RAGAN COLLINS; Coaching Red Flags, Hard Personal Lessons, Binge Eating Struggles

Today’s guest is Ragan Collins, an ex collegiate volleyball player turned IFBB Bikini Pro who was born and raised in North Carolina but currently lives in California with her husband as not just a military spouse but also , online coach, and dog mom of two who has had an incredible path in this sport. She stepped onstage for the very first time in April 2024 after a short prep that included a coaching switch and there she swept the whole show winning True Novice, Novice, Open, and the Overall. After taking an offseason, she returned to the stage in 2025, winning her height class at her local show before heading to Junior Nationals where, in only her third time ever competing and first ever national show, she won her IFBB Pro Card. She now runs her online lifestyle coaching business, Fuel For Fitness, where she helps others pursue their own health and fitness goals while continuing to navigate her own journey as an athlete.

Ragan's Athletic Journey Transition

Ragan discussed her current lifestyle, including traveling and spending time with family while maintaining her health goals. She shared her pre-stage routine, which involves chatting with other competitors to calm nerves and saying a quick prayer. Ragan explained her transition from competitive swimming to volleyball in high school and college, and how she eventually moved into bodybuilding after retiring from volleyball due to ankle injuries.

Bodybuilding Competition Preparation Journey

Ragan shared their journey into weightlifting and bodybuilding, starting with a goal to bench press their body weight and eventually transitioning to competitive bodybuilding under a coach's guidance. They described their first preparation for a competition, which began in January 2024 with a short 10-12 week prep leading up to an April show. Ragan explained the significant calorie and diet changes they experienced during the preparation process, including the challenges of adjusting to a much lower calorie intake and dealing with brain fog while working full-time.

Bodybuilding Coaching Challenges and Solutions

Ragan shared her experience of struggling during bodybuilding prep with her original coach, who provided inadequate support and failed to address her concerns. She ultimately switched coaches after reaching out to a contact in the fitness industry, and with her new coach Sammy, was able to reverse some progress and learn bikini posing in just 6 weeks before winning her show. Ragan identified several red flags in coaching relationships, including coaches not respecting natural competition boundaries, not providing safe spaces for discussion, and not being knowledgeable about what constitutes natural competition rules.

Bodybuilding Competition Experience Discussion

Ragan discussed her experience competing in bodybuilding, describing how she unexpectedly won her first show despite initial concerns about finishing last. She explained that after her first competition, she took time off to heal her hormones and remove her IUD before starting her next prep in February 2025. Ragan shared that her first reverse dieting phase was challenging due to binging issues and unexpected physical symptoms like hair loss, though she found the process of gaining weight back difficult and awkward, particularly the initial post-show phase before regaining feminine curves.

Bodybuilding Preparation Challenges

Ragan discussed her challenging experience with bodybuilding preparation, particularly the mental and physical demands of getting leaner for competitions. She shared how she had to drop 6 pounds within two weeks before Junior Nats and described struggling with food cravings during the off-season. Ragan acknowledged learning important lessons about social media's impact on her mental state during preparation, particularly about avoiding food-related content on Instagram, which she plans to avoid in future preparations.

Competition Lessons and Health Insights

Ragan discussed lessons learned from her competition experience, including the need to avoid food-focused social media and better menu planning. She identified issues with overeating post-show and how this contributed to binge eating challenges. Ragan also shared her experience with hormonal changes related to endometriosis and removing her Mirena IUD, noting how this affected her menstrual cycle after competition.

Bodybuilding and Mental Health Challenges

Ragan discussed her experience with hormone fluctuations and mental health challenges during her bodybuilding preparation, including losing her period for over a year and struggling with a negative mental headspace. She expressed regret about being selfish during the preparation period while her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, questioning whether bodybuilding was the right sport for her. Ragan concluded that she wants to prioritize family and friends in future preparations, committing to self-evaluate regularly to ensure the sport doesn't interfere with important life moments.

Bodybuilding Preparation and Mental Approach

Ragan discussed her experience with bodybuilding preparation and competition, sharing how she plans to better balance her training with other life commitments by waking up earlier and making schedule adjustments. She reflected on earning her pro card at her third show and the subsequent imposter syndrome that developed, particularly after hearing comments about her small class size being insufficient for a legitimate pro card. Ragan acknowledged how external opinions and self-doubt affected her mental state during the post-show period, and she expressed determination to improve her mental approach for future preparations by not letting outside opinions impact her confidence.

Ragan's Figure Competition Transition

Celeste and Ragan discussed Ragan's transition into figure wellness competition, with Ragan revealing she hadn't researched the division before competing but had gained perspective through local posing seminars and observing other competitors at her gym. Ragan explained that after her first season, she began following other competitors on social media and building connections within the bodybuilding community, particularly through her gym in Oklahoma which had a strong bodybuilding presence. Ragan described how bodybuilding provided her with routine and stability during her frequent relocations due to her husband's military service, allowing her to maintain control over one aspect of her life despite the uncertainty of constant moving.

Fuel for Fitness Business Interview

Celeste interviewed Ragan about her fitness business Fuel for Fitness, which Ragan started in August 2025 after transitioning from social work to fitness coaching. Ragan explained how her background in psychology led her to pursue social work, but she became disillusioned with the field and found her passion for helping people through fitness coaching after completing her personal training certification. Ragan currently teaches group fitness and provides online coaching, with one of her earliest clients inspiring her to start the business, and she noted that her personal experiences with food relationships make her more relatable as a coach.

Ragan's Training and Location Insights

Celeste and Ragan discussed Ragan's experience living between North Carolina and California, with Ragan expressing love for both locations while noting the high costs in California. Ragan shared that her favorite gym is Stoic in California due to its supportive community and experienced ownership. When asked about alternative sports, Ragan expressed interest in future powerlifting competition or marathon running. Ragan provided advice for new competitors, emphasizing not to compare themselves to others on social media and to ask questions of their coaches, while also cautioning against comparing timelines to others' progress in the sport.

CONNECT WITH RAGAN:

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ragansfitness_fuel/

WORK W/ RAGAN

CONNECT WITH CELESTE:

Website:http://www.celestial.fit

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/celestial_fit/

• All Links:http://www.celestial.fit/links.html