FEATUREJARROD BEST WITH

CSM: The last couple of years were labeled as a rollercoaster ride with full of twists and probably surprises. How did you show your resiliency?

It was definitely a rollercoaster but prepping for shows really kept my mind in one place and I was able to focus on me and forget about the craziness of the world for a bit.

CSM: What’s the best course of action to take in the face of uncertainty?

I tend to live in the moment, so if I’m not sure on something I’m not afraid to just let what happens happen. In the end of the day the world will keep on spinning.

CSM: Professionally speaking, how can you exude being decisive?

It’s not always about knowing the right decision. Its knowing if your decision is wrong you can own up to it and deal with the consequences. If you’re alright with that then you should never be afraid to make the decisions when everyone else stands back.

CSM: What comeback goals do you want to achieve in 2022?

This year is my growing year. Being the first off season with my coach Leon Strensholm, I plan on putting some proper muscle mass on with good density to get me into the next level in this industry.

CSM: Define confidence and being sexy. Being sexy and being confident really just means loving yourself and being smart enough to not let peoples judgments cloud your vision. If you know in your mind that you’re looking your best and feeling your best you won’t be afraid by the judgment of others. Because the only reason they’ll be judging you is for being your best and sometimes they will never get to that level.

CSM: How do you standout in a fast-paced and competitive industry?

Being able to stand out can be very hard. Everyday there’s a new challenge, a new trend, a new record but sticking to myself and just doing me has seemed to do the trick. I just have to make sure I have my hands in everything from TikTok to YouTube. Where I live, there aren’t too many people doing what I’m doing. There are people that look good and go to the gym but don’t go to the level of competing as a bodybuilder, so I think a lot of people from here like seeing that content.

CSM: Career-wise, how can someone be a good influence to others?

People love to see success but not many people see the work behind the success. It’s like when people call these multi-millionaires an “overnight success” but it still took them 10 years of work behind the scenes to get there… If you can show people the hard work and what it really takes I believe that is the best influence. There’s no such thing as a shortcut in anything. If you want something, you have to work for it and that’s the way life is. Seeing how hard someone can push themselves for what they want is what I get influenced and motivated by.

CSM: What vital lessons can you share to young people? Don’t follow everyone else. If they’re partying every weekend that doesn’t mean you have to. If they’re doing drugs, that doesn’t mean you have to. What I’m getting at is if you would rather stay at home and try perfect something of your own and try reach that goal don’t be afraid to tell people “no” because I know for a fact your dreams won’t come true unless you work for them and I don’t think your dreams will come true in a nightclub.

CSM: What do you think is the role of food or nutrition in healthy living? Nutrition means everything in healthy living. Food and nutrition can change your mood, composure, everything. After going through prep I learnt how much food plays a role in your lifestyle. Having a healthy stable diet with efficient macros for what you want to achieve, whether you’re gaining, maintaining or losing weight having the proper diet will not only make you feel better but make your goals 10 times easier to achieve. You can train your ass off every day but if you don’t have the right diet it can almost be pointless.

CSM: How can you maintain your consistency of weight or shape? For me specifically, maintaining weight would involve training constantly fairly hard with a steady calorie intake. If I burn around the exact calories, I consume and I am training hard I would be able to maintain the physique I have.

CSM: What fitness goals do you want to attain?

The goal at the moment is to put on some dense muscle mass for my next shows, so it involves a lot of heavy compound movements.

CSM: What exercises do you consider fundamental?

I consider all compound movements to be fundamental but if I had to choose one it would be the deadlift. The deadlift is a movement that can change your physique so rapidly if you are training heavy with proper form.

CSM: What gym etiquette that people must follow?

Always be respectful to others no matter what their experience is. We all start somewhere so there’s no need to judge others for trying. Being nice to others goes a long way, because for some the gym is a very intimidating place.

CSM: When you’re stressed, how do you manage it?

The biggest stress relief for me is either training at the gym or being able to sit down and spend some time with my partner. Being able to sit and talk to the person closest to you every day and letting them know if something is on your mind is something that should be cherished.

CSM: Expound why mental health matters in the digital age.

Mental strength is needed now more than ever, especially with COVID-19. Seeing photos of your favourite stars and influencers living their best lives can be hard to see sometimes especially when it’s something you might not necessarily have. But what we mentally need to understand is that there’s no such thing as a life better than yours. It’s your life so just know that you need to live it at its best without worrying about others.

CSM: Simplify if mental and physical health are connected or not. They are definitely connected, and the easiest way to tell for me is if it’s a really off day for me I can feel it all through the day physically at work or at the gym. Keeping in the right frame of mind and staying as positive as you can, will physically help you as much as mentally.

CSM: In achieving fitness goals, what do people should remember?

Always remember that everyone is genetically different. Don’t say you want to look exactly like him/her or be able to lift as much as him/her because it is impossible to be exact the same as others, better or worse just aim to reach your highest potential.

CSM: What stereotypes should people break when it comes to physical and mental health?

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of “false advertisements” around with TikTok and even on Instagram. Our favourite influencers are bringing fitness apps out to get you “shredded in 30 days” and “ripped before summer” but a lot of these apps are just money grabs. What needs to be done is you don’t just buy or subscribe to a fitness app and follow it like a sheep. Go out of your way and do a bit of research. Watch some videos about the fitness world and mental health. Before you know it, you will know all there is to know or at least enough to structure a program that works for you.