Bold and beautiful. Powerful & Strong.
Missy Canterbury’s journey from gym newbie to champion bodybuilder is a testament to patience, consistency, and unshakable self-belief
By Cynthia Reeves / Photos by Kate Treick Photography and provided
The first time Missy Canterbury lifted a dumbbell in her hand, she felt a powerful connection.
“I was like, Wow! This is really cool. That dumbbell, the barbells! That was the end.”
Actually, it was a beginning.
A friend had taken her to a gym in her native Louisiana. Photos of women bodybuilders lined the walls. Canterbury began seeing herself as a potential competitor. Maybe one day.
“I thought they were gorgeous,” she said. “I was like: I want to do that.”
A move to Gulf Breeze and a gym membership at Acceleration Fitness Center off Highway 98 launched her into the next phase. There, she was introduced by friends to Alicia Smith, who now coaches her through a team called “Missfit Physiques.”
After three years of relentless training, rigid diets and hours practicing poses, Canterbury stepped on the stage in March for the Panhandle Showdown in Destin. Wearing a tiny, shimmering baby-blue bikini and fired up with determination and confidence, Canterbury placed first in the master’s 50-plus Open Class A Bikini Division.
Years of training boiled down to a few seconds on stage.
It was a self-confidence boost, for sure — a show of strength and courage.
She says the bikinis have gotten smaller over the years in these competitions, but she understands why. “It’s not meant to be sexualized. You’re pretty much showing with the hard work that you put in the building your glutes and hammies,” Canterbury explained.
PHYSICAL AND
MENTAL GROWTH
The 52-year-old admits that taking on bodybuilding as a sport in your 50s may seem impossible to some, but age, size or circumstances never wavered her desire. She believes consistency is the key. Too many people give up on bodybuilding when they don’t see results right away.
“The key is patience,” she said.
The sport has helped Canterbury physically and mentally. Her first show was in June 2023. She’s made gains each year until her most recent accomplishment. There was a moment when she was told she couldn’t compete this year because she was going through a stressful divorce, but she entered the competition anyway.
“I made the decision that I was mentally ready, so I just hit the gym.”
While her mental muscle has improved, so has her body strength. When she first started lifting, the best she could bench press was about 30 pounds. At a weightlifting competition at Acceleration Gym on August 2, she cleared 115 pounds.
“I was surprised!” she said.
DIET AND EXERCISE
When she started training in 2022, Canterbury says she was a little overweight for her petite frame. She stands a little over 5 feet tall, and she did not have much muscle tone. She also suffered from body dysmorphia. In the past, she was afraid to eat certain foods, such as carbs, for fear of gaining too much weight.
During the weeks and months of building muscle mass, her coach had her eating 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day and working out six days a week. She usually trains for about two hours each day, working on a progressive overload of weights. Canterbury depends on the advice from her coach.
“She tells me what to eat. She might be like: chicken and rice, and green beans, or lean turkey, or sometimes the extra lean ground beef.”
About three weeks before the competition, she began consuming fewer than 1,000 calories a day.
“It’s not something you want to do consistently, but you do it for a show,” Canterbury said. “That way, on stage, the muscles pop out.”
Her normal weight is now about 111 pounds; for competition, she got down to 97 pounds, but she said her coach never focuses on the scale. There’s never a weight goal; it’s all about building, growing and gaining.
FUTURE PLANS
Canterbury has qualified in the past for the move on to a national competition, but didn’t feel ready. It is an idea she has not completely ruled out, but right now she is giving her body a much-needed rest.
She now works at Acceleration Fitness full-time. You will often find her lifting weights and working out in the morning before her shift. Her goal is to provide excellent customer service and to inspire others to find a level of fitness and training that makes them feel empowered.
