After turning 40, Ana Paula Corsmeier hired a coach and started preparing for a bodybuilding competition. 

For Corsmeier, choosing to pursue her fitness journey was an important part of turning 40. She wanted to finally do all of the things she had been waiting for throughout her life. 

Bodybuilding was one of the things on that list, so she hired a coach, trained, and competed in her first competition. 

“I knew that I did well because on my very first competition, I won every single prize out there,” Corsmeier said. “I was overall athlete and I was nationally qualified for the show.” 

She did so well that her coach stopped charging her for training and encouraged her to continue competing. Corsmeier, though, says she does it for fun, not competitively — and prioritizes her personal health and wellness in the process. 

Building a Fit Lifestyle at 40 

Corsmeier’s bodybuilding success didn’t come from nowhere; she worked hard to build a fit lifestyle at 40. Many people think that once they hit a certain age, it’s too late to chase after their goals or finally focus on their health. But it’s never too late. 

While many bodybuilders pursue taking steroids or other routes to build strength, Corsmeier has chosen to pursue natural bodybuilding, which has become popular in her native Brazil. 

As a competitive natural bodybuilder, Corsmeier has to carefully curate her workouts and meals to ensure she is getting enough fuel and building enough strength to stay competitive. 

She eats seven meals a day, following a clean diet. Fueling is essential to bodybuilding — and any fitness pursuit — and her eating regimen ensures she will have the energy and protein needed to complete her workouts. 

For training, Corsmeier mixes types of workouts for a well-rounded approach to personal fitness. She works out everyday, and goes to the gym for strength training five days a week. 

“I do cardio every single day, even on days off… If I go for a walk, that counts as cardio,” she said. 

A combination of workouts helps Corsmeier prevent injury, while keeping things interesting. Having rest days and recovery workout days are necessary to maintaining top fitness. 

“As a bodybuilder, you have to commit, and you don’t have excuses, you got to do the work… it’s just hitting a day at a time.” 

ZOZOFIT for Bodybuilders: Tool for Tracking Gains

Understanding and quantifying progress is important for bodybuilders. Using ZOZOFIT, bodybuilders can measure muscle gains and losses; this information makes it easier to set goals and hit training targets. 

Corsmeier also appreciates the visual aspect of ZOZOFIT. For her, the 3D view is a huge plus. 

“I really enjoy seeing my body changing every check-in with my coach and my measurements dropping. It’s really cool to visualize that with the app,” she said. 

ZOZOFIT’s app uses 3D body scanning technology to take body measurements of muscles and calculate body fat percentage, another metric that is useful for bodybuilders. 

The app also has features for users to compare their scans, like side-by-side comparison and ColorMetric, where the scan changes colors depending on gains or losses.

“It is so cool to see my body and the ColorMetric… [I] swipe my fingers and see a 3D image of my body. It’s mind blowing.” 

For bodybuilders, especially, the ZOZOFIT is a better option than using a scale, which won’t show you all of the information you need to make informed decisions about your training and competition preparation. 

“I use the suit to track how my body is looking… and if my body fat percentage has dropped, so I have an idea of how I am standing on track with my numbers.” 

Corsmeier scans her body using ZOZOFIT every two weeks to every month, the time recommended by ZOZOFIT engineers. Scanning in shorter time intervals can make it hard to see changes. Longer time jumps let your progress really stand out. 

Fitness Builds Confidence After 40

Since starting her journey with bodybuilding, Corsmeier has felt empowered in other areas of her life as well. 

“It’s actually giving me more gas to go and pursue other things when never in a lifetime would I imagine that I would be hosting a bodybuilding competition,” she said. 

The competition, Dayton Naturals, is a natural bodybuilding competition that was held this past weekend at the Dayton Convention Center in Dayton, Ohio, and is considered as an OCB-qualifying event. 

While the prospect of hosting the event is new to her, as a bodybuilder, she knows never back away from a challenge. 

“You can’t turn [down] the opportunities, you just have to say yes, and then you figure out how to do it.”