Men’s Health Cover Model, Max Wettstein, Talks with LeanBodyLifestyle.com
Would you mind telling us a little about yourself?
I’m in the fitness industry as a fitness model, mostly for my abs and natural, attainable look. Some of my best work modeling has been several covers with Men’s Health magazine. I also train folks, am a holistic health advocate, a published author in the fitness field, and a Captain for JetBlue Airways. The latter sounds kind of random, but I’ve been a pilot for almost 20 years and that career actually began first. Lately, my absolute favorite thing to do is wear my coaching hat as I am my daughter’s surfing and skateboarding coach. She is a sponsored athlete and helps me keep it real. Kids know when something is fake and call you out on it. Kids really help hone your moral compass!
How did you get started with lifting weights and was their any particular reason for starting?
I began lifting weights on my own weight set all the way back in the 8th grade. Some would say that is too young to start, but I had a set of sand-filled plastic weights in my basement and even had a training journal, mirror and measuring tape. I had already been playing sports, but the biggest influence was my father who owned several gyms, coached high school football, taught anatomy, and produced a natural bodybuilding show every year.
My mother was vice president of women’s-only chain of spas. In the summers as a young kid, I would tag along with my father to his football practices and the players would always include me. I would hang out in his gyms and the older guys would teach me lifting techniques. I had six-pack abs, could bench press my own bodyweight, and held the 40 yard dash record at my school by the time I was ten years old. Training became a method of life very early on and now my daughter is 8 years old and she already knows how to properly exercise.
What motivates you to stay consistent?
It’s a method of life. I’m a huge sports enthusiast, not just as a spectator, but as my own athlete. Aesthetics are always important as a model to be sure, but I also train to be able to excel in all my favorite sports and remain injury free. I primarily train for performance and function, health and longevity, and aesthetics falls somewhere after. Many times my workouts come through playing sports, such as surfing, beach volleyball, skateboarding bowls, and snow skiing. That’s full-body, functional fitness at its most organic and natural.
In the past few years, I’ve put a holistic approach into everything I do. Now that I have two young daughters, I want to not only live a long and healthy life, but I want to be able to train and play sports with them for years to come, not just coach them from the sidelines.
What’s your current routine?
My rountine is no routine! Seriously. Routine results in boredom, muscle adaptation, plateaus and training ruts. The main reason I have no set routine is because of my random day job schedule as an airline pilot. It is literally all over the place, jetsetting across the country at all different times. My training philosophy and method does have some key strategies, though. I train through sports about 4 days per week, weight training 2 days per week, and pure cardio about 1 day a week.
When I play sports, it tends to incorporate strength, cardio, core and high-intensity elements. I also sporadically mix in basic yoga, stretching, and foam roller work. In my strength and weight training, I generally do full-body, barbell movements and very little isolation and train my entire body in an hour or less. With my cardio I typically do shorter-duration, higher-intensity zone, in under an hour, and usually max out my heart rate at some point. I never train with ego anymore. I listen to what my body is telling me and never ignore aches or pains. For ab work I do planks, stability ball exercises, and isometric flexion during sports.
What’s your favorite body part to train?
As far as strength exercises are concerned, my favorites are very basic and have stood the test of time – push-ups, pull-ups, standing push-press, overhead barbell alternating lunges, and cleans. Nothing too fancy here!
What do you think are the 3 best exercises to gain mass?
Deadlifts, benchpress, and pull-ups. There’s a reason everybody agrees on deadlifts and that is because they work, but use proper form. I rarely do bench press anymore, but I remember it did put upper-body mass on rather quickly, maybe because back in the day it was such an ego exercise.
What type of cardio do you prefer?
Shorter duration, but with high-intensity, usually via running because it so convenient. I will usually hit maximum heart rate or come close to it for a short period during each workout. If training time is very limited, high-intensity interval training will provide the best cardio value. During most of the sports I play, I am also building cardio fitness and am maintaining an elevated heart rate, especially beach volleyball.
What is your typical diet like?
I never count calories, but have developed an accurate, intuitive awareness of how much I need to eat for my caloric needs. I generally eat clean, whole foods, but when I’m on the go or in between workouts, or traveling a lot, I do incorporate a lot of clean meal replacement bars, raw trail mix, organic jerky and protein and green powders.
I am against all fad, trendy, commericial diets and stand for evolving to learn to simply eat healthy. I’m against eliminating foods or entire food groups unless one has been medically diagnosed with a need too. I think moderation is good to include occassional indulgences. I rarely go low carb unless I’m flying the jet all day and sitting for the entire day. Typically, I begin each morning with a mild cleansing, alkaline drink, some supplements, organic coffee, and then breakfast. That is my ideal morning ritual if time allows for it.
I tend to graze all day long and then enjoy a large, freshly prepared, whole foods, type of dinner with my family to include a large salad. It can be expensive, but we buy organic when it makes sense. I’m still traditional when it comes to sitting down as family during dinner and enjoying a hearty meal and sharing your day. Eating quickly or small at dinner is completely lame in my opinion as a father and hard on family life. When I go on airline trips, all bets are off and my typical eating strategy goes out the window, but I pack plenty of healthy snacks and still eat sensibly with a lot of awareness.
What is your hardest struggle training-wise and how do you deal with it?
My hardest struggle is being able to get quality sleep. I’ve always been a great sleeper when given the opportunity, but with my random flying schedule, jet-lag, and a baby in the house, sleeping can be a challenge. Circadian rhythm, or a consistent sleep cycle, is everything when it comes to quality sleep and I have mine disrupted every few days because of my piloting. The deep sleep phase is when we get our biggest growth hormone secretion, so I never want to miss that physiological opportunity.
Do you listen to music while you train?
Lately, I like to totally unplug. Silence is rare these days and during training, especially cardio, I have time to ponder and often experience inspirational brainstorms. The silence and ambient noise of mother naturee enhances the experience.
Do you prefer to bulk and cut or stay lean year round?
I stay lean all year around. I’m an athlete first and my health and performance is most important. Also, if you truly want to be a working fitness model, you always have to maintain an in shape appearance that is camera ready at a moment’s notice. Castings typically occur weekly and sometimes you only can a one day notice for a shoot. To be candid, “bulking up” is just stupid in my opinion.
What are some of your favorite supplements?
Some of my favorites are whey protein powder, L-Glutamine, alkaline powder, creatine monohydrate, vitamin C, Omega-3 EFA, and green tea extract.
What three things would you tell a complete beginner looking to get in shape?
1. Assess your genetics when setting your initial goals because they truly are a factor.
2. There are no shortcuts. Absolutely do not use drugs or shady supplements, as they only produce short-term results and increase risk of injury.
3. For true success, it has to become a lifestyle. Train for fitness and performance first and aesthetics will follow naturally.
What’s your favorite motivational quote?
“Optimum health is a method of life. Focus on fitness and your ideal physique will follow.”
Connect with Max Wettstein:
Website
Blog
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
If you enjoyed this article, feel free to share it below.
