How did you get started with bodybuilding?
As a young kid I used to go with my father and watch his race horses train and race. I used to watch them in the stables, their bodies rippling with muscles. Then when they would come back from training or a race they were fully pumped, veins popping out everywhere, fur gleaming with sweat and they had this electricity in their eyes which was the opposite of the calm relaxed look that they had in the stables. When it was winter time, steam would be rising off their bodies and their breath would be coming out in the same way as the steam releases from a boiling kettle. I was attracted to this. I always wanted to become a jockey but I later on realized that it was what the horses were experiencing that I wanted not what the jockeys were experiencing. There was pain but they seemed to enjoy it.
I went on to play many sports at school but I guess the experience from bodybuilding satisfied me the most.
Where does your motivation come from?
My motivation comes from many places. I am a bodybuilder and although I tried to suppress it for ten years when I stopped training and competing it was always inside me. I tried to replace it with opening my own business and doing many other activities but you can’t stop what can’t be stopped it is a passion and will always be there. I love to keep building my body in a way that I feel is appealing and balanced. I would like to add more mass. The added muscle is a real motivation for me. It is a great feeling. I feel alive when I am in the gym and my muscles are all pumped. Especially when I am lean and can see every detail.
The few weeks after the competition are the most motivating as I have still got my definition but the muscles feel like they are going to pop when I get tremendous pumps from all the extra food I have been eating.
Competing is very motivating for me. Sure I would like to win but it is no longer important for me. As long as I am getting better each time I am satisfied. I would however like to set foot on the Olympia stage even if I do come last! It is a real buzz being backstage pumping up with the world’s best physiques and I guess it is no longer about beating them it is more about me verses me. That is what I like about bodybuilding. We all bring something different to the stage. Take Batista he was so huge when I competed with him and he did not place high but it was a spectacular sight seeing him pump up and compete, even just seeing him sitting there! He has achieved something out of this world even if he does not place high it is still in my eyes a real success. I would love to see the guy working out.
My girlfriend just bought me an IPod and I listen to heavy music while training. That really motivates me as well.
What workout routine has worked best for you?
Well I train in an unorthodox way. I am not working at the moment and get most of my money from doing photo shoots so I have plenty of time to recover. So I train twice per day otherwise I get real bored. I also like it this way because I can train each muscle group with much more intensity instead of trying to cram too many bodyparts into one workout which spreads my energy levels too thin. I do not have any rest days unless I feel run down. I even back off on my training intensity or duration if I am feeling a little flat but I like to at least get into the gym just to get the blood pumping around a little because it makes me feel great.
I don’t count reps or sets I go by feel. Sometimes I do high reps say 20 other times low say 6-8. This is a rough sample of my routine:
Chest
- Bench press as many as I can do with 2 plates. I think I am up to 35 reps. Only one set.
- Pec dec
- Incline Hammer
- Cable crossovers
- Flat Hammer
- Wide dips
Back
- Pulldowns to the front
- Seated cable row
- Dumbell pullovers
- Pulldowns behind neck
Shoulders
- Hammer shoulder press
- Dumbell lateral raise
- Shoulder press to front
- Cable lateral raises to side and front
- Rear delt machine
- Shrugs behind my back on Smith Machine
Quads
- Leg extensions
- Leg press
- Hack squats
- Leg extensions again
Hamstrings
- Seated leg curl
- Standing or lying leg curl
- Adductor machine
- Stiff leg deadlift on Smith Machine
Calves
- Seated or standing calf raise
Biceps
- Loads of preacher machines all types and all rep range single and double
Triceps
- Tricep pushdowns supersetted with trcip extension on pushdown machine
- Tricep extension machine
- Close grip pushups
- Dips on bench
If you have to pick only 3 exercises, what would they be and why?
- Bench press. It works triceps, delts and chest.
- Barbell rows. It works biceps, back, traps, and rear delts.
- Leg press. It works quads and hamstrings.
This way you have most of the muscles covered.
What is your diet like?
I like to include fats and carbs in my diet but not in the same meal. People underestimate the value of fats in our diet and the nutrients they contain.
Meal 1:
- 1 cup of egg whites with fresh salsa.
- 1 piece of wholewheat toast.
- A wedge of fresh grapefruit.
- Low fat milk.
Meal 2:
- 150gm chicken tenders with half an avocado, fresh salsa mixed salad nuts, olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Meal 3:
- 1/2 cup oats, water and 1 scoop protein powder
Meal 4:
- 150gm lean ground beef with asparagus and 1 cup cooked rice
Meal 5:
- 150gm chicken tenders and 1 cup cooked rice
Meal 6:
- 1/2 cup oats, water and 1 scoop protein powder
They say that the pre and post-workout meals are the most vital meals for the day, what do yours consist of?
I don’t eat after I train because I find that it is the time when my body is in a fat burning mode so why would I want to put food in my body and stop this process. Once I have waited an hour or so I will eat just a regular meal. My pre-workout meal is the meal 1 above and I eat it about an hour before I train.
I never eat a heavy meal before I train it slows me down and makes me sleepy.
When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?
I don’t do cardio any more. I just focus on cutting the calories and like I said don’t eat for that one hour window after my workout when my body is burning fat. I can tell when I start going catabolic I can just feel it and I eat right away. I am very in tune with my body’s feedback messages it is constantly giving me.
What is your supplementation like?
Lee Labrada has put me on a supplementation program. He gave me tablets for my joints and tendons and also protein powder which I like mixing with my oatmeal. He gave me Supercharge aminos and glutamine and BCAAs. They have really worked well and I notice the difference. He is a true gentleman and had an awesome physique in his time.
Favorite Bodybuilders?
Kai Greene without a doubt!
Favorite Quote?
Life is balanced you must feel the pain to experience the bliss that life has to offer.
