Chivon John
Competitor of the Month - December 2010
Interviewed by: Mike Hall
Chivon John is a fitness model, competitor and Project Manager from Toronto, Ontario Canada. Although she was very active in various sports growing up, she didn't make healthy choices with respect to nutrition, experimented with unrealistic diets and silently struggled with an unhealthy body image for several years.
The turning point for her occurred in 2008, after a chance meeting with her personal trainer and mentor, Lyzabeth Lopez. After a brief conversation, Chivon was inspired to join Lyzabeth’s Hourglass Workout Boot Camp the day she met her, and from that day forward, her passion for fitness and wellness was ignited. She quickly began a complete lifestyle overhaul of embracing holistic nutrition, transforming her body through resistance training and challenging herself to step outside of her comfort zone.
In 2009, Chivon was inspired to train for her first fitness competition as a personal challenge to improve confidence and confront her insecurities. Since 2009, Chivon has competed in 5 fitness competitions; became a published Fitness Model and a contributing writer for a fitness magazine in Dubai.
Her journey in the industry, thus far, has been amazing and she has learned a lot about herself, discovered a new calling and had the opportunity to confront her personal struggles with body image and weight. Her ride is far from over and she's excited to continue to explore what the fitness industry has to offer. She is fed with pure motivation!
Second place was the highest rank she has received while competing. We are hoping that this title will push her into placing first in 2011. We believe she can do it and feel this is the right motivation she needs to overcome and place first! We're giving back a little of the motivation that she gives so many others around her on a daily basis.
(WP): What has been your stepping stone to get where you are today?
I attribute a large part of my success to my trainer, Lyzabeth Lopez, and my peers at the Hourglass Workout. Attending Hourglass introduced me to a new way of life and ignited my desire to become a fitness professional. Two years ago, the idea of me stepping on stage in a bikini, or even sharing my personal struggles, was the farthest thing on my mind and was the last thing anyone would have expected from me. I'm grateful to have such a supportive network that constantly inspire me to challenge myself and work towards turning my dreams into reality.
I am, also, extremely fortunate to be an alumni of FMI (Fitness Model International) and attended their first Canadian workshop in Toronto, and annual fall conference in Los Angeles. FMI is an amazing organization that educates aspiring health-fitness talent by connecting them with the best in the fitness industry and provides the tools of how to market and brand you as a fitness entrepreneur. Attending the conference in LA was an inspiring experience and enabled me to connect with some the industry's most talented photographers and fitness talents. The experience has brought forth many opportunities through the connections that I made and knowledge I gained from the workshops and I'm honored to be counted among the FMI alumni.
(WP): What has it been like to maintain your physique? Have you done anything different lately?
I love training and when I go to the gym I give 150% of my focus and energy to my workouts. When I first joined a gym when I was in university, I was so intimidated to lift weights because I was ensure of what to do and honestly was too embarrassed to ask! Instead, I hid out on the cardio machines for most of my workouts until I started doing my own research of workouts to try by reading fitness magazines. Looking back, I wish that I had been more assertive and not afraid to lift heavy.
Now-a-days, my training is completely different than my earlier years. I absolutely love strength training and I go to the gym about 5-6 times per week, concentrating mainly on weight training, but also incorporate about 2-3 days of cardio or a conditioning workout. I enjoy changing my workout routine every few weeks and to make things fun I enjoy creating mini fitness challenges for myself such as learning how to do windshield wipers to work my abs or counting the number of wide grip pull-ups I can do wearing a weighted vest. I am not a huge fan of steady state cardio and enjoy activities that are faster paced and challenging so, I recently started adding Tabata circuits to my workout and going to CrossFit classes with my good friend and workout partner.
(WP): What has your experience in modeling taught you thus far?
The biggest lesson that I have learned through fitness modeling is that confidence is key. Your eyes, poses and even the way you carry yourself can reveal a lot in a photograph and can dramatically impact the final outcome. More important than the photos is that approaching anything you do with confidence is essential to fulfilling your goals. You need to believe yourself before anyone will believe in you.
(WP): What was the hardest thing for you to overcome when you first started?
I have an introverted personality and have been known to typically shy away from the spotlight so it has been a surprise to many in my inner circle to see me evolve into a fitness model and competitor and share my story. I still consider myself to be a soft spoken individual and believe I still have areas for improving myself in that regard, but the key thing that I have learned about myself is that you can't let fear hold you back from achieving your goals.
Stepping out of my comfort zone and being willing to take risks has been something that took time to get used to but has been rewarding to see the growth that I have experienced. The main thing I have learned is to never count yourself out before you start and not to let any negative naysayers including your own doubts get in the way of what you are trying to achieve.
(WP): What was the hardest thing you had to deal with when it came to your diet?
I have a weakness for sweets and nut butters. 1 tbsp of almond butter can be a stretch at times! A little known fact about me is that I love baking and used to decorate cakes before I started competing! But, I have learned that moderation is essential with clean eating and I have started learning how to continue my love for making desserts using much healthier and clean ingredients.
(WP): What are the key factors that dictate the way you model today?
When booking a photo shoot to add to my portfolio or for magazine submissions, I have learned that it is always good to plan ahead and have a general idea of the types of shots that you want to take or looks that you would like to achieve. This is especially important if you are trying to submit to specific magazines. It is more effective to send photos that match the look of their publication so I always try and research this beforehand and plan the outfits and looks that I want to capture.
Above all, I am very particular about the types of photos that I want to have in my portfolio so, I always strive to only take photos that I wouldn't be embarrassed to show to my family or co-workers. It is easy to get caught up with the excitement of doing a photo shoot but it’s important to remember your overall purpose and not compromise yourself in any way that may regret later.
(WP): How has your training compare to when you model to when you do not? What do you do differently?
There isn't much variation in my training when I'm preparing for a photo shoot vs. when I'm not. The only difference is that I may take a few more rest days but, I aim to keep my intensity high. It is important for me to always be ready for an opportunity so, I try to stay within 5 pounds of my competition physique and keep up with my training routine. "Off-season" is a word that is not in my vocabulary so, I constantly seek to challenge myself by trying new things with my workouts and strive to maintain a clean and healthy diet.
(WP): What titles/accomplishments have you thus far? Tell me about them.
From a competitor perspective, I have competed in 5 shows and my highest placing to date was 2nd place at the Fitness Star Montreal show in 2009.
In terms of fitness modeling, in September 2010, I had two photos published inside an international magazine, "International Beauties" feature.
Next year, I will join the contributing writing team of a new magazine launching overseas, where I will be writing fitness articles and sharing my experiences. I'm very excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to building my brand as a fitness talent.
(WP): Where do you see your career and life in 10 years from now?
I really admire the careers of fitness entrepreneurs Lyzabeth Lopez, Basheerah Ahmad, Alicia Marie and Obi Obadike for representing diversity within the fitness industry and for the way they have carried themselves in their careers. I aspire to build my own brand as a fitness talent which will include being an established writer, personal trainer and nutritionist and hopefully to create my own grassroots organization that brings attention to the issues of unhealthy body images and their impact on self-esteem and health.
(WP): What supplements do you currently take?
I take Glutamine and BCAA's to help muscle repair and recovery and also have a protein shake after my workouts. I tend to cycle the type of protein powder that I use but they include Vega Sport Protein, Whey or a Brown Rice Protein powder. I also take fish oil and a multi-vitamin daily.
(WP): What are your pet peeves?
One of my pet peeves is making excuses. It is easy to give reasons for why you can't work out, or follow through with something but, at the end of the day; a person that works out has the same amount of hours in a day as the next. If you want something bad enough you will make the time to make sure it happens.
A have a quote by H. Jackson Brown that I keep on my desk to remind me to always keep myself accountable to my goals and follow through it is: "Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." - H. Jackson Brown.
(WP): How have you changed over the past few years when it comes to thinking, actions, and life in general?
Over the past few years, I have grown in the way that I carry myself to be more confident, and I now constantly strive to challenge myself with anything that I do. I have learned that you will likely hear the word "no" more than you do "yes" at times but, what's important is how you deal with an obstacle, and not let it discourage you in your path to achieve a goal.
(WP): Any shout outs?
I would like to thank all of my friends and family for their unwavering support over the last few years and who have encouraged me to continue on this journey.
A special thank you to Lyzabeth Lopez for being more than a personal trainer but a friend, coach and mentor who inspires me everyday to be a better person and taught me that fitness modeling is more than taking a photo but being a Fitness Role Model. I hope to continue to strive to be the same role model to others that she has been for me.
Thank you to my amazing friends at the Hourglass Workout for your support and constant words of encouragement over the past two years. I am fortunate to say that I have several sisters who I can lean on for support and they have made this journey so worthwhile.
Thank you to Emily Zaler; who is an amazing and inspiring entrepreneur who I met at FMI. I appreciate your support and advice!
Lastly, I would like to thank Gary Warren and Clark Bartram for creating FMI and giving aspiring fitness professionals like myself the opportunity to learn how to build our brands and for enabling us to connect with amazing people in the industry.
(WP): Give me an example of your workout.
I tend to change my workouts frequently but, one of my favorite body parts to train is my legs. I begin with a 5-10 minute workout of up-hill walking on a treadmill or steps ups then cycle through squats and leg extensions to target my quads, stiff legged dead lifts, good mornings and leg curls for my hamstrings and like to end my workout with 10-15 minutes of walking lunges.
For cardio, I like to do HIIT sprints on the treadmill, or tabata circuits.
(WP): Could you tell me about your future projects?
Currently, I am studying to complete my certification in personal training, and next year I will be beginning part time studies in Holistic Nutrition. I'm also looking forward to launching my website and blog, and want to continue building my fitness modeling portfolio, and hopefully have a few more tearsheets next year.
(WP): Is there anything I have forgotten to mention that you would like to bring to light?
I would like to thank the World Physique team for this great opportunity and I am honored to be featured!
(WP): It has been a pleasure interviewing you! I wish you all the best of luck!
