RAGAN COLLINS

Today's guest is Ragan Collins, an ex collegiate volleyball player turned IFBB Bikini Pro who was born and raised in North Carolina but currently lives in California with her husband as not just a military spouse but also , online coach, and dog mom of two who has had an incredible path in this sport. She stepped onstage for the very first time in April 2024 after a short prep that included a coaching switch and there she swept the whole show winning True Novice, Novice, Open, and the Overall. After taking an offseason, she returned to the stage in 2025, winning her height class at her local show before heading to Junior Nationals where, in only her third time ever competing and first ever national show, she won her IFBB Pro Card. She now runs her online lifestyle coaching business, Fuel For Fitness, where she helps others pursue their own health and fitness goals while continuing to navigate her own journey as an athlete.

Ragan's Athletic Journey Transition Ragan discussed her current lifestyle, including traveling and spending time with family while maintaining her health goals. She shared her pre-stage routine, which involves chatting with other competitors to calm nerves and saying a quick prayer. Ragan explained her transition from competitive swimming to volleyball in high school and college, and how she eventually moved into bodybuilding after retiring from volleyball due to ankle injuries.

Bodybuilding Competition Preparation Journey Ragan shared their journey into weightlifting and bodybuilding, starting with a goal to bench press their body weight and eventually transitioning to competitive bodybuilding under a coach's guidance. They described their first preparation for a competition, which began in January 2024 with a short 10-12 week prep leading up to an April show. Ragan explained the significant calorie and diet changes they experienced during the preparation process, including the challenges of adjusting to a much lower calorie intake and dealing with brain fog while working full-time.

Bodybuilding Coaching Challenges and Solutions Ragan shared her experience of struggling during bodybuilding prep with her original coach, who provided inadequate support and failed to address her concerns. She ultimately switched coaches after reaching out to a contact in the fitness industry, and with her new coach Sammy, was able to reverse some progress and learn bikini posing in just 6 weeks before winning her show. Ragan identified several red flags in coaching relationships, including coaches not respecting natural competition boundaries, not providing safe spaces for discussion, and not being knowledgeable about what constitutes natural competition rules.

Bodybuilding Competition Experience Discussion Ragan discussed her experience competing in bodybuilding, describing how she unexpectedly won her first show despite initial concerns about finishing last. She explained that after her first competition, she took time off to heal her hormones and remove her IUD before starting her next prep in February 2025. Ragan shared that her first reverse dieting phase was challenging due to binging issues and unexpected physical symptoms like hair loss, though she found the process of gaining weight back difficult and awkward, particularly the initial post-show phase before regaining feminine curves.

Bodybuilding Preparation Challenges Ragan discussed her challenging experience with bodybuilding preparation, particularly the mental and physical demands of getting leaner for competitions. She shared how she had to drop 6 pounds within two weeks before Junior Nats and described struggling with food cravings during the off-season. Ragan acknowledged learning important lessons about social media's impact on her mental state during preparation, particularly about avoiding food-related content on Instagram, which she plans to avoid in future preparations.

Competition Lessons and Health Insights Ragan discussed lessons learned fr