Massari’s sex appeal the motivation behind his hardcore workouts

By Monique Savin

For R&B singer Massari, sculpting a tight, sinewy package is a job requirement. In January, the 31-year-old Lebanese-Canadian, now at work on his third untitled album, blazed 18 pounds of fat and grew 13 pounds of muscle in 11 days, taking super-setting to the extreme.

My goal

“To get down to 3 per cent body fat. I’m 165 pounds now with 12 per cent body fat, down from 23 per cent. I want to get my body to a certain point where if I have to look extremely good for a video, it’ll only take two weeks.”

My workout

“I’m in training with The Winning Factor, led by Pennsylvania-based John Schaeffer, who trains Anton Apolo Ohno and other Olympians from different sports.

“I do two workouts per day and exercise seven days a week using his Static Tension Principle: a 10-second hold immediately after 10 repetitions of an exercise, instead of resting between sets. We also do drills between exercises. Here’s a typical training day:

“I’m up at 8:30 a.m., have a pre-workout meal, which is oatmeal, coconut oil, colostrum powder and peanut butter and I have three spoons of this before the gym. I take vitamin D, calcium and glutamine before bed to facilitate recovery. No dairy – it makes fat.”

Strength: “Leg press. The first exercise is always six sets of 10 reps, from then on three sets of 10 reps.”

Cardio: “I grab dumbbells (ranging between 15 and 40 pounds on each arm), put them on my shoulders and run up and down stairs, and then every second step, twice.”

Strength: “Leg press again, then squats.”

Cardio: “Stairs again.”

Strength: “Next is one-leg squats.”

Cardio: “Stairs.”

Strength: “Leg extensions, and at this point, I’m praying for the Lord to take me, I can’t even breathe.”

Cardio: “Running up and down stairs, and then every other step, for speed and endurance 10 to 15 times.”

Strength: “Hamstrings.”

Abs: “One exercise is lying down with bent knees and I grab a 40-pound dumbbell at my feet, bring it up and over my knees to my chest and back down.”

Intervals: “Treadmill drills for 20 minutes: one minute at 4.5, one minute at 7, one minute at 9, one minute at 5.5, then 10, and so on.”

Meal: “I eat chicken, broccoli, sweet potato and rice.”

Cardio: “An hour and a half later, I hit the steps again, and then do 60 minutes of cardio. “

Meal: “I have chicken and pineapple.”

Rest of the week: “Chest and triceps; back and biceps; shoulders and boxing; the last day is a combination of everything.”

My lifestyle

“I constantly tour Europe, the Middle East and Australia, so I’m conditioning and following a strict diet to avoid the chance of getting sick.”

My motivation

“Sex appeal and image is crucial for the entertainment world. To sell a product I need to package it in a way that will bring interest from my female fan base, so I can fulfill their fantasies.”

My anthem

“I listen to Swedish House of Mafia, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.”

My challenge

“Everyday temptations of bread.”

The Globe and Mail