1. Biography
• Name: Nick Grest
• Age: 24
• Height: 5’9”
• Weight (Contest): 178 lbs.
• Weight (Off-Season): 207 lbs.
• Body Fat: Approx. 4.5 %
• Hometown: Independence, LA
• Gym: North Cypress Fitness, Southeastern Louisiana University
• Profession: Personal Trainer, Student
2. What got you started in bodybuilding/fitness?
I got serious into bodybuilding when I was 18 years old and started college at LSU. Growing up I always wanted to be big, but when I was young I was just an overweight kid. Then I went on a diet when I was about 10 years old and lost a lot of weight, but then I was just a small kid. I worked out on and off throughout high school, but I ran cross country and track so I never was able to get into a good routine and put on serious mass.
Once I got to college I decided to get serious about my training and started to learn more about proper exercise, supplementation and nutrition. After working out for about five years, I finally decided to step up on stage at my first bodybuilding competition, Power Shack Classic. I won my division, which was Lightweight Novice.
3. What keeps you motivated to train?
I just love how being healthy makes me feel and look. I love that I have energy all the time when most people get exhausted just by walking around the block or up a couple flights of stairs. Humans aren’t meant to be sedentary and to sit on the couch all the time eating chips and being unhealthy. They are meant to get out there and live their life to the fullest.
4. What workout plan has worked best for you?
I have used many different workout plans throughout the years. I have found that high volume and high intensity workouts work best for me. I concentrate on getting the biggest pump I can and I tend not to focus too much on the amount of weight that I use. I find that proper form goes a long way, and that 10 reps with excellent form and lighter weight is far superior to 10 reps with decent form and slightly higher weight. I am always chasing the pump and I believe the more blood flow you can get to the muscles, the better you are working them.
Here is a sample workout plan when I am trying to cut body fat for a competition or photo shoot. I like to work opposing body parts such as chest and biceps on one day and back and triceps the next. This way I can superset, keep the pace faster, and keep my heart rate up to give me a cardio effect while working out. When I am dieting and cutting down, I actually do abs every day (but mostly non-weighted exercises such as basic crunches, leg lifts, hip thrusts, oblique crunches, etc).
I believe that the hardest part of getting abs is just doing abs. Even though it seems simple, you just have to remember that the abs are a tough muscle and they need a lot of volume training to get results. Also, I do cardio about five days a week, starting at about 20-25 minutes during the first week and working my way up to 45-60 minutes at a time.
Monday – Chest and Biceps
• Barbell Bench Press: 2 warm up sets of 15, 4 working sets - 12, 8, 6, 12 reps
• Superset Dumbbell Bench Press and Straight Bar Curls: 4 sets – 12, 8, 6, 12 reps
• Superset Incline Cable Flies and Hammer Curls: 4 sets – 12, 12, 8, 8 reps (drop set on last set of flies)
• Superset Flat Cable Flies and One Hand Cable Curls: 4 sets – 12, 12, 8 reps, drop set on last set of both exercises
• Preacher Cable Curls: 3 sets – 12, 10 reps, drop set on last set
Tuesday – Back and Triceps
• Wide Grip Pull-ups: 40-50 reps in as few sets as possible
• Wide Grip Pulldowns: 3 sets – 10, 8, 6 reps
• Superset Underhand Bent-Over Rows and Cable Skull Crushers: 4 sets – 12, 12, 10, 8 reps
• Superset Neutral Grip Pulldowns and Close Grip Bench: 4 sets – 12, 10, 8, 8 (drop set on last set of pulldowns)
• Superset Wide Grip Cable Rows and Underhand Cable Tricep Pulldowns: 4 sets – 12, 10, 10 reps, drop set on last set
• V-bar Tricep Pulldowns: 3 sets – 12, 10 reps, drop set on last set
Wednesday – Shoulders
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 2 warm up sets of 15 reps, 5 working sets – 15, 15, 12, 12, 10 reps
• Tri-sets of Rear Delt Raises, Upright Rows and Side Lateral Raises: 4 sets of each – 12, 12, 10 reps and drop sets on last set of each exercise
• Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 sets of 12-18 reps, slow reps with pause at the top
Thursday – Legs
• Bench Squats: 2 warm up sets of 12, 5 working sets – 12, 10, 8, 6, 12 reps
• Superset Leg Press and Step Ups – 5 sets – 12, 12, 12, 10, 8 reps
• Superset Leg Extensions and Leg Curls – 3 sets – 15, 12 reps, drop set on last set
• Calf Raises: 5 sets of 15-20 reps
Friday
• Alternating between Monday and Tuesday’s workout.
5. What is your philosophy about cardio?
I have to do a lot of cardio when I am dieting down for a competition or photo shoot. I
try to split it up into two sessions if I can—doing about 30 minutes first thing in the morning before I eat breakfast, and then about 30 more minutes after I finish my workout.
6. What is your philosophy about weight training?
Pretty much my philosophy is to train hard and smart, that’s really it. You have to remember that there is a big difference in what a normal person defines as a “workout” and what someone who wants to succeed physically and obtain a great physique should define as a “workout.”
7. Do you prefer HIIT or steady state cardio?
I do mostly steady state cardio in the morning if I am doing cardio before breakfast since you can burn too much muscle being that you have nothing in your stomach. When I do cardio after my workout, I will do more HIIT to help burn some extra fat.
8. What are your top 5 favorite exercises?
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks
• Hammer Curls
• Bench Press
• Close Grip Bench Press
9. What is your philosophy about nutrition?
Very similar to what I said on training…there is a difference in what a normal person eats when they are “dieting” and what you need to eat when you are “dieting” if you want to succeed. It’s more difficult to diet hard than it is to train hard in my opinion. You have to remember that if it were easy, then everyone would be ripped and huge.
10. What nutrition plan has worked best for you?
I eat pretty clean all year long, even when I am trying to gain weight. Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t get some fast food or Chinese food every now and then when bulking, but throughout the day I keep it pretty clean. I go for high protein and carbs, while keeping fats relatively low when I am bulking. My diet gets extremely strict when I am cutting down though. When dieting down, I prefer to do high protein, low carbs and moderate healthy fats. I also do carb cycling while cutting, which I believe works great for me, I would generally have 1 high carb day a week, 3 very low days, and 3 moderate carb days a week.
Here is a sample diet for one of my low-carb days:
Meal 1: Breakfast
• 8 egg whites, 2 egg yolks, fat free cheddar cheese, 2 pieces whole grain toast
• 50 grams protein, 20 grams carbs
Meal 2
• Whey protein shake with water
• 50 grams protein, 4 grams carbs
Meal 3
• 8oz chicken breast with ½ cup green beans
• 45 grams protein, 5 grams carbs
Meal 4: Pre-Workout Meal
• Whey protein shake with water and 1 peanut butter sandwich
• 50 grams protein, 25 grams carbs
Meal 5: Immediately Post-Workout
• Whey protein shake with water and 1 medium banana
• 50 grams protein, 30 grams carbs
Meal 5: Dinner
• 8oz ground beef and turkey with small salad
• 45 grams protein, 2 grams carbs
Meal 6: Before Bed
• 8 egg whites, 2 yolks, and fat free cheddar cheese
• 40 grams protein, 0 grams carbs
11. What is your favorite cheat food?
Chinese food, pizza, ice cream, Taco Bell.
12. What is your favorite health food?
Oatmeal, steak, peanut butter, protein shakes, homemade chili.
13. What supplements have given you the greatest gains?
I am not a huge supplement guy. I mean, yes they do help, but I do not buy into all the hype of these new “amazing” supplements…so I just stick to the basics. Of course I drink whey protein or weight gainer protein shakes throughout the day to keep my protein intake high, and I always take a multi vitamin and five fish oil pills a day to help with cholesterol and my joints.
Other than those, I like a good pre-workout supplement like NO Shotgun or Monster Pump NOS to give me energy and get me in “the zone” for my workouts. I also take some creatine after my workouts to help me recover and help take away the worry that I may be overtraining. The last thing that I sometimes add in is a BCAA powder like XTend when I am cutting down. Since I am on such a restricted diet, I think it helps you preserve muscle while dieting and doing a lot of cardio.
Sample day of supplements:
Morning
1 multivitamin and 2 fish oil pills
Pre-workout
1 scoop Monster Pump NOS and 2 fish oil pills
Post-workout
1 scoop Green Magnitude
Before Bed
1 fish oil pill
14. What does your pre and post workout nutrition consist of?
About an hour or so before I work out, I will get a light meal with some protein and carbs to give me an energy boost (typically a peanut butter sandwich and a protein shake). For my post workout, I will take in another shake and either another sandwich or sometimes a banana to get some fast carbs in.
15. Which tools have helped you most with your nutrition and training?
Always trying new techniques and ideas and staying knowledgeable. I read a lot in magazines and online about workouts and diets. But also you have to realize that what works for someone else, won’t necessarily work for you. You just have to experiment.
16. Have online resources (social networks) helped you in your training?
I read up on sites such as MuscleDog.com, Bodybuilding.com and several different forums to help educate me on new methods and techniques.
17. Where is the first place you turn to when looking for training / fitness / nutrition advice?
First, fellow competitors and then second, online. If I have a specific thing that I need advice on, I normally Google the topic and read several forum posts about the subject. If I can’t find it, then I will post my question on a couple forums.
18. Who are your favorite fitness/bodybuilder competitors or role models?
My favorite bodybuilders are mostly old school guys such as Arnold of course (bodybuilding would not be where it is today without Arnold Schwarzenegger). I am also a huge fan of Lou Ferrigno because of all he overcame, his sheer size, and the fact that I get told at least once a week that I look like him as well. I also like Frank Zane because he was able to look huge while being under 200 pounds.
19. What obstacles have you had to overcome?
I have been fortunate to not have any major injuries, although I do have bad elbows and knees. But by taking a lot of fish oil, they have not limited me too much. I do sometimes get pulled muscles or strained tendons, but you just have to know when to rest something and when you can push through it. My training and dieting has cost me some troubles with relationships and even cut into my studying in the past, but you just have to remember what your overall goal is in this life.
20. What was the biggest mistake you made when you first started training?
Overtraining, not eating enough & clean enough and not enough sleep. Three big mistakes, but very easy to fix.
21. What tips would you give to a beginner?
One tip that I want to give other bodybuilders is to remember that it takes time, and that if it was easy, then everyone would be in great shape. Just stick to your exercise and nutrition plan and you will accomplish your goals in time. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do, only you can decide what you are capable of, and always remember, “Life is what you make it.”
22. What are your future fitness goals?
I think that I am done competing for this year but I have one photo shoot already scheduled in the next couple weeks. I want to do as many shoots and competitions next year as possible to help spread my name and image. Also, I hope to get my website, www.GrestFitness.com better known. I sell personalized workout and nutrition plans on my site that I personally write up to meet the individual’s needs, experience, time frame, and goals. It has been up for a couple months but I have not yet been able to get the word out there properly yet. I hope that I can soon so that I can help others to accomplish their own health, fitness, and lifestyle goals.
23. Where can we find you on MuscleDog.com?
Check out my profile TheStatue for more info!