How did you get started with bodybuilding?
In 2006, I got deployed to Afghanistan and started lifting weights because I was bored. I always read the magazines and one day, I just caught the competitive bug and decided to throw on some posing trunks and give it a shot. I’ve been learning ever since and plan on doing this for a long time.
Where does your motivation come from?
I get my motivation from a lot of different sources. I get it from positive and negative comments, a good song, looking in the mirror, fear of disappointing family and friends, and just the drive to compete. I mainly get motivation from guys talking themselves up so much online. That drives me crazy when people try to make themselves sound like the next Ronnie Coleman and it makes me want to be better than them and beat them on stage if we ever meet up.
What is your training philosophy?
I love training heavy, but I like to train with volume sometimes too. In the offseason, I pretty much go by feel and train however I want to on that particular day. I might do heavy weight for 4-6 reps or train with moderate weight for 8-12, it all depends on if I feel like lifting heavy or not. When I am coming into a show, I believe in training heavier for less sets per exercise with a variety of exercises to hit everything from different angles. I like lifting heavy in order to salvage as much muscle as possible when dieting. Detail is all in the diet and cardio, not training. Too many guys mess up in their contest prep and drop their calories AND increase their workout intensity. I see this as a recipe for disaster, so I stay away from it.
If you have to pick only 3 exercises, what would they be and why?
- Deadlifts – There are so many different variations of this exercise that you can do. It is an extremely effective exercise that stimulates a ton of different muscles and does wonders for your body’s production of growth hormones and testosterone. In my opinion, this lift is a must for all natural trainers.
- Squats – Once again, with all of the variations of squats that there are, this exercise is another one of my favorites. I’m partial to the front squat, because it really allows me to kill my quads, but I also like the back squat when I want to get my hams and glutes involved in the lift. This versatile lift is the most productive leg exercise that you can do, despite all of the criticism it gets. People are generally scared of this lift in fear of lower back and knee injury, but if they simply did squats later in their leg workouts, they could still reap the benefits of the squat while not stressing their problem areas.
- Incline Bench Press – Either with a barbell or dumbbells, I love doing this exercises. So many guys focus on the flat bench and neglect this lift and do it last in their workouts, because they aren’t as strong at it and it shows in their physiques. It’s very impressive for people to have pecs that have that shelf look to them, and this exercise will make you have that look.
When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?
As with most things, this depends on the individuals diet. I use a keto diet to get ready for shows, so I prefer to do LISS cardio over HIIT. HIIT cardio is a great tool in contest prep, but if you do not have some carbohydrates to fuel the session, then it is counterproductive. HIIT burns fat long after the session is completed, so it is beneficial for people that don’t have the time to spend 1-2 hours on a treadmill due to a busy schedule. I am planning on using both types later in my prep, so I’ll use a TKD approach to allow me to do so, but for now, I’ll be sticking to LISS cardio.
What is your philosophy on nutrition?
I like to diet with a ketogenic approach leading into a contest. Fats and proteins are essential for survival, but I’ve never heard of an essential carbohydrate, so I just eliminate them pre-contest except for one cheat meal a week. I like to eat balanced in the offseason, but it’s still pretty moderate in carbohydrate consumption compared to most people. I mainly get my carbs in the offseason from mixed vegetables, oats, sweet potatoes, and LG Sciences Perfect Carb. I like eating fats more than carbohydrates, because they are more satisfying to me, and I can’t stand blood sugar crashes that big carbohydrate containing meals are notorious for.
What are your favorite meals and foods?
My favorite foods are good old soul food. I’m from north Louisiana, so I love eating fried chicken, chicken fried steak, fried pork chops, fried catfish, hushpuppies, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra, hot water cornbread, collard/turnip greens, purple hull peas, biscuits and gravy…You know, all of the forbidden fruits for a bodybuilder lol.
Favorite cheat food?
Pretty much all of my favorite foods are cheat foods lol. I also like some pizza, wings, nachos, and chocolate for my cheat meals.
What supplements do you use that give you great results?
I am sponsored by LG Sciences, so I use most of their supplements and a few others as well. I love the Trifecta stack, I-GH-1, BC&EAA, T-911, and E-911 both pre-contest and in the offseason. I like using the Lipotropic protein, Perfect Carb, Postal, and Anadraulic Pump offseason. I follow the recommendations right on the bottle for most of the supplements and have seen great results so far. I also like to supplement with fish oil and cod liver oil to give myself plenty of omega 3’s in my diet. I use psyllium husk powder for a fiber supplement twice a day, mixed in my shakes. I also use GABA and melatonin just before I go to sleep to boost my growth hormones while I sleep. I use B6, zinc, and magnesium (ZMA) post workout to get my test levels up for maximum growth.
Favourite Bodybuilders?
Hands down, Lee Priest. He’s a no BS kind of guy that isn’t afraid of being himself just because someone might not like it. He also has arguably the best arms in the industry! I’m also a fan of Branch Warren. That is one driven man and he works extremely hard for what he has.
Favourite Workout Song?
I don’t really have a favorite song. I listen to a lot of Slayer, Lamb of God, and Devildriver when I’m in the gym. None of that hip-hop crap, just pure metal for me. If I had to pick one song from each of those artists, it would have to be Point from Slayer off “Diabolus in Musica”, Omerta from Lamb of God off “Ashes of the Wake”, and Grinf@#ked from Devildriver off of “The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand”.
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