Hilo salon owner, mother of 4 prepping for her second bodybuilding competition

Hilo resident Anna Jakobsson starts most days with two giant “pancakes.”

But they’re far from traditional breakfast foods — the “pancake” batter is a mushy mix of oatmeal, egg whites, a whole egg and protein powder all fried together.

“I’ll make it with peanut butter protein and cocoa powder so it’s like a peanut butter Reese’s,” Jakobsson, 44, explained. “(I’ll eat) most of my carbs in the morning because I need energy for workouts.”

Jakobsson is a female bodybuilder. She first got into the sport early this year. She was a longtime runner intrigued by the idea of improving her physique and tackling a new challenge.

In May, she competed in her first competition — the Titans of Fitness event in Hilo, sanctioned by the Global Bodybuilding Organization. She’s now preparing for her second competition in November.

Jakobsson also is a mom of four who owns a hair salon on Keawe Street in downtown Hilo. She said she wants to show other women — regardless of their schedule or circumstances — that anyone is capable of giving the sport a try.

“I believe anyone can do it,” Jakobsson said recently during a post-workout interview at Aloha Fitness Club in Hilo where she trains. “Two years ago, I had hernias on my stomach (from a surgery) — so stitches all over my stomach — and I was still willing to go up on stage. I think it’s important that women — even middle-aged women or women with children and busy lives — know they can do it. It’s a lot of work but you can do it.”

Once a male-dominated sport, bodybuilding is now becoming increasingly more popular among women, according to Amit Sapir, Jakobsson’s nutrition coach who is based in Canada. Sapir, who said he coaches up to 100 clients at a time, told the Tribune-Herald at least half — if not more — are typically female. In the past, that number’s been skewed more heavily toward men, he said.

“It’s growing like crazy among women,” Sapir said. “(Bodybuilding) used to be a very male sport, and now it’s far from it. I get (female) clients every day who are interested in becoming stronger — there’s a sense that strong is the new lean. A lot of women don’t want to look skinny anymore — they want to be strong, powerful and confident.”

That trend also caught on locally, according to Tunya Sytsma, owner and coach of Aloha Fitness Club.

Jakobsson is one of two female bodybuilders who train at Aloha Fitness, Sytsma said, and an increasing number of female members are asking questions about the sport.

“I think it’s becoming more popular among women, but more importantly, more popular in Hawaii,” she said. “I think more women are looking to fitness and not just running. They’re lifting weights now and they’re getting away from the old wives tale of, if you lift heavy you’ll get big and bulky. (Jakobsson) is the perfect example of that. She hasn’t gotten big and bulky and I push her to lift as heavy as I can.”

Jakobsson’s competition prep isn’t exactly easy — her days generally start at 5 a.m. in order to squeeze in two hours, at minimum, at the gym each day. She religiously adheres to a lean, high-protein diet, all the while working on her feet each day at her salon.

Many evenings are spent squeezing in one final cardio workout, she said.

“(Preparing for the first competition) I’d go home, put in my chicken, sit on my treadmill — I knew exactly how long it’d take — and stay that long on my treadmill as my kids are on the bed and doing homework,” she said with a laugh. “And I’ll be doing my cardio at the same time as my chicken is done.”

“It can get challenging,” Jakobsson added. “Sometimes I have to go back and look at pictures. Or it will be things I’ll hear from my kids, when they’ll say ‘Look at those veins or look at this.’ Just small little things. I’ve had times, not necessarily days (where it got tough), but I didn’t drag it out. And it’s been worth it … (now) I just like to motivate others.”

Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.