How
did you get into bodybuilding?
I became interested in bodybuilding my senior year of
high school, I was 16. I knew I wasn't going to grow any
taller so I wanted to be bigger and stronger than everybody
else. Every time I would research how to gain weight or
get stronger it would take me to a bodybuilding website.
The
first bodybuilder I ever saw was Ronnie Coleman, it was
a youtube video of him deadlifting 800lbs like two weeks
out from the Olympia. After that I watched his 2005 Olympia
routine and was hooked from that point on. I was so amazed
that I brought my whole family into the computer room
to show them what I had just discovered.
From
that day forward I would come straight home from football
practice and research bodybuilding and looked at videos
until bedtime whether it was posing routines or clips
from DVD's. I didn't begin training for bodybuilding until
after graduation, but by that point I had a good foundation
from training for football and people had been noticing
my improvements before I did throughout my senior year.
What
have you learned about yourself through bodybuilding?
I have learned that I am self motivated and driven to
reach my goals. I've also realized that the mind is the
strongest body part you have no matter who you are. I
also believe that you have to find what works for you
and stick to it. If you don't you'll spin your wheels
and never make progress by trying every little routine
you find in the magazines or see on DVD's.
What motivates you?
I am motivated by people saying that I can't turn pro
by the time I am 23 or can't win the Olympia title by
27. I am also motivated because I want to make a name
for myself in the sport and not just be another person
that got his pro card and fell off the scene.
The
best part about bodybuilding is that you get to meet a
lot of people who understand why you do what you do and
can relate to you on a personal level even though you
are complete strangers. Also I love the fact that I am
able to sculpt my body into the piece of art I want. I
don't like the fact that bodybuilding is not accepted
in the mainstream but it has been that way for a while
and will probably stay that way for some time.
What
is your focus?
My main focus is to first, win both of my shows the Lone
Star Classic and the Teen Nationals, second attain a sponsorship,
third get my offseason weight up to 230 before the end
of the year by adding lean muscle mass and making improvements
on my weak body parts and getting bigger and thicker all
the way around.
Who are your favorite bodybuilders?
My favorite bodybuilders are Flex Wheeler and Kevin Levrone.
I would love to look like the '98 - '00 Flex Wheeler as
well as the 98' - '03 Kevin Levrone. In my opinion they
had the best physiques and should have won at least two
Olympia titles a piece. The look I am striving for is
my own look I don't want to bring a look similar to anyone
else's; I would love to bring an original package to the
stage.
Describe
your training
During the offseason I lift instinctively. I may lift
four days a week, twice a day for a month. But the next
month I may be in the gym 5 or 6 days a week - twice a
day for 4 or 5 of those days!
I
usually go as heavy as I can for 10 reps I usually stick
with 3 or 4 sets sometimes I may do 5 or 6 sets. it just
depends how good the exercise feels but I stick with 12-16
sets total.. I stick with free weights for the most part
a few machines here and there. I found that cable exercises
work better for my arms than free weights so most of my
arm movements are done with cables usually tricep exercises
and it helps with my bad elbow as well.
What about nutrition?
In offseason my approach to my diet is simple....I make
sure I get in between 330-400 grams of protein and a little
over 600 grams of carbs a day as well as a good number
of cheat meals. I feel like I grow the best with red meat
in my diet, so that is my only protein source in the offseason
other than protein shakes. I eat brown rice as my source
of carbs, but for breakfast I usually eat grits with cheese.
Turkey
gets me really lean in pre-contest, but I have a few fish
meals as well. My choice of carbs is usually brown rice
or sweet potatoes. I don't eat nearly as many carbs as
I do in the off-season. Perhaps 350 grams and slowly deplete
as my prep goes on. I also have 3 cups of vegetables a
day.
The
key to building muscle at a young age is not to get too
scientific - just eat and eat. You have to find which
diet works for you, knowing your body helps a lot make
sure your gaining muscle and not primarily fat.
Did you ever consider another sport?
I love football. I played football all four years of high
school and was a walk on at Weber State University in
my second year there. I decided that I had a brighter
future in bodybuilding than in football, so I decided
to leave school and pursue my bodybuilding career. At
5' 7", I'd be too short to play my position at a
pro level. Besides that, if I played football I wouldn't
be able to get as big as I'd like to get. There is a lot
of running and the training for the two are totally different.
How
does your family feel about bodybuilding?
My family is very supportive of my bodybuilding career.
There are a few athletes in my family and some of my uncles
were wrestlers. So they are familiar with the bodybuilding
lifestyle, as far as lifting and eating goes, and they
are very proud of me.
What advice would you give to other teens that are interested
in weight training?
Don't lift with your ego do worry about how much someone
else is lifting. Make the muscle do the work and not momentum
or help from other muscles. Listen to your body; it will
tell you everything you need to know. Be realistic and
your own judge and don't get caught up in advice from
family and friends. Do your research; the internet can
be your best friend.
