👋 Hi! Tell us about yourself and your training
What’s poppin’, Bulk Hackers squad!
I’m Antjuane Sims, a 46-year-young plant-based athlete born in Cleveland, OH, USA. I’ve been blessed to live in other countries and states over the years, but I’ve lived in Los Angeles, CA, USA for the past 21 years.
I am the owner, creator, and designer of GRABBZ™. I invented two products under that brand that have helped hundreds of people improve their workout performance by allowing them to complete more reps and/or lift heavier weight; GRABBZ™ Fit and GRABBZ™ Lift. This is a helpful product for ANYONE who works out. Yes, even you! Growing my business keeps me busy daily.
I started playing sports as a kid in Germany. The first official sport I played was soccer. After coming back to the states, I started playing football from grade school all the way up to semi-pro. Along the way I wrestled, ran track, and competed in bodybuilding.
After playing semi-pro football, I also competed as an amateur Muay Thai fighter and Crossfit competitor. I’ve been active in sports since I can remember. Sports are a great way to develop discipline, focus, and drive.
⏱ Describe a typical day of training
I do 25 or more Burpees in one minute.
I usually workout three days a week; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I do a full body workout each day I’m in the gym. I personally program my workouts and constantly change them every four weeks or so.
When I want inspiration, I’ll take on a program that I find interesting online, with my twist on it, of course. Right now, I’m doing the 20 Rep Squat program (no milk) where the goal is to complete 20 reps of squats using the weight of your five reps squat max.
Weighing only 157 pounds, the end goal for me in this program is to squat 315 pounds 20 times! I love a challenge! Not too long ago, I squatted 315 pounds for 15 reps, so I hope to push out those last five reps this go around.
Living in Southern California allows me to also exercise outdoors. Every once in a while I go up to the mountains and workout. It’s FANTASTIC!
On my regular workout programs, I use my workouts as cardio training as well. I don’t walk on treadmills or use stationary bikes, but I do like to use the Concept2 rowing machine as a warm up or post workout cool down.
My most favorite “cardio” warm up are BURPEES! Don’t hate’em. Do’em. I love, yes, love doing burpees. I do 25 or more Burpees in one minute. I go one minute on for 25 reps or more, then one minute rest. I do that for three minutes.
👊 How do you keep going and push harder?
Exercise is fuel. It fuels the mind and body. A machine that runs on good fuel and is fine tuned, lasts longer. Our beautiful bodies are complex, yet delicate. It’s up to us to take care of them.
We are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”- Psalm 139:14. This is my inspiration to be a steward of what The Creator has graciously given me. I’m motivated to keep this structure fit and healthy. It doesn’t matter the mode of exercise. Move, sweat, repeat.
🏆 How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
I’m enjoying this new training program I’m currently on. It’s only a six-week program, so it’ll be interesting to see what I program for my next round of fitness.
I mainly incorporate the basic compound movements in my workouts, plus some functional movements, but I want to get back to practicing Yoga.
I had a wonderful Yoga teacher at one time, Alex, but she moved on to another location. I’ve done Yoga at home, but it’s not the same as being in a class.
My goal over the next five years is to continue to grow my business and hire a team who share my vision to help others improve their fitness performance through exercise.
I would like to give more speaking presentations on plant-based nutrition as a plant-based athlete, and would like to incorporate that into a YouTube channel or other visible platform to help educate, motivate, and teach others the techniques and skills I have learned.
If I could start over in my bodybuilding journey, I would help more people achieve their goals. Now with my business, GRABBZ™ I still have the opportunity to help people achieve their fitness goals by helping them improve their performance.
🤕 How do you recover, rest and handle injuries?
The weight doesn’t matter. Technique matters.
One of the first lessons in lifting that I learned from my trainer, Mike Greenspan, was to use good technique. The weight doesn’t matter. Technique matters. Since then, I’ve often said, “Control the weight. Don’t let the weight control you.” Lifting with technique and care reduces the likelihood of injury.
However, injury is not a stranger to weightlifting. The best thing to do is to treat the injury immediately instead of thinking you can push through it. I’ve made that mistake one too many times. I’m over it now. If I’m injured, I rest. I’ll slowly make my way back to going full speed.
The thing I’ve noticed about me is that when I’m injured, I get sad. I feel like I’ve let my body down by not listening to the message it gave me before the injury happened. During the time of injury, I stretch more which is always a good thing.
An area I need to work on is sleeping more, or at least trying to go to sleep earlier. Unfortunately, with my schedule at this point, I don’t get back home until sometime after 10:30pm and I still have to cook or prepare food, wash dishes, look at emails, etc, and shower.
By then, it’s somewhere after midnight. I’m a work in progress in that area of my life. When I travel, I don’t workout. I use that as a time to allow my body to recover. We all need to give our bodies a break, before it breaks!
Cellular healthy supplements are great for recovery. The supplements I take include B-12, an organic green powder, goji berries, chia seeds, maca powder, and black seed. Those mainly go in the smoothies I make during the day.
🍎 How is your diet and what supplements do you use?
My staple meal is a salad.
I’m a plant-based athlete which means I eat fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, and superfoods!
I really enjoy cooking, so I sometimes create meals on the fly, or I’ll follow a recipe but will add my own twist. I usually follow a recipe once, then I’ll add my own flare — my own style — to it the next time I make it.
I eat pancakes…and waffles! Yes, I have a home made recipe for pancakes/waffles. They are delicious! That’s not my own opinion, I have references. : )
I usually start the day with a green smoothie of some kind, and then have a post workout shake that I prepare that has a little over 1,000 calories in it.
My staple meal is a salad. Yeah, I know. It doesn’t sound exciting, but my salads are dense with nutrition and calories! I can make a salad that has almost 1,000 calories in it as well.
My salad usually consists of Romaine lettuce, kale, carrots, beets, red onion, purple cabbage, quinoa, beans, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and/or walnuts, raisins.
Although, I’m not an avid calorie counter, I’m aware of what I’m eating and I know how many calories make up what I’m eating. The cool thing about being plant-based is that I can eat pretty much whatever I want, whenever I want.
Nuts are a good snack I incorporate throughout the day, sometimes. I don’t have an in season, or off season “diet.” I eat pretty much the same, year round, depending on what foods are in season.
The only “supplements” I use are B-12 and a green powder. I’ve never taken pre-workout. I don’t do whey protein, and I’ve never done steroids or taken any illegal substances. I don’t even drink alcohol. Lame? No. Gains? YESS!
👍 What has inspired and motivated you?
I’m inspired by the challenge of working out. Not all workouts are the same. There’s always a way to push our bodies in a safe way that can result in a better performing “machine.”
I recognize and acknowledge that the physical body I have is a gift and I am the steward of this amazingly complex, yet easy to maintain, gift.
None of us created what we’ve been born with, but we can build, shape, or even destroy what we’ve been given. The choice is ours.
My inspiration and gratitude comes from above. I recognize that being alive and having the ability to improve my physical, mental, and spiritual state is a gift from above.
✏️ Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?
If you want it, you’ll do it.
If you want to improve your health and fitness, start now. Health and fitness are two different things. Health is internal. Fitness is external. It’s important to have a good balance between the two.
Your internal health is determined by what you put “in” your body. Your external fitness is dependent on how much you “move” (with increased heart rate). It doesn’t take much to accomplish both aspects of well-being. Health-eat fruit. Fitness-move. It’s almost as simple as that.
The hardest part is getting started. The second hardest part is staying the course. If you want it, you’ll do it.
I like this quote by Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t–you’re right.” Start slow. Eat light, eat right. Use good technique when working out. Control the weight. Don’t let the weight control you. Stay consistent and you will see results.
🤝 Are you taking on clients right now?
Although, I’ve been asked to get back into training people, my focus right now is on growing my brand, GRABBZ™. I was inspired to create a product that helps people improve their workout performance, which helps them achieve their fitness goals. This is a different slant of personal training, but it still allows me to play a part in helping individuals achieve their fitness goals.
If you’re reading this, I can help you achieve your goals. I may be open to online personal training, and meal prepping in the future. As for now, if you haven’t already, you should “Get Your GRABBZ™ On!”
📝 Where can we learn more about you?
To learn more about GRABBZ™, please visit grabbz.com.
Instagram: @actionfigurefit and @getgrabbz
Facebook: @getgrabbz
Youtube channel: ActionFigureFit
