My max squat is now 322 pounds (up from 200 pounds). And I’ve increased my deadlift—which is my favorite move—from 285 pounds to 391 pounds. Part of the appeal of powerlifting in the beginning was watching my “newbie gains” happen nice and fast; you typically progress more quickly in the beginning. It got me totally hooked in the best way.
I have put on nearly 50 pounds of muscle during my strength transformation.
Of course, my workouts are a huge part of my strength gains, but overhauling my nutrition and diet completely changed to train for powerlifting.
I had to educate myself about food and how it functions as fuel. I had to develop a different relationship about what food meant to me. I went from a mindset that eating food was to survive to one that is all about how food is fuel and power. I have to eat to gain weight and build muscle.
Nicki’s Must-Have Fitness Products
Strength Supplement
GNC Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate Powder
Credit: GNC
Creatine is one of the most extensively researched nutrition supplements for recovery and gains. “It helps replenish my energy in my muscles and aids in muscle growth and performance,” Nicki says.
Hydration Hack
LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolytes
Credit: LMNT
Mixing these tasty electrolytes into her water helps Nicki “maintain hydration and replenish the minerals I lose through sweating,” she explains. “The electrolytes also help prevent muscle cramping.”
Recovery Tool
Therabody Theragun
Credit: Therabody
Without this tool, “I would be a sore and sad person,” says Nicki. “Stretching and mobility is something I have to incorporate into my daily routine, and I find [a massager] to be the most helpful.”
I started tracking macros and calories for purposes of weight gain, and I eventually even got a certification in nutrition from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) to really build that foundational knowledge of how to fuel for lifting.
I now eat 3,000 calories a day–aiming for 165 grams of protein, 90 grams of fat, and more than 400 grams carbs.
The confidence and discipline I’ve learned through powerlifting has translated into every area of my life.
One of my biggest takeaways from my journey is to stop comparing myself to others. I’ve learned slowly but surely that comparison is the thief of joy. It’s easy to compare myself or my fitness routine to someone I see online, but I now remind myself that there is a lot more to the story that isn’t being shared. In the beginning of my journey, I would stop myself if I started to judge my day one by someone else’s day 1,000.
I’ve also learned that a successful transformation journey ties back to community. As much as lifting is individual, powerlifting has introduced me to so much community. I am part of a whole team of athletes that push me and hold me accountable. When I say, “I can’t do this,” they say, “Yes you absolutely can.”
The powerlifting modality has also shown me that there is a lot of room for women in strength sports. I am 34 years old, and I’ve realized that you can show up any size, any age, to a powerlifting gym or meet. You will be welcomed and supported. It is a community full of people wanting to better themselves. Powerlifting has helped me become the healthiest, strongest, happiest version of myself.
Before I started powerlifting, I knew I was a strong person, but my physicality didn’t match how I felt on the inside. So, I started showing up to the gym to prove to myself how physically *and* mentally strong I am. It has transformed my mental health.