INSIGHTS

The reason I started bodybuilding is...
I needed another highly disciplined challenge after retiring from competing in martial arts.

The person I most wanted to be when I started was...
Flex Wheeler and Tom Platz.

The supplements I can't live without...
PURPLE•K, GLUTAMEND, SHUT•EYE and AGENT•M.

The best thing about training is...
Feeling the muscles going through an adrenaline pump in the gym and the soreness after.

The one thing every bodybuilder should know is...
What shows on the physique is a result of how much knowledge you’ve put in.

Two things I would change about bodybuilding are...
To be a more highly recognized professional sport by media like the good old days, and to be a mandatory sport for all high-school kids to help their physical development.

My ultimate goal is...
To earn my IFBB pro card and become a positive influence to those in or outside the industry as well as a great ambassador for the sport.

Years I’ve been training...
I’ve been weight lifting since age of 16, but I only consider my real training to have started when I decided to prep for a bodybuilding show at the age of 23, so it would be 11 years.

The last new bodybuilding thing I learned is...
“Genetics” is an excuse for those who are lazy and scared to challenge themselves.

What I enjoy most about competing is...
The discipline of the daily routine. That’s what separates a real competitive athlete from an average Joe.

The thing I hate most about stepping onstage is...
When you realize the peak point has either come too early or will not happen at that moment onstage.

The pro I most look forward to being onstage with is...
I would have to say my very own mentor IFBB pro Henderson Thorne, and also IFBB pro Hidetada Yamagishi, one of my favorite pro bodybuilders.

The one thing every competing bodybuilder should know is...
Always be open-minded to learn for greater knowledge. And, muscle maturity can’t be rushed.

One bodybuilding secret I discovered is...
There is no one to blame but yourself. If you can be honest and accepting of your flaws, the first stage of the battle has already started in the right positive direction. And, contest prep doesn’t start at 18 weeks out; it’s from the off-season.