Josh Martinez of 'The Challenge' shares fitness secrets

Josh Martinez hasn’t just made a name for himself being on reality tv – he’s made a career

Josh Martinez hasn’t just made a name for himself being on reality tv – he’s made a career. / Josh Martinez

Josh Martinez hasn’t just made a name for himself being on reality tv – he’s made a career. 

From winning Big Brother, to being on MTV’s The Challenge multiple seasons, Martinez knows how to compete and Sports Illustrated: The Athlete Lifestyle spoke to the reality star from his home base of Miami, Florida. 

Staying in shape for these high stress situations is something he works at constantly, he explained. “Preparing for these shows takes a lot when I'm not filming. I'm basically living in the gym. But I truly love putting all my energy into bettering myself physically and mentally has been my biggest focus and has led to becoming a better version of myself.”

When discussing his fitness and diet regiment he said, “To be honest, I was overweight growing up until my early 20s. I played sports and was very active but being latino we love to feast and until my relationship changed with food I didn't really see a change in my body. It was a whole lifestyle change not a diet that changed my physic. I don't really focus on a diet but on eating clean and making better choices. When training for a show, prep normally starts 4 months out so I lay off a bit on the drinking and focus on getting a higher protein intake throughout the day. A lot of eggs, steak, chicken and whey protein shakes make up the majority of my protein intake.”

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Martinez went on to explain the biggest change in his body came when he discovered intermittent fasting. “I eat high protein between the hours of 12 and 9 and dont eat after that till the next day. That's been my biggest hack if you want to say while still enjoying the foods I love.”

Training can of course be intense and has effects on the body, but Martinez isn’t one for rest days. “Training is a huge part of my life. I truly can't go a day without it. It's truly like my therapy: the endorphins I get after a workout and mental clarity is truly the best. But rest is very important and I just listen to my body. I’ll be honest, even if I’m sore I do some sort of workout either a jog or light bike ride. I do lay off the weights and AMRAPs (As Many Repetitions As Possible) if my body needs rest. But honestly, once I focused on the proper fuel, taking creatine,  and resting my body,  I bounced back quicker.”

The reality star also loves to have a good time, and is known for it amongst his Challenge castmates. Martinez explained how living in Miami full time has its benefits, saying, “I love it here in Miami, there is so much to tap into from health to nightlife, always something going on. You can always catch me at a concert or sports game supporting the Dolphins or the Miami Heat. if you ever want to see me out in Miami, I’m most likely at a game.” 

While Martinez is looking forward to multiple upcoming TV projects in the next year, he’s also ready for his next level of fitness goals, “I truly just want to become the healthiest version of myself mentally and physically. I would love to finish a marathon and get into competing in CrossFit, either through Wodapalooza or some event, so looking in the new year to make it happen.” 

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