Lisa Cross

My name is Lisa Cross. I am British and have been a
competitive female body builder since 2009.
I began to train seriously with weights when I lived in
Japan of all places. Prior to that, whilst at university, I
avidly went to the gym but I was a cardio fiend! Whilst
in Japan I learnt about healthy eating and was given
some fantastic advice – which was to read and study as
much as I could about training and nutrition. Taking
this advice, I remember buying a book called “Super
Vixen” by Negrita Jade (I still have it) and literally
couldn’t get my head round the transformation of her
physique in photos showing her as a bikini competitor,
then in off season and then standing on stage as a
female body builder. I thought it quite simply
unattainable and incomprehensible.

I therefore never had any intention to become a
female body builder. I just loved training in a way I
can’t explain – and I still do. I came back to the UK and
became a Police Officer. I was known as “that muscly
copper” and during this time training and nutrition
took a bit of a back seat. I used to hide nuts and tins of
tuna in my stab vest whilst I was on duty (until one day
the tuna leaked and I couldn’t get rid of the smell for
weeks).

2007 I attended my first Olympia as a fan and met both
Lenda Murray and Yaxeni Oriquen in person. This was
the first time that I had met female body builders in
the flesh. I was impressed and inspired at the same
time and those meetings cemented me in my decision
to take a risk and pursue my passion rather than
remain in a job that was secure and offered a
comfortable pension at the end. It seemed like a crazy
and huge risk to take at the time but standing where I
am today it was a no brainer.
I competed in my first body building competition in
2009. I won the British Championship in the female
body building class in 2010. Even though there were
more competitors in the female body building class,
the male champion received his pro card, but I had to
wait till 2014 – the year female body building was
dropped from the Olympia. As such I was so
enthusiastic to compete in the inaugural Rising Phoenix
World Championship and have been an avid supporter
of Wings of Strength, their mission and their message
from the start.
Female body building is all about embracing your
individuality and following your passion. I love how we
all bring such different physiques to the competitive
stage and yet we all exude discipline, determination

and strength. I also love speaking to young girls
embarking on their body building journey and yet I
look to older female body builders and am inspired
how they seem to just get better with age.
Being a female body builder has taken me on a
journey, provided me with opportunities and afforded
me with a lifestyle I never could have predicted when i
took that plunge and first decided to compete. So, in
the immortal words of Metallica – Dream big and dare
to fail.

Competition History:
2009 NABBA England – 2 nd
2009 NABBA Universe – 2 nd
2009 UKBFF Hercules – 1 st
2010 UKBFF British Championship – 1 st
2011 Arnold Amateur Europe – 4 th
2011 Women’s World Championship – 4 th (HW)
2013 Arnold Amateur Europe – 2 nd
2014 IFBB Tampa Pro – 16 th
2015 IFBB Omaha Pro – 1 st
2015 IFBB WoS Rising Phoenix World Championship –
9 th
2016 IFBB Tampa Pro – 2 nd
2016 IFBB WoS Rising Phoenix World Championship –
7 th
2017 IFBB Tampa Pro – 2 nd

2018 IFBB Tampa Pro – 4 th
2019 IFBB Romania Pro -5th