👋 Hi! Tell us about yourself and your training
Improving my body and mind quickly turned from a hobby to a lifestyle.
I am Jake Andersen, a 27-year-old from Arizona and my brand label is Coach Always.
As of 2019, I have been resistance training for 15 years, and plant-based bodybuilding since 2015. Due to my constant involvement in athletics, improving my body and mind quickly turned from a hobby to a lifestyle, and that is why I have turned my passion into a purpose by becoming a health coach that specializes in fitness and nutrition.
Early in my training experience, my goal was power to improve my explosiveness for football and wrestling. After graduating high school, I soon realized that if I wanted to appear more physically appealing then I should switch my training goal to bodybuilding.
⏱ Describe a typical day of training
In contrast to the majority of the community, I prefer to remain at a healthy body fat percentage (10 to 15 percent as a male) while transforming to a larger size.
I train for hypertrophy three to seven days every week for approximately one hour, with the goal of exercising each muscle group every 72 hours. I recently added ten to thirty minutes of sauna time to the end of my routine to flush toxins; the benefits I have already observed are increased clarity and interoception.
The hormones released from proper failure enables me to strive to get a pump even while on vacation, and the body mechanics I have perfected allows me to avoid injury to ensure I can still ride my snowboard when I’m in my eighties.
👊 How do you keep going and push harder?
Without a goal, you are basically on a rocking horse: moving back and forth with no real movement.
Determining your “why” is crucial for consistent effort. Without a goal, you are basically on a rocking horse: moving back and forth with no real movement.
My goal is to win my next competition as a true novice, which simply means that I expect to take first in my first bodybuilding competition.
I used to take marketed pre-workouts to stimulate myself, but when I realized that they were full of carcinogens while providing supplements in inefficient ratios, I slowly transitioned to mixing my own from the raw, pharmaceutical grade ingredients that are scientifically shown to consistently create results.
🏆 How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
I have been maintaining approximately 13% body fat while I increase my muscle mass during the winter, and plan to compete in 2020 at a tested competition. The date and location have yet to be determined, but I am beyond excited to debut my results to create additional credibility.
I’ll continue to learn and share validated information to help others along their fitness journey.
🤕 How do you recover, rest and handle injuries?
I am a firm believer that the best way to handle injuries is to prevent them from occurring.
I am a firm believer that the best way to handle injuries is to prevent them from occurring. Proper sleep, food intake and body mechanics are crucial to expedite recovery while creating results.
I’ve put myself through physical therapy to recover from my AC separation that occurred from snowboarding. As a result, I learned how to move correctly through specific motions while listening to my body.
Stretching and yoga are also valuable tools to discover the mind-body connection necessary to grow while avoiding injury.
I also credit my plant-based diet of non-GMO and organic foods for reducing the inflammation within my body’s ecosystem. Rest is heavily underrated; the majority of our HGH production occurs while we sleep.
🍎 How is your diet and what supplements do you use?
Results happen in the kitchen, not the gym. Knowing your goal and the scientific way to achieve it is the most significant portion of training.
Ever since transitioning to a vegan diet in October of 2015, I always tell people that I am plant-based for my health, and veganism is a phenomenal concept for the planet and animals. However, it was not until I stumbled upon the science for longevity and performance that I quickly changed my tune.
Additionally, our bodies require minerals and vitamins that we no longer can acquire from our food (due to past farming practices), so supplementation is essential for longevity, especially when we sweat out the finite sources of our building blocks as athletes.
I also love ensuring others that our bodies run off of primarily carbs, but complex carbs, not simple. Fruits, maple syrup and white rice are simple. Whereas vegetables, beans and brown rice are complex, which are necessary for energy.
Besides vitamins and minerals, for performance I supplement daily with Caffeine, Carnosyn beta-alanine, DHEA, and Creatine Monohydrate (all of which can be found on Amazon, but I recommend consulting with a professional before investment).
👍 What has inspired and motivated you?
Quality coaches along my journey and becoming the best version of myself, as well as athletic performances are the largest source of my motivation.
Arnold S. and Ronnie Coleman always get me hyped, but improving myself is truly my passion. I constantly consult with experts in the industry to refine my knowledge and approach to helping others, which is the purpose I have created from my passion.
✏️ Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?
Enjoy the journey and let yourself be your primary competition.
If you know your desired destination, enjoy the journey and let yourself be your primary competition. Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint.
Consult experts to avoid being misled by the plethora of marketing, and keep your mind open so you can find what is ideal for your goal.
The gym often becomes an ego contest, which can cause some people to try unnecessary tactics that leave them injured and far from their goal.
Every sport can incorporate resistance training to improve the performance within a specific position, so find a professional that can help you reach your goals.
🤝 Are you taking on clients right now?
I am currently admitting new members to my patient list of Peak Performers who expect results.
I provide a big-picture approach for longevity and success in any industry. Virtual and in-person experiences are available. I often have people ask how to lose weight, gain muscle or perform better without injury; all of which I have tremendous success with.
📝 Where can we learn more about you?
You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest and Reddit as Coach Always, or contact me directly from my website CoachAlways.com.
I’m also on YouTube.
