Dominican making a mark in men’s physique industry

Thirty-year old Yanik Joseph is doing Dominica proud in the Men’s Physique industry. Having most recently taken 6th place in Class C at the Mid-West Championship n the U.S, Joseph is showing great promise and mastery in the fitness sector. Athletic accomplishment is not new to Joseph, who played football (soccer) as well as track and field and cricket in high school (He is a graduate of the Dominica Seventh Day Adventist High School). During his academic career, he distinguished himself amongst his peers by qualifying for the National Football Teams in successive age brackets. Playing at the national, regional and international levels  he led his teams with goals and assists to attain top five status in various competitions.

While pursuing his college degree at Missouri State University, Yanik continued his heavy involvement in sports and fitness.  After attending a local bodybuilding show he was approached by a gentleman who told him that he had the potential to compete in the industry and suggested that he participate in an upcoming show. Joseph went on to place second in that competition in the Class C division and in his own words “was hooked”.

In a twist of fate this man, Chad  Nicholls, turned out to be one of the top fitness coaches in the industry. Although his meeting with Nicholls was fortuitous and unexpected, the advice he got  changed his life.  Armed  with a tremendous level of discipline and  high standards for  his own performance, he continues to seek ways to perfect his presentation. One of his strengths is the willingness to compete at the highest level, yet demonstrate outstanding confidence and sportsmanship. When asked whether he was satisfied with the results of his competition  he reflected philosophically : ” I felt good about the final results because I knew I brought a great package to the stage. We can only improve from our past results.”

Leading by example is another strong theme in Yanik Joseph’s career . As a personal trainer, he challenges himself to mainatin his level of fitness year-round. Observing that ” Too many times we see personal trainers who actually need a personal trainer themselves”,  he cites that Men’s Physique is a unique niche in the fitness industry. “It’s a more attainable look a regular guy could achieve with good nutrition and dedicated training compared to an actual bodybuilder look.” The diffference in the definition of Men’s Physique vs. Classic “Bodybuilding”, is basically a matter of body mass.

When asked about his major influences, he quickly points to Greg Plitt’s Youtube channel as a primary and ongoing  source of knowledge and inspiration.  His passion for fitness spills over  even into his personal time. When he is not competing he enjoys educating himself about health and fitness  and “anything soccer-related”.  Joseph defines what  keeps him on track in terms of his goals as  “The distance I’ve traveled thus far, self-motivation, self-discipline and having a humble personality.”  His next planned competition is the Missouri State Championship slated for July 5th.