Justine Moore Interview – NPC Athlete & Fitness Model Talks To T&T!

How Did You Get Started In Health And Fitness?

As a child I was overweight so throughout my teenage years I struggled with body image issues, trying just about every fad diet out there to control my weight. It wasn’t until I was 21 and started working the front desk at a gym that I began to learn about weight lifting and proper nutrition. I was instantly hooked, and read every book or magazine I could find about fitness. One year later I got certified as a personal trainer. As soon as I began training clients I knew I had found my passion in life. Fitness has had such a positive impact on my self image and daily life, so I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share that with others.
 

What Is Your Best Accomplishment So Far? Proudest Moment?

The proudest moment of my career so far was the day I signed on as a Team MET-Rx Athlete. It was my dream to be sponsored by the company for years before it became a reality. I feel very honored to represent this wonderful brand. Another proud moment was seeing my first written article in print. I wrote my first article for the 2013 Spring Issue of the MET-Rx Magazine, and have had 2 more published articles since then. I’ve always loved to write, so it has been exciting to combine 2 of my greatest passions: fitness and writing.
 

 

What Is Your Workout Routine?

My workout routine varies quite a bit depending on my schedule and what events I have coming up. This is a typical week of training for me:
 

Monday

45-60 minutes Cross Training/ Full Body HIIT
 

Tuesday: Quads/Glutes/Core

Leg Extensions: 4 sets, 12-15 reps
Barbell Squat: 5 sets, 20. 15, 12, 10, 8 reps
Split Squat: 4 sets, 10-12 reps each leg
Walking Lunges: 4 sets, 12 reps each leg
Step Ups: 4 sets, 10 reps each leg
Cable Kickbacks: 3 sets, 15 reps
Abduction Machine: 3 sets, 15-20 reps
Hanging Leg Raises: 3 sets, 15 reps
Weighted Crunch On Machine: 3 sets, 15-20 reps
 

Wednesday- Chest/Shoulders/Arms

Cable Chest Flyes: 4 x 12-15
Push Ups: 4 x 12
Side Lateral Raise: 4 x 12-15
Military Press: 4 x 8-10
Skull Crushers: 4 x 12-15
Tricep Dips: 4 x 12-15
Barbell Curls: 4 x 8-10
Hammer Curls: 4 x 12-15
 

Thursday

90 minutes Hot Yoga
 

Friday

45-60 minutes Cross Training/ Full Body HIIT
 

Saturday- Back/Rear Delts/Hamstrings

Pull Ups: 4 x 8-10
Lat Pulldown: 4 x 10-12
Seated Row: 4 x 10-12
Rear Delt Rope Pull: 4 x 12-15
Dead Lifts: 4 x 10-12
Hyperextensions: 4 x 15
Good Mornings: 4 x 15
Lying Leg Curl: 4 x 10-12
 

Sunday

Rest

 

 

Top 3 Favourite Exercises And Why?

Barbell squats, dead lifts and military presses. I love incorporating big, compound movements that work a lot of muscle groups at once to boost metabolism and build lean muscle. I am a big believer in using the fundamentals when weight training… Those three exercises alone can do wonders to shape your entire body.
 

Favourite Form Of Cardio?

High intensity cross-training intervals such as kettle bell swings, battle ropes, jump ropes, box jumps, burpees, mountain climbers, ball slams, etc. I added this type of cardio into my routine recently and saw major changes in my body very quickly. It is challenging, but I prefer this type of cardio hands down to being stuck on a machine. I also love sprints… they do wonders for leaning out and tightening up my lower body and midsection. I really love to work hard and sweat.
 

 

What Is Your Diet Like?

I believe in incorporating tons of “superfoods” into your daily diet… Nutrient-rich foods with tons of health benefits. I center my diet around these foods year-round. I eat clean about 90-95% of the time. I love to indulge in a cheat meal here and there, but in general I just FEEL a lot better when I’m eating mostly clean food.
 

Justine Moore’s Diet Plan

 

Meal 1: Protein pancakes make with egg whites, oat bran, and MET-Rx Vanilla Whey Protein Powder, 1/2 of a grapefruit and 1 serving of greens powder.
Meal 2: Greek yogurt, berries, walnuts
Meal 3: 4 oz turkey breast, 4 oz sweet potato, green vegetables
Meal 4: (Post workout snack)- MET-Rx Vanilla Whey Protein Isolate and a large apple
Meal 5: 4 oz fish or lean red meat, large green salad, and 1/2 cup brown rice, quinoa, or black beans
Meal 6: MET-Rx Peanut Butter Cup Whey Protein mixed with 1 tbsp almond butter, 1/4 cup almond milk and 2 tbsp unsweetened natural cacao powder (my nighttime dessert treat!)

 

What Food Would We Find In Your Fridge?

Tons of green vegetables, grapefruit, apples, berries, turkey, fish, bison, eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, unsweetened almond milk, brown rice, beans, quinoa, and almond butter.
 

What Supplements Do You Use?

My year round staples include: MET-Rx Active Woman Multivitamin, MET-Rx CLA with Raspberry Ketones, MET-Rx Super Joint Guard, MET-Rx Liquid L-Carnitine, MET-Rx BCAA 5000 Powder, MET-Rx L-Glutamine Powder, MET-Rx Ultramyosyn Whey Isolate, and MET-Rx ZMA.
 

 

What Are Your Tips For Beginners?

Start today. Don’t wait for Monday, don’t make excuses. Start now. Take it one day at a time and give each day your best. Set small, realistic goals to work towards. Educate yourself and learn as much as you can about proper nutrition and training. If you fall off track, miss a workout, or indulge in a cheat meal do NOT beat yourself up about it- just get RIGHT back on track and keep moving forward.

Also keep in mind that changing your body takes hard work, dedication and PATIENCE. Fad diets and quick-fixes that promise an easy way to lose X amount of pounds in X days simply do not work– and yo-yo dieting that way really wrecks havoc on your metabolism.

The fundamental principles of weight training and proper nutrition that have been around for years and years are around because they WORK. Losing body fat and adding lean mass to create a lean, sculpted physique takes time… So don’t get discouraged and give up if you don’t see results as quickly as you might hope. Keep pushing forward and the results WILL come.
 

What Is The Best Advice You Have Ever Been Given?

“You know your body better than anyone else… Trust yourself.”

Having a trusted coach or “extra set of eyes” to watch your progress from an unbiased viewpoint is important in this sport, without a doubt. But after years of competing I have really learned what works for my body and what doesn’t. There have been times when I followed someone else’s instructions blindly, and was disappointed with the outcome. It can be hard to trust your own judgement when you’re in contest prep, but from my experience every time I trusted my instincts and did my own thing, my physique came in at its best.
 

How Do You Handle Set Backs & Bad Days?

No matter how I feel, I get my workouts in. If I’m having a bad day or feel unmotivated, working out always turns it around. Just being at the gym makes me want to push harder and better myself. I’ve had setbacks with injuries and illness and that can be frustrating. If I have an injury I work around it, but still get my workouts in (for instance, when I had a strain in my hamstring and couldn’t do most types of cardio I created some upper body and core circuits to do instead).

Also whenever I feel anxious or down I turn to my faith. This past summer I got my second tattoo- “Philippians 4:13” on my right wrist to remind myself “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
 

Did You Make Any Mistakes When You First Started Out?

Absolutely… There is a lot of trial and error involved to figure out what works for your body. I think the biggest mistake was eating too few calories and doing too much cardio for an extended period of time. I thought I was “going hard” and being really strict– but it actually just burned a lot of hard-earned muscle off my body.

Also I’ve made the mistake of going by the number on the scale to track my progress… It goes hand in hand with losing muscle… When you are looking to get your body more toned and tighter it requires adding lean mass while losing body fat. Your weight is not a good indicator for this, so now I go off of body fat percentage and visual progress (weekly photos).
 

 

Give Your Best 3 Health Tips That People Can Implement Right Now:

1. Center your daily diet around wholesome, nutrient-packed superfoods that will boost your metabolism, increase your energy levels and promote good health.

2. Incorporate strength training into your workout routine at least 3x/ week.

3. If you don’t have a clue where to start, hire the help of a coach or trainer. “Shop around” for a trainer who is educated, experienced and passionate about what they do. A good coach will be able to get you on the right path, and furthermore TEACH you how to continue a living healthy lifestyle long-term.
 

Your Best Tips To Getting Into Contest Shape/Losing Those Last Few Pounds?

Crank up the intensity of your workout! I always wear a heart rate monitor during my workouts to monitor intensity, so if I’m looking to really crank it up I will do interval training to get my heart rate up to 80-95% max, with all out effort during 30 to 60 second intervals. I also like incorporating explosive reps in a higher rep range, and lots of super-setting and circuit training to really ignite that last bit of body fat.

I also believe cheat meals have their time and place, but about 3-4 weeks out from a competition or event I’ve found it’s critical for me to cut them out. Instead I will cycle my carbs, getting my carbohydrates from clean sources on my higher carb days.
 

What’s Your Funniest Moment At The Gym?

That would be years ago when I first started weightlifting and decided to use the assisted pull up machine. I didn’t know how to use the machine, so I figured I would start with the lightest weight, thinking it would be easiest that way… That machine is actually related to your body weight, so needless to say I kind of went flying on my first rep. To this day I STILL ask for help if I’m unsure how to use a new piece of equipment!
 

Where Does Your Motivation Come From?

My motivation and drive comes from within. I’ve always had a deep desire to do something great with my life. When I decide I want something I go for it and don’t let anything stand in my way. I love working towards goals and constantly challenging myself to be my best and continuously improve. I perform better in all areas of my life when I look and feel my best.
 

Favourite Fitness Models? Inspirations?

I really look up to people with longevity and versatility in the fitness industry. Frank Sepe, Nicole Wilkins, Jamie Eason and Greg Plitt are all fitness icons I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for. They are all entrepreneurs who used their incredible physiques to make a name for themselves in the industry and branch out in many different directions.

I want the same thing for my own career- I want to go far beyond being just a competitor. I want to work in the fitness industry through many different projects and ventures, growing my business and building my brand.
 

For More Of Fitness Model Justine Moore Please Check Out His

Justine can be contacted for online fitness coaching, nutrition plans, contest prep and one-on-one personal training via her website or email: [email protected].

Website: www.JustineFit.com
Twitter: @JustineKMoore
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JustineKMoore
Instagram: @JustineFit
BodySpace: JustineFit
YouTube: Justine Moore www.youtube.com/channel/JustineMoore

Special Thanks to my Sponsors: MET-Rx, East Islip Health & Fitness, Dr. Braverman Chiropractic Services