Nick Paniagua, is a 27 year old lifetime natural bodybuilder from Orange County, CA with one of the most shredded physiques around. Louis Kalman from simplyshredded.com got the chance to ask Nick a couple questions regarding his diet/nutrition/supplementation and much more!
How did you get started?
I started getting interested in fitness/bodybuilding when I was a young kid. I was extremely active when I was younger. I played a lot of sports throughout elementary, middle school and highschool. Being that I was so active it was very hard for me to gain weight and with a very high metabolism it was nearly impossible! I got teased a lot for being so small and skinny, it really affected me to the point where I wanted to do something about it. Picking up some muscle magazines was the first step. I read and read and read as well as stuck pictures all over my wall for motivation. My father brought home a bench press and some dumb bells one evening and it was one of the happiest days of my life! I couldn’t wait to get started! As I read more and more I learned that nutrition had a lot to do with fitness/bodybuilding. At the time I was eating almost anything and everything in sight but new that if I wanted to put on quality muscle I needed to get my diet in check so I started writing down a detailed diet plan. I stuck with basic movements at home like bench press, db curls, push ups, pull ups etc, until I got my first gym membership in highschool. I then put together my own program which was a 3 day a week routine. I put on a decent amount of weight within those couple years considering I weighed about 110 pounds in highschool.
As time went on I became more serious about training and diet, sacrificing a lot. It became a passion, something that became a part of me. I got to say that bodybuilding has been one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. It’s taught me discipline, responsibility, and it’s kept me on the right track. It’s also lead to some pretty amazing opportunities. It’s a lifestyle like no other and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
What gets you motivated?
My motivation stems from the years when I was teased. I train hard day in and day out in that gym. I had a vision of where I’d like to be when I was younger, I had goals to reach. I reached a lot of those goals but have set new ones. You’ve got to challenge yourself. It’s what life is all about..if you don’t challenge yourself, where are you going to go?
What is your training philosophy?
I think that exercising in general is extremely important. You get one life, one body. There was a time when I let go of training and loosened up a bit, for me it wasn’t a good thing. I realized that staying on a regimen kept me in check and kept me on track. Training is a positive thing to have in your life. There’s nothing like hitting a hard hour and a half session knowing you gave it your all, sore beyond belief. It’s an amazing feeling.
If you have to pick only 3 exercises, what would they be and why?
This is a hard one! If I had to pick only 3 exercises one would be the bench press simply because it’s one of the staples for chest. The second one would be squats, this is just THE leg exercise and needs to be in everyones routine. The last one would be db shoulder presses, got to have those shoulders! One of my favorites for delts.
What type of training do you believe abs respond best to?
In my opinion I’d say abs respond best to higher rep routines..around 20-30 rep ranges. If you’re using weight with some of your ab routines go lighter, you don’t need to train heavy with abs. I’d also say that training them 2-3 times a week works best..This will allow a bit of recovery instead of hitting them constantly.
Nicks Hardcore Abs !!
When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?
When trying to cut down I usually don’t do much cardio at all, if anything it’s just minor adjustments to diet. My metabolism is so high that when I cut I only need to do about 30 minutes of cardio a week. I usually run at a steady pace, nothing too crazy. Cutting isn’t a problem, it’s the gaining that’s very hard for me.
What is your philosophy on nutrition?
My philosophy on nutrition is a lot like my philosophy on training, like I said..you get one life and one body. You’ve got to take care of it best you can. Would you put something in your gas tank knowing it’d be bad for your car?..No. So why would you put horrible food in your system knowing the consequences? Sure it’s fine to have a cheat meal here and there, we all need that once in awhile, but to constantly be putting crap in your system just won’t do anything for you but pack on the pounds and give you health problems..Let’s face it, it’s an epidemic these days, you’re in charge of what you put into your system.
What are your favorite meals and foods?
Some of my meals and foods that I like are lean top sirloin and sweet potatoes or brown rice. I also like boneless\skinless chicken breast a lot. I pretty much eat either some type of lean steak or chicken for dinner every night switchin up the sides here and there. I try to eat clean for the most part.
Favorite cheat food?
I usually don’t cheat often but if I do it’s got to be a large pizza!! It’s something my taste buds miss very much!
What supplements do you use?
Some supplements that have truly worked for me are Controlled Labs-White Flood(NO-Energy Enhancer), Green Mag(Creatine Matrix), Purple Wraath(EAA’s) and Golden Gains(Post-Workout Recovery). This stack right here is hands down the one that has brought me the best results. I take 2 scoops of White Flood pre-workout with 1 scoop of Green Mag in about 12oz’s of water and pound it before hitting a grueling session at the gym. I then mix 1.5 scoops of Purple Wraath in about 20-22oz’s of water and sip that intra-workout. Withing about 15-30 minutes after training I pound 2 scoops of Golden Gains in about 15oz’s of water.
What are some of your goals for 2010?
Some goals for 2010 is getting this gym wear clothing line “SH Athletics” up and running! RIght now this is #1 on my priority list for things to do this year. It’s been a hell of a project but we’ve got an amazing team doing their absolute best to put out innovative, inspirational and sustainable athletic apparel to our global bodybuilding and fitness community. I of course plan to step on stage to compete for the first time in the near future.
Which era of bodybuilding had superior physiques? Yesterdays Bodybuilders Or Todays?
I’ve got to say that I’ve always been very interested in the early days of bodybuilding. You’ve got to respect the early days. Proportionate, symmetric, aesthetically pleasing physiques were what dominated the stage.
Yesterdays Bodybuilders Vs Todays
Favourite Bodybuilders?
Some of my favorite bodybuilders are Steve Reeves, Frank Zane, Serge Nubret, Arnold, Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone, Lee Priest….I could go on and on and on. Got to say though some of the younger guys coming up these days like Brandon Curry and Flex Lewis are going to be some to watch.
IFBB Pro Flex Lewis!!!
Favourite Quote?
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment”. – Jim Rohn
Bodyspace: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/XNickEdgeX/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/XNickEdgeX & http://twitter.com/SH_Athletics
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"For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer" - Arnold
Good interview! I admire Nick’s self-control and determination. More people should learn by his and other bodybuilders’ examples in order to get bigger or cut fat, whatever their body goal may be.