Today, I speak with IFBB Pro Niccole Guggia, an AFPA certified holistic nutritionist who turned Pro in the 35+ division. Niccole began bodybuilding after she was already vegan. She was experiencing unexplained medical issues that doctors were unable to solve. In 2017, she decided to try a a plant-based diet for 30 day. After only two weeks, the majority of her symptoms were gone. She fell into bodybuilding after lifting weights with her husband and falling in love with the sport. She did her first show in October of 2018 and immediately knew she wanted to keep going. She won her pro card in her first national show and won the 2021 Nashville Fit Show Pro Masters division.

 

She decided to take an 18 month improvement season to build muscle before her first national show. This taught her a lot about her body and different aspects of bodybuilding. When she was two weeks into her next prep, COVID hit and derailed her plans. Despite all of the chaos, she decided to push through and let go of things she couldn’t control. 

 

Niccole tells us how she considers “offseason” her “on season” because that’s when the real work of improvement happens. She also speaks to her experience as a vegan bodybuilder and proving that it’s possible to build muscle without animal protein. She chose to be vegan for health reasons and wouldn’t sacrifice her health for an incremental amount of gains that she could possibly gain from animal protein. She shares her favorite sources of vegan protein and how she uses them in her diet. 

 

We get into how Niccole became as AFPA certified holistic nutritionist and that she and her husband grow strawberries. Niccole has such an interesting story. You don’t want to miss this episode!

 

 

 

 

Topics covered include:

-Being a vegan athlete

-Healing her body with food

-When to take improvement seasons

-Growing mentally and physically

-Making the most of improvement season 

-Being a Masters athlete

-Good sources of vegan protein

-Becoming an AFPA certified holistic nutritionist

-Being a strawberry farmer

-Opening a private gym during COVID

-Growing a business

-How her children view bodybuilding

-Having an identity outside of being a mom

-Mindset and setting boundaries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CONNECT WITH NICCOLE:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niccolegonevegan_ifbbpro/

 

19, 70

 

TIME STAMPS

[1:00] introductions

[5:03] becoming vegan

[8:10] starting bodybuilding

[13:25] how preps can vary

[18:30] on season, not off season

[21:50] building muscle as a vegan

[24:55] sources of vegan protein

[32:00] being a AFPA certified holistic nutritionist

[35:00] farming strawberries

[41:00] growing their business and taking risks

[47:30] having a husband who is an IFBB pro

[53:50] children’s views on bodybuilding

[60:30] having an identity outside of being a mom

[62:00] working on mindset and setting boundaries

[67:01] what winning looks like

[72:00] deciding to compete in Masters as a pro

[78:45] differences in judging

[91:00] advice for competitors

 

 

 

 

 

 

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