November 6, 2011 --

Fitness coaches Nick Freglette and Shelly Albetta of Peak Performance Prep share their approach to preparing clients like Liz Montalbano for body building, physique and figure competitions. Liz competes again this year in the 2011 NPC East Coast USA on November 5th and the 2011 NPC Eastern USA on November 12th.

Nick Freglette

(Q) How long have you been training and how many shows have you done?

(A) I have been training for 12 years and have done 7 shows total.

(Q) What titles have you brought home, which one are you most proud of and why?

(A) I am most proud of my fiancé winning her pro card at the 2011 Team Universe under my guidance. All of my placings are secondary to how proud I was of her.

(Q) How long have you worked for Gaspari Nutrition and what is your role in the company?

(A) I am the Northeast Sales Manager and have been with them for 2.5 years.

(Q) Tell us a little about Rich Gaspari , the company and products he's created.

(A) Rich is the most tenacious goal oriented person I have ever met. He has lofty goals and stops at nothing to achieve them. He started the company in his mom’s basement and has grown it into in international powerhouse. He believes that above all, quality is the key to building a successful supplement company. To that end he invests serious money into R&D, testing, and studies to ensure our products are safe and highly effective. The most important sale is the 2nd sale according to Rich.

(Q) How long have you been an NPC judge and how did you fall into the seat?

(A) This is my 5th year as a judge. Originally I just asked if I could help out at the shows since I attended all of them anyway and had been competing for a while. They recognized my passion for the sport and my eye for physiques and my knowledge of the industry and the rest is history.

(Q) As an NPC judge for some of the biggest shows in the North East, what do you and your colleagues look for when judging an athlete's physique (Men's BB/Physique and Women's Figure specifically)?

(A) In BB – balance, proportion, muscularity, conditioning, muscle fullness (not in that order) Figure – ideally we look for a balanced, proportioned muscular but not hard physique. Stage presence is also weighed heavily as you need to be able to present your physique to the judges. Overall we just look for the best balance of many factors.

(Q) What is Peak Performance Prep and who are its principal players?

(A) PPP is myself, Shelly, and Rod Jarrar who combine our education, experience, and expertise to prep clients in any division for a show. We commit to getting you in the best shape of your life, but also as important, we commit to perfect the finer details of stage presentation, posing, etc to help the client present the best version of themselves whether it's their first show or they’ve been competing for years.

(Q) Why did you form this company and how many athletes have you brought to the stage?

(A) I had been prepping people for a few years here and there just as a favor and I recognized I had a talent and an eye for it – but most importantly I had a lot of fun doing it. Since Shelly is a seasoned figure Pro, and Rod is one of the best and most educated trainers in N.J. It made sense to join forces and combine each of our strengths. We have brought over 50 athletes to the stage.

(Q) What is your philosophy on training for a show?

(A) Hard work and consistency over time.

(Q) What is your approach to nutrition for both male and female clients when prepping for a show? And how do they differ?

(A) My biggest thing for both male and female is to make sure the client’s metabolism is working in its highest gear. For people who are normally a little overweight or who have trouble losing weight I require them to get their thyroid checked to make sure their levels are within the normal range. The biggest mistake athletes and prep coaches make is not paying attention to a client’s metabolism. Dieting for a show is very strict and if you combine that with extended periods of cardios your body can shut down very quickly and rebel against you. As a result of this being my main concern, I make sure to rotate carbohydrates, have cheat meals, and try to keep the food amounts as high as I can. The more the body has to work at breaking down food, the better their metabolism will operate and the dieting process will be much easier for them.

(Q) Will you be hitting the stage again anytime in the near future?

(A) NOPE! My clients will be though.

Shelly Albetta

(Q) How long have you been a figure competitor and why/how did you get into it?

(A) This year was my 6th year competing in figure. My very close friend, Deb Judy, inspired me to begin. I saw her training in my gym a while back, and I remember thinking, "wow I want to look like that!". I asked her a bunch of questions on how to start, and the rest is history!

(Q) How many shows have you done and when did you become an IFBB Pro?

(A) Wow. I think I lost track of the number of shows I have done. I believe Tea, Universe in 2011, was my 16th show, and when I turned pro.

(Q) How many titles have you won and what does it take to get the "Pro" title?

(A) I won 5 of my shows prior to turning pro. I believe becoming a pro takes dedication, consistency, balance, shape, femininity, and a little bit of that X FACTOR. When there are so many girls on the national stage... there's got to be something to set you apart.

(Q) What do you do typically to get ready for a show (workout and nutrition) and how long does it take?

(A) I usually do a 12 week prep, consisting of morning cardios 5-6 days a week, as well as 3-4 PM cardio after I train, weight training 5x a week, and strict dieting. I keep myself in check all year round, so I never have to kill myself with diet. Just usual diet foods, clean proteins and carbs... healthy fats... I usually get a cheat meal once a week as well to keep my metabolism spiked. This year, however, I only dieted 8 weeks until my first show. The longer you compete, the more you learn your body, what works, what doesn't, etc. I am pretty in tune with my body.

(Q) What's the single most difficult thing about prepping for a show?

(A) I think I struggle most with balance. Whenever I prep for a show, I usually live at the gym, at work, at the grocery store, and at home. I usually hibernate from the outside world, and don't partake in many extra activities. I'm trying to be better about this. I only have one life, and just because I'm prepping for a show, doesn't mean I should sacrifice my social life and time with my family.

(Q) What differentiates a Figure Pro Athlete from an amateur (from physique to stage presentation)?

(A) I believe a Pro is just that... PROFESSIONAL- from hair, makeup, suit, posing, presentation to physique. The Pro's all have such impressive physiques...it's hard to stand out amongst such amazing women! But that is why they are all Pros, vs. amateurs!

(Q) What is the one most common mistake girls make when competing?

(A) The most common mistake I see girls make, is they fall off the whole rest of the year. Then when they are 12-14 weeks out... they start eating 5-6 times a day, and clean foods. The smartest thing to do is to keep your metabolism going all year round on healthy foods, and keep your physique in check in the off-season. If this is done, I promise your prep will be MUCH easier!

(Q) How does your diet differ in the off-season?

(A) I eat typically the same foods in the off-season, just more of them. I also incorporate more fruits in my diet, as well as red meats. Every Sunday, in my off-season, is my "cheat" day... meaning, I eat whatever I want from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. This allows me to feel like I have something to look forward to every week. It also spikes my metabolism which is good for my body.

(Q) What is your role at Peak Performance Prep?

(A) As part of the PPP TEAM, I typically handle all of the back-end work.... payments, apparel, scheduling... things like that. I also aid the women on the team quite a bit. From fielding questions day and night...to weekly posing help. I also guide the ladies in the right direction of suit choice, makeup, tanning, jewelry, etc. As long as my schedule permits, I also attend all of my girls' shows in order to make their stage experience as stress free and enjoyable as possible.

(Q) How many girls have you brought to the stage and what is your most memorable moment as a figure coach?

(A) I think so far we have brought 5 figure girls to the stage. I can't pinpoint one moment... watching many of our girls up there for the first time, doing something they never thought they could do, is an amazingly gratifying experience.

(Q) When will you be hitting the stage again?

(A) As of right now I have no date set for my pro debut. It'll definitely be in 2012. I am going to enjoy the rest of this year, then come January 2012... I will schedule my plan of attack for the season!