We thought that Mother’s Day would be an excellent opportunity to interview a member of our community and learn about her bodybuilding journey and how she became a mother.
Sophie Maree Hull: Introducing Sophie Maree Hull
Sophie is an online coach for health and fitness and a Melbourne-based mother. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science, as well as a diploma in nutrition. She is not only a bodybuilder but also a powerlifter.
I love both sports, but bodybuilding is my passion.
Sophie competes at the WBFF in Australia.
How did you become interested in bodybuilding?
My fitness journey began much earlier. In 2012, I was severely overweight and unhealthy. I began to make some changes and started going to the gym. It made me realize that I had a lot of natural strength, which I leaned on. The results came very quickly because I was so dedicated. Over the years, I have had my ups and downs in the gym. But I have been addicted to the gym ever since I picked up that first dumbbell.
How can you find a balance between being a mom and building muscle?
I gave birth to my son Hunter in 2021, and I trained throughout my pregnancy. Even the day after I gave birth, I continued to train. He was born as a strong, healthy boy. I went on a quest to “get back my body” after I had him. However, I think your body is never really gone; it just does something different temporarily. Mentally, pregnancy was difficult for me as I had put my body goals aside. However, it taught me so much about myself and how to achieve health and fitness.
In 2022, my son was just a little over a year old. Prepping while you have a baby on your hip is a whole new level. It’s hard to prepare when you have a baby who is not sleeping through the night and demands a lot of your time and attention. But I was determined to go back to the stage to represent all mums and show them that anything is possible if you set your mind to something.
How can you balance your dietary and nutritional needs with your bodybuilding goals while still meeting the dietary requirements of your family?
It is relatively easy for me to manage my diet because I prepare all of my meals in advance. We make separate meals for my son because he is very young and doesn’t yet eat the same as us. We do sit down together to eat dinner as a whole family. Each person eats their own meals. Even my dog gets his own food.
What are the challenges you face both as a mother and a bodybuilder? How do you overcome these challenges?
Time is probably my biggest problem. There never seems to be enough time in the day. To combat this, I manage my time efficiently. To avoid wasting time, I plan everything down to the minute in my calendar.
My son goes to daycare two times a week and my mother-in-law’s house once a month, so I can catch up on work and do other household chores (cleaning up, cooking, laundry, meal preparation).
The key is to manage my time well. I need to get up early, do my cardio, and walk before anyone else in the house gets up. Also, I try to go to bed earlier to ensure I get those 7-8 hours each night.
What/where do you find inspiration and motivation?
I motivate myself. Looking back on the person I used to be, I can see how much I have changed. I also look at what I have achieved and what I would like to accomplish in the future. Being able to inspire other people is also inspiring. It motivates me when I receive messages online from people who recognize me or see me in person and tell me that my story affected them.
If you’re always focused on external factors like your physique or how you look, you won’t get very far.
You need to discover your inner why. “Your internal why.”
How do you find the time to balance training with family responsibilities? How would you describe your typical day?
How did I manage to get so much done? I don’t. As I mentioned, my son goes to daycare two days a week, and my mother-in-law takes him another day. I, therefore, have three days where I am able to accomplish everything I want to.
My typical day starts with waking up around 6:30 and doing my cardio. Then, I eat and prepare my meals before waking up my son. It’s then time to train, and I sometimes bring my son along. We’ll go to the gym, then either head home or out for lunch. Then we will run some errands. I can get some work done while my son is napping. We’ll walk in the park if the weather is nice. We’ll then have dinner, plan the food for tomorrow, and finally go to sleep. Every day is pretty much the exact same.
What advice would you give other mothers interested in pursuing fitness or bodybuilding goals while raising their families?
Organize yourself. That is my number one piece of advice. Time is a huge issue that I struggle with, and my clients also mention it. I would recommend buying some high-quality gym equipment. World Fitness Set up a home gym. You can do a complete workout at home while your children are sleeping or napping. You can take your children to some gyms and have them stay with you while you work out. However, this service is not available at all, so you might need to look around a bit to find one. In the event that these facilities aren’t easily accessible, I personally use daycare twice per week with my mother-in-law helping.
You have many options, whether it’s training at home with equipment or taking a walk. Make it a regular part of your life, and you will reap the rewards.
