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Introduction
Note: This story is based on observations in a pre-pandemic New York City. May we recover from this pandemic experience, so that we will be able to scale back up with deliberate care–over time–to pre-pandemic levels.
One-time fitness model and personal trainer Kyle Hynick posted some photographs from his photoshoot with New York-based Photographer Jade Young seemingly in Times Square in New York City. The backdrop had people there who appeared not to be looking at a dude posing for photographs in his Calvin Klein underwear. The people essentially appeared to be fully engaged in doing tourist things. Initially, I thought that the background of Times Square was a creation of photo editing.
My thought was not correct. A commentator on Kyle’s photos stated that the commenter viewed Kyle’s photoshoot in person. I was immediately intrigued. Of course, physique competitors seek the limelight and can pose their well-trained and dieted physiques on stage in front of an audience. Posing a physique on a public stage is just a matter of scale.
I discovered that another model, Tyson Dayley, a WBFF pro fitness model, also had a photoshoot in Times Square. In his photos and video that he posted on Instagram, however, the people in the background also were taking photos of Tyson. People were sitting close by.
Times Square, Manhattan, New York City. What draws Photographer Jade Young there? Why a male in underwear appears to be an unsurprising sight? I did a quick Internet search on the history of Times Square to find out.
Times Square: from Gritty to Upscale Tourist Destination and Corporate Location
Times Square, a tourist destination and business area, was once home to adult films and gritty culture. There is a blog post on the history and transformation of Times Square at the Times Square District Management Association website.
Times Square and Calvin Klein Underwear
In Photographer Jade Young’s photos in Times Square, at times the models wear Calvin Klein underwear. There is a connection between Calvin Klein underwear and Times Square: the billboard ads for the underwear brand made history there.
In 1982, Calvin Klein had a billboard ad with Olympic athlete Tom Hintnaus in Times Square. The photographer was Bruce Weber. According to a New York Timesarticle, the billboard ad stopped traffic.
Since then, Calvin Klein ads pushed underwear advertising forward, including the next model, Mark Wahlberg. Following Mark Wahlberg, other models became famous after being featured in a Calvin Klein underwear ad. The New York Times published another article about another former Calvin Klein model, Antonio Sabato, Jr.
Also in Times Square, is a guy who has made a lot of money walking around Times Square in cowboy boots and underwear, the “Naked Cowboy“. Freshpair’s National Underwear Day, August 5, had a runway show in Times Square.
Jade Young and Times Square Photoshoots
When the Calvin Klein ads first appeared, high-speed Internet or social media sites did not exist. But that history seems to have had some influence on fitness models and influencers, who often feature underwear or men’s clothing brands in their social media posts.
In addition, there are more underwear brands in the market. Still, Calvin Klein, now part of PVH Corporation, remains a strong market player in underwear.
Jade Young now also takes photoshoots in Times Square with men in underwear in person rather than in a billboard photograph. I think the transition also humanizes the model as you could interact with the model and the photographer and perhaps even get an autograph. Formerly, you only could look up at a huge billboard ad.
Jade Young and Kyle Hynick
Kyle Hynick, featured on this blog, posted several photos from Times Square.
When I looked at Jade Young’s photos of models in Times Square, I did not expect that it would lead to a blog post. But the notion of posing in public so openly was an attention grabber. When doing research and finding articles that traced a story, my old journalistic love for a story was reawakened. I could not resist.
How interesting that a Calvin Klein ad pushed the mainstream culture forward as well as developed many new underwear brands. Despite that, Calvin Klein remains a market force.
If you notice any Instagram posts with other fitness models in Times Square, please leave a comment with the link.
Richard Duchon, who was born in Austria, moved to the Netherlands when he was younger and still lives there. Richard is a law student as well as a fitness model, fitness YouTuber, and online trainer.
Currently, he is sponsored by the fitness brand, Gymshark.
After the closure of gyms worldwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, several fitness YouTubers created at-home workouts. In writing another blog post on these home workouts, I found some of Richard’s videos on YouTube.
In the time before the pandemic, Richard did several gym workouts, which demonstrate his body-part split routine, which I will also cover in this blog post.
Richard was featured on Fit Media Channel on YouTube as “The Body of 2019.”
Since that feature, Richard returned to Fit Media Channel to demonstrate workout exercises for the shoulder.
Gym Workouts
Richard, according to one of his YouTube videos, follows a four-day body-part split workout to suit his goal for a balanced physique.
The two ways of training are full-body training, which is a workout for all muscle groups in every workout. Alternatively, you can do what Richard does, which is to train a muscle group or groups each training day.
Richard’s Workout Split
The workout split is chest and triceps, back and biceps, shoulders and abs, and leg day. Richard takes one day off per week from training.
Chest and Back
Back and Biceps
Shoulders and Abs
Cardio
Legs
At-Home Workouts
Bodyweight Workouts
For an experienced weight trainer like Richard, the pandemic-caused closure gyms could present a problem. But, gym trainers like Richard created bodyweight workouts to continue their training in the interim period.
The exercises are those exercises I remember in physical education classes in schools I attended in the United States. It shows creativity and resilience to be able to think of alternative exercises rather than just giving up and waiting for more-ideal training days after the pandemic has ended.
Also, I like the idea of relying on bodyweight exercises, as it allows absolute beginners who are interested to start their own fitness journey with the equipment they already have—some space in an apartment or house and their own body weight.
In the bodyweight workouts, Richard performs full-body training as well as performing his workout split with bodyweight exercises. Based on his exercise form, Richard has been able to master his bodyweight in these exercises.
Home Workouts with Weights
Richard also made home workouts with weights.
Conclusion
As I went to law school as well, I respect Richard for being able to attend to the heavy demand of law school while also taking time to take care of his physique and train his clients.
Although a gym trainer, he is well-acquainted with bodyweight exercises. I saw the relative ease he had doing the bodyweight workouts, showing that he has been doing them along with gym training.
While preparing another post on fitness YouTubers who make at-home workout videos, I found Sam Cushing while doing research for that post. I learned through more research that he has a degree in marketing and operations and that he went to live and work in South America for a couple years. He left a corporate job in New York to start a new path in life.
Sam started out on social media on Instagram. To engage more with his fans, he started a YouTube channel.
Sam can speak Spanish as well as English.
Sam also can play the piano.
Biographical Information
How old is Sam Cushing? 27 (at the time of this post)
Sam Cushing’s education degree in marketing and operations.
Sam’s background is in corporate marketing. In an interview with Chicago Go Pride, Sam provided this information about his previous career path, “After graduating Cum Laude with a dual degree in Marketing and Operations from the University of Illinois, I went on to explore a career in consulting at PwC in New York; working with some of the biggest retail and consumer brands that exist, on their customer experience and digital strategies.”
What is Sam Cushing’s birthday? April 13 (astrological sign Aries)
What does Sam Cushing do? He is a digital marketer and fitness trainer.
Sam’s website
Sam has a website, samcushing.co, where you can read more about him.
I discovered Sam’s at-home workout videos, made during the time of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. Gyms, among other places, were closed for public health reasons. As a result, several fitness YouTubers made at-home follow-along workouts for people in quarantine or following stay-at-home orders. Sam has done some home workout videos; he first published gym workouts on his YouTube channel.
Gym Training Videos
Before the pandemic, Sam made some gym training videos—one for training back and biceps, the other for training legs.
At-Home Workouts
Sam also has posted some home workout videos on his YouTube channel.
Abs
At-Home Body-weight Workout
Conclusion
While searching for information for a previous blog post, I was able to find out about Sam. Sam has an interesting life story and a great start in his digital marketing and fitness training. It is quite a move to leave North America to live in South America, especially to work and live in a different language and culture.
I look forward to reading stories about his continued success.
Josh Watson, lives in the United Kingdom. I first saw Josh through Instagram, as he was competing in powerlifting and through YouTube when he was featured on Fit Media Channel as he competed in a physique competition.
Josh was on reality TV as an actor in Big Brother UK.
Josh had an interview with the Only Fans website in which he described his background as well as his positive experience with Only Fans.
Physique Competitor and Fitness Model
According to an interview with Greatest Physiques blog, Josh participated in Judo when he was nine through his mid-teens. At 15 years old, Josh started weight training with his dad.
In 2016. Josh did a workout with James Alexander-Ellis.
Josh went on to compete at the Miami Pro contest from 2014 through 2017. Josh won the Miami Pro in 2017. During 2017, Josh also had a photoshoot with Photographer Simon Barnes.
Josh also won the title of Devon’s Strongest Man in 2017.
In 2018, Josh participated in a photoshoot with Photographer Arron Dunsworth.
Photoshoots
Box Menswear
Texas
Josh was at the Box Menswear photoshoot in the United States in 2019. Josh had many great images from Texas. I have selected a few for this blog post. (Box Menswear: jockstraps, trunks, and briefs)
There was also a Box Menswear photoshoot in Thailand. I selected some photos from that photoshoot for this blog post.
Rhys Sachett, Josh Watson, and Thomas. Photo by Jake O’Donnell. Swim shorts-Box.
Conclusion
Josh, after his time at Big Brother UK, has had success in the gym—winning a physique contest and a strongest man contest—and in fitness modeling. Josh has had many photoshoot opportunities.
Josh was involved in two huge photoshoot trips for Box Menswear, in Thailand and in the United States.
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Introduction
FitMan Dan, lives in Romania. He is a full-time engineer. In addition to his job in engineering, Dan is also a fitness model.
He is a long-time YouTuber, having started his channel in 2011. His channel has over 1 million views.
Dan has a muscular, swimmer-type physique. He is 28 (at the time of this post), 6’0” or 1.84 meters tall.
Questions and Answers
I had the opportunity to ask Dan some questions, and he provided his responses through email. Dan is a person with a full-time job who keeps active through his gym training and sports.
Question: Are you or have you been an athlete–that is have you participated in sports in school, college, or now?
Dan’s response: “[I am] not a professional athlete, but I loved sports since I was a kid. Enjoyed playing football, basketball, cycling and doing strength exercises.”
Question: Did you earn a degree in fitness or any other subject?
Dan: “No degree in fitness. However, beside my sport life, I am an engineer and have a degree in that.
Question: Are you a personal trainer?
Dan: “Not a professional one, but I do help people achieving their goals in fitness, whether muscle gaining, losing fat or being more healthy.”
Question: Did or will you ever compete in bodybuilding, mens physique?
Dan: “Not yet, but I’d like to, so maybe soon!”
About three years ago, Dan had an interview with ShapeFit about his fitness career. He described his process in transforming his body from a starting weight of 128 pounds (58 kg) to his then weight of 172 pounds (78 kg).
Among the questions that I had for Dan through email, one of them asked about which social media site he likes the most. He responded YouTube. “I like posting 1-2 min long videos so it’s the best platform for that,” Dan explained. “My videos [there got] over 1 million views.”
Despite YouTube being his favorite, he has created accounts on other social media sites for his content. “But more recently I have also Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and the subscription based platforms (Patreon and OnlyFans) where I have all my full content and get more personal with my subscribers,” Dan wrote. “I can be found basically almost everywhere on internet if somebody just search “FitMan Dan” on [G]oogle.”
Dan’s YouTube Channel
At the time of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, which requires many to stay at home (and gyms are closed), Dan offers his tips on how to exercise at home.
The other content focuses on muscle flexing his lean-muscular physique with prominent abdominal muscles and vascularity.
Dan’s Instagram
As mentioned in his e-mail interview with me above, Dan posts content on his Instagram account.
Engineer Dan has built up a social media following surrounding his physique, especially with more than 1 million views on YouTube and with followers on other social media sites. Dan, who is a great person to work with, has built a great lean and muscular physique.
Check out Dan’s sites for more content. If you have questions for Dan, please leave them in the comments section or send an email to the blog (info at menswearnews.com).
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Introduction
At the time of this blog post, the world is facing the challenge of the novel COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. The respiratory virus ranges from mild illness to critical illness, perhaps needing a ventilator. Hospital resources are limited, so the governments around the world have focused on preventing people from getting infected, from physical distancing to quarantine. Places, where people have congregated for food and entertainment, are shut down. Gyms have also been shut down.
While in quarantine or under stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, some fitness YouTubers have been adding home workout videos where people would be able to start training or continuing an exercise routine with minimal equipment or bodyweight.
Of course, home workouts on YouTube are not a new occurrence, there have been YouTubers that have many videos devoted to exercises a person could do at home or while on travel. I have been following a few of them–Fraser Wilson from Melbourne, Australia; Rodrigo Romeh from Mexico; and three from the United Kingdom–Joe Wicks (aka the Body Coach), Alex Crockford, and Rowan Row.
I found a another fitness YouTuber while preparing this blog post: Tom Daley, a well-known Olympic-level diver from the United Kingdom. These YouTubers have had exercise videos where you could follow along with them as if they were your coach. Also, you can tailor the exercises according to your personal ability.
In general, the workouts are between 10-20 minutes.
Fitness YouTubers: Follow-Along 10-to-20 Minute Home Workout Routines
Fraser Wilson, 23, is a fitness YouTuber who lives in Melbourne, Australia. (Birthday–November 12 (Scorpio).) Many of his follow-along videos focus on abs or bodyweight high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Fraser did an interview with the website, Bulk Hackers, in March 2020.
At his website, Fraser provides a bit of his background.
Hi, I’m Fraser. When I first started training in the gym, I was an insecure 17-year-old.
The gym was the perfect stress relief, no matter what was going on in my life, a 1-2 hour session was like a meditation for me. I’d come out feeling refreshed, renewed and confident.
My love of fitness grew from there. I’ve been able to build a platform through social media to share my passion with the world. I’ve also been fortunate enough to sign with one of the largest companies in the fitness industry.
In terms of workout gear, in recent videos, Fraser mostly wears Gymshark with Nike sneakers. He seems to be a fan of bold colors in his workout clothing (seen more in pre-Gymshark videos).
On Fraser’s YouTube channel there are a variety of videos, many fitness video logs, which feature workouts, and then follow-along workouts, which viewers can do at home. Based on the high number of views, these videos appear to be extremely popular. I have been following the HIIT cardio workouts for some time. It feels like you have a trainer with you when you do the follow-along workouts.
I typically have done one of his 10-minute home workouts. When I have more time, I challenge myself with the 20-minute workout. While I have to adapt to an easier version of some of the exercises, push-ups on the knees, for example, I feel that am improving over time.
Fraser added a video explaining how people new to training can could get lean for summer from home.
Rodrigo Romeh was a fitness YouTuber and competed in physique competitions. Rodrigo lives in Mexico. Rodrigo has had appearances on Spanish-language TV in the United States and seems to have moved on to other opportunities.
During the time that he was preparing for physique competitions, Rodrigo made home workouts. This home workout lasts 30 minutes. After long commutes (traveling 40 miles for work by commuter train and city bus), I would do this workout after I came home.
Joe Wicks, 33, from the United Kingdom, is a husband and father as well as an Instagram personality, book author and the owner of The Body Coach. His birthday is 21-September (Virgo).
On YouTube, Joe has numerous HIIT cardio routines for all levels of exercisers. While commuting for a full-time job, time was very short, but I wanted to get a workout in. It is very easy for me, after a long day at work, to feel a workout is just another layer of work. But I could not argue with 10-20 minutes for a workout.
Just bodyweight was challenging for me, but I have seen small yet encouraging improvements after sticking with the workouts consistently.
I was doing a low-impact hotel workout. Although the exercises were low-impact, the workout still was a challenge.
Tom Daley, 25, is an Olympic-level diver for the United Kingdom as well as a book author. Tom’s birthday is on 21-May (Gemini). Tom is sponsored by athletic fitness brand Adidas.
Tom, on his YouTube page, created some workouts that people could follow during stay-at-home orders because of the pandemic. (Tom has created workout videos previously as well.) In a separate, stay-at-home-related video, Tom helps his husband bake a cobbler.
Tom’s home workouts are based on HIIT cardio, where you exercise for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds
In the first home workout, Tom demonstrates five exercises that are repeated in two circuits:
RFE split squats
Squat jump walkouts
Sumo squat pulses
Alternating v sits
In the second home workout, Tom demonstrates five exercises, repeated in two circuits:
Lunges
Speedskaters
Press-up rotations
Plank side taps
Triceps dips
In the third workout video, Tom demonstrated a workout focused on the abdominal muscles (aka the six-pack). In this workout, there are six exercises:
Ab crunches
Toe touches
Side v sites
Back extensions
Bicycles
Mountain climbers
In a fourth workout video, Tom demonstrates five exercises, repeated in two circuits:
Alex Crockford, 29, lives in the United Kingdom and is the owner of #CrockFit, an online training business, and a fitness model.
In 2015, he gave away free hugs in Trafalgar Square in London.
At the time of this post, he is sponsored by UnderArmour. He traveled to downtown Baltimore, in the Inner Harbor area, to attend a conference at UnderArmour headquarters. (I at one time had a job in Inner Harbor East, near the waterfront.)
His birthday is on 15-June (Gemini).
Before the Coronavirus pandemic, Alex posted follow-along home-based bodyweight workouts. Some of these workouts are on his #CrockFit app on the HomeFit program.
The #CrockFitapp is a custom-made app developed by Calcey Technologies. Craig E. Ryder wrote an article about Alex and how Alex discovered Calcey Technologies in 2018.
With the global lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, gyms were closed, raising the interest of home-based workouts that a person could do without much equipment. (Alex has prepared videos for people with kettlebells or other weights.)
While Alex is a personable guy, his bodyweight workouts are intense. I remember doing one follow-along HIIT workout and I was going through the circuits. Alex described the workout up front. What he calls a warm-up session, feels like a workout (which he admits in his exercise commentary). I was feeling tired by the end and was ready to stop. Then, Alex reminded his viewers that there was still a leg circuit (by then I forgot about the final leg workout) . I still remember feeling shocked. (lol)
I favor follow-along workout videos as it feels like you have a trainer doing the exercises with you and you get an implicit challenge to do your personal best and not to quit and turn off the video.
Alex helpfully offers alternatives to suit your current physical abilities. If you are interested in these workouts, you are interested in self-improvement. So, you will get the challenge you need.
In addition, Alex has a blog where he provides fitness tips and recipes. In one blog post, he provided tips on getting the most from home-based workouts.
I will post some of the more-recent home-workout-related posts below.
Rowan Row, 31, is a fashion blogger and YouTuber who has a background as a runner and fitness model. Rowan lives in the United Kingdom. Rowan’s birthday is 17 February (Aquarius).
I first saw Rowan while he was a fitness model in 2013. There is a YouTube video featuring him at his first contest win.
A pre-contest video that Rowan recorded before his contest is still on his YouTube channel (with 935,000 views at the date of this blog post).
Rowan offers personal training e-book programs at his website.
Fashion Blogger
Rowan left competitive fitness modeling to do fashion and lifestyle blogging. Rowan still maintains his gym training.
With the gyms being closed, Rowan also created follow-along home workouts. Rowan started with videos abdominal exercises in January 2020 and a home workout in February 2020.
An abdominal training video in April 2020 has been popular, with 2.2 million views (at the time of this blog post). This video has the most views of any video on his channel. [
Rowan has also posted other home workout videos as well as videos on nutrition.
Conclusion
The reason for the increased variety of home workouts comes as a result of a serious risk to public health. Nevertheless, I have found them to be useful for me to start as a beginner. My goal is to become able to handle my own bodyweight and with some weighted exercises.
Are there any favorite home workouts that you enjoy? Perhaps you found some new possibilities in this post. Let me know in the comments.
According to his portfolio page at his modeling agency, City Models, Kyle is 6 feet (1.83 meters) tall with a 31 inch (78.7 cm) waist. Kyle is also associated with the NUMA Network.
Kyle relaxes during the weekend.
A One-Time YouTuber
In doing a search on YouTube, I found that Kyle had been a fitness YouTuber starting about 8 years ago. At the time, Kyle was focused more on bodybuilding. A transformation video received 2.3 million views in 2013, according to an interview of Kyle in a Canadian newspaper.
Mens Physique vs. Bodybuilding
In mens physique, the contestants wear board shorts and do semi-flexed body poses. The emphasis is on overall physique not muscularity. The categories are determined by height. According to the Canadian Physique Alliance, contestants are rated on the following criteria:
Muscularity and body condition
On-stage presence and personality
Posing shorts (board shorts)
In contrast, bodybuilding is based on muscularity. There are specific flexing poses, and the classes are based on weight. Competitors wear posing briefs.
Bantamweight — up to and including 65 kg / 143 lb.
Lightweight — up to and including 70 kg / 154 lb.
Middleweight — up to and including 80 kg / 176 lb.
Light-heavyweight — up to and including 90 kg / 198 lb.
Heavyweight — up to and including 100 kg / 220 lb.
While at the Texas Box Menswear photoshoot, Kyle was in pre-contest condition. In October 2019, after the Texas photoshoot, Kyle competed in and won the novice mens physique division at the 2019 St. John Fall Classic in Canada. Kyle had some photos from the contest period.
In early 2019, Kyle was in New York for a photoshoot for Box Menswear, with Photographer Jade Young. Also, at that photo shoot was New York-based model Josh Riquelme.
Kyle Hynick at Photographer Jade Young’s studio for Box Menswear.
When Kyle posted these photos on Instagram, I thought they were a photomontage. (No one in the crowds of people is looking at him.) Nevertheless, the 2019 photos are really in Times Square, New York City. Someone who saw him there wrote a comment.
Check out a related blog post on Times Square, Calvin Klein billboard ads and today’s fitness influencers.
In early 2020, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, Kyle went to Miami, Florida for a photoshoot with Photographer Michael A. Downs.
While in Florida, Kyle did a photo shoot with Photographer Steven Schmidt. Photographer Schmidt mentioned that Seth Holbrook connected him with Kyle. I have noticed how the models from the Box Menswear photo shoot in Texas have supported each other.
