Stuart Reardon has been an international rugby player and is also a top fitness model. Stu had a successful career as a rugby league player playing 170 games in the English Super League as well as scoring 4 tries in 5 games while playing for England.
Stuart Reardon – Football
Since playing in France with AS Carcassonne Stu has focused on training and nutrition to turn himself into one of the hottest properties in male modeling!
I caught up with Stuart to learn how he’s found the transition from a professional team sport athlete to selling his body image.
Rugby league is a sport known for its drinking culture and lack of attention to detail in terms of nutrition and lifestyle, was that the way you were in your younger days?
I have always been into training hard, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, in my younger days I went out drinking like many players and young people do, that’s just what you do when you’re young and have no responsibilities. I don’t think it matters what job you’re in.
Stuart Reardon – Fitness model
What have been the biggest changes in terms of your training since you left rugby league?
Not a massive change in my training. I still train to be fast, strong, and powerful. I think your physique will always look good if you train hard and eat healthy. I still train for performance gains. I’m a big fan of Crossfit, I started incorporating some of their sessions in my workouts, they’re very hard workouts. I really like the concept of being able to raise your lactic acid thresh-hold high, for a long time while keeping powerful.
I think I’ll always be looking for performance gains. I’m not playing full-time anymore but I’m playing part-time for North Wales Crusaders. I’m also studying in different aspects of training and will be working as a PT very soon.
How has your nutrition been effected by your physique goals?
My Nutrition is good I do the paleo diet like you. I’ve always eaten healthy anyway it was just a matter of cleaning up my diet to suit the paleo diet.
I started Paleo when I lived in France through meeting you and Luke Swain (UTC player and S&C coach as well as assistant S&C coach at the Catalans Dragons), and living with “big red” Mark Offerdahl. Benefits I’ve seen are: over better well-being; I’m leaner, healthy inside and out. I know more now about which foods suit my body, its definitely a lifestyle I will be sticking to and I recommend it to anyone.
What’s your biggest motivation to dial in all the details before a shoot?
The biggest motivation for me to do modelling and shoot is money, though I don’t really feel I’ve made that much to call it a career change to be honest, I’m gonna give it one more year working hard, joining bigger agencies, then after that depending on how I’ve gone I’ll decide whether or not I carry on in modelling.
Did you know that you would have such a boom as a model. Can you tell us a little about where you’ve been published?
No I never thought I would even get as far as I have even though I don’t really feel I’ve cracked it yet. I have been in D.N.A in Australia, on the front cover on D.N.A in UK, Ohlala magazine, Bello magazine, Coverboy magazine and many blog features. I have a feature coming out in January/February shot by Paul Reitz in Blake magazine online.
I guess a lot of your fans are male as well as female. Has this effected your life away from the camera? How have you dealt with the extra male attention?
It’s nice to be liked by anyone male or female. It doesn’t affect me my life is still the same. I’m just a normal person who’s trying other career paths now that Rugby League is coming to an end. I want to work in fitness really, either personal training, conditioning, sports massage, I may even have my own gym maybe one day, I’m learning as much as I can as fast as I can as modelling has a shelf life too, even if I manage to turn it into a career.
Stuart Reardon – DNA Magazine
Talk us through a typical training week for you?
I recently changed how I train as I’m a massive Crossfit fan like I said earlier, so a typical training week for me would be 3 days of Crossfit workout’s, two days of power and strength training, plus two nights a week of rugby training with the North Wales Crusaders. Some days I may change a crossfit session into a road run as I like to mix it up a bit. Plus I always find a road run really good mentally, it gives you time to think and clear your mind of negative thoughts.
What do you eat for breakfast?
I Have a protein shake with water as soon as I wake up then a large bowl of Oats with water, 4 poached eggs on a bed of spinach leafs. 1 multivitamin, 3 omega fish oils and black coffee with manuka honey or Green Tea. I like a shot of wheatgrass too.
Have you got a favourite supplement secret that you can tell us about?
My favourite supplement would have to be BCAA+ I just find them a massive supplement for recovery and training. No secret they’re just a really good supplement.
I know that living inside the world of Rugby League it can be very intimidating to think about moving away from the security of a team social environment and a contract. How has your perspective on making money and life changed since moving away from Rugby League?
I never really was a massive earner in Rugby League, but since leaving full-time Rugby League my earnings have gone down like you would expect I guess. I’m in a bit of transition period where I’m studying, plus playing part-time, plus part-time modelling. I still have the team environment but on less of a scale as its part-time.
I’ve heard that you’re moving into the health and fitness industry! What can we expect from you as a coach?
Yes! I’m moving into the health and fitness industry. you can expect me to be really big on a healthy diet, plus lifestyle. I still believe in training for performance gains and I always will so that’s how I will train people. My sessions will be exciting with a wide mix of training styles depending on who I’m training. I will be continuing to learn for many more years so I can become more of an all round coach.
Do you have any performance goals in the gym at the moment?
My performance goals at the moment are: to increase my Latic Acid threshold level using Crossfit Training; and increase my strength and power with my own program. As I am still playing I want to see for myself, first hand, if Crossfit benefits Rugby League players, we know strength and power training works but crossfit is new and a real mix of training styles.
How have you found cross-fit workouts?
I find the sessions some of the hardest workouts I’ve done. I have a real respect for the sport and how hard they must train to get to elite level of competition. I just follow http://www.crossfit.com/ for the workouts. I don’t have real favourite I mix it up sometimes at my own stuff two, I like the Fran, Barbell Thrusters 21/15/9 with wide chin ups 21/15/9 for time, I like:
Murph
Running, Treadmill – 1 milePullups -100 RepsPushups – 200 RepsBodyweight Squat – 300 repsRunning, Treadmill1 mile for time. no best times yet like the real deals but i’m working on it
I like linda two which is a giant setsBarbell Deadlift (at 1.5 body weight)10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 repsPower Clean (at .75 body weight)10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps
Barbell Bench Press – Medium Grip (at body weight)10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps
What’s your approach to cardio training?
My approach to cardio training would be fartlek training / interval training. I find the one speed routine very boring like most people in a gym unless it’s outside running, road running, I’m a big fan of hill running.
Thanks for your time Stu. I look forward to having you back
You’re welcome mate anytime.
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