Fit Nic News

First Workout of 2012

2012-01-02T07:12:00.001-05:00

It's a new year, a new day and a new opportunity to be my best! Good morning! It's 7AM and I'm about to get my in the first workout of the year at Diamond Gym in Maplewood, NJ. Need some inspiration? This is the gym of legends. Every wall is filled with inspiring role models who have been where you are trying to go. The machines are the actual machines that athletes like Linda Murray, Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman and Victor Martinez have trained on to get to the top. Old school training, hard core dedication and blasting music to help get you and keep you in the zone! I'm ready for my 2012. Are you? Olympia 2012 hear I come baby!

Enjoying the Holidays

2011-12-17T17:37:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone is truly having a fantastic holiday season. I am having so much fun catching up with old friends, planning a Christmas party for my clients and preparing to travel out of town for New Year's Eve. Christmas is a time for showing love and giving to others. During these tough financial times, remember that the best gift is one from the heart. I am not one to get hung up on buying gifts anymore. I did that as a child and I always felt so bad if I didn't get everyone I knew SOMETHING. Now as an adult, I try to focus on giving my TIME and service to others. I'm not talking about volunteering at a soup kitchen (while that in fantastic). I'm talking about sharing real quality time with family, friends and co-workers. Toys break, clothes wear out and other presious valuables can get loss or stolen. Memories last forever. So go out and make some!

4 Days Until the Olympia

2011-09-12T23:01:00.001-04:00

Let me just say that I am so excited about this year's Olympia. This journey has been about change, hard work and personal growth. I am so excited to have ISS Research as a sponsor. After this show I'll be headed to the Ft Lauderdale Pro, all courtesy of ISS Research/Oh Yeah/MPR brands. You can stop by the ISS Research booth at the Olympia on Saturday to visit with me from 12-2pm.

It is late and I should be getting into the bed but I felt the need to reflect on the journey. It has been quite hard but I do feel that I look the best that I've ever looked. I'm excited to perform my routine but will need to get some rest and do a little TLC these next few days. I may have injured my groin muscle or pinched a nerve or something so the chiropractor is going to work his magic on me tomorrow. I won't let this get me down as I know so many other competitors have gone through or are currently going through the same situation as me. When we get down to these last days it's difficult as our minds are racing, our bodies are exhausted and the mere anticipation of what's to come is on the brain. I am choosing to be happy and have joy despite my obstacles. My dad and I just had a conversation and I am happy just knowing that he is in a good place. Business is slow but somehow my parents will still be able to attend the show. I'm really close to my dad and when he had a stroke years ago he stopped going to a lot of events and has yet to attend the Arnold or the Olympia. This year he's going and it means more to me than he knows. He has worked hard and been good to people all of his life and I think it's time that he gets to enjoy his.

Pushing yourself to the limit can give you empowerment like never before. I am so excited about restructuring my fitness company to target women who need a more complete fitness program. I feel the need to nurture the nurturers. Who's taking care of the moms who take care of the world? Hopefully my company can do that. Doors have been opening for cheerleading choreography work, fitness routine work as well as fitness video and hosting opportunities and I am so grateful. At first I thought that these things would over shadow my goals of winning the Fitness Olympia one day but I think that they fuel the fire. I meet so many inspirational people that they make me want to be a better person. It's like one big snow ball effect and I love it.

I hope that those attending the Olympia this year will find some inspiration for their life's journey. God is so good. He puts us in all sorts of situations so that we can find our way to VICTORY through him. He also designed it so that we would need each other to get through this journey. I am so grateful for my LARGE team of confidants and supporters. I must take the time to thank them all!

Mama & Daddy
Dwayne & the Diamond Gym Crew
Cliff Bomar
Mike Davies
Maggie Keaveny
JanTana
Shoshona & Fitnessrxmag.com
Rockdale Gymnastics & Crew (my extended family)
Paula
Tony Hawes
Shane Sharpe & High Fly Allstars
Tim Tialdo
Carla & Rick Earlywine
LeAngela Jones
Wanda, ShaNay, Debra, Kesha, Tasha, Tina, Alicia, Theresa, & all my clients ...

THANKS & I LOVE YOU ALL!
Nicole

Arnold Bound!

2011-02-13T14:48:00.001-05:00

With just a few short weeks left to run, diet, practice and train for the show I'm getting more excited than ever. The days come and go and my mood goes up and down but in the end I'm going to enjoy myself no matter what. Long gone are the days when I mope around because I didn't win or place as high as I would like. Gratification has to come from within and from God. I'm not where I should be in my training prep (post strep throat, stomach virus, school, etc) but I am exactly where I should be. I'm grabbing the bull my the horns and holding on for the ride of my life.

Here's a quick day in the life:

Wake up anytime between 3:30am-4:30am. Hit the treadmill. I bought one from a family friend for $100 so no more having to head to the gym early every morning. I shower. Eat breakfast and take my kick ass Organic Monkey vitamins. You should always take a multivitamin and mineral daily. I love the Pomology Women's Daily vitamins. I also take St. John's wort, Kelp, Glutamine and echinacea cause I don't want to get sick again. In addition I take a vitamin E as well as vitamin C. Whew! That's a lot I know, but wait until you hear the rest of my day. Oh, and I also drink a Redline Extreme sometimes half and sometimes a whole dose (1/4-1/2 the bottle) for increased energy as I head to work. I used to take my redline BEFORE my cardio but I found myself getting sick after my recent stomach issues. I guess as you get older things change. Ugh! The Redline helps me to stay awake and pumped for the rest of the day. It's my caffeine pump which as of late has proven to be a great aid in weight lost. If you are a coffee drinker (which oddly makes me feel nauseous in the mornings) you might not want to drink both of these within a 6 hour period. You might not be able to sleep or talk slow enough for people to hear you. LOL!

Anyhoo, I work at a community center so I usually put in an 8-hour shift tending to the facility's needs like opening, making sure the fitness equipment works properly, setting up rooms for meetings and classes, answering phone calls, taking room reservations, creating the calendars, selling memberships and so on. Two days a week I teach my own boot camps in the evenings before heading to my second workout. One day a week I drive to Atlanta (45 mins away) to train the Georgia Force Arena Football Cheerleaders. And other times in the evenings or weekends are filled with studying and doing homework, planning and organizing events, teaching dance clinics, teaching posing classes and of course practicing tumbling and tricks for my routine.

Today, I have decided to stay at home to finish my homework and get prepared for the week. I am excited that this is my birthday weekend and tomorrow's the big day. Yesterday I got to celebrate my bday and Valentine's Day with 3 of my favorite people Mitzi, Jacenta, and Kristen, all of which are my first cousins whom I grew up with. We went to see Alvin Ailey Dance Theater at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Always a treat! Tomorrow I will treat myself to Hot Yoga, Kickboxing and probably a few hours of routine choreography since I am still not finished with my Arnold routine. I am excited about the weekend too! I get to send it with my dear friend Tina. She and I plan to hit a personal training conference among other things.

So, there's my life these days in a nutshell. The key is to keep God first in all that you do. And when you do get off track, don't be afraid to say I'm sorry, pick up the pieces and start over. We can be as happy or as miserable as we what to be no matter what the situation is that you are going through. Choose to be happy and push beyond the odds. You can control your own destiny.

Xtreme Fit Camp! January 28-30th Atlanta, GA

2011-01-11T19:56:00.000-05:00

Ever wanted to be a fitness competitor? Do you idolize or admire fitness pros such as Adela Garcia, Jenny Hendershot, Susie Curry or Tanji Johnson? Ever wanted to jump, dance, shake and twist your way to the national stage and then on to the pro level? Now is the time! It's a new year full of possibilities and you have to be willing to go out and grab them1

Deciding to compete in fitness is one of the best decisions I ever made. I LOVE IT! With every show I get to strut my stuff and show that I am once again in the best shape of my life. If you've ever wanted to push yourself to be at your best, if you enjoy performing or would like to challenge yourself, then maybe you should consider competing in fitness.

At almost 32 years old, I can promise you that I've found the fountain of youth! And guess what? I'm here to teach you all of my secrets at the Xtreme Fit Camp! This camp is for beginners, amateur competitors, pros, joes, dancers, runners, tumblers or anyone who wants to learn how to excel in fitness. We have a HUGE playground at Rockdale Gymnastics (http://www.rockdalegymnastics.com/) to learn how to do everything from strength moves and tumbling to stretching and functional training. We will discuss nutrition and supplements, competition selection, routine practices, presentation and more! Don't miss out on a fantastic event! You'll get to work along side the pros and walk away with a game plan to keep you Xtremely prepared and on the right track to keep you fit for the rest of the year!

Email me at nicole@fitnicole.com for details!

MY OFF SEASON!!!!!

2010-12-07T15:37:00.001-05:00

Hello Blog Family!

I am so sorry I've neglected you. I miss being able to sign in and vent or share what's going on in my contest prep, fitness career and just family life. Well, it's the lovely OFF SEASON! Yay! It's time to rest and indulge in all the pleasures of live that I've been putting off for the last 9-10 months. As much as I welcome the off-season, I forget how terrible it can be.

For me, the off-season started immediately after the Fort Lauderdale Pro on Saturday, November 20th. What better way to end the year than by competing at Shannon Dey and Kristen Nagrani's All Girl's Event the Fort Lauderdale Cup. For the second year in a row this has been a fantastic girls weekend and for the 2nd year in a row I placed second and qualified for the following year's Olympia competition. What a great weekend and what a wonderful relief!

After the show, my dear friend and fellow IFBB pro fitness competitor Tina Durkin and I went on a cruise! It was a 5 day, 4 night cruise to Key West and Cozumel; all the food we can eat! And of course we were going to drink our hearts desire. Well...... maybe I should have given my body a week to adjust to all the bad things that I had planned to pack into my mouth before setting sail. It took me two weeks to recover from the rebound that my body experienced. Seriously, up until 2 days ago, I would have sworn that my body was falling apart. As competitors, we have to remember that our bodies have gone through major changes with the dieting and training. I honestly now believe that I have diet induced lactate intolerance if there is such a thing. Dairy and my body does not always agree. LOL. And the food is only the beginning.

I tried a new tanning product at the last minute and somehow developed a fungal infection in the most inconvenient places and that's the only thing I can think of that caused it. Not to mention the uncomfortable itch that comes from the product coming off my now dry skin. Of course the fact that I started replacing my gallons of water with alcohol didn't help the fact at all. Oh and did I mention I was on a cruise with lots of time to layout or dress up and go out displaying my oddly brownish-red muddy looking skin. I know, real attractive.

If those two issues weren't enough, I somehow developed a nagging back pain on the upper right lat area. It made it uncomfortable to sleep and I have since been to the chiropractor, massage therapist and taken pain killers and muscle relaxers to help ease the pain. Not to mention using heating pads and ice packs to get through the night. Ugh! What an off season! LOL.

Thanksgiving Day was my last workout. I have been resting and getting lots of sleep. But most importantly I've been able to work on my business and plan events for next year. I've also since ordered an "off-season" diet because I realize that I can never be fully off. My body craves the healthy crap and exercise. It needs the discipline and hydration. Just get ready folks. If your passion is fitness and you want to reach an elite level, get ready to endure it for the long haul. Otherwise, you can go from 10 to 0 in just a matter of a few days!

My advice to all is to "CHEAT RESPONSIBLY"!

Happy Holidays!
Nicole

Rest, Evaluate & Rejuvenate

2010-09-01T11:40:00.000-04:00

So it's been a good week since my last post. Over the weekend I was reminded that I'm not superwoman and that everyone needs a break. I was excited about the workouts I had completed through the week and just continued to plow through the weekend. I was able to meet with a great group of girls to practice my posing and then we took the Hip Hop Fit dance class for cardio. The class was great and I was soaking wet when we finished. Although it was great cardio I considered it "easy" cardio because it was fun. Surely I couldn't have over exerted myself, it's dance right? Well, I ended up not doing cardo that night and felt bad about it. I got up and met my workout partner on Sunday morning for 20 mins of hard bleachers, 10 "push myself to the limit" 40-yard sprints and a mile run. I got in the car and felt great. Got home. Sat down to eat and to watch Buckhead Church online (I know - lazy!) and the pain just set in. Ice, heat, stretching....nothing seemed to help it. Actually it felt like I made it worse. I was thinking, "Great! It's 4 weeks from the Olympia and I've pulled my darn hamstring". Needless to say, there was not evening cardio for that day either.

The next morning I woke up still in pain. The icy hot helped for the moment but it still hurt to walk, bend over and even to sit on it for too long. Ugh! I have morning cardio. I finally told my workout partner what was going on and she said, "When was the last time you rested?" That thought had not crossed my mind. After all, this is THE OLYMPIA I'm preparing for. It's crunch time! She assured me that I looked good on Sunday and made me promise her two days of rest. Well, I gave her one. I took a pillow to work to sit on and put on my icy hot again. So the plan was to go home and bath in epson salt and put Tiger Balm Ultra on it. Since I still had to teach boot camp later that day after work, I applied the Tiger Balm and laid down to rest for an hour before class. AMAZING! That stuff made me feel like a new women although I still lacked the flexibility. I taught class and got home for two more applications before going to bed.

Tuesday morning I felt great but knew I didn't need to over do it. The last thing I need as a fitness competitor is to have an injury that keeps me from doing what I love - the routine rounds! Anyhoo, I was determined not to let anything stop me. I had to "SUCK IT UP" as Tracey Greenwood would say. So instead of the 40 min of step mill I wore my heart rate monitor and went for 60 minutes on the bike. My hamstring was warm and I had the time so I then hit the elliptical for an additional 20 minutes. I was spent. It was great! I got an awesome workout by working smarter and not harder. Later that day I squeezed in 20 mins of bike (didn't want to overdo it with my hamstring) at lunch. Ran a relaxed 10 min mile with my boot campers at 5:30pm and then drug my feet finally making it to the gym at 8:30pm for another 50 mins on the elliptical. All in all I completed a good 2 hours and 40 mins of cardio in the fat burning zone. Not the usual 6-7 miles I complete in an hour and definitely not the 35 minutes of step mill but I almost doubled my cardio for the day. My injury helped me to discover a new way to work smarter and not harder.

This morning it was nice and cool and I was able to get in a 4-mile walk/run outside at home. It was as though my leg never felt any pain over the weekend. Thank God! I finished my workout with 10 mins of abs following the run. After looking at my calendar this morning, I realized that I had been going non-stop Monday - Sunday. Although I missed cardio Sat & Sunday night, it was time! I had hit the track 3 times that week with bleachers twice. Completed 2 glute and hamstring workouts. Tumbled. Posed. Danced and stretched my poor little leg until it finally said, "ENOUGH. Please shut it down!" LOL.

So after being forced to rest and evaluate what I had been doing, I now feel rejuvenated. In these last few weeks my goal is simple. Stay the course & take care of my body so that I can be my tightest and perform at my best yet. I see the prize. Just have to go after it. Stay stong. Train hard. Thanks for reading.

Nicole

Operation Skinny Legs: Volume 3 - I'm Back!

2010-08-24T12:46:00.000-04:00

This morning I woke up at 5ish. I like to set 5 different alarms and hit snooze 15 different times. Well, today I woke with clarity and actually started doing random things like straightening my room and checking my email. I even watched the news a little before heading out to the gym. I took my normal vitamins, Beauty Fuel, and left the house around 6am to hit the gym by 6:30am. Yesterday I focused on my hamstrings as I am determined to stay clear of my quads as much as possible. So today, while I'm still a little sore, I decided to go for my long morning run.

I started off with 5 mins of walking at a speed of 4.0. Then I started my run at 6.0 which is a 10 minute mile. I have this thing about making sure I finish at least one mile every 10 minutes so I felt the need to kick my speed up to an 8 min mile after 12 mins of running. So when 20 minutes was completed I had two miles done and slowed the speed down to a little over a 9 minute mile. All the while I was keeping an eye on my HR monitor. For me, the "fat-burning" zone is hard to maintain. I like sprinting as fast as I can for as long as I could go. While I was running at the 10 min/mile, I was able to stay at about 70% of my heart rate. At a 9 min mile, I maintained about 75%. On the 4th mile I decided to make it another 8 minute mile. My Beauty Fuel must of kicked in because I felt great. My original goal was to just get in at least 6 miles in the hour and something told me to go further. About 45 minutes into it, I noticed that I was close to finishing my 5th mile and I could speed up and finish early to try to get not 1 but 2 more miles in. I was at a 7.5 speed, then found myself bumping it up to 8.0 and then the next thing I new is that my little legs were huffing it out at 9.0!!!!! I don't think I've ever tried that speed. At one point I looked down and it said that I was running a 7 1/2 minute mile and then next I was running a 6 minute and 40 secound mile!!! What!!! I just kept telling myself that I needed this and I could do it. I even started grunting during the last 3 minutes.

I know I am going to pay for it tomorrow but the feeling was so awesome. I'm a little under 5 weeks from the Olympia and my cardio is already peaking. Just the feul I need to get me through the next few weeks of routine practices. Bring it on! Operation Skinny Legs is Back!

5 Weeks to Go!

2010-08-23T13:32:00.001-04:00

What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger right? Well, I know it's true but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So it's only 5 weeks out and it seems that I'm on an emotional roller coaster. Just when I think I'm smooth sailing here comes another big drop. We know this about roller coasters but we always ride them anyways.

Routine is so important when this happens. Wake up. Take Beauty Fuel, multi-vitamin, vitamin E and St. John's Wart. Drink 16 oz of water. Get dressed and hit the gym for weights and cardio. This morning I woke up refreshed. I actually had a beautiful Sunday with friends that ended with a day at Trader Joe's. Love that place. So, I slept beautifully and got at least 7 hours in. I had laid my clothes out the night before and my food was packed and ready to go.

Great workout. Shower. Even a little makeup this time. Food. And then drive to work. I have a ton of things to do and then another big drop stops me in my tracks. It'd be great if I could get me a cot to put in the back office and take a nap everytime this happens. Usually when I wake up I'm ready to go but a nap is not an option. Thank God for blogging, texting and facebook. Thank God for family & friends. And thank God for routine. It probably would be worse if I were at home around additional goodies to snack on. Am I the only competitor to feel like this.

Anyhoo, I will work here at my desk from 9-5pm. Go pick up my new cell phone. Teach boot camp and then go to gymnastics for 30 mins. Then back to the gym for evening cardio. Then home. It's a tough job but someone has to do it right? Why am I doing this again? Oh yeah for me!

Taking It Back to Why It All Started

2010-08-17T14:03:00.001-04:00

In the IFBB I'm known as a "routine" girl. I'm one of the competitors who is always expected to have a great routine. For me, the routine round is the reason I started in the sport in the first place. I've said many times that if I could just go to shows and perform I would! I get a rush when I perform. I enjoy hearing the response from the crowd when I perform various high flying tricks and can surprise them with my stamina. There's a reason they call me the "Energizer Bunny" cause I just keep going and going. It's a name that my sorority sisters gave me in college.

Anyhoo, this past weekend I decided to do something I haven't done in a while. I hired a choreographer to put together my fitness routine for the Olympia. Over the years, I've gotten into the rut of making up my routines at the last minute. I would choreograph routines for other competitors (both NPC & IFBB) before I would even begin to work on my own. When I would choreograph my own routines, I find myself changing things around a lot just cause I could. I'd get bored with it or decide that a different combination would flow better. Sometimes I would just frankly be too tired to perform a particular trick and I would modify it or move it to a different portion of the routine.

Hiring a choreographer was one of the best decisions I made in getting ready for the show this year. I have never been more excited to go to the gym and work on my routine. When I first started competing I used to really challenge myself by adding my hardest tricks and always trying to learn new ones. This past year, I only included the tricks that I could hit from day one just to keep it clean. I realize that I need the challenge to keep the excitement. And as I learned over and over at shows, since I'm a "routine" girl I can't give the judges anything less than my best.

So watch out! I plan to bring my best routine yet! Olympia here I come!

The Organic Monkey Goes to Jacksonville!

2010-08-10T00:05:00.000-04:00

Oh wow! I just got home after a fantastic trip to the 2010 Jacksonville Pro and Dexter Jackson Classic. Great hotel, awesome venue and phenominal people. I am so blessed and fortunate to be sponsored by a new company called The Organic Monkey (http://www.theorganicmonkey.com/). I was able to work the booth and meet some great people. At the Organic Monkey we have some really terrific products that I will am sure you'll love. I'm using several different vitamins and supplement to aid me in my quest to reach my personal best at this year's 2010 Fitness Olympia competition in Las Vegas, Nevada. I'll be sure to tell you my honest opinion on each product throughout these next few weeks.

I absolutely love my new all natural fat burner called "Beauty Feul"! Alicia Harris (2nd place IFBB Figure at the Jacksonville Pro) and I decided to go for a 6AM run on Sunday after the show. I was able to take one capsul on an empty stomach and make it through a 40 minute outdoor cardio session. Alicia took one also and we were both enjoyed getting to workout and catch up with each other. I was quite surprised (and in a rush) as I would not normally take things on an empty stomach. It was great! No gitters. No crashes. And I took a shower and drove 5 hours back home.

Another product that was an absolute hit in Jacksonville were the various types of flavored flax and fish oil that we had for patrons to taste. Yes, taste! I honestly did not realize that Barlean's made FLAVORED fish oil. My two favorites are the Orange Cream and Peach Mango. The Orange Cream flavor tastes like a creamsicle and is a combination of fish oil and flax. The Peach Mango tastes and smells amazing. It brings a new meaning to taking your daily dose of flax. We actually sold out of these flavors including the Pina Colada.

I'm looking forward to this 7 week journey to the Olympia stage. I hope you will continue to join me and the Organic Monkey as we take you on a journey to a successful year in fitness.

Making It Happen

2010-06-29T13:08:00.000-04:00

Often times we have hopes, dreams and desires and we wait for them to come knocking at our door instead of going out there and getting it. I would like to encourage you to go for what you desire. The worst thing that could happen is that you might get a big fat "NO" here or there but eventually there will be a "YES". You just have to figure out how to get it. If you never try, you'll never succeed.

So many times I've stuck my neck out to do things. Competing, boot camp, photo shoots, posing classes, workshops, auditions.....all sticking my neck out with a smile of course. I may be quivering inside but on the outsied it all comes together. I believe that if you give the effort, God will see you through the task at hand. I've hosted camps and workshops, not knowing whether I would have one person or twenty people show up. Sometimes it's only one! But even in those cases I've tried and most of the time I've had the best experiences even with just one participant.

So no matter what it is that you want (competing, magazine covers, a new job) don't be afraid to just stick your neck out. You don't need a title, the best degree, more money or whatever it is that is holding you back. Work with the resources that you do have and just MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Buddy Up for the New Year!

2010-01-14T14:13:00.000-05:00

I hope this year has kicked off to a good start for you! We are already a good two weeks into the year and I feel like I've been moving non stop. The Arnold Classic will be here before you know it and trianing and dieting is in full swing. I hope you too are kicking it into gear. Let's make this year one of many new horizons ---together!

In the past, I always felt that I was in this alone. I never solicited the help of family or friends. I just went at everything alone and things would get pretty tough. Not to mention that it was hard just always BEING alone. There's nothing like having a buddy help you though that 2nd cardio at 8:30pm. Sometimes my buddies have been my favorite TV show and the treadmill. I love it that American Idol is back on so now I can plan to watch and workout at the same time. It helps to laugh and/or cheer through the episode while knocking out the cardio. It's the new year so everyone wants to workout these days. It was easy for me to find a partner. And knowing that most people start out well and don't continue with the workout, I recruited SEVERAL workout partners. My workout partners include my mom, aunt Janet, my friend Mandy, my little 4 year old cousin CJ and my friend Brooke who is getting ready for her wedding. I've even discovered that I do have friends who would be willing to run a half marathon with me!

It helps to have them next to me trying to keep up. LOL. It's like getting a free training session from me except they are working out with me. We always do what I need as I'm the one preparing for the show. For competitors in the off season, you should consider doing this with your friends who are training for shows. You'll get a great workout while encouraging your partner to do his/her best in preparing for the next show. Who knows? Maybe your partner will return the favor and push you through a workout.

Let's set goals. Let's get fit. Let's make history. Together!

Operation Skinny Legs: Volume 2 - Going the Distance

2009-12-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

One of my first major committments to getting leaner tighter legs in 2010 was to run the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon. For years I've been planning to run this race but the thought of running 13.1 miles on a cold, windy morning just didn't sound appealing to me. In fact, even as early as the morning of the race I was thinking, " I have lost my mind!" In preparing for last year's Europa Super Show in Dallas I committed to 1 road race a month from March through July. It made a major difference in my physique and the response I got at the show was overwhelming. I went into that show weighing about the same as I always do but my legs looked quite a bit leaner. People were surprised with my new look and the work paid off in my placing. Following that show I was easily running an average 35+ miles a week to prepare for the Olympia and my body could handle the milledge. The distance and speed makes a huge difference in the leanness and structure of my body. Several mornings I was running 6-7 miles in under an hour's time frame.

As 2009 comes to an end and 2010 is about to begin, I've decided to set similar goals but take things just a step farther. While I may not be ready to run the Disney Marathon, I've set my sights on running a few 10Ks and yes another half marathon! Why not? The Arnold competition is stacked this year. As an underdog, I've got nothing to lose right! So for those of you who are itching to reduce the size in your legs, I recommend going the distance and packing on the speed if possible.

Practice What You Preach

2009-11-12T23:34:00.002-05:00

Many people stop me in the grocery store or send me emails to ask for exercise and nutrition advice. Depending on their enthusiasm, sincerity and the language of the question, I willingly or reluctantly give my two cents on the question posed. Some answers just roll off the tongue out of habit. And others are given with a lot of heart, personal truth and enthusiasum. I love hearing from current and future competitors. I enjoy sharing my experiences and giving advice so that others don't make the same mistakes that I did. I started this journey knowing absolutely nothing and only having my athletic background to back me up. My first 3 years as a competitor was spent bouncing around different organizations and just competing whenever and whereever I could afford to go. Experience was my first teacher.

Lately as the words have rolled off my tongue and fingertips, I am starting to become more and more aware of the advice that I've been giving but not always implementing. Now that it's my "off-season" I tend to break a few more rules and that's allowed. However, there are a few important rules that I think all competitors should uphold no matter what season it is.

1. Love yourself - Two margaritas, a hamburger, fries and chocolate cake after the show we are on the phone talking to our fellow competitor friends about being fat! It's gotta stop. We must learn to love our bodies at whatever stage we are in.

2. Breath Confidence - Every breath, every step, every thought and every sound we make should be done with absolute confidence. If we can manage to diet for 12 weeks straight, get up on a stage half naked and majority of the time NOT get paid for it. We have the ability to do ANYTHING else we want to pursue.

3. Know Your Worth - We are quick to look at the next person's pictures, resume, competition placing and just completely forget about the previous 5 years of our own lives. We focus so much on everyone else and trying to get to the next level that we don't give ourselves the credit. Most of us have friends who could write a better resume, biography or press release for us than we can for ourselves.

So as you go forth from this point on please remember to "Love It, Be It, Own It". It's your life. Make it or break it baby!

Operation Skinny Legs: Volume 1

2009-10-26T15:08:00.000-04:00

Okay, so clearly I ran track & field in middle and high school. I participated in almost everything that had to do with jumping. I did high jump, long jump, 110 hurdles, 4X100 meter relay and the 4X400 meter relay. I was the fastest out of the blocks for the relays so I was always the lead leg. I was also a Level 9 gymnast and was a cheerleader in middle school, high school and college. All which require a lot of jumping. So, it has been more than 20 years of sprinting, jumping and tumbling to build the muscle that I have in my legs today. Now in just a few short months, the goal is to make them smaller.

So what is the new plan? The very opposite of what I did in the past of course! Honestly, this year I barely weight trained AT ALL! In the 3-4 months that I prepared for the Europa, I could count on one had the number of times I trained with weights. Surprisingly enough, in the off season my legs don't even get FAT! They just maintain the same solid muscle that they've always been. After researching a few articles online, I've decided to try to run them off, to reduce my protein consumption, and to change the times in which I consume proteins.

Just last Friday I bit the bullet and signed up for the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon that takes place in Atlanta. Yep! I'm training to run 13.1 miles at one time! Every long distance runner I've seen has long, lean quads and hamstrings. With my short statue and torso, losing an inch or two in width could make the difference between placing 8th or 5th at the Olympia. I've been placing in the top 3 in routine and placing middle ways or towards the bottom half in physique. What do you think? Feel fee to weigh in on this theory.

If protein helps to build muscle, then doesn't it make sense to lower your protein intake to reduce muscle? Completely cutting protein could have an adverse effect so that you don't have a balanced diet capable of maintaining muscle. So where's the happy medium. All the reports say that you should have about .8 grams per kilogram of body weight to maintain. Studies also say that your diet should be made up of 30% protein. What happens if I eat 25% of proten and drop below that .8 gram recommendation? Would it hurt to try? I think I have quite a bit of muscle I could stand to lose. We'll see. I can't go at this part alone. I'll have to consult my expert trainer on this one :-).

And what about the 90 minute after workout carb/protein rule? Some say it's more like a 30 or 60 min window that you have to eat your post workout meal comprised of a good complex carb and lean protein. I'm thinking that maybe I should eat the carb and skip the protein. Why not? I can eat the protein two hours later and still get in my 25-30% daily required amount. If the running is "breaking down or creating fatique" in the muscle and the protein is replinishing it or building it back up, shouldn't I cut the protein until my window for growth and repair closes? Hum? A lot to think about. I'll get back to you on that.

In the meantime, it still October. I am enjoying a little break from the strick diet and trying to eat somewhat clean. And training for my half marathon of course. The truth is, I like my off season body. But if I'm going to make significant strides in a short amount of time, there really is no off season.

Words of Wisdom - Volume 1

2009-10-21T12:14:00.001-04:00

KEEP BELIEVING IN YOURSELF:
Your presence is a present to the world
You're unique and one of a kind
Your life can be what you want it to be
Take the days just one at a time
Count your blessings, not your troubles
You'll make it through whatever comes along
Within you are so many answers
Understand, have courage, be strong

Don't put limits on yourself
So many dreams are waiting to be realized
Decisions are too important to leave to chance
Reach for your peak, your goal, your prize

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying
The longer one carries a problem, the heavier it gets
Don't take things too seriously
Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets

Remember that a little love goes a long way
Remember that a lot . . . goes forever
Remember that friendship is a wise investment
Life's treasures are people . . . together

Realize that it's never too late
Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way
Have health and hope and happiness
Take the time to wish upon a star

And don't ever forget for even a day . . .
how very special YOU ARE!!!

-by Collin McCarty

Mission Accomplished!

2009-10-15T13:45:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I competed at the 2009 Ft. Lauderdale Cup promoted by Shannon Dey and placed 2nd! It was a nice finish to a long, tough season of competing. Now I am qualified for next year's Olympia and will be applying for a spot in next year's Fitness International. I've learned more than anything that you have to keep pushing for your personal best. No matter the outcome at shows, you want to go in knowing that you've done all that YOU could have done to be at your very best. This show was the final icing on the cake for 2009. I was very happy with my physique and thrilled that my routine went so well.

However with each show, there will be beautiful new faces, innovative routines and conditioned bodies all vying for the top spot. My hat goes off to Kizzy Vaines and Yenny Polanco. Both are new fitness pros who came out of no where with very different and innovative routines. As entertaining as my routines always are, this reminded me that there's always room for improvement. Look for me on the stage in 2010!

Ft. Lauderdale Cup - October 10, 2009

2009-10-06T06:47:00.000-04:00

Just before I head upstairs for my morning cardio I just wanted to acknowledge how good God is. After competing at the 2009 Olympia and placing 8th, I was somewhat disappointed in myself. I wanted to make significant improvements going into the show. However, I felt somewhat out of whack and my routine (no matter how many people complimented me) was not the best that I know that I could do. I left frustrated with myself and thinking that I needed to take a break and figure out a new formula that would help me reach MY best.

Well, as God would have it, I'll be competing at the Ft. Lauderdale Cup which is only 4 days away! That's 2 weeks after the Olympia. After many discussions, pushing from my friends, and quite a conversation with my trainer, here I am just a few days out. I took a total of 5 days off! Normally, with the shows so close I would have only taken 2 or 3 days off. Oddly enough, I think it has worked in my favor. I'm rested. My body feels more ready than ever and I'm happy just to get to compete. My focus is not on winning but doing my personal best.

This show just happened to be in the cards. My plane ticket was already bought as my boyfriend wanted me to come and visit him anyhow. We had already planned to stay at the beach and I had planned to go WATCH the show. Then the overwhelming though came over me. "Am I going to be able to stand sitting and watching when I hadn't left everything that I needed to leave on the floor?" Several fellow IFBB friends of mine knew that my sweetie lived in the area and began calling and encouraging me to do the show. "What do you have to lose Nicole? You're going to be there anyways. This would save you money on a trip to compete elsewhere." Then came the approval of my trainer who before seeing my pictures said, "I believe in you and I will support your decision should you decide to compete." His final confirmation came after he saw my pictures. He told me to go do the show!

With all this being said, my final confirmation came through my loving boyfriend who expressed how proud he was of me for improving at the Olympia. You see, our plans were to spend time together. As you competitors know, doing a show is quite a selfish task. Honestly, if he had said he didn't want me to do the show, I wouldn't have. Instead, he gave me 100% support and even booked the host hotel for us to stay there. He's also invited his sister to come to the show AND has started looking for places for us to have dinner afterwards.

God is so good! Said all this to say that I am so grateful for the friends and family that I have in my life. No matter what happens this weekend at the show, I'm leaving it all on the floor. I'm competing for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has given me his grace and his mercy all year long. God has reminded me of what is really important in life. God bless you all!

The Balancing Act

2009-10-03T11:45:00.000-04:00

To be a successful fitness/figure competitor you have got to have BALANCE! Each year as I aim to perfect my craft, it always goes back to this main fact. My improvements are a direct reflection of the balancing act I am performing on a day to day basis. Not only is training for competitions physically taxing but it can take a toll on a person mentally as well! If my mental status is all tied up in anything other than my workout then I'm not getting my best workout.

It's very difficult to be great at many different things. However, when you focus on a few things or even one thing at a time, you can be AMAZING. My years go in seasons. There's the highly anticipated "Competition Season". Then there's the "Take A Break & Make Changes Season" and the overrated "Get Fat Off Season". Each season has its pros and cons. Most of the time during these seasons, the balance in our lives shift tremendously. Read below and see if you can relate:

COMPETITION SEASON
Everything rides on the next show. Whether it's for a higher placing, national qualification, pro status or PRIZE MONEY and a trip to VEGAS, everything in your life revolves around the show. Your daily schedule of diet, exercise, water consumption, career and family/social life (usually in that order) has absolutely no breathing room. The least little mishap can set us off! It could be that we got up 10 mins late or that we spilled our water and the measurement is hard to configure. We look amazing to everyone else (and sometimes malnutritioned) but we think we are FAT. We are so "together" that we are a hot mess.

Pros
- The plan is set and the focus is in the right place.
- You look phenominal even when you don't know it.
- You are pushing for your next goal in life.

Cons
- You may be so focused that you miss the bigger picture.
- Your self esteem takes a beating and you create unnecessary stress on yourself.
- Your family, friends and career take a major back seat and you have to do damage control.

TAKE A BREAK & MAKE CHANGES SEASON
The pressure is off and even though you are still in the gym, you can resume your regular 40-60 hour work weeks. You're more pleasant and you'll attend a social function every now and then. Your gym habits slide back to just getting it in and you are not trying to kill yourself anymore. Depending on what you do for a living, you may be inclined to stay late at work to try to make up for all the money you spent on competition prep and travel for the last show. Besides, the show seems so far away and you lack motiviation after the last grewling process.

Pros
- Your still a healthy individual who frequents the gym.
- Your work is no longer suffering so you can now dig yourself out of debt again.
- Socially, you're a much better person because you will take the time out to be with family, friends & co-workers.

Cons
- With the next show far in the distance, the since of ergency to make changes disappears.
- You may be tempted to over extend yourself at work to make up for your lack of focus earlier in the year.
- Social interactions may become more frequent and distract you from your fitness and nutrition goals.

GET FAT OFF SEASON
This is everyone's favorite. It usually occurs during the holidays. Family and friends are the priority and we are just happy to be alive. Buying a present for the co-worker that you think is out for your job is more important than an hour of cardio. It's the off season. Who cares if you're fat, right? Work has slowed because everyone's got the holiday spirit and are more interested in figuring out what to wear for the company party. Kids are happy. Pockets are broke but who cares. These things are a necessity right?

Pros
- Your body is finally getting a true break from vigorous training and dieting.
- Family and friends are happy because of all the laughing, giving and EATING!
- Work is usually easy to maintain as the demains are less.

Cons
- You really are FAT now.
- You may be giving in too much to socializing and killing your pocket book.
- Work is going to kick back up in full swing in just a few short weeks and you are still going to be jet-lagged from all the chocolate you ate.

FIX IT! Creating balance will correct all of these problems. Don't ever get obsessed with anything. Having focus and drive is one thing but being psycho about a goal is another issue. Many times we set ourselves up for failure with the tremendous pressure we create. We want things right now. We forget that the world doesn't spin because we tell it to. Take a break every once in a while. Get some sleep. Have a cheat meal or a family day. Celebrate in moderation. Allow an extra 15 - 30 minutes in between appointments. Expect the unexpected. If there is one lesson that I've learned well, it's that anything worth having is worth working for. Do yourself a favor - create BALANCE.