Interview With Nick Grest
Featured Hard Gainer & PT - October 2010
Interviewed by: Tammy Renee'
Photos by: BBPics.com
When Nick Grest was younger, he was very overweight. He got teased by his brothers and classmates. He decided to go on a diet and lose weight. It worked! It worked so well that, then, he was teased for being the skinny kid; although he tried to gain muscle. After years of trying to gain muscle, he finally had some success in high school, but he ran cross-country and track, competitively. He found that he couldn’t ever get too big.
He started college at LSU and didn’t run competitively anymore, he decided he would start focusing on his training and muscle gain. He soon learned that he didn’t know much about diet; he just ate a lot and worked out a lot. He started to read and learn more about the importance of proper dieting; he found that dieting was more than just eating a lot of protein!
At 23, he currently works as a personal trainer, took first place in his very first bodybuilding competition, and just started his own website business, GrestFitness.com; where he sells personalized workout and diet programs that are customized for a single person’s individual goals based on their training history, current shape, etc. It’s amazing how far knowledge and determination can take you in this world.
"...I love how it's [bodybuilding] not something that everyone can do; it takes dedication and you really have to devote your life to it."
WP: Hey Nick! It’s great to be interviewing someone from the bayou state, Louisiana! Home of LSU and the Saints! Can you tell me a little about your background?
Let’s see, I live right outside of Hammond, Louisiana. I was actually born in New Jersey and moved down to Louisiana when I was about 13 years old. I went to college at LSU in Baton Rouge and I love everything about LSU; especially football. Other than working out and working, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family, and watching TV and movies.
WP: What made you decide to go into bodybuilding?
I think like every bodybuilder; I grew up seeing guys like Arnold, Stallone, and Lou Ferrigno, and just wanted to look like them. Then, when I got to college, I got serious into my training and I just fell in love with it. I love how it’s not something that everyone can do; it takes dedication and you really have to devote your life to it.
WP: That devotion and dedication landed you a first place trophy in your first bodybuilding competition! Can you tell me a little more about your experience?
Although I have been seriously training for over 5 years, I didn’t take the plunge to step on stage until this year. I competed in the Power Shack Classic in Biloxi, Mississippi on July 31, 2010 and placed first in Men’s Lightweight Novice. It was such an amazing rush to stand up there in front of a few hundred people and show off all my years of hard work. I definitely plan on doing more shows next year.
WP: Congratulations! I know you were so proud! Since you were a hard gainer at an early age, can you give some advice on how to overcome it?
Thank you! A person has to keep up with the diet! I know that sounds like an obvious answer, but that’s the hardest, and most, important part. You have to remember that just “eating well” isn’t good enough. A person has to have their diet planned out; for example, when I am cutting or bulking, I know how much protein and carbs I have to get in that day, and I plan out when I am going to eat my carbs (especially important on low-carb days) and I have to hit my targets.
WP: Talking about diet, I’m sure every hard gainer out there would love to know what you eat on a normal basis. Can you give me a break down of your diet?
I eat pretty clean year round; protein is around 300 grams a day, both during bulking stages and cutting stages. My main protein sources are shakes. But, of course I eat eggs, chicken, steak, lean ground beef, turkey, fish, low fat/fat free cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese. My carb intake is what changes when I cut or bulk. For cutting, I carb-cycle between about 160-170 down to 60-70; I rarely go lower than 60, because with all the lifting and cardio, I think I need some carbs for energy. When I bulk, my carb intake can probably get up to 500-600 grams daily; from sources like yams, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, veggies, and whole wheat pasta. I try to keep my fat intake as low as I can all the time, because with the pure amounts of food that I eat, the fat grams tend to add up even with me trying to keep them as low as possible.
WP: Do you allow yourself a cheat day?
Yes, I do give myself cheat days while cutting. I think it’s crucial; both to stimulate your metabolism back up and to allow you to stick with your diet and not relapsing when you don’t want to. My favorite cheat meal is probably Chinese food, but close behind is pizza, ice cream, and Taco Bell!
WP: What supplements do you take?
I actually do not take all that many supplements; just the obvious things like a daily vitamin, fish oil for blood pressure and joints, and whey protein and then I take a pre-workout supplement such as Black Powder, Jack3D, Morph, etc.. I also use Creatine to prevent fear of overtraining. Recently, I have thrown Xtend into the mix to get me some BCAA’s; which I figure should help while being on a restricted diet. I will see how that helps.
WP: Do you have anyone you can thank for helping you get where you are?
Just my friends that I always work out with and all the pros that I look up to and want to look like one day; people like Arnold, of course. But, my two favorite bodybuilders are probably Lou Ferrigno; because he was a monster and I look like him, just a lot shorter and smaller, Ha-ha. And, Frank Zane; just because he had such a good shape and his conditioning was perfect that he looked so much bigger than he really was.
WP: You just had your first fitness modeling shoot. How did it go?
Yes, I’m just starting to get into fitness modeling, and have only done one shoot. I worked with John Mitchell from BBpics.com and it was a really great experience. I learned a lot in a short period of time and we got a lot of good pictures.
WP: What was it like working with him?
It was really great working with him, he has been a great help to get my modeling career started. He even picked me up from the airport and let me stay and his place for free, and he cooks some mean grilled chicken! I was at his place for the weekend and we got a lot of good pictures taken, but I definitely plan to work with him again soon to get even more pictures and help with his and my portfolio!
WP: How do maintain your physique? I know you had a battle getting where you are today.
The hardest thing is keeping up with the diet. I think that anybody can make themselves go to the gym everyday if that want to, but it takes a special kind of person to stick to a strict diet day- in and day-out for weeks, or months, at a time. It is especially hard for me to stick to the diet when I am with my friends who all eat fast food and junk food all the time. I have to cook all my own food, but it is definitely worth it in the long run!
WP: Tell me about your future projects. Have any you would like to mention?
Oh! I have tons of future projects lined up. I just started my website, www.GrestFitness.com, and I am working to promote it more so it can hopefully be a profitable project. Other than that, keeping up with my training, and possible another photo shoot soon; or if not definitely in the spring. Also, I want to develop myself into the best overall fitness athlete possible, so I plan to do an adventure race in the next few weeks. If that goes well, I will be going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro this winter. In addition, I have to start thinking about which bodybuilding shows I am going to do next year and plan that out. On top of my busy schedule, I want to do a strongman competition this winter, if all goes to plan!
WP: I am sure all the young women out there are dying to know if you are single or not.
I am actually single and just enjoying life. I am not going to say that I am looking for someone to date right now, or that I am opposed to dating anyone. I just believe that if that person comes around, I will know when it happens.
WP: Give me a sample of your workout.
Sample Chest/Bicep workout, used a lot while cutting to keep heart rate up, but since I am working body parts that do not affect each other. I can keep the weight relatively high still:
Barbell bench press superseted with dumbbell bicep curls
-2 warm up sets, 15-18 reps
-4 working sets, 8-12 reps
Dumbbell Incline press superseted with hammer curls
-4 working sets 8-15 reps
Dumbbell chest flies superseted with one handed cable curls
-3 working sets 8-15 reps for flies, 8-12 for curls
Incline cable chest flies superseted with cable EZ bar curls
-3 working sets 8-15 reps for flies, 8-12 for curls
Decline cable chest flies superseted with reverse curls
-3 working sets, 8-15 reps
1 drop set of machine flies
1 drop set of curls (either dumbbell or hammer)
WP: What are your interests outside of bodybuilding?
My interests outside of bodybuilding is hanging with family and friends, tailgating, going to the beach, watching movies and TV, listening to music, reading, and furthering my knowledge about bodybuilding. Ha-ha.
WP: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would change my small calves. They won’t grow no matter how much I work them.
WP: Is there anything else you would like to add? Now is the time!
I just want to thank everyone that supports me and my goals. This is a tough lifestyle to live and even tougher if you want to make you living in this industry, but this is my dream and I say that you got one chance to do what you want in this life, and your “life is what you make it”, so if you want something, you got to put it all on the line and go for it!
WP: Thank you for taking the time out to allow me to interview you. It has been a pleasure!
