Interview with Scott Hansel – personal trainer and bodybuilder
There are many young men taking protein powders and chemical substances in order to achieve a better body shape. Is there a natural way to achieve the so desired muscle mass and what advice would you give to those people who take artificial helpers?
I’m sponsored by the vegan supplement company PoshaGreen, so I do use their supplements; they are non GMO and mostly organic ingredients. I believe some supplementation is necessary like a plant protein powder. I honestly look up to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane the two most aesthetic bodybuilders of all time in my book. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a recent blog that he hates the way bodybuilding is going now and wishes it would go back to the golden era, where v-shape, symmetry, and proportion mattered more than just getting as big as you can get. That’s why I compete in physique rather than bodybuilding because I like the v-shape rather than just getting huge and monstrous.
Supplementation all depends on your goals, just know that it’s called SUPPLEMENTATION for a reason and not called a magic pill that will make you ripped overnight. This is why so many people say supplements don’t work; they take a pill or powder expecting miracles, but fail to eat well, train on a regular basis. Bodybuilding is a 24 hour job, it’s constantly thinking of your next meal, when you will go to the gym, what exercises you have planned for that day, making sure your stress level stays down, and getting 8-10 hours of sleep for recovery, not to mention all the cooking. Once you have all that down then think about supplementation, this is why so many people cannot achieve the look of a magazine model, it takes hard work and dedication. You have to love the in between stuff if you want to look like the magazine models, because if you hate the in between stuff and just focus on the glory you will burn out fast.
This is my passion and lifestyle, just like some people’s love of music or dancing. I would love to be a great break dancer, but don’t like all the footwork, so it’s just not for me. The main thing is do what you love doing. If you think you are up for the challenge of bodybuilding and are dedicated and hard working then go for it, never hurts to try something new, I always say “sometimes you need someone to believe in you before you can believe in yourself.”
Do you love your body?
I touched on this earlier, but yes now I do love my body; training and building muscle has helped me gain a lot more self confidence, and I can love myself even more knowing I’m not hurting animals.
Can you share some basic simple advice for healthy eating and lifestyle?
Some basic advice on nutrition is making sure you are eating a very colorful selection of veggies and fruits/day. Also water intake is very important, I try to at least get in a gallon of water per day. My macro split right now is 67% carbs, 25% protein, and 8% fat. Also micronutrients are just as important, a good site to check out and log your food is www.fitday.com, it graphs out both your macro and micro nutrients.
How do you motivate yourself to do trainings regularly?
The most important thing for me is getting to the gym on Monday; if I miss Monday my whole week is screwed up. I also watch a lot of motivational videos on YouTube, like CT Fletcher, Eric Thomas, and just any bodybuilding motivational video I can find.
Do you do some kind of spiritual practices – meditation or breathing techniques for example?
My spiritual practices are listening to Alan Watts right before bed. He is a British born philosopher who studied a lot on Asian philosophy, his beliefs really align with my thinking and I feel so much at peace listening to his YouTube videos. I’m working on improving myself not only physically, but also spiritually as well.
What is your final message to the readers of “Healthy Story”?
My final message to you the reader is do what you love doing and don’t try to be something you’re not. “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking that it is stupid” (Albert Einstein).
