Interview With Jeff Grant
Rising Star of the Month - January 2010
Interviewed by: Tammy Reneee'
Photos by: BBPics
Jeff has been in several national magazines, including 8 pages of Muscle & Fitness magazine. He has also been in national television show for Warner Brothers. He has accomplished many things during his modeling career and we're honored to have him with us today.
WP: Jeff, what was it that made you know without a doubt that you wanted to go into bodybuilding and modeling?
JG: Ever since I had my first gym membership back in tenth grade, I just loved everything about bodybuilding. I truly looked forward to going every day after school. I even liked the dieting aspect of it. As I got more and more into it, I started reading a lot of the fitness magazines and always wanted to be in those magazines. My desire, at that time, to see myself in these magazines one day, was what really drove me to work as hard as I have over the years.
WP: How long have you been lifting?
JG: I initially started lifting close to ten years ago now as a part of strength and conditioning for football in high school. A year after that I joined Gold’s Gym, I really got into the body building aspect.
WP: What are your best lifts?
JG: I really don’t have any lifts I would consider my “best” lifts. I try to keep my training very consistent to every body part, not favoring any over the other. I always try to change up my training routines. With all that variety, it’s hard to really favor any lift over the other.
WP: Do you have any advice to people that wish to build more mass and more cut?
JG: My best advice to anyone who wants to build more mass and/or get more cut is consistency and setting realistic goals. Too many people (whether it be novices or even professionals) will go months of eating bad or just significantly cutting back their gym time. Then, they have a show, or maybe it’s just time to go to the beach again, and try to kill themselves with crazy diets, etc. This could be avoided if they just stayed with a regular program year round. By staying in shape year round, I’m ready for a shoot anytime an opportunity arises. I don’t need to change much to be confident about showing up in the shape I need to be in.
WP: What do you eat in a normal day?
JG: A sample of a normal day for me is as following:
Meal 1:
Oatmeal, egg whites and cottage cheese in a blender that makes a batter I use for pancakes and waffles. I usually accompany this with a side of two whole eggs.
Meal 2:
Ezekiel English muffin with turkey, lean ham, lean roast beef, or tuna salad with light miracle whip.
Meal 3: (Pre-workout)
Monster Milk or other high protein RTD, oatmeal or sweet potato.
Meal 4 (post workout)
Protein shake (cup skim milk, 2 scoops pro complex, half banana, tbsp. peanut butter, honey) one slice wheat bread, one slice white bread.
Meal 5
Fish, chicken or lean red meat, asparagus, and salad with oil and vinegar.
Meal 6
2 scoops casein protein mixed in water.
WP: Do you allow yourself a cheat day?
JG: I never been big on cheat days. I use to go out and drink once a week. I considered that my cheat day. Lately with my schedule, I haven’t really had much time for that. I will just eat bad foods when I see fit, mainly just holidays, though.
WP: What supplements do you take?
JG: Supplements for me will vary by what I am trying to accomplish at that specific time. Pro Complex and Casein protein are the two consistent ones. I always take those two. When I am looking to add a little more size I will take NO Shotgun or jack3D is a new one I like. When I have a shoot around the corner a lot of times I will take a diuretic a week out (use to take Taraxatone, but recently it’s been Xpel.
WP: I understand you worked with John at bbpics.com. What was it like working with him?
JG: I have actually worked with John twice now in the past month. Both times were great experiences. We always have a great time working together, but at the same time, always get some really good shots and videos. He always works really hard at the shoot to get as much done as possible and works equally as hard after getting everything uploaded, etc.
WP: How did he go over and beyond for you?
JG: What impressed me most about working with John is how quick he gets anything done you ask him for. I asked him if he could put together video of my favorite outtakes from a shoot we did in south Florida for my website I recently launched and was hoping to have it by the end of the week and he had it to me by the end of that night. And really anything else I’ve asked him to do was handled with the same efficiency.
WP: Would you recommend him to your friends? If so why?
JG: I would absolutely recommend any friends of mine that want to get into fitness modeling to work with John. He goes out of his way to try to promote you and the work you do with him in as many ways as he can possibly think of. He will even try to keep you motivated in your training to make sure you are sticking with it.
WP: Could you tell me a story of how you have gotten where you are today?
JG: There’s quite a few, really. My first real introduction to the spotlight was actually my sophomore year of college. They came to my campus to recruit for and film a national television show for Warner Brothers (the WB network). I was actually approached while working out at a local gym about auditioning for the show and several interviews and castings later I was on the show. My character on the show was based on my love for working out and my “physique” the commercials had clips of me working out at my fraternity house gym.
WP: Do you have anyone you can thank for helping you get where you are?
JG: There have really been a lot of people who have helped me get to where I am today. One that stands out is John Daly, who’s a talent scout in South Florida, and my ex-girlfriend actually met him at a health club and told him about me and he remembered me from the TV show I was on. He gave me a lot of advice about how and who to approach to get into fitness modeling and setup my meeting with the agent, Adam Silver in New York, who booked my first major fitness shoot for Muscle and Fitness. John also taught me a lot about how the business works and how to see through a lot of the bull shit.
WP: Where do you want to be in 5 years?
JG: In five years, I want to be able to say that I have been in every major fitness magazine on the market. I also want to be respected in the fact that I work hard year round to stay in top physical shape and even harder showing up to any shoot in peak physical condition. I also want to continue to help young people get into body building. I remember when I joined my first real gym (it was a Gold’s in Palm Harbor, Florida) and kind of looking up to some of the really big or ripped up guys there and a lot of them would give me advice or help me out with form, etc. Its kind of a humbling experience now when I have high school kids come up to me at the gym and asking me “how they can get bigger or more defined” or seeing a young kid I can tell is just starting out and giving him some advice. Even though it seemed small at the time a lot of these people probably helped me get to where I am today and I would like to have the same effect on someone or several people one day.
WP: You look great! How do you keep the physique you have? What is the hardest thing for you to face when it comes to keeping your physique?
JG: I keep my physique by staying very consistent with the diet and training, but at the same time, doing it in a way that I enjoy it. The hardest thing about maintaining the physique is doing so while balancing it with a normal social life. Sometimes I can get so obsessed with being in shape for a shoot it consumes my whole life.
WP: Tell me about your future projects. Have any in sight?
JG: I finished the year shooting for two national fitness magazines, which are due out within the next few months of 2010. I will start my shooting schedule the first weekend of January shooting for a 2011 calendar and some promotional projects. I will also be featured in a promotional campaign in Peru to start this year, as well.
WP: What gets you up in the morning?
JG: Lately it’s been all of my new modeling projects, but it’s always something different. I have been very fortunate I usually have something exciting going on. Even just driving my car, I recently got a new Lexus that I really like.
WP: How do you approach a challenge?
JG: I approach a challenge in a way that I always want to be the best at anything I do, if I cant take that approach its probably not worth doing.
WP: How do you create balance in your life?
JG: That’s tough. A lot of times I probably don’t. But, when I am most successful with that aspect, it’s all about time management. If you are really dedicated to being the best at something and for me its working out, you need to find a way to fit that in, because you are going to be devoting a good part of your life to it, and still have time for other things that are important to you.
WP: What one piece of advice you can share with me on how to gain the most muscle the fastest?
JG: The fastest way to gain muscle is getting on a good strength training program and eating the right foods at the right times. Most importantly take in enough protein and carbs immediately following your strength training.
WP: Are you married, dating, or do you have kids?
JG: I have never been married and don’t have any kids (that I know of, ha-ha! Just kidding). I’m not dating anyone, currently. I am very particular about who I date sometimes maybe too much.
WP: Who had the most impact on you growing up?
JG: My parents and grandparents have had the most influence on me growing up. I was fortunate enough to come from a very good family. They always encouraged me to play sports growing up and attended pretty much every game of every sport I ever played. They have also always been very supportive of the goals I have wanted to achieve. They were always very proud and excited when I did well in sports and now of my modeling accomplishments. This has always been a source of added motivation over the years. As I got more and more into my bodybuilding over the years, my mom even cooked me separate meals to help me eat the way I needed to. To this day she makes me healthy versions of foods for thanksgiving.
WP: What is your work out regimen?
JG: I strength train 5 or 6 days a week and do cardio really anywhere from 1-3 days a week. A week out from a shoot, however, I will do cardio typically four days that week. I have been so strict on my diet for such a long time now that, along with to the intensity and amount of sets I do for my weight training I really don’t need to do a whole lot of cardio to stay lean. I have found that, for me, it is most effective to really focus on a limited amount of muscle groups per day (which breaks down to working each muscle 1-2 times per week). I will typically hit only 1-2 major muscle groups a day and do 5 different exercises and 4 sets of 8-12 reps per muscle. I focus on limiting the rest time between sets and will often super set to maximize the amount of calories I burn. This really allows me to hit each muscle group at all the different angles necessary to make sure I am proportionate and well defined all the way around. I will usually train abs 4-5 days a week using limited weight to keep my abs and oblique’s from becoming bulky. I will train calves usually twice per week.
WP: Any shout outs?
JG: Michael A Downs, he also gave me some pretty good advice and a few of his suggestions I followed have really helped my career take off as of late. We did a few shots together that have been published in several publications and promotional campaigns that have really also helped me establish myself in the modeling industry.
WP: Have you played in sports before?
JG: I played football all throughout high school. I played a position more common in high school than college or pros called a “rover” or “monster”. Depending on the situation I would play different positions on defensive I could line up anywhere from outside linebacker to strong safety to defensive end; leading up to that I played soccer, basketball and ran track when I was young.
WP: Anything you would like to see change in the bodybuilding world?
JG: Nothing really in particular off the top of my head, body building as whole has been very good to me. I have met some great people along the way whether it be in health clubs, photographers, scouts or even other model/ body builders and I feel my participation in the sport has really helped keep me away from some other less constructive activities and really helped built my self confidence.
WP: What is the funniest story that has happened to you while working out?
JG: I don’t think really it’s so much a story. I really just think it’s more just watching some of the people who are there. I remember a guy at a Gold’s I use to go to (maybe a slightly above average build certainly, nothing too impressive) use to do a set and then sit in the mirror and pose like he was the biggest guy to ever walk into a gym. This would go on for several minutes and then he would proceed to his next set, then immediately strike some more poses. This would go on for his entire workout it. It was so hard at times not to sit there and laugh at him.
WP: What is the proudest moment of your life?
JG: The proudest moment of my life would have to be a tie between seeing myself on a national television show and the day I got my Muscle and Fitness in the mail that I was in about seven pages of it. Actually, now that I’m talking about it, it was being in Muscle and Fitness. I have had a subscription to that magazine for probably ten years now and that was always the one thing I wanted to be in more than anything.
WP: What are your interests outside of bodybuilding?
JG: I like football, specifically the Philadelphia Eagles. I was born in the Philadelphia area and have been a huge Eagles fan since I was about five years old. My favorite thing to do outside of working out is definitely watching the Eagles. I also enjoy politics and reading about and further educating myself about stocks and investing.
WP: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
JG: If I could change one thing about myself it would probably be not to take myself so seriously in terms of over dedicating myself to being the best at everything. Maybe try to take a little more time to relax and spend time with friends and family.
WP: You have been a pleasure to interview! Thank you for your time and good luck in your future bodybuilding endeavors!
