NAME : Shanti Mitchell AGE : 36 HEIGHT : 1,85m OFF SEASON WEIGHT : 135kg IN SEASON WEIGHT : 110kg - 114kg TRAINING SINCE : 2001 JOB : IT Professional CITY : Johannesburg
COMPETITIVE ACHIEVEMENTS : 2004 • Gauteng Novice Provincials – heavyweight , 2nd
• SA Novice – heavyweight , 4th
• Highgate – O / 75 line-up , 1st
2006 • Millennium Classic – super heavyweight , 1st
• Highgate – heavyweight , 2nd
• Mr Egoli – heavyweight , 1st and Overall winner
• WPF Gauteng Provincials – O / 95 kg , 1st
• WPF SA Champs – O / 95 kg , 2nd
• WPF Universe – O / 95 kg , 6th
2007 • WPF Gauteng South Provincials – O / 95 kg , 1st
• WPF SA Champs – O / 95 kg , 1st
• WPF Universe - O / 95 kg , 4th
2008 • WPF Gauteng Central Provincials – O / 95kg , 1st
• WPF SA – O / 95kg , 3rd
2009 • IFBB Gauteng Central Provincial – O / 100kg , 3rd
• IFBB SA Champs – O / 100kg , 6th
• WPF Gauteng Central Provincial – O / 95kg , 2nd
• WPF SA Champs – O / 95kg , 2nd
2012 • IFBB Gauteng North Provincial – O / 100kg , 1st
• IFBB SA Champs – O / 100kg , 6th
• Marco Rossi Classic – O / 90kg , 1st
• NABBA SA – tall class - 1st
2013 • IFBB SA Champs – O / 100kg , 3rd
2014 • IFBB RUDX Boksburg Classic – 2nd over 90kg
• IFBB Gauteng Central Provincial – overall winner
• IFBB SA Championships – overall winner .
H e came , he saw and he conquered . Shanti Mitchell landed in Cape Town wanting to win his division and he left with the title of SA ’ s champion bodybuilder . Muscle Evolution is about hardcore bodybuilding , and in Shanti we have the chance to get to know someone that persevered and grew and made the right decisions , which ultimately resulted in him being crowned the best amateur in SA .
Shanti is not new on the block , as his achievements show . He has come up through the ranks . In the past he was sometimes known for struggling to nail his condition and it took its toll . He admits that he was struggling to find the motivation to take things to the next level . It was around that time that he teamed up with IFBB Pro Marius Dohne , and his ascent up the IFBB SA ladder has been consistent , culminating in the overall title in Cape Town in the second weekend of September .
All the aspiring bodybuilders out there will be desperate to know how he turned it around , how he trains , what he eats and what effect his coach had on his path to success . We met up with Shanti just before and just after his assault on the Mother City . What we have in this edition is a sample of the intensity at which he trains , how he eats and an interview with his coach in order to give you the complete scoop on SA ’ s newest champion .
When did you start training and why ? At school I was considered to be well built . But there was also a stigma back then that when you matriculated boys would always develop pot bellies , and that was beginning to happen to me while I was in college . So I started working out , which was in 2001 .
Who is your idol in this sport and which bodybuilder in the world has / had the best physique ever ? Victor Martinez , when he was in his prime years before his misfortune started . Locally it would be Marius Dohne for his determination and “ never give up ” attitude .
What is the biggest sacrifice a bodybuilder has to make ? Is it worth it ? A bodybuilder has to sacrifice so much that a non-bodybuilder wouldn ' t even consider . The time , money spent and the discipline that comes with it is substantial . Is it worth it ? Hell yeah ! The look you get when you go somewhere and people stare with admiration is priceless .
When you look around the gym , do most guys have the right idea or do they do stuff wrong ? Most guys believe that they do things right and they are always looking for shortcuts . There are no shortcuts in the sport and one can always learn .
Do you like it when people come and ask you for advice ? Yes I do . it shows that I am doing something right at least .
Please give us a sample of your daily diet ( what you eat in all your meals each day ): My diet varies a lot and goes according to my metabolism . My coach , Marius Dohne continuously changes my eating plan to adapt to my metabolic rate . So we do a lot of carb cycling to get me conditioned . But I always ensure that I take my Rudx Whey
Nutrition shake post workout and my Surge pre-workout .
• Meal 1 : 150g oats with 10 egg whites
• Meal 2 : 200g chicken fillets with 300g sweet potato
• Meal 3 : 200g chicken fillets with 300g rice
• Meal 4 : 200g chicken fillets with 300g sweet potato
• Meal 5 : 200g chicken fillets with 300g rice
• Meal 6 : 300g fish with green salad
Please share your weekly training split
• Sunday - legs
• Monday - back
• Tuesday - chest and calves
• Wednesday - arms and abs
• Thursday - back and hamstrings
• Friday - off
• Saturday - shoulders and calves
What is more important ? Lifting heavy or going for the squeeze / pump ? And for guys still starting out ? A combination of both is vital – you don ' t do one at the expense of the other . I do primarily focus on squeezing and getting the pump . For guys starting out , I would suggest that you get your form right and the rest will fall into place .
How important is hardcore training to you ? What does intensity mean and why does it separate the hardcore from the average Joe ? Either you go hard or go home . Don ' t waste time . The gym is where you train to get the results you want . Intensity , to me , is working the muscle so that the pumps are crazy to bear . This means there is no time for chit chat , it is beast mode all the way !
What are your tips for increasing the intensity ? Gradually warm up a muscle group , and then go for the assault using whichever techniques are part of the programme – whether this is supersets or dropsets . But it is attacking the exercise with focus and giving it your all .
www . muscleevolution . co . za 31