Oi oi oi! Our #PinoyFitspiration section is now one of the most-read section of the blog and I am very thankful to all the readers who continually visit and spend time finding inspirations to the the better version of themselves. So we are not stopping anytime. Definitel full speed ahead! On to the next fitspiration, Andre!
Andre Tan is an entrepreneur and a blogger of fashion, lifestyle, travel and fitness blog styledeux.com. Blogging for around a few years already, he started the fit road. Read on and know why.
Hello Andre! Great blog you got there! But let me ask this right away: How did you become interested in fitness after being a fashion blogger for the past 3 years?
I was skinny when I started blogging about fashion and a lot of my friends said that my clothes would look better on me if am not skinny or if I’m muscular, that I should eat more. At first I ain’t doing anything about it until I realized that I really looked thin and this kind of body won’t let me get girls. Joke. Seriously though I look like I’m sick and I don’t eat a lot but I do.
Most skinny guys struggle with getting into their very first “exposure” at a gym, especially when an establishment is full of muscular men and fit women around. What was it like for you? And how did you overcome that fear?
I know the feeling. I never had a trainer so I was like “f*ck it” and asked a lot of people in the gym to help me correct my form or help me do an exercise correctly even if it was kinda embarrassing for me. I was just shy, but I was never scared because I know every single one starts somewhere.
Can you take us to your training routine? What is it like?
My routine is simple, but I took some idea from Hany Rambod’s program. I train one muscle group per day. I have 5 exercises per muscle group. 3 sets per exercise, but my last exercise consists of 7 sets. 30-45 seconds per set. 10 – 12 reps per set.
Can you tell us your top 3 favorite exercises and what do you love about them?
- Deadlift: I love training back and I love lifting heavy.
- Cable flyes: It’s very easy to do, but it’s very effective.
- Pull-ups: It’s a very effective back/bicep exercise and you can do it anywhere.
In this journey to getting a better body, what was your biggest struggle and how do you combat it?
My biggest struggle was gaining weight because I am an ectomorph, but the only way to combat it is to have a caloric surplus, but I am still struggling to eat more than enough because I am not always hungry.
What’s your take on nutrition? Do you count calories? Any sample diet you’d like to share?
Flexible dieting: I eat anything as long as it fits my macros depending on my required caloric intake in a day.
Any supplement stack you’d like to share?
I just take whey protein/isolate, BCAA’s and pre-workout. That’s it.
#RelatableFitness Question: Do you allow yourself to have cheat days? If you do, what are your favorite foods you allow yourself to indulge in?
Every day is cheat day! That’s what I love about flexible dieting or IIFYM (if it fits your macros)
And lastly, what is your advice for those who need help improving their skinny look to a well-defined body?
Just eat more than your maintenance calories and lift heavy and don’t forget to rest.
Any shout outs / parting words / fitness quotes you live on by?
Sic parvis magna (greatness from small beginnings). Anyone can become great no matter where they started out.
Catch Andre Tan on Facebook at facebook.com/andredantan, and on Twitter / IG at @andredantan. You may also follow his men’s fashion blog at www.styledeux.com.
 |
