In celebration of Nicole Wilkins’ return to the stage this weekend at the 2015 Figure Olympia, we’re happy to present Nicole’s Lean Body Perfecting Workout!
No stranger to success, IFBB Pro Nicole Wilkins is a three-time Figure International and four-time Figure Olympia champion. Always captivating spectators and judges the moment she steps onstage, Nicole is sure to continue her winning ways. That said, it’s not all about the titles for Nicole. She is cherishing and enjoying every minute of her competitive journey and feels that winning is just “the icing on the cake.” She explains, “I feel very blessed to do what I love to do each day.”
The beautiful lines of Nicole’s physique were built with consistent weight training. She continues to perfect her masterpiece with exercises that work as hard as she does. Nicole shared a few of her favorite exercises with us in this Lean Body Perfecting Workout. Give it a try— you’ll be one workout closer to achieving your champion physique!
Champ For a Day: Nicole’s Lean Body Perfecting Workout
What does this workout do?
1. Build muscle
2. Perfect your body shape
3. Challenge your muscles in new ways
When It Works
• New Challenge: Do this routine when you want a challenge or a break from your typical regimen. Changing things up will help you bust through plateaus and stay motivated!
• Mix It Up: Incorporate a few exercises from the workout to enhance your current training.
• A Little Extra: Add another day at the gym to perform this workout and step up your training.
• Fresh Start: Do this routine if you’ve missed a few days in the gym and have some catching up to do.
Nicole’s Tips To Stay Motivated
1. Call a friend to meet you at the gym.
2. Try out a new, healthy recipe.
3. Keep flooding your mind with positive thoughts.
4. Remember why you started.
Nicole’s Championship Training Tips
The Champ explains how to perform a few of her favorite exercises and why she loves to do them.
SUMO SQUATS: “This is a squat with toes pointed out and feet wider than shoulder width. Sumo squats are great for the inner thighs and glutes.”
BENCH STEP-UPS WITH BARBELL: “This is one of the best exercises for lifting the glutes.”
SINGLE-LEG EXTENSIONS: “I do these once a month to help ensure that I’m not using one leg more than the other and to help with balanced symmetry and strength between the two legs.”
SINGLE-LEG DEADLIFTS: “Kick one leg behind you. Bend the knee that you are standing on slightly. As you bend forward at the hips, the back leg raises higher— almost like a teeter-totter. I love the stretch that I feel in my hamstrings. This is also great for your balance.”
ARNOLD PRESSES: “Works the medial and front deltoid. Start with palms in front of your face. Twist your hands forward as you do a shoulder press.”
INCLINE PUSH-UPS WITH FEET ON THE BENCH: “Great for the upper chest.”
REVERSE-GRIP SEATED CABLE ROWS: “I like this because it works the lower lat. It’s good to change up your grips to hit different angles of the back.”
SPIDER CURLS: “Lie face down on an incline bench. Using a cambered bar with arms perpendicular to the floor, do a biceps curl. I like this, because it is nearly impossible to cheat.”
OVERHEAD CABLE TRICEPS EXTENSIONS: “I use the rope on this exercise. It’s good to change it up instead of using the dumbbells all the time.”
HANGING LEG RAISES: “Hang on a bar and lift legs slightly above horizontal. We used to do these in gymnastics, but we had to bring our toes all the way to the bar!”
REVERSE HYPEREXTENSIONS: “Place your hands where your feet would go on the hyperextension machine. Drive your heels up. This is great for the lower back, hamstrings and glutes.”
For more great workouts, see Train Like a Champion with IFBB Fitness Pro Adela Garcia.
This information is for general purposes only. Always consult your doctor before beginning any training or diet/supplement program.