1) Who is Josiah Novak? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I'm first and foremost a Christian. I thank God daily for my opportunities. I'm a husband to my beautiful wife Michelle and a Dad to my two little boys. My family is from Chicago, but we grew up all over the world. I currently reside outside of Washington DC.
I currently own and operate a health and fitness brand which includes body transformation and lifestyle coaching programs, The
True Transformation, and our podcast - the Fit Man Project Podcast - that's focused on learning the habits and routines from the most successful people on the planet. Outside of building the brand, I enjoy traveling, Chicago sports, Moscow Mules, reading amazing books and enjoying time with my family.
2) How many years have you been training?
18 years.
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
Battling with the abuse I suffered as a kid and the lack of a father figure in my life has been the hardest challenge I’ve faced. I gained 80 lbs of fat in my early twenties due to severe depression and an unstable lifestyle. It took years of practice to gain control of my life. My mission now is to help others establish a heath and fitness routine that improves their entire life while sharing my struggles to help them avoid the same mistakes I made.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
I train about 4-5 days per week on average. Usually 4 of those days are in the gym and then I enjoy a home workout or two each week as well. I typically go for walks during the week as much as possible to stay active. When I'm really dialed in and aiming for a photoshoot I'll start my day with a Power Walk and then consistently hit each bodypart 2 times per week based around a strength training program. Recently I've been incorporating more athletic training and eventually I'll be adding boxing training to continue to get outside my comfort zone. I want my kids to have a father who is well rounded when it comes to health and fitness.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
There's been a huge focus this year on gut health and the benefits of things like intermittent fasting, low-carb diets and how to rotate your training and nutrition approach to continually get great results. My paradigm shift over the past few years has been around how little protein we actually truly need and how important it is to fast on a regular basis for 24 hours or more. My digestive health has improved tremendously and I feel so much more energized when implementing these methods.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
Afghan Food and Moscow Mules
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
Caffeine LOL
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
I would hire a reliable coach who could help avoid a lot of the mistakes that result from buying in hype that the media
9) Who do you look up to in the fitness industry and why?
I really admire the guys over at Mind Pump Media. I'm fortunate to call them friends and I truly respect their passion, dedication to bringing truth to the fitness industry, and the information they provide is incredibly educational.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Learn to be present in the moment and the daily journey. Being present means celebrating the small wins along the way and avoiding the comparison trap of looking at others and comparing your results to theirs.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
I'm currently writing a book on Fatherhood and Fitness - which I'll be releasing this year. We also are focused on our 8 Week Transformation Program called the TRUE8 where we have a goal of transforming 1500 people this year and helping them make fitness a permanent part of their life.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
Website: TheTrueTransformation.com
Podcast: The Fit Man Project
IG: @JosiahFitness
Facebook: Facebook.com/josiahfitness
Twitter: @JosiahFitness
YouTube: YouTube.com/TrueTransform
