olympia this year. That would be really really special to me. Last year, at the O, I was like “Rockstar: Olympia style!” I didn’t know if I’d ever be back on that stage, so I was living it up! My face hurt on Sunday from smiling so much! The Olympia was what I was working so hard to achieve. And I qualified a year in advance, so I had the whole year to wait – it was so painful! But that kept me really, really focused. I have never worked harder for a competition in my life, and it was just magic. So now that I get to experience it again, is the greatest dream come true.

I’d love to qualify to get back in 2014. That would be at the top of my list as far as goals go. I’m going to Madrid for the Arnolds, Spain right after that. I’m not really stuck projecting for a year, 2, 3 years down the round. In general, that’s what I’ve been doing, but recently I’ve been setting more short-term goals, and just looking ahead one show at a time. It’s making me feel super focused and not overwhelmed at all.

What specific exercises or modalities do fitness competitors implement that figure/bikini girls wouldn’t use?

I’m now lifting on a 4 days schedule, and I hit my weaker body parts in the morning, then I’ll run my routine later on those days, and on my off days. You really have to watch as a fitness competitor that you’re not overtraining. Scheduling isn’t just about getting workouts in. I have to stay really structured with what works for me. I have specific lifting days, and routine training days, and cardio days and times. I have to make sure I recover. I’m doing chest/back, quads, shoulders/abs, then arms/hamstrings, and cardio on those days is more steady state cardio.  Saturdays I rest, Sundays I do routine/HIIT, and then Wednesdays I do HIIT and routine training again. I structure all that around my nutrition programming and seeing clients. So I basically have 4 hours a day for training, and the rest for programming and clients/assessments. It’s really structured.

RAPID FIRE - One word that comes to mind when you hear the following names:

Adela Garcia – Inspirational
Oksana Grishina – Creatively-strong
Danielle Ruban – Fun
Vanda hadarean – Artistic
Jodi Boam – Fierce
Fiona Harris - Sweet