👋 Hi! Tell us about yourself and your training
Hello beautiful people! My name is Drew Kendrick and I’m a model and content creator from Atlanta! I’m 25 and a somewhat recent college graduate (not really I graduated May 2018) from Georgia State University, receiving my B.B.A. in Managerial Science.
However, I would say my life in fitness, work, and really just all aspects of my life have been centered around my start in the modeling industry back in 2013 after I graduated high school.
I always had a passion for business, and branding and really where the two of those worlds meet, which is marketing. I was always super inspired by these really huge successful companies and their brands. Companies like Ralph Lauren, Diageo, and LVMH.
The thing that drew me to them the most though was the way they branded themselves. The content they created was always so inspiring, and captivating and I knew I wanted to be a part of that in some way.
However, I just wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted to be involved in the industry. Shortly after graduating high school, I discovered my love for modeling, which is where I would say my journey really begins. Modeling is responsible for my passions in my career, my creativity, and my life in FITNESS!
My training started due to wanting to be in shape and having the best body possible for my modeling career. I had never really truly worked out before this point in my life outside of when I ran track for a couple of seasons back in grade school.
At the time, I didn’t have a gym membership so I typically did a lot of running and YouTube workout videos, that actually got me in really great shape. My brother introduced me to the Passion4Profession fitness channel on YouTube, to whom I really owe my abs.
After training at home for a while with my videos and doing my cardio and outdoor workouts. I finally decided that I should join a gym. I will admit this was actually a bit of a challenge for me at first. I’m a very confident person but going to the gym was one place where I really felt insignificant and lacked a lot of confidence.
I had no idea what I was doing at all and I was surrounded by all of these really big and masculine, testosterone-filled, confident men and I was intimidated. But I knew that the only way I would ever get comfortable would be if I kept going and just failed at it for a while until I actually learned what to do.
At this time, I actually had two key friends that actually really helped teach me what to do and gave me a good foundation. My friend Jerry (@flcko_jb) and my friend John (@calijohny). They showed me proper form, how to properly use machines, different exercises, and what I needed to do based on my fitness goals.
Over a couple of years, I started to become more and more consistent with my training and still learning along the way of course! I also really started to see how beneficial fitness is for your mental and emotional health as well.
I would say my junior and senior in college is where the most crucial part of the process came in. I really started analyzing myself and started to come to an understanding that everyone is different and you have to find out what specifically works for you.
I believe that recently, I found the flow that really gives me the best results for my body and my fitness goals, but also to give me the best mental and emotional health that I can have as well.
⏱ Describe a typical day of training
My workout regimen consists of working out five days a week for an hour.
My workout regimen consists of working out five days a week for an hour. I go any five days of the week that I can make it, whether that is a consistent five days back to back or if I have to jump around in the week to make it happen, but my goal is to always hit those five days a week no matter what.
In those five days, I try and dedicate each day to a muscle group and start each day with at least five minutes of cardio to warm up and not totally neglect my cardio.
- Day 1: Chest and Arms
- Day 2: Cardio and Abs
- Day 3: Leg Day
- Day 4: Shoulders and Back
- Day 5: Freestyle
My freestyle day is my favorite day because I get to choose whatever it is I want to do that day for a workout. Whether that’s dancing, hiking, going for a run, working out with a friend, or even just hitting one of the previous muscle groups from that week because I’m really focused on seeing results on a certain part of my body.
I don’t necessarily always do the week in that order just as long as I hit each muscle group over the five days of that week.
I also make sure that I stretch for at least 10 minutes before and after each workout. This is super important because it helps prevent injuries, but it also makes you feel so much better when your body has that flexibility and mobility to it.
I like to try and change my workout regimen up sometimes as well so that my body doesn’t adapt to it too much and also so I can learn new things and just change the routine up so it doesn’t get boring. So every now and then I’ll work out with some friends, do a fun YouTube fitness video or do a class.
👊 How do you keep going and push harder?
I genuinely believe that the key to being successful at anything is consistency, and that especially holds true in regards to fitness. It’s so important to find what keeps you going. You have to find what makes your workout something enjoyable and something to look forward to.
Set that goal that has a reward for you that’s so great you can’t help but want to achieve it because it’s the only way you’ll really see results and be able to stay on top of it and it’s not going to always be easy to find the motivation or the time to go.
I’ve managed to keep training and stay consistent for so long because I have taken those very steps, and I’ve stayed consistent for so long that when I don’t workout I actually don’t feel good physically, mentally, or emotionally.
When I find myself lacking that drive and I see myself falling off the wagon I find people and things that spark inspiration in me. That can be anything fitness related or not. I often get super motivated when I see creativity and success in the field that I’m in and it moves me to want to be the best in every way I can so that I can be like that one day.
Another thing that pushes me to keep going is just coming to an understanding of life being so uncontrollable. We have so many things in life that we have no control over, but why not focus on the things that we can control.
We have complete control over if we want to get in the gym to make ourselves look and feel better, so it gives me a sense of control over my life and my future and I love that!
I even find motivation in the fact that I love seeing fit hot guys, and I like working towards being a fit hot guy because that’s what other fit and hot guys like! It motivates me to go to the gym so I can see eye candy and be seen as eye candy. SUE ME!
All of that is to say no matter what your motivating factors are you have to find those in order to keep pushing when you see your motivation starting to fall.
A really big challenge that I face is my health. I have Crohn’s disease so my immune system is compromised, causing me to become sick all the time.
This is a double hit because going to the gym is partially making me sick since it’s one of the main places you can pick up germs due to all of the bacteria and body fluids, being exchanged on all of the equipment, and then when I do get sick I’m forced to stop working out until I recover, which usually last anywhere between three to seven days.
Once I finally recover, I’m able to get back in the gym for as long as I can until I get sick again. So I’ve had to learn how to adapt to try my best to keep my immune system as healthy as possible, and then try not to beat myself up when I have to take time to recover. The rest and recovery part of your fitness is just as important as the working out part.
🏆 How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
Currently, the whole world has been forced into a rest mode as we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic that has put many of us into quarantine and closed a lot of the gyms.
It’s also hard because I do deal with having a compromised immune system. I am even more susceptible to getting sick while this is going on. I’ve actually already been sick twice since this pandemic started.
However, when I’m not sick, I’m still on my workout regimen! I can’t go to the gym but I’ve definitely been going running and doing a lot of indoor and outdoor workouts at my home.
I’ve actually discovered some awesome new fitness channels on YouTube during this time. ( POPSUGAR Fitness, FitnessBlender, PamelaReif, and still sticking with my Passion4Profession ).
I’ve also picked up an awesome workout routine with my friend Ruck (@ruckgram) and he’s been coming over and rocking it out with me!
I plan on coming out of this quarantine in even better shape than I was going into it. Once this pandemic is over I definitely plan on getting back to the gym and going even harder to achieve my goals.
This is crunch time for me, because in five years I’ll be 30, and I want to go into my 30’s in the best shape and health that I’ve ever been in. Everyone says it’s harder to stay in shape once you hit 30 so I want to make sure I go into the 30’s club blazing!
🤕 How do you recover, rest and handle injuries?
With getting older also comes a higher risk of getting injured. So I do my best to make sure I avoid putting myself in situations that make me more likely to get hurt.
Once again stretching is key for me to make sure I stay flexible and mobile so that I don’t pull any muscles or stiffen up during or after a workout. I also do my best to get six to eight hours of sleep each day so my body can properly recover and I have the energy to make it through all of my workouts throughout the week.
If I do start to feel tired or fatigued, I will listen to my body and do a less intense and strenuous workout or take the time I need off to recover some more.
🍎 How is your diet and what supplements do you use?
I’ve found that just trying to eat the most balanced and healthy way that I can without depriving myself completely of anything, works great for me!
Along with sleep comes diet! I will be completely honest when I say I do not have any sort of diet I stick to. I don’t keep track of calories, nor do I track my intake of particular food groups or anything like that. But that takes me back to what I said before!
Everyone is different and you have to find what works for you! I tried all of those techniques and it personally wasn’t a good fit for me, but I know that those methods work wonders for many people.
I’ve found that just trying to eat the most balanced and healthy way that I can without depriving myself completely of anything, works great for me!
I eat pretty clean and healthy for the most part but I still let myself have snacks and meals that I just enjoy regardless of the nutrition facts here and there. But I’ve found the balance of how much of the junk food and not so healthy foods that I can eat, without feeling bad and still seeing results in the gym.
Your body will genuinely tell you what it needs, what it’s craving, and how much it craves and needs. I listen to what my body is saying, and based on that I know if I can have a cheat meal or day, or if I really need to focus on clean and healthy eating at the moment.
Luckily, I have people like my friend Donald (@donaldperryfunk) that make sure I get all of my cheat meals in so I don’t forget the pleasure of food. I would say the most important part about health and fitness all around is learning your body and listening to it!
👍 What has inspired and motivated you?
Your body should be your ultimate inspiration above all because it’s yours and you can mold it however you like. If you have inspiration for how you want it to look then you can shape it to look similar but still making it your own!
I know I have the inspirations that I look to on Instagram like @kvngdavidsworld, @adbfit, @derrickjmar, and @denericklindsey. They inspire me to really push my best in what my body can achieve and how I want to look.
My body is my body and we’re all built differently so I’ll never look exactly like them, but I definitely aspire to achieve my own physical success at the same level that they are at.
My friends around me inspire me as well! I’ve been really fortunate to surround myself with friends that are really motivated and ambitious in everything they do including fitness and taking care of themselves. Looking at them staying too busy and determined constantly pushed me to stay on my grind.
✏️ Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?
Along with consistency, I would say inspiration is the next biggest key, if not the biggest key to success on your fitness journey. *DJ Khaled voice* My advice to anyone really wanting to make their goals a reality is to find that ambition inside of yourself that wakes you up every day, and pushes you to just keep going and just keep trying, and apply that same flame to your own personal goals.
If you can use that drive to do your job, or take care of your family and friends, or chase your passions, you can apply it to your fitness goals too. So my advice to anyone is to find your WHY! It’s going to be the only thing that keeps you going even when it looks and feels impossible. That is what’s going to keep nagging you and telling you that it is possible!
I am no fitness expert, or lifestyle coach nor am I a trainer or anything like that, but I am super passionate about people and I want people to live the best and healthiest life that they can. So my advice is really more so what I believe to be a universal truth that everyone can relate to and make it their own.
🤝 Are you taking on clients right now?
No. I am not.
📝 Where can we learn more about you?
Thank you guys so much for taking the time to check out my fitness journey with Bulk Hackers! If you’d like to keep up with me on my fitness journey, my content creation, modeling career, or even just the journey of life that were all on together then please do join me. Let’s build a beautiful world together!
Website: drewkendrick.com
Instagram: @drew_kendrick
TikTok: @drew_kendrick
