Sarah Zahab

Background:

I began dancing at the age of three in ballet, tap, jazz, Lebanese folklore and hip hop and loved every minute of it. I continued dancing and competing until high school where I began teaching jazz and hip hop and felt great having a positive influence on little children's lives. During my University studies, I really began to miss dancing and competing and saw a sport aerobics competition on television. I wanted to give it a try and competed in 1999. It was a great way to stay in shape and be able to use my skills. I then saw a fitness competition and felt it would be a nice transition and lots of fun since the routines could be a little more creative. I have been competing since 2001 and have come a long way! The routine round is my absolute favourite and I look forward to it. The dieting can be hard at times but my family and friends are extremely supportive, especially my husband, John. I am currently working to qualify for Ms Fitness World again this year.

I choreograph fitness, figure and body building routines for other competitors. It is great to promote fitness as a sport and I believe drug free competitions have a bright future. If you are looking for a choreographer or have any questions, please email me at sarah.zahab@istar.ca.

Personal Bio

Personal Web Page: www.sarahzahab.ca.
E-mail: sarah@sarahzahab.ca.
Creator of Prenatal Strength Workout DVD and Postnatal Strength Workout DVD available at www.sarahzahab.ca.

Name: Sarah Zahab
Resides: Ottawa
Date of Birth: July 15, 1977
Height: 5'5
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Body Weight: (Off season) 130
Body Weight: (competition) 123
Gym Where Sahah exercises: Mostly at work in the early mornings and at home on the weekends
Occupation: Fitness Coordinator for Strength Tek Fitness and Wellness Consultants. I have worked full time in the fitness industry since 1999 and absolutely love it.
Education: BSc. (Human Kinetics) from the University of Ottawa, graduated with honors.
Hobbies: Dancing, walking, ice climbing, reading and spending time with family and friends
Certifications: Group Fitness with Can-Fit-Pro and the YMCA, Certified Kinesiologist with the OKA and Certified Exercise Physiologist with CSEP, Certified Personal Trainer with the YMCA.
Trainer/Coach: I train with Matthew Burns. He has taught me new skills and helped me to improve old ones. I leave every session with a sense of accomplishment (and of course, fatigue). I highly recommend him! I choreograph my fitness routines and really enjoy this part. I also develop my training and nutrition programs with the help of a few experts in the industry (thank you Matt, Bruce, Shane and John!).
Goals: To help others balance lives with health and fitness

Media Exposure and Experience:

  • From Belly to Baby, author Prenatal Fitness Article, March 2009.
  • CTV news, February 2009 promoting Prenatal Strength DVD.
  • Oxygen magazine, May 2007 issue.
  • Ms Fitness Magazine, Fall 2007 Author The Many Wonderful Uses of Protein article.
  • Ms Fitness Magazine, Spring 2007.
  • Ms Fitness Magazine, Spring 2006.
  • Ms Fitness Magazine, Spring 2005.
  • Ms Fitness Magazine, Winter 2004 Full Page.
  • Oxygen Magazine, September Issue 2004, Fitness Canada Pageant Review.
  • Zone Sports News, August 2004.
  • Fitness and Physique Magazine, Issue #3 2004.
  • Ms Fitness Magazine, Spring 2004, Flexibility section.
  • New RO, April 2004, Promoting Neutron North Eastern's competition.
  • The Ottawa Citizen, April 2004, 'Fitness Competitor Keeping It Real'.
  • Model in 'Strength Ball Training' by Lorne Goldenberg and Peter Twist, published by Human Kinetics.

Competitive History:

  • Ms Fitness World in Las Vegas, 19th place (September 2006).
  • Ms Fitness South Western's Toronto, 2nd place (July 2006) Neutron Sports.
  • FAME World Championships Fitness Advanced Toronto, 7th place (June 2006) WNSO.
  • FAME Canadian Nationals Montreal, 4th place (May 2006) WNSO.
  • Ms Fitness World in Las Vegas, 22nd place (September 2005).
  • Ms Fitness Canada Ottawa, 2nd place (August 2005), Neutron Sports.
  • Ms Fitness North Eastern's Ottawa, 1st place (April 2005), Neutron Sports.
  • Ms Fitness World in Las Vegas, 19th place (September 2004).
  • Ms Fitness Canada, Ottawa, 2nd place (August 2004) Neutron Sports.
  • Ms Fitness Canada North Eastern's, 1st Place (April 2004) Neutron Sports.
  • Fitness Canada Pageant, Toronto, 14th Place (May 2004) WNSO.
  • Ms Fitness World in Las Vegas, NV, 20th Place (September 2003).
  • Ms Fitness Canada, Toronto, 3rd Place (August 2003) INBA.
  • Fitness Canada Pageant, Toronto, 12th Place (July 2002) WNSO.
  • Ms Fitness Canada North Eastern's, 1st Place (April 2002) Neutron Sports.
  • Ms Fitness Canadian Nationals, Ottawa, 1st Place (September 2001) Neutron Sports.
  • Ms Fitness Canada, Ottawa, 6th Place (July 2001) Neutron Sports.
  • Canadian National Sport Aerobic Championships Mixed Pairs, 2nd Place (2000) CNAC.
  • Canadian National Sport Aerobic Championships Division II, 1st Place (1999) CNAC.

Training and Nutrition Strategy:

In the off season I weight train four days per week hitting each body part once to build muscle. I usually do a few weeks of high repetition training (12 to 15 reps) and a few weeks of lower repetition training (6-8 repetitions). Three months before competition, I will do a full body workout twice a week, one day of plyometrics and skills training, and practice my routine two to three times per week. I change the exercises often and stay away from machines. Most of the exercises I do are with dumbbells and the exercise ball. I complete high intensity interval cardio sessions 3-5 times per week and add a few moderate or light sessions as well. During the competitive season, I will maintain my strength and focus more on the routine and cardio.

In the off season, I will eat clean most of the week and cheat on the weekends. When preparing for a competition, I will have one cheat meal per week and eat clean the remainder of the time. My diet consists of lean meat (chicken, fish, and beef), lots of vegetables, whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice and quinoa), eggs, cottage cheese, nuts and fruit. I have an Interactive Whey protein shake every day with 1 teaspoon of glutamine. My favourite flavour is chocolate - Yum! We eat organic where possible and focus on wholesome, nutritious foods and avoid processed foods as much as we can. I take two greens vitamins daily (Perfect Food from Garden of Life), two cod liver fish capsules daily (Carlson) and a tablespoon of ground flaxseed spread throughout the day on oatmeal, cottage cheese and salads. I also drink 3 to 4 liters of filtered water a day.