Behind the Body: WWE Diva Nikki Bella

Every toned, tanned, and oiled inch of Nikki Bella is pure woman (with the exception of perhaps her chest, which the wrestler admits has been augmented by
Behind the Body: WWE Diva Nikki Bella
Behind the Body: WWE Diva Nikki Bella /

Every toned, tanned, and oiled inch of Nikki Bella is pure woman (with the exception of perhaps her chest, which the wrestler admits has been augmented by modern medicine). But mess the wrong way with the 2012 WWE Divas champion, and you’ll get something from Bella that is decidedly unfeminine: the “Nikki Rack Attack,” her signature finisher, when she hoists her opponent up onto her shoulders and then slams down to her knees, causing the fool on her back to fall to the ground, flailing and defeated.

“I can literally lift anything on my shoulders—I know I could even get my own man up on my shoulders,” Bella says. (And that, folks, is saying something, considering her “own man” is 250-pound pro wrestler and bodybuilder John Cena.)

How did the 30-year-old wrestler, crowned 2013 “Diva of the Year,” get so strong? Part of it stems from the power of two: Bella’s twin, Brie, also competes in WWE, and the pair often wrestle together under the evocative moniker the Bella Twins. But Nikki Bella’s brawn also comes from copious time spent in the weight room, especially as she prepares for SummerSlam, the WWE’s second-biggest pay-per-view event, August 17. For more on how Bella trains, along with why she’s a self-proclaimed “doughnut queen” and “huge wino,” keep reading.

AGE

Height

WEight

30 years old

5-foot-6

135 lbs.

Training grounds: San Diego and Land O’ Lakes, Florida. “Our life is on the road, so the majority of the time I’m training in different cities and towns.”

Nickname: Coco. “My first nephew, he couldn’t say Auntie Nicole, so he called me Coco. So ever since then, everyone’s called me ‘Coco.’”

Body fat: Around 20 percent.

Hours spent training per day: Two hours.

Days spent training per week: Up to five. “It depends on how many wrestling shows I’m doing that week. Your body gets beat up pretty badly, so if I have four matches that week, I only try to work out two or three times. And I always rest two days because it’s so important for your body to rest.”

Hours spent in the weight room per week: Eight to 10 hours.

Go-to workout: Heavy squatting. “Lifting is what’s made me stronger and made me look better. Not only does it burn fat amazingly—and I think it’s really honed my body—it’s also given me the strength in the ring to lift girls up. I can literally lift anything on my shoulders. I know I could even get my own man up on my shoulders.”

Secret workout: Doing up to 600 reps of abdominal crunches at the end of every workout. “When I’m feeling the burn and dripping with sweat, doing all those abs takes me to the next level.”

Sports Illustrated's Fittest 50

50. Steve Weatherford

steve-weatherford-50.jpg
Al Bello/Getty Images

Speed: 4 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 7 + Endurance: 2 = TOTAL: 20

49. James Ihedigbo

James Ihedigbo.JPG
David E. Klutho/SI

Speed: 4 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 5 + Endurance: 4 = TOTAL: 22

48. Thomas Jones

thomas jones.JPG
John Biever/SI

Speed: 4 + Strength: 8 + Agility: 4 + Endurance: 6 = TOTAL: 22

47. Ryan Lochte

ryan-lochte.jpg
Bob Martin/SI

Speed: 6.5 + Strength: 5 + Agility: 4.5+ Endurance: 6.5 = TOTAL: 22.5

46. Meb Keflezighi

meb-keflezighi.jpg
Damian Strohmeyer/SI

Speed: 5.5 + Strength: 2 + Agility: 5.5 + Endurance: 10 = TOTAL: 23

45. Chris Froome

chris-froome-45.jpg
AFP/Getty Images

Speed: 5 + Strength: 4 + Agility: 5 + Endurance: 9 = TOTAL: 23

44. Diego Forlan

diego-forlan-44.jpg
Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 4 + Agility: 5.5 + Endurance: 7 = TOTAL: 23.5

43. Mike Trout

mike-trout_1.jpg
Robert Beck/SI

Speed: 5 + Strength: 8 + Agility: 6 + Endurance: 4.5 = TOTAL: 23.5

42. Tim Howard

tim-howard-42.jpg
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Speed: 3 + Strength: 5.5 + Agility: 9.5 + Endurance: 5.5 = TOTAL: 23.5

41. Reggie Bush

reggie-bush-41.jpg
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Speed: 5.5 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 5 = TOTAL: 24

40. Chris Sharma

chris-sharma-40.jpg
Climbing Koda

Speed: 3 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 3 + Endurance: 9 = TOTAL: 24

39. Manny Pacquiao

manny-pacquiao.jpg
Jed Jacobsohn/SI

Speed: 6.5 + Strength: 5 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 6 = TOTAL: 24

38. Steven Stamkos

steve-stamkos-38.jpg
Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images

Speed: 6 + Strength: 5.5 + Agility: 5.5 + Endurance: 7.5 = TOTAL: 24.5

37. Zdeno Chara

zdeno-chara.jpg
Damian Strohmeyer/SI

Speed: 4 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 5.5 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 24.5

36. Dwight Howard

dwight-howard_0.jpg
Greg Nelson/SI

Speed: 4.5 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 5.5 + Endurance: 6 = TOTAL: 25

35. Andrew McCutchen

andrew-mccutchen-35.jpg
Getty Images

Speed: 8 + Strength: 5 + Agility: 6 + Endurance: 6 = TOTAL: 25

34. Nani

nani-34.jpg
Getty Images

Speed: 8 + Strength: 4 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 7 = TOTAL: 25.5

33. Nate Robinson

nate-robinson-33.jpg
NBAE/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 5.5 + Endurance: 6 = TOTAL: 25.5

32. Rich Froning

rich-froning-32.jpg
CrossFit, Inc

Speed: 6.5 + Strength: 6.5 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 6.5 = TOTAL: 26

31. Roger Federer

roger-federer.jpg
Bob Martin/SI

Speed: 5.5 + Strength: 6.5 + Agility: 7 + Endurance: 7 = TOTAL: 26

30. Ray Allen

ray-allen.jpg
Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

Speed: 6.5 + Strength: 5 + Agility: 7 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 26.5

29. Sergio Ramos

sergio-ramos-29.jpg
Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 5.5 + Agility: 6 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 26.5

28. Jake Dalton

jake-dalton-28.jpg
AFP/Getty Images

Speed: 5 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 7 + Endurance: 7.5 = TOTAL: 26.5

27. Percy Harvin

percy-harvin-27.jpg
Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

Speed: 8 + Strength: 6 + Agility: 7.5 + Endurance: 5 = TOTAL: 26.5

26. Colin Kaepernick

colin-kaepernick-26.jpg
Sports Illustrated

Speed: 7 + Strength: 6 + Agility: 7 + Endurance: 7 = TOTAL: 27

25. George St. Pierre

george-st-pierre-25.jpg
Getty Images

Speed: 3.5 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 7 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 27.5

24. Hulk

hulk-24.jpg
AFP/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 7.5 = TOTAL: 28

23. Micah Richards

micah-richards-23.jpg
AFP/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 6.5 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 28

22. Patrick Willis

patrick-willis.jpg
Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images

Speed: 5.5 + Strength: 10 + Agility: 6.5. Endurance: 6.5 = TOTAL: 28.5

21. Martin St. Louis

martin-st-louis-21.jpg
Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 7. Endurance: 7.5 = TOTAL: 28.5

20. Rafael Nadal

rafael-nadal-20.jpg
Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 5.5 + Agility: 8. Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 28.5

19. Ashton Eaton

ashton-eaton-19.jpg
British Athletics/Getty Images

Speed: 6 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 8 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 29

18. Rob Gronkowski

rob-gronkowski-18.jpg
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 7 + Endurance: 6 = TOTAL: 29

17. Marshawn Lynch

marshawn-lynch-17.jpg
Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 6.5 = TOTAL: 29

16. Larry Fitzgerald

larry-fitzgerald-16.jpg
Sports Illustrated

Speed: 8 + Strength: 6.5 + Agility: 8 + Endurance: 7 = TOTAL: 29.5

15. LaRon Landry

laron-landry-15.jpg
Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

Speed: 8 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 6 = TOTAL: 29.5

14. Blake Griffin

blake-griffin-14.jpg
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 8 + Agility: 7.5 + Endurance: 7.5 = TOTAL: 30

13. Vernon Davis

vernon-davis-13.jpg
MCT via Getty Images

Speed: 8.5 + Strength: 8.5 + Agility: 6.5 + Endurance: 7.5 = TOTAL: 31

12. Marquise Goodwin

marquise-goodwin-12.jpg
Simon Bruty/SI

Speed: 9 + Strength: 5 + Agility: 9 + Endurance: 9 = TOTAL: 32

11. Jimmy Graham

jimmy-graham-11.jpg
Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 8 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 32

10. Michael Phelps

michael-phelps-10.jpg
Sports Illustrated

Speed: 9 + Strength: 7 + Agility: 8 + Endurance: 9 = TOTAL: 33

9. Jon Jones

jon-jones-9.jpg
Josh Hedges/Getty Images

Speed: 7 + Strength: 10 + Agility: 8 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 33

8. Adrian Peterson

adrian-peterson.jpg
Greg Nelson/SI

Speed: 8.5 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 9 + Endurance: 7 = TOTAL: 33.5

7. Serge Ibaka

serge-ibaka_0.jpg
Greg Nelson/SI

Speed: 7.5 + Strength: 9.5 + Agility: 8.5 + Endurance: 8.5 = TOTAL: 34

6. Calvin Johnson

calvin-johnson_0.jpg
Walter Iooss Jr./SI

Speed: 9 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 8.5 + Endurance: 8 = TOTAL: 34.5

5. Dez Bryant

dez-bryant.jpg
Al Tielemans/SI

Speed: 9 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 8.5 + Endurance: 8.5 = TOTAL: 35

4. Floyd Mayweather

floyd-mayweather.jpg
Robert Beck/SI

Speed: 9 + Strength: 8 + Agility: 10 + Endurance: 9 = TOTAL: 36

3. Usain Bolt

usain-bolt_0.jpg
Simon Bruty/SI

Speed: 10 + Strength: 9 + Agility: 8.5 + Endurance: 9 = TOTAL: 36.5

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

cristiano-ronaldo_2.jpg
Carlos M. Saavedra/SI

Speed: 10 + Strength: 8.5 + Agility: 10 + Endurance: 10 = TOTAL: 38.5

1. LeBron James

lebron-james-1_0.jpg
Nike

Speed: 10 + Strength: 10 + Agility: 10 + Endurance: 10 = TOTAL: 40

Biggest physical challenge: Wrestling with a metal rod in her shin. “I still have a rod in my shin from a broken bone I got playing soccer when I was 18. To this day, there are times when I feel that rod banging up in my knee or starting to throb.”

Best recovery tip: Sleep. “I think people don’t really know the power of sleep, but that’s when your body recovers the most. I wear an eye mask and earplugs and put the temperature in the room to 67 to 70 degrees. If I can get eight hours of sleep, I feel like a new person.”

Calories consumed per day:“I have no idea. I don’t do any diets where I count calories—I just watch more what I eat.”

Favorite pre-match meal: Quest or Kind bars. “If my stomach’s too heavy, I just don’t feel like I can work hard in a match. But a protein bar is light, I’m never hungry, and I don’t get dizzy when I wrestle.”

Typical recovery meal: Steak and vegetables. “We usually go to a restaurant right after a match. If I’m absolutely starving, I may do a protein bar or shake first. Or sometimes I grab a cookie, because [my boyfriend] John [Cena] has taught me that if I do a hard workout, I can have any type of sugar in my body as long as I eat it within 30 minutes.”

Celebration meal: Doughnuts. “I’m the doughnut queen. I’m obsessed with them. Give me a maple Long John or a chocolate Long John, and I’m the happiest girl in the world.”

Biggest dietary vice: Anything sweet. “I have a the biggest sweet tooth. I love dessert. If I have something sweet in the house, I will find an excuse why I need a bite.”

Alcohol of choice: Wine. “I’m a huge wino. I love my red wine. And I admit, I’m snooty, and I appreciate how my grapes are grown.”

On her favorite body: Her bust and her buttocks. “Can I say my booty? And I love my boobs—I paid a lot of my money for my bust. But those are the most womanly parts, and I love being a woman.”

On why she likes the Nikki Rack Attack:“It’s one of the most powerful Divas finishers our there. Once you’re in it, there’s no way to get out of it. It was a love at first sight. When a move meets [a wrestler], you just know when it was meant to be. It’s pretty fearless, and I love it.”

On the seeming contrast between how she looks and how she fights:“I’ve always been a tomboy. I love hanging out with people who want to watch sports. Growing up, all I wanted to do was arm-wrestle boys. But I have this girly side, too, because I love fashion and want to get my makeup done. So many times, people say to me, ‘You’re not a wrestler—look at you!’ But looks can be deceiving.”

On wrestling with her twin, Brie: “It’s a total male fantasy, but it’s been fun. I couldn’t imagine my career without her. The one thing that’s so magical about being a WWE Diva is the that you get to travel the world, and what’s even better is that I’ve had my sister by side. There’s so much fun and laughter.”

On starring in the E! reality TV show Total Divas:“Season 3 airs September 7, and that’s awesome when you keep picking up more seasons. Not only do you get to see more Divas, you get to see what are our lives are like, inside the ring and outside … You get to see how women try to conquer a man’s world.”

Catch Nikki on Total Divas on E!. The new season premieres Sept. 7.


Published