Being a bare-chested "Rough God" comes with expectations. But faced with the demands of school and travel, gay Atlanta guy Chad Wick struggles with making room for fitness. Somehow, he pulls it all together for beefy success.
When the 26-year-old Wick isn't hanging out with his muscled Hipstamatic hotties and "Rough Gods" creator Michael Alago, or his muscled friends in scrubs, he's hitting the books to wrap up his academic work for a doctorate in physical therapy. He hits the road for his clinical rotations next, but still squeezes in gym time. So we asked how he manages it all and chatted with him about his fitness and food routines, challenges and biggest motivation.

What got you so focused on fitness?

I come from a very sports oriented family. My father coached many sports and my mother was an aerobics instructor. My parents relived their competitive nature through my brother and I as we grew up. My uncle was a competitive body builder who also gave me a few tips and training along the way. I found a sport I loved, soccer, and played it religiously even through college. It wasn't until after my undergraduate and my soccer days that I started to work on gaining weight and putting on size.

The diet: Shake it up

I'm probably not one to ask about a diet plan. I love food and sweets, and don't have any desire to flaunt a six-pack. However, I do try to eat healthy. Here is what my usual routine looks like: Breakfast: Whole eggs, toast, yogurt and sausage, and drink it down with some egg whites. A protein shake midmorning. Chicken, rice and greens for lunch. Shredded chicken stuffed in a lettuce wrap in the early afternoon. A post gym shake. For dinner I try to have some other form of protein besides chicken, so either steak or fish, with greens and sweet potatoes. Throughout the day I eat nuts and peanut butter as well. However, this is ideal. I cheat a lot.

The workout: Keep it fresh

Well I have been doing one muscle group per day with five different exercise for that one muscle group. However, I switched it up last week to keep it fresh and to prepare for some beach time. I do 25 to 30 minutes of cardio early in the morning followed by abs. I then try to burn out one muscle group for low weight high reps before heading to work. Later that night I attack a different muscle group but high weight low reps. Essentially I try to hit every muscle group twice per week.

Biggest challenge: Wrong food and little time

Besides the fact that I love all the wrong kinds of food, the hardest part for me has been time. I just recently finished school, and as any one knows from being in school for anything medically related, it kicks your ass. Now that I'm over that hurdle I travel a lot, which seems to be the toughest part of trying to stay fit now.

Your motivation: A healthy sense of pride

I try to live a healthy life for many reasons: fewer medical issues and to fight against my family's medical history, more energy, feeling of accomplishment, sense of pride for your hard work, and yes, of course the attention. I stay committed to my program because I allot time for each day and plan ahead. I surround myself with other motivated people and we share our fitness goals and help keep each other accountable for getting there. Also, there are certain events throughout the year that I want to look my best so they become more or less motivational checkpoints for me.

Final fitness thoughts: Trigger your motivation

Everyone is motivated for different reason. Sit down and figure out what it is that will motivate you. Write it out and post it multiple places and tell multiple people. Find a picture of your dream body and hang it up someplace you will see it daily – perhaps the fridge even. If you can, grab a trainer. Doesn't have to be all the time, maybe one or two days a week. Mix it up and keep it your fitness routine fresh. Join a class, get a workout buddy and try different things.

Photos by Michael Alago