Interview with Male Mode Jhanelle Castillo
How did you get started in the modeling?
-I never imagined I would end up modeling. After graduating from the University of San Diego, I had a full-time with great benefits and enjoyed my weekends at the beach. Life was good but the monotony was “killing” me. One day, one of the editors of Cosmopolitan Magazine called me out of the blue to tell me that I was chosen as the hottest bachelor of California. At first I thought it was a prank because she told me that somebody sent them images of me for a contest they were doing, “50 Hottest Bachelors.” I hung up on her and laughed thinking that it was either a scam or a prank call. After several voicemails later, I decided to call them back and see what it was all about. Long story short, I shot for the magazine… and when the magazine came out my life changed. I ended up quitting my job to pursue modeling in New York and the rest is history.
Most models have lean bodies just like in gymnastics. Do you do a lot of body weight conditioning? What do you usually focus on in a workout ?
-Weights? Absolutely not! I prefer a more organic work-out regimen. I’m an avid runner so it keeps my body lean. Run between 6-10 miles a day because it relaxes me. Other than that I only do calisthenic routines such as, push ups, sit-ups, squats and pull-ups. I prefer doing these work-outs because they are low-impact on your joints and keep me lean and not overly muscular.
How long are your workouts?
– Typically about 2 hrs. 1 hour of running followed by a 30 min ab routine and 30 min light work-out: squats, push ups or pull-us. After years of working out I learned not to focus on how much to work out but rather focusing on working out smart. You don’t have to kill yourself at the gym to be fit and see results. The most most effective way to get ripped and be lean is eating healthy. I hate the word diet. They do not work for long periods of time. If you eat plenty of veggies, fruits, buts, grains, drink water and stay away from fried foods you will see results! Also, limiting your carbohydrates will help but don’t eliminate them completely.
Do you also stretch a lot?
-I should stretch a lot more than I do. I stretch before my runs but that is about it. That’s horrible… I know!
Have you tried doing a handstand in one of you photo shoots?
-Actually yes, lol. I’m quite bad at it but luckily it only takes about half a second to snap a picture, lol. I’m glad I haven’t been asked to do it for a commercial or video hahaha.
If you were a gymnast what event would you be interested in doing?
-I have horrible balance so I can’t do balance beams, lol… Therefore, I would have to go with floor exercises because I love to run and jump!
Going back to modeling. Any ads we can see you in?
-I have shot for many magazines, campaigns and shot commercials since the start of my career. Currently, you can see me in several ads that are out right now: I’m in the new advertisement for Toms Shoes, Sketchers and Lenovo. I also have a giant billboard for Target! I’m also in a fashion editorial for a French Magazine, Factice. In a couple of months my commercial for Budweiser will air… looking forward to that! I have one cool job that will air in the fall but I’m not allowed to talk about it. It’s a secret, lol.
Can you describe a normal workday?
-The best part of modeling is that every single day is different. Some days I have castings or auditions and other days I have photo-shoots or the day off. So if you like having a routine this is probably the worst job. I like spontaneity so I like modeling and acting. Every job is totally different than the rest.
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