Tag Archives: muscle

Feature Friday: Johan Stephan

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Johan Stephan 1
First name: Johan
Last name: Stephan
City: Johannesburg
Country: South Africa
Height: 1.76m (about 5’9″)
Weight: 75kg (165 lbs)
Profession: TV Producer

Follow Him:
Twitter: @jostephan
Instagram: jostephan
Tumblr: http://jostephan.tumblr.com/

When did you start working out?:
I started working out in 2005.

How many days a week do you work out?:
6 days week.

Johan Stephan 2

How long is your average workout?:
My average workout is about 1 hour.

Do you play any sports?:
I used to play rugby, but now only get time for the gym.

Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
I would like to reach an aesthetically balanced physique and build ultimate muscle strength and tone.

What supplements do you take or recommend?:
I don’t take any supplements. I follow a strict diet plan.

Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
I follow a food plan based on the Mineral Body science. It’s a fairly new and relatively unknown science but I’ve been following it on a trial basis for the last 6 years and have only benefitted from it. It’s a complex eating plan to explain and I will be publishing more details on this science via my personal website and Tumblr blog soon.

Johan Stephan 3

Does your diet consist of cheat meals? If so, how often do you have one?:
No cheat meals really.

What is your personal website?:
My personal website is http://www.johanstephan.co.za although it’s currently being upgraded.

What are you a TV Producer for?:
I produce fitness videos, but this site is also being upgraded. The website is http://www.getfittv.co.za.

How much cardio do you do? (Per day or per week):
I don’t do any cardio.

Johan Stephan 4

Do you model? If so, what have you been featured in?:
I have only done exhibitions for major photographers in South Africa.

What has been your biggest fitness accomplishment so far?:
Launching my own fitness media site GetFitTV, which will soon be completely revamped and relaunched.

Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Make realistic, short-term goals and reach them first before giving up on bigger goals that are often unrealistically set.

Did you like this Feature Friday Inspiration? Do you want to know more about Johan Stephan? Do you think you have what it takes to be my next Feature Friday Inspiration? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com

Feature Friday: Dylan Thomas

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Dylan Thomas 1

First name: Dylan
Last name: Thomas
City: Toronto
Province: Ontario
Age: 22
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 210lbs (throughout the year) 195lbs (competition weight)
Profession: Trainer/Online Training Coach

Follow Him:
Twitter: @DylanThomasfit
Instagram: Dylanthomas_fitness_toronto

When did you start working out?:
When I was 16.

How many days a week do you work out?:
While prepping for competition, I’m training 5 days a week with weights and on my off days from weights I will do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Throughout the year, if I’m not doing a show, I typically train 4-5 days a week.

How long is your average workout?:
About 45 minutes.

Favorite muscles to exercise:
Legs (I’ve always admired people with great leg development. It’s a sign of true fitness.)

Dylan Thomas 2

Least favorite muscles to exercise:
I dont have one. I enjoy training my entire body.

Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
I would like to earn my Pro card this year.

Do you have any fitness inspirations? If so, who are they?:
Arnold, Steve Reeves, Bob Paris, Frank Zane, and before I was into bodybuilding I was inspired by a rugby player, Gavin Henson. I greatly admired his strength and physique, as well as skill, and it inspired me to go to the weight room for the first time.


What supplements do you take or recommend?:
Whey protein, creatine, multi, fish oils.

Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
It changes from day to day, but at the moment I’m carb cycling so every 3rd or 4th day I’ll have a re-feed day. My Typical day is 230g carbs/275g protein/80g fat and every 3rd day my day would be 470g carbs/250g protein/75g fat.

What does your diet consist of during a Bulking Phase?:
During a bulking phase I am not nearly as strict with my eating habits. I’ll eat over 5-600 grams of carbs a day and about 275-300 grams of protein with 70-80 grams of fat. These types of numbers allow me really to eat whatever I’d like whenever I’d like.

Dylan Thomas3

What does your diet consist of during a Cutting Phase?:
During a cutting phase, I’ll begin weighing my food out and counting everything I eat against my allotted macronutrients breakdown for the day so I do not over eat.

You say you load on carbs every few days… What foods do you eat during these times to load on good carbs?:
My go to carb sources are in no particular order as I don’t view one being better than another: basmati rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, Ezekiel cereal, Ezekiel bread, fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and bananas, as well as my green veggies favorites being asparagus, broccoli & green beans. The important thing is usually to count all the carbs in everything you eat. For instance, you’re eating oatmeal and it is a “carb” source, but you still need to count the protein and fat in the oatmeal otherwise you’ll likely go over what you should be eating for the day without even realizing it!

Do you have any workouts that you specifically like, that you believe are very affective?:
Higher volume on lower body (15+ reps) and between 10-12reps on upper body. At the moment I’ll incorporate a lot of supersets and dropsets though as a means to increase the intensity of my workouts while getting ready to compete (April 27th).

How much cardio do you do? (Per day or per week):
Two times a week I do 20 minutes of high intensity interval training (all out sprints). I also like to walk for about 30 minutes each day on weight training days just to burn a little more calories.

Dylan Thomas 4

Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Stay consistent and diet over everything else will determine your success in achieving your dream body.

How do people get ahold of you for your online training?:
If people our interested in my online training services they can reach me at dylanthomasfitness@hotmail.com.

Do you have any other things you would like to say? (Comments, Suggestions, etc)?:
“mens sana in corpore sano – a healthy mind in a healthy body”

Did you like this Feature Friday Inspiration? Do you want to know more about Dylan Thomas? Do you think you have what it takes to be my next Feature Friday Inspiration? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com

Feature Friday: Mark Raimondo

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Mark Raimondo 2
First name: Mark
Last name: Raimondo
City: Jackson
State: New Jersey
Age: 21
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 160 lbs
Profession: Student/Waiter/Bartender

Follow Him:
Twitter: @MarkkRaimondo
Instagram: Markkr

When did you start working out?:
When I was about 15. I started because I thought it’d help me out with swimming.

How many days a week do you work out?:
Usually 6 days a week, but if I’m too bored on my rest day, I just do cardio and core work.

How long is your average workout?:
I spend about an hour weight training, two muscle groups per day, and at least 30-45 minutes of cardio.

Mark Raimondo 3

Favorite muscles to exercise:
Legs! I hurt my knee in high school and haven’t been able to workout my legs consistently until recently. I love seeing them get stronger and trying new exercises I wasn’t able to do before. Plus it’s a relief knowing people won’t call me chicken legs anymore haha.

Least favorite muscles to exercise:
Right now I’d have to say my chest. I switched gyms recently and I’m still getting used to their equipment so I haven’t been getting the best chest workouts in.

Do you have any fitness goals? If so, what are they?:
At the moment I’m trying to slim down a little. I’m giving fashion modeling a shot and I’m a bit too bulky for the industry. Plus its almost impossible for me to find shirts that actually fit me right now.

Do you have any fitness inspirations? If so, who are they?:
My inspirations aren’t anyone famous really. Most people who inspire me are people that go to the gyms that I’ve been to. I’ve met all kinds of people who’ve overcome all types of adversity. There are a lot of people out there with some pretty inspiring stories.

Mark Raimondo 1

What supplements do you take or recommend?:
I’m only taking multivitamins and ACG3 as a pre workout on days I’m feeling sluggish right now. Other than that I try to stay away from supplements.

Can you give a brief overview of your diet?:
For breakfast I like to eat oatmeal and whatever kind of fruit I have in the house at the time. During the day I’ll eat tuna or turkey on wheat with some fruit. For dinner it varies, but I usually try to incorporate lean chicken and lots of veggies. You always need to have a cheat day though. Oreos are just too damn good!

Do you have any workouts that you specifically like, that you believe are very affective?:
I just started doing Ab Ripper X from P90X and so far it’s the best ab workout I’ve ever done.

How much cardio do you do? (Per day or per week):
I do at least 30 minutes of cardio 6 or 7 days a week. I like to switch it up depending on what I’m in the mood to do that day, but generally I stick to the treadmill or stair climber.

Mark Raimondo 4

Do you have any tips for people who are trying to reach their fitness goals?:
Just remember what works for someone else might not work for you. Experiment with different exercises and different workout routines that fit your goals and don’t be afraid to ask for advice or tips from people. The more knowledge and experience you have, the easier it’ll be to reach your goals.

Do you have any other things you would like to say? (Comments, suggestions, etc)?:
I have two. One is be patient. I feel most people don’t meet their goals because they don’t see results fast enough and give up. And the second is that weight is just a number. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen people get discouraged because they aren’t seeing numbers drop or go up on a scale. If you see and feel positive changes in your body then you’re on the right track. Just keep at it.

Let me know what you think of this Fitness Inspiration by emailing me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com.
Do you think you have what it takes to be featured on my blog? Email me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com or tag me @alec2austin and #corestrengthblog in your pictures on Instagram and/or Twitter.

Six Pack Abs

by in Ab Workout, Exercises, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

AlecModelshot1One of the most common questions I get asked is “What is your ab workout routine?” The answer… I don’t have one. I know it may sound crazy, but I don’t follow any one routine to try and improve my stomach. I have found that if I stick to just one routine, my body may be sore the first few times I do the routine, but then it almost becomes immune to what I am doing and I no longer get sore, tired, and I don’t see continued results.

Suggestions:
I have discovered that learning many different core workouts and frequently changing which ones I include in my ‘routine’ confuses my body and lets me see faster and better results (aka: muscle confusion). I have also learned that your core (abs, obliques, lower back) is a large grouping of muscles that should be treated like any other muscle your work out. When building muscle, it is suggested to focus on a muscle group intensely, and then giving that muscle group a few days to relax and recover. With this said, I only do core workouts about 2-3 times a week. I work very hard doing many different ab and core workouts, basically exhausting the muscles and then give them a few days to really recover so I can hit the workouts hard again when they are ready.

How long do I work my core?
I treat my core like any other muscle; therefore I dedicate a full day to just working on my core. A normal day would include about 30 minutes of cardio, followed by about 45 minutes to an hour of of core exercises. I know many people who do core exercises every day for about 10 minutes after their workouts, but at least in my case, I have found that truly focusing hard on my abs, obliques, and lower back and exhausting them only 2-3 days a week gives me the results I would like to see.