Behind every man is a good woman or so the saying goes. In the Lewis residence of Murfreesboro, Tennessee that certainly holds true. Many people in the bodybuilding industry are aware of pro bodybuilder James “Flex” Lewis but few are aware of Mrs. Lewis, until now. Flex will take the stage again this weekend in Atlantic City but this time he’ll be joined on stage by his better half. No, she won’t be striking any most muscular poses but Shina Mitchell-Lewis will join him on stage as a NPC bikini competitor. I caught up with Shina and she shares a bit about herself and how she met the man of her dreams.
Name:
Shina Mitchell-Lewis
Born/raised in:
Born in Lansing Michigan, raised in Columbia, Tennessee
Currently live in:
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Contest History:
2006 Greater Knox Classic Figure class C 2ND place. 2006 Tennessee State Championships Figure Class B 3rd place
Some may not know (maybe living in a cave) but who is your husband?
My husband and best friend is IFBB Pro James “Flex” Lewis!! He is a Gaspari Nutrition Athlete and is also sponsored by Weider Publications.
How did you two meet?
Flex and I met back in 2006. I was getting ready to compete in my first figure show and I had noticed on a Contest Flyer that Flex was going to be a guest poser at the show I was competing in. So you know back then MY SPACE was HUGE!!! So I found his picture and sent a friend request along with a message saying “you don’t know me but I will be competing in the Knoxville show and you know my trainers, so it would be nice to meet you…we are all going out for pizza after the show”, well at least a week or so went by and NO reply!! so I sent another message but this time it said “FINE don’t add me as your friend 
no cheesecake for you”… and it worked ….he finally messaged me back and added me and from that moment we have never lost contact!!
Two weeks into emailing, txting and finally calling he invited me to fly out to California to attend a Charity Golf event. Shawn Ray was in charge of who was going to attend this Charity even and he told Flex to bring me along…. so with a lot of thought and prayer I accepted his offer. I had asked my father to pray over the situation, bc if you knew me then I would have never flew clear across the country to meet some man from my space…LOL but he wasn’t just some man my father told me… My father came back and said he felt in his heart that if I didn’t fly over to meet Flex that I would regret it in the future…
So with a $500.00 credit limit on my “college” only credit card I BOOKED the flight. Mind you this was four weeks out from my first show…but I knew I had to meet him!!
The day finally came when I met him face to face. As I was descending into Orange County I txted my mother and best friends and said ” I think I am going to throw up bc I am about to meet the man I am going to marry”!! Seriously, I knew before I met him that I would spend the rest of my life with him…and three and a half years later I am happily married to that man!! He is a blessing and I love him so much.
Wow, that’s awesome and vert a very cool story.
The two of you are not only partners in life but also in business. Tell us about your business name and how that started.
The name of our business is Flex N Shake Smoothies, we started the business last year just before the Olympia! We had the opportunity to lease out a space in our gym and we went from there!
Is it tough running a business while dieting and what’s the key to keeping it going?
It is not tough to run a business whilst dieting but it can get hectic at times. The key to keep it going is to have trust worthy employees. I have the best employees ever. I have taught them exactly how I want our business ran and it gets done!!
What made you decide to compete in the same show as FLEX?
This was a last minute decision. I always diet along side with Flex, for moral support! I had decided earlier in the year that I wanted to compete this year but in October. So I hired a trainer and and started my prep. Well, about 3 weeks ago I was taking progression pictures to send them off to get a new plan from my trainer and Flex suggested then that I go ahead and compete now. So I threw this idea to my trainer and he gave the thumbs up!!
Flex isn’t the only one with abs in the Lewis household.
How has the prep been while dieting together?
Like I said earlier, I Have always dieted with Flex for support and to work the booth at the shows with him…so its easy really
Who does the cooking?
I DO ALL THE cooking!!! I love to cook!
What’s the most challenging thing about being married to a pro bodybuilder?
The most challenging thing is making sure he has everything ready and packed before he travels for an event. Especially because he is from the United Kingdom, we travel a lot over seas and I have to make sure I have all the right traveling documents organized, food cooked and prepared, and remember to pack the universal adapters for our electrical appliances
What do the two of you do when not eating chicken, fish or doing cardio?
We enjoy married life! We enjoy going out to eat at a nice restaurant, going to go see a movie and/or just chill out at home with the dog!!
What advice do you have to women who are considering competing but unsure about it?
Read all you can about nutrition and training. I believe knowledge is key with that said I’m blessed to have a husband who is very knowledgeable in nutrition and the training side of things but when we decided to do this years Atlantic city Show I hired a trainer, Mike Davies (www.mikedaviesfitness.com) who has been fantastic. By doing so it alleviates unnecessary relationship stress especially since Flex and I are both doing the show.
Next try to attend as many shows as possible and look online (hardbody.com) so you can see what the judges are looking for. Plus you can pick up tips for hair and make-up, suit colors and styles, and generally the whole competition criteria.
If my husband is dieting for a show, personally I would “sympathy diet” with him. We diet very well together plus in my eyes if you have a supportive spouse that eats similar to you or lives a healthy lifestyle it makes the dieting a whole lot easier on both ends!
Ladies, try to get your other half involved when you decide to compete, it will make the whole experience much more enjoyable!
What’s on the menu for after the show?
Mmmmm lets see my husband and I love the Cheesecake Factory…so Probably the Baja chicken Tacos and the Chris’s outrageous chocolate cake!!
Any aspirations on becoming an IFBB pro like hubby?
I would love to be an IFBB Bikini Pro…my next show will be the Nationals in November.
Any other new ventures the two of you are embarking on?
We will be opening a gym in January 2010! The name is Olympus Athletic Club and the Flex N Shake will also be inside the new gym!
Anyone you want to thank?
I want to thank my husband and family for all their prayers and support. I also want to thank hardbody for this interview…I love sharing my story and hope to inspire other woman to push hard for what they aspire to do in life.
Thanks for sharing more about yourself Shina and best of luck to both of you this weekend!
