Two-time cover girl Nicole Costa shares her secret to living healthy, keeping fit and eating well.
Going strong
Sandy Braz
This is Nicole’s second time on the cover of Oxygen – her first was in October 2007 – and she says she feels like she’s on top of the world these days with her new dance studio, recent marriage and big plans for the competition stage this year. Check out what it takes to keep this fit gal going strong all year long.
NICOLE COSTA'S MEALS:
A typical meal day for Nicole is always a blend of protein, fresh vegetables and complex carbs consumed in small quantities every two to three hours. Here’s her sample menu.
Meal 1: 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup oatmeal (cooked), a piece of fruit Meal 2: 4–5 oz lean meat, 1/2 cup brown rice (cooked), 1 cup veggies Meal 3: Protein shake with 1 tbsp glutamine (postworkout) Meal 4: Same as meal 2 (no brown rice) Meal 5: 5 oz tilapia, 2 cups salad, 1 cup veggies, 3 oz sweet potato Meal 6: 4 egg whites, 1 cup veggies.
NICOLE COSTA'S FITNESS:
Right now, Nicole loves circuit training. She trains for three days consecutively, then has one day of rest, making sure to hit all of the major muscle groups by the end of the week. To work on flexibility and focus, she also throws in one to two yoga classes per week and up to five days of cardio for 45-minutes in the morning. Check out her dumbbell-circuit workout (she does four sets of each exercise, to failure):
Incline chest press
Incline flye
Seated shoulder press
Bent lateral raise
Standing upright row
Bent-over row
Stiff-legged deadlift
Stationary lunge
Bilateral overhead extension
Bilatral hammer curl
Jump lunge
NICOLE COSTA'S MUSIC:
Nicole Costa's playlist will rock your routine. Crank up the volume with her top 10 workout songs!
Download the tunes on her iPod!
1. Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon
2. Telephone – Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé
3. Imma Be – Black Eyed Peas
4. Shut It Down – Pitbull ft. Akon
5. Imagination – Jes: Kaskade Remix
6. Give It To Me Right – Melanie Fiona
7. Rude Boy – Rihanna
8. Young Forever – Jay-Z ft. Mr. Hudson
9. Carry Out – Timbaland ft. Justin Timberlake
10. Breakin' Dishes – Rihanna
Photography: Stewart Volland, Hair & makeup: Valeria Nova using MAC and Tresemmé, Styling: Julia Perry, Swimsuit: Becca by Rebecca Virtue
Absolutely stunning woman that you are!! You truly are an inspiration as well as other countless folks in Oxygen. You guys keep me going to work and push my very hardest!!
does she do that whole workout each day for 3 days? or does she split up the exercises into 3 days?
* and it says she takes a break then works major muscles at the end of the week. What does it mean by that? Does she do her weights 6 times a week??
She works out for 3 days on, 1 day off. Yeah the whole workout, 4 sets, to failure, each day. By doing this, she gets in each major muscle group by the end of the week. The "rest/break" is the 1 day off.
Nicole is absolutely beautiful! I feel totally inspired by her workout
routine and motivated to continue my clean eating routine at times when
it seems difficult to stay on track. Thank you. I would love to see more of
Nicole in future oxygen issues.
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