My name is Nick Iadevaio and I am a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise, a record holding powerlifter, as well as aspiring bodybuilder. I specialize in strength and conditioning and I am seeking my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management with a Minor in Health and Wellness, as well as my Master’s Degree in Exercise Science. I live in Oceanside, New York and I am currently a student at Stony Brook University.

Despite being born with a double hernia and Spondylolisthesis, which is a displacement of the vertebrae of the lumbar spine. I have been playing sports since I was about three years old. Whether it was baseball, soccer, basketball, or even snowboarding, I was always active. This is because of my parents who were both athletes their entire life as well. They knew how important structure; competition and being active were at a young age. My father happened to be in a band that traveled the world on tour to play their music in front of tens of thousands of people, which makes me believe that’s where I got my desire to be great from. Not only did my father give me that desire, but my mother’s father did too. He is the purest form of rags to riches there is. He started with nothing and today has everything he could want. My family is everything to me, and has shaped me to be the man I am today.

Throughout my years of schooling I played baseball and soccer at the varsity level. Through my success at the varsity level I was then offered a scholarship to play Division II College Baseball at Queens College in Queens, NY. This is when I began my fitness journey. I always worked out at a young age, perhaps incorrectly, but at this time I began to learn how to take your body to the next level. I loved the training sessions we were put through and it just led to me wanting to know more and more about the body and how to make it grow. The first thing I wanted to do was be the strongest I could be. This is where I came across Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 method. This book is the stepping-stone for most beginners when it comes to gaining strength. From this book I kept gaining knowledge, doing my research, talking to anyone who could help. Basically I became a sponge. After being thrown around the fitness industry I finally wound up in the gym with Shawna Mendelson. For those of you who do not know who she is, she is one of the strongest women to ever walk the face of the earth, as well as one of the most knowledgeable. With my hard work and her programming I became the athlete I am today. Today I am done playing baseball because being a fitness competitor has taken over my life, in the best way possible. In about two years time I went from never squatting or deadlifting before due to my Spondylolisthesis to holding National Records for the American Powerlifting Federation at 19 years old and 180 lbs. Today I am squatting over 450 lbs, deadlifting over 550 lbs, benching over 335 lbs and am injury free. I dedicate myself to this sport because it is not just a sport, it is a lifestyle, one that betters you with every step you take and it is a true test of your ambition. In this industry you truly get out what you put in.

Typically, I base my workouts off of my compound lifts such as my bench press, squat, deadlift and overhead press. I work those lifts for the majority of the work out doing different programming depending on my goals. For example, on a squat day I may work chain squats, pause squats, or even box squats. For bench day, I may work board presses, chain presses, or even band presses. For deadlift day, I will work sumo deadlifts, conventional deadlifts, rack pulls, or even deficit pulls, all according to the goal and plan at the moment. Not only will I work the main lifts but depending on the body parts I use I will use my accessory work including abs daily. A week of my workouts may look something similar to this with my off day being on Sunday:

           

            Monday: Squat

                        Squat – 5 sets 3 reps

                        Hip Abductors – 5 sets 12 reps

                        Quad Extension – 5 sets 10 reps

                        Walking Lunges – 4 sets 20 reps

                        Standing Calf Press – 10 sets 10 reps

 

            Tuesday: Bench

                        Bench Press – 3 sets 5 reps

                        Board Press – 4 sets 8 reps

                        Delt Fly – 4 sets 12 reps

                        Triceps Cable Extension – 4 sets 20 reps

                        Overhead Dumbbell Press – 4 sets 20 reps

 

            Wednesday: Shoulders

                        Overhead Press – 4 sets 8 reps

                        Arnold Press – 4 sets 12 reps

                        Overhead Dumbbell press – 4 sets 10 reps

                        Lateral Raise – 4 sets 20 reps

                        Front Raise – 4 sets 20 reps

 

            Thursday: Deadlift

                        Deadlift - 5 sets 2 reps

                        Conventional Deficit Deadlifts – 3 sets 8 reps

                        Reverse Hyper Machine – 4 sets 12 reps

                        Hamstring Curls – 5 sets 10 reps

                        Seated Calf Press – 5 sets 12 reps, 5 Drop Sets

                        Hammer Curls – 4 sets 20 reps

                        Incline Curls – 4 sets 20 reps

 

            Friday: Chest/Back Superset

                        Flat Dumbbell Press / Bent Over Row – 5 sets 12 reps

                        Incline Barbell Press / LAT Pull Down – 5 sets 12 reps

                        Cable Fly / Cable Cross Over – 5 sets 20 reps

                        Dips / Pull Ups – 5 sets to failure

 

            Saturday: Arms Superset

                        Barbell Curls / Skull Crushers – 20,15,12,10,8,failure

                        Preacher Curls / Triceps Kickbacks – 4 sets 20 reps

                        Cable Curls / Reverse Grip Cable Extensions – 4 sets 15 reps

                        Reverse Grip Straight Bar Curls / Diamond Push Ups - 4 sets 15 reps

 

As far as my diet is concerned, I follow a Macronutrient breakdown that is typically high in carbs on my off season in order to gain muscle and strength as for the athlete the carb is not the enemy and one that is higher in protein when I am typically trying to lean out and cut up. After this photo shoot I will begin to gain some weight to add size to my frame.

Working with the “Captain”, John of BBpics.com was quite an adventure. It was my first time working with a photographer and I could not have been more comfortable. He has great knowledge of the body and how to make it appear the way it should. He made me feel comfortable in my own skin even though I was a little concerned about how I would look in the first place. He was an honor to work with and I would recommend him to anyone I know, which is why I brought along my friend Steve Checco who is another fitness soldier. We went to various locations and did various types of shoots, as he was thoroughly inclined with how to make us look athletic, fashionable and even aesthetic. It was everything I could have wanted and more. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

As I continue to compete in powerlifting I am hoping to compete in a bodybuilding show sometime in the near future. I like to look at myself as a power-builder, someone who works those heavy compound lifts, but also someone who supplements them with accessory work to benefit your muscles completely. After all, the best powerlifters were bodybuilders and the best bodybuilders were powerlifters. I believe that the hard work I am putting in will pay off, it’s only a matter of time, and that is something I have on my side being so young. Having this background in the fitness industry only benefits my clients as well; I like to bring fresh knowledge to them while having a firm grasp of knowing what it takes to succeed at a high level of training. I enjoy helping others make themselves the best possible person they can be physically as well as mentally.