CSM Game-Changer Issue with Cristiano Ronaldo 2019 BODY ISSUE - Lauren Flodquist | Page 169

CSM: Do you think customized meal plans are really
necessary? Why is that?
MARCO: Yes, they absolutely are since we are all
different and that has to be planned when creating a
meal plan. First of all you need to know what kind of
foods you like or dislike. Only focus on the foods you
like, because if you keep eating foods you actually
dislike you won’t follow a diet for too long. Further-
more it’s crucial to understand how your hormones
and especially the insulin are functioning. Depend-
ing on your insulin behavior you clearly see if a car-
bohydrate or non-carbohydrate (keto diet) based diet
suits you. Depending on the results of blood testing
you can create a customized meal plan that won’t be
boring and lead to guaranteed results if the individual
is really following the plan.
CSM: Any fitness goals for yourself? What are you
aiming now?
MARCO: With 14 covers on my belt it’s difficult to
still have new and higher goals, but still I do have
some goals. I’m starting an education as a life coach
in autumn this year. My goal is to offer an even more
comprehensive approach of personal training that is
not only to reaching body and health goals. I’d also
like to help people reaching life goals and show them
a path where they can find fulfillment for themselves.
Apart from that I keep working on my health and
keep it at the best possible level until I’m old. Work-
ing out will remain a part of my life until I’m old and
that’s for sure. If you ask me about my private life,
I’m in a very happy relationship with a Filipina. I
hope we can build a family together at some point in
the future.
CSM: There are a lot of online coaches and lifestyle
advisers out in the market already, what are the fac-
tors that people should take into consideration when
hiring a personal trainer or online coaches or maybe
investing some time and money to them?
MARCO: I’d really research on the education and
experience level of a coach. I know that there are a
lot of black sheep in the market who call themselves
coaches right having completed a weekend seminar
or winning one single contest. You should understand
that these people only know how their own body
works, but they can’t relate to someone who is totally
different. All you get is a standardized plan that has
been given to 5 other clients. For sure those coaches
are cheap pricewise, but they lack in the quality and
individuality.
To sum up a good coach should have at least 5 years of
experience in coaching others and a long list of com-
pleted educations. Furthermore you should check on
his track record in terms of success stories. A coach
with no before and after pictures on his website can’t
be really trustful. Lastly, a good coach has its price.
You get what you pay for.
CSM: As a fitness and health enthusiast, what are the
essential exercises you have to do? Why is that?
MARCO: Honestly, there is no one answer fits it
all to this question. My top 3 exercises are squats,
bench press and chin ups. With this 3 exercises you
have basically covered the whole body. Squats are
great to build your leg muscles as well as a solid and
strong core which is very important for your daily
life. Deadlifts are beneficial when it comes to build-
ing your lower back and posterior chain. Bench
presses help to develop a nice looking chest. Since
it’s a free weight exercise you’ll also need to stabi-
lize your core so it’s like a 2 in 1 exercise. Generally
I prefer free weights more than machines since you
have your core more involved when performing the
exercise and it’s less isolated than a machine. As a
result you’re training a larger area of the involved
muscles which is why it’s better when it comes to
muscle growth. Word of caution here. When you’re
a beginner you should not start right away with free
weights since you don’t have the coordination to bal-
ance the free weights. Start with free weights, build
a solid amount of muscles and then switch to free
weights.
CSM: Do you have any gym etiquette advice for oth-
er people?
MARCO: Well, some basic rules. Don’t scream
when you train. It’s not necessary even when I had
my hardest workouts I never screamed. Always train
with a towel to keep the gym clean and not sharing
your sweat with others. Don’t throw the weights
down to the floor when you’re done with your set,
because you could hit and hurt someone else. Wash
your hands thoroughlyy and use a sanitizer after ev-
ery workout. Remember the gym is full of bacteria
and that’s a great way to keep yourself clean of it.
CSM: Fact or myth? Does working out daily improve
one’s sexual stamina or prowess during sexual activ-
ity? Why do you say so?
MARCO: Fact. It improves sexual stamina and prow-
ess during sexual activity. I guess after people read
this statement the gyms in the Philippines are going
to be overcrowded.
CSM: Fact or myth? Does living a healthy lifestyle
keeps you happy and young? Why is that?
MARCO: That’s a fact. When I ask people about my
age they say that I’m around 25-27 and I’m 32. More
important though is your mental health. When you’re
mentally unhappy even a healthy lifestyle won’t
make you happy deep inside.