Page 26 - Muscle & Fitness (February 2020)
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because I didn’t want anyone to age of 7 through college, and while
see me. I thought that I needed his team was pretty good in high
to look perfect. And I think that school, “I learned how to lose
people can relate to that.” in college,” he says. A fractured
Cook grew up in Boise, ID, the ankle derailed any shot of pursu-
middle of seven kids. His dad ing a career on the gridiron. Cook
was a high school coach who had was one semester shy of gradu-
the key to the weight room. Cook ating. He got married, but his
discovered his passion for weight- wife cheated. Here Cook was, a
lifting early on. By the sixth grade, 23-year-old divorcé, back home
he was benching 225. “My dad with his parents and working as a
always said you either have that waiter at Texas Roadhouse. It was
electricity that runs through you a wake-up. “I needed something to
PLANK PULL- when you grab a dumbbell, or focus on,” he says, and that’s when
THROUGH you don’t.” Cook loved the feeling he started competing in natural-
Start in a plank position, feet of getting stronger—of course, bodybuilding competitions.
slightly wider than shoulder it didn’t hurt that he was also Then came the opportunity that
width. Place a sandbag on the getting more looks. “Girls would would change his life—and career.
floor to the right of your right come up and ask, ‘Can I touch Muscle & Fitness was staging
hand. Keeping hips and core your pecs?’ ” he says. “It was really its first-ever Male Model Search
braced, use your left hand to the first time I was like, ‘Oh, you during Olympia Weekend in
grab the bag and slide it under- get noticed for it.’ ” 2010, where the winner had a
neath you. Alternate sides. Cook played football from the shot at landing a future cover.
2 4 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0
