Who Is Shaka Smith?
Shaka Smith, commonly known as “shake strong,” capitalized on his athletic background to become a productive Men’s Physique contestant for the NPC.
He started as being very active, participating in swimming and water polo throughout high school.
He relocated to Los Angeles in 2011 as his fitness quest advanced. Shaka’s career has soared ever then, and over the years he has worked as an attorney, an actor, and a fitness model.
Shaka has had success in his fitness career as a result of the fantastic physique he was able to develop, taking first place in events like the 2011 NPC San Francisco Championships and the 2012 NPC Gold Coast Muscle Classic.
Body Measurements Of Shaka Smith
| Full Name: | Shaka Smith |
| HEIGHT: | 5’8″ (172.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 155 – 165lbs (70.3 – 74.8kg) |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| PROFESSION: | Fitness Model, Men’s Physique Competitor, Lawyer, Actor Shaka Strong |
| ERA: | 2010 |
Career Accomplishments
- Exercise Model
- Men’s Physique Competitor
- Lawyer
- Actor
- Competitive Background
2014
- Men’s Physique Class A, USA Championships (NPC): 12th place
2012
- Class A, Excalibur Championships (NPC): second place
- Men’s Physique Class A at the USA Championships (NPC): seventh place
- Men’s Physique Short at the Arnold Amateur: third place
- First place and overall winner in the Men’s Physique Class A at the Gold Coast Muscle Classic (NPC)
- Men’s Physique Class A: Iron Man Naturally (NPC) First Place and Overall Winner
2011
- Men’s Physique Class A at the National Championships (NPC): 15th place
- Men’s Physique Class A, First Place, and Overall Winner at the San Francisco Championships (NPC)
- First place in Men’s Physique Class A at the National Championships
- Men’s Physique Class A, North American Championships (IFBB): 14th place
- Men’s Physique Class A at the USA Championships (NPC): fifth place
- Also, Men’s Physique Class A: Overall winner and first place in the West Coast Classic (NPC)
- Men’s Physique Class A, Southern California Championships (NPC): 1st place
- Men’s Physique Class A at the Orange County Muscle Classic (NPC) took the first position.
Biography
Early Life of Shaka Smith 
Shaka was born in Miami, Florida, and has always had a passion for sports. He started swimming competitively at the age of eight.
Early on, he showed a drive for success, and by the time he was 12 years old, he had moved on to playing water polo.
Shaka was able to develop an athletic figure as he reached adolescence because of his intensely busy lifestyle. I always had an athletic build growing up, mostly from swimming and playing water polo, as Shaka puts it.
Shaka was expected to work out in the weight room at this time to enhance his water polo performance.
This wasn’t something Shaka liked at first. I was introduced to the weight room and didn’t want to participate, in his own words. I felt comfortable, it was unfamiliar to me, and at first, I didn’t see how it might be helpful to me.
But when Shaka started working out in the gym to keep in shape after college, things quickly changed. He soon developed a passion for lifting weights.
Shaka continued to study more about training and diet as his knowledge of fitness grew from that point forward. Here’s how Shaka describes the time when working out in the gym turned became a passion:
Shaka’s ultimate objective, besides fitness, was to succeed as an actor. Shaka decided to relocate to Los Angeles in 2011 to do that.
James Ellis, who soon after Shaka’s relocation became his mentor in the weight room, came into contact with Shaka.
Shaka was able to advance his training under the influence of James. James also helped Shaka understand that he could succeed in the bodybuilding scene.
According to Shaka, “as informed as I felt before training with James, his training jumped me into a level that made it possible to genuinely compete and think about a career in the fitness field.”
Men’s Physique Division competitors
Shaka moved to Los Angeles a few months before his first tournament, which James assisted Shaka with preparing for. He competed in the 2011 NPC Orange County Muscle Classic, winning the competition.
Shaka set out to expand his experience in the men’s physique category after realizing how well he had done.
Shaka was more driven than ever after his outstanding performance. His dedication to the gym quickly paid off, as seen by the fact that he once again placed first at the 2011 NPC Southern California Championships.
Shaka was able to demonstrate his abilities on the bodybuilding stage in 2012 by storming to two consecutive first-place finishes and overall competition victories in the 2012 NPC Iron Man Naturally and the NPC Gold Coast Muscle Classic.
Training
Shaka’s Preferences for Lifting
Shaka discovered the weightlifting technique that produced the best results, and he now loves to work out with light weights and plenty of repetitions.
According to Shaka, “The lesser weight and higher reps don’t leave my muscle exhausted and aching as it would if I were lifting heavier.”
Three Of My Favorite Workouts
The following are Shaka’s three preferred workouts:
Squats: “Working your legs increases testosterone levels and gives you a wonderful pump. Having strong legs also helps me with my primary types of exercise, running, swimming, rowing, and stairs”.
Swings with a kettlebell: “These have a mild impact and are incredibly efficient at burning calories. A 20-minute kettlebell workout is similar to running a mile at a 6-minute mile, according to research.
I simply adore burpees. Who doesn’t love doing endless jumping jacks, and I love doing pushups? These always test me, raise my pulse rate, and work every muscle in my body – it’s more of a love/hate relationship, but they work!”
Splitting Shaka’s Training
Every training day, Shaka looks forward to using his entire body since it allows him to quickly gain lean muscle. Additionally, he exercises for 30 to 60 minutes at a moderate level. His seven-day workout schedule resembles this:
Day 1
- 50 repetitions in two sets for squats
- 3 sets of 35 sit-ups for the calf
- 3 sets of 35 reps of the dumbbell overhead press
- Front Deltoid Raise with Dumbbells: 3 sets of 35 reps
- Weighted crunches: two sets of 50 repetitions
- Lateral Deltoid Raise with Dumbbells: 3 sets of 35 reps
- 4 sets of 25 reps for the hanging knee raise
- Leg raises: 4 sets of 25 repetitions
Day 2
- Leg flexion: two sets of 50 repetitions
- 50 repetitions in two sets of lying hamstring curls
- 3 sets of 35 reps for the standing calf raise
- Bench Press: Two Sets of 50 Reps
- Bench: 3 sets of 35 repetitions
- 3 sets of 35 repetitions on the barbell flat bench.
- 50 repetitions in two sets of the front cable lateral raise
- T-Bar Row: two sets of 50 repetitions
- Extensions: four sets of 25 repetitions
- Weighted crunches: two sets of 50 repetitions
- Leg raises: 4 sets of 25 repetitions
Day 3
- 50 repetitions in two sets for squats
- 3 sets of 35 sit-ups for the calf
- Biceps curls with a dumbbell alternated: four sets of 25 reps
- 4 sets of 25 repetitions of standing hammer curls
- Pushdowns with a cable: three sets of 30 reps
- 3 sets of 30 kickbacks on the triceps
- Weighted crunches: two sets of 50 repetitions
- 4 sets of 25 reps for the hanging knee raise
- Leg raises: 4 sets of 25 repetitions
Day 4
- Leg flexion: two sets of 50 repetitions
- 50 repetitions in two sets of lying hamstring curls
- 3 sets of 35 reps of the dumbbell overhead press
- 3 sets of 35 reps for the standing calf raise
- Front Deltoid Raise with Dumbbells: 3 sets of 35 reps
- Lateral Deltoid Raise with Dumbbells: 3 sets of 35 reps
- Weighted crunches: two sets of 50 repetitions
- Leg raises: 4 sets of 25 repetitions
Day 5
- Squats: 50 repetitions in two sets.
- 3 sets of 35 sit-ups for the calf
- Bench Press: Two Sets of 50 Reps
- Bench: 3 sets of 35 repetitions
- 3 sets of 35 repetitions on the barbell flat bench.
- 50 repetitions in two sets of the front cable lateral raise
- T-Bar Row: two sets of 50 repetitions
- Extensions: four sets of 25 repetitions
- Weighted crunches: two sets of 50 repetitions
- 4 sets of 25 reps for the hanging knee raise
- Leg raises: 4 sets of 25 repetitions
Day 6
- Leg flexion: two sets of 50 repetitions
- 50 repetitions in two sets of lying hamstring curls
- 3 sets of 35 reps for the standing calf raise
- 4 sets of 25 repetitions of dumbbell alternating bicep curls
- 4 sets of 25 repetitions of standing hammer curls
- Pushdowns with a cable: three sets of 30 reps
- 3 sets of 30 kickbacks on the triceps
- Weighted crunches: two sets of 50 repetitions
- Leg raises: 4 sets of 25 repetitions
Day 7
- 3 sets of 35 sit-ups for the calf
- 3 sets of 25 repetitions of dumbbell pullovers
- Cable Pulldown With Both Hands: Three Sets of 35 Reps
- 2 sets of 50 reps of standing behind-the-back wrist curls
- 3 sets of 35 repetitions of the standing cable forearm extension
- Weighted crunches: two sets of 50 repetitions
- 4 sets of 25 reps for the hanging knee raise
Nutrition
Shaka’s Meal Schedule
Shaka maintains a diet high in “clean” foods to be as trim as possible all year round. He prefers a high-protein diet because it helps him recover from his strenuous activities quickly.
To maintain balance in his diet, Shaka occasionally treats himself to a cheat meal as a reward for his diligence.
He adheres to the following food schedule:
- Whey protein shake for the first meal
- Chicken breast with salad or brown rice as the second course
- Third Meal: A Fruit and Almond Bowl
- Post-workout Whey Protein Shake, the fourth meal
- Chicken breast with salad or brown rice for the fifth meal
- Whey or casein protein shake for the sixth meal
- 10 of Shaka’s Favorite Foods
Here are Shaka’s top 10 favorite foods, all of which he eats every day:
- The egg white
- Tilapia
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Beans, black
- Asparagus
- Peppers
- Grapefruit
- Mangos
- Tortillas with brown rice
Influences And Idols
Only James Ellis was able to help Shaka realize his true fitness potential and persuade him to compete on the bodybuilding stage. Shaka himself says:
He raised the bar for my training. Everything he did in the gym was technical; not a single item, including the number of reps, exact angles, and even the pace of the reps at various points during the motions for some exercises, was done without planning.
It made a significant impact on my training to adopt this level of consciousness.
Shaka Smith draws much from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jay Cutler. He is quite impressed by their extraordinary achievement in the bodybuilding scene.
Shaka Smith expressed his admiration for Arnold in the following words: “He was brilliant in his training and had unrivaled energy and desire. He has been and still is a fantastic representative of the game.
Shaka’s motivation comes from a variety of people he interacts with regularly because he works in the fitness sector. He is especially greatly inspired by individuals who seek his counsel. As Shaka puts it:
“I am lucky to work in a field where every person I encounter is a motivational force.
One of the main motivators of my recent work has been watching people who have asked for my guidance follow it and achieve outcomes that have not only changed the way they look but have also improved their health with problems like diabetes and high blood pressure.
What Shaka Smith Can Teach Us?
If Shaka Smith’s experience teaches us anything, it’s that stepping outside of your comfort zone and attempting something new can help you achieve all of your fitness goals.
Don’t be intimidated or terrified, Shaka warns. No matter how distant you think you are from your objective, every day you exercise, you’re one step closer to it.