Name: Duane Van Staden
Age: 28
Height: 185 cm 
Current weight: 114 kg 
Current city: Johannesburg South Africa 
Occupation: Gym owner & Coach 

What made you get started with training and living a more healthy and fit lifestyle?

I was looking for a sport that I could participate in as an individual. This way, I could recognise my hard work as my own. I wanted a healthy and fit lifestyle because this is what self-care entails. This also allows me to enjoy life and feel more fulfilled because I feel great and most importantly, confident. I feel a sense of pride through my accomplishments because I’m my biggest critic.

Who has been your biggest influence/support in your life and how have they affected you?

Celebrity influencers include Ronnie Coleman because he is the strongest bodybuilder I know. He looks amazing, lifts super-heavy and has an undeniable work ethic. 

Dorian Yates and Eddie Hall inspire me.  They are all about pushing their hardest to achieve goals which are impossible for most people.

Is your training more focused on bodybuilding or powerlifting?

My training has always been split across powerlifting and bodybuilding. I focus about 40% on powerlifting and the rest is bodybuilding. 

How was it throughout the lockdown keeping to your training?

Luckily for me, I have my own powerlifting/strongman gym which meant I didn’t feel the impact of lockdown. I remained consistent and worked towards my goals.

What are your future plans?

I want to continue working on gaining strength and gaining quality muscle. The key priority is remaining healthy.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• Wake up at 5:30am, meal 1
• 6am to 10am: Training my clients, one-on-one in my gym
• 9am: meal 2
• 10am: meal 3
• 10am to 12pm: Training online clients
• 12pm to 3pm: I complete my own training 
• 3pm: meal 4
• 3:30pm to 5pm: Training online clients 
• 5pm to 9pm: Training clients one-on-one at my gym
• 6pm: meal 5
• 9pm: meal 6
• 10pm: Bed

How long have you been vegan for and what made you change?

I have been vegan for about 2 and a half years but was Vegetarian for 5 years. Social media opened my eyes to animal cruelty and suffering. I am vegan for the animals.

Do you think as a Vegan it is more difficult to get adequate protein in your diet? Do you think we actually need as much protein as we are made to believe? 

We need less protein than we are made to believe. But as a vegan, we need to ensure that we have a variety of food sources that provide adequate nutrition. A balanced diet is key, for any kind of diet. 

Is it difficult to gain muscle or strength as a vegan?

Not at all. I was actually at my biggest and strongest as a vegan, than when I was eating meat. I consume more calories which are easier to digest.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet

I would typically have 5 to 6 different vegetables and 2 to 3 protein sources in one meal. It’s important to have a balanced range of carbs, fibre, fats and protein in each meal.

Protein sources include black beans, kidney beans, lentils, chick peas, tofu,  broccoli,  green beans, some faux meat options, soya milk and vegan protein shakes.

What is your go to high protein vegan snack?

About 3 times a day I have 250ml soya milk, 25g of vegan protein, one teaspoon of chia seeds and 1 tablespoon of flax seed powder in a shake.

Do you think, to generally lose fat one needs to be super strict and repetitive, as strict as a diet for a bodybuilding competition?

I agree that you need to be strict with your eating and diet.

Your training can be great, but you will not lose fat without changing your diet. Results are only seen with a calorie deficit and consistently clean eating.

Have you seen any common mistakes that guys may make when starting out in the gym?

Guys tend to look for quick results and don’t realise that training goals take time to be achieved.  They don’t maintain consistency. When they don’t see results quickly, they tend to give-up on their goals.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training/training schedule and on average how long do you workout for?

Training split is a 8 day split. This means my training repeats every 8 days. I have two rest days in each cycle. 

• Session 1: Front deltoids and triceps
• Session 2: Biceps, side deltoids , traps
• Session 3: Legs – squats and quads, calves 

Off

• Session 4: Chest
• Session 5: Upper back, rear deltoids 
• Session 6: Deadlifts, hamstrings, glutes, Calves 

OFF

• Each training session includes cardio, core and abs
• Leg sessions are 4 to 5 hours long
• All other sessions are 2 ½ to 3 hours long
• Rest period between sets is typically 2 minutes

Do you advise using supplements, and do you use any yourself?

Yes. Pre-workout and vegan protein shake.

Do you think vegan protein powders are just as good if not better than non vegan protein powders?

Yes I do. They don’t cause bloating, and are softer on the stomach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Duane (SuperBeast Coach) (@superbeastgym)

What are your 3 favourite exercises?

• Deadlifts and squats. These provide whole body strength.
• Bench Press. It is a great accessory to improve pressing movements. Also a very enjoyable and challenging exercise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Duane (SuperBeast Coach) (@superbeastgym)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Duane (SuperBeast Coach) (@superbeastgym)

Can you give a few tips to training and what sort of exercises do you favour the most when doing them?

Progressive overload and push yourself at every session. Leave the gym knowing you did your best on every set and you cannot continue.

Do you do a lot of cardio with your training? How do you schedule cardio and when?

Schedule cardio in the beginning of each workout, as a warmup.  And then, at the end of each session as a cool down.

Favorite male fitness/bodybuilding/powerlifting icon(s): 

• Ronnie Coleman
• Louis Simmons 

Favorite Quote:

“Don’t tell people your dreams show them.”

What is the most common question you get asked?

People always ask: How long did it take for me to look like this.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Facebook: Superbeastgym private gym and personal training
• Instagram: superbeastgym
• Tiktok: superbeastcoach
• Email: Superbeasttrainer[at]gmail.com

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The post One On One With Vegan Powerlifting Athlete & Trainer, Duane Van Staden  appeared first on FitNish.com.

Name: Jenna Brust
Current city: Johannesburg, South Africa
Occupation: Online fitness coach

What made you get started with training and living a more healthy lifestyle?

I’ve been active since a young age. I like feeling good and healthy as well as eating clean, so I adopted these healthy habits to stay feeling good about myself. When I  feel good and look good ( mentally and physically) I feel more confident.

The more results I see, the harder I work at it, it’s motivation for me. When I train I feel happy, and gym is my favourite part of the day where I can relieve my stress and focus on myself. 

What made you enter your first show and when was it, and how did the prep and competition go?

After school I wanted to carry on being an athlete and I wanted to continuously work towards something. I wanted to start doing shows because I loved everything about them, it sparked a really big interest for me because I could do fitness and modelling at the same time.

I therefore trained to achieve a goal and because I love it, so it was right up my alley. Prepping for a show is never easy, diets make me tired because I’m in a calorie deficit, but it’s worth it at the end of the day. My first IFBB show this year went very well with me taking home the crown, and it motivated me to push harder and achieve more. 

Who has been your biggest influence/support in your life and how did they affect you?

My mother has been my absolute rock. She has pushed me to do my best, at times given me constructive criticism that I didn’t always want to hear, but needed to. In fitness and shows, my coach has also been an amazing support system and motivation for me. Lastly my boss has also given me tremendous amounts of support and helped me reach a lot of my goals, by allowing me to take off a bit  earlier  for gym and someone I can talk to and take advice from as well. 

How did you manage to balance all the aspects of life with your training and prepping? Was it ever difficult to?

It has been difficult at times, as it’s a life consuming lifestyle. I love it and enjoy being busy, but sometimes I wish there was more time in the day to do everything. I manage my time by preparing for the week ahead and I schedule times for everything and work accordingly. 

How has it been throughout lockdown keeping to your training? What have you been doing to keep fit and active?

It wasn’t easy to keep a healthy diet during lockdown, as well as not being able to go to the gym. I trained at home with resistance bands and became creative, using furniture like chairs to complete some of my workouts. Lockdown took a bit of a toll not only on my physical health, but my mental health as well. 

What are your future plans?

My fitness website just launched – MISS FEISTY FITNESS which I’m excited to get started on, I hope to grow and see results from my clients. I will be competing in the future too. 

Take us through an average day of yours:

• I wake up at about 6:30 latest every morning, I get ready for work, pack all my pre made meals for the day.
• Set out my gym clothes for later on and then I leave.
• I work from 8 – 4 earliest, eating every 2- 3 hours depending on how hungry I am and depending on my diet plan.
• I go home then get ready for gym and leave immediately.
• When I arrive at gym I make my shake and then I train for a minimum of 1.5 hours.
• After gym I go home and usually make dinner if it hasn’t been pre made and use that time to relax and watch Netflix or I carry on working if need be.
• I always enjoy a bubble bath to take away the days stresses, then I catch up on social media and go to bed.  

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet:

My diet mainly consists of a lot of protein with low to no carbs. I have 4 meals a day with 1 snack (usually a protein bar).

Do you count your calories? Do you think it is necessary?

I count my calories when I’m prepping, I think it helps me stay on track (especially since I need to be in a calorie deficit) and it’s a good way to control what you’re consuming. 

Do you think, to generally lose fat one needs to be super strict and repetitive, as strict as a diet for a bodybuilding competition?

I think you need to have self discipline with a healthy low carb diet and be consistent with your training. You must be strict on yourself and definitely form a healthy routine. 

Have you seen any common mistakes that ladies may make when trying to lose fat or gain muscle?

Yes, ladies tend to think that doing or lifting weights will make them look like men. I want to break this thought, as it is not true. Lifting weights actually helps tone you up a lot quicker, alongside with cardio. Just doing cardio might help you lose weight but it wont tone you up as fast. 

What process do you follow when it’s time to start getting ready for a competition/photoshoot?

I cut out junk food first, definitely, along with reducing my carbs slowly. I keep to my training routine, as I always push hard in the gym. I drink more water or at least try to get as much water in as I can throughout the day and leading up to a competition or shoot I start the water dropping process. 

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training schedule:

I workout for a minimum of 1.5 hours a day. I think it’s good to create a good balance between cardio and weight training daily. 4-6 days a week depending on what you are training for.

What are a few of your weight training tips for the ladies? 

• Start off light and gradually increase to your liking. 
• Make sure you have correct form so you don’t get injured. 
• If you start off with light weights do more reps, the heavier you go do less reps.

What are your essentials that are always in your gym bag?

• My npl supplements are always a number 1 (amino burn/pre workout and bcaas for before and after gym) 
• A gym towel 
• My resistance bands 
• My air pods (because who doesn’t love listening to their own favourite music in the gym) 

Do you advise using supplements, and do you use any yourself?

I do think supplements help, but you need to do 98% of the work as they are just there for a boost or assistance. I do take supplements myself. I think you need to find a brand that works for you personally. My ultimate favourite is NPL (nutritional performance labs). Their supplements taste really delicious and it works really well. 

What are your 3 favourite exercises?

I don’t have favourites as I enjoy a range of different versions of the exercises, but if I had to choose:

1. My ultimate favourite is squats. This is good for the glutes, core and upper legs like quads. I like it because it’s a combination exercise and I like working on my booty. 
2. Bicycle crunches. This works the core. I like it because I feel the burn when I’m doing this exercise and it never feels easy. 
3. Donkey kicks. This exercise also works the glutes and is more of an isolation exercise. I think it’s a fun exercise and although it doesn’t burn immediately, you definitely feel it the next day. 

Can you give a few tips to training legs and glutes and what sort of exercises do you favour the most when doing them?

I favour all forms of squats and lunges. I prefer using weights when training glutes/legs. The biggest tip I can give is to worry about keeping your form correct to work the specific muscles properly without injury. I would also advise using slightly heavier weights each time you train legs so you can either build or tone up.

Do you do a lot of cardio with your training? How do you schedule cardio and when?

I do 20 minutes of cardio daily, whether it be walking, jogging, cycling, stair climbing. I usually do a small cardio warm up, and the rest after my workout. 

Favorite male Fitness models or bodybuilders?

• Arnold Schwarzenegger 
• Michele Morrone 
• JP Hoon 

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

Off the top of my head:

• My coach, Stephany Delatour
• Tammy Hembrow 
• Lauralie Chapados 

All for different reasons as they all have different builds.

Favorite Quote:

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

What is the most common question you get asked? 

If my bum is real haha, my common answer is “ask the squat rack.”  

I also get asked advice on toning a lot, with my answers staying the same with incorporating a balance between cardio and weight training, as well as a balanced diet. 

Where can people get hold of you? 

• Facebook: Jenna Brust 
• Email: jenna[at]missfeistyfitness.co.za 
• Instagram: jenna_brust

Photo credits:

• marcbermanphotography

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The post One On One With Online Fitness Coach, Jenna Brust, Who Recently Competed In Her First IFBB Show appeared first on FitNish.com.

Name: Prishen Sivanarain – “The Vegetarian Bodybuilder”
Age: 29
Height: 1,86 m
Off-season weight: 120 kgs
Contest weight: 110-115 kgs
Current city: Durban, South Africa
Occupation: Nutritional & Supplement Advisor and Online Transformation Coach

How and when did you get started in training and fitness?

I started my fitness journey at the age of 17. My biggest influence and guidance, at that time, came from my elder brother who had already been training for a few years. Like most people, we initially started by training at home before joining a gym.

We trained as partners for a few years. With fitness being my passion I studied Sport Science at University of KwaZulu Natal, and thereafter successfully completed a Diploma in Personal Nutrition.

How long have you been vegetarian for and what made you make the change?

I turned to vegetarianism at the age of 13. It was actually a personal decision but a lot of it was influenced by my spiritual background as well as my love for animals.

Was it a difficult change to make initially?

Not at all! Since my decision to become a vegetarian was a personal one and I wasn’t forced into it, it wasn’t difficult at all. Usually if someone is forced into something like this they still crave selected foods. I literally had no craving or the urge to go back to eating meat since the day I left.

Seeing that I gave up meat willingly the transition was really simple. To top it off food preparation, at home, wasn’t even difficult because the rest of my family had also given up meat a few months prior to that. In fact my mum stopped eating meat more than 30 years ago.

We have to ask the question, so where do you get your protein from? Do you manage to get adequate amounts on a vegetarian diet for bodybuilding?

I’ve only been bodybuilding on a vegetarian diet so it’s safe to say it’s possible to consume adequate protein on a vegetarian diet. My protein comes from a combination of lentils, beans, soy, nuts, cottage cheese, quinoa, tofu and peanut butter. In addition to these foods I make use of protein shakes to ensure I get sufficient protein.

Do you have any advice for people making the switch to a more plant based diet?

Firstly you need to consider the reason behind switching to a plant based diet. If someone has to make the transition unwillingly (e.g. due to health reasons) the best approach would be to phase in plant based eating and not change your entire diet completely.

When people make too many changes at once then sustainability usually becomes an issue. Another important factor to take into consideration is that your macro and micro nutrients are consumed from a variety of food sources. The common mistake made by many individuals, when switching to plant based, is that they stick to a very selected few food sources which eventually lead to some sort of vitamin or mineral deficiency.

Since certain fruits and vegetables are rich in selected vitamins and minerals, while it may be deficient in others, it needs to be paired with other sources that complement each other.

What made you decide to compete? And how was the prep for your first competition?

I started my bodybuilding journey at 67 kg’s and gained more than 20 kg’s over the first few years. Seeing the transformation on myself kept me constantly focused on setting goals for myself with one of them being to step on stage at least once in my life – little did I know that it would only be the start of my bodybuilding career.

Even though I competed in many competitions, both provincially and nationally, my first competition has been my most memorable one.

Apart from it being the first competition that I participated in it was the first competition that I won!

The prep was both exciting and difficult for me, especially since it was the first time I went through the process. Thankfully I had an experienced coach guiding me through the entire process. He took care of structuring and adjusting my diet and training as needed based on how fast my physique changed. The difficult part at that point, was adapting to the training frequency and intensity.

Do you ever lack motivation on some days? How do you deal with this?

There are certain days where I may not feel like sticking to the plan, especially during prep, however the discipline that bodybuilding has taught me keeps me on track. Discipline by far, is one of the main qualities I’ve learnt from this sport.

Remember motivation is the little spark that gets you started however discipline is what ensures you do whatever needs to be done no matter how you feel. Watching videos and going through pictures of my previous competitions gives me motivation when I need it the most.

Even though I am being judged against other athletes, at competitions, I still view bodybuilding as me myself being my biggest competition. My goal at every competition is to beat my previous personal best. So by going through my past competition videos and pictures it constantly reminds me of how high I’ve set the bar for myself.

Who has been your biggest influence/support in your life and how did they affect you?

A lot of people, including myself, enjoy the aspect of bodybuilding whereby your results are completely based on the effort you put in and not the performance of someone else. Unlike a team sport where your performance could be optimal, the results are still based on the performance of your teammates.

With bodybuilding you rely on yourself to get every workout in as well as sticking to your meal plan even though you may not feel like. This may seem like bodybuilding is an individual sport however your support structure directly involves how much easier or harder the process could be.

My biggest support has come from my family. They’ve supported me from the very start of my journey. Apart from my family my biggest influence has come from my coach, Reza Moolla, whose been coaching me from my very first competition.

Everything from my diet to my training plan and posing is taken care of by him. Over the years we’ve experimented on how my body responded to different foods and training styles leading up to competitions. Something as little as changing your carbohydrate or protein source can change the way your physique looks. He actually understands my body better than I do. He’s definitely one of the most knowledgeable people that I’ve come across in the fitness industry. Besides him being my coach and mentor we’ve been training partners, business partners and basically as close as brothers.

All that I’ve achieved wouldn’t have been possible without him and my family.

Has it ever been difficult juggling other aspects of life with training and preparing for competitions? How do you manage it all?

When I decide to get ready for a competition everything else, in my life, revolves around getting ready for that competition. Over the years I’ve managed to master my mind in a way where I have the ability to switch it on or off as per my will.

So if I know my prep starts in three days time I’ll eat whatever I feel like for those few days and wake up on the third day knowing my prep has started and I have a structured plan to follow. During this time it’s usually difficult to go out socially because the prep demands a lot from you but I try to spend as much time as I can with my family.

When I start my prep nothing stops me from sticking to the plan. Even if a close family function coincides with my prep I plan and pack my meals knowing I need to eat at a certain time. There were also times that I’d sign up at a 24 hour gym, which used to be in my area, just for my competition prep because I wanted to train during times when the gym would be empty and I could focus on my training without any distractions. It would be common to find me there at 2 and 3 am getting my first session done.

The benefits of bodybuilding for me, have been far greater than just my physique transformation. I’ve gained qualities such as self-confidence, stronger will power, determination, discipline and self control which are qualities that are useful even out of gym.

What are your future plans??

I’ve just completed a specialized nutritional advisor course at the HFPA Fitness Academy which is actually one of the well recognized fitness academies. I plan on furthering my studies with them by completing other courses based on holistic development as I advocate general wellness and healthy living and not just bodybuilding to my clients. In terms of competing, I’ve given myself a break from the stage for the past 2 years to improve on certain aspects. If all goes as planned I may get back on stage next year.

What process do you follow when its time to start getting ready for a competition/photoshoot or to just lean down?

I try to keep my diet as clean as possible, by limiting the amount of junk food I eat, even in the off season. So from a dietary point of view I completely cut out junk food and swap over from high GI carbohydrates to low GI carbohydrates.

It is common for most athletes to highly restrict their carbohydrate intake during this time, however my body thrives on carbohydrates so I never get to a point where I need to drastically reduce or completely eliminate it from my diet. I go by what works for me.

The main change I make to my training schedule is incorporating two weight training sessions a day. I usually decrease rest periods during sets and add in other training techniques like supersets, tri-sets, drop sets, giant sets and increasing the time under tension.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet and what sorts of foods do you eat:

My diet varies based on whether it’s off season or in season. I always try to get in 5 meals a day. My training always remains intense so during the off season I have the freedom to keep my diet very flexible. During this time I am not too strict with the food quantities I eat however I make sure I eat enough to make sure I am in a calorie surplus with white bread and pasta being my preferred carbohydrate sources.

I’ve figured that my body responds to those the best during my growth phase. My protein sources remain the same throughout. When I start prepping my diet gets very strict. I weigh every meal to make sure I eat the required amounts.

My carbohydrate sources change to sweet potato and oats. During this time my diet doesn’t have much variety with me eating the same meal 5 times a day. I prefer it this way because I have fewer variables to deal with when the need arises to change up food quantities or timings to achieve a different look.

Do you use many supplements? What are the essentials in your opinion?

Your required daily protein intake is calculated using your body weight as well as the type of activity you engage in. With my daily intake being well over 200 grams it becomes difficult to reach my target with whole foods alone. This is where protein shakes become useful to me.

Supplements are meant to supplement your diet and not completely replace all the foods you should be eating. So it should be used in instances where your diet may be falling short.

My current supplement protocol is as follows:

• Morning: Multivitamin, 1000mgs vitamin C, 15ml flaxseed oil
• Pre workout supplement before training
• Intra-workout: A combination of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), l-glutamine, creatine and carbohydrates while training.
• Post-workout: High quality muscle gainer

I may add in additional protein shakes with meals if required. I am currently a sponsored athlete for Fully Dosed so they take care of my supplement needs.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training schedule, how many times a week do you workout for and how long are your training sessions?

I’ve always been a fan of the split training system and it has always worked for me. Split training programs basically entail training body parts individually.

My current regimen is as follows (5 day split):

• Monday: Legs (Quads/Hamstrings/Calves)
• Tuesday: Chest & Abs
• Wednesday: Back & Calves
• Thursday: Shoulders & Abs
• Friday: Arms & Calves
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: Rest

My sessions usually last between 1,5 hrs – 2 hrs depending on the body part I train.

What are some of the common training mistakes you see guys making when trying to pick up size?

Most of the guys that find it difficult to gain size have to deal with a very fast metabolism. This basically means their bodies require a lot of energy just to maintain its basic chemical functions.

One of the biggest mistakes is they fail to consume enough food. You need to initially determine the amount of calories required to maintain your size and then constantly increase your calories as you keep gaining size.

If your daily calorie intake is always the same your weight will always stay constant. In addition to that, since all calories are not created the same the quality of food that you consume will determine if the size you gain is mainly muscle or body fat.

Another common mistake is failing to progressively overload the muscle. If you are constantly training the same way, using the same weights and keeping your training intensity the same your body adapts to this giving your muscle no stimulus for growth.

You can increase intensity by making the following changes:

• Increasing the weights you train with.
• Decreasing the rest periods between sets.
• Increasing overall workout volume (doing more sets and reps).
• Performing reps at a slower speed (eccentric loading).

What are your top tips for getting shredded?

Firstly ensure that you are in a calorie deficit while consuming sufficient protein. A common mistake people make is drastically reducing calories, especially protein, which will eventually lead to muscle wastage.

The goal is to maintain as much muscle as you can whilst dropping body fat. Try to get into the habit of having smaller meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism firing.

Do not sacrifice your weight training for more cardio. Your overall fat burning capabilities from weight training exceeds performing cardio only. Lastly look into using a good fat burning supplement that gives you energy to workout harder as well as assists in suppressing your appetite while controlling cravings.

What are your three favourite exercises and why?

My three favourite exercises are deadlifts, barbell squats and bench pressing. I use these as the core exercises of my routine as they are the best compound mass and strength building movements.

What are some of your best arm exercises and training tips?

In order to create a proportionate arm you need to look at the anatomy of the arm. Your bicep has two heads while your triceps three, so your bicep should contribute to 40% of your arm and triceps 60%. Ensure that you train each of these muscles, including forearms, to avoid any muscle imbalance as it could lead to other injuries.

My favourite arm exercises are EZ bar curls, concentration curls, triceps extensions and machine dips.

Do you include much cardio into your training routines? And closer to competitions?

I do include light cardio a few times a week but mainly from the viewpoint of maintaining a healthy heart and not as a tool for fat burning. You actually burn more calories during weight training than cardio and for this reason I rely on weight training and dieting to get me ready for a competition.

Favorite Influential bodybuilders:

• Ronnie Coleman
• Roelly Winklaar
• Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay.

Favorite Quote:

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.” ~ Muhammad Ali

“The hands that serve are holier than the lips that prey.” ~ Sathya Sai Baba

Best piece of advice you ever received?

The best advice I’ve ever received is to live an authentic life. I was told that to wish I was someone else is to waste the person that I am. I’ve learnt that living life on my own terms and in my own way has led to my ultimate joy and success.

What advice would you give to someone unsure, thinking about competing for the first time?

• Firstly consider your motive behind getting on stage. Your motive has to be far greater than just wanting to impress people for you to last long in this sport.
• Secondly it’s always an excellent idea to attend a competition to get an insight as to what goes on at these competitions as there are various different categories with different judging criteria.
• Lastly invest in a good coach to guide you through the process. While prepping you go through different phases, mentally and physically, and it definitely helps to have someone explaining to you what changes need to be made in order for you to peak at the right time.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Instagram: the_vegetarian_bodybuilder
• Email: prishsiv[at]yahoo.com

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The post One One One With Prishen Sivanarain, “The Vegetarian Bodybuilder” appeared first on FitNish.com.

Nome: Juliana Carvalho
Idade: 22
Altura: 1,63 m
Peso atual: 63 kg
Cidade Atual: Manhuaçu-MG, Brazil
Profissão: Personal trainer, empresária e estudante de nutrição.

Você sempre viveu uma vida em forma? Como você começou?

Não, comecei a treinar com 14 anos, era super magra, esse foi o motive que me levou a academia e a mudança do estilo de vida.

Como você consegue se manter motivado e consistente em toda a sua formação e comer?

Ver as mudanças no meu corpo sempre foi a minha maior motivação, ver que exitem várias pessoas que se inspiram em mim me da forças todos os dias, sei que a mudança que eu quarto só depende de mim, por isso dou o meu melhor todos os dias, é dificil já pensei em desistir várias vezes, mas vejo de onde saí e onde cheguei isso me motiva muito.

Quais são seus planos futuros?

Pretendo retornar aos palcos esse ano, voltar a competir a categoria Welness. Profissionalmente quero acabar minha segunda faculdade e abrir meu consultório de ntrução.

Leve-nos através de um dia normal de vocês: 

• Acordo todos os dias as 05:15, tomo meu café e me arrumo para trabalhar.
• Dou aula de 06:00 as 11:00.
• As 11:00 é o horário que reservei para meu treino, treino de segunda a sábado.
• As 13:00 volto aos meus atendimentos e vou ate as 19:00
• Vou para a faculdade e fico ate as 22:00
• Volto para casa arrumo todas minhas refeições para o próximo dia e vou dormir.

Dê-nos uma breve descrição de sua filosofia em sua dieta:

• Minha dieta atuall é composta basicamente por 7 refeições.
• Opções de carboidrato que uso: arroz, aveia e frutas
• Proteína: whey, ovos, carne vermelha e peixe.
• Gorduras: casatanha e pasta de amendom
• Salada a vontade durante o dia.

Você já teve vontade de comer um determinado (insalubre) food? Como você lida com eles?

Várias vezes. Tenho um pensamento: Vontade passa.

Quais são as suas dicas de nutrição superior para manter magra?

Equilibrio, encontre algo que vocÊ consiga fazer por muito tempo, não adianta adotar uma alimentaçao muito restrita que você vai se frustrar e desistir.

Você pesar todos os seus alimentos e rastrear os números quando se trata de calorias de tudo o que você come? Você acha que isso é necessário?

Eu peso tudo, é uma maneira legal para vermos a necessidade do nosso consume, muitas pessoas comem menos que precisam e nao tem noção disso. Pessoas que buscam uma condição física especifica tem a necessidade sim de pesar os alimentos.

Quais os suplementos que você mais gosta de usar? O que você pode recomendar para iniciantes?

Whey, creatina, pre treino, omega3, glutamine, cafeína.

Sem dúvidas o melhor suplemennto é a creatina, mas o whey tras muita praticidade na dieta.

Dê-nos uma breve descrição de sua filosofia sobre a sua formação e, em média, quanto tempo você treino para e quantas vezes por semana?

Meus treinos duram cerca de 1 hora e tem essa divisão:

• Segunda – Perna
• Terça – Ombro
• Quarta – Costas
• Quinta – Perna II
• Sexta – Upper Body
• Sábado – Glúteo isolado

Você fazer muito cardio com a sua formação?

Atualmente faço 30 minutos todos os dias.

Quais são os seus 3 exercícios favoritos e porque?

Leg Press, elevação lateral e cadeira abdutoras.

Sao exercicios que eu sinto pegar muito, onde consigo ver a evolução sempre da minha execução em relação a carga, movimento.

Você acha que sua genética que deu tão bons pernas ou já trabalhou muito e bem para eles?

Eu era muito magra então atrelo o meu desenvolvimento ao meu trabalho e persistencia.

O que você ama nos músculos fortes da coxa e quais são seus exercícios e dicas favoritas que desenvolvem seus músculos da coxa tão bem desenvolvidos?

Treine todos os dias como se fosse o ultimo treino da sua vida, dê o seu m elhor, se você quer ter uma mudança visivel precisa trabalhar para isso.

É muito bom se sentir diferente das outras pessoas, muitas pessoas me julgam e me olham com olhar estranho, mas sou muito feliz com as minhas pernas, acho lindas.

Que conselhos e dicas de treinamento você daria as senhoras para a obtenção de pernas fortes e em forma e um espólio rodada? Que exercícios são bons para eles?

• Insista, não de ouvido a pessoas negativas
• Procure bons profissionais, essa ultima dica é muito importante, faz muita diferença ter uma pessoa para te orietar.

Como você mede o seu progresso? E quantas vezes?

Envio atualizações semanais para meu treinador, por meio de fotos e videos.

Favoritos modelos de fitness feminino?

Tem muita, mas Franciele Mattos e Juju Salimeni são minhas maiores inspirações.

Citação Favorita:

“Trabalhe em silencio e deixe que seu sucesso faça barulho.”

Qual é a pergunta mais comum que você se perguntou por pessoas e meninas?

Quanto tempo levou para eu ter esse corpo. Minha resposta é que já estou n aluta ha 8 anos.

Você digitou quaisquer competições de fitness antes? Quais?

Já disputei cameponato estreantes, fui campea overall em 2018, pretend voltar aos palcos nesse ano.

Pode dar alguns conselhos para as pessoas que querem começar a treinar e viver saudável?

Vai demorar, mas vai valer a pena. É dificil voce vai querer desistir, mas se cair 80 vezes, levante 81.

Onde as pessoas podem entrar em contato com você? 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7s9p9FE2m/

• Instagram: @eujuucarvalho_

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The post FitNish.com Entrevista With Brazilian Entusiasta De Fitness E Personal Trainer, Juliana Carvalho appeared first on FitNish.com.

Name: Eljoné Kruger
Age: 22
Height: 1.69 m
Current weight: 53 kg
Current city: Potchefstroom, South Africa
Occupation: Student

How long have you been training in athletics for and how did you get into it?

I started doing track when I was 7, but the passion developed long before that. My mom was a Junior Springbok hurdler and long jumper and coached after her career came to an end. I started “training” with my mom’s group as soon as I could walk, I think at about age 4.

By training I actually just mean annoying everyone, bumping over the hurdles and being in the way. I also heard numerous stories of me packing out Tupperware in the kitchen and running my own hurdle races there. I think athletics was something I was born into, coming from a very sporty family, but also something I loved from a very young age. I have a very competitive spirit and that fed the fire.

All in all, I would say I have been doing track for about 15 years now, but only really on a serious note for the past 3 years. Before that I played tennis on a very high, competitive level and athletics was something I only did on the side line. However, I still really enjoyed it and won numerous SA titles despite not training for it at all.

What do you love about the sport?

I am a very methodical person, I like following a “recipe” and then reaching a final product. Sport for me is very much the same. If you follow all the steps correctly and put in the hard work, you are most likely to reach the desired outcome.

The sport has also taught me so much as a person. I have learned so many lessons, both good and bad. I have grown so much as a person and developed characteristics I never would have, have I not done sport.

It teaches you that you can’t always win, nothing is ever a given and nothing is over until the fat lady sings. It taught me how to deal with failure and defeat, but also how to deal with winning.

What athletic events do you participate in and love the most?

To be honest I have done it all, from 100m to shot put. When I was younger I used to do Long jump and 100m Hurdles with the occasional High Jump or Triple Jump. After school I continued doing Long Jump but moved my focus over to Heptathlon which includes 100m Hurdles, 200m, 800m, High Jump, Long jump, Shot Put and Javelin.

I started Heptathlon with the idea in mind to do it for a year or two, until I am stronger and more mature as an athlete as I had to compete on senior level now.

However, I suffered a career threatening injury which forced me to stop competing for a year. It made me realise that I unfortunately don’t have the build to be a Heptathlete and I went back to my first love, Long Jump.

I currently only do Long jump as I now specialize in that and I still run an occasional 100m.

Give us a brief description of your competitive history? 

I competed at National School Championships from 2007-2016. I competed in my first SA’s when I was 8. I won the North West title that year in the u/10 category. I was SA Long jump champion in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2018 and SA high jump champ in 2008. I also came second in the 70m Hurdles at SA’s when I was u/10.

I accumulated a total of 11 SA junior medals and 2 senior medals.

I competed at the Junior African Championships in 2017 where I won a gold medal for Heptathlon making me the African champion u/20.

In 2018 I suffered two vertebrae fractures and was unable to compete for the remainder of the year. In 2020, I represented South Africa at the World Student Games held in Napoli, Italy.

In 2010 and 2014 I represented South Africa in South Korea and London for SA Schools Tennis and also played numerous international tournaments all over Africa.

Who has been your biggest influence/support in your life and how did they affect you?

My parents.

God really knew what he was doing when he gave me my parents. Without them I would not have achieved even half the things that I did in my life. I specifically remember my dad telling my mom jokingly that when they decided to have my sister and I their lives were over, everything now was just about us. Let me tell you, he wasn’t joking!

They have always put me and my dreams first, holidays being planned around my training and competing, plans with friends cancelled, nothing was ever too much to ask.

They supported me unconditionally. When I won they were there, and when I lost they were there. I honestly can’t even begin putting into words how extremely privileged I am, from emotional to financial support, I have the complete package.

How do you manage to balance all the aspects of life with your training lifestyle? Has it ever been difficult to?

The training lifestyle forced me to become an expert at time management. I prioritize my time by asking myself, how important is the task in achieving my final goal, how immediate is the task and how much time will it require.

I think managing my time efficiently has been one of the biggest challenges throughout my career. I have always been quite the academic and being the competitive soul I am, I always aspire to do well, academically as well. This has actually come back to bite me a few times, especially in University.

I study Pharmacy, which is a very full course with quite a high difficulty degree. I have learned to prioritize my time efficiently and make the most of every moment, however I do slip sometimes.

2019 was my most challenging year. I cried 6/7 nights a week and suffered from severe anxiety and stress, I realized that I always had something that was spiraling in a negative direction, whether it be my marks, training or my health.

The most important thing I learnt during this time was that everything passes, you will make it, you will come out on the other side, you just have to keep pushing, keep praying and stop being so hard on yourself.

Needless to say, you can assume that I don’t have much of a social life. The little free time I do get, I mostly spend resting.

Have you had any major setbacks? And if so what did you learn through the process and how did you deal with them?

I have suffered countless injuries.

One of my most ‘memorable’ setbacks will have to be my back injury in 2018. I did numerous scans and went for quite a few opinions, the overwhelming response was that I would most likely not be able to compete again.

I however just kept believing and praying. I had to rest for 6 months, where I wasn’t able to do anything, I couldn’t even sit down or stand for long periods of time. After that, I started doing rehab.This included the most basic exercises you could possibly imagine.

This must have been the most frustrating period for me.

I always tried to do more, push more, only to find myself back in pain. During this time I learned that it is so important to embrace the current season of your life, everything happens for a reason and without setbacks you would not be the person you are today. They play such a major role in developing your character.

I tried to make peace with the situation and just accept it as it was, I also prayed a lot for patience and healing. As soon as I made the mind shift, that pushing and over doing would only hinder progress and break me down mentally, I was able to deal with everything much better.

What are your future plans?

This is a difficult one for me. At the moment my main goal is to try and qualify for the Olympics and go on to try and pursue a career as a full time athlete.

I am currently a final year Pharmacy student, I would like to go on and study Medicine after this but I know that my Athletics will suffer a lot if I do decide to pursue a career in Medicine. The other option I have in mind is to study Charted Accounting and combine this with my Medical background. Either way, I know I am not done studying yet as I feel I haven’t unlocked my full potential. I will just keep on praying that right doors will be opened and wrong ones closed.

Take us through an average day of yours: 

• Most of my classes start at 8am, so I don’t really get to dressed up for class as I usually have to go straight to training after class.
• I wake up at 7am, read my Bible, have a glass of hot water and lemon and get on to make breakfast (MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY).
• I usually wake up, ravished, so I make sure to get a proper breakfast example, oats with egg white, scrambled eggs and toast or a protein smoothie. After breakfast it’s a big rush as I am slow eater.
• I do my skincare routine, brush my teeth, get dressed and then head to class.
• I mostly have class from 8:00-16:00 with a lunch break in between where I go home to eat.
• After class I go straight to training, when I do one session.
• My afternoon training is normally anything between a hour and a half to two hours. Some days I do two sessions.
• I train at 7:30 and skip my first class and then train again at 16:00. These sessions are typically one to two hours.
• After my afternoon training I make a protein smoothie first thing when I get home and go straight to my books. I have found this is the most productive way for me personally.
• I study for an hour or so and then go on to make dinner. I love cooking and during this time I catch up with my family. We all sit together in the kitchen and listen to music. When dinner is done, I religiously have a cup of coffee and go on to do more work/study.
• I am quite the hygiene freak, so I like to shower or take a bath last thing before I get into bed, that way I don’t make my bed dirty. Depending on the amount of work I have to do, I’ll have another coffee or ten throughout the night.
• I always try to go to bed as early as I can, but unfortunately that isn’t always possible. When I get into bed at night I take all my vitamins, read my Bible and that’s it.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet: 

Diet is a tricky topic, as I feel it is different for everyone. I have tried quite a few different approaches and to be honest, a balanced diet has been the easiest for me to maintain. I was on a low fat, high carb plan for about a year and I saw amazing results, however I love avocados and nuts way to much to completely cut it out of my diet.

I have a huge sweet tooth, so for me, that is the biggest challenge. I have found that eating a relatively healthy, balanced diet and just cutting out sugar already gave me the form I need.

Diet in female athletes can pose a lot of complications. Most of us always strive to have minimal fat and be as lean as possible, but from personal experience I can tell you that it isn’t the healthiest approach.

A constant low body fat percentage can lead to problems with estrogen secretion, which in turn holds many health risks, such as bone density problems and even hormonal issues. I try to maintain a higher fat percentage throughout the year and then in season I will be really strict and clean up my diet.

My diet at the moment (or before lockdown at least) mostly consists of fish and chicken, I am not a big fan of red meats, but I do eat them occasionally. I do not eat lamb as it is too fatty for my liking. I love vegetables and fruits and this makes up about 40% of my diet. I eat carbs with every meal as this is my main source of energy.

Carbs I mostly eat are Oats, Grain/ Rye Breads, Quinoa, Black Rice, Sweet Potato and Pasta (almost every day), I don’t eat Potato. I do eat dairy but I try to minimize my intake, all dairy MUST be fat free, not low fat. My dairy intake consists mostly only of milk that I drink in my coffee.

This next one is a difficult one, I only follow this strictly during in season and it makes a visible difference. NO SAUCES. Sauces have so many hidden calories and unwanted ingredients, it is best to just avoid it all in all.

I eat Peanut butter (sugar free) and Cinnamon every opportunity I get. Further I try to grill or steam all my food, and use non stick pans. If really necessary I will use Olive/ Coconut Oil.

Do you count your calories? Do you think it is necessary?

I personally don’t count my calories. I have tried it in the past, but it only created an unhealthy obsession. With my current schedule, I don’t feel that it is necessary to count calories because I train very hard and burn a lot of calories. I eat when I am hungry, and how hungry I am will determine how much I eat. However I do know of people for who it worked, again I think this varies from person to person.

Have you seen any common mistakes that ladies may make when trying to lose fat or gain muscle?

I think the most common mistake ladies make when trying to lose weight is that they cut their calories and go straight to cardio.

From personal experience, I have found weight training to burn more calories than cardio. Ladies also tend to think that weight training will cause you to gain a massive amount of muscle/ become bigger, whilst the reality for us females and I actually want to go as far as to say people in general, is that you would really have to do extreme heavy lifting and take in a large surplus of calories to make visible gains.

Ladies who want to gain muscle also generally go for lighter weights and more reps. While that could be beneficial, I have found that going on max weight and a little less reps caused me to gain a lot of strength, which in turn allowed me to lift heavier and therefore gain muscle easier.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training/training schedule and on average how long do you work out for?

Everything I do is performance driven. I don’t have a set time frame in which I train or how long I train. My coach writes a specialized program depending on which phase of training or competition I am in and I complete that program.

The specific training for each day will determine how long my warm up will be. On days I do speed work from blocks, which are more risky, my warm up goes anywhere from 30-45 minutes where after I then only start my session. These sessions tend to be longer and can be anything from a hour and a half to two and a half hours.

I have a double session of training twice a week which consists of a long morning session and a short endurance session in the afternoon. During these short endurance sessions my warm up routine is short and the session normally takes me an hour.

My coach trains me bio mechanically, which is a principle that focuses on how you do things rather than how much you do. My main goal for each session thus is quality and I have had times in the past where I get to training after a tough test/day of studying and my coach sends me home because he could tell we wouldn’t be able to get what we needed from me for that session.

We focus on strength and speed as our main components and build the program around that.

How do your workouts and routine differ from off season to pre-season?

My pre-season workouts are typically much harder. During this time we work on building a basis to work from. These sessions will include longer work, endurance and a lot of strength training. During pre-season I also work on technical aspects that need to be drilled in.

Where as in season, the main focus will shift over to speed work while maintaining the power component. These sessions are of a higher quality and the load will reduce.

One thing that I carry throughout the year is my core workout, I try to do core every single day, usually directly after my last session of the day. As I mentioned earlier my diet also changes quite a bit from pre-season to in-season.

Do you include a lot of weight training? What are a few of your weight training tips for the ladies?

Weight training makes up about 50-60% of my training. I personally really love weight training.

My top tips would be to always push yourself to go as heavy as possible according to your own strength and the reps you follow, this is the fastest way to see results.

It’s also a big motivation for me personally, to see my own improvements and see my strength increasing. Make sure to do the right activation before training, to minimize your chance of injuries and to maximize results.

View this post on Instagram

Baby hops #soon #throwback #trackandfield #comebackstronger

A post shared by Eljoné Kruger (@jonekruger11) on Apr 1, 2018 at 3:25am PDT

What are your essentials that are always in your gym bag?

• Small thera band to do glute activation
• Weight lifting belt
• A small towel, water and my recovery drink
• Flops for after training
• Deodorant, lip balm, tissues and wet wipes.

Do you advise using supplements, and do you use any yourself?

Depending on your goals I think supplements can be beneficial. In the past I have mostly only used a protein shake, as I struggled to eat enough protein. I have used quite a few different brands as well. Currently I have started with XSV, and I absolutely love it! It is based on a concept of taking essential amino acids and recovery drinks containing protein rather than pure protein powder.

The amino acids are in capsule form, which makes them much easier and more convenient to take, as you don’t have to gulp down large amount of liquids.

After training I take the recovery drink that contains protein and all the minerals and vitamins needed for you to recover. The best part is that it is carb, fat and sugar free. So if you are following a strict diet, this supplement doesn’t affect your diet at all.

Before tough workouts or big competitions I use their pre-workout, but this isn’t part of my daily routine. My current supplements have allowed me to eat a more wholesome, balanced diet without consuming an excess of protein. I have also found to be more satisfied while using this regime, as I am eating more whole foods. These supplements have also been approved by WADA as I do get tested on a regular basis.

What are your 3 favourite exercises?

1. Deep squats

This is something I incorporated into my training schedule only recently. It is the most challenging exercise and doesn’t only work on your glutes but also your mind. I go for a “personal best” every time I squat which makes it so much more challenging and exciting.

It’s really good for developing glute and core strength, which are key components in running and jumping.

2. Dead lifts

I only work upwards, meaning I drop the weight after each rep. I love the way your hamstrings and glutes feel so activated after dead lifts. I incorporate this into my training before every session. It’s really good for developing your back channel which is essential in running.

3. Power cleans

I’m not really sure why I like this exercise so much, as I am not that good at it and I have a terrible technique! I guess I like a challenge and this exercise definitely challenges me. It’s a great full body exercise and when you do it correctly it can contribute a great deal to your explosiveness.

What sorts of exercises do you do for explosiveness and what are some of your tips when training to be more explosive?

My go to exercises would be:

• Power cleans
• Squat jumps with a bar and light weights
• Power snatches and jerk
• Explosive squats

All exercises must be under 2 seconds for it to work on the explosive component. I also incorporate a variation of box jumps between each exercise.

What are your top tips for getting a flat tummy and strong abs?

We all know the saying, abs are made in the kitchen.

Try to incorporate 100-400 ab exercise reps into your daily routine, try to get a good variation.

For example:

• Monday – abs
• Tuesday – side core
• Wednesday – lower core/ V-line.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a part of your workout. You can get into a routine of doing abs first thing in the morning before breakfast or even before dinner in the evening. I sometimes even do core exercises while I take study breaks.

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Light core after a tough session Video credits @maritz_pieters @broersma61 #nike #trackandfield

A post shared by Eljoné Kruger (@jonekruger11) on Nov 20, 2018 at 10:23am PST

Running/ jogging can contribute to a flat stomach, but I think it’s about burning fat in general, so any exercise that cause you to burn fat will in turn, result in a flat stomach.

However this can vary from person to person. I naturally tend to have a flatter stomach and it generally isn’t the first place I would gain fat. I gain fat in my arms. If you gain fat on your stomach first, you would have to maintain a lower body fat percentage overall to have a flat stomach.

Favourite male Fitness icons?

• Wayde van Niekerk
• Rafael Nadal

Favourite female fitness icon(s):

• Darya Klishina

Favourite Quote:

“You won’t always be motivated, so instead, learn to be disciplined.”

What is the most common question you get asked?

What I eat, how I train and what supplements I use.

I eat a wholesome balanced diet, I do lots of weights and high intensity cardio, I used to only drink a protein shake, now however it would be my Amino Acids and Recovery drink from XSV.

Where can people get hold of you?

• I mostly use Instagram: Eljoné Kruger
• Email: jonekruger98[at]gmail.com

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The post One On One With South African Athlete, Eljoné Kruger appeared first on FitNish.com.

Name: Marisca de Beer
Age: 27
Height: 1.63 m
Current weight: 64 kgs
Current city: Johannesburg, South Africa
Occupation: Online Trainer, Bootcamp instructor and Senior Customer Service Administrator

What made you get started with training and living a healthier lifestyle?

I use to lead a very unhealthy lifestyle in my early twenties (Drinking a lot, partying every night and being totally reckless) and I was one of those girls who barely ate and pretty much starved myself to fit into society’s version of “beautiful”.

One day I just decided that enough is enough and that I need to look after my mind, my body and my health. I have never looked back.

What made you enter your first show and when was it, and how did the prep and competition go?

I had a friend who was a competitor and that was pretty much how I got introduced to the sport. When I started prepping for my first show in 2016, the NABBA Pretoria Classic, I was clueless about bodybuilding and I just wanted to look good.

My preparation was only 7 weeks long and it was difficult but not as tough as I anticipated it to be, in fact I realized very quickly that I love the lifestyle. The competition itself was incredible, as nervous as I was, I loved it and walked away with a 5th Place – we were only 5. *hehe*

Needless to say, last place in my first show or not, it woke a fire inside of me, and I have been hooked on the lifestyle ever since.

Who has been your biggest influence/support in your life and how did they affect you?

I know that I am supposed to name an individual here but then I would be lying. My biggest influence/support has been the “mean” people of society. Those who hurt you intentionally, those who manipulate you and break you down, those who always have something negative to say about your aspirations and your dreams.

I have had so many people in my past tell me that I would fail in life and that I just do not have what it takes to be successful. Those are the people who influenced me the most, it is because of ‘them’ that I learned to always have my own back.

To believe in my own abilities and to push hard no matter what. It is thanks to their “support” that I have cultivated an attitude to always support others and to remain compassionate and kind no matter what. I would never have been the person I am today if it were not for them.

How do you manage to balance all the aspects of life with your training and eating? Has it ever been difficult to?

Oh yes, there have been times where balance seemed nearly impossible, especially when it comes to prepping for a show. But I believe that if you really want to do something then you will find a way no matter how difficult it may get.

Excuses will not get you the results you want, and we all have 24 hours in a day, if you plan everything then I guarantee you will find the time to check everything off your list.

What are your future plans?

I have quite a few but to name two: I recently launched my online training business and I would love to grow and evolve that into something much bigger, but I guess you will have to keep an eye out and see what is in store. **giggles** I would also like to get more involved in the fitness industry, to be more out there and to do what I set myself out to do – inspire others and help others believe in themselves more.

Take us through an average day of yours: 

• Usually I will get up for fasted cardio at about 4.30am (I have not been as religious about this one lately) thereafter I will have a sauna and a shower to get ready for work.
• I do have a 9-5 job at a Tertiary Educational Bookstore in Sandton.
• Sometimes it feels like I lead a double life ha ha.
• Then after work I give boot camp classes with corporate clients until about 6 pm.
• After boot camp it is my time to go and get a weight training session in which usually lasts until about 8 pm.
• Once I get home, I will prepare my meals and work on some client programs and spend some quality time with my partner.
• I try get into bed by 10 pm latest.

Do you find the prep for competitions gets easier each time? Do they differ much?

Each prep is very different and there are so many factors that come into play, you can never really tell how the preparation is going to go. For me, my last prep for the iCandy Classic Jozi in April this year, was by far the one of the hardest preps I have ever had.

I was the leanest I had ever been, and my cravings were insane, I literally burst into tears one day because I wanted chocolate so badly and I was incredibly hungry. I did walk away with a first place though, so it was all worth it in the end.

In terms of prep getting easier each time; I guess it depends on your goal and how much work you are willing to put in to achieve that goal.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet: 

It will depend on whether I am eating for a competition or just to remain healthy and maintain. My diet consists of red meat, chicken and eggs for my source of protein, then I also have a few carbohydrates such as sweet potato and brown rice. Most of my vegetables are green leafy vegetables and I get most of my fats from avo’s, egg yellows or olive oil.

I avoid dairy as well as any refined sugary foods and bread although I do indulge in sweet things every now and again. I do not take my nutrition very lightly because I strongly believe that it is THE most important factor of all when you are trying to change/better your body.

It will not matter how hard you train, if your nutrition is not on point then you are wasting your time. There simply is no way around it. I believe that healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, improving your health, and boosting your mood.

Do you count your calories? Do you think it is necessary?

At the moment I am not counting my calories. I just listen to my body and I have developed great intuition when it comes to what my body needs. I also do not weigh my food anymore as I have developed quite a good eye BUT I am also not going to step on stage in the next few months, so I am just eating healthy and balancing out my macros as I go.

What I will say though is that if you have a specific goal (wanting to lose weight, gain weight etc.) then yes, counting your calories is very important. I still believe that weight loss is about calories in vs calories out.

Do you think, to generally lose fat one needs to be super strict and repetitive, as strict as a diet for a bodybuilding competition?

I would not say that you need to be as strict as someone preparing for a bodybuilding competition, but I am going to say that to achieve the results you want, you will need to make a few sacrifices and you will have to put in the work.

Consistency is and will always be key.

Have you seen any common mistakes that ladies may make when trying to lose fat or gain muscle?

This is a topic I could go on and on about but the one thing that is most common is women who are afraid to train heavy. They are afraid gaining some muscle because they are afraid that they would look like a man, so they skip the heavy weights and stick to light weights and tons of cardio.

I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve seen women avoiding heavy lifting because they “don’t want to get too big” and would rather “just tone.” But unless you plan on taking anabolic steroids, have insane genetics, and dedicate multiple hours daily to training, then you’re never going to look bulky. The cold, hard truth is that women have 1/15 to 1/20th the amount of testosterone as men, and testosterone is the primary hormone responsible for muscle growth. So, it’s genetically impossible to develop a hulk-like physique, unless that is your actual goal—and even then it’s extremely difficult to achieve.

Female bodybuilders have trained for many years to achieve a very specific look, I promise that no one ended up looking like that by accident.

Then you have ladies who completely stop eating in order to lose fat. This just breaks my heart because you are only damaging your metabolism and you are depriving your body of much needed nutrients.

What process do you follow when it’s time to start getting ready for a competition/photoshoot? 

It usually depends on the theme of the shoot; if I am doing a fitness shoot then I will go straight onto a strict diet to try lean down. I hardly ever cut all my carbs out of my diet because my body functions much better on carbs than what it would on fats, thus I usually cut down on my fats and increase my training. If I am preparing for a lifestyle shoot, I just clean up my diet a little – nothing too drastic.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training/training schedule and on average how long do you workout for?

My training program is modified every few weeks but I am currently doing one weight training session a day along with one cardio session a day. My cardio alters however, some days I do HIIT training on a bicycle or the stepper and other days I will do a slow pace cardio on the treadmill. My cardio is usually between 25-45 minutes depending on the day.

My current split is as follows:

• Monday: Legs, Calves & Abs
• Tuesday: Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
• Wednesday: Back, Biceps & Abs
• Thursday: Legs & Calves
• Friday: Chest, Shoulders ,Triceps & Abs

What are a few of your weight training tips for the ladies?

1. Seek Better Balance

Balance the time you spend on cardio machines and the time you spend lifting weights. Women often resort to machines in hopes of staying lean, but the real long-term winners will be those who find the right balance.

2. Pay Attention to Workout Order

Many women go into a gym without a plan. They pump out a few sets of lightweight reps on whatever machines are open or look the least intimidating. As a general guideline, work your muscles from large to small when performing full-body workouts. Start with your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings, as they make up 60 percent of your muscle mass. Next, work your chest or back, followed by shoulders, biceps and triceps. It’s also recommended to start with compound movements (exercises that work more than one muscle group at a time) before isolation exercises. For example, do lunges before hamstring curls, deadlifts before lying leg raises, or pull-ups before planks.

3. Shorten Rest Periods

To make sure you can still get that cardio burn, try to shorten your rest periods. Don’t be the girl texting for five minutes between each set.

4. Rest

Muscles need a few things to grow after they’ve been trained: a good balance of vitamins and macro nutrients, and rest. Not allowing adequate recovery time for muscles and joints can result in over training and injuries.

What are your essentials that are always in your gym bag?

I always have my water bottle, my FitFarm girl Fit Band, Headphones and then of course my post workout shake.

Do you advise using supplements, and do you use any yourself?

A very wise man, my coach Julian Naidoo, once told me that if your nutrition game is strong then you do not need that many supplements to achieve your goals. I use Whey Protein as well as Creatine Monohydrate post training which help increase muscle protein synthesis and reduce protein breakdown. I then also use Bcaa’s and L-Glutamine before training and Bcaa’s during training.

What are your 3 favourite exercises? 

I absolutely love training shoulders; exercises like side laterals raises (works your anterior deltoids) and shoulder press variations along with some face pulls using a rope (primarily work the rear deltoids) are some of my top favourites.

Can you give a few tips to training legs and glutes and what sort of exercises do you favour the most when doing them?

A lot of people will say that you need to squat more, but that is not always the case. Squats, deadlifts, and lunges hit the glutes, but they also target a lot of other muscles, like the quads, hamstrings, abs, and others.

Although some people may build a beautiful derriere from just squatting, deadlifting, and lunging, one size does not fit all, and this approach may not work for everyone.

If you want to really build an awesome booty you need to hit it directly, with exercises that cause the highest percentage of muscle activation from the three gluteus muscles. The glutes are most activated when the hips are near full extension, so I would say that you need to focus on exercises that target the glutes and achieve this full range of motion.

Focus on exercises such as Glute Bridges, Abductors, Single leg Squats, Glute kickbacks and Sumo Squats.

Remember to focus on SQUEEEEZING those glutes!

Do you do a lot of cardio with your training? How do you schedule cardio and when?

During off season I only do 20 minutes of cardio post workout and I will do about 30 minutes fasted cardio in the mornings. When my time is more limited, I will try get in a HIIT cardio session on the bike.

Favourite male Fitness models or bodybuilders?

Is this a trick question? My friend, life partner and number one supporter; Craig Orr. I look up to him in so many ways and he inspires me to be better and to do better every single day. His work ethic and dedication to this sport is admirable. He has achieved so much and yet he is the most down to earth, humble gentle giant I have ever met.

Favourite female fitness icon(s):

I have so many to be honest. I look up to people like Roxy Amas, Anita Herbert, Veronique Mitchel, Lauren Simpson, Camella Saunders and of course Yarishna Ayala – to name a few

These ladies are all phenomenal. From fitness to motivation and just all-round goodness. Have a look, they might just inspire you too!

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#Tbt to doing legs the other day with Mr @craigi_boi . . I have to say when I look at this video all that pops in my mind is that song "Wiggle wiggle" by Jason Derulo I guess it suits everything I try to say to #ladies and to all my clients We all have some jiggly bits – we all have some rolls when we sit down (I mean check mine ) but in the end you need to #love yourself with all your jiggles WHILE working on becoming a #better you. Dont beat yourself up too much – BE #KIND TO YOURSELF. . . Pssst here I was doing a combo of leg presses holding my feet out wide, then narrow, then close. Give it a go

A post shared by Mari'B Fitness (@mariscadbeer_fitness) on Sep 19, 2019 at 6:04am PDT

Favourite Quote:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

What is the most common question you get asked? 

Are those your real eye lashes? ** ha ha ** and my answer is always yes

Where can people get hold of you? 

• Facebook: MariscadBeerFitness
• Instagram: mariscadbeer_fitness
• Email: marisca[at]marib-fitness[dot]com

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The post One On One With Bootcamp Instructor And Bikini Athlete, Marisca de Beer appeared first on FitNish.com.

Name: Shivani Sachdeva
Age: 29
Height: 1.63 m
Current weight: 61 kg (offseason)
Current city: Chandigarh, India
Occupation: Banking

What made you get started with training and living a more healthy lifestyle?

Initially a few years back, in 2014 my body got quite unbalanced gaining a lot of weight on my lower body because of some hormonal imbalance caused by some depression. My mother dropped me at the gym to try get away from all the negative thoughts that was causing my depression and to motivate me to get into shape. After that I never looked back and this has actually become my lifestyle.

What made you enter your first show and when was it, and how did the prep and competition go?

My first competition was in October 2018.
After getting a secured banking job in December 2016, I still had a question in my mind, is this job enough to live a life that am I here for and passionate about? Is this all that? What am I doing for myself?

These all were the questions. I then got married to the person who first put dumbbells in my hands. I discussed the same questions with him. I don’t know where the thought came from,  but one morning (just after 2 months of marriage) I said to him, I want to compete. He was like are you sure, as we are from a place where we have not worn bikinis anywhere, so will you be comfortable in that, and in front of a large audience. Then I just said I don’t know. But I want to compete.

Then there was no question and we started our prep from February 2018 to October 2018 we worked so hard on my body. I placed 1st in that competition.

What aspects would you do differently when preparing for the next competition?

Every thing changes with each prep, from diet to training. In my first contest I did more cardio because I had small muscles and more fat. But in my 2nd prep, the calories went higher since my muscle size was a little bigger. This continues. Now I am working much harder on glutes and hamstrings as well as my shoulders.

Who has been your biggest influence/support in your life and how did they affect you?

My mother and my husband both are my support system. Without my mother’s support at the time when I was suffering mentally in my life I would have died. Then I met Sahil (my husband). They both are my lifelines. And one more thing about Sahil, without him I could have never thought of competing. He is my coach and then my husband.

How do you manage to balance all the aspects of life with your training and eating? Has it ever been difficult to?

Initially it was so difficult. Like I did not know how to manage my profession and passion at the same time. After doing a 10 to 5 job you still have to train, without any excuses, and prep days really require a lot from you.

You have to manage your meals in the office too. But as the time passes I learnt so many things and managed my meals. For example I cook my meals for 4 to 5 days at once over weekends. Now it’s a lot easier. Passion always wins.

What are your future plans?

The question. I am literally looking forward to getting my Pro Card which is the door that will get opened to pro shows and then to the Olympia, which is my dream.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• As my day does not start early like most of the fit people, I wake up at 8:30 in the morning. And just have apple cider vinegar in the morning.
• I usually have 1 hour to do all my things. I make a 4 -5 egg white omelette for myself and a protein shake for Sahil.
• After that at 9:30 I leave for my office. I have 2 meals at the office, one is the main meal, which contains chicken, rice and some veggies, and the second I eat rice cakes with peanut butter.
• Around 5:15 I reach home and at 6 after having my preworkout and preworkout meal I go for training where I spend 2 to 3 hours.
• At 9 I have my meal, and I spend some time on social media as well.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet:

It changes with the requirement as off seasons are more open to calories, I can eat carbs freely.
Now a days my meals are bigger and I really enjoy the food.

• Morning: 4-5 egg whites with oats or protein
• 2nd meal: Rice cakes with peanut butter
• 3rd meal: Rice, chicken, veggies
• 4th meal: Sweat potato / peanut butter bread + protein
• 5th meal: Rice, chicken, veggies

Do you count your calories? Do you think it is necessary?

Yes of course, it is necessary. It shows how much macros you are having and how much is required for us to grow our muscles. If it helps you, you can also try calculate your macros with a macro calculator.

Do you think, to generally lose fat one needs to be super strict and repetitive, as strict as a diet is for a bodybuilding competition?

No, never. A flexible diet can also help in fat loss. Bodybuilding is on another level, it is an art of growing muscle on each and every part of the body for that we have to be strict. But in the case of losing fat, a flexible diet with a calorie deficit works.

Have you seen any common mistakes that ladies may make when trying to lose fat or gain muscle?

Yes the common myth all the ladies have, lifting weights will give you big muscles and having protein in your diet will make you fat. Ahhh but this is not the case, ladies should be educated about this.

Actually they are misguided by some sort of people.

What process do you follow when it’s time to start getting ready for a competition/photoshoot?

It is not a one day or one week process to get stage ready. It requires our full dedication on training and meals. By simply cutting carbs or junk food, you can not get stage or photo shoot ready. And carbs are not meant to be cut.

They are like our friends. They are the boosters. I have never cut my carbs completely in any competition.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training/training schedule and on average how long do you workout for?

Training is basically a mind muscle connection. If you are not making this connection then according to me, training is of no use. It is all about feeling each and every rep that we are hitting. Not even a single rep should be missed. I guess 1.15 hrs are enough to complete any workout.

What are a few of your weight training tips for the ladies? And tips for the ladies venturing into the gym for the first time?

The very first thing I want to say, weight training makes you curvy, not that muscular like men. We don’t have as much testosterone in our body, so we can never have as big muscles. And don’t lift too heavy in the first few days. Just get guidance from a good coach so that you make a good connection with the weights and exercises.

What are your essentials that are always in your gym bag?

My water bottle, training waist belt and ankle straps. I carry all these 3 things always with me in my gym bag. And yes, one deodorant also.

Do you advise using supplements, and do you use any yourself?

Yes supplements are essential like a multivitamin, protein, glutamine and many more.

But as per the requirement like I only started having all these after 1.5 years of training. If you are consuming enough protein from raw food then initially it is not required. But the time will come when you have to have all these in your diet. 

What are your 3 favourite exercises?

1. My personal favourite are squats (these are the ones which made my lower body more muscular and toned)
2. Shoulder presses
3. Deadlifts (as it was my weaker part so I made it my favourite so that I can get stronger)

Can you give a few tips to training legs and what sort of exercises do you favour the most when doing legs?

Yes for training legs don’t get scared of lifting heavy (under guidance) . This is the key to grow toned legs and glutes.

• I favour squats for quads/hamstrings/glutes.
• Sumo deadlifts are also very effective.
• Training legs also helps with fat loss more than cardio.

Do you do a lot of cardio with your training? How do you schedule cardio and when?

No I am not a cardio person. But I have to do cardio as per the season requirements, like on prep I do 30 to 45 minutes of incline treadmill all 6 days, sometimes with the cross trainer rather.

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A post shared by Shivani Sachdeva|Online Coach (@shivani_sachddev)

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A post shared by Shivani Sachdeva|Online Coach (@shivani_sachddev)

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Shreds and posing . This journey is actually so beautiful. Have to embrace shreds and gains as well. Both plays a major role. Lift f**king heavy in gains , eat big and embrace that muscle pops in shreds. #loveyourjourney #lovetheprocess

A post shared by Shivani Sachdeva (@shivani_sachddev) on Sep 3, 2019 at 11:47pm PDT

Favorite male Fitness models or bodybuilders?

Kai greene, I really love his workout style, his dance moves and his posing.

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

No doubt Angelica Teixeira.

Favorite Quote:

“Never Satisfied.” This is what i am.

What is the most common question you get asked?

Why do you compete?

Just following my passion. It is the only reason I am living.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Facebook: Shivani Sachddev
• Email: shivanisachddev[at]gmail[dot]com
• Instagram: shivani_sachddev

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The post One On One With Indian Bikini Athlete, Shivani Sachdeva appeared first on FitNish.com.

Name: Shelby Jessica Neves
Age: 23
Height: 1.65 m
Current weight: 59/60kg
Current city: Pretoria, South Africa
Occupation: CoachedByTZ Assistant Online Coach & student

What made you get started with training and living a more healthy lifestyle?

I was very underweight and didn’t have much muscle. For as long as I can remember I wanted to gain muscle and transform my body into a place that I was more comfortable in. A couple of years ago I started becoming very interested in bodybuilding and seeing what the human body is capable of.

I’ve always been athletic and into sports but I had an itch to give competing a try!

What made you enter your first show and when was it, and how did the prep and competition go?

My first show was in August 2016 – IFBB Eastern Cape Provincials where I placed 3rd in the beach bikini division.

The prep was of course something completely new and different to me as I had never done it before. I enjoyed it even though it did get tough at times. The prep for my first show was completely different to the way I prep now as I take it a thousand times more seriously and it’s become a massive element of my life today.

Who has been your biggest influence/support in your life and how did they affect you?

I have been very blessed to have such strong support systems, each having their own influence on me and my life. To name a few; My family, especially my parents and grandparents have always been there for me and supported me in what I do. They have guided me ever since I was a little girl and I’m lucky enough to say that to this day they still do.

My personal trainer when I lived in the Eastern Cape, Anver Alexander as he helped me prep for my first show and helped me get familiar with training and how to use the equipment correctly. My coach Tarryn Zelow has been the driving force behind me and my passion ever since she became my coach in the beginning of 2017. She believed in me and helped me to believe in myself and my dreams.

Right from the very first day I ever spoke to her she has encouraged me and fueled me to be the best that I can be!

Have you had any significant setbacks? How did you deal with them and overcome them?

Not since I have been competing, no (touch wood). I did have an operation in March 2018 which was entirely my choice, which did keep me out of training for a few weeks.

How do you manage to balance all the aspects of life with your training and eating? Has it ever been difficult to?

It’s actually become second nature over time. At first it was a bit disorientating to carry around meals everywhere I go when on prep but now I actually feel naked when I go out without my meals packed haha.

Training is something I absolutely love and look forward to, yes there are days I just don’t feel like it but I know that generally once I’m in the gym and training I’ll feel better. Going to gym has become part of my daily routine.

What are your future plans?

Now that I have received my IFBB Elite Pro Card my plans for the future have changed. I always dreamed of attaining my pro status one day, I just didn’t expect it so soon, so I’m planning on going abroad to compete. (I can only compete internationally now).

By the end of this year I want to have completed my personal training and specialized nutrition course through Trifocus Fitness Academy. I’m also busy studying towards my Bcom in Business Management, so I hope to attain that degree in the next couple of years too.

Take us through an average day of yours: 

• Generally, the first thing I do when I wake up is my fasted cardio.
• I get my first meal for the day in straight after that.
• In between cardio and my weight session which I do in the afternoon I work and study.
• After my weight training I’ll do some more work before going to bed.
• Obviously not every single day is like this but that’s the general routine.
• I often try to take some time out in the evenings to spend with my family and my animals which are extremely special to me.

Do you find the prep for competitions gets easier each time? Do they differ much?

Most certainly! So far, the prep itself has gotten easier for each show. Obviously life throws curve balls and we’re not always prepared for them, so this can naturally cause a prep to be harder than normal but generally speaking the prep itself becomes more familiar each time. They don’t really differ that much.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet: 

My diet changes regularly. The foods as well as the amounts change depending on the goal and how far out from a competition I am. My coach ensures that I am getting all the macro-nutrients and that my body is healthy and steady.

Do you count your calories? Do you think it is necessary?

I do count calories, yes. I believe it is necessary especially for those who have a set goal that depends on calorie consumption and calorie expenditure.

There’s a conception that leading a ‘fit and healthy and lean’ life has to be so strict and boring in terms of diet and training. Do you think people this is true to achieve it?

I think this depends on each person individually. But to answer the question in my honest opinion, NO! There are so many enjoyable food sources available that are regarded healthy. 

You don’t have to eat egg whites and plain chicken every day of your life in order to lose weight. You can play around with so many different foods and make eating healthy really fun and interesting! It’s all about balance.

With regards to training, if you don’t enjoy exercising and sweating then it might be boring for you, yes but if you are someone that loves pushing yourself or just enjoys exercising and letting off some steam then it will be a breeze! This is where my passion lies so there is absolutely nothing boring about it for me.

Have you seen any common mistakes that ladies may make when trying to lose fat or gain muscle?

I believe that there is more than one certain way to lose weight. It depends on what works best with your body. I have certain factors that I strongly believe in when it comes to trying to lose weight or gaining muscle but it’s not to say that someone else’s way is incorrect, maybe what works for them won’t necessarily work for me. But yes, I have seen some “common mistakes” that I would do differently.

What process do you follow when it’s time to start getting ready for a competition/photoshoot?

I always follow a meal plan because I lose my mind if I don’t. When I’m far out from a competition I will be more lenient but as a competition approaches I am very strict with dieting. I always have carbs in my diet and depending on my condition and body fat my carbohydrate consumption reduces.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training/training schedule and on average how long do you workout for?

My training program changes every few weeks, obviously I will train the areas that need more work more often. My sessions are split into muscle groups and sometimes I will have a full body workout in my program.

I generally train for about 1.5 – 2 hours, leg days in particular take longer.

What are a few of your weight training tips for the ladies? And tips for the ladies venturing into the gym for the first time?

A training tip that I find very important, for females or males is to never sacrifice form for weight.

I would rather do an exercise with a lighter weight and properly with the correct form and technique then go too heavy and not do the exercise properly which can also lead to injury.

I’m a strong believer in mind-muscle connection. It’s so important to focus all your energy and thoughts onto the muscle you are training. I find that a strong mind-muscle connection enables you to solely use the muscle you are training to carry the load and not compromise it with another muscle.

What are your essentials that are always in your gym bag?

My earphones, a bottle with my USN bcaa’s, deodorant, grips, waist belts and gum!

Do you advise using supplements, and do you use any yourself?

100%! All my supplements are USN. I use their glutamine, pre-workout, bcaa’s, whey protein, L-Carnicut, and Garcinia Cambogia.

What are your 3 favourite exercises? 

1. Sumo squats

Exceptionally good for the glutes and overall leg stimulation.

2. Good mornings

Works the glutes and hamstrings. I love the feeling when doing these.

3. Lat pulldowns

I personally find this exercise the best for back. I’m obsessed with lats haha.

Do you do a lot of cardio with your training? How do you schedule cardio and when?

Off-season I do cardio about 3 times a week and in season I do it fasted about 6 times a week. Fasted is obviously first thing in the morning and then I do post-workout cardio in the evenings.

The duration of my cardio depends on my condition and how far out from a competition that I am.

Favorite male Fitness models or bodybuilders?

William Bonac and Jeremy Buendia.

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

• Nataly Runner
• Reijuana Harley (international)
• Tarryn Zelow
• Ane’l Coetzee
• Yolande Parsons (local) to name a few, although I do have many more!

Favorite Quote:

“Never give up on the things that make you smile.”

What is the most common question you get asked? 

• “How do I lose weight?”

My answer to this question will always be the same.

If you want to lose weight, you need to ensure you are eating correctly and not consuming junk on a daily basis. By all means treat yourself, it’s all about balance but I can’t stress the importance of correct nutrition enough.

Being active will also help one lose weight, especially when eating correctly as these 2 elements go hand in hand and make for one powerful combination. Exercising will obviously result in more calories burnt and therefore speed up the weight loss process.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Instagram: shelbyjneves_ifbb_elitepro
• E-mail: shelbyneves[at]gmail[dot]com

Photography Credits:

• Sean Levitt

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The post One On One With USN Face Of Fitness Winner And IFBB Elite Pro, Shelby Jessica Neves appeared first on FitNish.com.

Name: Robert Smith
Age: 36
Height: 1.72 m
Current weight: 92 kg
Current city: Cape Town, South Africa
Occupation: Director

How and when did you get started in training and fitness?

I started in fitness in 2014. I had previously been quite over weight and after dropping 20 kgs I was looking for something to keep me motivated and push me to achieve more. I watched my first fitness show in 2013 and decided to give competing a try.

What made you decide to compete? And how was the prep for your first competition?

Watching a friend prep for a show was my deciding factor. I watched him prep and was amazed at the discipline and mental focus that this sport required. I was up for this challenge.

My first prep was terrible! LOL. I did not know what to expect and even with guidance from a coach I was questioning everything, I was tired and moody. The last 3-4 weeks were the worst.

All I did was moan about how terrible prep was and that I would never do this again. I even remember telling myself whilst I was back stage that this was the one and only show I would do.

Needless to say, I still got on stage and as soon as I got off stage I asked when the next show was.

Do you ever lack motivation on some days? How do you deal with this?

YES. I am human, life is not easy. Being self-employed, running a business all day and training twice a day is tough. Thankfully I am a very self-motivated and driven individual. I love setting short, medium and long term goals for every aspect of my life.

Who has been your biggest influence/support in your life and how did they affect you?

I have been fortunate that I have had an amazing amount of support from all my friends, family and staff. Their support during my preps have been a driving factor for me to push harder.

I never like to let anyone down, especially not those closest to me.

Have you had many setbacks at all? How did you deal with them if you did?

Fortunately, I haven’t had any set backs in my fitness career. I however have experienced other set backs in life that have indirectly affected my motivation to train.

This is when I get back to basics and focus on just getting my ass to gym rather then focusing on what an amazing workout I am going to have. After all any workout is better than no workout.

What are your future plans? 

I plan to compete at WBFF Worlds. It has always been a dream of mine to stand against the best of the best on the world stage. Career wise I plan to slowly grow my business and create a positive happy work environment for my staff to enjoy.

Tell us a bit about your journey of competing up to your Wbff show and winning your pro card and status:

I did my first WBFF show in 2015, it was a massive eye opener. The level of athletes was unrivaled to any other show I have competed in. I did this show with no expectations of winning but rather to gauge where I am as an athlete.

After placing top 10 I was now even more determined to come back the following year and achieve my pro status. 2016 rolled on and it was time to jump on stage again. I trained harder and was more disciplined with my food. I jumped on stage thinking I had a real chance.

It was one of the toughest line ups I have ever faced with 40 muscle model athletes competing for their pro status. I placed 4th and unfortunately missed the pro card by 1 place as they award 1st, 2nd and 3rd with pro status. I was shattered with disappointment but I got over it and was already thinking about my next show and what I would change to come back better.

After a short break WBFF had their next show in 2018. My prep started in January. If i thought I trained hard for previous shows this was next level. I pushed past my point of comfort and my diet was 100% according to my plan.

This time I would leave no stone unturned. My game plan was to be show ready a few weeks out. Slow and steady wins the race they say. The rest as they say is history and I am now proud to be apart of the WBFF Pro family.

What process do you follow when its time to start getting ready for a competition/photoshoot or to just lean down? 

My training doesn’t change dramatically from when competing to off season. I always change my training program to keep things interesting or to focus on what I believe to be weak areas. My diet is pretty constant also. I still eat a mixture of protein, carbs and fats but will restrict my junk food intake when competing to 1 cheat meal per weak. During the weak I will stick to my meal plan 100%.

Take us through an average day of yours: 

• I wake up at 05:00, press snooze twice and roll out of bed at 05:20.
• Get up, make a cup of black coffee and get ready for morning cardio at 06:00.
• Generally, do between 40-60 minutes fasted cardio. I shower at the gym and get to work by 08:00.
• The chaos starts and the hustle never stops but I still get all my meals in during the day.
• Work generally finishes for me at about 4 pm after which I eat my preworkout meal and get ready for gym again.
• This session is where I have my therapy session and take out all my frustrations on the weights. Once done there I head home to unpack bags, have dinner, prep for the next day, shower and get back in bed to repeat the process again.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet: 

No philosophy needed, just keep it simple and balance is key.

An average days food is as follows:

• Meal 1:
  • 10 egg whites
  • 1 whole egg
• Meal 2:
  • 200g tuna
  • Greens
  • 50g basmati rice
• Meal 3:
  • 200g chicken
  • 200g baby potato
• Meal 4:
  • 200g chicken
  • Salad
• Meal 5 (preworkout)
  • 50g cream of rice
  • 20g almond butter
  • 40g Gaspari Precision proteinMeal 6:
  • 200g Lean steak
  • 50g basmati rice
  • Greens

Do you use many supplements? What are the essentials in your opinion?

I am sponsored by Gaspari and therefore use all their supplements.

Essentials for me:

• Gaspari Precision Protein
• Gaspari SuperPump
• Gaspari Glycofuse
• Gaspari AminoLast
• Gaspari Anavite (Multivitamin)

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training schedule, how many times a week do you workout for and how long are your training sessions?

Generally speaking I train 3 days on and 1 day off. My sessions are planned and therefore with the right intensity (and the gym not being crazy busy) I can complete my workout in 60-90 minutes depending on the body parts being trained.

What are some of the mistakes you see guys making when trying to get pick up size?

I have made this mistake myself but over eating because you are “bulking” is a common mistake. Gradually increase your calorie intake in small increments is what I find works best in order to not put on unnecessary fat and retain water.

What are your top tips for getting shredded?

Its simple maths, burn more calories than what you consume. Still get your balance of proteins, carbs and fats. Listen to your coach!

What are your three favourite exercises and why?

1. Cable fly’s at different angles

• I can hit all areas of the chest and I get a pretty good pump.

2. Leg press

• My legs are one of my strongest muscles so I can really stack on the weight here.

3. Seated single arm lateral raises

• Enjoy the concentration and control I get from being seated.

What are some of your Chest exercises and chest training tips?

• Chest press machine
• Incline dumbbell bench press
• Hex press
• Dumbbell fly’s
• Cable cross overs
• Floor dumbbell press

Make that mind to muscle connection. Focus on squeezing your chest at the peak of its contraction. You will know and feel when it’s working.

Don’t rush the movement. Be deliberate and controlled.

Do you include much cardio into your training routines?

Yes, currently doing 40-60 minutes fasted cardio 5-6 times per week.

What is the most common question you get asked? 

• What supplements can they take to lose weight?

My response:

What is your diet like and how many calories a day are you eating? There are no shortcuts to losing weight and although supplements assist you with your nutrition requirements they do not replace food and a controlled meal plan.

Favorite Influential bodybuilders:

• Jaco de Bryun
• AJ Ellison
• Arnold Vosloo
• Neil Curry
• Wayne Coetzee

Favorite Quote:

It’s an oldie but a goodie:

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

Favourite female fitness icons:

• Laura Daniels
• Lauren Simpson
• Rachel Dillon

Best piece of advice you ever received?

Be patient and follow the process. During this process we get impatient and expect results daily. Rome was not built in a day and you won’t achieve results in a day but you will make daily progress and achieve your results over time.

What advice would you give to someone unsure where to start in the gym and maybe a little intimidated by the gym and the people?

Get a personal trainer for a session to two, just to allow you to become familiar with the equipment and how to use it.

Once you find your way around your confidence with grow and you will be just fine.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Facebook: Robert Smith Wbff Pro
• Instagram: Robsmith_wbffpro

Photography Credits:

• Sean Levitt

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The post One On One With WBFF Pro, Robert Smith appeared first on FitNish.com.

Name: Mduduzi Nicholas Green
Age: 35 
Height: 1,72 m
Competition weight: 102 Kg
Current weight: 117 Kg
Current city: New Germany, South Africa
Where do you train: Virgin Active Pine town
Occupation: Personal Trainer

How long have you been training consistently for and how did you get into this lifestyle?

2018 is my 16th year training! I can’t believe it myself that it has been over a decade.

Well getting into this lifestyle is a very interesting story as it was almost love at first sight, when back in 2002 I accompanied a friend of mine to the gym (I can’t remember what for) but when I got there I remember staring at the wall, which had pictures of the legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu and Ronnie Coleman.

I was so amazed at how their physiques were, from that day on wards I said to myself I want to prove what I had just seen with my own body and that was it, till this day.

What do you love about it and what keeps you motivated?

What I love about it is that it challenges me to the extreme and I constantly have to prove to myself that I can always improve my physique. The motivation will be when I see the process of my body changing.

When was your first competition and how did the prep for it go?

2002, at that time it did not go well as the sport was still new to me and I had little knowledge of it all, but I came 3rd place which was not bad for a beginner.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE AND SUPPORT IN YOUR LIFE AND HOW DID THEY AFFECT YOU?

It has been my family and friends all the way, for my family to give as much support as they did to me for a sport they did not understand and some still don’t understand it, warmed by heart because it showed me how much I am loved and it pushed me to push myself more and more.

My friends have always been here for me and I am thankful that when it got tough I have people to turn to.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT SETBACKS? HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THEM AND OVERCOME THEM?

Now recently I had been preparing for a competition that was on the 20th October 2018 in Umtata but I tore my left hamstring and calf muscle.

I was very disappointed because it meant I was going to be out for quite some time and have to go for physio.

Hmmm to overcome it is just to relax and let your body heal, I mean there was nothing I could change about the situation.

What are your future plans?

I will continue with competing and career wise bodybuilding is my life.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• I wake up early in the morning, after freshening up take multivitamins and my pre-workout.
• Have my breakfast which is normally jungle oats then after hit the gym, I do my first session.
• There after my first client and throughout the whole day I will be training, training my clients and eating in between.

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your diet, pre-contest and during the off season:

I don’t really have a philosophy, when it comes to dieting, pre-contest my diet will mostly be:

• Jungle oats for breakfast.
• I normally do not snack (not a fan)
• Lunch would be fish and broccoli
• At 15:00 I eat fish and supper will be the same as lunch or I would have 10 boiled eggs.

Off season:

• Jungle oats in the morning.
• Lunch: lean steak and brown rice
• At 15:00 sweet potato and ostrich mince then for supper the same again.

Do you go on a ‘bulking’ period when not preparing for a show or do you manage to stay lean year-round?

I stay lean.

What do you think are the most common mistakes people starting out in bodybuilding tend to make?

They do not eat enough.

What do you think about bodybuilding in South Africa compared to Overseas?

I feel as though us in South Africa take the sport as a hobby rather than a job. The overseas athletes take it as their job, they go all out to better their physique, to become the world’s best. I feel we are not yet there, we are not hungry enough.

What supplements do you use if any? And do you have a favorite brand?

I use Pronutrition: whey protein, creatine monohydrate and BCAAs.

On average how long do your workout for?

I normally train for 45 minutes to an hour per session.

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE EXERCISES?

Squats, Deadlifts and dumbbell incline presses.

Favorite bodybuilders:

John Lesley and Kai Greene.

Favourite Quote:

“Go Big…or go home.”

One piece of advice for someone wanting to change their lifestyle and achieve their ideal physique?

Eat, rest and do your best.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Facebook: Mduduzi Green
• Instagram: Mdugreen1

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The post One On One With Trainer And Bodybuilder, Mdu Green appeared first on FitNish.com.