On the spectrum of human flexibility, 24-year-old Aleksei Goloborodko lies somewhere between “world-class contortionist” and “literally made of pipe cleaners.” Originally from Tula, Russia, the Bronze Clown winner—the circus world’s equivalent of the Oscars—is currently crisscrossing the globe (and his body) on tour with Cirque du Soleil’s production of Luzia. We asked the most flexible man in the world to share with us the details of his training regimen; the dietary restrictions imposed by chronic bendiness; and his advice for anyone else who aspires to take the coolest Instagram photos imaginable.

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GQ: How did you get started with Cirque?

Aleksei Goloborodko: Cirque du Soleil first discovered me at an audition in Moscow when I was 8. I auditioned again for them at 17; they called me two years later to join the creation of Luzia.

My mom took me to a circus show when I was 4, and afterwards I told her I wanted to join the circus. She brought me to a circus studio where I met my coach. After testing me with exercises, he said he would make me a contortionist. It didn’t matter for me which discipline I would do; I just wanted to be in the circus. It's my lifestyle, and I love it, and I just do it. I started when I was 4 years old, and since then I haven't stopped. It's not like I'm forcing myself to do something. My body loves it.

What’s your typical day like?

I wake up around 9:30 A.M. and stretch for 10 to 15 minutes before I make myself breakfast. Breakfast can be oatmeal or a sandwich and hot tea—basic stuff. Then I relax for, like, 40 minutes. I can read a book or play video games. Then I start stretching and training for the rest of my show routine.

I don’t really have dietary restrictions. I can eat anything: cake, an apple, chocolate, fruit, soup. I eat at least five meals a day, but my rule is that I eat small portions more often. I can’t eat a lot at once, or I’ll have issues with contorting.

My discipline consists of many sub-disciplines: the base is contortion, with sub-disciplines such as hand-balance, ballet, modern dance, wushu, martial arts, and more. My morning training takes an hour and a half. Then I relax for about 20 minutes, and eat something like an apple or small bowl of fruit, before heading to the circus.

There, I put my makeup on and train for a couple of hours. I do some cardio, and stretch, and do handstands. I take a break for about an hour in the middle. After a show, I come home and something before I go to bed, do a little more stretching, and then finally fall asleep.

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I saw that you are a NASM-certified trainer and behavior change specialist. Why did you choose to get those certifications, and how do you use them?

I wanted to improve my English, and I thought taking a course would be the best way. I did the personal trainer certification to find out more about the human body. The behavioral change course was interesting to get to know how our mind works, too.

Is there a particular order or regimen to your stretching?

No, but during the course of the day I need to stretch my entire body—each part of it. So of course, it is structured in that way, but it also depends on when it happens. For example, mornings are the most difficult time for stretches, but I still have to do it because my body asks me to stretch.

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Developing my routine was a joint effort between me, the choreographer—Sylvia Gertrúdix González—and her assistant. We would film me, and we then decide, like, “Okay, this movement looks great and we’ll keep it,” or “This movement doesn’t look very good, so we’ll save it for a backup movement, if we need one.”

Do you have a favorite stretch?

There’s no such thing for me. It doesn’t matter what it is, I just love stretching.

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How does it feel when you're in these crazy positions? Does it feel uncomfortable or tight or anything like that?

No, it doesn't feel tight. It always feels pretty good because I take between 40 and 45 minutes to warm up before I go on stage.

The warm-up consists of pretty basic stuff—I do cardio for five minutes, and then begin with slight movements. They are not extreme, they are very small, but get bigger after that. I haven’t ever been injured, because my rule is to always do the warm-up first, then stretch, and then practice.

Do you have any advice for people who want to become contortionists?

If you want to be a professional contortionist, the younger you are, the better it goes. If you try to begin when you're 16 or 18, you can start, but you're not going to be an extreme contortionist. You will achieve some results, and they can be really good if you work hard! But it's not going to be extreme.

This interview has been edited and condensed.