How did you get started with bodybuilding?
I remember way back when as a child, going to my first bodybuilding show with my father in my hometown of Wenatchee, WA and Shawn Ray was the guest poser. As a kid, you have no idea the human body is capable of looking like that so it was quite the experience. Growing up my father always had Muscle magazines around the house and would watch bodybuilding shows way back when bodybuilding was on television.
Although all of this was interesting to me, I didn’t start weight lifting until the end of my Sophomore year in high school.
Football season had just ended and one my coaches, Don Whipple, had approached me and helped me realize just how much potential I had in the sport. I spent the whole off season running routes (I was a wide receiver) and catching balls to hopefully improve enough to start on Varsity the following year. This off season I also was educated on the importance of getting bigger, and stronger. I actually did a program called bigger, faster, and stronger. I logged all of my process and was starting to really see some amazing results.
For example, in one year alone, I put on over 100lbs on my bench press. The rest of the story is history.
I started both years in Varsity football and was all conference and was even fortunate enough to get a college football scholarship. I owe a lot of my success to all the hours I put in the gym training. Once football was over, I was still looking for something to satisfy my competitive hunger. That’s where bodybuilding came in and filled that roll. I started joining websites like bodybuilding.com and from there I found myself spending hours a day learning about training and nutrition. From here on, I was hooked! It was until last year or so though, that I actually wanted to compete on stage.
I’ve finally gotten my physique to a level that I believe could do well in Natural bodybuilding. So I plan on doing my first show the end of 2010!
Where does your motivation come from?
I’ve always been a very, very competitive person. Playing sports is where it all started. I wanted to be the best. I also believe that when you look good, you feel good. Having a great physique is admired by everyone. It really is a great way to improve self confidence. The attention it gets from the opposite sex isn’t a bad deal either. Now that I’m focusing solely on bodybuilding, my motivation is through the roof. I’ve given myself a new goal to achieve, and that’s to earn my Natural Pro card.
I’ve never dieted this strict before and I’ve never done this much cardio. I’m making the sacrifices needed to attain this goal.
What workout routine has worked best for you?
I’ve for the most part, always done four to five day splits. Focusing on training one body part a week. I will sometimes train lagging body parts twice a week as well. A different approach I took a few years ago was trying Scivation’s Tri-Phase program. It really helped me break a lot of strength plateau’s I was dealing with. I’ve since done the program one more time and also had a few buddies try it with amazing results.
Depending on the muscle group, I usually start with two, to three heavy compound movements, followed by two isolation movements. I also incorporate drop sets, and super sets into my training routines. For example, I love super setting arms!
Sample Routine:
Currently, I’m doing a five day split shown below. I throw in abs usually twice a week. I used to rest on the weekends but now I’m doing cardio on rest days. A lot of the stair master, and I also do HIIT cardio on Sundays.
- Monday: Chest
- Tuesday: Legs
- Wednesday: Arms
- Thursday: Back
- Friday: Shoulders
Chest
- Incline barbell bench (warm up sets, 3x 8-12)
- Flat DB bench (3x 8-12)
- Weighted Dips(3x 8-12)
- Cable crossovers ( 3×12-20)
- Incline DB flys (3x 12-20)
Legs
- Barbell Squats (warm up sets, 3x 6-10)
- Leg Press ( 3x 20-50)
- Straight Leg deadlifts ( 3x 8-15)
- Superset Leg ext/Leg Curl ( 3×20)
- Sitting Calf raise machine (3×15-20)
- Standing calf raises (3x 15-20)
Arms (superset Tri’s and Bi’s)
- Afew warm up sets of Cable Rope Tricep push downs and cable ez bar curls ( 3x 15-20)
- Lying incline Tricep extensions with ez curl bar (close grip) superset to barbell curls (3x 8-12)
- Close grip bench press on smith machine superset to DB hammer curls (3x 8-12)
- Tricep pushdowns with V bar superset to alternating DB curls. (3x 8-12)
- Finisher (One arm overhead DB extensions superset to concentration curls 3x 15-20)
Back
- Warm up sets on assisted pull up machine (3×15)
- Pull ups ( 3×12)
- Deadlifts (3×6)
- Bent over barbell rows (3×8)
- Sitting cable rows (3×10-15)
- Hammer strength one arm rows (3 x8-12)
Shoulders
- Warm up sets on lateral raise machine (3×20)
- One arm cable lateral raises (from behind the back) 2×12-15
- DB shoulder press (3 x 8-12)
- DB lateral raises (3×12)
- Cable Rope face pulls for rear delts (3×12-15)
- Barbell shrugs from behind the back superset to DB shrugs (3x 10-15)
If you have to pick only 3 exercises, what would they be and why?
That’s a tough question but I’d choose the best compound exercises for legs, back, and chest since those are the largest muscle groups. By utilizing compound exercises, we’ll also hit the smaller muscle groups like shoulders and arms with the exercises chosen for Chest and Back. For legs, it would be squats. Usually for back I would say deadlifts, but deadlifts and squats in the same routine would be too taxing on the body. So I’d replace deadlifts with bent over rows. Last, I’d choose dumbbell flat bench.
I’ve personally replaced barbell bench with dumbbell flat bench because it’s much better on the shoulder joints and less risk of pec tear which is usually caused by the barbell flat bench.
What is your diet like?
I’m a big believer in Scivation and Scivation products. I got to personally meet and train with Marc and Derek a few years ago while they were doing a seminar here in my current city of Scottsdale, Arizona. I’ve always read great reviews of their diets so finally I decided to give one a try. For the past 8 weeks, I’ve been following Scivation’s the diet solution. It’s a high protien, high fat, low carb diet.
I eat five meals a day, all meals containing protein and fats. I get one carb meal a day that I take post workout and if I’m not training, I take it first thing in the morning with my protein and fats. Here is what my current diet looks like:
Meal 1)
- 99g blueberries
- 4 Whole Eggs and 3 egg whites (the whole eggs count as my fats for this meal)
Meal 2)
- 6 oz of chicken or Tilapia (sometimes a lean steak)
- 40g raw almonds
- Half a grapefruit
- Cup of broccoli
Meal 3 (my post workout meal so here is my one carb meal)
- 2 scoops Whey Isolate
- 40g natty pb
- Carb source (I rotate between 1 cup oats, 1 and 1/3 cup rice, or 4 slices ezekial bread)
Meal 4)
*6 oz Chicken or Tilapia
*4 oz avocado ( I usually squash up the avocado like guacamole and cut the chicken into bite sizes and put it over the avocado with a little salsa on the chicken. Really good)
*Cup of broccoli
Meal 5)
- 6 oz Chicken or Tilapia
- 40g raw almonds
or
- 4 scoops Solution 5
They say that the pre and post-workout meals are the most vital meals for the day, what do yours consist of?
This is true! In the past I would usually do a complex carb (rice, oatmeal, etc) with a protein source like Chicken, or Steak for my pre workout meal. Now though since I’m doing the solution diet, I’m following there regimen. So pre workout is now usually half a grapfruit, 6 ounces Tilapia, 20 g of almonds, and some greens like broccoli or green beans.
For post workout, I do a Whey Protein Isolate shake with 20g of Natural peanut butter. I now get my one carb meal consisting of 60grams of carbs which I rotate between rice, oatmeal, and ezekiel bread.
When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?
Right now I’m cutting so I’m getting very familiar with doing cardio. I actually like getting a variety of different cardio in. On rest days when I’m not training, I prefer HIIT on the stationary bike. For post workout cardio, I usually prefer the stair master at moderate intensity for 20-30 minutes. If my energy levels are really low, I’ll do low intensity on the treadmill for 30 minutes 3.0 mph.
What is your supplementation like?
Diet is always number one, but I feel like with the right supplements, you can achieve even greater results! I’m currently taking Whey Isolate and Solution 5 for my Whey Protein needs. Scivation’s Xtend is my choice for BCAA’s, and I love a good pre workout supplement to get me fired up before hitting the weights. I like to switch these often but I’ve been very impressed with Athletic Edge nutrition’s, Presurge Unleashed.
My other staples consist of creatine monohydrate, Fish oil, Mult-Vitamin, Vitamin C, Glucosamine Sulfate for my joints, and a B-complex vitamin. I recently added in Yohimbine HCL to take pre-cardio that I got from Marc at Scivation. I also ordered some CLA to help with fat loss as well.
Favorite Bodybuilders?
Number one will always be the GOAT, Ronnie Coleman although I’m now a huge Jay Cutler fan. I got to meet him back in February at a guest posing he did in Tucson and I was fortunate to go with one of Jay’s close friends. So I not only got to meet Jay, I got to hangout and train with him as well. All I can say is I can see why Jay is so respected in this industry. He’s a class act and blew me away with how generous he was to me and the people around him. I’m now part of Team Cutler and will be rooting for him in September at the Olympia hoping he gets his fourth Sandow! Go Jay!
Favorite Quote?
I could list a few Ronnie Coleman quotes but this one always sticks with me…..
The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back. The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds. – Henry Rollins.
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