INSIGHTS

The person I most wanted to be when I started was... 

Dorian Yates. The hard work ethic he showed in his video and the way he didn’t seem to care about having to be part of the whole scene in Venice to succeed always made me think, “This guy is badass. He trains at his dungeon-like gym in England, is as hardcore as it gets, comes out once a year and wins the Olympia.” It definitely made him stand out in the crowd of the ‘90s.

The supplements I can't live without...

PURPLE•K. It has been part of my supplementation program for many years. OMEGA•OIL. I think people underrate how important these fats are to our body for growth, health and normal function. You just feel better when you start taking these supplements.

GLUTAMEND. Probably one of the most important compounds out there for muscle repair, glutamine is a staple in my program year round. Whey Isolate. It’s the only protein powder my body will take without bloating. It’s key to instantly begin repairing muscle tissue.

The best thing about training is...

When it comes down to it, it’s always yourself you’re battling with. You are the only one that knows whether or not you had two reps left or you were cutting out because of the pain. The biggest thing I learned was that a lot of the muscle failure we see in the gym is in the mind. We need to train ourselves to push further and harder.

The day I got my pro card, I...

Never truly saw it coming. I knew I was at my best, but I had put it out of my mind as much as possible. Then I realized I was in the overall. I told myself as I prepared that so long as I was better than my last showing, this would be a victory. I can’t control who else shows up, so why get myself worked up about something out of my control? I could only control how I looked. It happened so quickly after the weight class win that it didn’t really sink in until after a few weeks. For me, my pro card is like the typical Canadian minor hockey player going to the NHL. It’s something I had been dreaming about since I was an early teen. It still feels a little incomprehensible.

The one thing every bodybuilder should know is...

The quicker we realize the only person we have to beat is ourselves, the more content and accomplished we will feel in our progression. We can never control who shows up at the contest; there always could be someone better. That’s not to take away from any victories any of us may enjoy, but if we can just be happy with putting in a better showing than the last time we stepped onstage, we will always be happy, regardless of our placing.