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How did you get started with bodybuilding?

Played football (soccer) and did track and field for my high school. They built a pool when I was 14 so I added swimming to the list. A magical shade of bronze 7 days a week. Before school closed for the summer (I was about to turn 16 and 155lbs) the gym was completed. Free for students during school hours? Time to skip classes and see what this sorcery was about. Initially the plan was just to improve my athletic performance.

But evidently the boost to my on-field capabilities came with a sensational increase in sexiness.

Picture this; first week of class after summer break, afternoon 4 on 4 with the bros, my favorite blue Adidas soccer shorts, and hoards of girls lining the perimeter. Not just any girls, the best looking chicks from ALL the neighboring high schools, mesmerized by the armor.  And this is the day that Gzus was born.

Where does your motivation come from?

When I was younger:

Facial expressions, reactions and comments. Folks wouldn’t believe I was a teenager until they saw me wearing my school’s uniform. People outside fitness also seem to think that benching, squatting and deadlifting hundreds of pounds are standard protocol once you have a vein in your bicep. So at 185lbs and 6 foot I was forced to throw some impressive weight around. But best of all, 4/5 of the womenz my age thought I was a hostile, arrogant barbarian. This was slightly perplexing though since barbarians are noble beings with little time for vanity.

Now:

I’ve been training long enough that it’s automatic. And I don’t know if I could live with myself if I drop below 203lbs lean. But the sinister genetics my parents gave me made getting to where I am and staying where I am relatively easy, even with evils like skipping workouts, meals, sleep, eating whatever and living on the booze. Hopefully soon I can get a few months of uninterrupted training and proper eating to get huge for the ladies.

What is your training philosophy?

Get in, cause the right amount of damage, get out. Classes take big chunks out of my day and I waste a lot of time following links on the internet till ridiculous hours in the morning. So when I do make it to the gym I try to make the haters hate. 95% of what you need to know is on the internet so read and tailor something to suit your body, goals and lifestyle. My training depends on how much sleep and food I foresee myself getting over the upcoming weeks.

I rep explosively when appropriate but always use impeccable form.

When sleep/food is rough I favor a routine oriented around strength improvement with light-moderate plyometric workouts during the deload week. I rarely ever need to deload though since I miss a lot of workouts anyway. Over better weeks the focus would shift to adding mass but I’d still fit strength work in with a side of Olympic lifts. I’ve picked up some mobility and flexibility imbalances over my academic career so I try to include corrective exercises and functional core work when possible.

Starvation and sleep deprivation routine:

[Day 1]

• Quads/Calves with minor ham work

[Day 2]

• Chest/Back with minor arm work

[Rest]

• *usually a week might pass before I see the gym again but for the sake of this interview…*

[Rest]
[Day 3]

• Glute/Ham with some minor quad work

[Day 4]

• Delts/Arms with some minor chest and back work

So on Day 1 I might do Front Squats (main), Romanian Deadlifts (minor ham), Leg/Squat Press (secondary quad) and Seated Calf Raises. I might do this for 9 weeks, changing the rep and set scheme of the main exercises every 3 weeks to favor heavier weight. So on the final 3 weeks I might be down to 2-4 reps for main movements. Haven’t done direct trap or forearm work for a long time.

If you have to pick only 3 exercises, what would they be and why?

• Front Squats – Height+quads+ass=profit. And they look more impressive than conventional squat.
• Windshield Wipers – The hardest version.  For when you join a new gym and the bigger regulars look like they want to start acting up.
• Deadlifts – Manliest way to bend a bar.

When trying to cut down do you prefer to use HIIT or just normal cardio?

C) Be cut 365.

I generally don’t have time for cardio anyway but if/when I do I prefer to enhance my anaerobic glycolysis (explosive full body drills). But if I ever decide to go lower than my default body fat I’d probably use a manageable combination of anaerobic drills, high intensity cardio and swimming.

What is your philosophy on nutrition?

Eat whatever whenever. Metabolism makes is hard just to eat enough and I don’t have the time or option to plan and eat at reasonable times. Has worked OK so far though. But in the future I would estimate some number targets and just try to meet them. I might fluctuate the macros depending on the task for the day and if I’m feeling like an accountant.

What are your favorite meals and foods?

I’m actually fed up of eating and don’t pay much attention to taste anymore. But…BBQ chicken, ribs, macaroni pie (Caribbean dish), red beans, white rice with a cold lager.

Love me some candy too.

I go through Oreos, Skittles and Gummy bears like that. A good afternoon is finishing one of those large packs of tropical Starburst. And ice cream, Chocolate Fudge Brownie is what’s in the freezer now.

Favorite cheat food?

Egg whites or carrots. *see what I did there*

What supplements do you use that give you great results? How do you use them?

• Multivitamin and Omega-3 – I try for daily. Body doesn’t seem to notice when I don’t though.
• Protein – 2 scoops post-workout. Should be supplementing this more but I go to school with a small backpack. Buying 50lbs wholesale no longer seems wise.

If I’m taking the above on schedule it usually means I’m eating enough and on schedule, so I can’t honestly say X supplement was responsible for Y gains. Pre-workout drinks on the other hand have served me well.  I usually feel stronger, fatigue later and have more focus during workouts. Drank my pre-workout and drove to the gym to find it closed. Drove away and joined a new gym. This has happened twice. Must workout when you drink some White Flood, NO Shotgun or NoXplode (works for me). I usually buy a tub of pre-workout annually and use it during the part of the year when I get the least sleep.

Favourite Bodybuilders?

• Arnold. Arnold says Arnold does.
• Ronald. Unbelievable and The Cost of Redemption were some of the most inspirational and hilarious things I’ve ever seen.
• Dorian. Gross back. Man was a beast.
• Toney Freeman. 6’2, small waist and athletic physique. Too appealing for IFBB criteria.
• Paul Dillet. Monstrous.

Bodyspace: http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/gzus

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