Nuria Novoa

Featured Personal Trainer - February 2011





Interviewed by: Tammy Renee'


Nuria Novoa started coaching Sport Aerobics to children aged 8 to 12 years in 2002, when she was just 16 years old, after winning the National School Aerobics Championships in her division the year before. She started working in a large commercial gym her first year out of high school in 2004; initially on reception. Soon after, she received her group exercise registration and then started Personal Training in July of 2006. At the age of 25 now, she hasn't stopped yet! Get ready to be impressed!

WP: Welcome Nuria. What a great history you have! Tell me a bit about yourself.

Thank you! I just turned 25 and enjoyed this birthday a lot more than my last, felt like I have achieved a lot in the last 12 months, so was quite happy to celebrate another year! I live in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the central city with my Chihuahua Leo and cat Luca. I have always been a big animal lover!

WP: What made you decide to get into the fitness industry?

Fitness is really all I've ever known, but it wasn't until I started coaching Aerobics that I thought I really wanted to work in this industry. I had wanted to do nursing when I was at high school.

WP: What is your educational background? What are your certifications?

I didn't enjoy my school years much and was sick much of the time due to an ongoing condition which didn't help! I did part of my fitness industry study by correspondence through NetFit (a New Zealand course) and then a Personal Trainer course at The New Zealand College of Fitness in 2006. I have been a registered group exercise instructor since 2004.

When I ruptured my ACL in late 2008, I decided to start a university degree and am now 2 years into that, I'm planning on either finishing with a double degree (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science) or a BA with a triple major in Psychology, Sociology and Health Sciences.

WP: What do you feel sets you apart from all other personal trainers out there?

My strength in relation to my competitive clients such as people preparing for bodybuilding/figure/bikini shows, is definitely making sure they have a "total package" when they get on stage. I have a lot to learn still in some areas but am confident that my 17 years of stage experience since I was an 8 year old dancer ensures that they are always prepared the best way they can be in terms of grooming, posture, confidence, posing and polished routines, as well as their physical condition.

For me making a difference to people's lives in terms of their long term health so they can also pass healthy habits on to their children is really important and I wanted to be able to offer services that everyone can afford to access. My group sessions are becoming more popular & see people getting great results, part of this is due to the ongoing support clients get several times a week, not just from me but from other group members. Everyone gets along well and become friends, I hear them encouraging each other, planning to get together for exercise in their own time etc. I like to think we have built a "family" of people with similar goals who want to make fitness part of their lives.

I offer a wide range of options for training with a wide range of costs, which are lower than the majority of what Personal Trainers charge at commercial gyms. Advice on nutrition and home programs are all included and are provided after training sessions. I have a "no frills" approach. For example, in general I don't print programs and nutrition tips each week. I encourage the use of training diaries and for clients to bring them to each session. Cutting down on some admin time for me means I can keep costs a bit lower and my clients get more contact time.

WP: Where do you train your clients? Do you train them in a gym, at home, or where?

I am based at a facility called The Canterbury Sports Performance Centre, which is home to the Eastside Barbell Club and the Eastside Strongman Club, which is predominantly a strength training facility. The atmosphere is very different from a bigger more commercial "shiny" gym! It is male dominated; when I started there in around July of 2009 I was almost the only female round on a regular basis. I like the laid back atmosphere & the fact that everyone in our club is there to train hard. There is now also another personal trainer based there and we both have male and female clients. Until last week there were no cardio machines at all, we have now just got a couple of bikes in to provide cardio options for members doing body building shows and who are trying to get leaner as well as stronger.

I take a Saturday Boot camp session in a local park in the central city which is one of my favorite sessions! I go down to a nearby cafe/ market after with clients to grab a coffee and chat over nutrition advice. Have also more recently started training clients in other parts of the country - one makes a 4 hour drive to see me once a month, and do the rest via email/photos and phone calls - have enjoyed this for some variety!

WP: How many days do you suggest your clients to work out in a week?

Anywhere from 2 to 6 times a week depending on whether they are new to training and what their goals are. In general, I encourage my clients to make changes that they feel they are prepared to/ can maintain in the longer term.

WP: What helps you get up each morning?

Training and my morning coffee! On days that I don't feel as energetic or motivated I just remind myself to keep going anyway as I know the hard work will pay off.

WP: What motivates you?

I have always been motivated with my training since I was a dancer as a child, but after having a bad injury knowing what it felt like to not train (or not train hard) for a while keeps me on track. I felt worse about myself and my life in general without regular intense exercise.

WP: What forms of exercise do you find to be the most effective for the following? To gain mass:

Weight training - as heavy as possible for each set, but still pretty high volume! I like old school exercises that have been around forever and do more compound exercises than isolation ones; dead lifts, seated rows, squats, shoulder press and versions of bench press are my programs somewhere!

WP: To lose weight:

Weight training and regular cardio regular - high intensity for both, but even more importantly - nutrition!

WP: To cut:

Same as above - but consider nutrition to the biggest factor overall. Mixing my training up works for me, for example I do some steady longer cardio sessions, interval training, dance/fitness routines, bodyweight conditioning and plyometrics each week as well as 4 to 6 weights sessions.

WP: Before competition:

Posing practice and maintaining intensity, routine practice when competing in fitness!

WP: Do you also compete? If so, what titles have you won? What competitions have you entered and what place did you take?

I started competing in 2005 and have tried a variety of classes in different federations. I competed in world champs in Greece in 2005 for a class called "shape" with NABBA. That was an awesome experience and I was 9th. 2010 has been a personal best in terms of competing; I competed in two Nabba/WFF shows in the fitness class and had heaps of fun with my routines both times! I also competed at two NZIFBB shows at Nationals and I won my height class and the overall award for the "international figure" class and also did the fitness class for fun.

WP: How does your routine and life changes when you go from pre-contest to off-season?

In the past it has been a bit up and down, and although training always stays a part of my life my cardio definitely happens less in the off-season! I was 19 when I first competed and found it harder to eat clean at that age during off-seasons. I still tried to eat 5 to 6 times a day and have enough quality protein and veggies etc., but definitely overdid the treat food more regularly! Now with more time, experience and knowledge than I had as a teenager, it's become more of a lifestyle.

WP: What do you like and dislike about competing?

Not a lot! No matter how many shows you do and how good your knowledge is I think there are always going to be challenging days where you don't feel like doing your cardio, or you'd love a burger or few slices of pizza, or chocolate! Being disciplined with food is harder for me than the discipline with training. Also being single in your 20's and not having a social life can feel isolating at times, there are nights where I wish I could go out and party, but I know what I'm doing is worth it.

WP: Would you like to attempt to get your pro card? If so, tell me what you are planning to reach your goal.

I would love to compete at Pro level, if this is an opportunity I get, I would aim towards competing in a couple of pro shows in the United States each year.

WP: From your past contests, what have you learned you need to correct or work on for the physique you are aiming for?

I still have plenty I want to work on! I think I can always be improving it in one way or another. Condition rather than size will be my focus for a while I think; particularly my mid section & legs (quads).

WP: What are your strengths and weaknesses?

My strengths are how hard I'm prepared to train and definitely my stage presence. I have my dance and aerobics background to thank for that! Weaknesses; I am getting much better with age, but definitely still diet; not so much a big weakness, but this can always be improved.

WP: What problems have you had as far as staying motivated and disciplined to stick with your workouts?

I rarely struggle with motivation for training. I love how I feel during and after a hard training sessions whether it's weights, cardio, stair-running or routine-training. Endorphins are awesome and I'm so used to getting them daily through exercise that I don't like rest days!

WP: What problems did you have to overcome in order to stay on track with your fitness program?

Injuries! Just when I was feeling back to my normal self physically after an ACL reconstruction (using the patella tendon). I tore the meniscus in my other knee! Nowhere near as bad as my ACL injury, but has still affected training. I'm learning to work round injuries and not let them get me down. There is almost always a way round things. I hired a bike for home so I always have a no impact option for cardio and have made changes to leg training until I get it fixed with keyhole surgery.

WP: What keeps fitness interesting to you?

Variety, intensity and having a great training partner helps!

WP: Tell me something about yourself that no one else knows. It's just between us; no one else will know. Ha-ha.

Hmmm... I used to be really into creative writing and poetry!

WP: How have you changed over the years?

I have become a lot stronger. I've dealt with some really difficult things, some typical like break ups, and some that only people who are closer to me know about such as a variety health problems which at times have been pretty debilitating and left me feeling really low. When I was younger, I didn't know how to cope with these, at certain times my life felt like it was falling apart and I thought I'd never get through it.

Now, I don't regret anything. I understand things in life happen for a reason and my experiences have made me who I am. There's a quote I love, "Good things fall apart so that better things can fall into place". Often at the time we only see bad in situations, but as time passes, we can look back and see what we thought was good for us really wasn't and that we are far better off now for having learnt from that experience even if it took time, pain and heartache to work it all out!

WP: Any shout outs?

A few people in the last year in particular have given me the best gifts of all - their time, support and respect for my goals. My friend Lucie who has watched my shows, trained with me and always been happy to catch up over diet dinners! My friend Kristy Thompson who I met at my first show in 2005, my current training partner Lance Preddy who never fails to make me laugh at each session and is always encouraging. My long term clients are great, too! Many of them have come to shows and now one is preparing for a show herself.

WP: Explain your workouts to me.

High intensity! An average weights session would be 90 minutes. I have a 3 to 4 day split program for upper body and train legs 3 times a week. For upper body, currently, doing 30 plus sets per workout (8 to 15 reps), keeping weight as heavy as I can, legs sometimes take less time, but higher volume often in circuit style; with little rest. I'm also doing cardio twice a day 6 days a week, about 80 or 90 minutes each day.

WP: What is your diet?

I always have at least 6 small meals a day. I have salmon once a week and lean red meat once a week, and have a meal at Nando's once a week of chicken, rice and coleslaw. During pre-contest it looks something like this:

1/2 cup of oats, protein powder, 1 apricot or berries with a sprinkle of Splenda and sunflower seeds.

Protein shake made with water or a protein bar.

Chicken breast with a mixed salad.

1/4 cup of oats and 6 eggs whites (blended and fried in non-stick pan).

White fish/chicken and broccoli.

Scrambled egg whites and veggies or 100g cottage cheese, a handful of berries and Splenda, or a shake.

WP: Who had the most impact on you in your life thus far?

My mother and my grandparents were always supportive of my dancing and without all of their time, support and belief in me I don't think I could have achieved so much. My aerobics coach Erica Shalders taught me a lot about how to be a good coach and started my love for training others.

In terms of competing - a few years ago, I started to get advice from a man who is well known in Christchurch and has a lot of experience helping others with their training and diets. Without his help and guidance in not only these areas, but also attitude and how to deal with challenges in life, I don't think I would have got to where I am now, so a big thank you to Dave Smith.

WP: What are your hobbies outside of fitness?

Dancing, good films especially art house, foreign and anything weird and different. When not preparing for a show, I enjoy eating out with good company and trying different foods from all nationalities! I love the experience of travelling, different cultures and languages.

WP: What supplements do you take and why?

Protein powder - for convenience; means there's never an excuse to miss a meal. Glucosamine and Arnica for joints, a pre-workout drink and fat burner (both NZ brands) which are caffeine based like most energy supplements! I have flaxseed oil, but prefer to get good fats through whole food. Have used Glutamine often in the past and I should look into supplements for recovery!

WP: Can you be seen anywhere else on the internet?

I am a "Guest Writer" for a New Zealand body building, figure and fitness site called GoFigure.

WP: What are your future projects?

I would quite like to do more writing, either for websites or magazines, in the future. I would love to do some fitness modeling and am aiming to compete at a higher level overseas in the coming years! Also, I want to continue to train more people for shows and keep running training "challenges" that are getting more popular with each one I run. Kicking off a 12-week challenge this week for a group of about 15 people. I am expecting awesome results and these are heaps of fun!

WP: How would you like to improve, if any?

I want to continue to learn and grow as a person, an athlete, a trainer and role model to others.

WP: Anything you would like to mention before we close?

Thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed! I'll finish with a part of another favorite quot, "The greatest risk in life is to risk nothing. Only the person who risks is truly free...".

WP: It's been a pleasure interviewing you!

Thank you!