Fitness expert and model Cade Wood joins us on Close-Up Culture to talk about his journey, helping others, London Fashion Week, and more.
Can you tell us about your upbringing and the interactions that led you into the world of fitness?
Absolutely! I was always an active individual. I grew up playing sports my whole life, and actually played basketball in college. It was during my time in college I began to fall in love with fitness. I broke my foot and was forced to sit out my freshman year, so I decided to hit the weights. I was always a really skinny kid, I still am, but knew I needed to put on some size in order to play in college and beyond. My journey quickly shifted from focusing on getting stronger for basketball, to creating a physique I could be proud of. I began to become obsessed with watching my muscles grow, new veins appear, and just seeing what my body was capable of. Since 2020, I have been so invested in the gym and seeing what type of physique I can create.
What has fitness brought to your life?
Fitness has brought so much more to my life than I ever thought possible! Fitness began by bringing me a lot of discipline. I learned quickly that eating properly, exercising regularly, sleeping an adequate amount and being cautious with what you put in your body has a drastic impact on your outcomes. It is important that you are disciplined and take it very seriously.
Also, fitness began to bring me a lot of confidence. Seeing the changes and improvements to my body was (and still is) addicting, and my confidence has skyrocketed since being in the gym. The most unexpected thing that fitness has brought into my life has been my social media following and now my modeling journey. I never would have suspected that my social media would scale to the level that it has, as well as the modeling journey I am now on. Fitness brought me the ability to inspire tens of thousands on a daily basis, as well as travel the world modeling for some of the top brands.
How do you find the experience of helping others with their fitness journeys?
I love it! I genuinely have so much passion for helping others achieve their goals. My biggest reason for starting my social media was to demonstrate to anyone that they can make the change, and have it work out for them in ways they never expected. I want to influence millions of people to chase their passions, and establish a healthier lifestyle. I love watching people’s confidence increase, as well as watching people create better lives for themselves. I genuinely love helping people with their goals more than anything. I just want to be the influence for others that I wish I had when I began my journey.
You’ll be walking in London Fashion Week soon. How excited are you for this opportunity?
It’s hard to find the words to describe how excited I am. I am so grateful for the brand, Tykorchelli, and the owners, Corie and Tyreeq, for this opportunity. This will be my first time traveling out of the country for modeling, which is not something a lot of people get to do so I am extremely thankful. I know if I were to tell my younger self about this, he would be shocked. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I have every intention of performing to the best of my ability.
What has been your most rewarding experience so far in the world of modeling?
In 100% honesty, just being able to do it at the professional level is extremely rewarding. Growing up I was never the most attractive, I had a lot of acne, very skinny, awkward, didn’t know how to do my hair, but this was something I always thought about. Being able to wake up everyday and pursue a career in a field I never thought possible for me is a dream come true. This is not something a lot of people get to do, so just being able to look back at myself and see how far I have come in such a short time is mind-blowing to me! I have the opportunity to live out the dream I always wanted for myself, and now I get to inspire others to pursue their dreams as well.
How do you like to spend your time away from the gym and the cameras?
This is a tough one because I genuinely love what I do… but I always enjoy traveling to new places. This gives me the opportunity to try new foods, meet new people, and experience different ways of life. I also enjoy spending time with friends, family, my dog Bama and that quality time really goes a long way for me. I enjoy watching movies, editing videos, and interacting with my followers through live or direct messages. I am an extremely social person, so I love interacting with people close to me.
What are your goals and ambitions for 2024?
I have quite a few: I want to surpass 100,000 followers on each of my social media platforms, I believe this will legitimize me more in my field. I also want to sign with modeling agencies in London, Milan, Japan, Spain etc. this will allow me to continue to travel and inspire even more people. I truly want to influence as many people as humanly possible, and believe that my calling is to inspire people to become the best versions of themselves. I just want to show everyone that what you’re chasing is possible, and with enough time, discipline, effort, and faith.
Follow Cade on Instagram – @cadejwood