Meet the campus fitspirations
The campus is a melting pot of all kinds of people — the athletes, the artists, the intellectuals and many more. Three students from different schools — with various backgrounds — found their paths intersect as youth finalists for Bodycon 4.0, the annual search for the country’s next fitness ambassadors.
Aaron Beau Davis, a basketball scholar at Far Eastern University, used fitness to improve in his sport.
Cayel Rivera, a dancer since high school, got hooked to continuous progress.
Miguel Enriquez, who used to be overweight, transformed his body through fitness. Both Rivera and Enriquez are from De La Salle University (DLSU).
Philippine STAR: How has fitness made an impact on your life?
Aaron Davis: Many blessings came from fitness, most importantly through playing basketball in high school. I was blessed with a full-ride basketball scholarship at FEU. Also by being in shape, I’m also a model with Mercator Model Management.
Cayel Rivera: Fitness gave me self-confidence. It also helped me make better decisions that continuously shape my career for the better.
Miguel Enriquez: Fitness has made a great impact on my life and on myself. I was able to develop my confidence, be more disciplined and more responsible for my actions.
Have you always been this fit? When did you start and what was the trigger?
AARON: I’ve always been fit from a very young age. However, the trigger for me to take my fitness to the next level was when I got the scholarship. From the start, I wrote down fitness goals to achieve in order to become the best player and person I can be.
CAYEL: I started my fitness career during third year high school when I was still part of our dance team. Back then, I was really skinny probably because of the amount of cardio we did during dance training. For me, what triggered it was not the fact that I was skinny but because when I started seeing progress, that’s when everyone in my circle reached out to me for “fitness tips.” As time passed, they got their own “progress” and it positively affected their lives. It was really mind-blowing.
MIGUEL: I was overweight almost all my life due to the fact that I am only 5’4”. I used to binge eat a lot and I wasn’t really living an active lifestyle. It all started when I was a college sophomore because I wanted to see a change in my physique.
How often do you work out? What type of workout do you do?
AARON: I try to work out at least five days a week. In these five days, I usually do a push-pull-legs and abs split. I also like to start the day with 30 minutes of fasted cardio to feel awake and energetic.
CAYEL: I work out six times a week, I do a push-pull-legs split twice over the course of seven days. I also try my best to put in some cardio and core sessions before or after lifting weights!
MIGUEL: I work out six times a week plus cardio on my rest days. Going every day is not needed to build an impressive physique or reach your fitness level, but bodybuilding to me has become something I enjoy and I am passionate about.
What is your diet?
AARON: I don’t adhere to a certain diet. I just make sure to train every day and eat anything but in moderation. You can treat yourself but just be mindful not to over indulge.
CAYEL: I practice intermittent fasting. My diet usually depends on my current goal but I usually try to fast during the first three-four hours upon waking up then consume my calories later in the day.
MIGUEL: Right now, I am counting my macros and carbohydrate cycling (three low-carb days followed by one high-carb day then repeat). I am not being as flexible as I normally am with diet because I just want to
What is the best fitness advice you can share?
AARON: It may sound clicheD but I really do believe in this quote: “A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”
CAYEL: Let me share with you a quote from Jordan Peterson: ”Only compare yourself with who you were yesterday.” Sometimes, you just really have to step back and just simply appreciate how far you’ve come in your own story and focus on things that you can control.
MIGUEL: The best fitness advice I can share is to not compare yourself with others. I know this is very difficult to do but if you just focus on yourself, you will see progress. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Nothing bad can come from gaining more knowledge and experience through asking questions.
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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph
