Written by Chad Nicholls
09 October 2006

 

Back to You

 

After a long stretch of 2004 year-end contest coverage, I'm finally back to putting my attention on the ever growing pile of e-mails and letters I receive from our faithful MD readers! Although the 2005 contest season is just getting underway, I'll be answering more of your questions this year, in addition to my contest "previews and reviews." So, let's kick off the 2005 bodybuilding season with some great questions:

 

            Q: Chad, I wrote you about a year ago and asked you how you could train both Craig Titus and King Kamali at the same time and for the same shows without any problems, but now a year later you aren't training Craig anymore, so I guess it was a problem. Do you wish you just would have stayed with King now and can I say I told you so?

            A: Actually, I still feel the same way I did when I was working with both of them.  A lot of people don't understand how I can work with two people at the same time who may not get along. Although I establish friendships with the athletes I work with, I see myself as a contest preparation and nutritional advisor and a businessman. And like any good businessman, I'm able to separate business from friendship and I do not allow myself to get involved with personal discrepancies between athletes. 

            I've enjoyed working with King through the years and although competitively he has had his ups and downs, this has nothing to do with me working with other athletes and/or working with athletes King may or may not personally get along with. I think King is finally growing into his physique and maturing as an athlete and with this comes the ability to become more consistent with conditioning for a contest. And for King, himself, this means becoming more in tune with his physique. With this in mind, King is going to start moving up the ladder in future competitions. I'm still working with King, currently helping him prepare for the 2005 Ironman and Arnold Classic, so obviously my working with Craig didn't bother him.

            When I worked with Craig I enjoyed it; we got along great when we worked together and we're still friends. During our working relationship, we achieved some good results and I was very pleased with the level of conditioning we achieved. However, this time around Craig just wanted to go a different route and that's fine; as I said, we are still friends. Overall, it was a great experience.

            In terms of separating my feelings, I am friends with both King and Craig and whatever beef is between those two does not concern me. Nor do I try to play peacemaker or get involved. I can tell you when it came to conversations, personal discussions, etc., I never talked to King about Craig, or to Craig about King. And in other situations with athletes who may personally not get along, I never mention one athlete to another. Whatever goes on between two athletes is their business, not mine. It's easy to stay out of the middle if you just stay out of an argument that doesn't involve you! 

            On a side note, what most people don't understand is that when an athlete hires a contest prep advisor for a show, that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be with them for the duration of their competitive career. Nor does it mean you cannot be friends after the working relationship has ended. Furthermore, I have experienced instances with athletes where I helped prepare them for a show, they go it on their own, and years later, we work together again, as is the case with Melvin Anthony. I worked with Melvin for the 1999 USA (where he turned pro), then he went his own way and recently, since his 2004 NOC preparation, we started up our working relationship once again. However, in the years between our working relationships we remained on great terms.

            This is a little off subject, but I have worked with many athletes and knew when I began working with some of them that it would either be a one-time or short-term partnership. The athlete would then probably try to take certain elements they learned while working with me and incorporate these elements into their programs. This is fine, but seldom works out the way the athlete would like it to. The human body, let alone a professional athlete's body, is a complex machine and is constantly changing, so what works today, may not work in the future. Ideally, an athlete should find an advisor he can trust and who gets him good results, and stick with that person.  An athlete's body always changes from show to show and year to year and adjustments must constantly be made. Sometimes, you can learn the athlete's physique and nail it the first time, but for the most part, it's a learning experience that could take anywhere from a couple of shows to several years to figure out the right combination for a specific individual. 

           

            Q: In every article I read it seems all people talk about is genetics and how important they are. I agree partly with this, but doesn't work ethic and hard work count for anything anymore? It just seems like today so many athletes coast on what they were born with and forego the gut-wrenching workouts from "back in the day." Sometimes their condition is so up and down from show to show, I wonder if they take things seriously. Does work ethic play as important role today and if so, who has the best in the sport?

            A:  Work ethic is extremely important, but the combination of work ethic and genetics is great and will take an athlete far. It's what the athlete chooses to do with his or her genetic gift that turns them into a pro and keeps them there. All the men and women in pro bodybuilding today are both gifted and hard working or they wouldn't be there. I don't know how many times I have heard people say, "As hard as I train, if I had that guy's genetics, I'd be on a pro stage kicking ass!" Everyone is different, so just because you may see a certain pro in the gym and you think you train harder or you are stronger than that particular pro, it doesn't mean you should be on a pro stage, nor does it mean the pro isn't working hard or that he or she is simply coasting on their genetic gifts. As individual as is each pro's genetic makeup, so are their respective outlooks with regard to diet and training. Some people train heavier than others, some do lots of cardio, others don't that much, some have to diet harder or longer, and for others the diet may be quite easy, but all of them put in the hard work and effort it took to turn them pro.

            In terms of the up and down rollercoaster with regard to conditioning that you see from some athletes, that really has more to do with the complexity of the human body than lack of a work ethic or not taking the sport seriously. I truly believe every athlete completely takes this sport very seriously each and every time he or she steps onto the stage. I've mentioned many times that the human body goes through constant changes, even in a professional, seasoned athlete. With this in mind, if you notice an athlete that is great one show and appears to be off at another, what works now may not work in the future, as I have said. Learning how to manipulate your body from show to show is a true art form, not something that just happens because one diets and trains hard.

Every year that Ronnie and I work together, we apply the same basic game plan, yet we have to make minor changes here and there to accommodate for physical improvements, added weight and so on. So, in addition to hard work and hard dieting, it's a matter of being in tune with your body and paying attention to your body and remembering from contest to contest if something worked better or if it didn't work at all. You want to repeat the good experiences and throw what didn't work out the window and try something a little different. With the exception of the one man in pro bodybuilding who never strays from the plan (Ronnie), even professional athletes are human and sometimes the stress and strain of training and the competition diet pushes one over the edge and they can fall victim to an occasional cheat meal!  

            So, now that we know hard work is still in fashion, who has the best work ethic in the sport today? Without question, Ronnie Coleman! I know you're thinking, "Of course you would say that- you work with him, right?" Very true, but also just as true is the fact that Ronnie Coleman is the hardest working bodybuilder on the planet.  Ronnie has fantastic genetics, but he also loves being Mr. Olympia, so in addition to genetics Ronnie trains and diets harder than anyone because he is a machine and knows that is what it takes to keep him at the top.

            I have never worked with an athlete like him. He NEVER deviates from his diet or training; nor does he even seem to risk the temptation of cheating on his contest diet! Don't get me wrong, many athletes have great work ethics, but I have yet to see one as focused and on course and in tune with himself as Ronnie. I remember asking Ronnie at one point after a contest, How many times did you cheat on your diet?" I was so used to athletes giving into temptation at some point, that this was just a routine question because of course, no one is going to admit during the diet that they ate something they shouldn't have. However, Ronnie just looked at me very strangely and said, "The thought of cheating never even entered my mind." At that point, I knew I was working with someone very special and that he had as much respect for me and my advice, as I did for him as a person and athlete, and that I would never have to worry about Ronnie- ever.

            The one athlete I really don't know that much about, but whose consistent climb up the ladder leads me to be sure he's also an extremely hard-working, dedicated athlete is Jay Cutler. You don't win the Arnold Classic four times and place runner up in the Olympia the last three years without extreme determination and dedication and this is what I feel has kept Jay in the running. As many of you will remember, Jay didn't always start out on top and until he stepped up to the plate in 2001, he placed near the end of the pack in the Olympia lineups. Although Jay has good genetics, or else he wouldn't be a top pro, they aren't the genetic gifts of a Ronnie Coleman, Chris Cormier or Flex Wheeler. However, Jay has added a tremendous amount of muscularity to his frame, which hides certain physique flaws and has put him in the "mass monster" category. He also does have fantastic genetic abdominals and quad separation/detail, which carry him at any show. I feel Jay is a true story of just how far a great work ethic teamed with determination can take an athlete.

 

Q:  Chad, I'm a huge fan of women's bodybuilding and especially your wife, Kim!  Although she was in my opinion the greatest Ms. Olympia ever, I admire her more now for showing that you can compete hardcore into women's bodybuilding and when you retire you can be small, curvy and extremely beautiful. I also think that the best time of women's bodybuilding ever was when Kim and Lenda battled it out but were still able to remain good friends. That's what it should be about and unfortunately, those days are long gone! With that said, I'm also a huge Lenda fan and I just really hated seeing her lose the 2004 Olympia! Do you think she will compete again? I just really hate to see such a classy lady go out like that after such a controversial loss to Iris Kyle!

A:  First, thank you for your compliments regarding Kim; I know she greatly appreciates them and thanks you! Also, I'm actually glad you asked the question about Lenda Murray! I recently spoke with Urel and Lenda and they are both doing great and changing some things up in their lives. As many of you may have known, they owned a gym in Virginia, which they recently sold. Lenda and Urel have since moved from the east to west coast and are now living in the Los Angeles area. They are in the process of setting up a training "boot camp." It sounds like a great idea, as they will be working the camps together as a team. Lenda, of course, will be great from all her years of training and competing, but Urel spent his career in the military and definitely knows how to run a basic training boot camp! They may even look into adding a one-on-one personal training studio, but I know they have no aspirations of getting back in the gym business. From personal experience, I don't blame them; it's a tough business and in many cases gives you more headache than reward!

            Now, to get to the heart of your question: Will Lenda compete again? I won't say yes, but I won't say no, either. What I can tell you is that the gym business keeps a person in horrible hours! You basically live there. With this in mind, you can only imagine how tough it was to both run the gym and prepare for the Ms. Olympia at the same time! However, now that the gym has been sold, and with working the boot camp to suit her hours and needs, she will have more time to train and focus on competing if she chooses to do so. She has not made a firm commitment to compete in 2005, but I definitely wouldn't rule her out as a "no show" in the '05 Olympia lineup. 

            Like you said, I'm sure she would like to go out the way she wants to- winning and on top. With some new changes to her life, I really think she can do this for a couple of different reasons. First, without the gym, she has more time to focus upon herself. Secondly, with the downsize in women's bodybuilding for 2005, I truly believe she'll dominate again as Lenda is the epitome of shape and feminine muscle in the current crop of women's bodybuilders. Even before the letter went out for the women to downsize 20 percent across the board, Lenda still had a beautiful and feminine look and she is just such a great representative of the sport. I think this new ruling will play into Lenda's hand more favorably than anyone in the current lineup, as not only does she possess fantastic muscularity and conditioning, but her muscle flows so beautifully and is so feminine that this should solidify her as the new poster girl for the direction the IFBB wants to go with the women's side of the sport. Only Lenda can tell us and eventually show us if she will get back on the stage, but until we know, I wouldn't count her out. I'll keep all of you posted and updated, as you read this column.

 

            Q:  I read your report from the Olympia and I agree with you on everything, but what you had to say about the Challenge Round. I actually liked it because it made for some needed excitement, although I did think it was unfair to make the entire outcome of the Mr. Olympia based on just the Challenge Round. Since you were so critical of it, I'd like to know what you think the solution is so the fans could still enjoy this new round without making the whole show about it.

            A:  It's interesting that you asked this question. I just talked to one of the primary people on the Olympia production staff about this exact subject. It's not that I dislike the Challenge Round, I actually do like the "concept" and the possibility of what it could be; but what it could be and what it turned into are two totally different things. What I disliked is how it was run, meaning you have an athlete clearly as dominant and miles ahead of the pack in the first half of the show, as Ronnie Coleman was, then during the challenge round he is now only one point ahead of Jay Cutler in second place, or only five points ahead of Gunter Schlierkamp, who was in sixth place going into the challenge round! This is a major problem. I would like to see the challenge round kept as a new round to the Mr. Olympia, but also keep the first three rounds and add the challenge round scoring into the points from the prejudging. 

            Something else I would like to see changed is how the round is scored in terms of the fact that it didn't leave you in suspense at all. You knew right then and there who won the show, then had to worry about keeping everyone to stay in their seats for the awards ceremony. I enjoyed it much more when the top six placements were announced one at a time until runner up and first place were announced; that is the type of suspense and excitement I expect from the Mr. or Ms. Olympia competition. 

I still remember the first year Kim ever won the Ms. Olympia! That was the most exciting one ever. As the placements were announced, Kim and Lenda stood holding hands with great anticipation on their faces and when the announcer called out "second place" it seemed as though it took an eternity for him to announce Lenda's name, but the wave of thrill and relief that went through me when he did call Lenda second was worth the wait! That's the way the show should always be- not knowing right then and there and then having to stick around for an awards ceremony with no anticipation. Talk about killing a moment!

 I would suggest that the scores of the first, second and third rounds stay under wraps. They could still run the challenge round as they did, but after that round is over, these scores would be added to rounds one, two and three; then you could announce the winners from that point. However, the scoring of the challenge round would then have to be changed to fit the point value of the first three rounds. 

            I just think no matter what, it's important to keep the points from the first three rounds. My reasoning for this is because when you have an athlete winning the first, second and third rounds with a perfect score (score of 15), even if the second place athlete wins with straight seconds (score of 30 points), there is a 15-point difference and that is not close! I understand wanting to make the Challenge Round more exciting to liven up the show, but don't make the entire show come down to that round.  If that's the case, it just turns the most prestigious show in the world into a best body part competition. And if you throw out the first and second round, why have them? As I said, great concept, but it needs a lot of work and it could be great if implemented in the right way. I know the bugs will be worked out for the 2005 Olympia! 

 

Q:  I saw on your http://www.musclemayhem.com/ website that you are building what you hope to be the "perfect" online store. What is the store? When will it be running and what will you carry- nutritional supplements?  If it's anything half as cool as the Mayhem site, it'll be a big success! 

A:  I'm thrilled to announce that after well over a year of planning, building and creating http://www.efitstore.com/, it should be up and running by the time you read this. Kim and I, along with our partners, Mike and Cliff, are very excited to get this business up and running.

            This store is going to be different than just an online supplement warehouse.  Although we will carry a multitude of nutritional supplements and products from companies within our industry, my vision, from the inception of eFitStore.com, was to provide a necessary online service, not just another discount supplement store.  When building the store we took surveys and asked people from all walks of life what they would like to see in an online health and fitness store, and aside from great customer service, the number one answer was "a one-stop shop where I can purchase everything I need related to health and fitness." 

So, our goal is to carry everything and anything related to health and fitness whether it be nutritional supplements, skin care, tanning products, clothing, training accessories, equipment, posing suits, DVDs and books- really just about anything you can think of!

            At this point, we are starting out with the "primary" brands and each month we will gradually increase the number of products and brands we carry until we have everything you could possibly need. With regard to "tanning," that encompasses everything: self-tanning products (Pro Tan, Competition Tan), tanning accelerators, moisturizers, skin care products and commercial and home unit tanning beds. The clothing will start with industry workout brands, but our goal is to add to our inventory the brand name active wear from the fashion industry such as Sean John, Ecko, Baby Phat, etc. We will also carry equipment ranging from dumbbells to home units to commercial quality equipment, as well as wraps, belts, bench shirts, shoes- you name it!

And of course, we will be offering the DVDs, photos, T-shirts and other products from your favorite pros! Actually, the list of what eFitStore.com will be carrying and offering its customers is endless! Just think of eFitStore.com as "the online fitness store to the world"! Aside from an enormous variety of great products at extremely competitive prices, we will warehouse our entire inventory which means NO drop shipping and NO run-around if you have questions regarding your purchases!

 

Q: I've been competing for about eight years now. I don't have any trouble getting in shape and I have my diet figured out pretty good, but my problem is that I always weigh the same or sometimes less at contest time no matter how much weight I gain in the off-season! What confuses me is that I always try to put on as much size and muscle as I can and it's usually not fat, so how can I make these solid gains only to seemingly lose them and weigh the same as I did the previous year come contest time?

            A:  First, I must commend you for at least taking notice of the "type" of weight you put on in the off-season and for actually figuring out how to get in shape. Some athletes go an entire career without the ability to nail their own conditioning! I remember being a teenager just starting to lift and trying to pack on as much weight as possible, not worrying whether it was good weight or bad weight and thinking it was "cool." But we both know that's not the right way, or healthy way, to making gains. I've seen athletes time after time blow up and look impressive in the off-season, but it wasn't solid weight- mostly bloaty water weight and/or fat- and when they dieted down the comments you heard were: "What happened?" Making sure you're packing on "quality" weight rather than "quantity" weight is so very important, but since this is what you seem to be doing, let's look further into the problem.

The answer to your dilemma is relatively easy, even though you have probably wracked your brains thinking of every possible solution to your plight! One of the elements I implement most into my programs is constant tweaking and adjustments, however minor or major they may be. Adjustments are needed and necessary to overcome obstacles in either weight gain or weight loss. A person must make adjustments to suit the gains he or she has made during the year. You could gain 15 solid pounds of muscle during your off-season, but if you follow the same diet as you did the previous year without making adjustments to accommodate the newly gained muscle, more than likely you will revert back to the same contest weight. 

            To explain in detail, say last year you weighed 200 pounds when you started your diet and you dieted down to 175. The following year, your off-season weight goes up to 215, so you've gained 15 solid pounds. However, you follow the exact same diet- your body is a "creature of habit"- so by following the same diet without any adjustments to the program, you'll go right back to 175, or maybe lower, because not only did you add muscle off-season, but by adding more muscle, you increased your metabolism so you're burning up any gains you made. Just think of it this way: You don't train and eat off-season the same way if you're trying to move up to the light-heavy class from the middleweight class; you push yourself harder, lift heavier and eat more. These basic off-season adjustments more or less apply to the contest portion of your diet. You are training to make a heavier class weight, so you must diet the same.

            Basically, to remedy this you need to adjust your caloric intake as well as the amount of protein you take in, meaning more than the year before to accommodate the changes you've made. You don't need to do a complete overhaul of your program, but if, say, you were eating primarily chicken and turkey for protein sources, you may need to add in a red meat meal here or there. Just remember, if you're trying to move up in weight, you cannot follow the same diet year after year! You can follow the same dieting principles, but you must make minor adjustments to keep the gains you have made. I know it sounds very simple- maybe almost too easy a solution- but it does work. Try it out and let me know how you do!