Karen McDougal’s professional modeling career began modestly when, at the encouragement of friends, she entered and won a swimwear contest at a Michigan nightclub.

From there, Karen went on to the state and eventually the national competition, where professional talent scouts notice of her good looks and toned physique.

She was offered several modeling contracts and was also introduced to a Playboy photographer, who booked her for a photo shoot.

A few weeks later, she found out that she had been selected as Miss December 1997.

“I honestly didn’t think that I was going to be accepted considering that Playboy has tens of thousands of girls apple every year,” she says.

After her successful pictorial, readers selected the brunette beauty as the 1998 Playmate of the Year.

Her career momentum continued to build and, at the turn of the century, she was selected as the No. 2 Playmate of the Nineties (coming second only to superstar Pamela Anderson).

Since her success with Playboy, Karen McDougal has appeared in several major modeling as campaigns and a variety of shows and movies. She still maintains a serious workout routine, hitting the gym about five days a week.

But like every, she has her sore spots. “I hate training my chest area. I only do it about twice per month,” she says. “And I don’t really like my calves. They are small and they just won’t grow!”

As a fitness model, Karen McDougal was the first women to appear on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine. She has also modeled for Muscle & Fitness magazine. [source: Health & Fitness magazine]