My Pilgrimage To The ‘Mecca'” “People seem to assume that because I’m a pro bodybuilder, I must have been out to Venice Beach on many occasions and trained at the world-famous Gold’s Gym. The truth is that until a couple weeks ago, I had never so much as set foot inside Gold’s. Five years ago I visited L.A. one day when I was staying four or five hours away and stopped for a minute to take a picture outside the place, but that was it.
I’ve dreamed about being a pro and getting ready for a big show there ever since I saw “Pumping Iron” as a kid. One of the very first scenes in the movie shows Arnold walking into the original Gold’s. A bulletin board reads “101 Days Until The Mr. Olympia.” Arnold walks up to the front desk and jokes, “I’m here to get some muscles.”
Even though it took me all this time to finally get inside Gold‘s and train, it was worth the wait. I also felt like I had worked hard to get there and I deserved it. They say the place isn’t what it used to be, but there is still an enormous amount of energy and enthusiasm in those walls and it still resonates with the spirit of all the great champions who have called it home. I literally got chills more than once just looking at all the photos on the walls of stars from years past.
I’ve been doing this bodybuilding thing for 20 years now and it was almost like being in a museum of sorts with all that history. There were some names and faces on the walls I hadn’t thought of in quite some time, and many are no longer with us, but it still brought a big smile to my face to be in what truly is the ‘Mecca’ of bodybuilding.”
“Training With The Master: Charles Glass”
“The main reason I was out in Venice was to work with the ‘Trainer of Champions’ himself, Mr. Charles Glass. It was surreal to work with the same man who has trained the best of the best: men like Flex Wheeler, Chris Cormier, Paul Dillett, and so many more. Just to have that opportunity was almost overwhelming for a guy who not so long ago was waiting in line to buy pictures of my idols like Flex and Shawn. I did my best to pick Charles’ brain and soak up as much wisdom as I could, and he was more than willing to share and educate me. He was also more than generous in setting me up with a place to stay just minutes away so that I could focus completely on the task at hand, training for the Arnold Classic. I am heading out there again at least one more time before the show. Ideally, I would love to spend the last four or five weeks before the contest training with Charles every day. I consider myself a hungry student of the sport, and Charles has so much to teach.”
“That Magic Moment”
“I worked with Charles twice a day, to take advantage of the brief time I had out there. If there was one moment that stood out above all others in my four days and nights training at Gold’s, it was when I was posing for him. This was at the back of the first room, which looks out on the back parking lot; it has a large portion of the wall open, to let in the sunlight. No doubt you have seen numerous legends posing in photos and videos in that exact same mirror, because the light is amazing. If you don’t look awesome in that mirror, forget it! I had seen so many greats over the years getting ready for shows like the Olympia and Arnold, posing in that mirror while Charles and other pros looked on, and here I was standing there eight weeks out from the Arnold doing the same thing!
For a minute there I almost felt like pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t all a dream! I got goose bumps and thought for a second that a breeze had blown through the doorway, but it was just the unreality of the situation hitting me. I was 293 pounds that day and still a ways off from the condition I need to be in for the Arnold, but something about hitting my poses in that magic spot made me feel like everything was going to be just fine.”
Second Image (Green text Q&A): “Tomorrow is my bodybuilding competition; right now I am 194 pounds and my body fat is 4 percent. When should I start loading carbs? Should I eat both yams and sweet potatoes at the same meal? How much water should I be drinking? Thanks in advance, man!”
Response: “The day before your contest is not the time to be seeking information like this! One thing in your favor is that at least you have in fact gotten rid of all the body fat you needed to— if, in fact, you are actually down to 4 percent. A lot of guys don’t get in shape and look for last-minute tricks to ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat,’ so to speak, and somehow be transformed into a champion. If you aren’t lean enough, nothing you can do with manipulating carbs and water will make a difference.
Most of the time, when competitors think they are holding water, they are really just not as lean as they should be. And if you have flattened out and lost muscle, no amount of loading carbs is going to restore that muscle mass in time for the show. Essentially, you need to look pretty darn good for the process of carb and water manipulation to give you that finishing touch. As far as how many grams of carbs, how much water and so on that you should be taking in, I can’t tell you that. Even I do something slightly different each time.
Your best bet for next time (your e-mail reached me too late to help you for this contest), is to work with someone who’s very experienced in these areas and who can guide you through the process. It’s simply not possible for me to give you a blanket prescription to eat X grams of carbs and drink X amount of water to look your best onstage.”
Third Image – “KAI GREENE—The Predator”
“Return Of The Ruhler!”
“I think it’s great that Markus Ruhl is returning to the stage for the first time since the 2007 Mr. Olympia and will be competing in the New York Pro. Markus has a huge fan base and a lot of his fans are right here in the New York area. People around here seem to really appreciate the freaky look he brings, with gobs and gobs of muscle mass. When Markus is in condition, he is a real sight to see. You can argue back and forth about what type of physique is best, but there is no denying that a giant like Markus definitely brings excitement to the sport and the industry as a whole.”
“Learning About Yourself”
“I remember reading something Lee Labrada said in the late 1980s about his Mr. Olympia preparations. Lee said that he learned something new about himself every time. There’s something to be said for that. Every time I get ready for a contest, it’s a new series of questions and tests. My mettle is tested by obvious concerns such as wondering if I can stay on my diet and by the more subtle issues such as: Can I maintain the consciousness of mind to not succumb to all the pressures and expectations placed on me? Can I pay my bills and maintain good relationships with the people who care about me, even as preparing for the contest is an all-consuming state of mind? Can I maintain my intensity every day, even when mind and body are sinking deeper into exhaustion? You learn so much about who you really are when you prepare for a bodybuilding contest. Anyone who thinks it’s all about working out, doing some cardio, and eating a bunch of plain chicken breasts doesn’t know what it’s really all about!”
“Will I Teach Posing?”
“Because I have a certain reputation for being an innovative poser, there have been some inquiries as to whether I would consider helping other bodybuilders put creative posing routines together for their competitions. I’m flattered that people would want to hire me for this type of service, but right now I am too focused on trying to be a top pro. It’s so easy to get distracted and allow yourself to be pulled in many directions once you have achieved a certain level of success. But I am really just getting started and I’m still a new guy trying to secure my place in the sport, so I have to keep my focus on that. In the future, I may very well begin working with other bodybuilders on their posing and presentation, but not at this time.”
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Great! Thank for sharing.