HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH FITNESS/BODYBUILDING?
It all started back in 2008 when i first joined the gym, i use to go there after school with a few mates of mine, we didn’t really know what we were doing basically just mucked around few bicep curls here and there. As time went on i started to get more serious about my training and also my diet, i started researching a lot more reading all sorts of information and then applying that to myself. I started to notice some decent gains in my first year of training which only increased my drive to build my physique.
It all started off as a hobby, but it has now become much deeper than that, this is my passion and what i live and breathe for. I would be lost without the gym.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS AND INSPIRATION YOU GIVE TO OTHERS?
It’s a great feeling knowing that i inspire a lot of people and i hope to inspire even more in the future.
My success in the fitness industry surprised me a lot, i think i am so successful because most people can relate to me because i am not some huge mass monster freak show bodybuilder which a of people do not want to look like but rather just an overall ideal aesthetic physique.
I started off as just a skinny kid with no muscle what so ever and have now transformed my physique, i think that inspires a lot of people to do the same and change their life for the better also. As well as transforming my physique the gym has also transformed my mind and the way that i think about everything.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU, WHERE DOES YOUR MOTIVATION COME FROM?
I get motivated from a lot of things, the list is endless. Compliments i get from people whether it be online or out in public is a good feeling, and that just motivates me to keep training hard and always bettering my physique in some way or another. A lot of other athletes in the fitness industry also motivate me.
WHAT WORKOUT ROUTINE HAS WORKED BEST FOR YOU?
I have used many different types of routines over the years but have always found that i get best results from using high volume and low frequency training, so training each muscle group just once per week but really smashing it each time i train that particular muscle.
WHAT DIET HAS WORKED OUT BEST FOR YOU?
All my diets work for me. Whether I’m bulking or cutting i work out my macronutrient targets and calories requirements down to the pin point then i hit those numbers without fail. I take my dieting real seriously, its more important than weight lifting itself so i set a plan for myself then stick to it day to day.
IF YOU HAD TO PICK THREE EXERCISES WHAT WOULD THEY BE AND WHY?
Squat – Best lower body exercise without a doubt.
Chest dips – Awesome upper body exercise, targets the chest, triceps and also the shoulders.
Weighted pull ups – Good exercise for developing the back and biceps.
WHEN TRYING TO CUT WHAT TYPE OF CARDIO DO YOU PREFER? I.E. HIIT OR STANDARD CARDIO?
Last time i went on a cut i actually didn’t do any cardio at all i lowered my body fat through diet alone. However i have done cardio in the past and both types of cardio are good. Normal cardio is good for calorie burn and HIIT cardio is good for the after burn effect. You should mix your cardio up get the best of both worlds.
WHAT SUPPLEMENTS DO YOU TAKE? WHAT IS YOUR SUPPLEMENTATION LIKE?
My current supplement stack is:
– Whey protein (Optimum Nutrition)
– Multi-vitamin (Controlled Labs)
– Creatine (Axis Labs)
– Fish oil (basic fish oil from the supermarket)
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTES?
“Be great, or be nothing.”
“Don’t talk about it, be about it.”
WHAT MISTAKES DID YOU MAKE WHEN FIRST STARTING OUT? – ANY ADVICE FOR NEWBIES
When i first started training i did biceps and chest every day and didn’t train back or legs at all for most like 3-4 months.
Stupid, i don’t know what i was even thinking. My advice for newbies is to workout out a good workout programme and a solid diet (depending on your goals) then stick to them both regardless and you will get results.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT SO FAR IN FITNESS?
That moment after a long cut when in top conditioning and being so lean that you cannot even pinch any fat on your body, then having a huge carb load. That feeling of being tight and rock hard cannot be matched.
WHO IS THE MOST INSPIRING PERSON TO YOU IN REGARDS TO FITNESS AND IN GENERAL?
Greg Plitt.
WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM GOALS?
My short term goals for this year are to keep bulking up add a bit more mass then go on a cut for the end of the year (summer) i want to reach 4% body fat this time around so that is my goal.
As for my long term goals i want to someday be the number #1 fitness model/fitness icon in the world and have the most aesthetic and shredded physique possible, second to none. I also plan on expanding Josef Rakich Fitness a huge amount i have a lot of ideas which i have not yet applied. I would also someday like to own my own gym.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE?
The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.
WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO IN THE GYM?
Anything and everything, depends on the mood that I’m in. When I’m in the shut the fuck up and train mode i like to listen to some Eminem.
DO YOU BULK AND CUT OR STAY LEAN YEAR AROUND?
I bulk and cut, i bulk during the winter then cut during the summer however even when i am in bulk mode i still remain lean and in single digit body fat percentage. Just when i cut i take things to the extreme.
HOW LONG DO YOU SPEND IN THE GYM DURING A TYPICAL WORKOUT?
1 hour and a half, never any more than that.
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH CRAVINGS FOR: SALTY FOODS, JUNK FOODS AND SWEETS?
Achieving what i want to achieve is more important to me than satisfying my cravings for a couple of minutes. If i really want to eat something in particular, for example; McDonalds, I would just fit it into my macronutrient targets and calorie requirements. The last time I was on a cut I was eating McDonalds daily, without fail. Why? Because i like McDonalds and I fit it into my daily macros. IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) eat it.
FUN QUICK QUESTIONS FOR OUR READERS
Favorite color: Black (even though technically it’s not a color)
Favorite food: Poached eggs on toast or dried apricots
Favorite TV Show: Don’t really watch any TV at the moment. I use to watch the programme called LOST, that was good. Me and my mates all use to go over to each other’s house every Wednesday without fail and watch it.
Favorite movie: Hmm, hard question lol. For all-time favourite i would say Harry Potter.
Favorite Band/Singer: To much to name. Eminem would probably be number #1
Do you have any pets: Yes i have a dog called Baxta, and i own 8 cows lol.
I use to have many pets in the past back when i lived on a farm, pets i have had are:
– Goat
– Sheep (baby lambs)
– Cows
– Ducks (yes i had ducks as pets cannot remember the breed of them but they were huge white ones that looked like geese)
– Turtles
– Fish (many of them over the years)
– Frogs
– Lizards
– Chickens
– Pheasants
– Cat (had 2 over the years)
– Rabbits
– Birds (many different types we had a big avery)
– Water boatmen (they were swimming water bugs/beetles)
– Spiders (when i was like 6 i use to collect different spiders and keep them in my lego box i made for them so they could not escape)
I think i may of had some other animals as well but i can’t think of them at the moment..
FINAL WORDS?
Eat. Lift. Sleep. Repeat.
HOW TO REACH JOSEF:
Facebook – Facebook.com/JosefRakichFitness
Twitter – Twitter.com/JosefRakich2
Website – JosefRakichFitness.com
We at FitnessVolt.com would like to thank Josef for this amazing interview, we appreciate the detail in which he has answered the questions, which we know our readers will enjoy. We wish Josef all the best for his future fitness goals, stay tuned because we know this isn’t the last we’ll be hearing of Josef Rakich!. If you would like to find out more on Josef and keep up to date on any news then please use the links Josef has provided.
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
