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.
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