When I graduated from college, I tried my hardest to get a job at an accounting firm, and it just wasn't meant to be. I ended up delivering pizzas and newspapers. I knew my life was cracked up to be a little more.
Father Time and injuries are tough adversaries.
I take about 12 weeks to get ready for a show. But I train all year round.
The treatment from the Arnold Classic to the Olympia is, of course, a little bit different, but overall the quality of the shows and the way they are put on... I think they are the same. It's just that the Olympia has been around for so long, and it is considered the Super Bowl of bodybuilding.
Because the Arnold Classic is such a big show, a guy who hasn't been getting a lot of recognition all of a sudden does that show and arrives in good condition and is able to take out some of the top guys, it then puts him up there in the running for the Olympia title. So he can get more recognition that way.
For the most part, I would say that I have always had a great love for the sport, just doing what I do. I think my success could be greatly attributed to that. I don't look at it like it's a job or anything like that. Its more like a hobby, something I have fun doing.
I eat chicken and rice, steak, and baked potato. That's it.
I've always been a big guy - I was much larger and stronger than my peers when I was 13 years old.
Mostly, I was into powerlifting when I was in high school. And I just continued to train the same way I was taught - to powerlift. Once I started doing bodybuilding, there were no real differences, just different exercises. A different way of training with more repetitions, but it was still the same lifting of very heavy weights to get stronger.
Australia is my favorite place to visit. The fans are great, and the sport of bodybuilding is huge.
Nutrition is 150 per cent of the bodybuilding formula. It's that important.
Bodybuilding is about building your body. Whether you do it to maintain your fitness levels, climb Everest, run the marathon, or be a competitive bodybuilder is up to you.
Competitive bodybuilding is a niche sport, but bodybuilding is for everybody.
I'm a body builder, so we do a lot of stuff on repetition.
No dessert. I don't do dessert.
I'll be a diehard bodybuilder until my last breath, but I want my brand and the movement we are creating to touch all aspect of the fitness community.
I hate dieting.
I endorsed supplements for about 15-20 years and made a lot of people a lot of money, so I figured I should do my own line and make my own money.
I have fans from every level of the fitness world, whether it's the elite competitor or just someone living a healthy lifestyle, and it's been my goal since day one to make sure that my brand has something to offer everyone.
The gym is one of the few places where I can just be myself without any hindrances and inhibitions.
