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How did you get started with bodybuilding?

Coming from a very athletic background, the transition into bodybuilding was pretty easy. I played a variety of sports including basketball, baseball, bowling and wrestling. When I started weight training, which was in my college wrestling days, my goal was to gain strength and size to be competitive as a college wrestler.  When I entered into college, I weighed 110lbs and my goal was to get as close as possible to that 125lbs weight class. In the midst of training, I was approached by a bodybuilder that persuaded me that my structure was built for a bodybuilding stage.  Though I was never a fan of the sport and could never picture myself on stage in front of a room full of strangers in nothing but a posing suit, I was always up for new challenges. I began the transition into bodybuilding training and competed in my 1st show three months later, where I placed 3rd out of 5 and from there on, never looked back. I learned that if I continued to train hard and learn more and more about the sport, that I could be successful.

What is your diet like?

In-season:

My in-season and off-season diet are completely different. My in-season diet is very similar to many competitive bodybuilders. I focus on high protein, moderate carbohydrates and low fats.  My goal is to be able to continue to train as intense as possible and the only way I can do that is to keep my protein high and still take in a decent amount of carbohydrates. Keeping my protein high enables me to retain a lot of muscle size throughout my diet.  I look to get anywhere from 5-6 meals a day. The core of my nutrition comes from chicken, fish, lean beef, oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice and vegetables.  Once I begin my contest diet, I do not believe in have a cheat meal or incorporating new things into my regime. If it aint broke, don’t fix it!

Off-season:

In the off-season, dieting does not exist for me. My goal is to pack on as much size as possible and by eating any and everything in sight, it allows me to lift extremely heavy and pack on the size I need. I stay relatively lean and only about 10-15lbs from my contest weight in the off-season and I am able to do so by keeping my training INTENSE all year round.

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Where does your motivation come from?

My daily motivation comes from within.  I don’t believe in focusing too much of my time analyzing other competitors and visualizing their pros and cons in comparison to myself.  I only have time to visualize my pros and cons and purely focus on bringing up any lagging body parts I may have so that in the end, my pros outweigh my cons. My goal from show to show is to improve and bring a better look. I never want to show up looking the same as my last showing. Any slight difference is good for me, whether that’s better conditioning, a fuller look or an increase in muscle size and density. We are bodybuilders and the goal is to BUILD!

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

When in contest prep, I utilize all types of cardio methods. I don’t stick to just one thing because I believe in changing up my cardio like I change up my workouts. I don’t want my body to get used to just doing one thing.

What is your supplementation like?

I am sponsored with Universal Nutrition and they have a great stack of products that I utilize in my daily nutrition, both in-season and off-season.

• Iso Whey
• Torrent
• BCAA Stack
• Real Gains
• Creatine
• Carbo Plus
• Creatine

Plans for the future?

Since coming off a 9 month diet, my only plans were to enjoy real food and get my life back on track. When I diet, I tend to cut off relationships with my friends and family and focus on my training. So I owe my friends and family a lot more of my time. Winning the Lightweight WNBF World Title was definitely a long fought journey for me and I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes this off season to hold onto that title next year and bring home the overall, as well.  So I have made significant changes that I feel will help me keep my promise to myself in 2010.

Favorite Quote?

“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work”

“Hard work beats talent when talent refuses to work hard”

“With God in my corner, I can do all things”

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