Lisa Stugartt

VALENCIA — Lisa Stugartt isn't wasting any time.

The 41-year-old Valencia resident won her pro card in the open and masters categories in the bikini division of bodybuilding earlier this year.

Now she's going after a national championship.

Stugartt is entering the open division of the Yorten Cup, a national professional bodybuilding show Oct. 28 in Washington D.C.

“I was originally planning on entering the masters (over 40) division, but that choice was taken out of my hands,” Stugartt said. “They took the masters division out of that show and decided to make it all open.

“I'm OK with that. I've won the open division as an amateur, I may as well try doing it as a pro.”

The Organization of Competition Bodies (OCB) is running the show. OCB is a drug-free organization. All participants take a polygraph test prior to competing and the winners are drug tested afterward.

Stugartt and her husband, Paul, own fitness gyms in Allison Park and Glenshaw. Besides running a gym, Stugartt runs a cross-fit class and a yoga class.

She has three children as well.

“It's important to me to show that you can succeed in this sport as a natural athlete,” Stugartt said. It's far more than just genetics. Your strength training and diet have to be spot on.”

Stugartt is weeks into her training for the Oct. 28 show. The bikini division is different from the figure division, the latter being more about muscle mass.

“You still have to show muscle tone and have the six-pack showing,” she said of the bikini division. “But you maintain the feminine look.”

Saxonburg resident Kyle Walters has been training Stugartt and believes she has a winning look.

“This is her first pro show, but that doesn't matter,” Walters said. “She looks fantastic and she's done everything right. I've trained people for national pro shows. I've seen what it takes to win.

“Lisa has it. I'm very confident she'll place in the top three and I won't be surprised at all if she wins.

“She may be up against women who have done 10 or more pro shows already, but that won't matter. Lisa knows how a show goes. She's a great poser, tremendous on stage,” Walters added.

Stutgartt competed in two Fitness America national shows and she's done more than 15 amateur shows.

“Fitness America didn't use pro cards,” she said. “There were more than 60 women at their nationals and I placed in the top 20. I was thrilled by that.

“I feel like I've come a long way since then. I've improved in every area.”

Stugartt will be competing against women as young as 20. She may be the oldest on stage in her division.

She doesn't care and neither does Walters.

“She has a very athletic body and she's worked so hard,” Walters said. “Lisa has put on 10 pounds of muscle mass, yet she looks leaner.”

“I'm going there to win,” Stugartt said. “I have no idea how many women I'll be up against, but I know they all will have won amateur shows because that's how you get your pro card.

“I'm confident in my ability and I love competition. I'm looking forward to this.”