Dave Dreas played college basketball at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. There he earned All American Honors, was named St. Cloud State Male Athlete of the year, and finished 2nd all time on the scoring list with 1802 points. He has since moved on to the fitness world and has become fitness model, nutrition coach and writer. He sat down to talk with us.
How did you get started in fitness?
Ever since I grew up I was active playing sports. I credit my parents for allowing me to get involved at a young age. I remember playing soccer, tee ball, basketball at the local YMCA when I was very young and I enjoyed it. As I got older I just enjoyed the competitive nature of sports and always had a dream to play college basketball.
How was the transition from basketball to fitness?
It was pretty easy. I was always around the strength and conditioning facility and constantly learning. I had a good group of guys that I would work out with and we would push each other. It was a lot of fun.
What kind of influence has your basketball background had on your training?
You know the biggest influence has been discipline. I was so programed to be on time, do things right and avoid mistakes. When playing basketball at a higher level a mistake here or there can cost you the game. When training you need to be discipline in your approach. You prepare far before you actually go workout in regards to nutrition, supplementation, sleep etc.
Did your basketball team have you doing much in the way of weight training?
Yes. Being a college athlete you go through different periods of the year, hence that’s why it was more of a periodization program. In the offseason my approach was for muscle/strength growth. I was a scoring point guard so I would take a beating night in and night out so it was important that I was able to withstand it. During the season we would drastically cut the workouts in regards to muscle building etc. because of the demand of practice, traveling, games etc. So with all that said, my training varied throughout the year and it was difficult to lift heavy all year round.
What is your favorite body part to train?
You could ask me this question in 2 months and I might have a different answer! Currently, I am really focusing on the posterior chain and targeting the hamstrings and glutes. I’ve incorporated various hip thrusting movements along with the standard deadlift, glute hams and Bulgarian squats. Like I said, at the moment I’m taking a huge interest in that but the standard beach muscles aren’t far behind lol!
Can you give us a sample of your routine?
Right now I’m actually cutting back on training and have been going 4 days a week. I normally do 5 sometimes 6 but have been busy working on various projects.
Day 1
Chest and Back
Day 2
Legs
Day 3
Bi’s and Tri’s
Day 4
Shoulders and corrective movements
This is just a short example. I like to incorporate various corrective movements during my active warm up and during the workout. I foam roll for about 10 minutes prior to every workout. I don’t want to go to in depth as I could go on forever.
What kind of music do you listen to when you are working out?
I listen to a variety of music from Eminem to Staind to Breaking Benjamin
We all have at least one, what is the most embarrassing song on your iPod?
Occasionally I would listen to James Blunt while I lift. Throw David Gray in there also I like his song Slow Motion.
What does your diet look like when you are trying to get lean?
First, I stay pretty lean all year round. I lucked out with the lean gene. If I have a shoot or anything that I need to get lean quick I would practice the lean gains intermittent fasting approach. I have found that my body responds very well to intermittent fasting. I would train around 11 o clock am on a fasted state and then eat a HUGE meal when I get done a little after 12 o’clock. I would eat throughout the day and cut it off at 8 pm. My feeding window is from 12- 8 and then I fast until noon the next day.
List the top 10 foods we would find in your kitchen:
Eggs
Oats
Chicken
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Protein
Ezekiel Bread
Natural Peanut Butter
Bananas
Mixed Nuts
What kind of cardio do you like best and why?
Let me preface this by saying it’s my own personal opinion. I am a huge fan of sprinting! I can’t stand steady state cardio because it’s a WASTE of time (hour or two), it’s boring, and it’s not the most efficient for FAT LOSS. Seriously, go sprint for 20 minutes you will get far better results and maintain your sanity.
If you could give somebody only one bodybuilding tip what would it be?
First, I am far from a bodybuilder so I can’t speak for the bodybuilding world. However, everyone should foam roll. I am a huge proponent of foam rolling all body parts as this can have a huge impact on your overall progress in various aspects of fitness (mobility, range of motion, lengthening, recovery, growth). I come across a lot of clients who lack range of motion because they are so stagnant in life. This is a cheap, great tool that can work wonders for everyone!
Favorite cheat food?
Cinnabon!
Do you take any supplements?
Yes,
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Fish Oil
Spirulina
Multi Vitamin
Zinc
Magnesium
Calcium
What does your future hold?
I just opened up Arizona Training Lab with my business partner in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s my goal to make that one of the top workout facilities in the whole state. It’s going to take a lot of time, energy, dedication and it will be well worth it. When I say well worth it, it’s not so much for me but for the clients that I will be able to impact. I love training people who work hard!
I’m hoping to do more mainstream fitness modeling. When I say fitness modeling I’m speaking about the likes of Nike, Reebok, Under Armour etc. I don’t plan on competing any time soon as I want to focus more on the major brand names. Along those same lines I would like to start writing for some major publications. I have been fortunate enough to write for Men’s Fitness and I would like to continue with them and many others!
Lastly, I plan on reading and learning about the body. I would like to get far deeper into trigger point therapy and being able to do body work on my clients. Knowledge is power!
