Justine Albert is an IFBB Pro Women’s Physique competitor, gym-owner, ballet dancer, dance instructor, and a well-respected coach in the health & fitness industry. She’s local to the Pittsburgh area and has been supporting Axe & Sledge and All American Roughneck long before becoming a sponsored athlete.
We’re excited to have her a part of the Axe & Sledge team and cannot wait to see how she does competing in the NPC/IFBB. If you are in the Pittsburgh area, check out her gym called Club NBT, and if you’re looking for some dance lessons, head over to Just Dance by Justine!
Justine’s Stats
Age: 33
Height: 5’7”
In-season Weight: 154lbs
Off-season Weight: 165-170lbs
Division: Women’s Physique
Question & Answer
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Apollo, PA.
What got you interested in bodybuilding?
At an early age, I really admired my Dad’s athleticism. Although he didn’t compete in bodybuilding, he was naturally athletic and that’s something I wanted to strive for. I didn’t play very many sports growing up, but I started dancing at the age of 3 and lifting weights at the age of 12.
Fast forward to college, my friend took me to a bodybuilding show and that’s when I realized that I wanted to compete.
When did you start training for bodybuilding and when was your first competition?
I started seriously training for bodybuilding when I was 22 years old, which was around 2010.
Between 2012 and 2013, I did my first competition.
What’s the most difficult part of preparing for a bodybuilding competition?
Most people probably think that the diet or training is the most difficult part of preparing for a physique competition. But for me, it’s more along the lines of people not understanding the sport, being judgemental, and not being open-minded.
The longer I diet, the more irritated I get with negative comments, criticism, and lack of respect for the sport. Especially with social media, people love to express their opinions.
What does your diet consist of? (in-season vs off-season)
Since I have a pretty slow metabolism, I have to drop my calories quite low during prep. There are several weeks where I only eat protein and veggies and that’s it. Basically, no carbs and very low fat. Also, I have virtually no cheat meals during prep, but I will have some more flexibility in the off-season.
During the off-season, I tend to eat the same foods as I do on prep, however I will add in some carbs primarily around training and healthy fats. However, my fats always stay fairly low regardless if I am prepping or not.
What’s your current training split?
Monday: Hamstrings & Glutes
Tuesday: Chest & Arms
Wednesday: Yoga
Thursday: Quads & Calves
Friday: Back & Arms
Saturday: Shoulders & Arms
Sunday: Active rest day
I also do cardio everyday. As of right now, it’s usually 30 minutes first thing in the morning and I prefer to run outside.
What's your top two goals at the moment (fitness & business)?
Business: I would love to hit 800 members my March.
Fitness: I plan to compete in 2022 and want to earn top three in a Pro show.
What's your go-to cheat meal?
I really love sandwiches, so I would have to say a turkey hoagie or something along those lines.
Do you have any hobbies outside of bodybuilding?
Outside of lifting & dancing, I really enjoy shopping, hunting, going out to bars to see live bands, and hanging out with my husband & dogs.
If you could make any flavor of the Home Made Bar what would it be?
Birthday cake
Why did you choose Axe & Sledge supplements?
To be honest with you, I am not a big supplement person in general and I am very picky about what supplements I use. Since I am a competitor and striving to be the best I can be, I only want to use supplements that are of the utmost quality.
Although I've been approached over the years by several companies, I didn't find any that I could stand behind and wanted to actually use or recommend. I never wanted to promote a brand that I didn't use, like so many other people in this industry do to just make some money.
Once Axe & Sledge came along, my husband and I started using the products because we found them to be actually effective. Also, we are huge supporters of local business and the axe & sledge hq is right down the road from us. Above all, Axe & sSedge made us feel welcomed and valued. everything that axe & sledge stands for fits my personality and allows me to truly be authentic.
