Nicole Snell’s Training Blog

I don’t know about any of your other figures competitors out there, but the off season is hell.  I hate seeing myself gain weight, muscle or not.  I struggle with finding a weight that I am comfortable with in the off season even for maintenance because I keep expecting that I can walk around ripped to hell year round.  It was really tough this off season.  As brutal as my cut is, I prefer this and seeing myself losing weight.  I prefer this to eating more food and watching my pants fit tighter.

Today I decided to give myself a reality check.  I’ve been on my official cut for 5 weeks now.  I weigh between 140-144. My arms are pretty cut already and I’m fairly vascular.  My hips and legs have slimmed down, my pants are fitting looser and I’ve had 3 tanning sessions and I’m already happy with my color (I have more to go for the purpose of stage color and water elimination but that’s besides the point).  I looked in the mirror today and I realized that I am happy with this body.  If I come out of my contest this year and maintain at THIS body I would be perfectly happy.  It took me 5 weeks, 3 tanning sessions, and 5x a week cardio at 45min plus intense lifting sessions 4x a week and a calorie/carb deplete cycle.    This is maintainable.  I need to remember how I felt today as I was checking myself out in the mirror at the tanning salon and realize that there is nothing wrong with how I look today and that when I get to 8% bodyfat that it is perfectly ok to gain a healthy amount of weight back to get to where I am right now.

Of course when I see myself in 4 weeks I’m going to want to maintain there…but we all know that won’t be realistic or healthy.

This is my reality check to myself when I start freaking out after my show about gaining weight.  I will look back on this and realize that my sense of my body might be distorted coming right out of a show and that I need to remember how I felt right now.  I’m happy and healthy and A-ok.  Now let’s get down to 8% for the show!

I had a KILLER workout with my bro yesterday. He hasn’t seen me in about 2 weeks and he commented on how hard I looked and that I was definitely bigger muscle wise than I was for my last show. He said that my shoulders and traps have some good size on them. And with 8 weeks to go he said I’ll be looking great for my show and that I have plenty of time to prepare.

I was confident going into the gym to train because now my legs are lean enough to wear these cute, short, red nike training/bike shorts that I got so I could strut around and show off my hard work a bit. Plus my shoulders were looking swole while we were training and I was pushing some major weight and my bro was totally impressed at how hard I was working.  I practiced posing in the mirror and I must say that all my work is paying off because my body is coming in tight and hard.  I’m so excited!

So we did our shoulders and it was great. We talked about my program and I’m supposed to add 2 cardio sessions to my training starting this week. So Wed and Sat will once again be double duty cardio days. But it’s all good. I can do this.  He also wants me to stop training quads. He says they’re big enough as it is and they’ll just keep overpowering my legs. So I’m supposed to do SLDL, wide stance squats, wide stance leg press, ham curls and lunges. No more quad extensions.

My diet can stay the same which is a relief because normally Chris is the bad news bear of taking away even more food from me. But I can keep my cheat meals in (yippee!) and my mid week sushi carb up (oh happy day!). I’ve got the diet down pat. It’s tough, but he wants me to starve out now so that I can eat into the show, which is what it looks like I’ll be able to do.

I also need to be more consistent with my supps. I haven’t been taking my glutamine and BCAAs as regularly as I should, so now I’m really going to be aware of that and make sure I get them in when I’m supposed to. Plus I’m going to start taking calcium, and my multivitamin twice a day.  So, after yesterday, I am totally excited to keep trucking along on my program. Sure the scale doesn’t like to move and teh pics I take on my camera don’t show quite how well I’m doing, but the proof is there when I look in the mirror or put on clothes. Let’s do this!

I went to my first tanning session today in prep for my show at the end of March.  Since I’m already pretty tan being of mixed ethnicities, I figured I could skip out on the tanning bed sessions, but my bro reminded me that the tanning bed isnt’ just for color.  It’s for getting the water out from under your skin and helping to dry you out.  So today was my first tanning session and it brought back memories!  I don’t tan at a salon for any other reason or at any other times…just for competitions.  Standing in that tanning bed with the music blasting through the speakers and the 360 degree lamps igniting my skin felt so damn good.  I’m going in 2-3 times a week up until the week before my show.  This is just one more step on the road to Max Muscle Naturals and I’m loving every minute of my journey!  Bring it on!

So, I was all stressed out about going out on a location shoot in Tampa and having it fall on 2 deplete (carb/cal) days. But you know what? It worked out ok. We had a talent trailer with a fridge and microwave and my hotel had a microwave and I stopped to get veggies and cottage cheese before I checked in and I brought lots of stuff from home. I made all my meals and brought them to set with me and ate every 3hrs and it went great. The only problem was that it sucks having to think and be on your toes when your brain is foggy from being carb depleted. That wasn’t fun. And working a 14hr day after training in the morning and depleting to 1000 cals for the day isn’t fun either.

Anyhoo…I tweaked my training schedule so I got the same amount of cardio and lifting in but made it fit my schedule better. On Sunday before our shoot I went for a 6mile run on Bayshore Dr (the longest sidewalk in the nation I was told) which was near my hotel, and our hotel had a pretty decent gym so I was able to get my shoulder/calf workout in on Monday morning before the shoot too. It was awesome!
The shoot went great, but most importantly I stuck to my diet, my training and the only think that lacked was my sleep. That’s why on Tuesday (yesterday) when I got back I didn’t do anything but sleep and unpack so I can get up fresh tomorrow and run, then lift at night. It throws my weekly schedule off a bit, but I’ll still get all my sessions in. I think that’s the most important thing, right? Rest is just as important as training and diet.

When I woke up this morning wasn’t I surprised to see that my body was dry and my quad cuts were more noticable than they’ve been the past few weeks.  Plus, I’m noticing my clothes fitting looser which is a great sign that the bodyfat is coming off.  I’m right smack in the middle of Week 9 so I am confident I’ll peak right on schedule.    Tomorrow is a carb up day which means SUSHI!  Oh happy day!

Yesterday and today were carb up days.  Boy how I love these.  Sushi never tasted so damn good!

Needless to say, my workout freakin rocked.  I blasted through kettlebells this morning and then hit legs this evening.  I worked ‘em hard too.  I feel so energized.  AND today was the first time in like 8 months that I worked out in just my sports bra (I wore shorts of course!).  My arms are coming in and my abs are looking more defined (even though I keep my abs year round, it’s my legs that come in last during contest prep) so I decided to show off a bit.  It was great!  I can’t wait until my legs get leaner and I can rock out these new shorts I got SPECIFICALLY for when I was in contest prep.  Rep by rep and bite by bite its coming along!

This week I’ve been feeling as if my progress has plateaued. Obviously, I know it’s impossible to see changes every day or to magically wake up to a loss of 5% bodyfat, and yet I still feel as if I’m not seeing any changes.  I feel strong even through my deplete days so far this week.  I weighed in at 144.2 on Saturday which is over  2lb loss in 1 week.  I’m hoping that the scale will keep moving even though I feel like my body isn’t changing.

I have to remind myself that this is the way it is.  It’s the same thing that happened during my last prep; the scale didn’t budge for the first 3 weeks, then my body looked exactly the same (to me) from week 5-7 and in week 7 my legs started to cut up.  I can only imagine that I’ll have the same thing to look forward to this time around.  Besides, I have 10 weeks to go, so it’s unrealistic for me to think that I can get shredded in the first 3 weeks.  I’m just going to keep trucking along regardless of if I see results in the mirror or not…I know that my body is changing and the the results I seek will be there.  I just have to keep my eyes on the end goal and not worry so much about the day to day changes that may or may not be there.

It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged here, but my goal for this next contest is to keep a day by day log of how I’m feeling and what my body is going through as I cut.  I’ve been updating my training journal on fitnessboard.net and on myspace, but I want to update here too!

I am currently cutting for the Max Muscle Naturals show on March 28th, 2009 where I will be competing in the Figures category.
My cut officially started on Dec. 29th and I am 11 weeks out from my contest this week.  My brother is training me again so I know I’ll be ready in time.  On Saturday, January 10th I weighed in at 146.8 which means I have approximately 11lbs of fat to lose to enter my contest at 135lbs prior to the water drop.  That’s 5lbs heavier than I was in my last show.  So, 11 weeks to lose 11 pounds?  Yeah I think I can manage that, LOL!

My diet consists of a deplete in the beginning of the week and carb up in the middle which means Monday-Wednesday I feel like absolute shit.  The first 2 weeks of the cut weren’t so bad, but this week was killer.  I literally felt like a walking zombie.  But I powered through it and it’s amazing what a few carbs can do!  I started my carb up yesterday and I woke up this morning for kettlebells ready to destroy them.  Then when class was over I was like, "are you kidding, we’re done already?"  I love having energy.  Today is sushi day so I couldn’t be happier and that means tomorrow I’ll feel even better!
I’m already seeing changes in my body.  My body type is such that my upper body and face will lose weight first and then my legs lose last.  My legs were the last to come in during my 2007 show, so I know what to expect for this competition too.  But already my shoulder caps are coming in, I’m more vascular and I’m harder.  I love seeing the physical changes because it keeps me motivated to keep going.

My training program right now is 5x week of cardio (3x at 45minutes and 2x at 60minutes) and 4x week lifting.  In February I’ll double up on some cardio sessions and depending on how my body is responding we’ll adjust my diet accordingly.  So far so good, and I’m really looking forward to the transformation yet again!  Until tomorrow or until I have some new and exciting news to report!

I also want to take a moment to thank everyone who has written to me about how my poem "Chant of a Champion" has motivated and inspired them.  It means a lot to me that you all appreciate it and I’m so happy I am able to help those of you who are in need of motivation and that extra push to keep going.  I have "Chant of a Champion" posted up in my office and around my house and I recite it to myself on runs and when I’m feeling drained from depleting.

We all get only what we put in, so that’s why I train hard and push my body to it’s limits.  And seriously, if training was easy would it really be worth it?

Lots of people ask me what I do to "stay in shape" and how I get my body to look the way it does. I have to apologize to everyone, because I have been holding out on you. There is, in fact, a magic pill for dieting and weight loss. I was always hesitant to share this secret because I knew no one would believe me. But it’s true and it works.

You won’t find it any grocery store, specialty shop, farmer’s market, health food store or infomercial website. You can’t get it from your doctor either, and unfortunately you can’t bring it back illegally from Mexico or Canada.

You take it every morning as soon as you wake up. It’s painless, tasteless and has NO side effects with the exception of maybe an elevated heart rate. When taken consistently the results speak for themselves.

What are the results, you might ask? Well, once you begin taking this miracle pill you will lose weight, feel better about yourself, firm up your body by building healthy muscle and you will be able to make healthy food choices by watching your portions and eating foods that consist of the right amounts of protein, carbs and fats.

This magic pill doesn’t suppress your appetite and there is no ephedra in it. It is 100% LEGAL and you don’t need a prescription. Oh, and those pesky folks at the FDA won’t hound you for having this either.

I know that the suspense is killing you. But you’ve been anxiously waiting for the day when this miracle weight loss pill was designed that would help you lose body fat. Well here it is.

The magic pill I take EVERY SINGLE MORNING is called MOTIVATION. That’s right, kids. Every morning I take my motivation pill with a big glass of determination and THAT is what drives me to make healthy choices and to exercise to keep my body in tip top shape. It’s as simple as that. If you were to start taking your motivation pill in the morning, you too would be able to get the results you wanted.

Taking the pill is simple, but I do have to give this disclaimer: you WILL have to work at your body. But that’s the beauty of the motivation pill…it helps to get you to whatever activity it is you need to do in order to change your body. You’ll enjoy hitting the gym, or a group class, or a trail or a training session because the motivation pill helps you see past today and on to the healthy body in your future. You’ll enjoy every complex healthy meal you eat because it’s fueling your body. And if you don’t enjoy knowing that you are making healthy choices and you don’t enjoy putting in the time and work to achieve your goals, and yet you STILL want to lose weight and look great, then the motivation pill isn’t for you. Just keep taking the one you’ve been taking….you know, the EXCUSES pill. Because if you do what you always do, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten (source: Laurie )

The EXCUSES pill causes weight gain, lethargy, bloating, depression, more excuses, laziness, lack of motivation, poor eating choices and other serious side effects. However, upon IMMEDIATE discontinuance of this harmful pill, all side effects virtually disappear!

When you wake up tomorrow what pill are you going to take?

By: Nicole Snell

I wrote this during my hellacious cutting cycle.  It got me through many a tough day.

Chant of a Champion

When I think of quitting I will think of who will be standing next to me on stage.
Will I be able to say that I worked harder than her?
When I stand on Stage will I be able to say that I pushed myself harder, that I kept going when I felt like stopping, and that I gave that extra effort when I felt like collapsing?
It’s that last burst of commitment that separates the champions from 2nd place.

I will train when others go out with their friends.
I will train when others are eating out at their favorite restaurant.
I will train when others are taking an off day
I will train when others are hanging out with their boyfriends.
I will train when others are sleeping.

Every moment is a victory:
Each step on the treadmill.
Each set.
Each rep.
Each bite of food.
Each and every thing I do has a purpose.

The food nourishes my body.
The training invigorates my spirit.
The weights stimulate my muscles.
The supplements support my health.
The rest gives me a chance to rebuild.

Never stop.
Never give up.
Never say can’t.  Never say won’t.

A champion must first challenge the self before they can challenge others.
I am my competition.  Failure is not an option.

My journey began on May 26th after attending a body building show, the Excalibur, with my older brother.  Seeing the figures ladies sparked in me the drive to reach that goal for myself.  I was 126 of pretty much skin and bone with a little tone but I knew that I had the potential to build some major muscle in order to compete.

I picked a date that seemed realistic- December 1st, 2007 and my training began the very next day.  Through the major support of my brother and sister and my friends in the online community of MMX and then Fitness Board.net, I learned the ins and outs of what it takes to body build.  I had a million questions, but soon I was able to wade through the information and take what I needed in order to begin my bulking phase.

From June-October I bulked.  I ate around 2300 calories a day and took creatine PWO to ensure my muscles would get the nutrients they needed to grow.  I lifted weights 5x a week but only did cardio 3x a week because during a bulk you can’t sacrifice any muscle.  I gained minimal body fat, and at the end of my bulking phase and beginning of my cut I weighed 140.2.

My cut began on Oct 1st, which gave me 2 months to get as much body fat off without losing too much of my muscle.  The creatine was eliminated and replaced with L-Glutamine, along with a Calcium supplement.  Wheat and dairy was elimated from my diet, and I made sure that all I was eating was whole, unprocessed foods with complex carbs and lots of protein.  My calories went from 2300 a day to 1800 a day. My cardio increased to 7 sessions a week split into 5 days with double duty cardio on my 2 off-weight training days (Wednesdays and Saturdays).

After my first 2 weeks I noticed my body was changing, but the scale wasn’t moving.  My brother dropped my calories down to 1600 a day and then the next week we did a dramatic cut to 1250.  The strategy here was to starve out now, so that I would be able to eat into the show.

My upper body tends to lose weight quickly and therefore was already showing major definition.  However, my legs weren’t leaning out fast enough, so my brother had me drop down to 1000 calories a day for the next week.  After 4 days of carrots and celery I thought I was losing my mind.  Not only was I constantly hungry but I was constantly tired.  I couldn’t focus.  I was moody and lethargic.  Every moment of the day I wanted to sleep so that I wouldn’t have to feel the hunger pains and I was in such despair that I wanted to cry.  It felt like my body was destroying itself.  I explained this to my brother and he decided that I could increase my cals a bit for the next couple of days.  What a difference 300 calories makes!  I felt MUCH better the next day.

This began my carb and calorie cycling.  He would deplete me in the beginning of the week, carb me up in the middle and do a slight deplete at the end.  This is the strategy we are using now for my peak week so that I look my fullest and best on Saturday.

During my last 2 weeks of cutting I increased my cardio to 45min sessions vs. 30min sessions.  I noticed a dramatic difference in my legs as my quads and ham/glute tie in cuts became deeper and more pronounced.

I never had to eliminate my cheat treat, and that apple fritter on Sunday mornings and nights really helped get me through my weeks…it was a treat I could look forward to!

A phrase I adopted to help get me through all my training was this:  "Where am I now?"   This helped me focus because instead of worrying about the cardio session later in the day, or my weight training the next night, I would focus on the RIGHT NOW.  Where am I now??  Oh, I’m here in the weight room doing crazy lifts for my shoulders.  Nothing else matters.  What I do tomorrow morning doesn’t matter right now because tomorrow will come without me having to dwell on it.  I would focus solely on what I was doing in the moment because that’s all I had control over at any time…that’s all ANYONE has control over at any one time.

Another strategy I used was to imagine myself on stage standing next to the other ladies.  I didn’t want to get up there and look at another competitor and think to myself "geez, if I had only pushed a little harder in my cardio or lifted a little heavier, I could look like her".  I want to have ZERO regrets.  I want to get on that stage and know I worked my absolute hardest, that I didn’t cheat myself on any workouts or on my diet and that I won’t have to wish that I had trained harder.  I pushed myself 24/7.  I ate, drank, trained, worked, and slept my training.  The hour or two spent in the gym is only a fraction of the training…the rest is all mental and you must live with yourself 24 hours a day.  Not a lot of people can handle that challenge.

Today is now Thursday and I am 2 days away from my very first competition.  I finished my final 45min cardio session for my pre-contest training this morning and I will be doing a full body circuit tonight with my brother.  Then tomorrow is complete rest, applying my tanner and getting some good posing practice in.  My body is dialed in.  My brain is dialed in.  I am ready for this.  Whether or not I win a trophy or win the Excalibur sword, I have already won.  I have set forth on an 8 month journey and I didn’t stop.  I didn’t quit when I was tired.  I didn’t stop when I was hungry.  I didn’t give in to food temptations.  I disciplined my mind and body to be dedicated 110% to my goals.  When my friends were out partying and drinking I was at home sleeping to prepare for my run the following morning.  Sure, lots of friends stopped staying in touch with me and almost none of them understand or showed any interest in understanding how difficult this has been, but that hasn’t stopped me either.  Just as a triathlete or an Olympic hopeful must train hard to reach their goals, so must I.  Just because this competition is all about how the body looks and how the muscles have developed doesn’t make it any less of a sport and shouldn’t be dismissed just because we don’t have to run a mile in under 4minutes or throw a shot put the farthest.

I set out on this journey to see if I could do it.  To see if I had what it takes to get my body to 8% bodyfat with my entire physique shredded to the point where every muscle is visible and cut.  I am here.  I have made it.  When I walk on that stage on Saturday it will be icing on the cake.  I have made it and I couldn’t be happier.  This is by far the HARDEST thing I have EVER done and that is what makes this day so rewarding.

I have attached a slideshow below that shows my progress pics from start to finish.  I hope you enjoy the transformation!

http://s14.photobucket.com/albums/a339/nsnell19/?action=view&current=18653b62.pbw