“If you do well and have a good attitude, it WILL be noted”

 

Elysium Magazine caught up with Rav Wilding, TV presenter and all-round fitness fanatic, to talk about looking after yourself, polar extremes and why it’s important to work hard whatever you do.  If you’re one of the discerning gents who’ve been inspired by Olympic to kick start the fitness programmes, take heed of Rav’s recommendations on how you can get your body and mind ready for whatever physical challenge the world has to throw at you.

 

Elysium Magazine (EM): Fitness is obviously important to you. Talk us through your typical fitness regime in terms of exercise, diet and rest?

Rav Wilding (RW): Fitness has been a big part of my life ever since I was a child. I was very sporty at school and I then went on to join the Army at a young age. To keep myself in shape I go to the gym whenever I can, which, depending on my work schedule, is around five times a week ideally. Once there, I alternate weights and CV work e.g. bikes and cross trainers. I also think it’s essential to give your body rest days to recover, especially from the weights. Diet-wise, I try and limit the amount of carbs I eat – cutting back on bread and pasta for example. I also eat a lot of lean protein like prawns and chicken.

 

EM: What fitness tips would you have for Elysium’s discerning gent readers? 

RW:

• Keep challenging yourself. I met a trainer who said he would have me benching 120kg five times in a row within a month and if I did it, he would give me a free session as a reward. It spurred me on so much! (I also really enjoyed the free session)

 

• Don’t put it off. If you sit down after a long day and say “you will train later”…chances are you will get comfy on the sofa and won’t make it. Get back in to your kit and go right away. You WILL feel better afterwards!

 

• Eat sensibly. There are so many diets popping up it’s very confusing to get your head around them all. I don’t eat a lot of sweets or chocolate (and have never had a filling!) and I will only eat stuff like that if I am going to burn it off in the gym.

 

• Reduce your alcohol intake. A pint of lager is roughly the same amount of calories as a chocolate bar. I’m careful about how much I drink. When was the last time you ate ten chocolate bars in a single evening?

 

• Drink more water. I was told around 60% of “hunger” that people feel is actually dehydration. Drink more water and you’ll naturally eat less junk. Being properly hydrated is also essential for keeping your brain alert, your insides in order and your skin cleansed.

 

EM: Your experiences in the arctic with 71 Degrees North looked immense from the warm comfortable sofas we were all watching from. Tell us just how hard of an experience it was for your body and mind?

RW: 71 Degrees North was an amazing experience from beginning to end. In a world of computers and mobile phones it’s almost impossible for us to be away from it all these days, but as soon as we got there we had to hand in our phones and were essentially completely cut off from civilisation for a month. It was hard for the first couple of days but then it became the most cleansing experience imaginable. With no distractions I simply woke up in my tent or ice hole, made a fire, was told the challenge for the day and focused on that and nothing else.

 

Bizarrely one thing that caught me out when I was out there though was the unbearable pain I experienced from the icy winds of -30°C. It felt like there I didn’t have teeth any more, just nerve endings hanging down. Every blast of cold air against my teeth was agony and this was something I just didn’t think about when I was preparing.

 

EM: Tell us where in the world you would like to have your next adventure and why?

RW: The world is full of such incredible extremes. I lived in one of the toughest in the Arctic. I like to push myself though, so would love to see a desert and perhaps experience training with the Foreign Legion out there. Or trek through a rain forest.

 

I learned in the Arctic how to quickly adapt to the conditions around me. I’d like to put that same principle in place in some other in hospitable location.

 

EM: You obviously love the TV career you’ve carved for yourself. Is there anything in particular you still want to do in the world of TV or film? 

RW: Bizarrely I’d love to do voiceovers for film and other areas of TV. A lead character in an animated film could quite possibly be my dream job!

 

EM: Finally, your career has been quite varied – something some of our readers can relate to. What advice would you give to someone trying to find the right career?

RW: I’m very lucky in that I’m very blessed to be doing what I do for a living, But I worked for free for years beforehand. Lots of others in my industry do or have done the same. No matter what the sector is don’t be put off doing some low paid or voluntary work in the field you desire. If you do well and have a good attitude, it WILL be noted.

 

Rav Wilding is an ambassador for the Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief Challenge which helps people to be free of painful sensitive teeth. For more information visit: Colgatesensitiveprorelief.co.uk