👋 Hi! Tell us about yourself and your training
Hi, I’m Damien Rider. I’m 44 years old and a Poly Athlete, which means I do multiple disciplines of extreme sports and unique endurance events around the world. I have a couple of documentaries on National Geographic of my physical feats and the cause behind doing them.
I travel the world creating unique world first events and do motivational talks at TEDx talks, schools and corporate. I also coach private clients in mental and physical performance growth, building up resilience to overcome the monkey mind and self doubt to achieve higher levels.
Currently, I am in New Mexico coaching a young race car prodigy, Elvis Rankin, preparing him for the 2020 season of Formula and Jr Late Model and Legends leagues and a World Record event coming up in February in Las Vegas.
I have a few world records in endurance events and currently training for 11 Extreme events for 2020/21, which I would say I’ve been preparing myself for, for 27 years to complete successfully.
Fitness and sports have always been my go-to from a young age out of survival and then just who I am, always pushing the boundaries and exploring what the mind and body can do.
I’ve been grateful to be able to have support from brands along the way with current ones Mizuno Running Shoes Au and Recoil suspension trainer.
I’m created and author of a new, evolved form of meditation called, One Breath Meditation with New York Publishers and have a second book just about at publishing stage.
My two films are Heart Of The Sea and Rise Above and both available on Vimeo On Demand.
⏱ Describe a typical day of training
I’ve always trained for strength rather than just full muscles or looks.
Depending on what stage I am at and how much time I have for my upcoming events. Usually I’ll start off with heavy compound lifts and eat the house down, as I bulk back up. I’ve always trained for strength rather than just full muscles or looks.
I’ll move into more functional training and then specific movement weighted training coming towards my event, whatever it requires.
Wherever I travel in the world, I always book accommodation or rent apartments with a good gym close, so it takes the extra thought out of going there and it keeps me more accountable. If I’m somewhere that doesn’t have anywhere to train, I build it, like the beach gym I build in west Java from trees.
Strength and Explosive power works best for me during weight training and I get my endurance during cardio sessions or multi-station functional training.
I don’t really use any supplements, just sometimes I’ll use a high calorie protein/Carbs power while I’m putting size on.
I’m used to training alone and like it cause I do my events alone and I can push myself without distractions. It’s always good to mix it up with training partners who lift more than you to give you an extra push though.
👊 How do you keep going and push harder?
My standard on pushing myself came when I paddled 500 miles, by hand in 17 days, in the ocean alone. It set up my mental resilience and knowing I can do anything I focus on.
I’ve always wanted to see what I can achieve and what is possible to do physically, mentally and emotionally. Its just how I’m built now.
🏆 How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
I’m training for 11 different disciplines at the moment, which I’ll begin in about six months time. They will take 12 to 18 months to achieve all that I have set myself to do. I’m feeling really good, focused and comfortable about it.
The very few people that know what it is I’m doing are mixed in excited, worried for me or just think it’s my normal self to do extreme events. Either way I feel its time for me to take these on.
I do the extreme so it helps take excuses out of people’s lives and they can see what’s possible.
🤕 How do you recover, rest and handle injuries?
Because my events are so taxing on me physically, mentally, emotionally and my nervous system gets a bit tweaked, I usually take a bit of time off between to replenish the body and mind.
Each of the events something tweaks like, one I became dyslexic – couldn’t count – couldn’t remember anyone’s name, another my little toes on my right foot has been numb for three years and another whenever I close my eyes it’s like strobe lights flashing in front of them.
But all is good.
🍎 How is your diet and what supplements do you use?
I eat pretty plain, chicken, greens, potatoes or white rice.
I’m gluten free, dairy free and pretty much refined sugar free. Not because it’s trendy at the moment but just how I’ve been for 17 years.
I’ve tried pretty much ever supplement over the 27 years of serious training and I just stay food-based usually. One supplement that was amazing, which I can’t find anymore was called, Minamino, which was liquid amino acid and live liver extracts.
I eat pretty plain, chicken, greens, potatoes or white rice. I’m based in Mexico now so I’m jacked on tacos haha and ceviche which I love.
Because of my fast metabolism eating five to seven meals a day, even big meals or high calorie, I just rip down and drop bulk so three to four main meal size works best for me.
I’d go for high protein/high carbs. Again, I’ve tried it all over the years to see if I can increase performance like vegan, keto, paleo so I know what works for me. Paleo is probably the closest to my regular eating habits.
I stay around 6.5% body fat so it works for me.
👍 What has inspired and motivated you?
Just pushing the limits then about six years ago I wanted to do something that I was really proud of. I saw what others also got from the events and how it inspired them to push themselves out of their comfort zone so that my motivation now.
✏️ Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?
Remove the words Try – Fail – Impossible and replace them with DO – LEARN – POSSIBLE. By changing the words around you eliminate the self talk of doubt and walls people build in front of themselves, stopping them from achieving greatness within.
If the worst possible outcome to anything you do is you learn from it, then that’s not a bad thing at all.
🤝 Are you taking on clients right now?
Yeah, I take on clients I know want results and it excites me when they really want to step out of their comfort zone or if they have been struggling with addictions or trauma from the past.
I work all over the world and prefer private based clients rather than groups. I do still do groups like when I do Cold Immersion Meditation, which is always exciting to watch them overcome not just the ice bath challenge but blockages stopping them from growth.
📝 Where can we learn more about you?
Feel free to checkout damienrider.com or Instagram @damienrider or Facebook @Damien Rider.
