Palomar College student, Phillip Sabouri, 19, views a lifestyle of fitness and health through the eyes of an artist.

Sabouri, a nursing major, sees his body as an art piece that he is constantly working to improve on, and lives by a strict regimen that controls his diet and workout routines. This includes a clean diet that begins with eggs, oats and fruit in the morning and ends with a workout routine targeting specific areas of the body dedicated to certain days.

“It’s a huge routine that I do, but it’s the lifestyle I’ve come accustomed to,” Sabouri says.

Sabouri believes that by sculpting his body through diet and exercise, he is creating art.

“Your mind can create what you want your body to look like. Which I believe is art,” he says.

Using famous sculptor Michelangelo as reference, Sabouri compares the process of body sculpting to creating a work of art.

“Think of your body as the art and your mind as the sculptor,” he described.

Instead of physically chipping away at his body, Sabouri uses bodybuilding tactics to mold his body into the form he sees in his mind. This includes improving on certain skills such as squatting.

“Once I obtain these goals, I see myself competing,” Sabouri said.

Sabouri hopes to become a powerlifter and someday compete in a men’s physique competition. This is a competition in which contestants are judged on muscle tone, body conditioning, symmetry and stage presence.