Darnell “The Action Figure” Ferguson Talks With Simplyshredded.com

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Quick Stats:

Age: 26
Height: 6’4” – 193 cm
Weight: 225 lbs – 102 kg

How did you get started with bodybuilding?

I got into bodybuilding shortly after my roommate encouraged me to live a healthier lifestyle and change my eating habits. Up until that point, my diet mainly consisted of pizza and Del Taco. I was in decent shape from daily activities and sports, but he believed I could maximize my physical potential by tweaking my diet. So I cleaned up my diet for about a month and started seeing noticeable changes to my physique. I became consumed with gaining knowledge about dieting and supplementation. Eventually, my friend introduced me to the men’s physique category of bodybuilding. Having a competitive background in sports, I decided to sign up for my first show.

My first show was the LA Fit Expo 2014. I coached myself and won first in my class; the rest is history.

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How did you get your nickname, ‘Action Figure?’

After my first show, many of my family and friends that saw photos of me compared me to an ‘action figure’. I went on to win my pro card and the nickname just stuck.

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Where does your motivation come from?

My motivation comes from my sports background. I played up to the collegiate level and I’ve never liked to lose. Bodybuilding has given me another outlet that allows me to strive to be my very best.

I believe in living my life to the fullest and I strive to do better with every opportunity I am given.

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What workout routine has worked best for you?

I believe in building strength first; then creating size and sculpting. For the first month of a bulk I will go very heavy with reps in the 4-6 range. However, I do not go so heavy that I can’t finish the last rep. After a month of increasing my strength, I’ll switch to a range of 8-10 reps to push more blood into my muscles; this really allows me to grow.

Full Routine:

Monday: Back/Calves

  • Wide Grip Pull Ups 2 x Failure
  • Weighted Wide Grip Pull Ups 2 x Failure
  • Pull Ups 3 x Failure
  • Chin Ups 3 x Failure
  • Wide Grip Cable Row 4 x 8
  • Wide Grip Lat Pulls 3 x 8
  • Wide Grip Bent-Over Barbell Row 3 x 8
  • T-Bar Row 3 x8
  • Dumbbell Back Fly 3 x 8
  • Cable Back Fly 3 x 8-12

Tuesday: Chest/Abs

  • Incline Barbell Chest Press 4 x 6-8
  • Incline Dumbbell Chest Press 4 x 8-10
  • Incline Smith Machine Chest Press 6 x 8
  • Seated Incline Cable Chest Fly 5 x 8-10
  • Standing Cable Fly into Push Ups 9 x 8-10
  • Flat Bench Barbell Press into Push Ups on Medicine Ball 3 x 20-30
  • Wide Elbow Dips 3 x Failure

Wednesday: Hamstrings

  • Bike Warm Up 5 Minutes
  • Leg Extension 3 x 20
  • Leg Press 6 x 8-10
  • Leg Press 2 x 15-20
  • Single Leg Press 3 x 8
  • Stiff Leg Dead Lift 4 x 8
  • Single Leg Barbell Step Ups 3 x 6-8
  • Good Mornings 4 x 8-10
  • Walking Lunges 4 x 20 or Smith Machine Lunges 4×8
  • Leg Curl 6 x 10

Thursday: Shoulders/Abs/Calves

  • Shoulder Dumbbell Press 3 x 10
  • Lateral Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 10
  • Seated Bent-Over Rear Laterals 3 x 10
  • Abs Circuit 20 min

Friday: Back/Calves

  • Wide Grip Pull Ups 2 x Failure
  • Weighted Wide Grip Pull Ups 2 x Failure
  • Pull Ups 3 x Failure
  • Chin Ups 3 x Failure
  • Wide Grip Cable Row 4 x 8
  • Wide Grip Lat Pulls 3 x 8
  • Wide Grip Bent-Over Barbell Row 3 x 8
  • T-Bar Row 3 x8
  • Dumbbell Back Fly 3 x 8
  • Cable Back Fly 3 x 8-12

Saturday: Chest/Abs

  • Incline Barbell Chest Press 4 x 6-8
  • Incline Dumbbell Chest Press 4 x 8-10
  • Incline Smith Machine Chest Press 6 x 8
  • Seated Incline Cable Chest Fly 5 x 8-10
  • Standing Cable Fly into Push Ups 9 x 8-10
  • Flat Bench Barbell Press into Push Ups on Medicine Ball 3 x 20-30
  • Wide Elbow Dips 3 x Failure

Sunday: Quads

  • Bike Warm Up
  • Heavy Leg Extensions 3 x 8
  • Leg Extensions 3 x 13
  • Leg Press 5 x 30-40
  • Single Leg Press 3 x 10
  • Incline Leg Press 4 x 8
  • Vertical Press-Smith Machine 4 x 30
  • Leg Extensions 2 x 20
  • Leg Extensions 3 x 21s
  • Single Leg Extensions 3 x 10-12
  • Leg Extension 1 x Failure

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If you had to pick only 3 exercises what would they be and why?

  1. Pull Ups: It’s a great basic exercise to hit the different areas of my back.
  2. Leg Press: The leg press is easier on my joints than squats.
  3. Barbell Flat Bench: Targets almost every muscle in my upper body; it also demands a lot from your core and back to control the weight.

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What is your diet like?

When I’m getting ready for a competition, I have 6 meals per day and consume 8 ounces of lean protein at each meal with about 1-1 ½ cups of carbs. I’ll eat steak or salmon after a chest or back day to help reefed. During the off season my diet is less restrictive. I’ll eat white rice or white potatoes and more red meat. Once a week, I will allow myself to have a couple cheat meals. My favorite cheat is pizza!

Daily Diet:

  • Meal 1: 1 ½ Cup Egg Whites and 1 Cup Oats
  • Meal 2: 8 Ounces Chicken Breast, 1 Cup Brown Rice and 5 Ounces Vegetables
  • Meal 3: 8 Ounces Tilapia, 8 Ounces Sweet Potatoes and 5 Ounces Vegetables
  • Meal 4: 8 Ounces Ground Turkey, 8 Ounces Sweet Potato and 5 Ounces Asparagus
  • Meal 5: 8 Ounces Top Sirloin and 1 Cup Oatmeal or Rice
  • Meal 6: 8 Ounces Tilapia and 5 Ounces Asparagus
  • Meal 7: 40 Almonds

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What is your supplementation like?

  • Protein
  • Casein
  • BCAA’s
  • Creatine Monohydrate
  • Multivitamin
  • L-Carnitine

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Favorite Quote?

“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it, I want to have lived the width of it as well.” Diane Ackerman

Website: www.myfitnessuniversity.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/darnell_ferguson