16 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2017
LOOKING GOOD ON STAGE
takesahellofalotofhardwork
and sacrifice, particularly in the
weeks leading up to a competition,
but reaching your goals can take
years.MusashiGenNextathleteZak
Taylorknowsthisfirst-hand–the
fitness model has been competing
forfouryears,finallyplacingfirst
as Australian Natural Bodybuilding
Overall Male Fitness Model
in South Australia last year.
Taylor, who is also a personal
trainer, began training at the age
of 15, influenced by his father
and grandfather, who were both
bodybuilders.
“They inspired me to get into the
gym,” he says. “We started training
together and I learnt the ropes from
my dad, and then I started taking
it to the next level as I grew older.”
Taylor’s first show was a body-
building competition. He placed third,
but won best posing routine, which
led him to move more towards fitness
modelling, which calls for a greater
stage presence. He then went on to
come second in his category three
times at the Asia Pacifics.THE NITTY GRITTY
Taylortrainssixdaysoutofseven,
doinguptoninesessionsaweek
in the lead-up to a competition.
“I’lldosixweightssessionsa
week, then abs and high intensity
cardio three mornings a week,”
he says. “My split changes as
I progress towards a competition,
but usually I would train legs twice,
then chest and back, then shoulders
and arms and then repeat that,
then have one day of rest.”
As well as training heavily, it’s
also essential that Taylor’s diet be
as clean and structured as possible.
“The dieting is very strict,” he
says. “It’s more important as you get
closer to a competition. I track my
macros the whole time, keeping itModel behaviour
Fitness model Zak Taylor on changing lives,
training hard and what it’s really like behind
the scenes of a comp.
EDGE