1. Biography
• Name: Kailash Persaud
• Age: 25
• Height: 5ft 7in
• Weight (Contest): 122-125 lbs.
• Weight (Off-Season): 135 lbs.
• Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
• Gym: Goodlife Fitness
• Profession: Full-time University student; Gym Member Ambassador; Model
2. What got you started in bodybuilding/fitness?
I come from a family that rewarded excellence with sweets and sickness or disappointment with “cheer me up” dinners. While growing up, nutrition and fitness were overlooked as important life lessons, and did not get the attention and respect that it now has today. At 18 years of age, 190 lbs. and wearing size 13 jeans, I couldn’t understand why I was so heavy.
I always attributed it to my genetics and my ethnicity. I was always an outdoorsy type of girl, actively involved in sports: basketball, cricket, squash, badminton, martial arts - yet the weight would not come off. Shopping for clothes was a chore and I even remember times where I’d stand in the change room crying because the biggest sized pants the store carried would not fit me. I was ready to try anything (including those shock therapy belts to stimulate fat loss - ouch)!
At age 18, I left Trinidad to come to Canada to complete my tertiary level of education. I finally decided to join a gym, at age 21. I started doing my own research into workout plans and nutrition for weight loss. Through further research and reading, I came across the physiques of women such as Pauline Nordin, Gina Aliotti and Monica Brant and I was blown away! I fell in love with their strong, contoured definition and poise. That was what I wanted my physique to look like and to look like that, I would have to adapt an intensive weight training routine. I fell head-over-heels in love with fitness and bodybuilding after I lost my first 10 lbs. and when I picked up a pair of dumbbells and saw my biceps pop.
3. What keeps you motivated to train?
Listening to the special “Get Kai Pumped” playlist on my iPod always gets me amped up for training! In addition, I love to sweat, I love the pump and I love the rush from training. The gym is the place I go when I need to get away from it all to release frustration, and I always leaving feeling 10 times better than I did before. I love watching my body transform, and testing my limits. I get excited about setting and surpassing goals I set out for myself. There’s a certain feeling of pride I get walking into a weight room dominated by males and not feeling one ounce of intimidation. Because of my training, my confidence level has sky rocketed. Setting exact time framed goals is a great motivational tool— in that, it allows me to visualize my success and push forward to achieve and overcome that challenge. Fitness for me is a way of life and living, although it helps to have a strong support system of friends, family, fans, well-wishers and an ever enthusiastic, proud boyfriend, to give me that extra push and encouragement when I need it most.
4. What workout plan has worked best for you?
My training varies year round. Essentially, I stick to basic bodybuilding exercises (1 warm up set, 3 or 4 working sets each at 6-12 reps) and put together a 6-week training schedule designed to target my weak points. Then after six weeks I will change a few things around, switch exercises (so my body does not get used to a routine workout) and probably incorporate some triple drop sets or pyramids. A typical week looks like this:
Monday: Shoulders/Triceps
Tuesday: Back/Biceps
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Abs/Hamstrings/Glutes
Friday: Shoulders/Abs
Saturday: Legs/Calves (focusing on hamstrings)
Sunday: Off
I train shoulders and hamstrings two times a week and abs two to three times a week. One of those times I train heavy and the other lighter. I’m focusing on squeezing and isolating movements instead of heavy training.
My cardio varies on and off-season. Off-season I do four sessions a week of 30 minutes per session. On-season, depending on where my body is at, I start with one session five to six times a week and continue to build up to seven days a week, twice-a-day 45 minute sessions. I use the step mill and treadmill on a 15 percent incline for the majority of my cardio.
5. What is your philosophy about cardio?
I think cardio is a vastly misunderstood. Cardio is a great way to raise your heart rate to strengthen your heart, burn calories to aid in weight loss, increase your lung capacity and so on. But the same can be said for high intensity circuit weight training. Since I consume a healthy diet year-round (with my competition diet being stricter with regard to quantitative portion measurements and amounts of macronutrients), four days of cardio per week for 30 minute sessions is good enough to keep me at a comfortable weight and keep my heart healthy. If I want to kick it up a notch, I can do weight training circuits (at light to moderate weight), that also allows me to get my heart pumping, but is not necessarily good for quality muscle mass building.
6. What is your philosophy about weight training?
Weight training NEEDS to be incorporated into a weight management routine. The more muscle you build, the more you increase your metabolism and the more fat/ energy you burn. Weight training isn’t just about building round muscles, but it strengthens muscle, ligaments and tendons of the body. Right now I’m dealing with years of not giving my legs / glutes real attention weight training wise – and they are underdeveloped in comparison to the rest of my body.
7. Do you prefer HIIT or steady state cardio?
Both HIIT and steady-rate cardio will get the job done of getting your heart pumping. However, I find that for weight loss, HIIT gives the best results. When you think of a car on the highway, you burn more gas slowing down and then revving up to high speeds in a cyclic manner, than if you were simply cruising at one speed. The same goes for the body. I choose steady state cardio over HIIT when I just don’t have the energy or mental focus for it and if my muscles are sore. Also, I tend not to do lengthy sessions of HIIT training—maybe 20 minutes after an initial ten minute warm-up.
8. What are your top 5 favorite exercises?
Dips, chin-ups, squats, incline hammer curls and deadlifts.
9. What is your philosophy about nutrition?
First and foremost, diet and nutrition go hand in hand; it is 100 percent diet and 100 percent exercise when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. If your goal is weight loss or muscle building, you’re not going to get much out of your training if it is not accompanied by a well structured, balanced diet (diet meaning anything you put into your mouth), in addition to consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, and drinking lots of water. Foods in their natural state, which are not processed, are best. Also, eating small meals every few hours is essential for boosting your metabolism. This will also make you less likely to feel hungry or binge. What you put into your body is what you get out of it.
10. What nutrition plan has worked best for you?
I eat 5-6 small meals a day, and although I do not count calories, I do practice portion control. I do try to consume between 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body mass per day. In the past, I followed a purely low carb diet, getting most of my carbs from oatmeal and sweet potatoes, and keeping them restricted for the first two or three meals for the day.
I get my protein sources mostly from chicken breast, protein shakes and egg whites and I eat lots of green vegetables. My fats come from a combination of those already in the lean protein sources and additionally I supplement with fish oil. With the help of my nutrition coach, Tamara Vahn, I am now following a more balanced 50% 40% 10% diet—sometimes with some carb cycling, which keeps my energy high and allows me to train harder. I have learned not to eliminate or be afraid of carbohydrates or healthy fats for that matter.
11. What is your favorite cheat food?
Pizza and real, home-style Caribbean food.
12. What is your favorite health food?
Asparagus and lean ground turkey, browned with a hint of curry.
13. What supplements have given you the greatest gains?
Whey protein with glutamine.
14. What does your pre and post workout nutrition consist of?
Again, my nutrition varies year-round. Usually, I have a light high protein meal about an hour before working out (which can be in the form of a shake) and a nitric oxide supplement and a serving of glutamine before I weight train. Post workout, I consume a protein shake with a serving of branched-chain amino acids and if I’m working on muscle building, I’ll add a serving of waxy maize to the mix.
15. Which tools have helped you most with your nutrition and training?
I can say that nutrition is my biggest hurdle. I have no idea how to eat for my body type and to supplement my training. The tools that help me most with regard to nutrition are my diet coach, Tamara Vahn, my food tote / cooler and my food scale. I know what healthy food is, and I know that I should consume between1-2 grams of protein per pound of mass, but I don’t know about food timing and combinations to help get the most out of my diet. Tamara is a Godsend with regard to that aspect, and having a food scale allows me to keep track of exactly how much macronutrients I’m getting and my caloric intake. I usually prep my meals in bulk at the start of the week and simply weigh out the exact amounts of protein, carbs and fats in each of my 5-6 meals. I portion them out in Tupperware the night before and then pack them in my tote before I leave home the next day.
The training tools that help me the most are the mirror and a combination of research (from articles on the internet, magazines and books) and trial and error. Also, establishing a strong mind-muscle connection and being in tune to what my body is telling me is key.
16. Have online resources (social networks) helped you in your training? If so, what are they and how have they helped you?
Online social networks have helped me tremendously over the years (Bodybuilding.com, Muscledog.com, Facebook.com, etc.). Study after study proves that individuals are more successful with their weight loss and fitness goals when they have the support of friends and / or family. Social networks are a great way for me to post my progress and results and receive constructive feedback. In addition, having people tell me how outstanding my progress has been is a big confidence booster, and only serves to encourage me to keep going.
There are also some social networks that allow you to keep online journals and record your stats, so that you can track your progress over time. The individuals that you invite on your journey will be able to read your journal and also post their own messages to help support and motivate you. You can also share your site stats with your friends, like when you last submitted a workout log, how often you login, etc. All of this creates a level of accountability for you, which is very beneficial to fitness success.
17. Where is the first place you turn to when looking for training / fitness / nutrition advice?
The absolute first place would be internet articles and online forums. There is an overwhelming amount of information available on the web; I just need to patiently pick out the pertinent and reliable info. If I’m still unsure at that point, I’ll seek the help of peers within the fitness industry who are willing to share their expertise on the matter. MuscleDog.com, for instance, is a fantastic online community which offers some terrific fitness and nutrition based articles, member journals/ blogs, videos and forums where you’re certain to receive constructive feedback and advice on posted topics.
18. Who are your favorite fitness/bodybuilder competitors or role models?
I have great respect for all the male and female competitors in the fitness industry: bodybuilders, figure and fitness competitors alike. It takes a great deal of drive, desire, determination and dedication to compete, and it only gets harder as you get closer to Pro-rank status. I have an image folder on my laptop dedicated to some of the most awesome physiques I’ve seen over the years. These images are visual motivators for me to achieve my personal best. Among these include: Gina Aliotti, Pauline Nordin, Valarie Waugaman, Ava Cowan, Iris Kyle, Mindy O’Brien, Diana Tyuleneva, Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, Kai Greene, Dexter Jackson, Milos Sarcev and after the 2010 Arnold—Roelly Winklaar and Phil Heath were added to the list.
I have to mention that I am the absolute biggest fan of amateur bodybuilder “Razor” Renaldo Gairy! He has been my biggest motivator and my mentor since I’ve decided to compete. He is currently preparing for the 2010 CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships on August 14, 2010 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to earn his Pro status.
19. What obstacles have you had to overcome (injury, illness, relationships etc)?
Initially, family and some of my friends didn’t understand why I would choose to “punish” my body and spend so much time at the gym and prepping meals and fawning over the sport. I remember some of my male friends were intimidated by the fact that I was potentially stronger than them and looked the part too. A boyfriend in a past relationship would comment on me being too veiny and that my breasts were shrinking (due to fat loss, granted I was previously small chested anyway). He would demand that I lift lighter weight and was not supportive of my dreams of becoming a figure competitor.
I’ve had to deal with the good and the not so good commentary on my physique. Some people love the muscular, lean physique and some people prefer a softer, less muscular build. I take it all in stride, and am happy with the way I’ve shaped my body over the years and will continue to do so for some time to come. I have been told that I am an inspiration to many people: friends, family and fans (especially to women who have a similar body shape to the one I had prior to ever having had started training). The consensus is that most people appreciate the time, energy, hard work and dedication that it takes to be in shape (and most particularly in competition shape) and it makes me happy that I can be an inspiration to people in their individual quests toward pursuing their health and fitness goals.
20. What was the biggest mistake you made when you first started training?
As I mentioned before, when I first started training, it was primarily because I was overweight. When I finally decided to join a gym, the majority of “skinny” women I observed were always tearing away at the cardio equipment (especially the treadmills), so logically I came to the conclusion that cardio (and cardio alone) = beautiful, lean, toned body.
A large part of this was also due to my ignorance in the field of health and fitness. I did lose some serious weight through cardio alone, but it wasn’t long before my weight loss plateaued and I still didn’t have that tight body that I craved. I should mention that I am, or was rather, pear shaped, which meant that I carried the exaggerated majority of my weight in my lower body (hips, glutes and thighs) – saddlebags galore! When I dropped the initial few pounds, I simply became a smaller version of the “pear” I was before.
I started doing my own research into workout plans for weight loss and “toning”…. Lo and behold, just about every site I logged onto mentioned some form of weight training to aid in attaining my health and fitness goals. The more muscle I built, the more my metabolism was boosted. The other mistake I made (and still often catch myself doing) is being over-enthusiastic with training. Just because I put in long hours training, does not mean I’ll see greater results; on the contrary - training for more than an hour is actually counter-productive. This is because cortisol levels are increased and this causes muscle wasting. If you continue training, you will be burning muscle for energy at the same time you’re lifting weights to try and build muscle!
The biggest mistake of all was not getting my daily 7-8 hours of sleep requirement. As a student, I spend long nights studying and wake up early in the morning to prepare for classes. I would get on average 4-5 hours of sleep per night. While you sleep, your body produces the most growth hormone, therefore the more sleep you get, the faster your muscles will heal and recover from exercise.
21. What tips would you give to a beginner?
The most important thing to remember is that nutrition and exercise go hand-in-hand; it’s 100 percent diet and 100 percent exercise. I cannot stress enough how important research is in your quest to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle. There’s a world of accessible information out there, so take advantage of it. Don’t take the word of one person to be gospel. Do some research and form your own opinion. You see, what works for one person may not necessarily work for you. There are different approaches to nutrition and training that take into account your age, height, sex, body composition, goals and even ethnicity.
A lot of the things we learn are through trial and error. There are millions of people on the same quest that you are; if they can achieve their personal goals, so can you. If you’re uncertain of what to do at first, and do not have the time and patience for trial and error and research, at least take the time to find a qualified and reputable trainer to guide you on your way toward achieving your personal health and fitness aspirations. You are defined by the limitation you place on yourself; you get out exactly what you put in. Keep pushing through!
22. What are your future fitness goals?
I am simply excited to see how far I can take my physique as a natural athlete. I am working on becoming Can-Fit-Pro certified this year (2010) and will complete my degree in Biochemistry in 2011. I plan to compete as a figure athlete for some years to come and my goal is to become a CBBF Pro. With my educational background, I want to promote myself, within the industry, as a competitor, motivator, teacher and trainer.
This year, I plan to compete in three events and I’m currently four weeks out from the first show (as of April 25th, 2010) – wish me well!
23. Where can we find you on MuscleDog.com?
My MuscleDog username is SENGARI . Be sure to check out my profile for before and after photos, stats and more!
