Amber Littlejohn

Infobox bodybuilder

|
name = Amber Littlejohn
| image_caption =
nickname = Amber Alert, Coltish
birthdate = birth date and age|1975|07|06
birthplace = Monterey, California, U.S.
death_date =
death_place =
height = 5' 10" (177cm)
weight = (In Season): 130-135 lbs. (Off-Season):140-148 lbs.
firstproshow = IFBB Ms. International
firstproshowyear = 2004
bestwin = IFBB Palm Beach Pro Figure Championships
bestwinyear = 2005
predecessor = None
successor = Gina Aliotti
yesorretiredyear = since 2001

Amber Littlejohn (born July 6, 1975) is an IFBB professional figure competitor from the United States. She is well-known in the fitness industry for been one of the tallest (177cm) competitors as well as been one of the few Native American female competitors in the industry. Her highest achievement to date as an IFBB professional figure competitor is having won the inaugural IFBB Palm Beach Pro Figure championships as well as placing second on the 2006 Figure Olympiacite web|author= News America Now|url= http://www.musclememory.com/show.php|title= Profiles: Amber Littlejohn|publisher=Muscle Memory|language=English|date=2007|accessdate=2007-12-05] . Amber currently resides in Orlando, Florida with her fiancee and eight children.

Biography

Amber was born in coastal Monterey, California to a half African American, half Native American (Cherokee) father and an Irish mother. She was raised by parents who where very passionate about social justice that at a young age she witnessed her mother been arrested for protesting against apartheid. Littlejohn grew up in a large family of six children where she was the second youngest and the only female of the group. Because of this she grew up to be a very rough tomboy who was always getting into fights with others and took her some time to be more femininecite web|author= Jeff O'Connell|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0801/is_7_66/ai_n14821362|title= Core curriculum: do your abs pass the test? Take them to middle school with IFBB figure pro Amber Littlejohn's smart and effective workout|publisher=Muscle and Fitness|language=English|date= July, 2005|accessdate=2007-12-06] . While growing up in a cabin out in the woods with very little utilities Amber became a bit nature phobic for a couple of years, but grew up to respect nature as long as she could live in the city. While growing up her parents did not allowed Amber to watch television until the age nine so Amber became very interested in literature at a young age. Reading works of literature from authors such as Toni Morrison, Isabelle Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Ernest Hemingway made Littlejohn very appreciative of literature at a young age and today she still uses literature to escape the rigors of her everyday life.

While not technically a very active child at a young age, Littlejohn explored track, martial arts and basketball during her school early school years. At the age of 23 she began to take weight training seriously to deal with a failed relationship. She would often be seen crying while working out which made onlookers in the gym a bit worried, but she continued to train in order to feel better. After training for several more months and taking five months of gymnastics Amber entered her first competition, the NPC San Jose Fitness and Figure Championships in 2001 where she took first place. Afterwards Littlejohn decided to compete solely in Figure to save her joints from the stress that many fitness athletes suffer. She relocated to Orlando, Florida to live with her new fiancee, who runs the supplement company Nutrex Research, and where she trains clients when she is not competing.

Amber is now a popular figure competitor, she has placed in the top-five in almost every show she has competed since turning pro at the 2003 Figure Nationals. Her highest achievement to date has been placing second at the 2006 Miss Figure Olympia and winning the Palm Beach Pro Figure show. After the Olympia Amber was planning to retire from competing in figure to begin in raising a family with her fiancee, but decided to compete at Figure Olympia in 2007 where she placed in six place. In a recent conversation she announced that her fiancee was diagnosed with cancer and that he is going through chemotherapy while she was getting ready for the Olympia (which may explain her placing). So far it has not been announced whether the 2007 Ms. Figure Olympia will be her last contest that she will compete in.

Vital Stats

* Full Name: Amber Littlejohn
* Birthday: July 6
* Place of Birth: Monterey, California
* Current state of Residence: Orlando, Florida
* Occupation: Figure competitor, personal trainer, and fitness model
* Marital Status: engaged
* Height: 5'10"
* Weight (In Season): 130-135 lbs. (Off-Season):142-148 lbs.
* Eye Color: Brown
* Hair Color: Black

Bodybuilding philosophy

Littlejohn's training consists of simple compound movements with mostly free weights and a few isolation exercises. she rarely uses cable exercises); she also rarely uses machines. Amber focuses on her Glutes, Hamstrings, and Arms during her training. She typically trains 6 days a week in the off-season and trains abs for five to ten minutes after each training session (usually three body parts per day off-season, and only two body parts per day the on-season; when she is getting ready for a contest).

Contest History

*2001 NPC San Jose Fitness and Figure Championships, 1st
*2002 NPC Emerald Cup, 1st (Tall)
*2002 NPC Ironmaiden, 3rd (Tall)
*2003 NPC Nationals, 1st (Tall) and Overall Winner
*2004 IFBB California Pro Figure, 3rd
*2004 IFBB Ms. International, 10th
*2004 IFBB MS. Olympia, 5th
*2004 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Figure, 7th
*2004 IFBB Show of Strength Pro Championship, 3rd
*2005 IFBB California Pro Figure, 2nd
*2005 IFBB Charlotte Pro Championships, 2nd
*2005 IFBB Ms International, 6th
*2005 IFBB Ms. Olympia, 4th
*2006 IFBB Ms. Olympia, 2nd
*2006 IFBB Palm Beach Pro Figure, 1st
*2007 IFBB Ms. Olympia, 6th

See also

* List of female fitness & figure competitors

References

Magazine References

*O'connell, Jeff. "Core Curriculum". California: Muscle and Fitness. July 2005 Edition. ISSN 0744-5105. (New York, NY: Weider Publications, LLC., a division of American Media Inc., 2005.). Section: Training and Fitness: pages 226-230, Covers Littlejohn's article.

External links

* [http://contest.bodybuilding.com/bio/229 Pictures and Competitive History]
* [http://musclememory.com/show.php?a=Littlejohn,+Amber&g=1 Amber Littlejohn's Competitive History]