Personal trainer and cover model Parker Cote talks us through his fitness life

Parker Cote has been working out consistently since he was 15-years-old. He had always dreamed of being a fitness model, and, to-date, has appeared on 63 fitness magazine covers. He opened his own personal training studio in Boston, Massachusetts called Parker Cote Elite Fitness 10 years ago.

Men’s Fitness: What does a typical training day look like for you?

Parker Cote: I wake up and workout first thing in the morning.  I focus on one major muscle group a day, then also do three cardio and three full abs workouts a week. Sometimes I tack one of those onto my main workout, but if not I’ll do those workouts at night. 

I choose about 10 exercises per main muscle group. I love to use supersets, tri-sets, and giant sets for efficiency and fat loss benefits! 

MF: Can you remember the first time you stepped foot in a gym? And why?

PC: Oh absolutely, it was one of the best days of my life. I was a freshman in high school and had had a bad day at school. I didn’t get invited to a party and I was sulking in my room.  My older brother Tyler saw this and literally dragged me to the gym to blow off steam. I went – against my will – but have vivid memories of that workout.

I felt so much better even though I really didn’t know what I was doing at the time. I remember feeling excited to learn as much as I could about it. I felt very comfortable in a gym setting. 

MF: How strict are you on nutrition? And your guilty pleasure?

PC: To get results you absolutely must be disciplined, but I honestly don’t really think much about it these days. I’m strict but it feels very natural at this point because I have been eating this way for so long. One of the best tips I learned from a fitness magazine when I was starting out was to allow yourself to have condiments – just a small amount can change the flavor of a meal tremendously and make eating clean less of a pain.

And, of course, I have a cheat meal once a week.  I love Buffalo wings and pizza – those are my typical go-to meals when I want to indulge.

MF: What’s your favourite training session?

PC: I truly love all my gym workouts. Chest and arms are always fun, but lately I have been absolutely loving my leg workouts!

MF: And your least favourite?

PC: HIIT cardio sessions. I always like them afterwards but it can take a lot of mental energy just to get in the right headspace to do this kind of workout. You can’t go in halfway on these. I also have quite bad exercise-induced asthma, so I have always found most cardio to be a challenge. 

MF: What’s one essential item you can’t live without?

PC: My headphones. Working out without listening to something can be really tough. I’d also say black iced coffee, that has been my pre- and intra-workout drink for decades!

MF: What’s the best piece of fitness advice you’ve even been given?

PC: When I was just starting out, my dad gave me some amazing advice. I would always show him the guys on the fitness covers, saying I wanted to look like them. I was only 145 lbs when I started training and was eager for results. He told me I could look like those guys too – the only difference was they had been training longer than me.

That simple perspective shift allowed me to truly slow down and enjoy the process of getting in shape.  Even now, those early days of building my body and trying to become a successful fitness model are some of my best fitness memories.