This post features a training session & an interview with the super-charismatic top Model, Max Rendell, revealing how he wholly pursues a fit and healthy lifestyle amidst the chaotic travel demands placed upon a world-class beautiful person! His schedule is relentless, but his discipline around wellness comfortably matches it. What amazes me most is that whilst Max is in his early twenties, his knowledge and understanding of all things ‘healthy’ is incredibly advanced; it’s almost unthinkable that 20 years ago, young adults would have professed such an ethos – I think that’s a super-positive result of ‘health & fitness trends‘ meeting ‘the internet‘, and helping us all to school-up before we tone-up! Click MORE to see pics from our session, and to get the ‘Model Tips & Tricks’ from our interview!
F.O.T: As a full time model you’re aways on the go; how do you manage to stay fit and healthy?
MR: Thankfully we get quite a lot of luxuries in this job, including free usage of gyms and if I’m not in the country, then usually in our hotels. I take my ab roller with me where ever I go, I really enjoy using it. I also always play football when I’m out and about. I also play a lot of golf, though I’m not saying that’s a strenuous sport. I’ve recently started getting into my swimming too. I use my ab roller everyday as well as a circuit of squats, pushup, flutter kicks, sit-ups, mountain climbers, planks, side planks. I do it everyday, to keep my body ticking over. I find I don’t always have a massive amount of time, I guess it’s the same for everyone. At the end of the day I don’t always have the dedication to go to the gym so I’ll do a circuit in my room for circa 45 minutes.
F.O.T: Do you do any cardio, skipping for example?
MR: I dont do any skipping, I have bad memories. When I was 5-6 we had a skipping rope competition at school and fell after one skip, flat on my face. I haven’t really picked a rope up ever since.
F.O.T: With #fitspiration trending, have you noticed a shift in the model world? Is a ‘strong’ look more popular now would you say?
MR: It’s a good question, when I first got into the industry I thought I was far from a model because I thought the model was like the big latino looking, tanned, muscular guy shall we say and I didn’t really see this side of the fashion industry where you got the skinny pale looking type. So theres two different sides to the industry really – you’ve got the fashion side and then you’ve got the commercial side which are obviously the bigger more muscular guys and hopefully with age I can skip into the other side. I think there has beens sort of a wave where its gone from skinny to muscular to skinny – a constant wave. I wouldn’t know what to say about the women’s fashion industry. I can’t only say what I see in the papers and it’s too skinny for my liking.
F.O.T: Do you ever feel there’s a pressure on you as a model as representative image of brands etc to change or to hone your body in a different way or are you comfortable as it is?
MR: At the end of the day you are your own brand. If you want to do something *for yourself*, thats more important. For example with Burberry they’ll never pick a muscular look – it’s so different for each brand. As a skinny model you probably won’t do Armani, you wont do Dolce & Gabbana, but you’ll do the likes of Dior and Burberry, and vice versa so it’s where you want to place yourself and more about being your own brand – you work for yourself in a way.
F.O.T: Do you think male models are subjected to weight pressures?
MR: I don’t think so; the pressure on females is a lot higher. As soon as you put on half an inch around your waist, you’re off. With men, I’ve seen men walk around with big macs and its all a big laugh, with women its far more of a competition. I spoke to a girl the other day who said that all she’d had to eat, all day, was an apple and nuts – for the whole day and I thought HOW? I mean I have to eat four meals a day. Theres not a lot of pressure for guys to keep the weight off but I think it’s a lot stronger on women.
F.O.T: What’s your typical nutrition during a day?
MR: So breakfast will vary I’ll either have a four-five egg omelette or I’ll have oatmeal or fruit and natural yoghurt. I tend to eat quite healthy – I’d like to think anyway. Watching all these programs you never know. Snacks will be a bag full of nuts, left over continental breakfast – the odd croissant or whatever, and then I usually have a healthy lunch and dinner as well. Always a source of protein, carbohydrates, some vegetables. I was told by the dentist recently that I eat too much fruit – the acidity is ruining my teeth. So I’ve had to cut back, but to be fair I probably was eating 6-7 pieces of fruit a day. I’ve just bought a juicer so I’m juicing more vegetable based juices now.
F.O.T: What are your go-to snacks when you travel?
MR: I always take a bag of unsalted nuts with me, and for lift-off a bag of sweets because I still can’t bare that bit – thats the only unhealthy part. I’ll make my own lunch whether it’s a sandwich or a tub full of chicken.
F.O.T: Your biggest vice?
MR: It used to be fizzy soft drinks and then I watched a program about 3-5months ago on how much sugar was in fizzy drinks. Although it was hard to cut back I’m glad to say I haven’t had one in a long time. I think I knew how much sugar was in it but that was the thrill of it – you drink a can of coke and you’re awake again. Now you realise! I was watching something the other day – truth about calories and sugar; its all hidden and you haven’t got a clue, unless you know. My biggest advice would probably be stick away from fizzy drinks!
F.O.T: What about alcohol?
MR: I’m a sucker for alcohol. I would say stick away from alcohol of course but, ahem…
F.O.T: What about the other night (we were at the same party) did you have a lot to drink?
MR: (laughs) You could say that.
F.O.T: So you still enjoy yourself…
MR: You’ve got to. I would never say take it to the extreme where your not enjoying it, you know. Got to live!
F.O.T: Sounds like you have a good balance
MR: I like to think so. I do more cardio instead of weights which is a shame as I’m looking to put on a little bit of weight which I’m never going to get from cardio alone.
F.O.T: You mentioned you’re interested in studying to become a nutritionist – what’s drove you in that direction?
MR: Due to the fact, I suppose, that this industry has influenced it in a way; regularly speaking to people on what they are and aren’t eating. As I said earlier there was a girl who ate cat food shall we say, and I think it needs to be put out there more that there are good nourishing things we can eat. People are so weight conscious, but there are things out there that won’t necessarily make you put on weight. I think not just due to physical wellbeing, but my skin used to be really bad as well and I think that helped me to clock what I should and shouldn’t eat. I think thats more than anything what led me into the idea of studying nutrition, but its only really developed into a real idea in the last year or so. At the moment I’m still just enjoying myself travelling and whatnot. In the next few years is when I’ll settle down and start thinking about it – long term career I suppose.
F.O.T: This might be just that – your long term career… Would you want it to be?
MR: It could well be, I’ve really enjoyed it. The first year I struggled, I never wanted to travel. I was a real home-boy, really a mummy’s-boy, I didn’t want to leave home at all. The last year or so I’ve really enjoyed seeing other places and different cultures and what not. So part of me would say ‘yeah I want to do it for as long as possible’ but I’d also like to do something else.
F.O.T: Any favourite spots so far, best place/s you’ve travelled to so far?
MR: Tokyo, its incredible, I was there for six weeks, I got back last month. It was just the best experience because its a whole different culture shock. It’s not like Europe, it’s not like the americanisation, they’ve very much grown themselves and its just so polite and clean and its a real nice place to go. The food’s absolutely fantastic, it’s just awesome.
F.O.T: Working within the fashion world, have you noticed a fitness-fashion crossover at all?
MR: I haven’t really noticed it massively aside from on Ig a bit. Theres always sporty bits from big brands, but I haven’t really seen anything that sporty.
F.O.T: And finally, fave Exercise?
MR: Ab roller, and perhaps mountain climbers too. Absolute least favourite: legs. Hate training them!
