1) Who is Steff Noble? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I am 31! Fit , Blonde, female, Natural Figure Pro …;) haha I jest! Seriously though…Born and Bred in Edinburgh, Scotland! I now live in Leeds. I run a national creative education company called One Day Creative Education - Empowering young people to go for their goals & grow in confidence is at the heart of my company’s ethos. I create physical workshops for young people to access their learning potential in school using dance, drama, health and fitness!
Most young people are not academic learners so I use other genres to help them express themselves and enjoy learning! I am also a fully qualified level 3 personal trainer, group exercise trainer and nutritionist. My hobbies include a wide range of physical endeavors – bodybuilding, dance, hiking. I also love learning, particular interest in growth mindset and behavior psychology. Lastly, I love deep house and new age music & reading!
2) How many years have you been training?
I come from a dance background and have danced for as long as I can remember both vocationally and professionally! Routine exercise and discipline are skills I have learnt over the years. I have been an avid gym goer for around 15 years but I started training heavily with weights around 9 years ago. I started bodybuilding & competing on the natural bodybuilding circuit in 2013 in the figure division working my way towards my goal of winning my pro card which I secured last year – DFAC natural Figure pro card at the BNBF British Finals 2017.
3) What has been the most challenging/hardest parts of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
I would say that in the sport of bodybuilding you have to be ready to commit and understand that it requires a tough resilient mindset. You have to be ready to take good with the bad. Not everyone around you will understand why you do what you do and you will discover that some people will fall by the wayside, and won’t support you. Some people will be there when they need you but disappear when you are no longer of value to them. It is a competitive sport and I believe that you must go into it with your eyes wide open.
Some of the experiences I have encountered by other people have left my jaw on the floor and it can feel very isolating but through it all, I have never let it dent my confidence in what I can achieve and these scenarios have made me a stronger person overall.
Building a great body takes a huge amount of sacrifice, time and relentless commitment - It is not for everyone. Not many people would pay the price. Bodybuilding is harsh. You are putting yourself on a platform to be judged physically. People forget that. It’s hard to be judged but you choose to do it so you have to give your full self to it & be ready for the outcomes & the critique. Also, to go through a prep to bring your absolute best is one of the toughest mental challenges you can put yourself through. In my opinion – more-so than the physical challenge.
Every angle of bodybuilding is the most challenging thing I have ever done but has given me a huge amount of strength in building my mind as well as body & I am grateful for that.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
I split my seasons. In –season (prep) & off season. I am currently in offseason and a weekly plan for me consists of 5 days a week weight training – my workout split focuses on 3 x sessions on weak body-parts & 2 x maintenance sessions for my strong areas. Diet wise – I currently sit on 2400 calories a day with a 40:40:20 split protein/carbs/fat.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
Do it because you want to! Don’t do it because you think you should or someone else tells you too! This is my advice for any fitness goal! I see far far too many people start bodybuilding because someone else is or someone tells them they should. It is NOT a sport to choose unless YOU know WHY you want to do it, and you understand the aims and objectives and are ready to assign to them.
I have really learnt about balance this year too – bodybuilding is very much and all or nothing sport. It can detract away from other areas of your life because of the rigidity required and if you are not careful this can have a negative impact on your relationships/ your work etc... If it starts to go down that road you need to take a step back and really assess what is adding to your life. Whatever goal you choose - It should work for you and fit into your lifestyle – not take over!
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
PIZZA! Hands down! With all the toppings…
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
Melatonin – really helps my body’s natural sleep cycle to aid my recovery.
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
In all honesty, I don’t think I would do anything differently. You have to learn, make mistakes, learn, make mistakes, to grow and year on year you just have to keep moving forwards. That old saying – Only look back to see how far you have come!
9) Who do you look up to in the fitness industry and why?
That is a tough question – There are quite a few for various reasons. I would say Andrew Chappell – he has a sound evidence based knowledge for natural competitors that is extremely valuable. Louise Rogers (kayim) I admire her dedication and focus/commitment to the sport. Her figure was the shape I aspired to when I very first started. The content put out by the likes of Phil Learney, Mark Coles & team 3DMJ is second to none too and I watch, listen and read a lot of their stuff.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Make Patience your best friend! You can achieve any goal you put your mind too but you must learn that nothing of worth comes instantly.
Understand that the process is EVERYTHING! The end goal is only a small part of the journey! Everything you do, every step you take – every plan, every training session, every mouthful of food, the time you give yourself to recover, the time spent on nurturing a strong mindset contributes to you achieving the goal and more importantly becoming the best version of yourself. Love the process, be patient. Succeed.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
Currently I am in a heavy offseason off the back of my first pro show in November 2017. I am assessing my next goal and will be looking forward to competing again in the future.
I am really enjoying sharing a lot more of my fitness journey across my socials and I love inspiring other females to get into fitness, learn about how they can build their bodies naturally & encourage positivity across the field.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
Instagram: Steff_noble_figurepro (main Platform)
Facebook - stef.noble2
Email : nobles678@hotmail.com
