Diced Up: Fitness Model Sean Harley Talks With Simplyshredded.com

Quick Stats:

Age: 32
Height: 5’9.5″ – 175.5 cm
Weight: 200 lbs. (Off Season) 185 lbs. (Competition Weight)

How did you get started with bodybuilding?

I started lifting weights in high school mostly for sports. During my sophomore year my school hired a bodybuilder to be our strength coach and I was blown away by how much muscle mass this guy had! I started learning the basics from him and by the time I got to college I was hooked on seeing how well I could develop my body. I played football in college so I would lift with the team doing all the basic football/strength lifts but then sneak back into the weight room later to do my bodybuilding/muscle isolation lifts.

I also began reading a lot of muscle magazines around this time and after learning that Ramen noodles weren’t exactly good carbs and that a can of pork and beans weren’t the best source of protein, my development really began to show.

Where does your motivation come from?

One source of my motivation comes from meeting and seeing other competitors, fitness models, and anyone else who has the drive and self-discipline to push themselves towards their genetic potential.

I am also motivated by the people I train and others who, with nothing on the line except their own well being and physique, push themselves to get to the gym everyday and not make excuses for themselves.

What workout routine has worked best for you?

I follow a typical bodybuilding protocol. That is, I hit one or two muscle groups hard a day and then give that muscle a week to recover. I’m big on isolation for muscle development, so in my auxiliary lifts I really focus on isolating my target muscle to move the weight while taking all of the other muscles out of the equation as much as possible.

Full Routine:

Monday: Chest/Calves

Flat Bench 4×10-8-8-6
Incline Dumbbell Bench 3×10
Seated Incline 3×10
Standing Cable Fly’s 3×10
Dumbbell Fly’s on a slight incline 3×8-10
Standing Calf Raise 4×100 (bodyweight)

Tuesday: Back

Neutral Grip Pullups 3x Failure
Half Dead’s 4×8
Bent Over Rows 3×10
Dual Cable Lat Pulldowns 3×10
Seated Row 3×10

Wednesday: Legs

Squats 4×10-8-8-6
Leg Press 4×10-10-8-8
RDL 3×8
Leg Extensions 7×15 (30 sec rest)
Seated Leg Curl 7×15 (30 sec rest)

Thursday: Shoulders/Calves

Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4×10
Dual Cable Upright Rows 3×10
Rear Delt Fly 3×10
Front Raises 3×10
Cable Lateral Raise 3×10
Standing Calf Raise 10×10 (heavy)
Seated Calf Raise 4×15

Friday: Arms (Supersets)

Seated Incline Curls 3 x 10
Close Grip Bench 3×10
EZ Bar Curls 3×10
Cable Overhead Extension 3×10
Unilateral Dumbbell Preacher Curls 3×10
Tricep Rope Pushdowns 3×10
Hammer Curls 3×10
Weighted Dips 3x failure

Saturday: Rest

Recovery day

Sunday: Rest

Recovery day

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

Squats: This hits my entire lower body in one lift and produces other benefits that help my upper body.
Incline Dumbbell Presses: My chest is bottom heavy and I find that when I focus on my upper chest, the whole thing grows. This exercise would also allow the triceps and shoulders to get a good workout as well.
Seated Rows: This exercise blasts my back and I love going heavy with strict form.

What is your diet like?

My diet depends on what my goal at the time is. When I’m trying to pack on the mass, my carbs and calories are pretty high. If I’m cutting up for a show or photo shoot then I’m going break up my macro’s and get them in at the exact right times. If I’m in maintenance mode it’s going to be somewhere in between. Protein is my only constant, around 40 grams every 3 hours or so.

Cutting Diet:

Meal 1: 1 cup Oatmeal, 1 cup Liquid Egg Whites, 1 scoop Rock Solid Cinnabun Whey Protein
Meal 2: 7 oz. Tilapia, 1 tbsp. Flaxseed Oil
Meal 3: 6 oz. Chicken Breast, 6 oz. Sweet Potato
Meal 4: 2 scoops Rock Solid Whey Protein, 1 Banana, 6 oz. Sweet Potato
Meal 5: 7 oz. Tilapia, 1 tbsp. Flaxseed Oil
Meal 6: 7 oz. Tilapia
Meal 7: 1 cup Liquid Egg Whites, 1 scoop Rock Solid Cinnabun Whey Protein, cooked into a Protein Pancake

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

I only do HIIT cardio. Besides saving me a boatload of time, HIIT cardio shreds me up much faster and allows me to hold onto more lean muscle mass than endurance cardio.

My favorite routine is to do sprints on a 15 degree incline for 10 seconds on and 50 seconds off. About 15 minutes of this and I’m wiped out.

What is your supplementation like?

I use predominantly all Rock Solid Nutrition supplements. Their Whey Protein Isolate is by far the best tasting protein I’ve ever used and it’s low in sodium. For pre workout I use Rock Solids “Pre Pump” and “No Fatigue”. The Pre Pump gets the adrenaline pumping and really helps to push the blood into my muscles while the beta alanine in No Fatigue keeps my endurance up. I also use their Muscle Punch religiously. It’s a BCAA drink with arginine for blood flow and taurine for mental focus.