My name is Markus Kaulius and I have been obsessed with training and supplementation for the last 25 years.
I grew up just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and was one of the skinniest tall guys you could imagine (6’4.5 and 120 lbs). That SUCKED!!
I was so blessed to be introduced to the gym and my life changed overnight.
I quickly became known in my circles as the guy to ask supplement and training questions. It wasn’t long before I was selling supplements out of my bedroom (I had $15,000 of supps on my wall – it was every dollar I had to my name)!
That lead to my first supplement retail store, which quickly turned into 3 stores. This ultimately led me to starting my own brand as I wasn’t impressed with the options I had and the integrity that went into most products (which appeared to be none).
In January 2005 I started Magnum Nutraceuticals. We are a sports nutrition company who will always be focused on integrity first.
Today Magnum is available in over 60 countries and we sponsor over 300 athletes globally. I love what I do.
I feel like I learn something new about training every day. Right now, I train 10 times per week, every week. I do fasted cardio in the morning and weights a couple hours later.
I find the cardio gets my brain firing and the endorphins keep me positive and energized all day.
The workouts are designed to challenge me every day – no walks in the park for this guy.
This training style keeps my body tight year-round and gives me the confidence to be me. This obviously isn’t a good training style for someone looking to bulk or who doesn’t mind carrying excess weight.
I decided a few years ago the bulking thing wasn’t for me. I would be known as the guy you turn to for education on cutting down, dropping fat and getting the abs to pop.
As I became that guy, Magnum became that company to turn to for fat burning.
Our burners consistently win Fat Burner awards and our athletes are consistently known as the most ripped and best conditioned. (Was that braggy? I really didn’t want it to sound braggy!)
As for where I train, I built a 6500 sq ft private gym at Magnum HQ solely for my staff and athletes to use.
It is so awesome! Over the years, as I traveled, I found unique pieces of equipment and filled our gym.
Before I train, I hit the Magnum Candy Shop – a huge wall filled with supplements in candy dispensers. I get myself fueled with the best supplements and go kill the weights.
I feel so blessed that God has used me in the fitness community the way He has.
Knowing that my staff, family, athletes and many in the fitness community are watching me, I am full of drive and commitment to the gym.
I balance my highs and lows by always taking a ton of supplements, making sure I am sleeping consistently and by eating the right foods year-round. This eliminates swings in weight and motivation.
There is a ton of truth in fitness clichés: you can’t out-train a bad diet!
The way many people have major swings in their consumption of food (from eating boiled chicken and no carbs to eating a full pizza and litre of pop) it is no surprise they lose motivation and have huge hormonal swings.
The more people work towards balanced eating and consider this a LIFESTYLE, the better their results will be all year and they aren’t susceptible to the huge weight and hormonal swings.
I am also a firm believer in keeping negativity out of my life. It starts with minimizing / eliminating time spent with the Debbie Downers – the people who see everything in this world as negative.
I also keep a shield up from gossip – that stuff isn’t allowed around me.
One of my best tips to get you in a more positive mindset: spend 5-10 minutes every morning, first thing, giving thanks. Spend the time praying or meditating on all you are thankful for.
By starting your day this way, you are in a more happy, positive space and grateful for all you have.
Knowing that you need to give thanks again tomorrow morning will naturally force you into watching for all the good in your life. This can quickly change you into a much more happy, positive human.
Finding balance in life can be challenging. I believe the philosophy of the 4 burners of life to be helpful in how I allocate my time.
We have 4 burners in our lives, just like a stove: health, family, friends, work.
At max power, all burners can be on medium. In order to turn one up, another must be turned down. You can’t have all 4 on full power.
I decided long ago to turn down the friend burner so I could crank the work burner. I also turned down the family burner (meaning I really only make time for my wife and kids) so I could also crank the health burner.
Know that you can change your burner settings at any time, but I encourage people to make their choices and commit to their decisions.
Don’t look back and come down on yourself for not calling mom enough or being a bad friend.
Know that it is for a short time and when you do see mom or your friends, make sure you are fully present and show how much you care, even if it is only for a short visit.
🏆 How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
I am in the midst of a clean bulk – hoping to put on 2-3 lbs of clean muscle over 10 months.
I will then cut up for the Mr Olympia 2020 and hope to land a few new magazine covers. To achieve this, I am lowering my cardio slowly, increasing calories and training like a man possessed.
As always, with my training, I am looking to show others that no matter how much you have on your plate and at any age, you can make real changes to your physique… and your life.
In business, we are working hard to grow in new countries. In 2020 I plan to visit Australia, UK, UAE, Italy, Greece and any other country that we see as a potential growth country for Magnum.
We also have many new formulas, new flavours of existing formulas, new athletes and so much more excitement planned.
As far as a 5 or 10 year plan, which I know as a businessman I am supposed to have one, I don’t!
I have always trusted God to provide what I need to succeed and to show me the path He wants me on. I find that the times I made big plans were the times He happily laughed and abruptly put me on a very different course.
So I just show up every day, work my butt off, encourage and love others and watch what God does in my business and personal life.
Injuries suck!! When I hit my 30s I realized injuries are the worst thing about training, so I focus heavily on prevention.
I stretch for 20 minutes every day (after cardio for 10 and after warmup for 10). I never lift cold. I do yoga once or twice per month.
I put DripFit on my muscles every day to keep them warm and to ensure optimal blood flow and circulation.
I have only had 3 or 4 minor injuries in the last decade and the moment they occur, I make sure I treat them.
I get massage therapy, chiropractic, laser treatments etc – injuries RARELY heal on their own and at best, they become a problem for tomorrow. Tomorrow always comes, so I deal with problems today.
Sleep is also a high priority in my life. In getting good sleep nightly, I know I am healing from my crazy training schedule. If I’m not sleeping well, I know I’m compounding problems by potentially getting myself sick as well.
I firmly believe that anyone who gets a cold chose to get that cold – if you feel something coming on and make sure to get your Primer vitamins in, take G-Spring and or Thrust for a crazy deep sleep, you will avoid colds.
Getting a good night sleep will also lower your cortisol (stress hormone) and have you functioning optimally always.
And of course I rely heavily on the right supplements to get my body fully recovered daily. I use Magnum Opus, Hi5, Primer, Hard Muscle Builder and others to keep me training like I’m still in my 20s.
For my work, I spend approx. 60-75 days per year sleeping in hotel beds.
Traveling can be challenging to your gains – if you allow it to be. With some good planning, you can handle travel without skipping a beat in your schedule.
Here are a couple of tips for traveling:
Make sure the hotel you are staying at has a great gym.
Order local food prep and have it delivered to your hotel.
Schedule your training sessions while you are away.
Stick to that training schedule!
If you want more tips for traveling without slowing down your progress:
Over the last 20 years I have tried many diets – most of which got me some results, but terrible rebounds. I truly believe that any diet will work for you if you stick to it, but is it possible to stick to it long term?
I eat lean proteins, clean carbs and good fats with almost every meal. Once every week or two I have one cheat MEAL (not a cheat day)!
Anything I crave for the week I will eat at that meal. I never feel like I am missing out on life.
In fact, I would argue I enjoy food far more than the next guy. Who do you think enjoys a burger more: the guy who eats it every day or the guy who thinks about it, dreams about it for 6 days, then indulges in that one glorious burger – savoring every bite?!
I use a meal prep company (Mealsaweight) to make my meals with the exact macros I require and using only quality ingredients. For dinners, we get all our meats from Trulocal.ca – they send us hormone free, steroid free, well-loved meats.
My best diet advice – eat according to a diet you can follow long-term. It can’t taste gross; you won’t stick with it. It can’t be too restrictive or you will eventually snap and binge the other way.
Find a good calorie free sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing sauce) – I can eat meats with that sauce on it for every meal, every day.
For calories, I consume approx. 3200 per day in my “off” season and I descend down as low as 2300 when I am cutting.
I know that going out/social events pose the toughest challenge for most peoples’ diet.
My advice: have a game plan and stick to it. I always plan ahead. I know where I am going and I look up the menu.
Do they have anything for me? If not, I will prep my meal and eat it before I go into the restaurant. Is there some rule that says I MUST eat there to have a good time with friends?
Now, if you are the person who finds the need to tell everyone that you are better than them because you ate healthy before you came, your friends and family are right to shun you – you are gross!
For how hard I push my body daily, I NEED the best supplements to keep me going. I average 70 pills and over 24 scoops of powder daily.
I trust my body to Magnum because I know what goes into every formula. Magnum Nutraceuticals exclusively uses Pharmaceutical Grade ingredients and every formula is based 100% on science.
Plus, the company focuses on integrity and truly proves it in everything Magnum does – from the athletes sponsored, community involvement, charities, mentorships… Magnum is here to improve lives.
Some products I couldn’t live without:
Magnum Hard Muscle Builder – for strength, lowering anxiety, cortisol and stress, naturally boosting testosterone and tightening.
Magnum Heat – consistently awarded Canada’s Fat Burner of the Year! It’s a true thermogenic, tightening agent, energy booster, fat burner.
Magnum E-Brake – for naturally suppressing aromatase and estrogen (the storage hormone) – for tightening up fast, harder, tighter muscles, strength boost, sleep enhancement and hormone balancing.
Magnum Fasted Cardio – the perfect fasted cardio supplement – for energy, focus, thermogenic burning, belly tightening and cardio endurance. (Available worldwide in March!)
Magnum Thrust – consistently awarded Canada’s Test Booster of the Year! For natural hardening, feeling younger and healthier, sleeping WAY deeper, increasing strength and libido, recovering faster and boosting excitement for lifting!
Magnum Mane Brain – unreal Nootropic designed for mental clarity, focus, memory and just being far sharper at work and in the gym.
DripFit – workout & sweat intensifier – warms my muscles up, increases blood flow and circulation, pump, sweatiness, internal heat and is super good for my skin!
It’s also worth mentioning that my body has significantly improved since I stopped drinking alcohol a few years back. I wish I had stopped long ago.
I grew up very poor. This has shaped me into a man who is always willing to put in the work. If I one day am poor again, it will not be because I didn’t work hard enough!
That said, I am not driven by money. Success to me isn’t about the money in my bank or the car I drive – success to me is how many people I can help and how many lives I can change.
I am inspired by people who have done great things without sacrificing their integrity or who they are.
I am inspired daily by the physiques I see on social media who didn’t turn to steroids for quick gains.
I am inspired by businessmen and women who live balanced lives, who care for their families and communities and who give back to the industry that gives them so much.
I receive so much from authors like Brian Tracey, Malcom Covey, Malcolm Gladwell and Tony Robins (cliché as that might be – the man is brilliant)!
Read more.
A few of my favourite people to follow on Instagram who motivate me:
These are some of the best natural physiques on the planet. Athletes who work hard, train hard, love and give back.
You will get so many great tips and tricks from these awesome humans – follow them!!
Now let’s talk about celebrities! My two favourites are Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. These guys are amazing.
Yes, they both have incredible builds and have personality that jumps off the screen, but I love watching how people react to them. How do people FEEL around these alphas?
They both live the fitness lifestyle and success and confidence oozes from their every pore. They have earned it. This is how I hope people speak of me one day.
✏️ Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?
This is my favourite question! Let’s start with some basics:
Learn to enjoy the journey. If you don’t, you will be complaining every moment of it and your results will be slow (if any show at all).
The journey is full of new learning, challenges, positive people… so much awesomeness to discover!
Seek knowledge, not results.
Do something today to make you a better person than you were yesterday (in and out of the gym).
Don’t compare yourself to others – you are on a unique journey.
Trust the process. The process takes time. How many years did it take to make the body you have right now?
It won’t take 1 week to change all that.
Be consistent. This isn’t about trading one burger for a quinoa salad – this is about doing many little things daily that keep you on your new path.
As you are learning and asking questions, always ask: does that answer make sense?
If someone tells you to do 2 hours of cardio and eat no carbs – does that make sense? NO, it does not and is not something you can keep up with for the rest of your life.
Not all supplements are made equal. Find supplements that are made by a reputable company that focuses on science and has real purpose (not just to make money).
If they don’t offer guarantees, don’t buy them!
Surround yourself with like-minded, positive people.
Change comes with discipline and discipline must be practiced.
🤝 Are you taking on clients right now?
I don’t personally coach or train anymore (I did back in the 90s)! As the CEO of Magnum, I don’t have the excess time to work one on one with anyone.
I do have many coaches and trainers in my Magnum family that I would highly recommend. I personally work with Jean Jacques Barrett – who has one of the world’s best natural physiques and who lives this lifestyle every day.
He does my diet and training, but he also encourages, motivates, inspires me and holds me accountable.
I have also worked with Micah LaCerte of Hitch Fit and highly recommend him as well. Team Hitch Fit has helped clients in over 70 countries lose over 200,000 lbs of fat!
If I could go back to when I first started training and could make only one change – it would be to work with a good coach from the start.
I would have a far better body right now and the cost isn’t nearly as high as it should be.
📝 Where can we learn more about you?
I use my social media platforms to help others achieve more success in the gym and in life. I hope you will reach out to me and let me know that you found me through Bulk Hackers.
0 thoughts on “I’m the Founder of Magnum Nutraceuticals. This Is How I Train, Eat and Recover”
Sue Le
I totally agree with Markus about the roadmap to fitness. One must make it a lifestyle change, practice it daily, constantly making the smart choice putting your health and well being first.
I love the quality of Magnum Supplements they truly a game-changer for my workouts and overall physique
Amazing Interview! Markus walks the walk, and talks the talk.
He is a man of integrity, passion , and intensity! Proud to be a Magnum Athlete and call Markus a friend.
So honoured and proud to have you in my family Becky!! Thank you for these kind words and for all you do with Magnum every day!
Ben Jordan
Markus you’re the man! This was insightful and awesome to learn a bit about how you stay killing it! You’re a fantastic role model and LEADER in the industry! Proud to be a part of team magnum!
0 thoughts on “I’m the Founder of Magnum Nutraceuticals. This Is How I Train, Eat and Recover”
I totally agree with Markus about the roadmap to fitness. One must make it a lifestyle change, practice it daily, constantly making the smart choice putting your health and well being first.
I love the quality of Magnum Supplements they truly a game-changer for my workouts and overall physique
Markus and Magnum are top of the line. There are no better in the industry!
Markus is truly inspiring! I can’t wait to try the new supplements Magnum has in store for us for 2020.
Amazing Interview! Markus walks the walk, and talks the talk.
He is a man of integrity, passion , and intensity! Proud to be a Magnum Athlete and call Markus a friend.
So honoured and proud to have you in my family Becky!! Thank you for these kind words and for all you do with Magnum every day!
Markus you’re the man! This was insightful and awesome to learn a bit about how you stay killing it! You’re a fantastic role model and LEADER in the industry! Proud to be a part of team magnum!