November 24, 2022

6 min. to read

An Interview with Chris Elkins, Fitness Model

Hi everyone, I am pleased to introduce you to Chris Elkins, an American professional fitness model, WNBF Pro Natural Bodybuilder, and personal trainer. He is also the Founder of the online program Cutting-Edge Physiques and a Co-Founder of MAX-Hype Training.

Before diving into the bodybuilding world, Chris was part of the Marines until 2008. After he left the Marines, he started bodybuilding in 2013 and competed in four shows the same year. Furthermore, Chris won his pro card and became a coach, which led him to transition into coaching and full-time social media. He is also planning to compete in the world championship this year.

His career and successes are a huge motivation for everyone. So, let’s jump on the interview to learn more about his achievements.

Tose Zafirov

Mr. Olympia Representative

Who Is Chris Elkins?

Tose Zafirov:

Hello Chris. First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. To start, who is Chris Elkins? Furthermore, what is your life story, and what are the things that influenced you most?

Chris Elkins:

I’m a father, provider, coach, and competitive bodybuilder, and I grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Both of my parents weren’t able to raise me due to issues and addiction in their own lives. Therefore, I was raised by my incredible grandparents since I was nine years old.

I joined the Marines shortly after high school, and I was stationed in California. I did one tour in Iraq in 2006 and got out of the Marines in 2008.

After a few years, I was yearning for something competitive and physical, and by 2013 I found natural bodybuilding. I competed in 4 shows that year and fell in love with the sport. Within a few years, I won my Pro Card, became a coach, and transitioned to coaching and social media full-time. It’s been an amazing journey, and I’m excited to bring my best to the World Championship this year!

Advice On Healthy Lifestyle

Tose Zafirov:

You are an online coach, flexible dieter, and WNBF-pro natural bodybuilder. What advice would you offer to people seeking to live a healthy lifestyle, especially when it comes to their diets?

Chris Elkins:

Balance and moderation are key, although sometimes people try to cut out everything they love and make their diet completely unsustainable. But they usually fall off track after a couple of weeks because it’s just too hard. Therefore, hire a coach for accountability, make smaller, gradual changes to your diet, and make sure it’s something you can stick with long-term.

How Do You Maintain Your Shape?

Tose Zafirov:

What is the biggest obstacle to consistently keeping your top shape, and how does exercise benefit mental health?

Chris Elkins:

I love to push myself in the gym, but I know sometimes I have to take time off in order to keep from burning out. Furthermore, setting short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals really helps keep me on track because I have timelines, and I know what I’m working towards.

Additionally, training is therapy for me. I’ve been injured in the past and have been unable to train, so I have started to feel a lot more stressed out. Even on the hardest days, when I don’t want to train, I always feel better afterward.

What Were Your Biggest Challenges?

Tose Zafirov:

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you first started out? Furthermore, what does it take to become a pro in today’s competitive industry?

Chris Elkins:

Being patient and taking the time to gain muscle. As a result, taking almost a 2-year offseason helped me build muscle and become a lot more competitive.

In today’s social media landscape, it’s hard to feel OK or relevant when you’re in a longer off-season. Still, it’s very important to grow if you want to be competitive. Therefore, most people will never be competitive if they don’t put in the time and work in a calorie surplus.

Is Online Presence Important?

Tose Zafirov:

I notice that you successfully run your YouTube channel. What are your future plans, and how did this idea arrive to you? Additionally, you are quite active on other social media platforms like Instagram. So, do you believe that in 2021, having an online presence will be essential for success?

Chris Elkins:

Yes, social media is so important these days. Without social media, I wouldn’t have transitioned to coaching full-time in 2017.

To begin with, I started on YouTube and really just started documenting my progress for myself to look back on, but people started to follow along on YouTube and Instagram, and now social media is the most important part of my job.

Is Social Media Time-Consuming?

Tose Zafirov:

How much time do you spend planning, shooting, and editing the material for your online content and Instagram feed? Additionally, do you use any particular tools or apps to manage your time and stay organized?

Chris Elkins:

I take it day by day. However, I really should spend more time and plan more when it comes to creating content. Whenever I travel, I make sure to set aside time to focus on shooting and filming content. Also, I recently started making Tik Tok videos, but it’s hard to be fresh and creative. It takes a lot of brainstorming and trying things to see what works.

Do You Like Being A Fitness Influencer?

Tose Zafirov:

It’s impressive that you recently made the decision to disclose the secrets that helped you achieve success on the Internet. But which part of being a fitness influencer is your favorite?

Chris Elkins:

I think my favorite part about being an influencer is being able to reach so many people. Moreover, I’ve made so many long-term and genuine friends through social media that I would never have met otherwise.

In the last few years, I’ve had some hardships (divorce, surgery, break-ups, etc.), and being able to share that and continue to push forward has motivated a lot of people. Also, knowing that I’m helping other people also motivates me to keep going as well.

How Do You Spend Your Free Time?

Tose Zafirov:

Where do you get motivation and inspiration for leading a healthy life? Furthermore, is it difficult to balance your personal and work life? What else makes you happy, other than fitness, and what do you do in your spare time?

Chris Elkins:

I love to spend time with my kids. My daughter is in her last year of high school, and we’ve started to work out together. My son is ten years old, and we watch anime. Additionally, I taught him to edit videos, so he’s found a passion for video editing. As a result, he makes all of my current YouTube videos.

Like most people, I enjoy watching movies, going out to eat, traveling, having drinks, etc. Also, I love to play poker competitively, and I’m an avid cyclist!

Did COVID-19 Affect Your Shape?

Tose Zafirov:

How did Covid-19 and 2020 influence your body shape?

Chris Elkins:

It didn’t affect me too much, to be honest. In early 2020 I was recovering from an emergency stomach surgery that put me out for two months, so I was on a mission to get back into my best shape, and I wasn’t going to let anything deter me.

What Is Your Message to The World?

Tose Zafirov:

Finally, what is your motto and message to the world, especially for the younger generation?

Chris Elkins:

Consistency is the key. Therefore, if you want to achieve something, you have to put in the work because nobody can do it for you.

Final Words

Chris, thank you for your time and your honest responses. You are a true motivation for me and the audience, and we are all impatient to hear about your future successes.

If you want more details on Chris’s training and gear, visit his official website, Cutting-Edge Physiques.

For more inspiring stories, feel free to check the Interviews page.

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