1ST SET
THE BODY SHOP
BY ROGER LOCKRIDGE
ONE OF
THE ELITE
WHETHER IT’S ON
THE BATTLEFIELD
OR ON THE STAGE,
FITNESS HELPS
LIZ YISRAEL EXCEL.
38
FLEX | MARCH ’18
LIZ YISRAEL
“I’d like to do a couple of larger
shows in March, get some
feedback from the judges, and
then compete again shortly
before the Olympia.”
“FITNESS HAS always been
part of my life,” Liz Yisrael says.
“I was a competitive gymnast
when I was younger, and I was
on the track and cheerleading
teams in college. When I was in
the Army after graduating from
college, obviously I was active
with military physical training,
but I lifted weights on my own
as well, ran some recreational
races, and got into CrossFit
and actually competed once.”
With a background like that,
it makes perfect sense for
Yisrael to make the transition
from protecting her country to
gracing the bikini stage, but the
Iraq veteran made the decision
to compete on a whim. “I entered
a local show just like I entered
races or the CrossFit competition
and ended up winning the overall
at my first show.”
Clearly, it’s paid off for her,
because she’s won multiple
shows both on the NPC and
IFBB Pro League level. In 2017,
she made her debut on the
biggest stage of them all when
she competed at the Olympia,
finishing 11th. “Really, everything
about the actual Olympia
competition experience is like
the best of everything from any
other show—the best dressing
rooms, the kinds of weights in
the pump-up area, amazing stage
lighting, a million photographers
taking photos from every angle to
capture every moment onstage,
and plenty of time to pose.”
While she’s not sure about
specific shows for 2018 yet, she
does know she’s going back to
Vegas for the Olympia thanks to
winning the 2017 Central USA Pro.