Fitness Model & Gym Owner: Interview with Whitney Reid
Below is an interview I did with Whitney Reid about how he balances being a gym owner and fitness model. Enjoy!
Can you give us some background information on yourself, who is Whitney Reid?
Whitney Reid: I grew up in Farmville VA, a small town in central VA, where there was nothing to do but play sports. I started weight training when I was 13 to prepare for football at Fuqua High School. There I was a 3-year varsity starter and went on to play for Hampden Sydney College, where I majored in history. While attending HSC, I also took classes at Longwood University in Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology and various health classes. The classes I was taking in addition to my training in football led to my interest in owning a gym and making fitness a career. During my senior year in college, I opened my first gym with my brother. Juggling classes, football and the responsibilities of owning the gym was definitely challenging but also very satisfying.
In 2004, my partners and I took things to the next level and purchased an existing gym in Richmond VA, Wolfgang’s Gym, where many competitive pros and amateur bodybuilders train. By getting the chance to work out with these guys I learned to train and diet for bodybuilding instead of the sport specific training I was used to. I started training with Curtis while he was preparing for the 2005 NPC Nationals and traveled with him to all major bodybuilding shows. This led me to my introduction Hany Rambod at the 2006 North America’s.
How did you get started in the industry and get noticed?
Whitney Reid: I started training with Hany soon after our introduction with my mindset competing in bodybuilding. After training with him for about a year we shifted our focus from bodybuilding to fitness modeling. Hany felt that because I was 6’3” and stayed fairly lean all year I would be a better fit in the fitness modeling industry instead of competitive bodybuilding. I took my first test photos in July 2008 in Vegas at the NPC USA’s. Photographer, Bill Comstock approached me and wanted to shoot a couple photos. The photos were featured in FitnessRX Magazine online and from there I was contacted to shoot the cover of the January issue of FitnessRX. That cover led to photo shoots in January of this year the cover and features in both Ironman and REPS magazine – those should be coming out soon. Most recently I did a shoot in March for a super feature in Muscle & Fitness, which will be coming out this summer.
What is your favorite part of being in the health and fitness industry?
Whitney Reid: As a personal trainer and gym owner I enjoy helping motivate people to reach their fitness goals and educating them on nutrition and how to live a healthy lifestyle. I have 25 clients, men and women, ranging in age from 15-65. My clients have a wide variety of motivating factors that brought them to the gym. Whether its weight loss, strength training or sport specific, I take pride in designing unique training programs to help my clients reach their specific goals.
You are obviously not camera shy. In fact, you just got done shooting for Muscle & Fitness (again, show off). What’s it like doing all these photo shoots?
Whitney Reid: Wow, where do I begin? First off I love every aspect of doing a photo shoot, from the intense training, dieting and mental focus it takes to get prepared, all the way down to actually doing the shoots. It’s definitely a tough process to go through but I know all my hard work will show on the day of the shoot. This past shoot for Muscle and Fitness was extremely tough. We did a super feature, consisting of 42 exercises over two days. I know, when I tell people that doing a photo shoot is tough, they laugh at me. “How tough can it be taking pictures??” I get that all the time. But imagine going through an intense leg or back training routine and have it last for 6 hours!! It’s not easy but I enjoy every minute of it. This past year (even though I have been on a constant diet) has absolutely been the best year of my life. I’ve been able to shoot for all the top magazines in the fitness industry. All the photographers have been great to work for, all unique in their own way.
Do you schedule your own photo shoots primarily, or do people contact you?
Whitney Reid: FitnessRX contacted me for my first shoot. From there it was a combination of both me networking at bodybuilding shows and expos and Hany getting in touch with photographers.
You train with Hany Rambod. Could you tell us a little bit about what your workouts look like? Could you tell us a little about his FST-7 training? Do you workouts change based on if you have a shoot coming up?
Whitney Reid: Training with Hany over the past year and a half has been great. Hany introduced me to FST-7, his method of training while preparing for my first shoot. FST-7 is a training system he created after years of research and trial and error with his clients. FST stands for Fascia Stretch Training, and the concept of this training method is to perform 7 sets of 15 reps with only a 30-second rest on the last exercise of whatever body part you are training. This program is designed to stretch the fascia tissue which will allow maximum muscle growth by bringing as many vitamins, minerals, amino acids, oxygen etc into the muscle. FST-7 will create the look of a nice full round muscle with distinctive lines and separation. FST-7 training has completely transformed my body and helped me build quality muscle. Here what a typical leg routine for me:
Leg Ext 3×12 warm up
Leg Curl 5×10 warm up
Squats 3×10
Hack Squats 4×12
Calf Raises 5×10
Hammer Strength Leg Press FST 7 style 7×15 30 sec rest between sets (not for the weak at heart)
FST-7 training gives me the most insane pumps in whatever muscle group I’m training. If you have a stubborn body part that doesn’t seem like it will grow, try FST-7 for a few weeks, I guarantee you’ll see results!!! For more about FST-7 check out Hany’s website, www.hanyrambod.com.
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As for changes in my training, I stay pretty consistent with my workouts through the year, whether I have a shoot coming up or not. The only changes I make when training for a photoshoot, is the intensity and duration of my cardio. In the “off season,” I do cardio 5 days per week, 30 minutes on the treadmill. Starting 4 weeks out from a shoot, I bump up cardio to 45 minutes first thing in the morning (4 am) and then another 30-minute session in the afternoon.
What does your diet look like and does it change throughout the year based on when you have photo shoots?
Whitney Reid: My meal plan has been more consistent over the past year while training for photo shoots. I want to be ready on short notice should any opportunities arise. My meal plan does not vary much throughout the year. Most of the year my diet consist of moderate carb, low fat and high protein with an occasional cheat meal. When I diet for a photo shoot I drop carbs, raise protein and keep fat intake the same. This is an example of my diet 4 weeks out from a photo shoot:
Meal 1- 12 egg whites 1/2c oatmeal plain
Meal 2 – 8oz ground turkey 99% lean, 3oz sweet potato,
Meal 3 – Protein shake (no carbs)
Meal 4 – 8 oz tilapia, 1/2c rice, 1c broccoli
Meal 5 – 8oz tilapia, 1/2c broccoli
Meal 6 – 12 egg whites
For my final week before a shoot, every meal consists of ground turkey or tilapia, removing all egg whites and protein shakes – I like to stick to all whole foods the week before my shoot. This has been extremely tough for me because I’m a junk food addict – especially Krispy Kremes donuts hot off the press!! I think I might challenge my friend Alicia Marie (fitness model) to a donut-eating contest when I get a break from my diet.
What supplements do you personally take? I hear a product introduced to you by Hany called Evo is amazing. Can you tell us a little bit about that product as well?
Whitney Reid: Well let’s start off with the biggest secret in the supplement world first, EVOp1alph, also known as EVO. This is a supplement created by Hany and he told me that I was allowed to “let the cat out of the bag” and give a brief description of his product. EVO is a blend of the highest quality BCAAs and creatine ethyl ester malate that delivers the most intense fascia-stretching pump you could ever imagine. EVO is taken both pre-workout to maximize your training and post workout to help with recovery after intense training like FST-7. I can personally say from experience that I have never taken a supplement like EVO, my muscles stay full all day long, even while on an extremely low carb diet. The raw materials used to create EVO are of such high quality the absorption rate and bioavailability are like no other product on the market today.
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Athletes of all kinds have tested this stuff – from the bodybuilders that Hany trains to endurance athletes and all have given Evo excellent reviews for increased intensity levels during their workouts and recovery from soreness. Hany plans on releasing EVO to the public within the next few weeks. Be on the lookout for EVOs trademark double helix logo, he will also be releasing more high-quality supplements in the near future.
I also take MET-Rx meal replacement powders, Cytosport whey protein, Sport Formula Vitamin packs, 100% pure egg whites, and MRM Smart Blend.
How about some insight on photo shoots… Do you have any preparation tips or tricks to help out those looking to break through in the industry and possibly one day land themselves a cover?
Whitney Reid: Well, what I have learned so far is to set up as many shoots as possible while you’re in shape and never let yourself get too far off of photo shoot shape, you never know when the next magazine might call. Also, you really have to take control of your career -don’t sit back and wait for emails and calls from magazines or photographers. Get to as many bodybuilding shows and fitness expos as you can to network with photographers and others in the fitness industry. If you don’t take an aggressive role in promoting yourself to magazines, photographers or supplement companies, who else will?
If you had to pick just one, what do you enjoy more between photo shoots and having your own gym?
Whitney Reid: This is a very tough question, I’m not sure if I could choose between the two. Both are very important to me but in different ways. Owning my own gym along with personal training allows me to teach others to live a healthy lifestyle and help them achieve their goals. As far as doing photo shoots, I love the exposure and feeling of accomplishment after training for weeks for the shoot. I hope the exposure I receive from the magazine covers becomes a platform for me to train, teach and coach others interested in the fitness industry.
If you weren’t in the fitness industry, what would you be doing?
Whitney Reid: Honestly, this is a very tough question to answer, fitness is truly my passion and I’m not sure if I can imagine not being involved in the industry. I guess I would be a high school teacher and coach football. I coached JV football when I was in college and enjoyed having a positive impact on the student-athletes. Sports were a major part of my life for many years and it’s similar to bodybuilding as far as training, dedication, and mental strength. It might sound strange but I love pushing my body to limits! It’s amazing what the human body can do with determination.
Is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you get to where you are today?
Whitney Reid: It would be tough to name anyone in particular that has helped me get to where I am today. There are many coaches, family members and friends that have had a positive influence on my life. Whether its training, dieting, finances or any other aspect of life I think it is important for you to have someone experienced to coach/teach/encourage you to achieve your goals.
Is there anything you would like to add to this interview that we haven’t covered that you would like the readers to know?
Whitney Reid: I’m truly blessed to have had all of these opportunities. This past year has been such a rush. I love being a part of the fitness industry, especially meeting great people along the way to network with and share stories and fitness tips. I’m a huge fan of the sport and this is my way of connecting with the fitness world. I aspire to write and be more involved in the fitness industry. I hope that this is only the beginning for me.
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