My name is Jaden Easton. I’m an entrepreneur. I run multiple online companies and as such time is my most valuable asset. I’m a person of extremes, sometimes more than I’d like to be. I typically only have two levels: absolutely everything, or nothing at all. When I was about 11 years old I was diagnosed with Orthorexia and compulsive exercise disorder. That’s where I discover the POWER OF THE MIND. Albeit my mind nearly killed me, it made me aware of how powerful your mind is and how it can be controlled to accomplish whatever you set your sights on. From that point forward I learned how to harness my mind in a positive way that served me and my goals and aspirations in life.
WHEN I WAS ABOUT 11 YEARS OLD I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH ORTHOREXIA AND COMPULSIVE EXERCISE DISORDER. THAT’S WHERE I DISCOVER THE POWER OF THE MIND AND LEARNED HOW TO HARNESS IT IN A POSITIVE WAY THAT SERVED ME AND MY GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS IN LIFE.
In Grade 6, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to take Track and Field seriously. So after doing well in a few races that year, I wanted to step things up for my final year in Elementary School. I started “training” without any clue on what to do in order to improve my fitness levels. I wanted to get faster and stronger. So I thought I would have to run a lot and of course, start eating cleaner. Sure enough, I did just this and instead of growing stronger, I became weaker, and instead of becoming faster, I became slower. I thought It was because I wasn’t training hard enough and eating clean enough, so I started exercising with even more intensity and I began cutting out even more food I deemed unhealthy. I did this up until a point where I became so skinny and fatigued my parents took me to a doctor. After a quick examination, I was admitted to a hospital immediately. I was diagnosed with Orthorexia and compulsive exercise disorder. To paint a picture, I lost so much muscle mass that after I was discharged from the hospital walking was physically challenging.
What I did learn from the experience, however, was the POWER OF THE MIND when channeled towards a specific goal. Albeit my mind nearly killed me, it pushed my body to do exactly what I told it to do. Even though I was quite literally running on fumes. It made me aware of how powerful your mind is and how it can be controlled to accomplish whatever you set your sights on.
MY ILLNESS MADE ME AWARE OF HOW POWERFUL MY MIND IS AND HOW IT CAN BE CONTROLLED TO ACCOMPLISH WHATEVER I SET MY SIGHTS ON.
What Nutritional & Supplements products do you use?
If I had a choice between groceries or supplements, groceries (food) would always come out on top. With that said, supplements become very effective when you do have your diet and training in check. They allow you to recover faster, as well as trainer harder and longer. Here’s a look at some of the supplements I used leading up to my last contest: MAGNUM CLA (morning and night), MAGNUM PRIMER PACK (morning), BCAAs (pre and intra-workout), Vitargo (pre and post-workout), New Zealand Grassfed Weigh Protein (morning and post-workout), L-Carnitine (morning and night), Creatine HCL (pre-training), Glutamine (pre-training), Digestive Enzymes (taken every 2nd meal), Probiotics (morning and night), Veggegreens (morning)
Who is your fitness inspiration?
Steve Cook has been a big inspiration to me in the fitness world. I really like his holistic approach to fitness and that he has other areas of his life in check. That’s really big to me… seeing other people not just successful in one area of life because real WEALTH stems from a harmonious marriage between successes with your financial, relational, emotional, and spiritual health.
THE HUMAN BODY IS AMAZING AND I BELIEVE IT’S AN OUTWARDS REPRESENTATION OF WHAT YOU STAND FOR ON THE INSIDE.
What things do you do in hopes of inspiring others?
I like to try to actively engage in life as much as possible and strive to motivate others through not just words, but actions. I aim to not just share with people about the outer game of training and nutrition, I also like to supplement a lot of “inner game” (aka your mindset). Just knowing how to eat and train isn’t enough–you need to be able to stick to a plan and see it through. And that requires an “inner mastery”. Through mastering the “inner- game” you learn self-control, discipline, consistency, and work ethic. Attributes that carry with you not just in the gym, but to all areas of your life.
I urge you to make a commitment to yourself to kill Mr. Maybe and replace it with two words. I will. I will treat every day like the beginning of a new life. I will “sweat” daily. I will turn off the television. I will no longer read filth, rage, and click-bait websites. I will treat my body like a Ferrari instead of a Honda Civic. I will be more conscious of my finances and pursue wealth over riches. I will visualize what success looks like to ME. I will keep moving, fighting, struggling, and giving the world my all. I will fall asleep a better man than I woke up. You’re either growing into more or shrinking into less. What’s it going to be?
Favorite Quotes:
“The lazy man has no game to roast, but a diligent man sees precious wealth in the land” – Proverbs 12:27
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve” – Napoleon Hill
“It is the mind that visualizes of what the body is to look like as the finished product.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your journey to the stage?
TIME. Plain and simple.
I’m typically very busy throughout the day managing multiple online companies. As such eating up to 8 meals a day, training twice a day, and still finding time for some kind of social life required me to be very diligent with how I structured my day. You have two options when confronted with a problem: #1- Make an excuse. #2- Come up with a solution. I opted towards option #2.
You can accomplish everything you want in life. You just need to be in control of your time, set specific priorities, get everyone around you to agree on your priorities, and then create a schedule based on those priorities.
YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A PROBLEM: #1- MAKE AN EXCUSE. #2- COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. I OPTED TOWARDS OPTION #2.
How did you get past all the negative people you encountered over the years? What support system did you put in place to ensure you wouldn’t give up until you succeeded?
Negativity is all around us and there’s not really any escaping it. A lot of people when it comes to avoiding this negativity get into the habit of isolating themselves or drifting away from friends and family. I believe that your success, aka your results in life, is 100% in your hands. You need to assume control of everything. If the words of others affect you enough to deter you from your goals and aspirations in life, you haven’t aligned yourself with your intrinsic motivation (aka your why). Everyone has different reasons for committing themselves to health and fitness and it’s understanding these reasons (YOUR REASONS) which hold the key to turning negativity into white noise. Nothing more.
Who was instrumental in helping you achieving this hard-earned goal?
My coaches Andrea and Ondrej Leipert were critical in accomplishing my goal of winning the overall at my first Men’s Physique show. Their guidance and unwavering support when it came to training, supplementation, posing and stage presence were instrumental to my success.
Furthermore, the support circle they provided for other competitors was invaluable. Albeit I believe success is your sole responsibility, the people you hang around with the most have a direct impact on you, so it’s important you surround yourself with those who are motivating and encouraging, ideally those who are actually better than you, to foster a growth environment. If you’re near the top of your social circle in terms of what you’ve accomplished, it doesn’t mean get rid of your friends, but it does mean you should start seeking out people who are better than you to continue learning and growing.
ALBEIT I BELIEVE SUCCESS IS YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY, IT’S IMPORTANT YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THOSE WHO ARE MOTIVATING AND ENCOURAGING, IDEALLY THOSE WHO ARE ACTUALLY BETTER THAN YOU, TO FOSTER A GROWTH ENVIRONMENT.
Who would you like to thank for supporting you along the way?
I would like to thank my friends and family for putting up with my rigorous training and nutrition regime over the last few months. Specifically, one of my good friends, mentors, and business partners Mark Hoverson for always believing in me and pushing me towards excellence in everything I do in life.
What was your favorite body part to train?
My favorite body part to train would be my shoulders, the pump is addicting and I feel I’m developing a good mind-to-muscle connection with my shoulders. The 3-heads of the shoulders also play a big part in bringing out your V-Taper, so I tend to hit shoulders more aggressively.
What body part would you suggest new competitors focus on in their quest to reach the top?
A body part most people neglect to think of in their mind. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “It is the mind that visualizes what the body is to look like as the finished product.” I believe it’s important to spend time analyzing your physique daily, imagining the improvements you want to make. Once you can connect and identify with these improvements, it makes it so much easier to make those changes because you already are the thing that you desire. For when we assume an identity, everything outside of that identity seems foreign. So when you see yourself already having the results you desire you stop fighting yourself and can actually move towards it.
WHEN YOU SEE YOURSELF ALREADY HAVING THE RESULTS YOU DESIRE YOU STOP FIGHTING YOURSELF AND CAN ACTUALLY MOVE TOWARDS IT.
What music is on your playlist for your hardest training days?
My workouts are usually fueled by EDM music. I don’t like a lot of lyrics when I train because I like to focus on the mind-to-muscle connection with the weights. EDM music to me is almost hypnotic, it puts me in a trance and I get to work. “Hardwell on Air” typically plays during workouts (weekly free podcast).
Would you consider yourself a traditional training athlete or a functional training athlete during your preparation for the big show? What are a few examples of your training system?
When it comes to preparation for the big show I’d consider myself a traditional athlete. I definitely integrate functional exercises into my routine, but my main objective for Men’s Physique is to develop an aesthetically pleasing physique and that doesn’t always mean functional. At this point in my fitness career, I am focused on bringing a unique package and through trial and error over the years I’ve identified the best exercises for ME which result in the best mind-to-muscle connection.
Who was your photographer and what was it like working with them?
My photographer was Ali Sohrab of BAM Studio. Working with Ali was one of the best investments I have made into my fitness career to date. I’ve worked with various photographers in the past, but Ali was the first photographer I have worked with who had a serious grasp on what it meant to capture creative, eye-catching, and artistic shots which would stand out in a saturated market. During my photoshoot with Ali, as much as we were shooting I was also absorbing a lot of his wisdom and experience in the industry.
What separates Status Fitness from other fitness magazines?
When consuming new information the question on the top of my mind is “how can I begin immediately applying this to my life?”. I don’t like to consume any kind of material, whether it be a book or a magazine unless there is something I can take action on right away. Ever too often I see people reading books, magazines, listening to Podcasts… whatever it may be, and instead of taking action on what they’re learning they just live inside the fantasy of their head of what that information could actually do for them. Status Fitness magazine stands out from the crowd because not only does it give people the motivation to want to consume the content through its graphically pleasing article layouts, but it’s easy to extrapolate IMMEDIATELY applicable action-steps you can begin integrating into your life right away. Where a lot of magazines stick with a lot of theory, Status Fitness provides actionable material, which in my opinion is the most valuable content there is because it actually brings forth real-world RESULTS.
