Nike Korea: Junior rep and research analyst.
Interview with The Prodigy, professional hip hop and breakdancer turns pro athlete.
We took time to sit down with a very interesting individual this week, a new comer to Nike Fitness, but not new to the fitness game itself, we welcome Martina John (Bgirl Prodigy). Renamed "The Prodigy" after qualifying as one of the only female rhythm-masters in Africa, commanding 12 styles of street dance, and to top it off, mastered the art of breakdance.
Martina is no new comer to fitness, starting off HIIT training in 2010, and from there progressing onto Nike pro athlete training level 1 in 2011 and level 2 in 2012.
Included in her list of achievements below is:
Trained with America's Best Dance Crew Kaba Modern in 2009
-Trained with former Hip Hop World Champs judge Andre Calitz in 2009
-Crowned South Africa's best female hip hop dancer and breakdancer of 2011
-First in Gauteng's national dance exam 2011
-Crowned Africa's female rhythm-master, commanding 12 styles of street dance 2012
-Worked for one of the main choreographers of So You Think You Can Dance and owner of MSP Dance Company 2007-2013
-Worked as a choreographer for Bboys Incorporated in 2012.
-Worked as a choreographer and teacher for MSP Dance Company in 2013 and choreographed for SUTUCD.
What happened in 2014?
'I got very sick end of December 2013, and was booked to do Nike level 3, unfortunately, it didnt work out and I was released due to being out of action for over a month. The timing couldn't have been better actually, as started articles in Jan 2014 and I stopped dancing professionally for about 8 months. I had a full time job (Still do lol) and it was quite an adjustment. I also got very sick during the year and started eating like crazy, I put on a lot of weight which almost put me out of the game.
So tell us what sparked the change to turn you back to dance and now pro athlete fitness?
I realized 8 months later last year that, I simply cannot live without dance, it's not just a passion, it's pretty much apart of who I am, it's a release, and my form of therapy. I feel exactly the same about fitness. Fitness was actually my first love, even before I started dancing.
You have a few connections to the dance industry in Korea, but how did you land the fitness gig?
I was actually working for BBoys Incorp International Korea at the time, some of the guys came down to S.A and tried to start a BBoys Incorp International in S.A, but it was a flop. Breakdancing in S.A is not as religious as as in Korea, and there are no sponsorships at all, so with that in mind, it was a red light from there onwards, and didn't end up happening. Bboys Incorp International in Korea is linked to a private club, one of the elite training clubs for dance and fitness, referred to as the KBA, which is in connection to the R16 World Champs, which South Korea has won for the past 10 years. Pretty major stuff, and we all know R16 is the biggest event of the year, sponsored by your heavy weights Nike; Reebok; etc.
So from there I was offered a chance to enter into their fitness and training regime, not linked at all to dance. These are 2 very separate things, that's how I started level 1; 2 and now completed level 3. I am extremely lucky, as Bboys Incorp and KBA is more in-house, they pick their own to sponsor, not usually outsiders. The two private training clubs being Korean owned, sponsor dancers and athletes from all over the world, but will pick their own above the rest in a second, if it comes to repping for world champs or any huge ambassador compaign. So I was quite lucky to land this fitness gig.
No dancer in the world can compete with a Korean breakdancer male or female, as they are trained from 4 years old to breakdance at an international level. I had previously done some work for Bboys Incorp a couple years ago, and they seemed more than happy with it. I was in the studio one day, and mentioned HIIT training, and how I work out etc, and they told me I should try Nike level 1, which is quite similar, and referred me to their fitness team, I took the opportunity and i guess, never looked back:)
Is it true that you turned down a chance to be Nike ambassador?
Honestly speaking, I did. The Nike ambassador offer wasn't confirmed, I had to drop everything and go to Korea, for a couple months to see if I could pull off the job first, and right now, I have a lot going on, so I declined the offer. It was one of the hardest choices I had ever had to make. If I had taken the offer I would of had to sacrifice my current career of becoming a C.A, and leave S.A to live in Korea for months on end, which I am not willing to do right now. So I opted for rep and research analyst, which is lower than ambassador, you basically do research for Nike's research team, and what they do with your research after that is none of your business, it could even end up being part somebody else's fitness article. So yeah, more behind the scenes work, and not so much credit, but I can't complain. I mean it's Nike! I also qualified as a pro athlete per the international Nike standard. Not such a bad second:)
Role models in the fitness industry?
'You know I research and research and follow training regimes and eating plans of the some of the best athletes in the game, it's inspiring and reinforces that drive within me to perform better each day:
The Rock; Lazar Angelov; Sergi Constance; Harrison Twins; Justin St Paul; AJ Shukoori; Jeff Seid; Bella Falconi; Paige Hathaway; Andrea Brazier (2x world champ); Oksana Grishina (2x Ms Olympia); and my favorite is Sue Lasmar, to name a few!'
Does fitness run in the family?
Yes my dad was into hardcore gym when he was younger, and he still goes to the gym twice a day even today, he's crazy! He is pretty heathly with his eating most of the time. My younger brother Josh who is 18 years old, is also a hip hop dancer, he can definately give me a run for my money with popping and locking, he's good! He started MMA training recently and he is also on a pro-training fitness programme, very serious about his pre-workouts and supplementation and meal programmes etc. We always debate about supplements and nutrition, so it's good in a way, keeps me on my toes a bit haha:)
And lastly one of my cousin's named Marcello, who is close to my age, is a qualified chef, also very much into fitness, and on a pro soccer team in New Zealand. He is also a DJ, and was quite successful when he was in S.A playing with the likes of Black Coffee, and Mi Casa. So yeah we all have our own thing going on, it's quite cool actually:)
What does being a Nike rep and research analyst entail?
'I have to research pretty much, like a crazy person, presenting in detail lengthy discussions usually on a molecular level (lol), to the research team every month. The rep part of it is getting free stuff and also doing shoots when need be, But the photo shoots and freebies are much less than that of an ambassador.
The disadvantage really is that the reps and research analysts get very little press, as it is more behind the scenes, and Korea mainly boasts about its ambassadors if they have competed on a world stage against other countries, and have won otherwise one is still quite minimal in the fitness industry over there. Bboy Physix from Korea who has been the world champion for over 10 years, the fastest bboy in the world, sponsored by Nike, among other champs, like Bgirl Mislee (Female World Champ) who are not even on the Nike Korea website, it's quite harsh!
Korea has this do or die regime, it's either the best or nothing. Pretty military, but inspiring at the same time, It's like when China get's silver in the Olympics, that's considered a fail, Korea has that type of mindset. I guess it's good in way, it really pushes the individual to be the best that he/she can be.
Compared to a lot of new pro athletes, ur training regime is slightly different, more structured and somewhat harder. Can you explain to us why that is, and where did the nickname the 'OC' come from?
Yes usually a set is about 10 - 12 reps repeated 3 - 4x, one of my trainers nicknamed me the OC (Over-Compensator) because all of my sets are 50 reps each, with exception to arms which is usually 20 reps each. Apart from that all of my weight training workouts are 1000 reps each, it's crazy but I love it! I still have a month or 2 to go before my full shredding process is complete.
I started "over-compensating" during my level 3, I would do more than what was required, and even after I qualified, I would take a lot of exercises from certain pro athletes regimes and modify it to become a bit harder for myself, and of course max the sets up to 50 reps each.
I am still coming up in pro fitness which means I have a lot of ground still to cover, that's why I go hard and go the extra mile. I have to, if I want to achieve the end product that I have in my head. I don't just want to be a 'pro athlete' for names sake. I want to be in the best damn shape I have ever been in, that's why when it's training time, it's beast mode time I really hold nothing back!
What's your training regime like?
Monday - 30 min HIIT cardio training; 1 hr resistance training and isolated weight training for Calves; glutes; thighs and hamstrings; 1000 rep workout; 30 min dance
Tuesday - 30min HIIT combat training; 1 hr of compound weight training and resistance training Biceps; Triceps; a bit of back; and abs; 500 rep arms 500 rep abs workout; 30min dance
Wednesday - 30min HIIT combat training; 1 hr of compound weight training and resistance training for calves and thighs; 1000 rep workout; 30min dance.
Thursday - 30min HIIT training; 1 hr of compound weight training and resistance training Biceps and triceps and Abs; 500 rep arms 500 rep abs; 30min Breakdance.
Friday - 30 min HIIT standard training; 1 hr compound weight training and resistance training Biceps and triceps; glutes and calves; 500 rep arms 500 rep legs; 30 min dance.
Saturday - Recovery.
Sunday - Recovery.
Majority of pro athletes in the fitness industry do normal cardio, and avoid HIIT if they can, why do you do HIIT everyday?
HIIT training is avoided because it wipes you out completely, and really pushes you to the limit. It's the ultimate test of endurance and stamina, and lastly mental fitness. The workout will always be hard, because it never stays the same. I do HIIT everyday because I actually enjoy it to be honest. Some of my best moments I have during working is those last 5min of HIIT training, you feel like you're on the edge, and the results are better than that of normal cardio. If I am doing a workout thats slightly similar the next day, I start to underperform because I get bored. It has to be a challenge for it to be worth it.
What's your supplementation like?
BCAAs
Glutamine
Vitamins: A; B; C; D; E; chelated iron; zinc; omega 3; and calcium tablets
Optimum Nutrition Casein
Optimum Nutrition Hydro-Platinum Whey Protein
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein
Optimum Nutrition 211 Recovery
USN Ultra Lean Diet Fuel
I am considering investing in Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy, due to extreme exhaustion if I am doing 'Two a days'.
What's your diet like?
Monday - Meal1 1 scoop of whey protein and a cup of green mint tea; meal 2 all bran and mint green tea; meal 3 chicken butternut and spinach and an appetizer; meal 4 scoop of whey protein and green mint tea; training then 2 scoops after; meal 5: fish and broccoli and pure orange juice; meal 6 casein/ 2 protein pancakes and a bottle of water.
Tuesday - Meal 1 2 scoops of USN diet fuel and a cup of green mint tea; meal 2 all bran and mint green tea; meal 3 chicken butternut and spinach and an appetizer; meal 4 scoop of whey protein and mint green tea; training then 2 scoops after; meal 5 omelette (3 egg whites) and low fat bacon and pure orange juice; meal 6 casein/ 2 protein pancakes and a bottle of water.
Wednesday - Meal 1 2 scoops of USN diet fuel and a cup of green mint tea; meal 2 all bran and mint green tea; meal 3 chicken salad with butternut and an appetizer; meal 4 scoop of whey protein and mint green tea; training then 2 scoops after; meal 5 creamy chicken pasta (High carb day) and pure orange juice; meal 6 2 scoops of USN diet fuel and a bottle of water.
Thursday - Meal 1 A scoop of whey protein and a cup of green mint tea; meal 2 all bran and mint green tea; meal 3 chicken salad with butternut and an appetizer; meal 4 scoop of whey protein and mint green tea; training then 2 scoops after; meal 5 thin low fat steak and veggies and pure orange juice; meal 6 2 scoops of USN diet fuel and a bottle of water.
Friday - Meal 1 A scoop of whey protein and a cup of green mint tea; meal 2 all bran and mint green tea; meal 3 chicken salad with butternut and an appetizer; meal 4 scoop of whey protein and mint green tea; training then 2 scoops after; let's stop here as my pig out begins and ends on Sunday morning!
Saturday - Pig out day!
Sunday - Meal 1 Bacon and eggs; meal 2 2 scoops of USN diet fuel and green mint tea; meal 3 chicken and butternut; meal 4 2 scoops of USN diet fuel and green mint tea; meal 5 2 protein pancakes and a bottle of water.
Favorite quote:
"To not give your last breathe, is to sacrifice the gift".
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