Fitness Model Jeff Grant Talks With Simplyshredded.com

How did you get started with bodybuilding?

I first got into bodybuilding at the beginning of high school when I needed to add more size and strength for football. About a year later as I got more and more into my training the high school weight room wasn’t enough for me anymore and I joined Gold’s Gym. This is when I really started focusing on the bodybuilding aspect of weight lifting as opposed to just improving my athletic ability. From that day on, I have trained five to six days a week and dieted consistently year round. Diet and exercise has played a huge part in molding my life into what it has become over the past ten years now. My first national exposure although being a reality television show was because of bodybuilding because I was discovered for the show at a local health club and was portrayed as “the bodybuilder” on the show.

My physique and particularly my abs have also defined my modeling career thus far as well.

Where does your motivation come from?

My motivation over the years has come from several different sources at different times in my life. When I first started strength training it was to give me a competitive edge over my competition in football. Later it became more about wanting to pursue fitness modeling and appear in the magazines I grew up reading. It also has always motivated me to see people I knew I was in better or at least in as good shape as having success and booking the magazines and campaigns that I aspired to be in. Although I reached my initial goal of booking a wide variety of layouts in several different fitness mags, I want to take it to the next level and be recognized as a top fitness model in the business. I also want to do things that other fitness models haven’t done. I recently wrote and designed the workout for a fitness magazine layout I currently appear in which typically isn’t done, so that’s something I am very excited about.

In the end, I want to be the best I can possibly be, and reach my full potential.

What workout routine has worked best for you?

While it’s very important to consistently change up your workout routine, I have stuck to the same training principals for some time now. I have found that training only one major muscle group per day and performing a high amount of sets for each group has been most effective in getting me as defined as possible. I will typically do 5 different exercises per muscle group and 4 sets of each doing 8-12 reps.

This really allows me to focus on each muscle and hit all the different angles to maximize development and definition for each one.

Monday: Biceps/Abs/Cardio

Biceps (8-12 reps)

4 sets of incline EZ bar curls super-set with 4 sets of alternating standing dumbbell curls.
4 sets of standing barbell curls (switching your grip like stated above).
4 sets of preacher chair and standing 21’s (7 reps half way up, 7 reps starting from the halfway point, 7 full reps)
4 sets of hammer curls

Abs (20-25 reps of each)

4 sets hanging knee raises
4 sets reverse crunches on flat bench
4 sets jackknife crunches on incline bench

Cardio

30 mins of intervals on treadmill

Tuesday: Shoulders/Traps/Abs

Shoulders (8-12 reps)

Tri-set 4 sets of anterior lateral raises with 4 sets of side lateral raises with 4 sets of bent over lateral raises.
4 sets of Arnold overhead dumbbell press super-set with 4 sets of lateral cable shoulder extensions

Traps (8-12 reps)

4 sets of dumbbell shrugs

Abs (15-25 reps)

Tri-set 3 sets of reverse crunches, regular crunches, combination crunches
4 sets of 30 second planks
4 sets of exercise ball crunches

Wednesday: Back/Calves/Abs

Back (8-12 reps)

4 sets of weighted or un-weighted pull-ups.
4 sets of bent over barbell rows super-set with 4 sets of incline dumbbell rows.
4 sets of seated lat pull downs super-set with 4 sets of seated rows (while sitting on the floor using the lat pull down machine or pulley)

Calves (10-15 reps)

6 sets of standing calve raises
4 sets of seated calve raises

Abs (15-25 reps)

4 sets of hanging knee raises
4 sets of side knee raises (obliques)
4 sets of back extensions

Thursday: Legs/Cardio

Legs (8-12 reps)

5-6 sets of squats super-set with 4 sets of weighted or un-weighted step ups.
4 sets of weighted lunges
4 sets of stiff-legged dead lifts.
4 sets of leg extensions superset with 4 sets of seated or standing hamstring curls.

Cardio

30 minutes of intervals on treadmill

Friday: Chest/Tri’s/Abs

Chest (8-12 reps)

4 sets of flat dumbbell press super-set with 4 sets of flat dumbbell flyes.
4 sets of incline dumbbell press super-set with 4 sets of incline dumbbell flyes.
4 sets lowered cable crossovers.

Triceps (8-12 reps)

4 sets of incline skull crushers super-set with 4 sets of decline skull crushers
4 sets of cable-triceps extensions (supine grip) super-set with 4 sets of cable-
triceps extensions (prone grip).
4 sets of dips (elbows facing inward)

Abs (15-25 reps)

Tri-set 3 sets of reverse crunches, regular crunches, combination crunches
4 sets of 30 second planks
4 sets of exercise ball crunches

Saturday: Repeat Day #1

Sunday: Off

If you have to pick only 3 exercises, what would they be and why?

If I could pick only three exercises to be able to do for the rest of my life I’d have to pick one for each of what I feel are my most important body parts.

21’s for my biceps. This way I’m doing an exercise that’s hitting different parts of my biceps and give them a good pump and have added great definition.
Hanging knee raises for my abs. This exercise has been a staple of my abdominal training routine for years and I feel really carves out the definition.
Flat bench dumbbell presses (with a twist at the top). I have found that dumbbell presses have been the most effective exercise for bringing out my chest over the years. The twists at the top ensure I’m hitting a full range of motion when targeting my chest.

Jeff Grant Fitness and Downs Worldwide

What is your diet like?

Sample day of eating for me…

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.

They say that the pre and post-workout meals are the most vital meals for the day, what do yours consist of?

I agree with the theory that pre and post workout meals are the two most important meals of the day. My pre workout meal will consist on complex carbohydrates and protein. My post workout meal will consist of protein, complex and simple carbs.

I always take in my largest amount of carbs during my post workout meal because the body needs and will burn a very large amount, many say up to 125 grams.

When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?

When trying to cut up for a photo shoot, I don’t alter my diet or cardio too much because I eat so clean and keep my training so consistent year round. The only real modification I make is increasing the amount of cardio I do.

If you are preparing for a photo-shoot or something similar, do it a few more times that week (being that a lot of shoots are with a weeks notice) and bump it up from 30 to 40 minutes or so.

Supplementation?

My supplement just like my training varies to keep myself progressing at all times. For my regular training regimen I like to take a pre workout (Jack3d, Betanox, No Shotgun) and Pro Complex Protein Powder immediately following my strength training. Then before bed I will typically have optimum casein powder. If I’m preparing for a shoot(s) I will stop taking the pre workout and will start a diuretic like Xpel instead. The Protein Powders are a staple year round.