Pumping Iron And Promoting Prose

During the summer, English professor Rocio Guillen began her morning workout by doing pull ups to get her 5 foot 3 ½ inch, 130 pound, muscular frame in shape for her next bodybuilding competition. Guillen pushed and lifted weights for 45 minutes with her husband, Miguel Ruiz, a professional trainer from Cuba, at the LA Fitness in Kendall.

“I work out Monday through Friday during off-season and Monday through Saturday during pre-contest,” Guillen said. “Each day is something different. Monday – arms. Tuesday – legs. Wednesday – back. Thursday – chest. And Friday – shoulders.”

Guillen has a small frame, but her arms and legs are extremely toned and sculpted. Muscles protrude on her thighs and calves as well as her biceps and shoulders. She works her muscles in order to adhere to the physique body-type category in the bodybuilding competitions.

Guillen teaches ENC1101 and ENC1102 at Kendall Campus, but in her spare time the 47-year-old prepares and competes in women’s physique competitions. 

In May, Guillen competed in the Masters Women’s Physique category at the 2015 International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) in Puerto Rico. She did not reach her first place goal. Instead, she returned home with 8th place in her category. She had her heart set on competing in an Olympia professional level event. But her hopes were dashed when she did not qualify.

Late To Bodybuilding.

“When I got to be 42-years-old things started to take a downward turn,” Guillen said. “Things aren’t the way they used to be. And gravity takes its toll. And then you can’t eat the same foods you did. And you start to put on weight in different places.”

She began weightlifting six years ago when she was about 35 to 40 pounds overweight. She had never seriously exercised before, but her husband encouraged her to start bodybuilding.

“When she started, I never thought she would come back to the gym,” Ruiz said.

Now as a bodybuilding competitor, she works hard to qualify for spots in professional level competitions. There are only 16 spots in the Olympia. Only the bodybuilders with the highest accumulated season points are considered for a spot. Competitors must also send a letter of intent.
[sam id=”3″ codes=”true”] Before competitions, Guillen diets and trains for 12 to 16 weeks. Every three hours, she measures and eats a meal with approximately 25 to 30 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrates. Her first meal of the day includes four egg whites and a small oatmeal.

She bench presses 180 pounds or squats 315 pounds, almost three times her bodyweight focusing on specific muscle groups. She ends each workout walking slowly on the stepping machine. Throughout, Guillen’s hair and makeup stay perfectly intact. She said she usually does not drop an ounce of sweat during her workout because she avoids cardio exercise.

“It’s bad for your joints and shins,” Guillen said. “[Competing] is something I want to do for a long time and with my age I can’t afford to get hurt.”

Working To Compete In An Olympia

Her goal is to emulate the qualities of an Olympia-ready physique competitor – with sculpted and toned thighs, compact body type and symmetry of equal body parts.

After competing in four national competitions since 2010, Guillen officially received her pro card last summer after winning in two overall physique divisions—over 45 and over 35—against more than 200 women at the Masters National Championship in Pittsburgh.

During that competition in Pennsylvania, Guillen’s body glistened in a mix of golden body spray and a bedazzled, custom-made fuchsia bikini. The cost for these suits start at $200 with almost no rhinestones and range up to $1,600-$2,000 if they are fully decorated. They are worn for the routine part of the competition – where the competitor poses individually for one-minute to any music choice.

She smiled from ear to ear in an interview with Muscle Development shortly after walking off stage.

“It was the best day!” Guillen recalled about the moment. “I still remember clearly it was the greatest victory. I had built up the moment for so long.”

See Me After Class…For Fitness Advice

Although Guillen is now physically active, she was always more interested in reading and writing. She began teaching as an English professor at Miami Dade College five years ago after working for years as a high school English teacher. Guillen hopes to someday return to the University of Miami and finish her Ph.D. in English.

“She is passionate about what she teaches,” said sophomore, Melissa Gonzalez, a former student of Guillen’s.

Gonzalez found it amusing that she always saw people stay after class and ask Guillen for fitness advice.

“Although, I’m not a nutritionist, I’ve used my own body enough to give some advice based on my experiences,” Guillen said.

Michael Garcia, who also took Guillen for ENC1101 said: “She is a bit intimidating at first, not just her look, but also her class’s workload.”

But, after many grammar and reading sheets, he said he truly appreciated Guillen’s lessons.

When Guillen is not training or reading classic literature, she plans family trips with her husband and daughter, Romy. The 12-year-old enjoys bodybuilding as well and hopes to become a judge in bodybuilding competitions in the future.

Staff writer, Daniela Garrido, contributed to this story.