Interview 12 - Chris Mantovani

Hello! What's your athletic background and what initially motivated you to transform your body?

My name is Chris Mantovani, I was born in South Africa and lived there until I was 8 years old. My family made the decision to move to Canada in 2007. I am 18 years old and have been working out consecutively for about 4.5 years. At the moment my weight ranges from 165-170 lbs at around 9% body fat. I am 5'10. Growing up I was never a huge fan of team sports i.e; soccer, football, hockey, etc. Instead I enjoyed solo sports and was really into skateboarding and MMA at one point. I have always enjoyed working out and began my journey at the young age of 13. I remember staying up and doing sit ups until I physically couldn't anymore and curling my dining room chairs in attempts of growing bigger arms. This was of course before I had a gym membership and began learning about weight training. Once I obtained my gym membership I quickly fell in love with training. The first workout split I started with was a full body workout, every other day so I would essentially be training about 3-4 times a week. After about 8 months of following the full body program I discovered Jeff Seid through YouTube and his videos motivated me to take my training to the next level. I started training seriously 5-6 times per week and eating like a horse and the gains came extremely fast, my progress alone motivated the hell out of me.

What's your approach to diet and nutrition?

Normally every Sunday I meal prep a significant amount of chicken to last me one meal a day, for the week. I add each prep meal to my daily diet of 3 meals a day, allowing me to consume about 4 meals a day. Quite honestly, I am not super strict with my diet and this is because my metabolism is through the roof (I am an ectomorph). I started out extremely skinny and its difficult to add weight, therefore I try to get as many calories as possible. However, that does not mean all I eat is junk food. I make sure to get clean meals in and ensure I consume quality whole foods at the same time. Normally I’ll have 2 cups of oatmeal for breakfast, chicken, rice, green beans, and sweet potatoes for lunch, a muffin or something with sugar/carbs before my workout, a couple granola/protein bars post workout and for dinner it’s usually meat (pork, chicken, beef, etc.) with rice, or some other carb source, along with some vegetables.

Do you supplement your nutrition with any sport supplements?

When I first began training I used to use mass gainers often. This was not to replace meals but to help force feed more calories. At the moment I do not use any supplements except for creatine, multivitamins, and occasionally pre-workout.

What does your typical week of working out look like?

On an average day, I spend about an hour and a half in the gym. My split is as follows:

Monday - Chest (2 min rest)
• Dumbbell incline press: 6-8 x 3
• Butterfly machine: 8-10 x 3
• Hammer strength incline: 6-8 x 3
• Cable flies: 8-10 x 3
• (Superset)
• Push-ups: until failure

Tuesday - Back (2 min rest)
• Deadlifts: 6-8 x 3
• Lat pull downs: 6-8 x 3
• Cable rows: 6-8 x 3
• Lower lat hammer strength: 6-8 x 3
• Shrugs: 12-16 x 3

Wednesday - Legs (2 min rest)
• Squats: 6-8 x 3
• Straight leg deadlifts: 6-8 x 3
• Leg extensions: 6-8 x 3
• Leg curls: 6-8 x 3
• Calf raises: 12-16 x 3

Thursday - Arms (2 min rest)
• Close grip bench press: 6-8 x 3
• Preacher curl: 8-10 x 3
• Skull crushers with barbell: 6-8 x 3
• Unilateral curls with dumbbell: 6-8 x 3
• Straight bar push down: 8-10 x 3
• (Superset)
• Triangle push-ups: 10-12 x 3

Friday - Shoulders (2 min rest)
• Seated military press: 6-8 x 3
• Rear delt flies: 8-10 x 3
• Cable iso-lateral raise: 8-10 x 3
• Bent over rear delt flies: 8-10 x 3
• Unilateral front raises: 8-10 x 3
•Dumbbell lateral raises: 10-12 x 3

Have you found anything to be especially helpful or advantageous?

Yes, the most helpful tool I used and continue to use is YouTube and the internet in general. The internet is absolutely flooded with information on bodybuilding and it is up to you to take the time to research and find out what works for your body. Also, make sure to workout with other people as you will learn how they train and may be able to learn and implement something new into your routine.

What mistakes have you made along the way?

To be 100% honest, I don't really regret anything other than not starting compound movements sooner into my training (when I was doing full body workouts every other day). I made sure to do extensive research on the way I wanted to train and on the goals I wanted to achieve.

What are some of the best tips you can offer for others trying to follow in your footsteps?

My best piece of advice is to be patient, remain consistent and do your research. Bodybuilding is a journey and you must enjoy that journey in order to be successful. No one is going to force you to go to the gym or eat well, so you have to be independent and decide if you're willing to put in the work and make the necessary sacrifices to achieve your fitness goals.

Where can we find out more about you?

If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out my Instagram @chris_mantovani for more about me as well as different workout tips to help you achieve your goals. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, it's free!

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The content on our website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace a relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, and make sure that there is no conflict between any prescription advice, procedure or medication and non-prescription substances or activities.