Quick Stats

Name: Ninos Sarkis
Age: 24
Height: 5’5
Competition weight: 79 Kg
Current weight: 82 Kg
Current city: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Occupation:  Teacher

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

My childhood was an active one. I enjoyed riding my bike and playing neighbourhood games such as nikki nine door and chase. I started playing hockey at the age of 5, soccer at 8, wrestling at 16 and developed quite a physique for myself during those years. This physique was the foundation for my bodybuilding career.

In high school i played soccer and wrestled. I had a vast group of friends and was pretty popular with everyone. I did the usual high school party routine and really enjoyed my time in Brebeuf.

It was in grade 12 when I joined my first fitness class. I never took it serious until i started to see results and getting a few compliments from friends and family. After grade 12 i had no money to get a gym membership so I started training in a basement with an old friend of mine, Loudon Ehler. This is when i discovered bodybuilding. Every day i would cycle to his house to get a few hours of training with him and feel that pump i would always be craving for.

“Before every workout we would sit and watch videos of all the bodybuilders like Arnold, Jay and Ronnie and it was then where i said i wanted to be just like them.”

At the beginning of 2011, I said to myself that this would be the year that I would compete and make a name for myself in bodybuilding.

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

What gets me motivated and focused to keep training is the feeling I had at my very first show. After all those months training for it and stepping onto that stage for the very first time was just ….speechless.

“I am addicted to the lights on the stage and the crowds cheering.”

Also let’s not forget every athletes favorite source of motivation, YouTube!

What competitions have you competed in and your placing?

2011 Season

• Henderson Thorne classic, lightweight,  2^nd
• Provincials,  welterweight, 3^rd

Tell us a bit about your journey leading up to your first competition.  What was the best part of doing it and the worst?

It was May 2011 where I said I would stop wasting my time and money partying every weekend. The morning after my hockey season was over I decided to start training for a show. Every morning I would wake up at 6am to do cardio with a mid afternoon workout, for 4 months straight. I felt so healthy and amazed of how much I was capable of doing with the dedication and focus I had. My parents were not the most supportive people about this path I was heading towards especially when I dropped out of college to pursue my dream to be on stage. But then again I wouldn’t be doing what I love now if it wasn’t for that hard decision I made. This dream made me fall in love with cooking and led me into a new direction of education in the culinary arts world which compliments my everyday life.

What are your future plans?

My goal is to get on stage at the April shows and compete as a middleweight. I want to dominate that category and it can be a huge advantage with my height being at only 5’5. As for other future plans, I am educating myself to be a culinary teacher and hope to teach high school students the proper way to cook, eat and live on a healthy plan.

Take us through an average day of yours:

Well it’s hard to say what my average day is because it’s always changing. Depending on the time of year I’m either in school or working.
Either way…

• 8am – Wake up( I have 2 meals before gym)
• 10am – Gym
• 11:30 – Home, Ice shower and then a post workout shake
• 12:30 – Post workout meal
• 1:00 – I will take a couple of hours on working with my trainees, replying to emails and researching.

The rest of the day is just a lot of resting, watching cooking shows and allowing my body to recover for the next day! Also either working or in school.

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

My Off season diet usually weights in at about 4500- 5000 calories.

Off season daily meals:

1. 8 eggs(2 whole), steak, oats, fruits
2. Tuna, greens, Orange juice
3. Pre workout shake
4. Post workout shake
5. Pasta, 2 whole wheat bread slices
6. Chicken, rice, greens
7. Chicken, rice, greens
8. Anything I want! (cheat meal)
9. 4 Eggs, almond butter, shake

My Pre Contest diet usually weights in at about 3500-4000 calories.

Pre contest daily meals:

1. 8 egg whites, steak, oats, fruits
2. Tuna, greens
3. Pre workout shake
4. Post workout shake
5. Chicken, rice, greens
6. Chicken, rice, greens
7. 8 egg whites, almond butter

Both off season and pre contest diets are pretty much similar to one another which I like. My off season I don’t mind how much I am putting on my plate where as my pre contest diet I will have everything weighed up to the exact number I need! And as you can see on my off season I have a cheat meal every day since I am in growing stage where on my pre contest diet I will only have a cheat meal once every week usually the night before a big workout like my legs!

Being a qualified chef, with the ability to create amazingly rich dishes and desserts, how do you avoid giving in to any cravings that you get and whipping up a great treat?

I was never really into cooking/baking and my mother couldn’t keep up with making my meals separate than the rest of my family during my shows. So my mother taught me how to cook and I started to love it and as time went by I started to teach myself amazing dishes to keep my everyday dieting so tasty! Honestly it is hard to keep away from all those deserts I make in the kitchen at work but you get use to it when it’s an everyday thing. A lot of people ask me to create a dish they eat and then enhance the flavor in it to make it much more delicious. So in the near future I will start to give back to people by creating videos on YouTube how to cook healthy delicious meals for breakfast, lunch, pre/post workout, dinner and late night snacks.

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

Vitamins- A,B6-12,C,D,E, Fish Oil, Multi

Other than that I am all about the Herbalife 24. I use all 7 products and it’s by far the best supplements I have taken and it keeps me going strong!

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

My philosophy is very much so like Arnold’s, that bodybuilding is not a single-event endeavor.

“If you really want to see success, you must focus on all three components which include your training program, your nutritional intake and your mental approach.”

Usually my workouts will last 1 to 2 hours depending on what I am training that day.

My training split looks like this:

• Monday – Chest/arms/abs/calves
• Tuesday – Back/hams/calves
• Wednesday – Rest
• Thursday – Shoulder/arms/abs
• Friday – Legs/calves/chest
• Saturday & Sunday – Rest

This programme allows me to get a lot of rest. It might not work for many people but it has worked great for me.

What’s your favorite form of cardio?

Off Season – Morning shinny from 9am-11am of pick up hockey at a local rink.
Pre season- Stairs for 20 minutes after every workout

What would you say are the three best exercises you can do to build rock solid abs?  And your tips to achieving great abs?

• Hanging knee-ins
• Cable Crunches
• Cable side crunches (oblique’s)

These three exercises really brought my abs out to perfection. In order to get those solid abs everybody wants, you need to first understand that working them out is only 40 percent of the work!

“I tell people this all the time that eating properly will give you that extra 60 percent you need in order to have those rock solid abs. Dieting is everything and plays a huge part in the fitness world.”

Always train abs to failure and make sure you’re in massive cramping pain when finished and always squeeze and hold every rep.

Favorite bodybuilders:

Arnold Schwarzenegger and myself haha

Which do you prefer and why.  Today’s bodybuilders like Jay Cutler and Phil Heath, or the smaller more aesthetic physiques like Frank Zane.

No disrespect to jay and Phil but I’m more of a fan of Franks body. It’s a lot healthier looking than the guys today. People like Zane and Arnold had amazing bodies with such huge chests and tiny waists whereas now the Olympians’ chests are the same size as their waists making them look like a bunch of gorillas.

Favorite Quotes:

You’re only as good as your last rep.

“The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I’d hate that.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

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

Stay dedicated, stay hungry, stay focused and become the animal that lays beneath your skin!! Here is a quote that I love that goes good with this question you’re asking me.

“No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training… what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable” — Socrates

It’s never too late to change!

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Quick Stats

Name:  Tamara Kester
Age:  22
Height:  1.69 m
Competition weight:  54 kg
Current weight:  57 kg
Current city:  Johannesburg, South Africa
Occupation:  Personal Trainer

How long have you been training consistently for and have you always lived a fit and healthy lifestyle?

I have always been a sports fanatic and was involved in competitive sports from a young age.  I only began the gym side of things about 2 years ago.

What do you love about it?

I love the way being fit and healthy makes me feel!  A healthy body is a healthy mind.

What competitions have you competed in and your placings?

2012 Season

• H&H Classic, Fitness bikini, 4^th
• Ifbb Gauteng North Provincials, Fitness Bikini, 3^rd
• Mpumalanga Nabba Championships, Miss Beach bikini tall, 1^st
• Nabba SA Championships, Miss Beach bikini tall, did not place

What made you decide to start competing?

I had always excelled in the sport I had been competitive in.  I wanted a new challenge, both physically and mentally.

What are your future plans?

I have just finished studying to be a personal trainer so that in 2013 I will be gaining experience as a trainer, as well as bettering my physique for competition.  I am also planning on studying Bio kinetics at TUKS and am aiming to work with athletes in the High Performance Center, where ultimately, sports conditioning will be my main focus.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• 6am wake up, eat breakfast and pack lunch for work
• 8am- 5pm… WORK WORK WORK (eating my many meals at my desk)
• 6-7:30pm is spent at the gym training.
• Eat dinner before 8pm
• Shower and then dig into the books.
• 9:30pm bed time

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

My basic diet on season consists of egg whites and oats, chicken breasts, green vegetables, almonds, green apples, steak and hake whilst limiting salt, sugar and dairy intake.

My basic off- season diet is basically the same, I just allow myself more cheat meals during the week.  I don’t think it is possible, nor necessary to restrict yourself continuously especially seeing as my off season consists of higher intensity training and the extra calories are needed to build that extra muscle.

Do you believe in completely eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet, or rather not eliminating them just limiting them?

I don’t believe that it is healthy in our day in age to eliminate unhealthy foods completely.  The way I see it is that humans adapt, and we have adapted to the foods that are put on the shelves, the steroids that are pumped into our meat, the pesticides that have been sprayed on our crops and the preservatives put into 90% of our foods.  Everything in moderation is perfectly fine!

Do you believe in using supplements?  If you do, what would you say to a woman starting out thinking she needs to take many supplements in order to lose weight?

I am proud to say that I used absolutely NO supplementation whilst  ‘on season’.

“If you follow the right diet and training program, supplements are not necessary.”

At the moment I am only taking a whey protein shake to try to build some extra muscle fullness.  The Optimum Gold Standard whey is expensive, but worth it.

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

I believe in quality not quantity.  If you know what works for your body, your sessions should be quick.  I do about 30 mins weights, 30 mins cardio on and off -season.  Leg sessions are an hour, and cardio close to competition goes up to an hour.

What’s your favorite form of cardio?

Haha Nobody likes cardio, but my best would be spinning.

What would you say are the three best exercises women should include in their arm work outs to get toned, strong arms?

• Concentration curls for biceps
• Dips for triceps/chest
• Side lateral raises for shoulders

Fitness models or bodybuilders?

I am a Jay Cutler fan!!! I also like Kai Greene and believe next year is his year for the Mr. Olympia title.

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

I am going to be really predictable and mention the common favourite, Jamie Eason!

Favorite Quote:

“That one hour spent in the gym is important, but the key to seeing results is how you spend the rest of your 23”

How do you stay motivated with your training and when you have to diet, and avoid giving into cravings?

I appointed myself a motivational gym partner and trainer who would keep me going. Regarding diet, I would Google the nutritional info of the food I was craving haha!

Advice for someone wanting to change their lifestyle and achieve their ideal physique?

When my mother quit smoking and I asked her what made her quit and stick to it, she said,

“You have to WANT to do it”

So, If you’re not sure about it and already have doubts, you will not succeed.  Your mind set is everything.

Where can people get hold of you?

• Email: tammykester[at]live.co.za
• Facebook: Tamara Leigh Kester

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So many people are unsure of what exactly makes up a great breakfast, or rather have the idea that they don’t have the time in the mornings to worry about breakfast, and they end up eating a bowl of cereal, or just a small piece of fruit or even end up eating NOTHING at all.  I firmly believe that, if you eat sufficiently at breakfast, you will have plenty of energy throughout the day, your ability to focus will be much better and you will stay fuller for longer, keeping your cravings under control.

There have also been a few studies done to show that a group of people who ate a protein filled breakfast everyday for a period of time managed to lose more weight than the group who didn’t.

One of the reasons for this was that when we eat protein at breakfast, it helps to keep us (our appetite) satisfied and we are less likely to overeat at other meals later in the day.

Check out more information on one of those studies here:   http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/nutrition-weight-loss/drop-weight-and-your-cravings

So that brings us on to the question, what can we eat that is balanced, quick and easy to make and that is nutritionally sufficient to support us throughout the day?  Well think protein, carbohydrates (fruit and complex carbs), and even fat.  In terms of food, eggs are an excellent source of protein, fat and vitamins and minerals.  Oats, honey, yoghurt, blueberries, bananas, apples, melons, are all great sources of carbohydrates.  Now the specific amounts you take in  will vary, depending on your size, weight, body fat levels, etc. as well as your energy needs throughout the day and at the time.

So to make this quick and easy, nutrient rich breakfast, this is what you will need to do.

Lets start with the eggs:

• Crack open three eggs in a bowl.
• Add a dash of milk, sprinkle some salt and pepper and add half a tsp of garlic.
• Mix well.
• Then place a non stick electric frying pan on low heat and pour the eggs in the pan.  Keep separating the mixture with a non stick spatula (cooking scrambled eggs).
• Cook until done.  You should not need to cook for more than 3 – 4 minutes.
• Add a few slices of tomatoes, and season to taste.

That’s your eggs (protein and fat) done. It sounds like its a process but it really doesnt take longer then 5 or 6 minutes to make.

Now for your Carbohydrates.  This is so simple its scary.

In a bowl place the following:

• 40 grams of Raw Oats.  (I have used raw oats, if you prefer yours cooked, by all means cook a portion of oats the night before to use)
• 1 tsp cocoa
• 2 tsp dessicated coconut
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• A Few blueberries
• One small banana chopped

To that, pour in some milk to the consistency that you like and eat up!

Now there you have it, a very quick meal to make, with hardly any hassle and it provides you with all the nutrients you need to take on the day ahead of you!  You now have no excuse to eat a great breakfast and make the most of your day!

*Just a note, please do not misunderstand the principle here, I am in no way saying ONLY eat breakfast and you will have energy for the whole day!  You must still eat healthy meals throughout the day to keep you going.  BUT, By consistently eating a good breakfast, you will have more energy, reduce cravings and hunger pains, and will be less likely to overeat later in the day which can cause unwanted fat gain.

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