Strength in the Spotlight: How Victoria Burmester Brought Bodybuilding to Lollapalooza
By: Kimberly Kapela | Chappell Roan by Pooneh Ghana for Lollapalooza 2024
In a moment that fused music and muscle, Chicago’s own Victoria Burmester made a powerful debut at Lollapalooza 2024. As a member of the city’s legendary Quads Gym, Burmester brought her strength to the festival’s iconic stage, adding a new dimension to Chappell Roan’s electrifying set on Thursday, August 1.
Burmester, an accomplished bodybuilder, was one of the standout performers during Roan’s set, captivating the crowd of an estimated 90,000 attendees with her dynamic display of strength. As she lifted weights and showcased her competition poses, Burmester’s presence intensified the energy of the performance, her powerful physique complementing Roan’s bold and vibrant stagecraft. The set is already being hailed as a historic moment in Lollapalooza’s history, with some speculating it could have drawn the festival’s largest audience to date.
For Burmester, the experience was as meaningful as it was groundbreaking. Reflecting on her time on stage, she expressed the deep sense of empowerment she felt in being part of such a monumental event.
“To be next to these women who are killing it and being with these strong women on that one stage was very meaningful to me. Just bearing witness to that was really, really great,” Burmester says. Her words resonate with the empowering atmosphere that Chappell Roan cultivated during her performance, a celebration of strength in all its forms – physical, emotional, and communal.
Burmester’s journey to the Lollapalooza stage is a testament to her dedication to the art and discipline of bodybuilding. As a regular at Quads Gym, known for its rich history and community of elite athletes, she has honed her craft in an environment that values hard work and resilience.
Her appearance at Lollapalooza not only showcased her physical prowess but also highlighted the growing intersection of fitness culture with mainstream entertainment, where bodybuilders are celebrated not just for their strength, but for their ability to inspire and empower others.
In a festival known for its star-studded lineups and unforgettable performances, Burmester’s Lollapalooza debut stands out as a defining moment. Her participation added a unique layer to Roan’s set, blending the world of bodybuilding with the vibrant energy of one of the world’s most iconic music festivals. As Burmester continues to push the boundaries of her sport, her Lollapalooza appearance will undoubtedly be remembered as a moment where strength took center stage – in more ways than one.
CMG: Thank you for sitting down and talking to the Chicago Music Guide. Our readers would love to get to know you and your background in bodybuilding more. Where does your passion for bodybuilding stem from? Are there any particular influences or inspirations that have driven you on this journey?
VICTORIA: I feel like in order to answer that, I have to tell how I came to Chicago. I’m from the Midwest. I’m from Ohio. I moved here over 15 years ago for law school. It was really tough when I moved here, getting used to being away from that atmosphere. My mom passed away when I was in law school and I ended up going through a serious depression after that.
It was a really dark time. I ended up watching this YouTube video of Ernestine Shepherd, and at the time, she was being touted as the oldest female competitive bodybuilder. She was very sexy, and she’s almost 90 now and still training. I went on my fitness journey after that. I didn’t know how to start bodybuilding or anything like that. I tried everything else like yoga, CrossFit, and calisthenics, but it was always in the back of my mind that I always wanted to bodybuild.
I realized that fitness was helping me manage my depression and I wasn’t experiencing it anymore. I started to train for my first show and then COVID happened. I had this call to take care of myself and stay in shape. Once all the gyms started opening back up, I was like, I think this might be my moment, and I was really scared.
I ended up watching this former Ms. Olympia competitor and I remember her specifically saying, ‘If you are thinking within your first bodybuilding show, just do it.’ I feel like that was my sign. I lived in Lakeview at the time and I saw this place called Quads and it looked like this hard-core bodybuilding gym. They have every machine you can think of. I just hit the ground running very seriously to train for my first show. I wanted to give myself this gift of competing and seeing what I could do with it. If I give myself all the tools, let me see what’ll happen.
CMG: How do you stay motivated and passionate about bodybuilding, especially during challenging times?
VICTORIA: I think everybody has moments when they really don’t want to go train, but it’s not hard for me to stay motivated, to be honest. Taking progress pictures and looking back, I get to see these amazing pictures of myself and I get to improve upon that. I think about what a privilege it is to compete because competing is expensive. I always try to appreciate all of those things, and it seems to work pretty well. I never ever regretted a workout.
CMG: How do you think you’ve grown as an athlete and competitor in the last year?
VICTORIA: This sport can be really brutal in a lot of ways. I’ve grown physically. I’ve put out so much more muscle than I had before. This past year specifically I gave myself a longer offseason and season to grow. I placed very well at Nationals. I got six trophies for my first couple of years of competing. I think with this sport, you have to have a thick skin. you are coming up there to literally be judged. You have to roll with the punches and be able to take criticism.
CMG: Can you walk us through a typical training day for you? What does your workout routine look like?
VICTORIA: I am currently on a five day training split. I train my legs twice a week. I do shoulders twice a week and back once a week. In addition to that, I have cardio five days a week. I also train abs and on top of all that I do closing, because we have to work on our routine, and that changes as your physique changes.
A typical training day for me is waking up between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. most of the time because I’m ready to seize the day. Depending on how close I am to the show, I was doing two hours of cardio a day going into the show every single day, seven days a week.
CMG: Tell me more about your gym.
VICTORIA: I go to Quads Gym. It’s a Chicago staple. They used to call it the Mecca of the Midwest. The owner of the gym actually ended up passing away right after my first show. He’s just such a great guy and I remember he would be behind the front desk. His name is Dave De Young. He was always super super, super encouraging. When my husband and I met, Dave suspected something between us and he was this father figure.
The gym itself is a little community and I have so much pride for them. I feel like I got so much from my gym. I got my husband. I got a supportive community. I got my passion for bodybuilding and taking care of myself. I got this opportunity with Chappell. Chicago has been so supportive of me.
CMG: You’ve lived in Chicago for over a decade and have never been to Lolla, what were your initial expectations and reactions before you went into the fest?
VICTORIA: I didn’t know that I was going to be in front of so many people until the night before. I was talking to my husband and expressing how nervous I was and I didn’t even know what that many people looked like. I took a minute and I was looking at myself and I was like, ‘Am I ready for this?’ ‘Do I look okay?’ ‘Am I going to look good on stage in front of this many people?’ I had no idea what to expect.
I was on my way to the venue, and I happened to meet this girl and her mom going to the show, they stopped me and asked if I was performing at Lollapalooza with Chappell. They were so excited for me to tell them everything. I suddenly wasn’t nervous anymore because I was so close to her and her fans are living for her. They just wanted a good show and were so supportive.
CMG: Can you share any behind-the-scenes moments or preparations that went into the performance? What was the vibe like backstage before you went on?
VICTORIA: Once I wasn’t nervous anymore, I was just so amped up. We were all really excited about putting our outfits on. Once I saw us all together I just thought how amazing everything came together. I thought about peaking myself for the show, and that’s when you’re going into a show and you’re bringing your most shredded physique.
I didn’t think that was right for this look. I think this was more commercial and more feminine. I wanted to bring something very sexy. Backstage was so much fun. I could just hear the crowd back there. Everyone performing alongside me wanted to look like we were glistening, so we had oils and I did like a body glitter and a bronze look.
CMG: Did the size of the crowd take you by surprise, or were you prepared for it? What were some of the emotions running through your mind as you stepped onto the stage and saw the sea of people?
VICTORIA: I was looking out from backstage out into the crowd and that’s when I was like, ‘Where does it end?’ It was just a blanket of people. The energy was electric. I know a couple of the other girls were scared and it’s just like, if you’re scared, that means you care.
Once that fear left my mind, I was so amped up and I was just stoked to get out there. I think the difficult part was it was like wanting to be so excited and freaking out but you’re supposed to be training. We were all designated in certain areas, so I knew the bikini girls were going to be behind her and the powerlifters were going to be on the side.
They said that we would go out and train and they said you can just act like you’re training, like you don’t have to. When you go out you can just start stretching and mimic your workout routine. I was stretching and touching my toes and then ended up settling into a bikini and showing how flexible I am too. I ended up going into a pigeon and a half split in a bikini on stage, and I was like, if I lower myself down you’ll be able to see how muscular I am.
We wanted to show our training poses in the first song. For the second song, we wanted to pose because we’re all from different divisions. I did bikini poses. I’ll pretend like we’re practicing at the gym and do different poses and show them what we do and pretend that we’re at a gym. They started doing push-ups on the sides of me. At one point, I laid down on the bench and had them spot me. As the music was intensifying, I was using her music to pump me up.
CMG: What did you think of Chappell Roan’s performance? Were there any standout moments for you during the set?
VICTORIA: It was awesome. My favorite part was when she just dropped down into a split and she’s such a performer and I love it. Her band is great too. Devon and Lucy are so sweet and they came in and thanked us. Devon is switching guitars on stage and everything was just so great. I know there are men on stage, but to be in proximity to these women who are killing it and being with these strong women on that one stage was very meaningful to me. Just bearing witness to that was really, really great.
CMG: How does it feel to be a part of Lollapalooza history by drawing the biggest crowd ever?
VICTORIA: It’s beyond my comprehension. I was going down in the elevator just to get a package downstairs and this girl came up to me and said she saw me at Lolla. It’s all been so unexpected.
CMG: How has the reaction been about your performance from your loved ones?
VICTORIA: It’s so funny because my husband was in this meeting and people like texting him and asking him if his wife is on stage. At this point with my family, they’re used to me doing crazy things. Years ago, I remember I did this thing for a charity called Cupid’s Undie Run, and I ended up raising money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and you ran outside in your underwear.
I had tiny underwear and a white fur trapper hat and was running outside. My family loves it. I don’t think they realized how big it was and they’re just like ‘It’s everywhere.’
CMG: How has the support and reaction been from your gym?
VICTORIA: Just that’s so lovely, and that’s one of the reasons why I really wanted to recognize them because they specifically thought of me for this and they’ve been so supportive of me and competing. I’m on cloud nine.
I went to train for the first time at the gym after the show and people were like, ‘Oh my god, what is going on?’ It’s so sweet because I’ve tried to reply to so many people on Instagram and they’ve been saying so many nice things like, ‘Oh my god, this bodybuilder is so hot, and they’re so jacked or how do I look like that?’ And it was just a lot of hard work and dedication. I was like, you’re welcome to come and train at my gym with me if you want to.
It’s a big party over there, and there’s so many positive vibes from everybody; from the fans to the gym, just everybody.
CMG: What does this achievement mean to you personally and professionally? How do you think it will impact your future endeavors?
VICTORIA: I really don’t know. I wasn’t expecting anything really. I’m open to anything. it means a lot to me from the perspective of like, I’m from a super small town like she is from the Midwest. When I came here, I didn’t know anybody at all. The fact that I got to be on the biggest stage in the world a decade later, it makes me wonder what my mom would think and I wish she was able to see it. I’m open to anything.
It would be cool to have this sort of a bridge to bodybuilding in the mainstream and to show people what we do. It didn’t really show exactly what we do, but I think it’d be awesome to do something cool like bodybuilding shoots and stuff like that. I’m overall so happy that I was able to show my physique that I’ve worked on for years and have such a great response from it. It was just very validating.
CMG: What are your next steps after such a significant performance? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re excited about?
VICTORIA: I’m not going to do a bodybuilding show until 2025. I’m open to anything. I would love to do more fitness photography. I’ll see what comes my way. I’m always open to any opportunity that I get. I feel like sometimes people think of bodybuilding as being so restrictive or they think negative things about it sometimes.
To me, it’s been an awesome experience to give sort of a deeper look into what we all do. There’s more than just muscles here and it takes so much dedication and work, I love that it’s being recognized because I think a lot of people don’t know exactly what it is. I respect that everybody does so much and I’m so thankful for it all, it’s been a wild ride and let’s keep riding.
Check out more great interviews here!
Links:
Victoria Burmester:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriasbikini/
Quads Gym:
Official: https://www.quadsgym.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuadsGym/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quadsgym.76/
Chappell Roan:
Official: https://www.iamchappellroan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChappellRoan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chappellroan/
Lollapalooza:
Official: http://www.lollapalooza.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lollapalooza
X: https://twitter.com/lollapalooza
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lollapalooza/
