Diet becomes super important as you get older. Your metabolism slows down, and, for me, that was my biggest thing. That really started in my early 20s: I have an athletic background – I played hockey in college – and you don’t worry about your appearance as much as you do getting faster and stronger. So I was eating a lot of calories and not worrying about it.

When I started modelling, I was still eating like I was playing hockey, and I was told I needed to lose weight. Basically, they told me I was fat. The first time you hear that, it is shocking. So, I really focused on burning fat, upping cardio, and calorie restriction. I used to eat eight meals a day. You have to kind of re-wire your brain because everyone loves to eat. So, I started fasting before it was really even a thing. I still do it now. I don’t eat until 5pm or 6pm most days. Fasting worked for me. It was easier to just have the mindset that I’m not eating until 5pm or 6pm, so I’m not tempted to eat, and eventually, my body got used to it. I eat 80% protein – eggs, beef, fish, beans, peas – and I’ll have some vegetables once in a while, but I basically eat the same things over and over. I simplified my diet to just a handful of whole foods. Cutting carbs and sugar is really hard at first. Last night, I had chilli with beef and beans. I’m so used to it, I don’t miss junk food anymore.

It takes about a month or two to get used to eating the same things all the time, but after that, it’s very easy. When you go off and eat something different, like a pizza, you really do feel like shot the next day. And I do that quite a bit. As much as you enjoy it, the next day, you feel sluggish, have brain fog and inflammation, and your body aches. So, it’s really easy for me to get back on track with healthy eating.

I was lifting heavy when I was younger and benching 225 pounds (100kg). I was really strong. But since modelling, I switched my workouts to higher reps and lower weights. I started upping cardio more, and I started to run. Upping the reps and dropping the amount of weight you bench or squat gives you a longer, leaner look.

I was already stretching a lot as I was a goalie, as goalies have to be pretty flexible. I then started doing more intense stretching and that really changed my body. I’m always trying different workouts, like HIIT training. P90X was really good for me, too. It was an old workout that emphasised muscle confusion and doing a bit of everything (cardio, strength training, yoga, plyometrics). You’ve got to be creative with your workouts. I also do a lot of bodyweight exercises. The great thing about bodyweight exercise is you can do push-ups anywhere, especially while travelling. I do a ton of core workouts. Instead of lifting, I will do half an hour of bridges, Pilates-style movements, and Russian twists. Anything you can think of for an abs workout. Then, maybe 40 minutes of strength training and an hour of cardio will be needed. I really like the mental clarity you get from cardio. You go into an almost meditative state when you’re running. And it really helps with mental health, too. I’m constantly listening to music and podcasts to help me focus.

If I’m training for an underwear shoot, I do three hours of core work, cardio, and saunas daily. You also have to really tighten up the diet when you get that call. You’ve got to dedicate a good two and a half hours a day to be in that shape, or the shape I’m in now, which may not be realistic for people with jobs and families.

“People say they want abs like a cover model, or Cristiano Ronaldo, but they don’t realise that he’s probably doing four hours of exercise a day.”

I don’t know too many guys in their 40s who have a really low body fat percentage and a lot of muscle. Some people are just simply naturally, but they’re not going to have muscle. It takes a lot of hard work. I don’t do push-ups before shoots. I know most male models do, but there’s been a lot of times I’ve been told I’m “too muscular” or “too big”. I’m just who I am.

Professional lighting is a huge part of it, but when you see someone who’s really ripped, you can see their abs. It’s not just lighting.

Guys don’t stretch enough. Especially guys who lift. Their posture is bad, and they’re working the “mirror muscles” without working the little muscles that hold your shoulders back. Everything is out of whack, so you end up looking like a Neanderthal with hunched shoulders. Aesthetically, it’s horrible. So I would say lifting too much weight, not paying attention to your form and not stretching are the worst things you can do in the gym.

Living in Miami has proven really important for my health. Some people are just made to live in warmer places, and I’m one of them. People used to say to me, “You’re gonna get wrinkles”, and I just didn’t care. I’d say, “I’ll worry about that when I get older”. You may as well look tanned and sexy while you go young! Now, there are all these health gurus saying how important it is to get sun exposure. I don’t know what to think. All I know is I feel better, and I look better when I spend a bit of time in the sun.