Dave Cunningham Interview

I'm thrilled to publish this weeks interview with the handsome Dave Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham is a fitness model and personal trainer, and as you can see from the photo above, Mr. Cunningham is definitely talented! He kindly provided some more photos of him which can be found at the end of the interview. You can keep up with him and all his adventures on his Instagram and Twitter! Go check 'em out folks, there are even more great pictures!

1. Age: 26

2. Where are you from? I'm from Gillingham in Kent.

3. Favorite workout song?

I love Linkin Park - One Step Closer when weight training but when doing cardio it has to be Usher - Euphoria, such a great track!

4. Favorite superhero?

Easy question - Superman! However, Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen is a very close 2nd. A follower of mine actually took the time to draw a pic of me AS Dr. Manhattan - that was pretty cool :)

5. Who or what inspired your fitness and model interest? Have you always been fit?

Yeah, I've always been active and sporty, but I always wanted to push the boundaries. Seeing guys like Gregg Plitt and Joe Donnelly achieving success and inspiring others to do so made me say to myself "I don't wanna be the next Greg Plitt, I wanna be the first Dave Cunningham!" And that's why I'm doing what I'm doing.

6. What would you say is the toughest aspect of being a fitness model? 

The rejections - for castings, sponsorship opportunities etc. but with every disappointment it just makes you a more mentally stronger person and more determined to succeed.

7. What’s been the most rewarding experience as a fitness model?

When I get messages and emails from people from all around the world saying that I'm THEIR inspiration its extremely overwhelming and rewarding when you know that through your own personal journey for success you are inspiring others to go for their goals.

8. What have you learned about yourself from being a model?

That I'm an extremely strong willed person, that I'm comfortable in my own skin and that I believe in me. All of which I didn't know before which sounds strange but through competing - I get more and more humbled and down to earth with each success or goal achieved.

9. How do you stay in shape? That is, what does your typical weekly gym schedule look like? How do you keep yourself motivated to stick to your schedule?

Well at the moment I'm in contest prep so my training has gone crazy but a 'normal' week looks like:

Sunday - Chest and Bi's

Monday - Back

Tuesday - Quads

Wednesday - REST

Thursday - Shoulders and Abs

Friday - Hamstrings and Calves

10. Can you tell me about what your regular diet looks like? Do you have a guilty pleasure when it comes to sweets or junk food?

My regular diet is about 95% clean and 5% junk. I tend to eat clean throughout the week but I LOVE ICECREAM!!! Haha, it's really cruel how Ben and Jerrys, and Haagen Daas tubs are only 500ml tubs - you can't have two scoops can you, you've gotta polish the whole thing off right!? Haha

11. As a personal trainer, have you ever encountered anyone that has tried to freeload your training from a distance? [I’m thinking of the scene from Bridesmaids where they work out with the class for free from a distance]

Haha, yeah that was a funny clip. Yeah it's extremely insulting when people message you asking if you can write them a diet and training plan as a 'favour' or just for appreciation. It's how I earn a living, I can't pay my mortgage with 'favours' and I can't pay my car insurance with 'appreciation'. Besides, with another film mention, like the Joker says in The Dark Knight "If you're good at something, never do it for free."

12. What is your biggest pet peeve at the gym?

When people leave their weights on the floor or on the machines. It's disrespectful to others and disrespectful to the gym itself. Ronnie Coleman leg pressed over 2,000 lbs and he still stripped all the weights off at the end, so I'm sure other people pressing less weight could put it back where they got it from.

13. Which do you prefer: boxers, briefs, or boxer briefs? Why?

I've got all three in my drawer but I much prefer boxer briefs. They're more comfortable and quite stylish (sometimes lol)

14. Do you favor any underwear brands? If so, which and why?

Can't beat a bit of CK or Diesel - two quality brands

15. You’re in a public place and you get a natural wedgie -- how do you handle it?

Kind of the same way I'd deal with falling over then pretending that it was intentional break dancing. Try and get away with it on the sly but if caught I'd be quick thinking, probably explain it as 'I can't remember where I put my keys...............yep, they're not down there (smooth haha)

16. What would someone find if they went through your underwear drawer?

A load of single socks! I don't know where the other one disappears off to but I hang on to the one that remains just in case the other returns from his travels :P

17. Do you have a lucky or favorite pair of underwear? If so, what style/color?

I've got a black pair and a white pair of Diesel underwear and love them, they fit great and give me the support I need ;) haha

18. Do you have any funny or memorable underwear stories?

Hmmm, well there's one that I've never told anyone, so here goes:

At the 2012 Miami Pro UK Championships we had just registered but weren't due to compete for hours so me and a few fellow competitors went to the bistro across from the Arena. Reaching in my bag I felt a squidgy mess only to find out that the weights I'd brought to pump up with had squashed a banana I had in my bag and it went all over my theme wear aqua briefs, so there I am in a toilet in St. Albans running these pants under a tap trying not to mess up my tan yet trying to get this dodgy white mess from off the briefs. Luckily my theme was the one and only Superman and my cape covered most of it and we didn't have to do quarter turns, so I luckily got away with it. To this day one of my pals Jason Dwarika still jokes and calls me 'Bananaman'! Which looking back is really funny.

19. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

It's not what you know, it's who you know. Get a good circle of people around you that you can depend on and that can depend on you.