Adriana Vicino – Fitness Model Statistics
Name: Adriana Vicino
Height: 5’3″
Weight: 112 pounds
Age: 24
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Hazel
Location: Staten Island, New York
Instagram: @Adrianavicino
Adriana Vicino – Fitness Model Interview
Tell us about yourself and your background.
I was born in Dyker Heights which is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. I come from a very Italian family and I am the middle child of three girls. When I was 12 years old my family moved to Staten Island. This is where I attended New Dorp High School and graduated from beauty school when I was 21. I also went to the College of Staten Island for a few semesters.
How and why did you get in fitness?
To be completely honest, I was a very skinny kid when I was younger and once puberty kicked in I gained a lot of weight. From the age of 11-16 I was teased about my looks and my weight. When I was 17, it was time for my prom and I decided to start going to the gym to do some cardio. I figured I would buy my prom dress a size too small for some added motivation. From there on out I saw results and fell in love with the process.
What is the best thing about being fit and living a healthy lifestyle?
The best part about being fit and living a healthy lifestyle is that self-rewarding feeling you get from maintaining yourself. It’s NOT easy most days and it takes a lot of discipline and motivation. I know that after each and every workout I am satisfied with myself. I’ve never had a bad workout because I’m always pumped up and ready to hit the gym whether it’s a bad day or a good one. It’s my place to decompress and release everything I feel that very moment. Plus I love food! Eating what I love and looking good in my clothes is awesome!
Tell us about your biggest fitness influence?
Being that I’ve been around many people in the fitness industry and also trained with great personal trainers, it’s a blessing for me to be able to absorb such influential information from each person. I must admit that my biggest fitness influence is my boyfriend, Mike. He was voted best personal trainer in Staten Island where he runs his own studio gym and is the director of the World Calisthenics Organization. He is my fitness motivation because he is influential as a boyfriend, an NPC coach and a personal trainer! He’s taught me to never give up and always keep moving.
What is your greatest achievement so far?
I love fitness so much. I was in the gym working out day in and day out and I was always fascinated by the girls on stage at the National Physique Committee. I wanted to do a show myself. I was already putting in hard work so why not compete in my first NPC Bikini show? To make use out of working out was a great achievement in the end because I ended up winning 4th place in my open bikini class. I’m officially a top 5 national NPC qualifier!
What is your favorite body part on yourself and on the opposite sex?
I’ve always had strong legs. Since I’ve been lifting weights they have got even more toned and sexy. I love them! On a man, I love to see striations in their shoulders down to their arms. It’s such a turn on!
What kind of cardio do you like best and why?
I perform mostly bodyweight training when I do cardio. This includes burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, etc. There is nothing like a good pump after circuit training. I don’t like to be dependent on machines. I also like doing a nice long run once in a while since it helps to relieve stress for me.
What type of nutritional supplements do you use?
I actually don’t use many supplements. I stick to basic multivitamins, fish oil and occasionally use a BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) drink to help my muscles recover after a hard workout.
What do you think of the latest fitness trends like P90X, Insanity and CrossFit?
I believe that anything that helps get yourself moving is great! No specific workout is a bad one, as long as you do it with proper form in a safe and healthy manner.
What type of food or supplements do you consume pre-workout and post-workout?
I love to start my day with a bowl of Fiber One cereal and egg whites on an English muffin! I also add some turkey bacon and fat-free cheese for extra goodness. My post-workout meal consists of 4 ounces of lean protein like chicken, eggs, turkey, beef or fish. I also refuel myself with clean carbohydrates (brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato) to satisfy my macronutrients.
How do you deal with cravings for junk foods, sweets and salty food?
I’m not strict! There is no reason to deprive yourself throughout the week. If I want that chocolate brownie I’ll have it. I’ll just make sure to log it when I count my calories. I eat 2,000 calories a day with any foods of my choice to satisfy my caloric intake for the day. The beauty of flexible dieting is that I never feel the need to cheat because I’m never deprived!
What are the contents of your refrigerator?
Grilled chicken, egg whites, Carb Smart ice cream, tortilla wraps, bacon, etc!
What are your top 3 favorite exercises and why?
My all-time favorite weight training exercises are squats and deadlifts. They burn the most calories and work so many different muscle groups. I’m also addicted to jumping rope. That fast paced jump I get into helps keep my adrenaline going and I get an awesome sweat!
What tips do you recommend for eating out at restaurants to stay on a clean diet?
I recommend downloading an app for your phone that breaks down the macronutrients and calories for you. There are many apps that have over 1,000 restaurants with their menus and caloric values for each of their meals. If you don’t want to use an app then just order something grilled with veggies and ask the waiter for cooking spray instead of butter and no added salt.
What does your gym playlist look like and what’s your favorite song to listen to when training?
It’s a huge variety. I listen to whatever I’m feeling that day. My favorite song for a while was “Sail” by Awolnation because that beat is sick to workout to! I also like “Never Say Goodbye” by Hardwell because that song was on a women’s fitness motivation video and it got me going!
What is the most challenging thing you deal with about consistently staying in top shape?
Fried foods! I love everything fried and we all know it’s not good for you especially if you want to be in top shape or if you’re just health conscious in the slightest bit. That and coming from a very Italian family where all we eat is bread and pasta is something hard to run away from.
Please describe your normal diet. What do you eat in a typical day to stay in shape?
Flexible dieting is about calories in versus calories out. If you can maintain a healthy and reasonable caloric intake each day along with an exercise program, you’re on the right track to being fit. My meals consist of:
- Meal #1: Eggs and cheese on an English muffin or Fiber One cereal and vanilla almond milk.
- Meal #2: Grilled chicken with honey mustard on a wrap or possibly a salad with veggies on my lower carb days.
- Meal #3: Quest Bar (cookies and cream).
- Meal #4: Spaghetti squash with tomatoes (no salt) and low-fat mozzarella cheese.
- Meal #5: Arctic Zero ice cream, protein shake, or whatever to satisfy my leftover calories for the day.
If you could share only one bodybuilding tip that has really helped you succeed, what would it be?
Always practice correct form! It helps to prevent injuries and issues with poor posture. Taking videos of yourself when you’re working out is a great idea to monitor your technique. You’ll get an idea of what you’re doing right and wrong.
How does your family, friends and significant other react to and deal with your strict fitness lifestyle?
I never skip a workout and I don’t eat what my family makes because I don’t know the macronutrients in the food unless it’s a simple breakdown. I lost a lot of friends from this lifestyle and my family is bothered by my obsession with staying lean and fit. They want to see me eat whatever and “enjoy” food by not counting calories.
What are your top 5 tips for losing body fat and getting shredded?
- HIIT cardio (high intensity interval training).
- Weight lifting. Slowly increase the weight every week.
- Count your macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) and have a set caloric intake that maintains your weight helps you to lose weight.
- Take your BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) for muscle recovery.
- Follow a regimen and stick to it. Try to understand your workouts and organize a game plan on a weekly and monthly basis.
What are your top 5 tips for building muscle and packing on size?
- Eat nutrient dense foods that are high in protein.
- Eat enough carbs for energy and recovery.
- Include healthy fats in your diet for extra calories.
- Lift heavy weights when you’re working out.
- Decrease your cardio or drop it completely.
What is your training routine like?
- Monday: Legs – I start with a warm-up followed by barbell squats (5 sets of 8 reps) while adding extra weight on each set. This is followed with 3 sets of weighted lunges, 3 sets of leg curls (supersetted) or leg exemptions. I also do the hip abductor or butt kicks followed by calf raises using high reps to really burn them out.
- Tuesday: Chest and Shoulders – I start with a warm-up followed by barbell bench press (5 sets of 8 reps), 3 sets of barbell shoulder press, 3 sets dumbbell flyes, and 5 minutes of push-ups doing as many as possible until I burn out.
- Wednesday: Cardio if necessary and abs.
- Thursday: Arms. Biceps – 3 exercises of choice with 4 sets of 10-12 reps. It’s the same for triceps. I also do abs.
- Friday: Back – After a warm-up I do deadlifts (5 sets of 8 reps), 3 minutes of pull-ups (as many reps as possible), 3 sets of lateral pulldowns and 4 sets of bent over rows using the EZ-Bar. I also do abs.
- Saturday: Legs – same workout as Monday or slightly modified.
- Sunday: Rest day or possibly some cardio.
What is your favorite healthy food and your favorite cheat food?
My favorite healthy food would be a tossed salad with grilled chicken and fat-free tzatziki sauce or fat-free honey mustard dressing. My favorite cheat meal involves anything fried like chicken fingers, fries or onion rings. I also love pizza and sushi!
How do you stay motivated?
My Instagram helps me stay motivated! I love being into fitness because it inspires other people to be fit and healthy. I also feel great because working out releases endorphins and staying lean and fit makes me happy.
What does the future hold for you?
I hope to continue traveling to fitness expos and inspire more people along the way. If I’m lucky I can have my dream come true and get sponsored by a company to keep doing what I love. If not, I’ll continue doing the same because fitness is my passion!
