Shoulder siren: transform your upper body with Christine Pomponio-Pate's delt-widening workout

Muscle & Fitness, Sept, 2005 by Michael DiGregorio

FIGURE COMMANDO CHRISTINE POMPONIO-PATE is not the woman you take home to Mom. She is, however, the one you ride motocross with. The serious cut-up who's the first to poke fun at herself and tell the raunchiest joke at the gym. And the brave heart who wouldn't let something like a near-death experience and II surgeries slow her down.

Jeff Taylor, National Physique Committee (NPC) chairman for Colorado as well as an NPC event promoter, can testify to her perseverance, having known Christine since her fitness debut in the late 1990s. "Trust me, Christine has come a long way," he says from his Denver office. "I mean, you could see that she had the potential physique-wise, but it would take a few years to get there."

To Taylor, that place reflects a rare alignment of muscle, symmetry and conditioning. "Once in a while an athlete comes along with just the right combination and balance. She has that." But beyond the five-alarm frame lies a great sense of humor, he adds. "She cracks everybody up. I think that really helps her keep competition and life in general in perspective."

Veteran fitness photographer Terry Goodlad agrees with that sentiment. "A lot of girls take themselves way too seriously," says Goodlad, who has shot Christine at a number of events. "Not Christine--she's a nonstop Gong Show. Her jokes are as off-color as any man's."

EYES ON THE PRIZE

And, of course, she clearly has the looks to be a favorite of lensmen. Just the same, Taylor prefers to steer the dialogue away from the aesthetic, toward the tireless behind-the-scenes work Christine has done to present herself as an athlete. To that end, he offers the ultimate Christine mission statement.

"Earlier this year, I was setting up an apartment complex with new fitness equipment and had to remove an old Vectra trainer," says Taylor, whose e-mail address book exceeds 2,000 names, including clients. "So I figured that someone would want a free piece of home equipment.

"Well, in less than three minutes, at 10:30 at night, I get a response back. Honestly, I checked my server. It took Christine two minutes, 33 seconds. Of course, another dozen or so responded, but Christine took home the prize for fastest reply."

As if a ridiculous response time wasn't enough, the Colorado native added style points that matched the Rockies for dramatic effect. When Christine and her husband arrived to pick up the equipment, the complex manager phoned Taylor.

"She asked me who Christine was. Understand Christine was but a few weeks out from the Ms. International, and it looked to [the manager] that I had sent Mighty Mouse over. This woman had no concept of what an IFBB figure pro is supposed to look like. Yet she was quite sure that Christine didn't need any help."

GOOD GIRL/BAD GIRL

In 1999, Christine won the overall title at the NPC Colorado Fitness Championships. But before she earned her IFBB pro card, Christine realized she needed a mentor.

Enter former Denver Broncos cheerleader Carla Sanchez, who is not only the founder and owner of the Performance Ready Fitness Team (performanceready.com) but also coaches its 20-member Fitness and Figure Team. A former pro fitness competitor herself, Sanchez has won the Colorado NPC's Trainer of the Year award. With Sanchez established as "all things fitness" in the Mile-High City and Christine on a steady ascent, it was only a matter of time before their trajectories crossed.

Sanchez calls her "the total package." The only person she had to convince was Christine, who nearly called it quits last year, Sanchez notes. "Then she began to see her potential as a top figure athlete and began to take her training and dieting seriously," she remarks.

"Christine has a curvy, sexy physique that's also athletic," Sanchez comments. "It's that ideal balance of femininity and strength. She has full muscles, great symmetry. Her stage presence is outstanding. She knows how to carry her physique and display it with grace and a little sass!"

In terms of temperament, Sanchez describes Christine as half good girl, half bad girl. "when it's time to get down to business, Christine is very disciplined--training, dieting, getting in the zone. But when she's bad, she's the naughtiest of 'em all!"

Last year, Christine showed up at the California Pro in the best shape of her life, adds Sanchez. "She proved to everyone, but mostly herself, that she has what it takes. Placing sixth turned her career around."

BACK FROM THE BRINK

But Christine isn't just another pretty face. In reality, she's a partially reconstructed one.

To inspire others, Christine has shed light on one of the darkest moments in her life. Eleven years ago, en route to work, she passed out in her car and hit a truck head-on. The impact, as if she needed to know, was equivalent to hitting a brick wall at 80 mph.

Eleven surgeries followed. "The most serious procedure was arguably the day of the accident itself," she says. "My teeth had to be pulled from the back of my mouth. Those that didn't come out [in the accident] had to be ripped from the roof of my mouth to move them back to the front." Adding to the unbearable pain, Christine couldn't receive anesthesia because she'd sustained a concussion.