Hi! Tell us about yourself and your training
My name is Christopher Keverian and I am 25 years old. I am Australian born and live in the northern beaches of beautiful Sydney.
My job before this whole corona episode was as a personal trainer at Fitness First in Chatswood, however as the gym is closed I’ve had to convert to other means, mainly doing outdoor sessions at a park.
I am currently single and have no kids, however I have a niece and she is my life, makes me smile every day.
When I was younger I played competitive soccer (football) and have represented NSW and have even played overseas.
My biggest PR was probably doing 150kg bench presses when I was 19 for 3 reps, other than that I don’t train to hit PR’s.
I started training about 11 years ago, just your basic pushups and situps at home and then I’d say around 17 would pay $13 for a casual day pass and did that a couple days a week for literally a whole year as my dad thought this was just a phase and I wouldn’t use a membership hahahahaha lol.
Training is my biggest hobby, but other than that I love any sports, I like watching movies or just going to dinners with family and friends and just laughing and spending quality time.
So I have had a couple clothing sponsors in the past but currently have stopped with them as I want to just concentrate on my main sponsor EHPlabs.
Honestly now that I look back I wanted to be sponsored by them so bad, like I would tag them in my photos I would train my ass off and go to expos and try to take epic photos with the athletes and try to build relationships.
I think the big thing is to be genuine and a good person. See what the current sponsored athletes are doing and try to align with their values.
One year, a close friend got me a plus one to be backstage with all the athletes, I was just myself, helping them out however I could and didn’t pester them about sponsorship.
I built great relationships with everyone and fortunately my friends even put in a good word for me with the bosses which helped.
You can always improve and take it to the next level
I like the fact that it’s a never ending journey, you can always improve and take it to the next level. Never satisfied.
I love the discipline, and the fact that it can’t just be bought (I mean there is all this surgery now and drugs to help) but I’m talking about the genuine hard work and dedication it requires to achieve a great physique.
There is also a great community, like everything else there is always a bit of negativity and jealousy. But I’d say there’s also a great positive side where like minded individuals praise each other’s wins and successes.
I have made so many friends in the gym or simply because they have given me a compliment about my training or me to them.
Describe a typical day of training
I throw in cardio and abs whenever I feel like it.
When I was younger I used to just do bro splits, or just train one body part each day until I was exhausted. But as I got more experienced I trained smarter, wrote out and planned out a training block and would usually train two muscle groups within the same workout and aim to train everything at least twice a week.
I quite enjoy, Chest & Back, Shoulders & Arms, Legs. I throw in cardio and abs whenever I feel like it.
Before covid I would train 6-7 times a week and usually twice a day. One session would be weights usually in the morning depending on my clients and the other a cardio session later in the day.
I am fortunate that I was working in a gym so training for me was very convenient in between clients.
The split that I mentioned above has gotten me great results and honestly contrary to popular belief I have actually made a lot of my early gains doing a lighter weight slow and controlled with perfect form.
I don’t really bulk as I like to stay lean all year round, however I did do dirty bulk when I was like 19 which was really unhealthy but I put on a heap of weight and was strong but felt terrible and never did it again.
When I was younger I used to always train with a friend and we would coordinate times to make it work with our schedules and that was fun and it would help you stay motivated and accountable.
The Fitness First at Chatswood was our first gym and is and always will be home.
As I got older and with work getting more serious and everyone’s schedules being much more busy I started training on my own.
I love training on my own, I blast my music and don’t have to wait for anyone and can go at my own pace. I have been training alone for the last 3 years or so.
I love to use pre-workout supplements before I train as it amps me up and especially if I’m tired it helps keep me motivated and engaged.
My perfect ritual would be to blast progressive house music while drinking my pre workout and just amping up and vibing to myself.
I then always take EHPlabs protein shake after my workouts and creatine. I keep protein, different singlets, belts, wrist wraps, headphones, protein bars in my gym bag.
The last 3 years I’ve had an iWatch which I use to keep track of my steps and calories I burn during my workouts. I know these watches are not completely accurate but it gives a rough estimate and a target to hit every day.
The whole of last year, apart from vacation I would do an hour treadmill walk on an incline every single day. I would watch Netflix while I did it and the time would fly past.
How do you keep going and push harder?
There is always time to workout
When I lose motivation, one thing I like to do is listen to a motivational podcast of say Arnold or the Rock or one of my fitness idols and listen to them describe the hard work and commitment they put in and that usually gets me motivated.
As I mentioned, pre workout and good music I love always helps me stay motivated and push harder.
I think especially early on you have to plan your days and your weeks with no excuses. There is always time to workout, top CEOS of the biggest companies in the world find the time then anyone can.
Wake up early, go before or after work. I’m fortunate as I just look at my client schedule and train in my free spots.
My biggest challenge would have to be physically my bulging disk in my spine. It has haltered my progress over the years and prevented me from being able to do squats and deadlifts properly for a long time.
Fortunately with the help of chiros and physios I now can do them safely and properly with no pain.
Currently with the quarantine situation, I train maybe four to five days a week and go for runs or walk two to four times a week when I feel like it.
Apart from that, I’m loving life as I get to spend so much time with my family, which is the most important part of my life.
I want to keep progressing with my fitness journey and continue putting out content on social media. I love making videos and helping people with training ideas and also entertaining.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
Hopefully in the future I can be fully online with potentially an app and or full time making content and travelling the world.
I wouldn’t change too much, but maybe listen to my body when something doesn’t feel right or I’m not sure about something.
How do you recover, rest and handle injuries?
Fortunately I recover quite fast, I have my protein after my workouts and make sure I get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
All my supps are from EHPlabs. My promo code with them is CHRIS10.
Sports massage is good every now and then if I’m really beat up after training but otherwise using a roller or an Epsom salt bath.
How is your diet and what supplements do you use?
I love coffee and have it as a staple in my day.
After doing this for so long your body adapts to your way of living. In the past, I’ve done long episodes of eating so clean, I’ve done very little carbs, just meats and veggies and got very lean but was not happy.
Now I eat mostly clean and nutritious meals throughout the week but will also indulge if I go to restaurants or at family meals. I enjoy fast food occasionally and will snack if I feel like it.
I love coffee and have it as a staple in my day. Green tea is also great and I like to have it with honey.
I rarely drink alcohol, only on special occasions but usually once every 2-3 months.
I don’t use a fitness tracker as by now I have a pretty good eye on what I’m eating and where my limit is. Im pretty easy going with it all now.
What has inspired and motivated you?
When I started the whole Zyzz movement was happening and that definitely was a contributing factor. Having a good body to help with confidence was also a good motivator.
Early on I didn’t read books to motivate me, it was more watching videos of my idols.
I listen to angry rap, and progressive house music at the gym.
Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?
You can just keep going, just keep improving little by little.
When starting out take it slow and be patient, the biggest problem I see with newbies is that they want results tomorrow. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
Don’t be disheartened if you don’t see results in the first month, hold out until 3 months or even half a year then keep going don’t give up.
Also NEVER compare yourself to others, this is not a competition everyone is different and that the beauty of it, there’s no timeline. You can just keep going, just keep improving little by little.
Are you taking on clients right now?
Yes, I am taking on clients now, I take on both online and one on one clients who want to see results.
I feel I have the perfect mix of trainer and friend and make my clients feel comfortable to trust me on their journey to get results.
I like to help my clients implement lifestyle habits which will help them stay accountable and achieve results for the long run.
Common question I get is what’s the best exercise for abs, and I say the best exercise is to control your eating.
Where can we learn more about you?
I post daily on my Instagram @chriskeverian so you can catch my content there. Or you can email me at [email protected].
