Dallas Shepherdson – Male Fitness Model Statistics
Name: Dallas Shepherdson
Date of Birth: January 31, 1977
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 200 pounds
Hair Color: Light Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Hometown: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Dallas Shepherdson – Male Fitness Model Interview
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I grew up in the country outside a small town. I’m now married with 3 kids. I’m an instructor at a college in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
How and why did you get started in fitness?
It just feels good! It’s also fun and is a great release.
What is the best thing about being fit and living a healthy lifestyle?
The best part is being able to do things I enjoy by living a healthy lifestyle. It allows me to be active and again, it just feels good.
Tell us about your biggest fitness influence?
Probably my father although he wouldn’t know it. He was always a big strong guy that I looked up to. He would mess with me as a kid and tell me that Arnold Schwarzenegger got muscles by carrying pails of water on the farm or by picking up rocks on the farm. I believed him so I would do shrugs with 5 gallon pails of water and run when I picked up rocks.
What is your greatest achievement so far?
My family is my greatest achievement.
What is your favorite body part on yourself and on the opposite sex?
I think my chest and back are my best body parts. On the opposite sex, I really like eyes and a nice bum (booty).
What kind of cardio do you like best and why?
Running is by far my favorite form of cardio. It doesn’t always feel good when you start running but it always feels great after.
What type of nutritional supplements do you use?
I don’t take any supplements on a regular basis. If I haven’t eaten enough during the day then sometimes I will drink a protein shake. I used to like a shake called Anabolic Halo that had a little of everything in it but I think they stopped making it.
What do you think of the latest fitness trends like P90X, Insanity and CrossFit?
It’s great that people are doing them and being active but I do not personally do them. Simple is better for most people. I basically just lift weights for strength and do cardio.
What type of food or supplements do you consume pre-workout and post-workout?
For my pre-workout meal, I will eat foods like a bagel with honey, cereal, chicken, baked chips, etc. I don’t believe in pre-workout supplements and have never taken any of them but I do drink coffee often while I exercise. For my post-workout meal it’s any kind of meat and something with carbs (rice, bread, oatmeal, potatoes). I also like drinking some beer after I’m done for the day 🙂
How do you deal with cravings for junk foods, sweets and salty food?
I substitute baked chips for real chips, frozen yogurt for ice cream and dark chocolate for milk chocolate. I try to make sure it’s as healthy as possible.
What are the contents of your refrigerator?
I have a wife and 3 kids so it varies. I usually have lots of meat, low-fat yogurt, skim milk, eggs, and some beer for when the day ends.
What are your top 3 favorite exercises and why?
It’s tough to pick three but stiff-arm dumbbell pullovers, incline bench press and cable crunches would be close to the top. For training legs I like weighted calf raises, hamstring curls and hex bar deadlifts.
What tips do you recommend for eating out at restaurants to stay on a clean diet?
When eating out at restaurants the high fat food is sometimes well hidden. They want it to taste good, not be good for you. Avoid any creamy sauces, cheesy toppings and fatty dips or dressings. Try to keep the food as plain as possible.
What does your gym playlist look like and what’s your favorite song to listen to when training?
It varies. I have lots of country music, then hard stuff like Volbeat and Metallica along with hip-hop/rap from the 90’s and Eminem.
What is the most challenging thing you deal with about consistently staying in top shape?
Finding enough good things to eat.
Please describe your normal diet. What do you eat in a typical day to stay in shape?
- Meal #1: Lots of breakfast cereal with skim milk or some oatmeal and honey.
- Meal #2: Granola or protein bars and some kind of meat.
- Meal #3: Chicken, rice or pasta, vegetables.
- Meal #4: Baked chips or crackers.
- Meal #5: Chicken or beef, rice or pasta, vegetables.
If you could share only one fitness tip that has really helped you succeed, what would it be?
My best tip is to simply work your butt off!
How does your family, friends and significant other react to and deal with your strict fitness lifestyle?
My wife is extremely supportive, my kids like it and my friends bug me about it but I just take it on the chin.
What are your top 5 tips for losing body fat and getting shredded?
- Eat low-fat foods.
- Be smart. You don’t need to eat much before cardio but you do before weights. Running on an empty stomach is great for burning fat. Make sure to do weights first then do cardio after.
- Eat often and keep active always. That will keep your metabolism guessing and in high gear.
- Nothing beats cardio for fat loss. New trends try to deny it and people sadly starve themselves on diets but cardio is the best fat burner, bar none.
- Don’t cheat! Be consistent and work hard.
What are your top 5 tips for building muscle and packing on size?
- Eat lots of food but keep it clean. Make sure to eat both protein and carbohydrates.
- Keep things simple. Each body part only needs 4 to 6 exercises. The best mass building exercises haven’t changed in 40 years.
- Lift a little less instead of too much. Heavy is good but generally if you can’t lift it properly 6-8 times without help then lower the weight.
- Isolate the body part you are working on. Incorporating exercises with compound movements are great but if you want to target a specific muscle then you should isolate it.
- Alternate the order you do the exercises on given days and just wing it sometimes to keep things fresh and keep your body guessing.
What is your training routine like?
My general recommendations for training are:
- All sets should be 10 repetitions until maximum weight is reached. Then it should be dropped to 5-6 reps.
- Cardio is done at different times but always after a weight training workout or else intermittently during the day when it works with your schedule.
- Rest days happen when they happen because I have stuff going on but I don’t specifically schedule them.
Monday (Chest): Incline bench at standard angle (6 sets), flat bench (6 sets), pec flys (6 sets), decline bench (4 sets), incline bench at different angle (4 sets).
Tuesday (Back and Shoulders): Wide grip lateral pull down (5 sets), close grip v-bar pull down (5 sets), t-bar row (5 sets), shoulder dumbbell press (5 sets), stiff arm dumbbell pullovers (6 sets), cable crosses (5 sets), seated cable row (5 sets).
Wednesday (Legs): Standing calf raises (5 sets), seated hamstring curls (5 sets), seated leg extensions (5 sets), seated calf raises (4 sets), hex bar deadlift (5 sets), leg press or squats (5 sets).
Thursday (Arms): Seated preacher curls (5 sets), kneeling cable tricep extension (5 sets), EZ-bar barbell curls (5 sets), tricep cable pushdowns with straight bar (standard and reverse grip) (5 sets), close grip bench press (5 sets), chin-ups close grip (4 sets).
Friday (Chest): Change the order.
Saturday (Back and Shoulders): Change the order.
Sunday (Legs): Change the order.
What is your favorite healthy food and your favorite cheat food?
For healthy food I like having a full rotisserie chicken from the supermarket. For cheat food I like beer, wings and chocolate covered almonds.
How do you stay motivated?
It’s fun and feels good. That’s really all I need to stay focused and motivated.
What does the future hold for you?
I’m going to keep doing what I like doing and enjoying life. I have a great family and friends so hopefully goods things continue to happen.
