DREW HAROLD MENNING

As you can see in the pictures below, I was not genetically blessed with a six pack, nor was I blessed with “good fitness genes” as my friends gladly reminded me throughout grade school. In addition, I did not cultivate the best habits growing up with food and exercise. In middle school, I would see other kids running around with six packs and think to myself, “LUCKY, they’ve been blessed with such great genetics and that’s why they’re so fit.”

By the time sophomore year in high school came around, I had given up on athletics. My 6 foot, 3 inches and 150 pound skinny-ass body did not have the ability and coordination to do anything remotely athletically successfully in high school. When I tried out for the football team, I could not even bench the empty, no weight added, 45 pound barbell. Instead I was forced to use the women’s 25 pound barbell, meanwhile my teammates were benching 100-200 pounds with ease. It never mattered how much I tried; basketball, baseball, track, wrestling, soccer, etc., I was never able to find success in athletics. So, in what ended up being the worst health choice of my life, I decided I was going to become the best damn major league gamer that ever existed. I began playing video games all of the time, sometimes pulling 18+ hour sessions. I chose to game instead of sleeping, each night with a can of caffeine and a bag full of chips by my side.

Throughout middle school and high school, I lacked self-confidence. I was picked on because I was freakishly tall, skinny, slow, and lacked the coordination of my peers. Bullies in the locker room were my worst fear; eating lunch in the bathroom was my typical afternoon. I had terrible body image and self-esteem. I slumped forward, and was far from any kind of social butterfly. I continued this lifestyle up until college, where I said enough is enough. I’m going to:

• Eat super clean

• Avoid all the carbs

• Implement a daily exercise routine (for me it was P90x every day)

• Become ripped

• And get all the babes…. (Many of us start with this kind of motivation in the beginning)

This restrictive plan WORKED. I lost a ton of body fat, gained some muscle, but was TERRIFIED of carbs and sugar. I use to say:

As I quickly learned, fearing any one kind of food is not SUSTAINABLE in the long term.

After college, I competed in Men’s Physique, and looked TERRIBLE compared to my competition. This fueled my passion to learn EVIDENCE BASED practices that were backed by science to work for everyone (kinda like how gravity affects us all the same… #science). During this time, I found FLEXIBLE DIETING, which allowed me to eat the foods I enjoy, while continuing to progress in my fitness journey and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I came to understand that it’s not about demonizing foods, it’s about balance.

Flexible dieting was a REVELATION for me. I could eat ice cream, pizza, donuts, etc., and still be both FIT and HEALTHY. (if you follow my Instagram content, you know that is NOT all I eat). I still ensure the important parts of nutrition are taken care of first, those being: a controlled total caloric intake, sufficient protein intake to retain and gain muscle, vegetables, fiber, and sufficient sodium and water.

In the fall of 2018, when I started as a full-time graduate student at Drake University pursing my master’s degree in business while working a full-time job and two part-time jobs. This was a huge drain, and I was smacked in the face with the reality many of us face: LIFE DOESN’T ACCOMODATE FOR YOUR FITNESS GOALS. I was, building my coaching business, modeling internationally in runways, doing photo shoots, attending casting calls, and creating Instagram content, all while working full-time as logistical sales manager for Pioneer (the largest agricultural seed company in the world) I easily worked 80-100hr work weeks. This forced me to learn how to be more EFFICIENT with my time spent in the gym and in the kitchen.

This efficiency and focus on Pareto’s law has allowed me to help over 150 clients lose weight, build muscle, and adopt an overall healthier lifestyle WHILE flourishing in their careers. Oftentimes, developing habits that make my clients progress in the gym have them simultaneously climbing their career ladders.

After completing my Master of Business Administration degree in 2020, I made the decision to follow my passion saving lives by pursuing coaching full-time. I have now developed the 16-week Lean Core DrewLife Program, which is designed to focus on building an EFFICIENT and SUSTAINABLE personalized program with the accountability and support needed to make a major LIFE TRANSFORMATION. This program will also build client confidence and skills that will transcend all areas of productivity. 

I would love to work with YOU, and help you skip the past DECADE that I have studied, failed, and learned. My experiences throughout the past decade have led me to develop a strategy that focuses on GETTING RESULTS, and not just spinning your wheels for hours a week in the gym for ZERO RESULTS.

CLICK BELOW for the DrewLife Program

COOL OPPORTUNITIES I’VE BEEN APART OF:

Bodybuilding & Strongman Competitions:

• 1st place at the Mr. Natural Iowa Bodybuilding Championships (2020)

• 4th place at the Mr. Natural Iowa Bodybuilding Championships (2017)

• 5th place at the Iowa Games Strongman Championships (2016)

• 5th place at the Mr. Natural Iowa Bodybuilding Championships (2016)

DrewLife, Sponsorship, & Other Fitness Accomplishments:

• Created DrewLife.com after certification as a Personal Trainer by Iowa State University and the National Academy of Science & Medicine (2017)

• Signed as an ambassador and spokesman for Quest Nutrition (2019)

• In the past decade I have performed and gained experience in a total of over 3k workouts, 6k hours, and over 38k tons of weight lifted (2021)

• Climbed the equivalent of the Eiffel Tower 13 times in 5 hours (2020)

• Performed 4k full range chin ups and 3k pushups in a month (2018)

• Pulled a 5-ton Hummer 50 feet in 60 seconds and deadlifted a 500 lb car for 5 reps (2016)

Internationally Published Fitness & Fashion Model & Actor:

• Signed with The Peak Agency as an International Model and Talent (2018)

• 3rd place out of 1200 for Male Model of the Year in Los Angeles, CA at the largest International Model and Talent Championships in the world: The IMTA (2018)

• Walked in 7 Fashion, Fitness, and Swimwear Runway Shows in Los Angeles, CA and 1 in Iowa (2018, 2019)

• Featured Male Model and Instructor at Photography Conferences ShutterFest & ClickCon (2018, 2019)

• Internationally published digitally and hard copy in 10+ magazine publications including: Hy-Vee with Jennifer Aniston, DNA, Adon, B Louder, The Dapper Style, On Display Men, Billion Auto, Kavyar, Bella Dreams and many more

• Featured locally on the Channel 13 News as one of the top social media influencers of Des Moines, Iowa (2019)

• Lead talent featured in debut single Music Video for Syd Bowii – Can’t Go Back (2020)

• Worked with famous fitness, fashion, and swimwear brands including Calvin Klein, Armani, Marcuse Australia, El Tuggle, Gymshark, Jed North, Lululemon, Tani Underwear, Richard Dayhoff, and many more

FEATURED PROJECTS, PUBLICATIONS, AND ARTICLES:

Around the World in Eighty Days book remake (Muscatine, IA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh_eWcCkA9w

Mike Tyson’s Punch Out video game remake (Muscatine, IA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuDxffQDzUM&list=FLv1ynMJnLJysWJ7M5CANxFg&index=400

Men’s Fashion Publication by Joe Robertson (Chicago, IL): https://joerobertsonphoto.com/drew-menning/

Couples Boudoir Publication by Kim Ackerman (St. Louis, MO): http://kimackerman.com/2019/05/29/couples-boudoir-2/

Behance Publication by Jason Sturges (Des Moines, IA): https://www.behance.net/gallery/68074173/Drew-Harold-Menning

VoyagePhoenix feature with David Byrd (Gilbert, AZ): http://voyagephoenix.com/interview/meet-david-byrd-reality-reimagined-mesa/

Hy-Vee Magazine Publication featured with Jennifer Aniston (Des Moines, IA): https://a9effd958e0dc59aaf3b-80520a33cc33a15351bd958c9b8ecc55.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/HVB1218_FullBook_reducedsize.pdf

B Louder Magazine Publication and Interview (Canada): https://issuu.com/bloudermagazine/docs/bloudermay2018

DNA Magazine Publication (Australia): https://www.dnamagazine.com.au/drew-menning-by-joem-bayawa/

Adon Magazine Publication (New York, NY): http://kimackerman.com/2019/09/11/male-boudoir/

Bella Dreams Magazine Publication (Iowa City, IA): https://www.blurb.com/books/8255289-bella-dreams-issue-14

On Display Men Feature (Omaha, NE): https://ondisplaymen.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/drew-menning/

Commercial for Billion Auto (Iowa City, IA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xchSjM-iZDc&list=FLv1ynMJnLJysWJ7M5CANxFg&index=439

Featured Male Model in Syd Bowii’s debut Music Video (Des Moines, IA): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osUFrEPjPoA