Bodybuilder and Personal Trainer... meet Ryan Van Duiven!
Ryan has a passion for the health and fitness industry, having taken up bodybuilding at a young age. He now coaches others to help them reach their goals.
One of Ryan's other big passions is travel... having visited more than 100 countries! He works and studies online, giving him the ability to travel often.
He has his own online fitness coaching business, and continues to further his skills and education through experience with his own training and clients, and traditional education.
Hey Guys, I'm Ryan Van Duiven!
I have 3 main areas of interest - health and fitness, travel, and property investing. I've spent my adult life learning more about, and experiencing these 3 passions of mine.
I've been interested in health and fitness and more so amateur bodybuilding since a young age while watching Arnold Schwarzenegger films. When I was old enough to get a gym membership, I started weight training and haven't stopped since.
I earned my personal training qualifications alongside my first university degree (Bachelor of Business - Accountant) and used my newfound qualifications and experience with health and fitness, along with my passion for travel (have now visited more than 100 countries) to work a number of jobs overseas.
I lived and worked on a cruise ship for 9.5 months training and educating guests, then spent the next 10 years in Australia (1 year), Papua New Guinea (3 years) and Naura (6 years) working with and supporting refugees and asylum seekers, raining them in the gym and supporting their mental and physical health through various other activities.
I now have an online fitness coaching business, helping and supporting others to achieve their individual health and fitness goals. I am back at university studying a Bachelor of Exercise Science online. The flexibility of being online (business and university) allows me to continue to enjoy travelling.
My role with Bulk Nutrients allows me to promote a brand I have personally been using for 10 years! It's great value and tastes amazing! My favourite thing about Bulk Nutrients is its affordability. It makes supplements available to everyone, helping everyone no matter their financial situation, stick to and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I recommend it to all my clients and they also love it!
Come follow my journey on Instagram, enjoy my fitness tips, travel adventures, and if you need a little more direction and help with your own health/fitness goals, please feel free to reach out! I will be glad to help!
Nice to meet you and thanks for reading 😊🙏
Recommendations
These are some of the supplements I use and recommend.
Whey Protein Concentrate
Why I love it: I love the WPC as it is very affordable and has a great range of flavours. It's a great help when trying to meet your protein macros. Whilest ideally we would love to get adequate protein through our diets, this can be a challenge on a day-to-day basis, so having a protein supplement certainly helps. My clients also love this product.
How I use it: I spend a lot of time in tropical destinations, so I have a love of coconut water. I usually use 2 scoops first thing in the morning with 200ml of coconut water. This also gets my day started the right way, with 40ish grams of high quality protein.
Creatine Monohydrate
Why I love it: Creatine has a positive effect on muscle performance and muscle building, it's a supplement I highly recommend for everyone and is amongst the most highly researched of all supplements.
How I use it: I include around 3 grams in my shake every morning.
Pre Workout 101
Why I love it: It's a great pre workout that gives extra energy to get through a workout. It's a very affordable option when it comes to pre workouts as well.
How I use it: Bit of a theme here but I also mix it with around 200ml of coconut water or tap water.
Micellar Casein Protein
Why I love it: I like this protein as a good end of day option if I haven't reached my protein needs for the day. It's great in the evening due to its slow releasing qualities.
How I use it: I tend to play around with this - I'll add water, coconut water, or even sometimes some thickened cream. I like to mix it until it becomes like a paste, and can be enjoyed as a high protein dessert.
Ryan's approach to nutrition
I take a very flexible approach to dieting. That being said, I count calories and set myself macro targets. I do not meal prep and I take each day as it comes. I have spent most of my life travelling, and with that I have had to be very flexible with my food choices.
For my most basic needs, I make sure I meet my calorie target, or thereabouts most days, along with my protein targets. I allow flexibility within the week allowing for high days and low days. This flexible approach works well with my clients also.
Average daily calorie intake: Depends on what phase I am in. Currently I am leaning up, so sitting at 2600 which is quite low for me.
Are there foods you crave? Not particularly, I have my moments and enjoy some ice cream here and there. Again I keep my diet flexible so I can enjoy everything in moderation.
What's your go-to cheat meal? Why? I love French toast, berries and cream, with a side of scrambled eggs! Just a great breakfast to start the day!
Weekly Workout Plan
My focus with training is around amateur bodybuilding and building the best physique possible. I like to hold as much lean muscle mass and strength as I can while keeping the body fat in check. I like to have visible abs year-round.
My currently training split is Push, Pull, Legs, Day off and then repeat. Every 2 to 3 weeks I'll have 2 days off in a row.
I keep a strong focus on mind muscle connection and make sure I am pushing myself and trying my best each session. I am constantly looking to improve my training and utilise new techniques to continue to grow.
Outside of this, the gym, I like to get my steps in through beach walks and exploring new places, and going on adventures, hikes, snorkelling etc.
Latest Results
Do you have any medium/long term goals you're working towards?
I am always looking to improve my physique by building more muscle mass and getting stronger. I am constantly learning and exploring new methods to grow as a person, physically and mentally.
Have you had any exceptional results (in competitions or otherwise) in the last few years? Let us know what they are!
Over the past 3 years especially, my knowledge has grown a lot, and my training and physique has certainly benefited from this.
I've added some good quality muscle to my physique other the last 3 years, which I am very excited about.
My clients also benefit from my ongoing experience and education, resulting in great results.
